It was already late afternoon, with an hour to go before dinner. I was certain my friends would be in the Room of Requirement, so I headed straight there. We would have privacy there, allowing me to answer their questions without the worry of being overheard by anyone unauthorized.
I made my way leisurely to the seventh floor. I encountered a few students, but no one I knew, so I reached the portrait where some buffoon was trying to teach trolls how to dance ballet without interruption. I knew his name, of course, but I found it funnier to think of him as a buffoon, and so he remained one to me.
I walked past the blank stretch of wall three times—only, of course, after ensuring no one was nearby—and a massive door appeared immediately. I stepped inside without hesitation... and naturally, they were right in the thick of it.
I watched them. Judging by their visible exhaustion, it was clear the end was drawing near.
"Everte Statum!" Agnes barked, an orange beam flying from her wand. Draco promptly joined in with a calm, "Flipendo!"
Theodore didn't have much of a choice. A weary Tobias was barely holding on, so a faint blue shield pulsed in front of him as he cried out, "Protego!" However, the orange light shattered it completely, and the impact threw Theodore back several meters. He began to roll across the floor, and a moment later, Tobias landed with a heavy groan as well. Draco's Flipendo had hit him, though I was certain he had originally been aiming for Theodore.
"Expelliarmus!" Agnes barked again. A red beam shot directly at the grounded Theodore, while Draco simply stared at her in surprise.
Theo, however, didn't wait. The moment he heard Agnes's voice, he rolled half a meter to the side. His timing was perfect—the red light splashed harmlessly against the cold floor. Tobias remained lying there tiredly, acting a bit like a lazy lump, though I was sure he could still fight magically if he wanted to. Theodore, on the other hand, refused to give up.
"Aculeus! Everte Statum! Flipendo!" he launched into a rapid combination.
"Protego!" Agnes snarled. Her shield successfully absorbed the purple bolt, the orange one nearly broke it, and the blue spark of the Flipendo fortunately flew wide. She immediately returned fire: "Expelliarmus! Aculeus! Incendio!"
At that moment, Draco was unfortunately struck by the final Flipendo. It threw him back painfully, but luckily he wasn't near a wall, so he merely hit the ground with a dull thud.
Theodore ducked under the first two spells instantly, but when he heard the final incantation, he turned slightly pale. Nevertheless, he summoned a shield with determination: "Protego!"
A blue, pulsing shield appeared before him. He had clearly poured all his remaining energy into it, judging by his pale face. However, Agnes's fire caught me by surprise—there wasn't much of it, but it was unexpected. It was elemental magic. Had she intended to surprise me with it? A small wave of fire crashed against Theo's shield. Agnes was pale but focused; she was forcing the flames to concentrate on the center of the Protego.
Both were exceptionally exhausted, and the question of who would succumb to magical depletion first hung in the air. I didn't even dare to guess; I had no idea how great Agnes's affinity was. I was surprised enough that she had managed Incendio at all. Then, however, I was startled by two voices I had completely written off.
"Expelliarmus!" "Expelliarmus!"
It was Draco and Tobias.
Two things happened at once: under the pressure of the fire, Draco's Expelliarmus finished off Theodore's shield and ripped the wand from his hand, causing his robes to catch fire. Tobias, meanwhile, disarmed the focused Agnes. Her fire immediately began to lose its strength, which meant Theo didn't go up like a torch.
Theo immediately started slapping his stomach with his hands. Fortunately, he wore high-quality robes, so he managed to extinguish the fire quickly.
"Flipendo!" "Flipendo!"
The same curse again. Both were tired, but while Tobias preferred food and little movement, Draco was lithe and quick. It came as no surprise to me that Draco managed to dodge, while Tobias found himself on the floor again—this time wheezing, as if the breath had been knocked out of him.
Draco looked around the room in disbelief for a moment: Theodore was still smoking, Tobias was sprawled on the floor, and Agnes, disarmed and drained of energy, was slumped a short distance away. As soon as Draco realized he had won, a happy, triumphant smile spread across his face.
I walked toward them with a smile. Draco had finally achieved success through his own effort, and I was genuinely happy for him. Near the door where I had been watching the duel, it was quite dark, and in the rush of adrenaline, no one had noticed me. But as soon as I stepped into the light, Draco spotted me immediately.
"Patrik! Where have you been? What did Snape want from you?!" he began shouting immediately, even though I was still some distance away.
As soon as the others heard Draco's words, they began to haul themselves off the floor with effort.
"Wait, Draco, let me not repeat myself. Congratulations on the win," I said calmly.
Draco's face and the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. He puffed out his chest, began to fidget a little, but then nodded gratefully: "Thank you."
It didn't take long for the others to join us.
"Hi, Patrik." "Hello." "Hey there."
"Hi everyone. Nice duel. What gave you the idea to fight two-on-two?" I asked curiously.
Agnes and Tobias immediately looked at Theo. He answered, still clutching the scorched part of his robes: "I thought it would be good training. My father told me that when they fought against Aurors, it was usually in small groups... and for instance, I can handle Protego better than Tobias." He glanced at Tobias, who simply nodded in agreement. "So we tried it, and it seems quite useful. One defends, the other attacks... we're building trust between us."
I doubted that Death Eaters ever shared genuine trust... but if it concerned groups of friends like my father, Snape, and Barty Jr., there might be some truth to it. You only truly know a friend when your life is on the line. I, however, had never fought on a team with anyone.
"Great idea, Theo," I nodded after a moment.
"Yes, but without you," he replied at once with a laugh. "You're far too powerful. Any team you were on would definitely win, even if you just stayed in the background."
"All right, all right. His ego is sufficiently stroked," Agnes interrupted impatiently. "Where were you? What did Snape want?"
I could see they were all burning with curiosity, so I began to explain to get it over with as quickly as possible.
"Someone tried to murder my aunt in Knockturn Alley. Luckily, she survived and is now recovering at St. Mungo's. And while I was there, old Mulciber showed up—the one she warned me about... He died. The Aurors said it was a delayed ritual curse. He choked on his own blood just a step away from me. They took me to the Ministry for questioning immediately, and I went to visit my aunt again today. She's fine; they should release her within a week," I concluded bluntly.
"He died a meter away from you? A delayed ritual curse?" Theodore asked skeptically.
In fact, they all looked that way, except for Draco.
"The Aurors said: a delayed ritual curse," I nodded firmly.
Theodore, Tobias, and Agnes smirked with appreciative nods. Only Draco stared in bewilderment. He wasn't stupid, just too shielded by his parents from the harsh realities of life. The others, however, knew about my power and the history with the Mulciber family. It was clear to them that if someone died right in front of me, the truth was likely much darker than the official reports suggested.
"So, is your aunt safe now?" Agnes asked.
"I don't know," I shrugged. "Not even the Aurors have a clue who tried to murder her. Vespera thought only Gregor could have had a motive, though not for murder..."
"How do you know the Aurors don't know?" a puzzled Theo asked curiously.
"Madam Bones," I replied directly. When he looked skeptical, I continued: "The Aurors who interrogated me broke protocol. Snape wasn't with me, nor was anyone from my family. And since Bones has known me since Pettigrew was caught, she decided to answer my questions."
"I don't know about the rest of you... but I'm starting to get quite hungry."
Of course, it was Tobias. Food was his priority, but honestly, I was in the mood for something myself.
"Dinner will be served soon, but I'm not in the mood for crowds," I paused for a moment and added: "I think I'd rather go eat in the Hogwarts kitchens. Does anyone want to join me?"
"With the elves?" "With the elves?" Theo and Agnes blurted out at once with scowls. I saw Draco and Tobias frowning too.
"What do you have against them?" I asked, bewildered. "They're great."
"Pfff," Agnes snorted. Seeing my surprised expression, a flash of understanding crossed her eyes. "Sorry, I forgot you wouldn't have any way of knowing." She paused for a moment before starting: "To you, they are just great, kind, and honest servants... but it wasn't always that way. In pureblood families, a story is passed down from generation to generation. They didn't originally look like they do now, nor did they act like it."
"Oh?" I prompted curiously for her to continue.
"No one knows when it was—how many millennia ago. But tradition says that the house-elves were once a powerful and ancient race of elves who ruled the earth. They hunted humans for food and sport, and humanity was oppressed for thousands of years. Eventually, our ancestors were blessed by Magic herself, because the cruelty of the elves was immense. Bloody battles followed, which the humans were losing. However, the elves never managed to wipe everyone out—though they lived longer, for every elf born, dozens of humans were born. Every battle was a massive loss for them."
Agnes took a breath and continued: "The human population grew until two powerful brothers were born. No one remembers their names today, but they were magical titans. One ruled the earth and the other the wind. After a hundred years of bloody war, both races were nearly extinct, but the elves were far worse off. When their last city fell, they surrendered. But that wasn't enough for the brothers. They remembered the suffering and knew that elven cruelty had no bounds. They decided on a bloody ritual."
"Tradition says that Mother Magic herself helped them so that the ritual would target every living elf. They were ritually disfigured into the form you know now. Their magical core was twisted as well. They must serve to survive and to even be able to use magic... Their strength comes from their human masters. Over those millennia, they forgot their entire history. We, however, have never forgotten—we pass this story down by word of mouth."
It made sense why they despised and hated them. But I couldn't judge the elves for the actions of their ancient ancestors...
"Why doesn't the public know about this?" I asked into the silence that followed.
"The history of their race has been described in several books; you can look it up yourself. Of course, over those millennia, it will vary from book to book, from storyteller to storyteller, but the core remains the same. The elves were so cruel that Magic herself helped defeat and enslave them. And as for the public... the average wizard is happy if they can manage a few cosmetic spells and Apparate. If they looked for it, they would know... but we tell it so that we don't forget," Agnes explained.
"I understand. But I can't judge them for what their ancestors did—I wouldn't want to be judged for what mine did either. And the privacy in the kitchen suits me."
"Hmm," Agnes nodded. "I'll go with you. But don't expect me to be overly nice to them."
"I'll join as well," Theodore agreed. "I don't feel like going to change."
Tobias just shrugged and nodded. Draco didn't much care either way, so we slowly made our way toward the Hogwarts kitchens.
It didn't take long before we stood before the painting of a fruit bowl. My friends watched with interest as I tickled the pear, which immediately turned into a doorknob. I didn't hesitate for a second and stepped inside, with the others following me.
The room smelled of roasted meat, fresh bread, and spices. The clatter of pots, wooden spoons, and ladles could be heard. Most of the elves looked at us with interest, but as soon as they noticed me, they went right back to work. However, an old acquaintance, Dudi, came running toward us.
He immediately began to squeak happily and bowed so deeply that his ears slapped against the floor: "Young master, young master! Welcome! Dudi is happy you brought friends too. Please, please, sit down!"
He led us to a corner immediately. With a snap of his fingers, he lengthened the corner table and bench so that all five of us could fit. We sat down without hesitation.
"What will you have? We have everything!" Dudi asked eagerly.
"Chicken soup and chicken sauté with rice," Agnes chose. "Beef steak with roasted potatoes and beans," Draco added. "Chicken with rice and compote," Theodore and Tobias blurted out at once.
I was in the mood for something "evening-like," something that reminded me of home and movies, so I chose something extremely non-standard for them: "A few slices of bread with butter, ham, cheese, and green pepper. And some milk to go with it."
It wasn't long before we were all eating happily. The atmosphere in the kitchen was relaxed. Theodore was blowing on his hot rice, Draco tucked into his steak with relish, and Tobias had already managed to finish half his portion. My bread slices looked a bit out of place among their plates, but the scent of fresh pepper was refreshing.
When we finished eating contentedly, Dudi returned.
"Would you like anything else?" he asked thirstily.
"Pancakes!" Agnes blurted out immediately, but then shook her head. "No, no, I couldn't manage them."
"I'd have seconds," Tobias said greedily, though he fortunately maintained decorum and didn't speak with his mouth full.
The rest of us had had enough, so we just sat there comfortably. However, I hadn't forgotten the book I bought for Dudi. I pulled it out of my magical pocket.
"Don't tell me you're going to study now, Patrik?" Agnes said.
I shook my head in disagreement: "No, this is for Dudi."
She frowned at me. "You shouldn't give him gifts."
I laughed amusedly. "This is more a gift for us, dear Agnes. You'll see!"
Just as Dudi finished levitating a second plate in front of Tobias, I stopped him.
"Dudi, I have something for you," I said, handing him the book. His huge round eyes grew to the size of tennis balls.
"Master gives Dudi a gift?" he whispered in surprise.
"Yes. Do you know how to read?" I asked directly, at which the others began to laugh. I ignored them.
Dudi shook his head sadly, but after a moment his expression brightened. "Dudi can learn! Oh yes, he can!"
"In this book, there are mysterious but extremely delicious recipes, Dudi. If you all learn them... you will be legends among the students," I suggested cryptically.
"Recipes?"
"Yes, for the great dishes of the modern world."
I could have sworn a fire appeared in his eyes. Pressing the book to his chest, he ran toward the back of the kitchen.
"What kind of cookbook did you buy him?" a hungry Tobias asked. When it came to food, he was a great ally.
"Healthy versions of unhealthy foods. I believe it will be great," I replied contentedly.
A fancy burger with fries or fried cheese... pizza, kebab, kapsalon... hmm. It was all in there and more, moreover in healthier versions. I was very curious to see how they would manage to prepare such dishes using magic.
***
Author's note:
Yay, Draco finally won a duel! It was about time, haha! :D
Regarding the House-elf lore: to be honest, I read something similar in another fanfiction once and decided to incorporate it into my own story. It felt like a perfect fit. Realistically, it's hard to hate something as helpful and sweet as a house-elf without a solid reason—few people hate dogs, for example—so I wanted to give the purebloods a deeper, historical reason for their disdain.
And finally, our MC just wants to treat himself to some modern fast food (the healthy version, of course). If I were at Hogwarts, I'd definitely miss burgers and kebabs, so... once again, we're just solving the problem of what's missing in the wizarding world! :D
***
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Upcoming Chapters – Already Written(12):
51. The Smell of Teen Spirit and Dark Arts
52. More Than Just a Name
53. The Rat's Final Kiss
54. Deus Vult
55. The Underworld Gambit
56. The Boy Who Sponsored
57. The End of the Year
58. VR: The Warrior of Durmstrang
59. The Mind of a Rosier
60. The Lioness and the Black Blood
61. A Rosier, Not a Goyle
62. The Babel Charm and the Emperor's Dagger
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