Chapter 8 – S.P.E.W.
Hermione entered the library and felt that she would be getting ready to work in peace, but she was so wrong. As soon as she sat down, a voice from behind her spoke in her ear.
"Hello, Hermione," greeted Cedric Diggory. Hermione jumped suddenly and spun around to face him, almost falling from a lack of balance as she moved so quickly.
"H-hello, Cedric," Hermione stuttered as she tried to catch her breath and slow her heart.
"What are you up to?" Cedric peered over Hermione's shoulder at the box of blank badges that sat on the table, and Hermione began to get a bit more nervous.
"It's uh-... just part of my house-elf relief project," Hermione mumbled.
"Ah, still working on it, huh?"
"Yeah," Hermione sighed in a little more than a whisper as she felt herself being bashful.
"Mind if I help? I really don't want to work on this Transfigurations work," Cedric sighed as he nodded his head to the table next to Hermione's where his book, bag, and roll of parchment laid.
"Oh, no-... I um-... I don't mind," Hermione replied as she began flustered. 'Oh, my, he wants to help!'
"I'm very much into equal rights for all, myself," Cedric informed as they sat down and Hermione dumped out the badges onto the table, much to the displeasure of Madam Pince who shushed the two as they suppressed snickers.
"Are you really now?" Hermione gave him a jokingly skeptical look and narrowed her eyes on him with a smile as he grinned and picked up one of the blank badges. That's when Hermione realized something. 'Oh Merlin! I'm flirting with him! He's got a girlfriend and I'm flirting with him!' She felt the heat rise in her face as Cedric looked at the three books she had, Transfigure Your Campaign (which told her how to make the badges), House-Elves and Their Master: A Guide to the Perfect Servant, and A House-Elf's Life.
"So, what exactly are we doing here?"
"Well," Hermione began. "We're going to put the abbreviation for my house-elf rights group's name."
"And what would that be?" Cedric really seemed to want to help, but then again thought Hermione, he could just want to be nice to her and seem like he wanted to help while he was desperately searching for a way out of what he got himself into.
"It's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare," Hermione answered proudly.
"S.-... P.-... E.-... W.-...," Cedric murmured to himself as he thought of the letters and then started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"You do know that those letters spell spew, right? I mean with a name like that, I can't guarantee you an easy job in getting people to join," Cedric laughed. Hermione suddenly felt hurt, she had worked hard on this, only to have a boy she thought was cute and sweet laugh in her face about it. She frowned and Cedric suddenly became aware of what he had done. "Look, I didn't mean it that way."
"It's fine," Hermione mumbled. "It's a stupid idea anyways. I mean who's going to listen to a little bookworm fourth year like me anyways?"
"I am. I think that you are going to make a big difference with this – maybe not right away of course – but someday. I have faith in you because you are smart and people usually listen to those who are smarter than them, hoping they'll lead them in the right direction. For example, look at Dumbledore, he-"
"I'll never be as great as Dumbledore," Hermione interrupted. Cedric frowned and turned to the badges as a few minutes' silence set in.
"Well, you'll never know if we don't get these started and distributed among those who want to help just like you," Cedric reassured her. She gave a brief, faint half-hearted smile and stared down at her hands in her lap. "C'mon now," Cedric coxed as he grabbed her hand with his own and squeezed it. 'My he is strong' Hermione thought suddenly as she smiled inwardly at his holding her hand.
"All right then," Hermione sighed as she happily relented and picked up the Transfigurations book while flipping to a random page. "First thing we need to do is magically burn the letters into the badge.
"Simple enough," Cedric said as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the badge, but he stopped abruptly there. "Okay, maybe not simple enough. What's the spell for this?" Hermione giggled and pointed to the italicized words in the book. "Ah, okay," Cedric said as he read over the words and then muttered the spell. The tip of his wand lit up yellow and the badge became hot, making him drop it.
"Shh," Madam Pince hissed as the badge hit the table with a clatter.
"Sorry," Hermione whispered as Cedric sucked on the ball of his thumb. Hermione suppressed a giggle and then grabbed his wrist while pulling his thumb from his mouth. She swished her wand while whispering a spell and then flicked it at his thumb which felt as though ice had been pressed to it with instant relief.
"Thanks," Cedric whispered as he examined Hermione's handy work. "You're really clever. Wherever did you learn that?"
"Reading," Hermione answered carelessly as she picked up the badge that Cedric had dropped earlier. "Look." On the white badge, there were gleaming gold letters that said: S.P.E.W. in a beautiful calligraphy writing.
"All right," Cedric said as he took the badge from her and pinned it to his own robes right below his prefect button. "I'll take a couple when we're done and promotion this, okay?"
"Thanks," Hermione said as she admired the badge on Cedric's Quidditch muscular chest. She smiled broadly, she just couldn't help herself.
"Well, let's get these finished up, shall we?" Cedric pulled about ten of the badges toward him and pointed his wand at them while, this time, leaving them on the table.
Hermione entered Gryffindor common room with a smile and a satisfied feeling.
"Hello," she greeted Harry and Ron who were at one of the corner tables working on their Divinations homework. "I've just finished!"
"So have I!" Hermione looked over at Ron's work as she sat down and placed her box in an empty chair beside her.
"Not going to have a very good month, are you?" Hermione continued to go over Ron's predictions as Crookshanks came walking across the common room and leaped up into her lap with a loud purr.
"Ah well, at least I'm forewarned," Ron said as he stifled a rather large yawn.
"You seem to be drowning twice," Hermione pointed out as she handed his work back to him.
"Oh am I? I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff."
"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?"
"How dare you! We've been working like house-elves here!" Hermione was none too happy with that comment as she gave him a look that said she was about to get very angry with him. "It's just an expression," Ron covered up quickly.
"What's in the box?" Hermione turned to her other best friend and picked up the box whiling giving Ron a disapproving stare as she opened it.
"Funny you should ask," she said as Harry inspected the different color badges in the box.
"'Spew'?" Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry's ignorance of the periods after each letter and began to correct him.
"Now spew. It's S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
"Never heard of it," Ron said lazily as he looked at the badges with disgust.
"Well, of course you haven't. I've only just started it."
"Yeah? How many members have you got?" Hermione thought seriously about telling Ron about Cedric, but decided it best not to since he had a quick temper with those sorts of things.
"Well – if you two join – three," Hermione replied timidly, but then she felt that she should show courage and they might be frightened into joining. 'Am I really that desperate for members that I'm threatening my own friends!'
"And do you think we want to talk around wearing badges saying 'spew', do you?" Hermione got very angry at this remark, if Cedric would wear one, why couldn't Ron? He was after all supposed to be her best friend, was he not as this, supposed to make these kind of sacrifices for her?
"S-P-E-W! I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Out Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status – but it wouldn't fir. So that's the heading of out manifesto." Hermione pulled a piece of parchment from the box and shoved it at the two boys rather roughly as she continued. "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," Ron snapped. "They. Like. It. They like being enslaved!"
"Our short-term aims are to secure house-elves fair wages and 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 shockingly underrepresented," Hermione continued as she only spoke louder than Ron making it seem as though she were trying to ignore him.
"And how do we do all this?" Hermione was glad to hear Harry ask.
"We start by recruiting members. I thought two Sickles to join – that buys a badge – and the proceeds can fund out leaflet campaign." That's when something hit Hermione, she didn't charge Cedric. 'Oh well, he helped me so it's the least I can do is let him join for free.' "You're treasurer, Ron – I've got a collecting tin upstairs – and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as record of our first meeting." Hermione beamed an a happy way as she looked at the pair of them, Ron looking a bit disbelieving at her suggestions and Harry looking just plain confused. Suddenly they were interrupted by Hedwig who tapped at the window.
"Hedwig!" Hermione watched as Harry leaped in one movement from his chair to the window to let the bird inside as she sat on the windowsill. "About time!"
"She's got an answer," Ron exclaimed as Harry untied the letter from his owl's leg.
"What does it say?" Hermione was just as excited as Ron as she jumped up to read next to Harry on a couch, forgetting about S.P.E.W., at least for the moment as Harry began to read aloud.
"Harry – I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar if the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore – they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is. I'll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry. Sirius," Harry concluded.
"He's flying north? He's coming back?" Hermione really cared about Sirius, ever since she had helped Harry save him last year, he had become like an uncle to her.
"Dumbledore's reading what signs? Harry – what's up?" Hermione wanted to know this as well as she watched in confused shock as Harry pounded his forehead with his fist.
"I shouldn't've told him!"
"What are you on about?" For once, Ron was asking all the right questions.
"It made him think he's got to come back! Coming back, because he thinks I'm in trouble! And there's nothing wrong with me!" 'How could Harry say this? His scar hurting isn't a minor thing, I mean in our first year it let us know Voldemort was near' Hermione thought as Harry continued to yell, now shouting at Hedwig who was obviously waiting to be fed.
"Harry," Hermione began as she tried to calm him down while the three of them watched Hedwig take off out the window with an angered hoot at her master.
"I'm going to bed," Harry cut off. "See you in the morning." Hermione watched Harry get up and stalk briskly up the staircase to his room while she was left to sit there in disappointment with Ron.
"I really wish I could help more," she sighed.
"You could if you weren't working on stupid things like those house-elf badges," Ron argued.
"You know something? You are amazing," she said hotly as she jumped up from her chair and towered over him heatedly. "Harry's in need of our help and all you can do it ridicule me for trying to make a difference in the lives of those who are in need as well."
"But-"
"Unlike you, I care to help those in need instead of being self-centered all the time," Hermione snarled before turning on her heel and gathering her box of badges. "Good night, Ronald!" With that, she stomped off to her own dormitory and slammed the door behind her before dropping the box on the trunk at the end of her bed. She changed into her pajamas, all the while mentally cursing Ron, and climbed into bed seething.
"Hey, Hermione," Ron called as Hermione came walking across the partially deserted common room. "Have you seen Harry?"
"No I haven't, Ronald," Hermione answered flatly as she dropped down into an armchair next to the fire and grabbed a book to begin silently reading, or more like ignoring Ron.
"Come on now! You still can't be mad at me?"
"Yes... yes I can," Hermione said blankly. "You're being a total git anymore."
"Listen," Ron sighed as he walked over and sat down on the couch next to Hermione's chair. "I'm sorry. I'll try to be more-" Hermione raised her eyebrows as though saying 'this had better be good' while she waited for him to continue. "I'll try to be more-... understanding to your want to help house-elves."
"I suppose I could forgive you," Hermione exhaled deeply. "But that doesn't mean that I'll let you off completely easy," she added at the relieved look on his face.
"How about we start with breakfast? I'm starved and I wouldn't want those house-elves to have worked to make all that food for nothing," Ron said with a smile. "I'll be sure to thank them if I see them." Hermione rolled her eyes playfully as she put down her book and left the common room with Ron to go to breakfast.
"Hey look, there's Harry," Hermione said as she pointed to the messy black hair at Gryffindor table. It was indeed their best friend and when they sat down with him, he informed them of something he had done that morning.
"Where've you been?" Ron began loading his plate with sausages and eggs, hash browns and pancakes.
"I wrote Sirius a letter and sent it to him this morning. I told him that he didn't need to worry about my scar and that he should stay where he is. I told him I imagined my scar hurting because I was half asleep and that I would be fine," Harry said briskly as he put marmalade on his toast.
"That was a lie, Harry," Hermione broke in. "You didn't imagine your scar hurting and you know it."
"So what? He's not going back to Azkaban because of me," Harry retorted. Hermione opened her mouth, but surprisingly, she was silenced by Ron.
"Drop it," he ordered. 'I suppose he's right, I should drop it' Hermione thought to herself. 'Arguing won't change what he's done and it won't help him either.'
"Well," Hermione sighed as she laid down her fork and knife after swallowing her last bite of sausage. "I'm off then."
"And where are you going? Not to work on that ruddy spe-" Hermione threw Ron a threatening glare that shut him up immediately as he bowed his head and picked at his food timidly.
"You can't be going to the library again," Harry said with disbelief.
"No, I'm not going to the library. I'm going to work on recruiting members for S.P.E.W.," Hermione answered promptly as she stood up to leave Gryffindor table. She was on her way up to Gryffindor Tower to get the badges when she rounded the corner and bumped into someone.
"Oh, hello, Hermione," Cedric Diggory said as he grabbed her by the arm to keep her from falling backwards from the force of running into him.
"Hello, Cedric," Hermione greeted as she went crimson from having ran into him like that. 'Nice one, Hermione' she thought sarcastically as she bowed her head.
"How's S.P.-... um-"
"E.W.?"
"Yeah. How's S.P.E.W. coming along?"
"Well, I've managed to get another two members – Ron and Harry – they're going to be the treasurer and secretary," Hermione informed shyly.
"I see. What about me? What can I be? Vice-President?"
"Oh, you can be that if you'd like," Hermione said hurriedly with a pleased smile as she nodded fervently.
"All right, then. I'll be sure to see if I can get some other members for you, but in the mean time, good luck." With that, Cedric side stepped her and continued on his way down the hall as Hermione watched him walk away. 'He's so adorable and kind... Cho's so luck, I wish he was my boyfriend' Hermione thought dreamily before realized just what she was thinking.
"Wait – what! I cannot like him. He's a sixth year Hufflepuff prefect and I'm a fourth year Gryffindor bookworm. He's a big no-no, Hermione," she told herself. "Besides, he'll never leave Miss Ravenclaw Seeker Beauty Queen Cho Chang for you anyways." It was then that Hermione realized that she had a bit of a disliking for Cho.