Spreading S.P.E.W
Hermione was again working in her office with Rita, she was working on a way to make her S.P.E.W flyers and posters more appealing and talk about the absolute extreme worst cases of house elves to try and get some sympathy from people,
"I just can't believe that no-one cares." said Hermione, "You would think that slave labour would be a much bigger deal to people."
"You'd think, but people have gotten to use to house elves to let them go." said Rita,
"I suppose." said Hermione, "I just wish that the house elves were willing to fight back."
"They've, unfortunately, become used to it to." said Rita,
"That's why we should try to convince the younger ones that haven't spent much time as a slave." Hermione said, "We started the ones at Hogwarts off by ordering them to take just a little bit of money each week, then, when they got used to it, we would gradually raise the amount, and then, once they were regularly being paid, they weren't as scared of being freed, so they accepted the clothes that we put out for them, then we gave the younger ones wands so that the next generation would think it was normal, that nearly got them arrested, but you know how that turned out, so, how do we get this across worldwide?" asked Hermione,
"You could start by raising awareness, Miss." Rita suggested,
"That's what I've been doing." said Hermione,
"I know Miss, but you could do it in a more exciting way." said Rita,
"What do you suggest?" asked Hermione,
"Well, you could start with a fundraiser, that's what charities do and people feel sympathy for them." Rita explained,
"Not a bad idea." said Hermione, "So, a fundraiser, like, a party or a gathering."
"That's the general idea, yes, but you'd also need something that the people would want to pay for, an auction, a raffle, a tombola, a celebrity, something that people would pay money for." Rita continued, "You'd also want to make them feel sorry for the house elves."
"What, I could talk about the conditions that they work under or that they don't get time off, what?" asked Hermione,
"I think that you'll need more than that miss, perhaps even…lie, a little." Rita suggested,
"What do you mean…lie?" asked Hermione,
"Well, you could tell a made up, heart retching, story about a house elf who you found living in a gutter that had been so neglected that it's incapable of love because his master would beat him all day and force him to work all night with not even a break to go to the bathroom, he'd work down in the basement where he'd get covered in sewage and was so skinny because his master would only give him just enough food to keep him alive." a tear came to Hermione's eye, "You know, something simple like that." Rita said,
"Simple?" Hermione's jaw was dropped,
"Or better yet, make the house elf tell them him self." said Rita,
"But I don't know any house elves like that." said Hermione,
"House elves aren't incapable of lying, besides, you said once that you were on good terms with, what's her name, Willy?" asked Rita,
"Winky." Hermione corrected her, "But everybody knows that she was Mr. Crouch's elf after all of that dark mark business at the Quidditch world cup, I could use Kreacher though, no-one really knows him, I'll ask Harry if I can use him." said Hermione,
"Sounds great Miss." said Rita,
"Thanks by the way, for the idea." said Hermione,
"Not to worry Miss Granger, it's my job." Rita replied.
"Say Harry?" Hermione was asking at the burrow a few days later,
"Yes?" he replied,
"Could I borrow Kreacher for my fundraiser tonight?" she asked,
"Of course." said Harry, "Kreacher!" he yelled and the ugly form of Kreacher the house elf appeared before Hermione's eyes,
"Yes master?" asked Kreacher,
"You will be with Hermione tonight, alright?" said Harry,
"Yes master." said Kreacher, "Nice to see you again Mistress Mudblood, no, bad Kreacher, Mistress Granger, Kreacher will serve." he said,
"No, no, no, I'll pay you of course." insisted Hermione,
"What, really, thank you, thank you." he hugged her legs, she knew that he was less insistent on not being paid since Hogwarts was now paying him, he was also a lot nicer since Harry had given him Regulus's locket.
"You will have to read this out." Hermione handed him the piece of parchment containing the fake story that she'd written up, "If you memorize it, I'll pay you extra, how does twenty galleons sound?" she asked,
"No, too much, too generous." he said,
"Kreacher, I command you accept." said Hermione who hated resorting to that,
"Then it shall be done Mistress Granger." he said,
"Okay, now you get back to Hogwarts, learn that and I'll call upon you when I need you." said Hermione,
"Goodbye." he vanished with a crack.
"Lying, huh?" asked Harry,
"Yeah, don't judge me Harry, don't you dare." she commanded,
"I'm not, I just didn't think it was very you, that's all." he said,
"It isn't," said Hermione, "but the wizarding world is so reluctant to accept this idea, I have to do something." she said,
"I know, I don't blame you, I respect what you're doing, where's this fundraiser thing anyway, I'll make an appearance." he said,
"Thanks, it's at the Three Broomsticks, I've rented the place for the night, it'll look better with some decorations and…cleaning." said Hermione,
"I'll be there, what time?" he asked,
"Six o' clock." she said, "Bye." he waved goodbye as Hermione walked out of the burrow and dissapparated.
The Three Broomsticks now looked different than it had done when Hermione had last been, the tables and chairs where cleared out of the way, a small stage with a podium was put in as where waiters, food, and a raffle. Hermione had stuck S.P.E.W posters around the place and at the door they were giving out badges that the guests were wearing. She had invited people from the Ministry from all departments; Harry, Ron and Neville were there, as was Kreacher, who was ready at any time to give a speech. People were going around with collection buckets and some people were tossing in the odd Galleon.
Hermione stood and watched as people socialized and paid for raffle tickets, some people were shocked that celebrities, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, Quidditch player, would show up to this event and people were trying to talk to them, Hermione had told them to talk about S.P.E.W in a positive way, which they were doing, people were now taking an interest and were both fascinated to know that the two of them had, in the past, been members themselves. Hermione now realised that one of the reasons that no-one had taken much interest in the past was because it was her who was saying it, she should have convinced a celebrity years ago.
Hermione went up to the podium with the microphone and began talking, everyone looked at her,
"Hello everyone," she started, "I hop that you're all having a good time, I am now ready to reveal the tombola winners," people now looked more excited, "Okay first prize is two tickets to an all-wizard Caribbean cruise, second prize is two hundred Galleons spending money that'll be accepted by any shop in Diagon Alley and third prize is a Honeydukes gift basket, okay, let's get to the winners," Hermione put her hand into the bowl of tickets and pulled one out, "winner of the Honeydukes gift basket is number…three hundred and eighty nine," someone within the crowd cheered and came up to the front, Hermione handed him the basket full of Honeydukes goodies, shook is hand and he thanked her, she dipped her hand into the bowl of tickets again and pulled one out, "Okay, the winner of the two hundred Galleons spending money in any Diagon Alley shop is…twenty four!" she exclaimed, a witch from the crowd came up to collect her vouchers and left again, "And finally," said Hermione, dipping her hand in the ticket bowl once more and pulling out a ticket, "The first prize winner, winner of the Caribbean cruise for two, all wizard, I can now reveal that this person, this lucky person is…number…one hundred and two!" she exclaimed as a very happy wizard came up to the podium, was handed the tickets and left again with the crowd clapping.
The party went on for a while until Hermione thought that it was time to pull out the big guns, she went up to the podium and spoke once more,
"Excuse me people, if I could have your attention once again please," they looked at the stage, "Thank you for making tonight such a success, but now it's time to witness what this evening has been all about, I would like you to welcome Kreacher the house elf." the people clapped, Hermione stepped off of the stage and Kreacher walked on, carrying a chair to stand on so that he could reach the microphone, Hermione stood next to Rita who said to her,
"It's show time." Kreacher got up there and cleared his throat, he began to speak.
"Hello everyone," he said, "Kreacher's here to tell you my story, before Kreacher came to Hogwarts he was not the same elf that stands before you, he was living with a master who, for fun, would beat him all day until Kreacher was black and blue all over, Kreacher worked down in the basement and the house had leakage problems so he would have to walk and work in the sewage, sometimes my own, as he was not allowed to use a bathroom, when his master saw him starting to fail at his duties, he'd whip him into shape, Kreacher had cuts on my back for years, he had been starved to the point that he was practically a skeleton as his master would only ever give me enough food and water to keep alive, and when he did, the water was dirty and the food was anything that he was going to throw out, because of Kreacher's unnatural rejection, he was, and am to this day, incapable of loving another being. When his master moved, he didn't tell Kreacher, he left him down there to work, by the time he had figured it out and escaped, he was so weak. Kreacher collapsed in the gutters, skinny, bruised and neglected. Fortunately for Kreacher, he was rescued by S.P.E.W, they found Kreacher, healed him, fed him, got him a job working at Hogwarts where Kreacher get paid, sick leave, holidays, three meals a day and everything that all elves should be allowed access too but can't. This is what S.P.E.W plan to do world over, to save house elves that ended up like me, Kreacher was lucky, others aren't, house elves everywhere die thanks to abusive masters everyday, by passing laws and issuing rescue teams, S.P.E.W can give elves a second chance and a new start for the next generation of house elves, you can help achieve that by donating a little money and if you have house elves at home, treat them with respect, you can receive full details from Hermione Granger's office, thank you." Kreacher jumped off of his chair and off of the stage, the room was silent, tears were in some peoples' eyes and they started putting a lot more money into the donation buckets.
By the end of the night, the buckets were full and they made prophet on the evening that they could give to house elves. For the next few days the whole Ministry was buzzing about Kreacher's story and how good S.P.E.W was and they started to receive regular donations. Many people were now taking an interest and more and more applicants started to sign up to work at the S.P.E.W office and soon, a house elf rescue squad was devised.