Harry Potter and the Hidden Treasure (Volume 3)

Chapter 531 The Society For The Promotion Of Elf Welfare

"They are all here!" Hermione's eyes lit up when she saw Harry and the others, "I just finished!"

"I just finished too!" Ron triumphantly declared, tossing his quill.

Hermione sat down, placed her belongings on an empty armchair, and pulled Evan's predictions closer to her.

"You're not going to have a good month, are you?" she said sarcastically as Crookshanks curled up in her lap.

"You know, this is how to deal with Professor Trelawney!" Evan remarked, looking at the box Hermione had brought. Compared to Harry and Ron, the tragic prophecies he had written were more subtle and less grim.

"Whatever happens, at least we are forewarned," Ron yawned.

Hermione set Evan's predictions aside and picked up Ron's.

"Indeed, it's a good warning. Seems like you'll drown twice," she commented.

"Oh, really?" Ron said, looking at his predictions. "Better change one of them to being trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."

"Isn't it a bit obvious that you've made these up?" Hermione inquired.

"How dare you!" Ron exclaimed in mock indignation. "We have been here all night, working like house-elves!"

Hermione raised her eyebrows and gave Ron a disapproving look.

"I'm sorry, I apologize for the inappropriate remark," Ron hurriedly apologized.

Harry also set down his quill, having just predicted his own death by decapitation at the end of the month.

"Hermione, what's in the box?" Evan inquired, pointing to it. He thought it best not to let Hermione continue talking about her three Divination tasks.

"I was going to tell you. It's something I've been working hard on all week. We have to do something for the house-elves," Hermione said with a smile.

She opened the box and revealed its contents. Inside were about fifty badges, of various colors, all bearing the same letters: S. P. E. W.

"Spew?" Harry raised a badge and examined it. "What is this about?"

"Not Spew," Hermione corrected impatiently. "It's S-P-E-W. It stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elf Welfare."

"I've never heard of that," Ron remarked.

"Neither have I!" Harry added.

Evan remained silent. He understood what was happening. It seemed that Hermione was not satisfied with just writing articles for the newspaper.

She had always talked about doing something tangible for the house-elves, and this was what she meant.

"Of course, you haven't heard of it," Hermione said energetically, "I've only just started it."

"Really?" Ron expressed mild surprise. "How many members do you have?"

"Well, if you three join... four," Hermione replied.

"Join? And you think we want to go around wearing badges that say 'Spew'?" Ron questioned.

"It's S-P-E-W!" Hermione insisted fervently. "I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Magical Creature Companions and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status, but it wouldn't fit. So that's the headline of our manifesto."

She waved the scroll filled with words towards them.

"This is our specific statute. I've thoroughly researched elf slavery in the library. It dates back centuries. I can't believe no one has done anything about it until now."

"Hermione, open your eyes," Ron spoke up. "THEY LIKE IT! They like being enslaved!"

"Our short-term goals," Hermione continued, standing up and speaking louder than Ron, as if she hadn't heard anything, "are to ensure fair wages and decent working conditions for house-elves. Our long-term goals include changing the law on the use of non-magical wands and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, as they are scandalously underrepresented."

"Calm down, Hermione," Evan urged, making her sit back down.

Hermione looked angry, still giving Ron a displeased look, who in turn appeared unhappy.

"Well, how can we accomplish all of this?" Harry asked softly.

"We start by recruiting members," Hermione said happily. "I thought of two sickles to join, that will buy a badge! And the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. Ron, you are the treasurer; I've set up a money box for you. Harry, you are the secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting. As for Evan, I think you are suitable to be the president, being very famous in magical circles, which is conducive to our publicity, and you need to deal with the Ministry of Magic. I am the vice president of the Society for the Promotion of Elf Welfare, and I am primarily responsible for all daily affairs; that's all."

There was a pause during which Hermione smiled at the three.

Evan frowned as he read the letter from the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare written by Hermione. It seemed she had researched a lot of information.

Ron looked at Hermione in astonishment, with slightly bulging eyes and an open mouth.

Harry sat there, torn between frustration towards Hermione and amusement at Ron's expression.

After a while, there was a silence, a moment of peace before the storm.

"I'm not getting involved!" Ron said bluntly, pushing the badge forward.

"Ron?!" Hermione raised her eyebrows again. "We are saving the house-elves!"

"I said it, they like it, they enjoy being slaves to others," Ron said stubbornly, "I'm not going to follow you to the kitchen and rally them to stop working. I'm definitely not going to do that."

"No one wants to be a slave. This is extremely unjust for the house-elves," Hermione said, "Whether wizards or house-elves, we are all born equal. Wizards cannot build their magical civilization on the efforts and oppression of house-elves. We must stop this phenomenon."

" You know nothing about house-elves, Hermione," said Ron, "Do not try to persuade me to join your S.P.E.W. scheme."

"It's not a scheme; it's not S.P.E.W. It's for the rights of house-elves..."

Before Hermione could finish, Ron stood up from his chair and shouted loudly, "IN MY OPINION, IT'S S.P.E.W. I DO NOT WISH TO BE MADE A FOOL OF, WEARING THIS BADGE ON MY CHEST AND BEING MADE FUN OF."

They stared at each other, breathing heavily, and Ron's face turned red. Even his ears were red.

He then violently gathered his Divination homework and quill and rushed back to his room, the sound of the door closing was particularly loud.

"Don't blame Ron, he's been under a lot of pressure lately, and he's been making tragic predictions in here all night!" said Harry.

He winked at Evan and hurried back to the room to reason with Ron.

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