Hermione climbed into the common room carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked in the other. Ava and I, who were cuddled up in one of the armchairs, stared at the box.
Ava: Is there a Blast-Ended Skrewt in there?
Hermione: Nope. I've just finished!
Ron threw down his Divination homework triumphantly.
Ron: So have I!
Hermione sat down, laid the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Ron's predictions toward her.
Hermione: Not going to have a very good month, are you?
YN: Well at least he knows that ahead of time.
Hermione: He seems to be drowning twice.
Ron: Oh am I? I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff.
Suguru, who had just come back down the stairs from our dorm, laughed.
Suguru: Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?
Ron gave a look of mock offense.
Ron: How dare you! We've been working like house-elves here!
Hermione raised her eyebrows.
Ava: It's just an expression, Hermione.
Harry laid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation.
Harry: What's in the box?
Hermione: Funny you should ask.
She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters. S.P.E.W.
YN: Spew?
Harry: What's this about?
Hermione: Not spew. It's S P E W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.
Ron: Never heard of it.
Hermione: Well, of course you haven't, I've only just started it.
Ron: Yeah? How many members have you got?
Hermione: Well, if you all join, six.
Ron: And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying "spew", do you?
Hermione: S P E W! I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status, but it wouldn't fit.
YN: Probably for the better, or your group would be unpronounceable.
She brandished the sheaf of parchment at us.
Hermione: I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now.
I sighed.
YN: Hermione. I get that you care about this, but house-elves ENJOY being servants! It's their instinctual life purpose!
Hermione acted like she hadn't hear a word of it.
Hermione: Our short term aims are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long term aims include changing the law about not being able to use wands, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented.
Suguru: Hermione, house-elves don't need wands. They have their own magic, and it's honestly more powerful than what wands can cast.
Harry: That's true, Dobby levitated and threw a grown man down a flight of stairs like it was nothing. And how do we do all this?
Hermione: We start by recruiting members. I thought two Sickles to join. That buys a badge, and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron, I've got you a collecting tin upstairs. And Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting. YN, Ava, and Suguru, you're in charge of recruiting, you'll be the ones recruiting new members.
Suguru and I both glanced at each other. There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at us. I sat, torn between disbelief at Hermione and amusement at the adorable look on Ava's face as she tried not to laugh. The silence was broken, not by Ron, who in any case looked as though he was temporarily dumbstruck, but by a soft tap on the window. We all looked across the now empty common room and saw, illuminated by the moonlight, a snowy owl perched on the windowsill.
Harry: Hedwig!
He launched himself out of his chair and across the room to pull open the window. Hedwig flew inside, soared across the room, and landed on the table on top of Harry's predictions.
Harry: About time!
Ron: She's got an answer!
He pointed excitedly at the grubby piece of parchment tied to Hedwig's leg. Harry hastily untied it and sat down to read, whereupon Hedwig fluttered onto his knee, hooting softly.
Suguru: What's going on?
YN: We've been waiting to hear from Sirius Black.
Suguru look confused.
Suguru: Isn't he...
YN: Hold on, we'll explain in a bit. Harry, what does it say?
The letter was very short, and looked as though it had been scrawled in a great hurry. Harry read it aloud
Harry: "Harry. I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore. They're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry. Sirius.
Harry looked up at us.
Hermione: He's flying north? He's coming back?
Ron: Dumbledore's reading what signs?
Harry: I shouldn't've told him! It's made him think he's got to come back!
He slammed his fist on the table. Hedwig landed on the back of Ron's chair, hooting indignantly.
Harry: Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for you, Hedwig. You'll have to go up tothe Owlery if you want food.
Hedwig gave him an extremely offended look and took off for the open window, smacking Harry around the head with her outstretched wing as she went.
Hermione: Harry...
Harry: I'm going to bed. See you in the morning.
I sighed as he left.
Suguru: Can you tell me what's going on now?
YOU ARE READING
Infinite Magic (Male Reader x Harry Potter)
AdventureYN Gojo, the first Gojo clan member to possess both Six Eyes and Infinity for generations, goes to Hogwarts!
