Is it about the house-elves?
Harry's mind stirred, recalling Hermione's words at Gringotts: the house-elves of the future world and Hogwarts unanimously agreed to join the Pan-Magic Alliance. Next, the Ministry of Magic will gradually clear out the house-elves from ancient families' hands, especially those who are being mistreated...
The mental state of these house-elves from the Future World Company is surprisingly good, possibly related to the smiles on their faces or because their clothes are closer to what normal people would find aesthetically pleasing, not just wearing a pillowcase but being able to distinguish between shirts, trousers, and the odd strips of cloth used for decoration. This point was better than Hogwarts, and for a moment, Harry suddenly understood Hermione's long-standing insistence.
He looked up at those lively little guys on the second floor, trying to recognize a familiar individual, which wasn't easy. His gaze swept back and forth twice but didn't catch a glimpse of Dobby. While puzzled, he felt a hand tugging at his trousers.
Harry looked down.
"Dobby?"
"Mr. Harry Potter, sir! Hello!" A house-elf looked up at him with big round eyes, dressed somewhat like Professor Flitwick from the school, indeed the familiar Dobby, his eyes brimming with tears of reunion.
Harry had a bad feeling, as Dobby stepped back and then lunged into his arms, his thin arms tightly wrapping around him, and his long nose poking painfully into his stomach. It took Harry a great effort to break free, "You too, Dobby," he said, panting.
Dobby stepped back a few steps, smiling and looking at Harry.
"Mr. Harry Potter, sir!"
Harry examined Dobby; he looked spirited, and his clothes reflected unique tastes in many details, such as the magenta sweater inside his coat, possibly a Christmas gift from Ron one year; wrapped around the sweater was a tie, embroidered at the clip with a green circle featuring two black dots, which Harry guessed was Dobby's handiwork, though its meaning was unclear; the elf also wore two thick socks of different colors on his feet, making no sound as he walked.
"Mr. Harry Potter, sir, please come with me."
The house-elf grabbed Harry's hand, pulling him through the crowd and up a large spiral staircase.
"Wait, wait, Dobby, I didn't come alone, I have some friends with me, Ron, Neville, Hermione—" Harry turned his head back while speaking, noticing Ron being eyed by his twin brothers, Neville with Mr. Ollivander, apparently having his wand checked; Hermione was nowhere to be seen, even though she was just here—
"Dobby knows, Dobby called Miss Granger away, Dobby has something for Mr. Harry Potter, sir!"
"You called Hermione away?" Harry said in surprise.
"Yes, Dobby followed Mr. Lupin's advice, Dobby is willing to help." The house-elf leading the way said as they reached the second floor, "Dobby has prepared a coming-of-age gift for Mr. Harry Potter, sir—"
"Oh, um, thank you, Dobby." Harry was startled, suddenly realizing his seventeenth birthday was just a few days away, the month had flown by. But he immediately wondered whether Bill and Fleur's originally scheduled wedding would still take place on time. And—why did Lupin seek Hermione?
Harry's mind was racing with various thoughts, but all questions were put aside when he saw a house-elf wearing a pink pillowcase with lace, "Dobby, is that Winky?" He recognized Winky by her brown eyes and tomato-like flattened nose, the latter feature more memorable.
But what truly distinguished her from a crowd of house-elves was that she was among the few still wearing a pillowcase as clothing.
"It is Winky," Dobby said. They walked along the escalator, below was the grand hall of the sword castle, from above Harry could see the backs of people's heads.
"But she's still wearing a pillowcase, why? Isn't she free?"
Dobby slowed down, "Winky can't forget Mr. Crouch, she's been counting the days, saving money, three years, two years, now only half a year left."
So Barty Crouch still has half a year to serve? Harry thought.
They passed through a dozen doors, flanked by ten-foot-tall magical golems that had come in handy during the Death Eaters' full-scale attack, some were also placed in the Ministry's hall and more critical corridors. They stopped in front of a door that was unique for having two handles, one notably lower.
Seeing Dobby effortlessly turn the handle cleared Harry's confusion.
Inside was a vast circular space, divided into several areas, including work areas with rows of small stools and resting places for house-elves, all the furniture was miniature, making Harry feel taller
.
He glanced back unintentionally, catching a glimpse of Hermione's figure flashing past on the fifth floor.
...
"Professor, you're here too?" Hermione, closing the door behind her, was surprised to see Felix there as well. Dobby had only told her that Lupin was looking for her, not mentioning anyone else. So, even though Sword Castle theoretically belonged to Professor Harp, she was unsure about seeing the professor here.
Sometimes Hermione felt that if the professor ever resigned from school, he might hide in an unreachable place (like the moon) to study magic, only to remember his friends after three or five years and then reappear to visit. But the professor was not really good at socializing; many of his reactions were premeditated, ready to be used in different situations. This secret was only discoverable by those closest to him. Besides, the professor was not a particularly warm person; very few things could move him, so he always seemed composed.
Of course, Felix was unaware of Hermione's thoughts at the moment. He nodded at her, signaling for Hermione to come over. The spacious office also contained others, Hermione looked around to see Lupin, Snape, and—
"Professor Slughorn?"
Hermione's voice rose slightly, surprised to see the short, plump old wizard curled up on the sofa, his round body wrapped in an exquisite robe, his walrus-like mustache twitching, the Potions professor at Hogwarts, Slughorn.
"Come over, Miss Granger, we were just discussing simplifications in potion-making." Slughorn said warmly. Hermione chose a seat, and he continued, "Felix mentioned you had a similar experience, uniting students from all four houses last school year, right? For the O.W.Ls exams..."
"That's a different matter from what we're planning to do." Snape said coldly, not forgetting that those simplified formulas originated from his own used textbooks, which essentially were shortcuts he was once proud of but later abandoned as they did not contribute to the advancement in potion-making.
"You're right, Severus," Slughorn said absently, "but I think the cleverness and leadership shown are commendable... Of course, what we're discussing is more challenging, and my suggestion is to start with the basics, it's all in the textbooks!"
Hermione listened for a while and realized they were discussing how to make potions available to ordinary people. Snape had warned in class not to try to administer potions to Muggles, as it's uncertain which potions require a wizard's magic to work, and no potioneer has cataloged them yet.
Snape and Slughorn were chatting intermittently, casually mentioning potion theories not found in textbooks. Hermione, half understanding, wished they would slow down so she could jot notes. Just then, she heard a light chuckle.
Hermione turned woodenly to Felix.
Felix lowered his head, a smile curving the corner of his mouth. He coughed lightly, pulling a silver pocket watch from his chest, and said in his usual tone, "If you're not planning a career in potion-making, it's not essential to listen. I've compiled a list comparing spells and potions with similar effects... I sought you out today for another matter, needing your opinion. Oh, I recommended you, thinking you'd be suitable..."
Before Hermione could respond, Snape suddenly turned to Felix, saying sarcastically, "The subtlety of potions lies in the minor differences. Some people gave up on the subject too early, naturally missing out on its intricacies and the beauty that can captivate the heart."
Hermione blinked. Was this a dig at Professor Harp not understanding potions? She looked at Professor Slughorn.
Though not as direct as Snape, Slughorn implied the same. Hermione's well-honed summarizing skills kicked in, concluding both meant to ignore the uninformed.
Felix rolled his eyes, flipped open the watch cover, and Valen popped out, dodging the grasp of the "big bad" and ran to Hermione, gesturing animatedly. A gold card crossed Hermione's mind. She looked at Felix, who awkwardly turned away.
The door opened, and Madam Bones and Mr. Weasley entered, both visibly exhausted.
"You look tired. Are negotiations not going well?" Lupin asked kindly.
Mr. Weasley removed his glasses, wiping them with the corner of his shirt, his thinning hair causing concern that he might share Slughorn's hairstyle in a few years. "Tough. The Muggle Prime Minister brought a bunch of legal experts, picking apart our words. In short, limited progress this morning."
"We're outnumbered," Lupin said, "which hinders our development in many areas, like law. Of course, we don't need to replicate their system entirely. I've always believed the purpose of law is to articulate our expectations of society with finite words." He paused, "Do we have a contingency plan for this?"
"Of course," Madam Bones managed a smile, admiring Felix, "Because of the Pan-Magic Alliance, they can't command wizards, but they aim to restrict wizards' freedom with complicated laws. We caught them off guard by proposing joint enforcement and an external liaison concept. Negotiations continue tomorrow."
According to Felix and her idea, wizards won't fully lift restrictions for a while, managing separately until intersections occur, necessitating joint enforcement. It wasn't designed from the start but evolved from case-by-case judgments, accumulating into regulations.
Joint enforcement targets emergencies, and both sides need a stable communication channel. Two options on paper: stores selling unique wizarding items and establishing fixed locations for free interaction and collaboration, including technology and magic, allowing Muggles magical exposure.
After more discussion, Madam Bones mentioned, "Law is the focus of negotiations, determining discourse power. I suspect agreement won't come easily. Mentioning trade issues this morning, if there's no progress tomorrow, I plan to start there."
"Showing magic's potential benefits could lead to better outcomes," Felix nodded, then asked, "Has Babajide Akingbade contacted you?"
Madam Bones sighed, "No, he sends representatives daily for negotiation records. Fairly, he's capable but faces an unfamiliar field, responsible for dozens at the Ministry, hesitant to decide rashly."
She shook her head, feeling equally helpless in such a challenging position.
"You've pinpointed the issue," Lupin said sharply, "His uncertainty delays opportunities."
"Let's invite him at an appropriate time," Felix suggested.
"The right moment?" Madam Bones pondered, seemingly struck with an idea, "I'll arrange it. Two more things, first—" she looked at Snape and Slughorn, "—related to potions, then healthcare. Magic has an advantage here."
"I need manpower," Snape stated, "A lot of it."
"Agreed," Madam Bones nodded, "Temporary potion-makers reside in Diagon Alley; I'll invite them on behalf of the Ministry. Professor Slughorn, I know you're entitled to a peaceful life at your age, but we need your strength now, even just advice."
"Oh, certainly, that's no problem," Slughorn said, "I've been retired for decades, finding Hogwarts suits me best. I think I'll stay, but if students lose interest in learning, there's nothing for me as a professor."
He mused, "Dumbledore reminded me... in his final days... he said school is the safest and most suitable place for retirement. If even the school loses its peace, nowhere else would fare better
."
The room fell silent, as if recalling a shared memory. Their commonality was Dumbledore's talks in the past months, each with a different pretext.
"The second matter is..." After a brief silence, Madam Bones adjusted her monocle and continued.
...
"An interview on television?" Ron looked at Hermione in disbelief, as if she spoke of fairy tales.
"What's that about?" Harry asked.
"It's seen as a way to build trust between us. You must know, the Ministry plans to invite some non-magical people to visit our society. It's the same principle," Hermione explained, "Not just me, Mr. Weasley and Professor Slughorn are on the list too."
"My dad's going on TV?" Ron said excitedly, "He didn't mention it at home. Oh, right, he's been too busy lately."
"So, I need to start preparing, not much time left," Hermione hurried, "I have to go to the library for research—"
"The library might not have what you're looking for," Harry reminded her.
"How can it not? Wizarding history, culture... It must be there," Hermione said, rolling up her sleeves, ready for a deep dive.
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