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Bang!
No one knew whose spell had hit the target.
The kitchen instantly erupted into chaos—the clatter of pots and pans hitting the floor, the panicked cries of the house-elves, and the dull thud of something being knocked over all blended together.
Lynn and Cedric exchanged a glance. Without any hesitation, they raised their wands, ready to continue firing into the room—
"Ron!!!"
A scream came from deep within the kitchen, filled with obvious panic and urgency.
Both of them paused at the same time.
Lynn's wand stopped mid-air, and Cedric froze in place. They looked at each other, both seeing the same confusion in the other's eyes.
Lynn frowned and listened closely.
That voice... sounded very familiar.
"Cedric," he whispered, "don't you think that voice sounds familiar?"
Cedric nodded. "It sounds like..." He hesitated for a moment. "Granger?"
As he spoke, Cedric had already lowered his wand and stepped forward to head inside.
"Wait—"
Before Lynn could pull him back, a blinding light shot out from deep within the kitchen.
"Bombarda!"
Cedric's pupils shrank. The light was flying straight at his face, moving so fast that he had no time to dodge.
Fortunately, Lynn reacted quickly, stepping in front of Cedric almost instantly.
Duang~~~
A dull impact sounded. The Blasting Curse slammed into the Shield Charm, creating a ripple. Lynn waved his other hand, and a Muffliato Charm enveloped the area, isolating all sound within.
The dust from the explosion cleared.
The scene in the kitchen finally became clear.
The house-elves were still screaming, scurrying around with their heads in their hands. Some hid behind the stoves, some crawled into cabinets, and some lay flat on the floor, trembling. Pots and pans were scattered everywhere, flour and seasonings were strewn about, and the soup in several pots was still bubbling.
But Lynn's gaze didn't linger on the house-elves. He scanned the entire kitchen, finally fixing on one direction.
There, a cabinet door was slightly ajar.
"Hermione!" he called out, his voice not loud but clear enough. "It's me! Lynn!"
He waited for a few seconds.
The cabinet door opened a little wider.
A head peeked out from inside, eyes filled with tension and alertness.
When Hermione saw Lynn, she visibly relaxed. Her tense shoulders slumped, and the hand holding her wand dropped.
"Lynn?" Her voice carried a hint of disbelief. "Is it really you?"
Lynn nodded.
Hermione stepped out from behind the cabinet, patted the dust off her clothes, and walked toward the two of them.
When she reached them, she looked at Lynn, then at Cedric behind him, and an embarrassed smile appeared on her face.
"Good evening, Lynn and Cedric."
"Good evening," Lynn replied.
Cedric also nodded and added dryly, "Good evening."
"What are you doing in the kitchen?"
Lynn shook the empty bag in his hand. "Bringing food to Edgar. And you?"
Hermione puffed out her chest, pulled a box from her robe pocket, and placed it solemnly on the table.
Lynn and Cedric leaned in together.
The lid opened, revealing dozens of badges neatly arranged inside.
They were all different colors—black, white, red, yellow, and even a few purple ones...
But regardless of the color, they all had the same four letters printed on them: S.P.E.W.
Lynn stared at those four letters for two seconds.
Then he looked up at Hermione.
"Spew?" he said subconsciously, his tone tinged with confusion. "You're not planning to have the house-elves use these to boo the champions from the other schools during the second task, are you?"
He paused and seriously considered the possibility.
"Though... Professor McGonagall probably wouldn't agree. After all, this is an international event; such petty tricks could easily lead to complaints."
Hermione's expression froze. She stared at Lynn with wide eyes, her face turning red at a visible rate.
"It's not 'spew'!" Her voice rose an octave. "It's S.P.E.W.! The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare!"
Lynn blinked.
"Oh," he said. "S.P.E.W., spew. They do sound very similar."
Hermione took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
Cedric listened from the side, completely bewildered.
He looked at Hermione, then at the box of badges, then at Lynn.
"Why haven't I heard of this?" he asked, his tone filled with genuine confusion. "Lynn, have you heard of it?"
Lynn shook his head. "Never."
Hermione puffed out her chest, a hint of pride on her face.
"I founded it," she said, "just two months ago."
Cedric was taken aback.
"Two months ago?"
"Yes, exactly."
Hermione's voice grew louder, clearly getting into her stride. She pushed the box of badges forward to make them more prominent.
"The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare—S.P.E.W.—is dedicated to fighting for the rights that house-elves deserve!"
Cedric's expression became even more bewildered.
"Deserved rights?"
"Yes!" Hermione nodded vigorously. "House-elves have been enslaved for a long time, with no wages, no holidays, and no basic personal freedom! This is inhumane! It goes against the spirit of modern civilization!"
She became more excited as she spoke, her speech speeding up.
"Have you thought about it, Cedric? Hogwarts has over a hundred house-elves working day and night, yet they don't receive a single Knut! They aren't even allowed to rest! This is outright exploitation!"
Cedric's mouth opened and closed.
"Uh... but... the house-elves seem to..."
"Seem to what?" Hermione interrupted him. "Seem happy? That's the result of brainwashing! Long-term enslavement has caused them to lose their self-awareness, making them think being exploited is only natural! This is exactly what we need to change!"
She paused, took a deep breath, and then launched into a long speech.
"The purpose of S.P.E.W. is: first, to ensure that house-elves receive fair wages and benefits; second, to guarantee their rest... blah blah..."
Hermione's voice echoed through the kitchen, her words coming out like rapid fire, each one carrying weight.
Lynn stood by with a polite smile on his face, but his gaze had already begun to wander.
His eyes moved from Hermione's face to the depths of the kitchen, where several house-elves were huddled in a corner, looking this way with terrified expressions.
"Wages?!" one elf whispered in shock. "Toto doesn't want to live anymore!"
"Equality?!" another nearly dropped the pot in her hand. "Lulu is a bad elf!"
Lynn's lip twitched, and he looked back at Hermione.
Hermione was still talking.
"—We believe the Ministry of Magic should introduce specific laws to regulate the use of house-elves! Existing laws are a complete void! This is a serious legislative oversight! Blah blah blah—"
Lynn's left ear began filtering her out automatically, and his gaze wandered again.
He started thinking about Edgar.
His godson was still hungry in the dormitory, waiting for him to bring back food.
Hermione's voice continued, but it had become background noise, going in one ear and out the other without leaving a trace.
"...So, we must promote this concept throughout the school! Get more people to join S.P.E.W.!"
Hermione finally stopped and caught her breath.
She looked at Lynn and Cedric expectantly.
"Would you like to join?"
Lynn snapped back to reality.
He looked at the box of badges, then at Hermione's hopeful gaze.
"Uh..." He thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. "I don't think I'm quite suited for it."
Hermione was stunned. "Why?"
Lynn pointed to the elves huddled in the corner.
"I don't think they really want to be 'liberated.'"
Hermione followed his finger.
Several elves immediately buried their faces, pretending they didn't exist.
Hermione took a deep breath.
"That's temporary," she said. "Once they realize their rights, they'll change."
Lynn nodded and said nothing more.
He picked up the empty bag and walked toward the stove.
"I'll get the food for Edgar first."
Behind him, Hermione turned to Cedric.
"And you?"
Cedric smiled awkwardly.
"I... I also need to get food for Cho. She's still rushing to finish her homework."
Hermione watched their retreating backs and shook her head.
"You'll understand," she said loudly, "one day!"
Lynn waved his hand without looking back.
As he walked out of the kitchen, he heard Hermione still talking to the elves.
"—You don't need to be afraid, I'm here to help you—"
Then came the terrified screams of several house-elves.
Lynn and Cedric exchanged a glance.
"Do you think she can succeed?" Cedric asked.
Lynn thought about it.
"Unlikely."
The two continued walking.
Behind them, the faint sound of Hermione's speech and the wailing of the elves echoed from the kitchen.
"Did we forget something?"
"Did we? Probably... Anyway, my godson must be starving. Let's go, let's go."