Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Chapter 332 News of the Christmas Ball

After a while, the door was pushed open.

Cedric walked in and saw that Krum was already there. He greeted him with a smile, "Viktor, you're here even earlier than me today."

“I get up earlier than you every day,” Krum said.

"How did you know what time I got up?" Cedric asked in surprise.

"Just guessing," Krum said. "You don't look like someone who gets up at five."

"7

Cedric laughed and did not refute.

He sat down next to Krum, poured himself a cup of tea, and glanced at the refreshments on the coffee table: "Cinnamon rolls today?"

"Lucy made these new ones," Henry said. "She said the honey cake from last time was a good hit, so she made a new variety this time."

"I'll have to try it." Cedric took a cinnamon roll, broke it in half, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, it's still warm!"

"Fresh out of the oven," Henry said. "Lucy timed it perfectly; she knew you'd be here soon."

Cedric took a bite and savored it carefully: "It's really good."

Krum also took one. After taking a bite, his expression didn't change much, but he took another bite: "I have to say, it's better than the honey cake last time."

"Do you prefer cinnamon?"

“Cinnamon suits me better than honey,” Krum said. “Honey is too sweet.”

When Ron pushed the door open, he was holding a cookie in his hand and chewing on something, which suggested he had started eating it on the way.

Seeing that Krum was already there, he quickened his pace and walked in, sitting down next to Harry: "Viktor, you're here early today."

"I always arrive early," Krum said with a laugh. "It's you who always arrives a little late."

Ron wanted to argue, but found himself always late.

"I just—I'm used to scouting locations," he said, scratching his head.

"Scouting locations is not a good habit," Krum said.

"I know," Ron scratched his head, "but I can't change it."

Krum picked up his teacup and looked at Hermione, who had just walked in.

Hermione arrived a little later than Ron today. She was carrying a thick notebook with a dark red cover, which looked like it was brand new.

"Hermione," Ron said, "what are you holding?"

"A notebook," Hermione said, sitting down next to Ron. "I've been jotting down some things lately."

"Record what?"

Hermione didn't answer immediately. She glanced at the others in the room, including Henry, who was sitting at the head of the table. "I'm recording the working conditions of house-elves."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Ron's expression changed: "Hermione, you're not going to bring that up again, are you?"

"Which one?" Hermione asked.

"You mean, that vomiting of yours?"

"7

"It's called the 'House-Elf Welfare Promotion Association,'" Hermione said sternly. "SPEW for short."

"SPEW?" Krum repeated the word. "What does that mean?"

"Society for the Promotion of EIfish Welfare," Hermione said.

"So this abbreviation really is vomit?" Draco grinned, showing his big teeth.

"Yes." Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "I know the abbreviation doesn't sound very good, but I couldn't think of a better one at the time."

"So, have you thought of anything better now?" Krum asked.

"No," Hermione sighed. "But SPEW is already printed on the badge, and it's too much trouble to change it."

Krum asked curiously, "So what does your association do?"

"Protect the rights of house-elves," Hermione said. "They are not paid, they have no holidays, they are not guaranteed basic human rights. They are treated as property rather than as living beings, which is unreasonable."

Henry listened quietly, noticing that Krum put down his teacup a beat slower than before—a reaction that occurs when someone is processing new information.

"Demstrand also has house-elves," Krum said.

"Really?" Hermione's eyes lit up. "What are the working conditions like over there?"

Krum thought for a moment: "I don't know, I didn't ask them."

"Do you think their working conditions are reasonable?"

Krum was silent for a moment: "I haven't thought about that."

Hermione looked a little disappointed, but she quickly perked up: "Then you can start thinking about it. This is a very important issue. House-elves are sentient beings too, and they should be respected."

Ron muttered quietly to himself, "They're here, they're here—"

Hermione glared at him: "Ron, your attitude toward house-elves is part of the problem too."

"What did I do wrong?" Ron said. "I didn't treat them badly."

"You just weren't nice to them," Hermione said. "That makes a big difference."

Ron wanted to argue, but realized he hadn't actually done anything particularly nice to the house-elves.

Cedric listened quietly from the side, then asked, "Hermione, how many people are in your association?"

"There are fifteen right now," Hermione said, "including me."

"Fifteen," Cedric said. "Not many."

"I know," Hermione said, "which is why I'm still working hard to promote it."

"What's your advertising strategy?" Krum asked.

Hermione pulled a badge from her pocket—a round badge with the word SPEW printed on it, in a blue-green color with white lettering.

She placed the badges on the coffee table: "I've been handing out badges to everyone, and I've already given out quite a few."

Krum picked up the badge, examined it, and put it back on the coffee table. "So your goal is to get more people to join?"

"Yes," Hermione said, "to raise awareness of the plight of house-elves and to encourage more people to speak up for them."

"Can I join?" Krum asked with interest.

The room fell silent for a moment again, and this time, even Hermione was stunned.

She looked at Krum, as if to make sure she hadn't misheard.

"You want to join?" Hermione asked.

“Why not?” Krum said. “I’ve seen house-elves in Durmstrang. They do work very hard—I hadn’t thought about whether it made sense before, but what you just said made me think about it.”

"So, have you thought it through?"

"No," Krum said, "but I'm willing to keep thinking. Joining your association can help me keep thinking."

Hermione's expression changed from surprise to excitement, and she immediately pulled a new badge from her pocket: "Here, take this."

Once you put it on, you officially become a member of SPEW.

, 7

Krum took the badge and pinned it inside his robe.

It's not conspicuous, but you really shouldn't wear it.

"Viktor, do you know what joining her association means?" Ron exclaimed, clicking his tongue.

"What does that mean?"

"That means you'll have to pay two Sico membership fees every month from now on."

"Two Sickles?" Krum said. "That's not much."

"And you can't eat food made by house-elves anymore—because you're supporting their rights, so you can't exploit their labor."

Krum glanced at Ron: "Really?"

Hermione blushed slightly: "Um—Ron was joking. It's not that you can't eat their food, but after you join the association, you need to support our ideals."

"So I can eat their food and support their rights at the same time?"

"Can."

"Then I have no problem with that," Krum said. "Two Sickles for a chance to wear a badge, I don't think it's expensive."

Ron shook his head helplessly beside her, but Hermione was too busy to care about him—she was frantically tearing a piece of paper from her notebook and writing something: "I need to write your name down. You are SPEW's first international member."

"Is there any special treatment?" Krum asked.

"There is one," Hermione said. "You will receive a copy of the association's monthly newsletter."

"Monthly?"

"Every two months," Hermione said. "I haven't started writing yet, but I have this plan."

Krum paused for a moment, then said, "I might need to think about it some more."

"Just kidding," Hermione said. "You don't need to read the monthly magazine."

Henry sat there sipping his tea, watching the conversation evolve from "House-Elf Rights" to "Association Monthly."

"Viktor," he began, "have you discussed your views on house-elves with other students at Durmstrang?"

"No," Krum said. "In Durmstrang, we don't really talk about this. House-elves are—"

It's part of the background.

"Like a portrait in a castle?"

“It’s not quite the same,” Krum said. “Portraits talk, portraits have history. House-elves don’t talk, they just do their own thing.”

"What if someone wants to discuss this topic?"

Krum thought for a moment: "It might seem strange. But it's not that we can't discuss it, it's just that no one has started it yet."

"So now you've started this," Henry said. "You've joined Hermione's society, you've taken her badge. What will Durmstrang students think if they find out?"

Krum paused for a moment, then said, "They'll think I'm weird."

"Would you mind?"

"No," Krum laughed. "I'm already quite strange in Durmstrang. It wouldn't make much difference if I became a little stranger."

Henry didn't say much; he knew that Krum's motives for joining the vomiting association might not be entirely pure.

As the saying goes, the old drunkard's heart is not in the wine.

It's all about Hermione.

The tea party continued, and the conversation gradually shifted from house-elves to the upcoming Christmas ball.

This change was first brought up by Pansy.

"Have you heard?" Pansy put down her teacup. "Professor Dumbledore said the Christmas ball will be held on Christmas Eve, and all students can attend."

"All students?" Ron asked, frowning. "Wasn't there an age restriction?"

"Oh right, that includes fourth grade and above," Pansy said. "Grades one through three cannot participate, but grades four through seven are allowed."

"Are students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang also participating?"

"They should go," Pansy said. "They are guests, and guests are naturally invited."

Ron's expression became somewhat subtle: "Then Durmstrang's students will also be there—"

“Of course,” Pansy said, glancing at him. “They’re students too.”

Ron didn't press further, but he glanced in Krum's direction.

Krum was drinking tea and didn't notice the gaze.

Daphne quietly spoke up from the side: "The Christmas ball needs dance partners. Do you all have them?"

The moment this question was asked, the atmosphere in the room changed instantly.

"I think this is a bit early," Harry said with a laugh. "There's still more than a month until Christmas."

Just kidding, he hasn't decided who to invite yet.

"But you always have to be prepared in advance," Daphne said. "If you wait until the last minute to invite someone, they may have already been invited."

Harry nodded. "Indeed."

Ron, standing nearby, asked, "So, who are you planning to invite?"

"I haven't decided yet." Harry blushed.

"Not having thought about it means I have ideas," Ron said, "I just haven't made up my mind yet."

Harry didn't argue, because he did have an idea, but he wasn't sure if it was right or wrong.

Pansy turned to Henry: "Your Highness, do you have a dance partner?"

Henry put down his teacup: "Not yet."

"So when do you plan to start looking?"

"Of course, I'll wait for someone to come to me," Henry said with a laugh. "I'm not really that interested in balls."

"Your Highness, your strategy is quite unique," Pansy said with a smile.

"It's not really a strategy," Henry said. "I'd rather call it reality. If someone wants to invite me, they'll find a way to ask. If no one wants to invite me, there's no point in me actively seeking them out."

"What if someone invites you?"

"Then I'll decide based on the situation," Henry said. "Who she is, how she invited me, and what her reasons are will all influence my decision."

Pansy thought for a moment: "Do you think a lot of people would want to invite you?"

"I don't know," Henry said, "but I'm not too worried about it."

He was telling the truth. He wasn't really worried.

This can't really be called arrogance; it's more accurate to say that he knows some things can't be rushed.

As for dance partners, they will come when the time is right.

But to his surprise, things happened much faster than he had anticipated.

After the tea party, Henry and Theodore walked back to the Slytherin common room together.

As they descended the stairs and entered the underground corridor, two Ravenclaw girls walked towards them.

A tall girl with brown hair and a slightly shorter girl with short black hair.

Both of them were wearing Ravenclaw school uniforms, and their expressions suggested they had deliberately appeared in this corridor at this time.

"Your Highness Henry," the brown-haired girl spoke first, "My name is Catherine Moran, a sixth-year Ravenclaw student."

I heard you don't have a dance partner yet?

Henry stopped in his tracks.

He glanced at Theodore, who nodded slightly and took a step back, but did not leave.

"Not yet," Henry said.

"Then—I'd like to invite you," Catherine said, "if you'd like."

Henry looked at her; her expression was serious, clearly indicating that she had considered it for a long time before deciding to invite him.