Eric discovered the next morning how quickly an offended member of the Ministry of Magic could act. At seven o'clock sharp a courier from the Ministry arrived:
From the Ministry of Magic comes these directives to Eric Sable of 97 Diagon Alley.
Be advised that the license allowing the use of magic in pursuit of your profession has
hereby been repealed due to recent events. This is the result of concerns that have arose
questioning your judgment and ability to exercise magical talents responsibly.
You have thirty days in which to file for an appeal, during which time you are banned
from the underage use of magic outside of acceptable and pre-defined limits.
Dolores Umbridge, special undersecretary to the Minister of Magic.
Willy was distraught. "Master Eric, she cannot do this, can she?"
Eric patted his friend on the shoulder. "She can and she has. There's little we can do about it."
Willy broke into sobs. "What is Master Eric to do? Without his magic, how can he keep working?"
Eric plopped by his friend's side. "By continuing to put out quality work – the hard way. It'll be a lot more difficult than it has been, though. If you want to go back to Hogwarts and wait out the summer, I'll understand."
"Master Eric! Willy would never leave you like this!" The small elf tightened his arms locked around Eric. "No matter the pain, no matter the cost – Willy is forever Eric's faithful servant!"
Eric patted the elf to calm him down, hesitating to mention that his ribs were being crushed. "All right, all right. No talk of anyone going anywhere. Let's have breakfast."