Chapter 31 - House-Elves
***** BONUS CHAPTER ***** A/N: FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND SUPPORT. Just seeing all your thanks and comments means the world me! <3 Been feeling a little out of sorts lately.... guess thats showing in Thursday's chapter since a lot more little mistakes slipped through my edits LOL. Thanks for pointing them out yall, I appreciate you! I'll go back some time in the near future to fix them...... So ya, this is kinda random..... But I Always thought there should be some kind of mario maker for Summoner's court boards..... like adding our own obstacles.... Try to create a 'Rube-goldberg machine' set up to get 500 points or something....Can you tell I spent hours decorating my RoR and Vivariums? LMFAO Anyways.... Enough from lil old me.... hope you all enjoy the story! *****
'It's like I'm more of his helper, than I am actually a Junior Professor.' Khan grumbled to himself.
It was a few weeks into October now, and the school term was in full swing. The students were subject to pressure and stress, as homework was being assigned at an ever increasing pace, and the school was constantly being cleaned in preparation for the upcoming Tournament.
Mr Argus Filch, the caretaker, was found behaving so ferociously to any student who forgot to wipe their shoes, that more than a few times, a few younger girls were found terrified into hysterics.
Khan himself felt the pressure, not only from the amount of school work he was assigned, but from his popularity as well, which was also increasing as a result of summoner's court. He found himself often hiding out in his RoR most of the time, to avoid students asking for his help.
It wasn't that he disliked helping students.... on the contrary.... he quite enjoyed it. It was simply that he just did not have enough time, with his studies for his O.W.Ls and his Student Professor duties.
Speaking of his student professor duties..... After the success of Khan's first solo class, and the ever increasing popularity of Summoner's court (which Khan subsequently ended up teaching the upper year students as well), Professor Flitwick had taken Khan under his wing, and was including him in everything he did as a Professor; awarding points, creating lesson plans, marking homework/tests, and teaching the class itself.
On the contrary however, Professor Moody had not included Khan in anything, and was very private.
Outside of classes, Khan rarely interacted with his other 'Mentor', and was often times not able to even speak with him, let alone learn anything from him. Moody would not even let Khan into his office, to help prep for the lesson, or go over the lesson plan.
Inside of class was not any better. Khan not being involved with the lesson planning, was often just as surprised as the classes were, when it came to what Moody decided to teach the students. He was only able to help demonstrate and explain, due to his significant amount of practical combat/defense experience.
It let to this current situation which Khan was grumbling about.
'I get he's a little paranoid, but this is getting ridiculous.' Khan complained to himself. 'A little heads up would've been nice.... especially since we're casting unforgivables on students.'
To everyone's surprise, Professor Moody had announced at the start of the current class that he (and Khan) would be putting the Imperius curse on each of them in turn, to demonstrate its power and to see whether they could resist its effects.
'I wonder if something happened over the rest of the summer to cause him to act this way..... He seems almost completely different than the Senior Auror I met alongside his trainee in the medical wing during the summer.' Khan thought to himself suspiciously, remembering Moody's previous auror trainee in the process. 'I should contact that woman who was his protégé, just to investigate.... what was her name again.... Tonks?'
Khan's thoughts were interrupted by Hermione interjecting back to Professor Moody.
"But - but you said it's illegal, Professor." Said Hermione uncertainly, not wanting to break any rules or laws. "You said, to use it on another human wa-"
"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like!" Moody interrupted Hermione, magical eye swiveling around his socket to stare at her uneasily. "But if you'd rather learn the hard way, when someone is putting it on you so they can control you completely, thats fine with me!"
"Anyone that doesn't want to experience this spell, may be excused." Moody announced to the rest of the class, pointing a finger at the door. "Off you go!"
The students stilled, as nobody made a move to exit the class.
"Alright then, first 2 students to the front!" Moody announced, as he called the first 2 vic- students up.
*****
"The way he talks, you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second." Harry complained aloud, as he hobbled out of the Defense classroom. He was quite disoriented from the recent class after all.
Harry was one of the only students in his class, who was eventually able to throw off the Imperius Curse the first time it was cast on him. This of course led to Moody putting Harry through his paces, and casting the Imperius curse on him a few more times, until he could throw off the curse completely.
"Ya I know.... Talk about paranoid." Ron agreed, before noticing that they were short 1 best friend. "Wait, where is Hermione?"
"House-Elves!" Hermione cried loudly from still inside the classroom. Harry and Ron pulled a 180, and saw Hermione talking animatedly to Khan. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does Hogwarts: A History mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"
Ron and Harry made eye contact uncomfortably from the doorway. It seemed Hermione was now trying to get Khan involved with S.P.E.W ..... Both of them had paid 2 sickles for a badge themselves that morning, but truly, they had only done it to keep her quiet. It seemed their sickles had been wasted however, as Hermione now seemed even more adamant than ever with her cause. And there was no stopping her once she got going on one of her rants.
"You must realize Professor Khan, that our sheets are changed, fires lit, classrooms cleaned, and food cooked by a group of unpaid magical creatures, who are essentially enslaved!?!?" She continued, with righteous fury.
"Hermione, first of all, outside of class, its just Jordan, or at the very least Khan..... Unless you want me to go back to calling you Granger." Khan jokes with her. "2nd of all, have you spoken with a house-elf before? And not elves like Winky, where you didn't really talk to them. I'm talking, going down to the kitchen to really get to know them."
"No, of course not... Jordan." She replied blushing slightly. "And to answer your 2nd question, definitely not. I hardly think students are supposed to be going into the kitchens anyways."
"Well.... I have. I've been to the kitchen, and talked to many different Hogwarts House-elves." Khan responded, patting her head placatingly. "The ones at Hogwarts are happy. They've got the best job in the world here at Hogwarts; safe, unabused by mean masters, with professors and some students who are appreciative with their hard work."
"Well....that's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione protested. "Slavery is wrong!"
"Things aren't always so black and white Hermione." Khan responded, shifting into Jr. Prof. mode once again. "I agree, slavery is wrong, but is it really slavery? Is it so strange to see a race that shares interests, like cleaning or cooking? Centaurs share an interest in Astronomy amongst their race after all."
"And are you really helping them, even if they are 'brainwashed' and it is 'slavery', if you take away their happiness and sense of purpose?" Khan continued to ask Hermione, before carrying on with his explanation. "I used to have one as a best friend actually. His name was Deek, and he was a Hogwarts House-elf."
"Before he came to Hogwarts however, Deek had a evil wizard as a master." Khan said. "Deek would often times tell me how cruel his previous master would be to his house-elves, even if they were listening to his orders perfectly. Deek's former master, fortunately passed away, freeing Deek and allowing him to serve at Hogwarts, where we subsequently met and became friends."
"We went on all sorts of adventures together, saving beasts of all sorts from the poachers that used to plague the Hogwarts lands. He helped to take care of all my beast pets and friends, and even helped care for me and keep tidy my Room....." Khan explained, voice heavy with emotion. "He was the best house-elf, and a great friend! I have even been introduced to his Son and Grandson recently, Hogwarts being safe enough for Deek to even raise a family."
"Does that sound like slavery, especially compared to his previous life under his last master, Hermione?" He finished.
"No..... But it's still not right...." Hermione agreed, albeit reluctantly.
"Honestly Hermione, you have the right idea, just the wrong execution." Khan decided to help out his friend, as he too did have a soft spot for house-elves thanks to Deek. "Why are you focusing on the Hogwarts house-elves? Especially when, in comparison to many other individual masters, Hogwarts is arguably the best place for a House-elf to work, in terms of safety and not being abused."
"Instead of Hogwarts, focus on the real problem; the abusive masters."
"That's it!" Hermione was excited, as she had found her future goal. "I'll fix it on the policy level, and take it up with the ministry!"
"Thank you so much Jordan!" She hugged him excitedly before running off. "See you later! I need to do some more research in the library!"
Hermione ran pasted a stunned Harry and Ron who were watching the exchange from the classroom doorway.
They had never seen Hermione convinced of another side so quickly, especially since she had already done so much research, and work into her S.P.E.W. club. She had just been harassing the whole Gryffindor common room that morning, to donate and join her fight against the slavery of the Hogwarts House-elves, being quite stubborn in her efforts.
And the 2 of them knew from being her best friend over the years, that once Hermione was set on one of her rants and tirades, it was very hard to dissuade her of anything else.
But a short conversation from Khan, and she changed her tune instantly?!?
"That was Hermione right mate?" Ron clarified to Harry after a few minutes.
Harry nodded in response.
"Right.... just wanted to make sure."
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット