Discovery

26.

The thirtieth of October came faster than expected. On that morning, I got ready to head down to breakfast with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

But as I descended into the common room, two hands grabbed my arms.

"What— hey!" I shouted, looking up to see that Fred and George had seized me and were now dragging me out of the portrait hole.

"Quiet down! We need your advice!" George said as he and Fred hauled me down the staircase.

"About what?"

"Bagman, of course!" Fred replied.

We reached the Great Hall in no time and sat down at the Gryffindor table, near an end where no one could hear us.

"So, what? Why do you need my input?" I asked impatiently.

As Fred and George began to explain their plan, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat down near us. The twins lowered their voices more, but I could tell the trio was trying to listen in.

"It's a bummer, alright. But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever." George said gloomily.

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked.

"Wish you would," said Fred, looking irritated.

"What's a bummer?" Ron asked George.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," said George.

"But why does Ella get to know?" Ron questioned, looking frustrated.

"Because she's not as bloody annoying as you!" Fred snapped.

"Fred!" I shot him a look. "Sorry, Ron. It was nothing important."

Then Harry asked about the twins and their idea for how to enter the tournament, which wavered my interest.

I found a new seat next to Hermione, who was looking extremely irritated.

"Hermione, what's that?" I pointed to a badge pinned to her uniform.

"It's for S.P.E.W.!" she said, her mood brightening immediately. "Would you like to buy one?"

"What's S.P.E.W.?"

"The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare!" she said. "I wanted 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 on the badge. It only costs two Sickles for a membership!"

"Well, thanks for the offer, Hermione—" I tried to say, but she cut me off.

"It's a really good cause, Ella. You won't regret joining! Think of the good we could do for house elves!"

I didn't bother to tell her that my family used to have a house elf.

She went on, and now the boys had stopped their conversation to listen in.

"You do realize that your sheets are changed, your fires lit, your classrooms cleaned, and your food cooked by a group of magical creatures who are unpaid and enslaved?" she said fiercely.

"Listen, have you ever been down in the kitchens, Hermione?" George said, leaning toward her.

"No, of course not," said Hermione curtly, "I hardly think students are supposed to—"

"Well, we have," said George, indicating Fred, "loads of times, to nick food. And we've met them, and they're happy. They think they've got the best job in the world—"