Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 178 Dobby in the Kitchen

"Why don't you... go and say it?" Daphne wanted to make one last attempt.

"No, no, no! You're the most suitable!" Draco immediately refused.

“Exactly, Daphne, you’re the most suitable!” Zabini agreed, after all, it’s better to sacrifice a friend than oneself.

Daphne glared at the two of them fiercely before pushing open the door and going inside with a feeling of going to her death.

Inside the private room, Thea was doing a final check on the Transfiguration notes she had compiled over the past few days. She had overheard the whispers outside, but wondered what had caused them to be so conflicted.

“…Thea…” Daphne tiptoed to Thea’s side, her tone full of caution.

"What's wrong?" Thea looked up from a pile of parchment, her face full of confusion.

Seeing the undeniable weariness on Thea's face, Daphne's dissatisfaction was slowly building.

"Um... well... we went to Hogsmeade today, right..."

"You guys got into a fight with Potter and his group?"

Daphne stammered and couldn't explain it clearly for a long time, so Thea could only think of this possibility.

"No!" Daphne immediately retorted, afraid that Thea's imagination would wander to other things, "...Um...we met...Mr. Black..."

It took Thea two seconds to realize that this Mr. Black was Sirius Black.

She put down her pen, looked up and stared directly at Daphne, and asked, "And then?"

“Well… Mr. Black and Potter went into the Three Broomsticks pub… We didn’t go in… and then we came back…”

Daphne lied; they went in, but they just didn't let them see.

Daphne wouldn't dare say the four of them looked extremely happy; they chatted for almost an hour without mentioning Thea once...

If Zabini hadn't been holding him back, Draco would have rushed over to warn Sirius.

He was reminded that Potter wasn't the only godson he had; his own niece was also in the castle!

That niece who fought so hard to clear your name!

Can't you even show her a little concern?

"oh………"

Thea closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, she was still the gentle and generous Miss Blake.

“Thank you, Daphne, for coming to tell me!” Thea said cheerfully, and if her face hadn’t been so pale, her words would have been quite convincing.

"Thea... don't be sad... you still have... me, we're here for you!" Daphne racked her brains to comfort Thea, but her usual quick wit suddenly lost its effectiveness at this moment.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Thea said gently.

In the end, Daphne fled in panic; she simply couldn't bear to see the girl trying so hard to comfort herself.

Seeing that the person had left, Thea calmed herself down and plunged back into the parchment.

But the girl didn't turn a single page for a long time...

-

Zhou Tian.

Hermione, Hermione, and the other two stood outside the Slytherin common room waiting for Thea; they had agreed to go to the kitchen today.

Actually, they also invited Daphne and a few others.

Daphne and the others simply didn't have the composure to accept their invitation, especially after Sirius's discriminatory treatment yesterday.

Thea, on the other hand, was radiant, as if she wasn't the one who had been sitting there for so long yesterday.

"You used the Radiance Spell?"

Thea had just met Hermione when Hermione immediately noticed something was wrong with Thea.

"Yes, I couldn't sleep well last night, so I used a spell when I got up."

Thea's answer was flawless.

Hermione had only asked casually; her mind was now entirely focused on her upcoming meeting with the house-elves.

Dobby said he has time tonight, we can go over and have a chat with him.

"Hmph!" Ron snorted loudly as he walked behind.

He really didn't understand why Hermione was so hung up on this issue; a house-elves' duty is to work!

Thea and Hermione walked side by side behind Harry and Ron.

Just as Ron made that nasal sound, Thea caught a glimpse of Hermione's hand clenched into a fist, but quickly relaxed.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to convince herself that she shouldn't bother with this idiot behind her, after all, he was here too, wasn't he?

The kitchen was not far from the Slytherin common room, and the group quickly arrived there.

Harry was the first to give Dobby the socks they had bought at Hogsmeade.

Dobby flinched when he saw Thea, but his awkwardness vanished the moment Harry produced the gift.

“Mr. Potter is too good to Dobby!” he shrieked, wiping away the tears welling in his eyes.

"Dobby, this is a gift for you. I hope you like it." Thea also took out a beautifully wrapped bow from her pocket.

“Miss Black is a good person! She not only freed Dobby, but also gave him a gift!” After receiving the gift, Dobby kept pacing back and forth, as if only in this way could he vent his excitement.

Dobby's joy seemed to be met with disdain by the other house-elves.

While they were eager to entertain Thea and her companions, it didn't stop them from looking at Dobby with utter disgust.

Dobby had noticed it before; his small body shrank slightly.

"Why are you looking at Dobby like that?" Hermione couldn't help but ask a few house-elves who were passing by.

"Because it's a scoundrel! It actually wanted its wages!" a little elf shrieked, tears immediately streaming down its face. "Oh! The great Mr. Dumbledore, he actually..."

Before the words were even finished, the house-elf immediately turned around and frantically slammed its head against the table, muttering repeatedly, "Linlin is a bad elf... a bad elf!!!"

Upon seeing this, Thea and the others immediately stepped forward to stop it, and it took them a while to calm the other party down.

Hermione's face still showed strong disapproval. "Oh my god! Listen to me, you all have the right to get paid, to take time off, to wear decent clothes, and you don't have to be bossed around like this—look at Dobby!"

Hermione tried desperately to awaken the minds of the house-elves, but the result was obvious.

"Please, miss, don't involve Dobby..." Dobby mumbled, looking very frightened.

Hermione stared at Dobby with a hurt expression, she didn't understand...

At this moment, the smiles on the faces of the house-elves in the kitchen also disappeared. They looked at Hermione with strange eyes, as if they thought she was crazy and dangerous.

In the end, Thea pulled Hermione out, and Harry and Ron followed.

“Maybe Dobby is just a little scared…” Thea tried her best to defend Dobby and reassure Hermione.

Hermione was clearly devastated. "Thea...did I do the right thing?"

"Why, why don't they understand me?"

"I was doing it for their own good..."

Seeing Hermione's rare vulnerability, even Ron, who didn't support her, refrained from saying anything hurtful.

“Hermione, progressive ideas aren’t always welcomed…” Thea’s face remained gentle. “Like Van Gogh, people only realized the value of his paintings after he died…”

Looking at Thea, who remained gentle and patient, Harry seemed to understand why Hermione liked Thea so much.