Inglorious Bastards [Theodore Nott]

Chapter Forty

The storm has passed the following day, though the ceiling at the Great Hall still showed gray skies. But many did not seem to care as students were far more interested in the Tri-Wizard Tournament; those of age to participate in the games were already thinking of putting their name in the Goblet of Fire, while those who are still under seventeen were left to sigh in defeat that they would never get a chance to participate in the games in their life-time... well, most underage students were, on the other hand, the Weasley twins were already plotting their way to outsmart the age-line that Dumbledore has placed around the goblet. While the morning went on, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were busy looking over their new schedule for the year, while Carina and Roman were too focused on eating their breakfast. They were having a bit of trouble with munching the bacon while keeping the leaf in their mouths and not their throats.

"Are you two even listening?" Hermione spoke to them.

"I'm sorry, what?" Roman asked.

It wasn't new for the Gryffindors to find Roman sitting at their table, it became a norm for them to find the Slytherin suddenly taking a seat with Carina and the others.

"I said, I'm going to start a group that go against house-elves slavery, and I was wondering if you want to join."

Carina and Roman glanced at each other before they turned to Hermione. They held the Mandrake leaf between their teeth before they swallowed their food.

"We're kinda busy ourselves, Hermione," Roman said.

"Yeah, sorry," Carina added.

It wasn't that they didn't like to support Hermione and her cause, it's just that they don't want to. Carina and Roman have seen the house-elves that work at the kitchens, all seem to be very happy with their lives, was it wrong to take the happiness of someone just because you saw it differently? Besides, before, Carina also did not like the treatment of house-elves, back when she was around five-years-old when she and her family visited her grandfather– Granpa-Ned – she met their little house-elf, a cute little fellow who aided her grandparents around the house without any complaints and would say nothing but praise to her masters. She noticed how the house-elf dressed in rags and decided to give the house-elf one of her dresses, the house-elf cried and begged for her not to and promised to do better. After Ned reassured their house-elf that Carina was not going to set her free, and ease the poor elf's nerves, he explained to Carina how house-elves were. Since then, Carina simply thanked the house-elves for their works and promised never to offer them clothes or any possession as it would lead to heart-attacks and tears. Lots and lots of tears.

"With what are you both busy, exactly?" Hermione asked.

"Stuff," they both said, which added more suspicion to Hermione.

"And does that stuff had anything to do with you chewing your food at only one side of your mouth?"

"Oh, this? We just have teeth problem," Roman said.

"Yeah... teeth problem," Carina tried to avoid Hermione's gaze. She then stepped on Roman's foot, and then spoke to him in Gaelic, "You idiot, her parents are dentists!"

And Roman replied in the same language, "I forgot!"

Harry and Ron were snickering at their places as Hermione tried to break down Carina and Roman's secret, but what caught their attention most was the language the two spoke in. Though they have heard it a couple of times, they never knew that Carina and Roman spoke it.

"Since when did you two learn Gaelic?" Harry asked.

"Ever since I was born? It is my mother tongue you know," Roman raised a brow at him.