Chapter 374: The Arrival


    The notice in the entrance hall had a clear impact on the school – it informed all students that the Triwizard Tournament was no longer just a rumor but a reality.


    On Friday evening, in the early hours of Saturday, Felix Harp awoke from his slumber and, dressed in his pajamas, pushed open the office door.


    The corridor was pitch dark, barely any light to be seen. Bathed in the faint moonlight, a group of small figures huddled together, forming crooked and eerie shadows – they were the house-elves of the castle.


    "Need any help?" Felix whispered, quietly approaching, barely two feet away from them.


    "Ah—"


    A suppressed shriek was stifled in the throat. The three stacked house-elves seemed about to tumble, and Felix quickly reached out to steady them. It was quite the amusing sight –


    The house-elf on the top, respectfully greeting, held various cleaning tools in its hands: "Mr. Harp, greetings!"


    "You too, Winky," Felix replied.


    The house-elf in the middle covered the mouth of the one at the bottom, preventing it from making noise. It attempted to bow while Winky hastily patted its head, leaped down from the pile, and the middle house-elf followed suit. Finally, all three of them bowed together.


    "I heard somemotion... What are you all doing – is it cleaning portraits?"


    Felix looked at the cloths and brushes in Winky''s hands and noticed arge bottle in the corner, itsbel shining in the darkness: "Madam Skower''s All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover."


    "And also the castle''s armor... Mr. Harp! We''re cleaning them anew, to let the guests feel the charm of Hogwarts! Mr. Harp!" Winky eximed.


    "Yes," Felix nodded, curiously asking, "I didn''t see any of you carryingnterns. Are you working in the dark like this?"


    "We''re used to it, sir!" Winky, the same house-elf, answered proudly. "Our vision is very good. Just a bit of light is enough for us to see things clearly."


    "Is that so?" Felix wasn''t aware of this; the descriptions of house-elves never mentioned such abilities. "But using magicalmps would be more convenient. I recall the school procured arge batch..."


    "Yes, indeed! There''s a brand new, huge magicalmp in the kitchen, even bigger than Winky!" Winky spread her delicate hands wide to describe the size of themp in the kitchen. "Otherpanions are also very interested, and Dobby—"


    The house-elf beside her lightly nudged Winky with its arm, and she fell silent.


    "What''s the matter? Dobby is also under my employ; is there something I don''t know?" Felix inquired, as Dobby would visit him at the beginning of every month to report on thepany''s progress.


    The house-elf in the middle spoke respectfully, "No, sir. Dobby... is well, and he even gifted the kitchen with some small palm-sized magicalmps, very convenient..."


    Felix smiled and said, "I''m sure what you want to tell me isn''t about that. Let''s discuss it."


    "Sir, Kaka isn''t a talkative house-elf. His master passed away ten years ago, and without descendants, he dedicated himself to Hogwarts... Kaka had always been in service of his master''s family..." the house-elf named "Kaka" bowed deeply.


    Felix listened quietly, knowing there was more toe.


    "Kaka takes pride in it, whether in his master''s household or at Hogwarts... he''s always been dutiful. But, but..." Kaka''s eyes widened, "Dobby! He''s spreading dangerous ideas, and some less resolute minds are starting to be influenced. This isn''t a good sign – he could bring misfortune to the entiremunity..."


    "What has he done?" Felix asked.


    Kaka lowered his head, and Winky interjected, "Dobby hasn''t done much. He''s just talking about his new life, how he... how he''s putting himself on equal footing with wizards. He said he met certain people today... and will meet others tomorrow. The key point is, he has somepanions under him... he''s overseeing them..."


    "Why is that a bad thing? I instructed him to do so."


    "Sir, Mr. Harp!" the house-elf called Kaka said, "It''s not a blessing, it''s the beginning of misfortune. He''s wielding power that doesn''t belong to him, and that power is expanding..."


    Felix exchanged a nce with Winky. Through the shared understanding cultivated from manyte-night snacks in the kitchen, Winky got the message. She took Kaka''s arm and said in a high-pitched voice, "We must go now, sir! There''s work to be done before dawn!"


    Felix returned to his office and sat for a while when a knock sounded at the door. Winky slipped in through the crack in the door.


    "Please, have a seat, Winky."


    "Oh, thank you, Mr. Harp!" Winky eximed excitedly as she sat down on the edge of the couch.


    A cup of tea, apanied by a saucer, flew over to her. Even though this scene had yed out more than once, she still looked ufortable. The cup and saucer ttered together.


    Felix smiled and said, "Winky, you know, I need an impartial perspective to consider this matter, and you''re the best candidate."


    "Yes, sir," Winky replied. After seriously contemting for a while, she respectfully continued, "Kaka and Dobby are very different... Kaka is a traditional elf, only serving his master in the past. But that wizard had no heirs, and he bequeathed his property to Hogwarts in his will, so Kaka came here... He has always been proud of his identity."


    Felix nodded.


    "Kaka is traditional, even among the hundred-plus house-elves in the kitchen, he''s considered part of the more conservative group. On the other hand, Dobby is quite the opposite, with some rather unconventional views..."


    "Is it about receivingpensation or seeking freedom?"


    Uncle Winky trembled slightly and said hesitantly, "Both, sir, both... He once spoke ill of his former master, actually, it wasn''t really bad, just the truth... But Kaka considered him disloyal, and they had a disagreement..."


    Felix Harp nodded slightly, "And then?"


    "After that... Dobby hardly mentioned his past anymore. He enjoys the present. Every time he visits, he brings some gifts. Some of the house-elves ept them, but Kaka steadfastly refuses! There are quite a few house-elves like him, mostly older ones..."


    "Dobby introduces us to life outside, talks about his work. He said he found some wild, wandering house-elves and provided them with jobs. They are like him, free."


    When freedom was mentioned, Uncle Winky shuddered noticeably.


    Felix smiled, "I did let him find somepanions, seems like he''s doing well."


    Uncle Winky cautiously nced at him and asked, "Sir, what are your thoughts?"


    "Me?" Felix shook his head, "Let it be, observing new things takes time. It might make you ufortable now, but decadester, it might be a strong pir of the ''Future World''pany."


    Uncle Winky looked at him with a touch of confusion.


    Felix continued, "Do you know about the International Confederation of Wizards? Its founder, Isolt Sayre, established a deep friendship with a goblin named William. To this day, many goblins still work at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It''s somewhat akin to the house-elves at Hogwarts. The difference is, the rtionship between Isolt Sayre''s family and William''s goblin n is more egalitarian, to the extent that they even established a protective treaty – the Goblin Protection use."


    "Mind you, this is quite rare. Goblins don''t particrly favor humans; in fact, they enjoy ying tricks on them. They are highly capable of acting on their own and are quite scheming... This history is a topic many people find intriguing."


    "When Ilvermorny School was weak, it was William and his goblin n who protected the students. Today, centuriester, the situation has reversed. Ilvermorny protects this goblin n from outside interference... And though the goblins at Ilvermorny still grumble, insisting they are just fulfilling an ancient agreement, they continue to mysteriously appear throughout the school..."


    ...


    The next day, when the students woke up, they were surprised to find the castle transformed. Portraits had been scrubbed clean, and the suits of armor now gleamed. While Ron was attentively observing these curious changes, he identally stepped into a trap in the spinning staircase, and one of his legs got stuck in the gap.


    The suit of armor nearby chuckled with wheezing breaths. Ron punched it, and it spewed out a few blue bubbles.


    "Ugh!" Ron eximed, "Smells like cleaning solution!"


    In the afternoon, Hermione went to the library again, and Harry and Ron reluctantly brought Neville along for an adventure in the seventh floor corridor. They were apanied by a young Felix Harp.


    When Harry questioned the presence of a tavern in the dungeon, a group of proud house-elves suddenly burst in, engaging in a fierce battle against the dark wizard in the tavern. The three of them got caught in the middle and fled.


    "This is a disguised ck market; the code at the entrance is the proof," Felix Harp''s memory entity followed behind, exining.


    They escaped to a hidden room filled with irritable golden thief bugs. These bugs swarmed them without the trio needing to catch them. Each bug was enchanted with the Fire-Making Charm, targeting their exposed skin.


    Using the Ironskin Charm, the three managed to inch their way out of the room, wincing from the burns. The onlyfort was that Felix Harp''s memory entity had taught them the "Human-Skin Ironskin Charm"...


    In the evening, all the selected students were called to the Deputy Headmistress''s office. Professor McGonagall spent two hours providing them etiquette training. As Harryy in bed, he could still hear Ron talking in his sleep –


    "Damn thief bugs, stay away from me..."


    The following Sunday morning, after breakfast, students roamed the castle as if in a daze, until a special bell chimed. They converged from all directions to the entrance hall next to the Great Hall –


    "Form lines! ording to your houses..." Professor Flitwick, in a moldy suit, shouted hoarsely. He suddenly grabbed a young wizard, saying menacingly, "You! Where''s your school uniform?"


    The young wizard was so frightened that he almost went hysterical, screaming and running away.


    Students lined up by year, led by their respective Heads of House, and proceeded out of the castle. Excitedly, they surveyed the empty space.


    "They''re here!"


    A sharp-eyed student called out. Students and professors squinted, and suddenly, the air burst into intense mes. Bright mes coalesced, forming a fiery flower with four petals, each imprinted with a magical creature.


    "Ahem! Is there anyone on the other side?" a voice sounded from within the mes.


    "Eligbert," Dumbledore, standing in the front row, said gently, "The school has temporarily lifted the prohibition. You maye over now."


    "That''s good... I was afraid I got the location wrong..." the voice faded away.


    Students stared wide-eyed. After a while, a hand emerged, holding a box. Soon, a round, somewhat simple-looking face came into view – a young student. He wore robes ofbined blue and cranberry, secured by aplex, golden knot on his chest.


    Upon seeing the vast crowd of Hogwarts students and professors, he jumped in surprise, scratching his head, "Uh, hello, I''m Biles, Biles Bach."


    >


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