Chapter 10

The Quills and Quotes shop was deserted when Hermione dragged Morganna, Harry and Ron in nearly a month after her first detention. There was a slight jingle to her walk, but she managed to sneak behind Harry and stop Ron trying to escape before the job was done.

"Hermione!" Ron whined as they entered the cool shop, little dust moats floating around in the beams of sunshine that filtered in through the crowded streets of Hogsmead. Students were enjoying the first week of October, and the ensuing Hogsmead visit. "Why in the world are we here again? I swear, Harry and I have way more important things to do than follow you around all day. There's a round of butterbeer, then a nice jaunt to the joke shop, then back again for another butterbeer, before heading to the candy store, and then back again for more butterbeer. Did I happen to mention that we should be having a butterbeer right now? But noooooooo, you think we need to be buying a few quills—"

"Ron!" Cried Morganna, rounding on him. "Will you please just shut up! I don't want to be here anymore than you do, but Hermione asked us to come, and we're going to help her out. Now shut up and stand there looking as sexy as I know you know how!" Turning Morganna offered her a quick wink and a roll of her eyes as Ron turned to look around, stunned that Morganna—possibly the sexiest girl in school—had just suggest that he might be…'sexy'. Hermione fought hard not to laugh when Harry too rolled his eyes at Ron before turning to look at a display of expensive eagle quills.

"What exactly are we looking for, Hermione? You've been so secretive about this whole thing." Harry turned to look at her, one hand clutching a white eagle quill he was inspecting.

She had been rather secretive lately. But in reality, between their new grueling schedule to get ready for the O.W.L.s, tutoring Morganna, detention every Saturday with Snape, and her Prefect duties, she was hard pressed to find time to do anything, let alone explain her master plan.

Smiling, Hermione turned to gift Harry with a smile. "You'll see Harry. Honestly, I think you're going to agree that this is a brilliant plan. I've been working on it for the last month and I'm sure you'll think just as highly about it as I—"

"Hermione, not getting any younger here!" Sighed Morganna as she leaned her head against Harry's stunned shoulder. Harry straightened just a little. "Just tell us the plan so we can go do some shopping. I'm not wasting my first Hogsmead visit in ages, just so you can—"

Harry turned to her, "You've been to Hogsmead before?" He asked, a little stunned.

Ron cut off her reply. "Harry, what did you think, only Hogwarts' students got to go to Hogsmead? My family's been coming since before I was born. All wizarding families come here, it's like, like, like a tourist spot or something!" He ended lamely looking a little exasperated.

Blushing a little, Harry said, "Oh." And then turned back to examine the quill. Morganna glared at Ron and then sidled up to Harry, asking him why he liked that quill over the others.

Turning, Hermione went up and down the three isles, looking for a durable, smaller than average, quill, preferably cheap. With a great sigh and a look of disgust at the goggly eyes Harry was making towards Morganna, Ron turned and followed Hermione. Occasionally, Ron would pick up a quill and present it for inspection, and after three rejections, asked what Hermione was looking for. With the schematics known, Ron found the brand his mother had purchased when Ginny was still learning how to write in primary school. Testing it, Hermione found it to be exactly what she was looking for. With a nod of thanks to Ron, she approached the counter and the middle-aged man.

He had a quiet but happy smile for her and Ron as they approached. "Find what you were looking for, Miss?" He asked, indicating the quill she laid on the counter.

"Yes, thank you, this one will work just fine." She turned to glance at Ron briefly, hearing Morganna and Harry approach her from behind. "I was wondering, how many more of these do you have in stock?"

The man gave her a skeptical look before shrugging his shoulders good naturedly. "Well, I'm not quite sure to be honest. How many do you need exactly?"

This was the moment of truth. Taking a deep breath, Hermione ignored Ron and looked directly at the man before her. "Actually, I need one hundred and thirty-eight of them." At the man's stunned expression, she hastened to add, "Please?"

"Have you gone mental! What'd'ya need all those quills for? Even you can't break that many in one year." Demanded Ron, sounding extremely disgruntled.

Already defensive, Hermione rounded on him. "It's none of your business, Ron. Even if I told you, you'd only make fun of me, and I've thought about this too much to let you stop me now. All, I'm asking is that you help me carry them back to the castle later today, alright, so just, just, don't ask!" Huffing, she turned back to the man and glared at him, daring him to say anything; but for his part, he just stood there, looking stunned.

Morganna moved away from Harry then. "Um, would you excuse us for just a minute?" She asked, grabbing a hold of Hermione's arm and dragging her a few feet away from the counter. "What exactly is going on, and don't give me a line like you just gave Ron."

Sighing, Hermione looked up at her friend and saw true sincerity in her eyes. She and Morganna were now closer than ever, having spent at least an hour a day together during tutoring sessions, and another hour doing regular homework together. On Sundays, the two of them usually tried to have a little fun by the lake while it was still nice, but had taken to gossiping around the fireplace in Gryffindor tower now that the weather was turning cooler. Morganna was slowly turning her into a regular teenager, concerned with hair and make-up, boys and fashion. Likewise Hermione's studious nature was having at least some effect on Morganna; she was at least skimming her chapters rather than all out refusing to read them.

In all, their friendship was strong, and while they didn't agree on all points, Hermione knew Morganna wouldn't raze her as bad as Ron would when he found out. "I'm buying quills for the house elves. I'm going to teach them how to write and read." She paused watching for Morganna to laugh at her; when she didn't, Hermione pressed on. "And, next semester, I'm going to teach them how to paint. Professor Dumbledore gave me permission to take the house elves for an hour a week for lessons."

Morganna's expression was blank for a moment, then, "Um, ok, let me get this straight. You're going to teach the house elves how to read and write, then teach them how to paint." Hermione nodded. "And you're going to do this why?" She asked, now sounding very skeptical.

Hermione looked down at the quill she was still holding, thinking back to the conversation she'd had with Snape a month ago. "Because I realized…I can't force elves to be free, I have to show them that there's something worth being free for. I have to show them there are things out there worth doing besides cooking and cleaning. I have to, Morganna, I just…it's just something I have to do. Can you understand?"

Morganna looked back at Ron and Harry who where trying to appear nonchalant as they struggled to hear what Hermione was saying. Finally, she looked back at Hermione. "Well, I guess…well, I guess it's kind of like how I have to be the first to buy the new Bebe line before anyone else can get their grubby little pop icon hands on them and ruin the look with their trashy selves. Please note I did not name any names in that sentence—Brittney Spears!" She coughed a little towards the end to try to cover up the blond bimbo's name. "Anyway, I get it, it's just something you have to do, I'm kewl with that. Ok, let's get those quills and get our strong, capable boys to carry them home for us. Oh! One sec., why are you waiting to buy the paintbrushes?"

Hardly able to believe her ears Hermione rushed forward. "My dad gave me some extra spending money since tuition was paid for by Hogwarts this year. Anyway, I've only got enough for the quills right now, but I'm going to ask for more over Christmas so I can buy the brushes and the paint for next semester. As it is, Professor Dumbledore said he'd raid the supplies and get the ink and parchment I'll need; because, let's face it, the house elves are going to take a while to get the hang of it, now won't they?"

She wasn't ready when Morganna laughed in her face. Wasn't ready when her dark haired best friend dragged her back to the counter, and wasn't at all ready when she pulled out her own purse and dropped it on the counter.

Morganna smiled once each at her, Harry and Ron before turning back to the man behind the counter. "Mr. Rizon, my best friend Hermione is taking it upon herself to teach the house elves at Hogwarts how to read and write, and how to paint. As she's going to come up a little short in the paintbrush department, I'm offering to supply her with the additional funds she'll need, provided—" and at this she turned to look at Hermione, "I get to teach them how to sing and dance. Now, if we're all in agreement?" Hermione could do nothing but nod her head. "Good, then we'll take however many of these quills, and ten extra in case they break, and the same number of paintbrushes." Morganna turned back to smile at Hermione. "Well? You better go get the brush you want so Mr. Rizon can see if they have enough in—whoa, ok, now, alright, uh, Mione, I can't breath already."

Hermione had Morganna in a death grip around the neck, hugging her so tightly she thought she'd never let go. Fighting back tears, she couldn't believe that Morganna was doing this, or that she seemed to want to help. But mostly, it was that she hadn't made fun of her, hadn't insisted that house elves were supposed to be treated like domesticated dogs.

"Thank you, Morganna, oh thank you so much!"

The dark haired girl laughed. "No problem, girl, I think it's a great idea! I mean, those poor little creatures deserve to be treated like everyone else, and if you think teaching them how to read, write, paint, and sing will work, then I'm all for it! I think only uncivilized wizards are so insecure with their own magical abilities to enslave those cute little guys to clean their sheets for them, I mean come on!" And with that statement, Morganna turned and gave a very pointed glare at both Ron and Harry, daring them to say anything—anything—against her on this point. Both boys remained silent, and Harry even smiled a bit to placate the starlet.

Hermione couldn't help but smile. Taking Morganna's hand, she squeezed it before dragging her back down the last isle to find a suitable paintbrush.

After finding what she was looking for, and getting approval of the handle's color from Morganna, Hermione went back up to the counter and gave it to Mr. Rizon who smiled kindly to her before taking both the brush and the quill into the back to see if he could find the required number.

In the silence, Ron cleared his throat, and Hermione prepared herself for whatever was coming next. "Um, Harry and I were wondering, that is, I mean you can't hope to do this all on your own you know, there're way too many of those things." He held up his hands in surrender when she glared at him for the world 'things'. "The point is, Harry and I want to know what you…I mean…"

Harry sighed. "What can we do to help, Hermione? Ron and I aren't too good at drawing, but we can sure read ourselves, how hard could it be to teach someone else?" He shrugged and then offered her a smile that went all the way to his green eyes.

Once again stunned, Hermione gaped at him. "Are you serious?"

When Ron went to shake his head 'no', Harry elbowed him. "Yeah," sighed a defeated Ron, "we're serious. But I'm not wearing a bloody name badge, you got that? I'm not wearing anything that says spew on it!"

And Hermione, giddy with joy, didn't have the heart to tell him it was S.P.E.W.

Ten minutes later, Mr. Rizon was just boxing up the quills and brushes. "Since you ordered so many, I thew in a few extra, you've got 150 each, that should get your lot threw the early lessons of quill holding, at least if they're careful." He smiled secretively at Hermione. "Now, I couldn't help but overhear that you'll be getting ink and parchment from Dumbledore." Hermione nodded. "Well then, now you've got the brushes, but haven't got the paint."

"Oh, no." She hadn't thought about that at all. Ink was one thing, but paint, in all those colors, and in the quantity they'd need to teach an elf's first art class, it was way more than she could expect from either Dumbledore or Morganna. "Well…I guess we'll get the paint when we can—"

"Don't be silly." Said Morganna, reaching into her robes for her money pouch again. "Hermione, if you need it, we'll just get it."

"No, Morganna, you've done too much already. I'll never be able to pay you back for the brushes."

Morganna looked slightly insulted. "Pay me back? Who said anything about paying me back? I know I didn't. Hermione, I've got more money than I know what to do with—well, I mean, I know what to do with it, buy all the clothes on the Paris fashion circuit, but honestly, I'd never have time to wear them all before they went out of style, now would I? The point is, if I can't spend money on a good cause, then I'm just going to spend it on myself, and that's kind of a no-no, for those in the public eye, I mean look at Paris and Nikki Hilton?"

But Hermione shook her head. "Really, Morganna, between your singing lessons, and the reading and writing, it's probably better to wait for the painting."

But Harry jumped in. "No, Hermione, maybe it's better to let the house elves choose what they'd like better, painting or singing. Here," he reached into his pocket and pulled out his own purse. "I've got ten galleons, I'll give you half of them—no, here, just take seven, that'll leave me enough to buy a few things at Zonko's and get a butterbeer."

"Oh, oh Harry." She was speechless, just staring at Morganna and Harry like they were the two most giving, wonderful people in the whole world.

And it seems it was a look Ron wanted bestowed upon himself as well. He reached into his robes and extracted his own purse. "It won't help as much as seven galleons or whatever Morganna gave you, but you can have the money I was going to spend on butterbeer." He smiled at Harry. "Besides, this idiot owes me a few anyway since he bet me on our last three games of chess."

She knew the tears were swimming in her eyes, and with a great leap she crushed Ron in a gigantic bear hug before releasing him to kiss him on the cheek; then repeated the same thing with Harry, ending with an extra long hug for Morganna.

With a laugh, all four of them pooled their money onto the counter before stepping back and smiling at each other. However, Mr. Rizon made no move to count the money, only continued looking at them all and smiling that secretive smile.

After nearly half a minute, Hermione's smile began to dim as she waited for the man to count the money. "Um, sir, I don't know how much the quills and brushes are going to cost, could you tally it all up and then tell us how much we have to buy paint with?"

With that continued smile, the man began sorting through the coins. His voice was light as he spoke, the smile still present in his timber. "As I was going to say, Miss, it would seem to me that this is an excellent way to get our name out to the newly educated house elf population. So, if you don't mind, I think Quills and Quotes would like to donate two cans of every color of "The Movement of Color" line of paint; that is, if you think the elves could use it?" And he smiled even brighter as Hermione leaned over the counter and gifted him with his own hug and chaste kiss.

After a few shrinking charms, and a happy round of butterbeers, the four friends met up with Neville and started back up the path to Hogwarts.

They decided that it should be Harry who entered the kitchens first. He walked in followed closely by Hermione, Ron and Morganna. Together they smiled and laughed, joked and talked with Dobby and the others, who were most excited to see them again, inquiring over and over if they'd like a cuppa, or some sugar cookies. Ron accepted both, a little put out about having lost the chance at his second, third and forth butterbeer, but he was more excited when Morganna asked if Hogwarts stocked any and was rewarded with four bottles.

Harry learned that Dobby had taken his first vacation, an event that lasted only one day, but included a wonderful trip to Sock World, a lovely store where he'd managed to acquire three new pairs of horribly striped orange and purple socks. Harry listened, while Morganna sat beside him on the bench, listening intently to every word he said, while Ron tried to weasel another few bottles to take back with him.

Hermione smiled kindly to Winky who was seated by the fire, and occasionally she found the little elf listening to them, paying close attention to Morganna. The other house elves piped in with a few uncharacteristic words of their own, and Hermione was delighted to hear them talk with earnest, even if it was about polishing the silver with Madam Wilkins Buff'n'Gone cloths. For Hermione, hearing the elves talk about anything that they found interesting or enjoyable was a start. She knew she'd need to find things they could relate too, things they'd want to learn about, otherwise they'd resist learning, even if Dumbledore insisted.

She wasn't surprised, when, an hour into their visit, Dumbledore meandered into the kitchens looking as if he hadn't expected to walk in at all. "Well, I dare say, this is quite a surprise. I was headed for the library, and I must have taken a wrong turn at the five armored men; you'd think by now I'd know that the man on the fourth corridor likes to wander the hallways in October."

The house elves rushed to give him anything he needed, and even pushed a few crumpets on him. Dumbledore never asked how they'd managed to find the kitchens, in fact, he was most careful not to ask. As the time wore on, even Winky joined them and nearly three hours after they'd arrived, Dumbledore cleared his throat, and Hermione knew it was now or never.

"My dear elves, I would first like to tell you once again, how delighted I am at your continuing success in making Hogwarts the most beautiful it's been since the Sishiba disaster of 1649. It never ceases to amaze me how brilliant the armor can shine, or how wonderful the food can taste. As such, I have tried repeatedly to get all of you to take some time off, to enjoy the fruits of your labor." The room around them, once beaming with pride at the praise, was now stone quiet, as if waiting on pins and needles for what was to come.

"As most of you know, Miss Granger has long advocated on behalf of house elf wellbeing, using an organization called S.P.E.W. I have it on good authority that Dobby has informed you all of its aims." A few of the house elves nodded, most remained stone-faced. Dumbledore continued, "Well, Miss Granger would like for me to inform you all that S.P.E.W. is now disbanded." Some of the elves smiled and Winky gave a whoop of joy that irritated Hermione just a tad. "However," Dumbledore smiled, "In its place, Hermione has asked that we try a new approach, and I've agreed.

"From this day forward, every Sunday, house elves will be required to take an hour long course on reading and writing. An idea which I wish very much I'd come up with myself." And with a wink, Dumbledore turned his charming smile back onto Hermione and the others.

Clearing her throat, Hermione thought carefully about her next words, as the apprehension on the faces of the house elves continued to grow darker. "Well, as the Headmaster said, each of the Hogwarts' house elves will be given reading and writing lessons, courtesy of myself, Harry, Ron, and Morganna--"

"Whoa! Wait a minute, Mione, you didn't say anything about me needing to teach reading and writing." Said Morganna, her face a mask of displeasure.

Hermione quickly compensated. "Oh, right, right, Morganna will be teaching you all…um, art and music."

"Totally!" Announced the pop princess. "I'm going to teach you how to sing like a rock star, and dance like Madonna. You'll all totally kick butt when I'm done with you." A twinkle appeared in her eye as she stood up from her seat; the elves around her following her every move. "I'll teach you to hit high notes during the chorus, and get your freak on hott enough to steam up the entire castle. Just you wait, you'll all be Mandy Moores and Brittany Spears'…only, without the drama, bad videos, and ex-boyfriends."

Hermione cut her off. "What Morganna is trying to say, is that each of you will get a chance to choose whether you'd like to learn to paint, or sing and dance. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

If the room could have been more silent, they would have been able to hear the dead. Even Dobby was silent as he stared--large goggle eyes fixed on Hermione and her outlandish proposition.

In the back, some of the elves started to shake their heads slowly, not wanting to appear disrespectful to Dumbledore, but unable to hold back their opposition. As Hermione watched, her heart began to plummet. This was a good idea, they just needed to give it a chance.

Then, from one of the darker corners, Nata appeared carrying a charred stick from the hearth. She walked slowly over to Hermione, offered Morganna a full smile, and then presented the stick to Hermione. "I's be wantin' to learn Miss Hermione. I's been wantin' to learn fer a long, long time."

Suddenly, Dobby stood as well. "I's want to be learning too, Miss Hermione. Dobby is very excited to begin his lessons." And he sat happily next to Nata, who blushed a neon pink that had Ron choking on his swig of butterbeer.

"That's the spirit." Proclaimed Dumbledore as he stood. "Miss Granger, I'll be most eager to get a progress report from you in a month's time." Then he smiled at the children and bid them goodnight before exiting the kitchens.

Hermione expected the elves to raise a fit then, but to her great surprise, others approached Dobby and Nata, sitting on the stone floor. Their large eyes stared at her and the others before they began whispering back and forth in a language Hermione did not know.

To his great credit, Ron broke the tension. "So…um, can I get another butterbeer?"