New Romantics | Hermione Granger Book IV

|38| Chapter Thirty-Eight

T H I R T Y  E I G H T 

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Professor Moody took Saffron's advice by taking Neville up to his office and asking Harry if he was okay, as Neville, Harry, Hermione and Ron were gathered around a window sill where Neville was sat, still looking pale and fearful. For a few moments, Saffron wasn't sure if Neville going to Professor Moody's office by himself was a good idea but she squashed that thought immediately. Moody wasn't some sort of villain. He had been hired for a reason and although Professor Dumbledore had made some questionable teaching decisions in the past, hiring one of his old friends and allies during the war couldn't be considered as questionable when it came to him being a malicious person, akin to Quirrell and Lockhart.

As Saffron set off towards the Great Hall with her friends, she took a sip of some doleo and gave Hermione and Harry a reassuring look to let them know that everything was okay when it came to her and the Grey. That seemed to be enough for them or if it wasn't, Saffron would hear about it later when Ron wasn't with them. Usually, Ron would have realised that he was being left out of something but on this occasion, he did not. He was too busy raving about the class they had just had. 

"Some lesson, though, eh?" Ron was saying. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did Avada Kedavra, the way that spider just died, just snuffed it right -"

Ron realised then and there that he had misspoken and he kept his mouth shut until they finally made their way down to the Great Hall. Saffron wasn't going to hold his words against him as she knew that Ron had no intention to upset either Harry or her by mentioning the curse but it did widen the gaping hole that had formed in her gut. She just hoped some food would be the antidote to make her feel better about what she saw.

Although eating didn't make her feel normal again, it certainly had a positive impact and Saffron was given two options. She could either leave with Hermione to go to the library or to make a start on her Divination homework with Harry and Ron. She opted for the former which put a smile on Hermione's face, but of course, the first thing Hermione wanted to know was how she was feeling.

"How is your forehead?"

"It's okay now," Saffron said to Hermione firmly. "I probably should have used the doleo right when I felt it, but I didn't want to with Moody right in front of me. I'm glad I didn't in the end because I spoke to him after class, he said that Maya reacted the same way as I did to the curses. He looked so accusing and suspicious... it was weird,"

"He certainly is a character," nodded Hermione in agreement, as they turned down a hallway leading to the entrance of the library. "What he showed us was completely unethical, I imagine if the Ministry were to find out they'd be up in arms about it. Using unforgivable curses is illegal, no matter the circumstances,"

"Well, Dumbledore has never been one to do things the right way," said Saffron with a small frown. "He consistently does things the wrong way. It's just like at the end of last year when we brought back Sirius and Peter, Dumbledore almost looked annoyed, like that hadn't gone to his plan and wished it did even though everything turned out for the better seeing as Sirius came back and Peter's now in Azkaban,"

"I imagine he's just a controlling person," said Hermione, not reading into Dumbledore's actions as much as Saffron was. "Though I don't disagree with your point as a whole, even back in first and second year, he must have known what we were getting ourselves into yet he let us take the risks and the potential consequences that could have come with them,"

Saffron swung the library door open and the two girls stopped talking until they had put enough space between them and the vulture-like librarian Madam Pince.

"What did you want to come here for anyway?" Saffron asked Hermione curiously, noticing that had taken seats at a table near the magical creatures section of the library. Saffron's mind soon began to join the dots but Hermione answered before she got to a finite conclusion.

"I just wanted to put this finishing touches to this," Hermione nodded towards a box that she had just taken out of her school bag. "Remember that project I told you I was working on?"

"Yes, but I assumed that was for Arithmancy or Ancient Runes," said Saffron slowly, eyeing the box that Hermione just took the lid off of. "Not... house-elves,"

Saffron looked in the open box to find roughly four dozen or so different colour badges but all of the badges had the same letters, S.P.E.W engraved on them in sharp, bold writing.

"I'm calling it S.P.E.W," enthused Hermione with an excited look on her face. "It stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare." She paused and pushed a badge in front of Saffron. "And... I was hoping you'd maybe be its second member,"

"Who's the first?" enquired Saffron curiously with an arched eyebrow.

"Me, of course," replied Hermione as though it was obvious. She then pulled out a neat piece of parchment that was titled as the official S.P.E.W member list. Saffron didn't hesitate before signing her name under Hermione's, not because she supported the cause as per se but to appease Hermione. "I just have to finalise the manifesto and then I'll start recruiting,"

"Recruiting?" Saffron pressed down on her quill so forcefully a dot of ink was seen right after her signature. She hastily took the quill of the list and looked at Hermione in confusion. "What are you actually going to ask people to join this... this club?"

"I'd call it more a movement or campaign, but yes," Hermione informed her, beaming. "I have roles for you, Harry and Ron within the committee of the movement. I'll be chairperson, seeing as I'm the founder of S.P.E.W. I thought you would make a good secretary because you're quite fast at writing. Harry could be treasuer and Ron could solely be a recruiter, just because I don't think he'll pay attention in the meetings as well as you and Harry would,"

"Great," said Saffron weakly. Hermione didn't notice her hesitation and asked Saffron:

"Isn't it exciting? We could make a real difference, elves have been enslaved for centuries yet nobody has spoken up about it. We could be the first ones to truly do so," said Hermione breathlessly. "I don't think I've ever been excited by anything more in my life,"

"Oh, definitely," said Saffron feebly finding some amusement in Hermione's optimism at the idea of it. As she knew for a fact that nobody would play an active role in such a movement as it was not a populist one. But Saffron kept the facade up for Hermione, hoping that she would second guess herself and not persist.

Her lip then curled into a wry smile. Who was she kidding? This was Hermione Granger she was thinking about. She was going to take S.P.E.W to the grave with her and Saffron felt like she was going to have to too. It was part of being a good friend and she had no intention whatsoever of not fulfilling that role for Hermione.