The pear seemed ticklish, wriggling and giggling before transforming into a green doorknob. Theo grasped the doorknob and pulled it open, and they entered one by one.
It was a very spacious room.
The room's size and layout were identical to the Great Hall above, also featuring four long tables, though these were empty. Around the stone walls were many gleaming kitchen utensils, and at one end, a brick fireplace blazed, emitting the inviting aroma of roasted meat.
The room was filled with many strange-looking creatures. They had large, bat-like ears and round eyes that bulged like a frog's, appearing almost as big as tennis balls. They also had slender, pencil-thin noses and long, thin limbs. Tea towels bearing the Hogwarts crest were worn like robes on their bodies.
The small creatures turned their heads upon hearing the commotion. They watched the students with eager, hopeful eyes but didn't swarm them. Whichever direction Wade and the others looked, the small creatures would bow or curtsy, appearing very respectful.
"Oh my goodness!" Michael exclaimed in surprise, saying with envy, "So many house-elves."
"Welcome to the Hogwarts kitchens!" Theo announced, spreading his arms. "This is the best place in Hogwarts!"
"You can tell them anything you want to eat; the elves are all very enthusiastic," Ryan added.
"Hello," Wade said, bending down to the nearest house-elf. "Could you get us something to eat?"
"Of course! Of course, sir!" the house-elf said in a high-pitched voice. "I am most honored."
The house-elves happily brought over pies, steaks, roasted potatoes, tarts, raisin pudding, and all sorts of other delicacies, along with orange juice, pumpkin juice, and vegetable juice, and even two bottles of butterbeer. After the group had eaten their fill, the elves brought out many more desserts, determined to ensure their satisfaction.
"I can't eat another bite," Neville said with difficulty after taking a lick of his ice cream.
"Most Hufflepuff students know where the kitchens are because our common room is nearby. So it's an open secret," Theo told Michael. "Our common room always has all sorts of delicious food too—Hufflepuffs never go hungry!"
"It's so wonderful," Michael sighed, sipping his butterbeer. "Why wasn't I sorted into Hufflepuff?"
"What are you saying?" Ryan teased. "I heard someone say during the sorting—if he were sorted into Hufflepuff, he'd rather drop out."
"Ravenclaw isn't that great either," Michael lamented. "Ravenclaw Tower is too high—it's really too high—I feel like dying climbing those stairs every day—every time class ends, I have to summon so much determination to go back to the common room..."
He seemed a bit tipsy, speaking with much self-pity.
Wade, however, managed to avoid overeating, but being his first time drinking, his alcohol tolerance was clearly low. Just two rum-filled chocolate liqueurs and a glass of butterbeer were enough to knock him out. At this moment, Wade's head felt fuzzy, and people appeared as double images.
He rested his chin in his hand, lazily yawned, and began recognizing the house-elves one by one—
"Coco, Amy, Becky, Habi, Lola, Phil..."
Having their names spoken by a wizard seemed to be a great honor for the elves. They lined up to tell Wade their names, as if performing a ritual.
"Hmm, Zoe? Are you a girl?" Wade recognized the elf who had first spoken to him.
To be honest, all the elves had wrinkled faces like octogenarians, and besides their names, it was impossible to distinguish their gender from their appearance or clothing.
"Y-yes, Mr. Gray," Zoe said, twisting her fingers nervously and excitedly.
"Are you also the ones who usually clean our rooms and do our laundry?" Wade asked.
"Y-yes, sir," Zoe nodded vigorously, her large eyes looking earnestly at Wade. "Zoe, Habi, and Phil are responsible for Ravenclaw Tower."
Looking closely, this house-elf's tea towel was adorned with a very small flower—she was indeed a girl.
"Do you also clean the other parts of the castle?" Wade asked again.
"Yes, sir."
"Are you the ones who bring our luggage down from the train?"
"Yes, sir."
"You work hard," Wade said with a sigh. "That's truly arduous work."
"No, no—not at all?" Zoe quickly replied. "We love to work! Work doesn't make us feel tired; not having work is truly terrible!"
The house-elves expressed how devoted and diligent they were in their work, never slacking. They put all their effort into making dinners that would satisfy everyone, polishing every silver item until it gleamed, washing students' muddy shoes until they were spotless, and always appearing and disappearing silently, never disturbing anyone. They were excellent house-elves.
Wade watched them silently for a long time, saying nothing more.
After dinner, it was almost curfew. The house-elves enthusiastically stuffed them with cream cakes and fried jam doughnuts, and then they each returned to their respective common rooms.
Wade and Michael walked up the moving staircases continuously. As the two gasped for breath, the armor by the wall suddenly shifted, and then a white figure burst out, letting out a beast-like roar.
"Ah!" Michael was startled, his legs giving out as he sat on the floor.
"Hahahaha..."
The white figure clutched its stomach, roaring with laughter, floating in the air, kicking its legs wildly.
Michael was both annoyed and amused. "Peeves! You're hiding here scaring people again!"
Peeves was a special ghost at Hogwarts. He could float around, yet also possess a physical form and touch objects, and he loved causing chaos. Just as his name suggested—he was a very mischievous and troublesome fellow.
"Look! Here are two little wizards! Wandering around at night instead of sleeping!" In the corridor, Peeves circled around Wade and Michael, saying maliciously, "Just you wait, I'm going to call Filch! To catch you little rascals!"
Peeves loved to scare students wandering at night, then chase them, watching them scramble back to their dorms, sometimes even tugging at their robes or pulling their hair to tease them. But this time he miscalculated, because with a wave of Wade's wand, a row of golden text appeared before his eyes, displaying the current time.
"Ha!" Michael gasped with laughter. "There are still seven minutes until curfew! You can't trick us anymore, Peeves!"
Peeves's round eyes darted, and he slyly said, "Seven minutes—that's not enough for you to get back to Ravenclaw Tower."
"Yeah. But by the time you call Filch, we'll definitely be back," Wade said casually.
Peeves pouted and grumbled, "Hmph, boring Ravenclaws!" He turned and floated away to play pranks on other students.