I was talking to Ginny when Greg came in with a ridiculous badge. "Spew?" I ask. "Please tell me you are joking?"

Greg looked defiantly at me. 'Not spew,' said Greg impatiently. 'It's S – P – E – W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.'

I frown at him. "Why do you have those badges? I am sure you know how idiotic this is? House elves like serving us and your dad won't like it." Then as an afterthought I add: "Never heard of this society thing."

Greg sighs. "Of course, you haven't, Hermione only just started it."

"She did?" I feel a bit unsure of how to react.

Ginny tactfully reaches out and grabs one of the badges and looks at them with mild amusement. "She could not come up with something else than spew? I cannot imagine many people wanting to walk around with that on a badge."

Greg smiles lightly. "She first wanted to use Stop the atrocious? no, Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status – but it wouldn't fit. And next she chose this."

I'm looking carefully at Greg. Is he serious or joking? I hope joking, but feel quite certain that he in fact is quite serious. "And what are the aims of the society?"

Greg looks a bit unsure suddenly. 'Our short-term aims are to give house-elves wages and better working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand-use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're under-represented.'

I scrutiny Greg. "And how would you plan all that?"

"Well," Greg says a bit sheepishly. "We are seeking members. Two Sickles to join." I snort. Greg continues a little louder. "It will give you a nice, little badge as well."

"Can't I pay not to wear the badge?" I blurt out.

Ginny gives me a light push, pays the two sickles to Greg and puts the badge on her robes. While she is walking out of the common room, presumably already heading to the great hall for dinner, she gives me a pointed look.

"Bye Gin," Greg says with a wave. He then looks very seriously at me. "Alright. You're acting all arrogant. Now it will be two galleons for a S.P.E.W. badge and you are going to wear it. Did you not support Vin with Buckbeak?"

I shove two galleons in his hands. "Vin never made me wear stupid badges." I complain softly, while Greg is putting the badge on me. Great, now everyone can see me wear this idiotic thing! What would Severus say?

"Perfect," Greg says smugly. "Lets head to dinner." On our way to the great hall we walked into Hermione, Weasley and Potter.

'And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying "spew", do you?' said Weasley.

"We're heading to the great hall for dinner," Greg tells me a bit forcefully, while tugging softly on my arm.

'S – P – E – W!' said Hermione hotly. 'I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status – but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto.' Well, Greg certainly had not joked about it. 'I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now.'

'Hermione – open your ears,' said Ron loudly. 'They. Like. It. They like being enslaved! Tell me, have you even been able to recruit a single member?'

Hermione sounds hurt. "Greg has joined and has offered to become a treasurer and I just thought.."

Ron's ears grow red. "Of course, the only person willing to wear such a stupid badge is your stupid boyfriend."

I smoothly interrupt their fight. "Greg told me you were still looking for a secretary, of course I would be happy to be aiding your organisation." I feel Weasley's hot glare on me. Take that, Weasley. "I hope you do not mind I contributed two galleons instead of sickles?"

Hermione looks at me surprised.

"Honestly," Weasley sputters. "You cannot believe that a Malfoy would care about house elf rights?" Potter looked a bit skeptical as well. Hermione crosses her arms over each other.

"Of course I can, Ronald," she says hotly. "Draco is not his father and has treated me much kinder than you have the last few days." Weasley walks away muttering angrily. Potter looks a bit sheepishly at us, unsure what to do.

"Vin, Pansy and Ginny joined as well," Greg then says shyly.

Hermione gives Greg a thankful smile. I walk into the great hall. "Nice badge," Pansy greets me. I chuckle. "You as well," I say back. I had not expected her to wear one. My look must have conveyed that somehow. "It's kind of sweet, is it not?" Pansy asks with a sigh. "He is so supportive of her and he must realize how idiotic her cause is." Aah, she likes the romance. That explained a lot, especially that she was wearing a green badge with S.P.E.W. on it. Greg joins us later and I notice Potter is wearing an orange S.P.E.W. badge.