Extra Chapter: The Secrets of House-Elves
August. The important day was nearly here! Koko and his fellows bustled happily in the kitchen, preparing the food for the Start-of-Term Feast.
This was the most anticipated day of the year for Hogwarts's over one hundred house-elves. The students would be back soon. The castle would grow lively. Even better, a new batch of first-years would enter Hogwarts. These new students would fumble and break things, turn their dormitories upside down—more work! Hurrah!
Dozens of ovens hummed. Hundreds of Yorkshire puddings swelled and rose within them, their skins crisping to a light gold—CRACK! Koko snapped his fingers. Every oven door swung open. His companion, Simmy, raised her arms. All the puddings flew onto a waiting, massive golden tray.
Several other elves stood by, scrutinizing each pudding as it soared onto the tray. Not a single, less-than-tempting pudding would appear on the Start-of-Term Feast table.
Koko remembered one year's Feast. They'd forgotten to check the mint humbugs for cracks. Every elf had been frantic. Every minute, they'd peeked from unnoticed corners, watching the long tables, trying to find the perfect moment to replace every single humbug.
They never found that perfect, clever moment. But, luckily, no one seemed to complain about the humbugs. Still, the elves swore never to repeat such a terrible mistake. For house-elves, it was pure shame!
A very soft pop sounded in the air. Gubby, the elf who'd served Hogwarts the longest, appeared in the center of the kitchen.
All conversation stopped. Everyone looked at him. The kitchen filled with only the clink-clink of automatic beaters against glass bowls, the sizzle of roasting meat, the hiss of steam, and the thump-thump-thump of dozens of knives on chopping boards.
"Professor Dumbledore has agreed—" Gubby took a deep breath and announced in a squeak, "—we can add doughnuts!"
"Doughnuts!" an elf cheered. "Dip will prepare the jam!"
"Dudu has the dough ready!"
"Pinny is melting the chocolate!"
"Add some condensed milk!"
The kitchen bustled back to life. Gubby joined them, slicing lemons.
"The first-years come next month!" Simmy said beside Koko, her large ears twitching happily. "Simmy wants to carry the luggage!"
"Dudu will carry the luggage," Koko said. "Dudu does it every year. She is quiet. She is quick. Even Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore like her help with the trunks."
Simmy's ears drooped. "Simmy wants to carry luggage too. Simmy also likes tidying the Hogwarts Express."
Dudu heard them and turned. "Simmy can come with Dudu. Dudu and Simmy will quietly move the students' trunks to their dormitories."
"Wonderful!" Simmy said, delighted. "Koko will make shepherd's pie, yes?"
Koko felt a pang. "Shepherd's pie is not on this year's Feast menu. Koko does not have as much work this year as last."
"Oh, no," Simmy said sympathetically. "Koko could maybe clean the student dormitories."
"Pinny and Gubby clean the student dormitories," Koko said.
Pinny, directing a school of sausages swimming onto a platter, joined their conversation. "Pinny heard the professors say Harry Potter will be among this year's first-years."
Gubby asked, "Who is Harry Potter?"
"The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Simmy said. "Simmy came to work at Hogwarts around that time. Simmy's master—Simmy's former masters died. Professor Dumbledore took Simmy in." Her thin eyelids drooped, covering most of her tennis-ball-sized eyes.
"Hogwarts is safe, Simmy. You will not lose your master again," Gubby comforted. "Also, Professor Quirrell is returning this year."
"Is Professor Burbage leaving?" asked Dip, supervising biscuit cutters stamping patterns into dough while simultaneously crafting an apple pie. "Dip likes Professor Burbage. She sometimes eats crisps at her desk."
"No, Professor Burbage is not leaving," Gubby said. "Gubby heard Professor Dumbledore tell Professor Snape that Professor Quirrell will return as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor."
Simmy gasped, ears flapping in agitation. "But that post is cursed! Professor Quirrell should not accept it!"
"Professor Trelawney also thinks the Transfiguration, Potions, and Muggle Studies professors are prone to untimely deaths. Simmy should not believe Professor Trelawney." Dudu shook her head, her voice squeaky, then lowered her head and mumbled, "Oh, bad Dudu, bad Dudu, Dudu speaks ill of a professor—but that is because Professor Trelawney speaks ill of other Hogwarts professors."
Gubby asked, "Does Professor Trelawney still refuse to let Simmy clean her rooms?"
"Oh, no! Simmy often helps Professor Trelawney move her crystal balls now," Simmy said proudly. "Simmy also polishes her silver, folds her shawls, brings her champagne, sandwiches, and lamb chops when she does not want to get out of bed—right to the bedside! Simmy can even clean her windowsills!"
The elves let out an envious collective "Ooh."
Perhaps out of convenience and habit, wizards usually only called upon one or two specific house-elves. Therefore, those elves whose names the professors remembered often got more work.
While the frequent turnover of Defence Against the Dark Arts professors didn't seem particularly pleasant for the wizards—the elves often heard they were searching for next year's candidate again, and applicants seemed fewer each year—to be honest, for the elves, the biggest novelty each term was whose name the new Defence professor would remember.
"Koko will have more work this year!" Dip said enviously. "Professor Quirrell remembers Koko's name."
"Professor Quirrell remembers Pinny's name too," Koko said. "Pinny will also have more work!"
As he spoke, Koko met Pinny's eyes and felt much better. While Professor Quirrell's office was usually tidy, not requiring much from Koko, he didn't mind. Besides, maybe Professor Quirrell's office would become messier once he became the Defence professor.
…
To Koko's disappointment, Professor Quirrell never summoned him or Pinny. While cleaning the castle, they overheard professors saying Professor Quirrell had been… affected by something involving vampires during his travels, leaving him stuttering, jumpy, and paranoid.
They also heard professors debate whether Quirrell should really teach Defence.
Professor Sprout thought the poor man should go home to recover. Professor Flitwick said Quirrell had at least performed decently in his Defence N.E.W.T.s and now had practical experience—perhaps he'd be unexpectedly good. Professor Snape questioned how much the stuttering would affect the classroom. Professor McGonagall told them Professor Dumbledore had made his decision.
For the elves, they focused on one thing: Would there come a day when Professor Quirrell entrusted his turban to them for cleaning? That would be a glorious day indeed!
However, even though Professor Quirrell wasn't returning as the Muggle Studies professor, the elves heard there would be another new professor this year: Henry Anthony. He didn't seem to have been a Hogwarts student at all, so the elves knew nothing of his habits, preferences, whether he'd call for an elf, or who it might be.
Koko spent the next week waiting for Professor Quirrell's summons and preparing the Feast. He and his fellows had made over a dozen varieties of sausage and asked Professor Sprout to pick her favorite five for the month's breakfasts. They'd churned seven massive barrels of ice cream—chocolate, vanilla, lemon, yogurt, pistachio, caramel, strawberry—all recipes approved by the professors.
They selected the best potatoes and made mash smoother and creamier than last year's. Koko even learned a new little charm that let finished chips hop out of the fryer, guaranteeing a crisp shell and fluffy interior that wouldn't soften or harden over time.
Meanwhile, more information about the new professor, gathered by elves throughout Hogwarts, trickled into the kitchen. Amid the clatter of pots and pans, Koko heard Dudu say, "Dudu does not want the new professor to remember her name."
The new professor hadn't officially moved in yet, so they could safely speak ill of him without chastising themselves as "bad elves."
Even so, several elves were so horrified by this statement they forgot their tasks. Several fish thudded to the floor, flapping slap-slap-slap. The elves quickly scooped them up, whispering "bad elf" to themselves.
"Why, Dudu?" Dip asked, terrified. "Will the new professor want to give us clothes?"
"Oh, no," Dudu said, straining to lower her squeaky voice. "The new professor seems to be a very… pure Dark wizard. Professor Dumbledore told Professor McGonagall the new professor just left Azkaban."
"Dark wizard!" Sien, who was cutting lamb chops in a corner, suddenly looked up, excited. "Sien likes Dark wizards! Sien likes pure-blood Dark wizards! Sien's former master was a Dark wizard! Sien wants the new professor—Professor Anthony—to remember Sien's name!"
Simmy shrieked, "Simmy does not want to see a Dark wizard! Simmy does not want a Dark wizard teaching at Hogwarts! Simmy likes Hogwarts! Hogwarts should not have Dark wizards!"
Sien shrieked louder, "Sien likes Dark wizards! Sien will serve a Dark wizard!" A dozen bone-cleaving knives floated into the air, dripping blood drip-drip-drip.
Pinny screamed too, "Sien is dirtying the floor! Sien is a bad elf!"
Sien hastily lowered all the knives. She snapped her fingers, and the stains vanished. Still, Sien knelt, scrubbing the tiles with her tea towel, banging her head thud-thud-thud against a cupboard. "Bad Sien! Bad Sien!"
Dudu cried, "Professor Dumbledore says he does not like to see us punish ourselves!"
Sien trembled and stopped.
"Sien cannot serve a Dark wizard," Gubby said loudly. "A Dark wizard would make Sien punish herself constantly."
Simmy's eyes were wide with fear. She trembled. "Yes. Dark wizards are like that." Tears rolled from her eyes. "Simmy dares not meet a Dark wizard. What if the Dark wizard remembers Simmy's name… Oh, Merlin, Simmy is a good elf! Simmy obeys orders…"
Pinny reached out and hugged Simmy.
"Pinny can go," Pinny whispered, ears drooping, eyes also filled with fear. "Pinny can ask if the Dark wizard got the name wrong… Pinny and Simmy's names sound similar. Pinny and Simmy look alike too."
Koko offered comfort. "Maybe the Dark wizard doesn't want a house-elf at all, like Professor Quirrell this year. He might protect his office and bedroom with magic, just like Professor Quirrell."
Deep down, he didn't dare imagine what he would do if the Dark wizard remembered his name.
…
Several more days passed. Professor Quirrell still hadn't summoned him or Pinny. Koko was busy in the kitchen, as usual, when suddenly every elf stopped working and tilted their heads, listening.
They heard Professor Dumbledore say, "…I think I should perhaps also introduce you to our loyal and hardworking house-elves, who maintain every aspect of daily life for all at Hogwarts. Would any house-elf be willing to be introduced to Henry?"
Gubby's bony hand clamped firmly over Sien's mouth, his whole body pinning her to the floor. Sien lay there, making muffled sounds. Otherwise, the kitchen was terrifyingly quiet.
Pinny whispered, "He's here!"
Simmy's eyes filled with tears. "Simmy doesn't want to go…"
Dip said, "Dip doesn't want to go either."
Dudu said, "Professor Dumbledore might call Dudu. He remembers Dudu's name."
Koko took a deep breath. He puffed out his scrawny chest. Found every scrap of courage he had left. In a trembling voice, he said, "Koko will go."
Every elf felt the waiting call for a response vanish. Sien went limp, collapsing to the floor with Gubby. Simmy looked at Koko with gratitude and unmistakable worry.
Koko Apparated.
"Ah, Koko!" Professor Dumbledore said cheerfully. Koko was surprised he remembered his name.
He didn't dare look up. He'd been bowing since appearing before Professor Dumbledore and the Dark wizard. Now he bent lower, his nose almost touching the floor. "Koko is at your service."
"Pleased to meet you, Koko." He heard an unfamiliar voice. The Dark wizard.
He saw the Dark wizard's shoes move closer. Then he paused. Wait, no robes. The Dark wizard wore only trousers and a shirt. He could see the black hem of his trousers. The trouser leg shifted… The Dark wizard crouched down.
Koko peeked up. He saw a young wizard, smiling at him from where he crouched.
"Pleased to meet you, Koko," Anthony repeated. "I'm Henry Anthony. The new Muggle Studies professor this year."
Koko straightened. He felt his ears relaxing, spreading open. Serving Professor Anthony didn't seem so terrible.
…
Serving Professor Anthony was every house-elf's nightmare! His office was bare. He wanted no decorations! He had a pet, but it didn't shed!
Koko prepared more sandwiches for Anthony.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (55+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon . com/GoldenLong
Happy reading, everyone!