AN: Guess who's homeless? As I'm sure y'all know, I live in Texas which is being clobbered by a snowstorm. Well, a pipe burst in our place, the ceiling collapsed, and everything was destroyed. This is the second time we've lost everything, but that doesn't make it any less devastating.
EDIT: Some have been asking if there's anything they can do to help. If you are able, you can donate to my ko-fi the link of which is on my tumblr blog becausewhynotofficial. If you are unable to donate your well-wishes and thoughts are appreciated as well.
By order of the Ministry of Magic
Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Eight
Cedric read the decree several times. A small sliver of him was hoping that Professor McGonagall would have been instated as Head since she was the Deputy. But alas it was not to be. The only thing that gave him a sense of satisfaction was that according to the Fat Friar, Umbridge could not get back into the Headmaster's Office. The gargoyle simply refused to move for her no matter what she did. When he finally moved into the Great Hall for breakfast, he found the Weasleys and passed on Percy's gifts.
"How can he still work for the Minister after all this?" Ron growled.
"Fudge won't let him quit," Harry reminded him. "I can't believe that two Aurors heard him threaten your Mum's livelihood and still let him get away with it."
"I can," said Cedric.
"I know, Cedric."
"The government is corrupt."
"I know, Cedric."
He hadn't told Hermione yet what had happened. He only told her that the D.A. was compromised and that they couldn't meet in the Room of Things anymore. She responded with probing questions which he pointedly ignored. She then tried calling him, so he had stuffed his mirror under his pillow.
"How are you dealing with this, Ced?" George asked later on in between classes. "Honestly, I woulda thought you'd be on the first train out of here now that Umbitch is in charge."
"I did start packing," he admitted. "But I was asked to stay, so I am. I can make it a couple more months."
"Well, you're pretty tough, so I think you can make it."
"Thanks." Cedric rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"You alright, mate?" asked Fred.
"Just pre-full moon fatigue. It's tomorrow night, you know. I'll be fine."
"If you say so."
"Hey, Cedric?" Shaylyn Ramsey approached the boys. "You know that fifth year I've been working with? I think he's getting worse and I've run out of ideas on how to help."
The Fifth Year in question was none other than Draco Malfoy. Since his dad had been released from Azkaban last year, he'd fallen into a deep depression paired with anxiety and was, over all, working through some serious issues. The right thing would be to find a therapist and get him a group of friends who could help him sort out his conflicting ideas about how he was raised and what was in front of his nose before getting to the root of the problem. That despite being given everything his heart desired for the first thirteen years of his life, he had still been abused, emotionally stunted, and now that he was living his life like everyone else, he had no idea how to cope.
Of course, they couldn't find a therapist for him or even a guidance counselor. They'd have to work with him in other ways.
"I think we can brainstorm some ideas during break," said Cedric, glancing at his watch. "I'm concerned that Umbridge might use her authority to make us tell the names of all our problem students."
"I worry about that, too," she said.
"Oi, you lot!"
Montague strode over with a malicious gleam in his eye. Pinned to his robe was a silver 'I'. No doubt he was part of Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad and she had just bestowed them with powers even the prefects didn't get.
"Ramsey," he said.
"Touch her hijab and I'll make you regret it," Cedric snapped, seeing where his thoughts were going.
Shaylyn stepped away from Montague and her hand drifted to her wand. The boy smirked.
"If she wasn't in my own house, I'd dock points."
"Touch me and I'll dock you," she retorted.
"Who died and made you overlord of house points?" Fred scoffed.
"Nobody had to. Now, let's see, I think we oughta start with you Diggory. How many points should I take just for your existence? How about a thousand?"
"We don't have a thousand points, stupid," Cedric snapped. "And you can't go into the negatives because then that would imply a finite number of stones which would cap at a certain point if we lost too many and then gained them all back."
"Maybe I'll just issue a detention then."
"She didn't give you the ability to assign detentions yet. Do you get a gold star and a pat on the head when you snitch to her?"
Montague turned red in the face.
"I oughta teach you a lesson, wolf," he spat.
Cedric stared at him levelly, then twisted his arm behind him and steered him towards one of the disused classrooms. Fred and George followed making sure that Montague didn't break out of the hold. Still in the classroom was that cabinet with a duct tape 'X' marking it as damaged. It looked in even worse shape than last time. Like it had been dropped from a good height.
"I think you need a time out," Cedric hissed, shoving Montague into the cabinet and slamming the door. He looked back to the doorway at Shaylyn.
"So, Montague just went in there of his own accord because he heard Lucy was wanting to snog him there, yeah?" she said.
"Absolutely," said Cedric.
Shaylyn winked at him, clicking her tongue and Fred and George caught on.
"Anyway, about that troubled student. Let's go somewhere without prying ears."
Before dinner, Cedric found Professor Sprout in what was formerly Greenhouse One but was now the infamous carriage Hermione had so desperately wanted to go to a ball in. The place still functioned as a greenhouse, but rather than plants to study, it simply housed hybrid saplings. Professor Sprout was working to grow a special type of tree that would bloom with four different types of fruits, one for each season as a personal project. She had seven saplings each one working with an array of fruits from around the world. She had been inspired by the seven fruit tree Doña Claudia brought for Tu BiShvat.
"Hello, Cedric," she said cheerfully when she noticed him. "Come in, make yourself useful."
He picked up a pair of pruning shears and got to work removing rotting leaves.
"I'm trying to make myself useful, yet people still hate me," he said. Merlin, Morgana, and Gandalf, was this how Hermione felt all the time?
"Oh come now," she scoffed. "Nobody hates you, Cedric."
"I can see it in their eyes."
"Ah, yes, Minerva mentioned that you have a talent for legilimency," she said. "Nice boy like you learning a skill like that? I'm surprised."
"I didn't mean to learn it really," he replied. "I think it started as a defense mechanism actually. I never knew what mood Amos was going to be in, so I started focusing on reading peoples' emotions so I could act accordingly. And before I knew it, I was hearing their thoughts, too. Hermione? I hardly have to use the spell. We just click and my mind is the only one she can read even if she doesn't think so."
"Hm." Professor Sprout nodded. "You know, my mothers always taught me that the first thought you have is what you're conditioned to think and the second thought is your true feelings. Could it be that you are picking up that first, conditioned thought and shutting them out, subsequently missing the second thought that is reprimanding them for thinking such things?"
"I guess," he said. "It still hurts."
"There's no denying that."
"I didn't come here to talk about me, though," he said. "I came here to talk to you about Bailey Todd."
"I prefer students to speak about their problems directly to me."
"He's scared that if he does, he'll mess up how he tells you and you will just write him off," Cedric explained.
Professor Sprout nodded and set down her watering can. She sat down on a step stool and waved at him to go ahead.
"I've been working with Bailey," he said. "Helping him with assignments, talking to him, getting him to open up, and encouraging his interests. Last night, he opened up completely. He's being abused, Professor. His mother beats him, his father starves him and locks him away. They don't like that he's magic, but also use school to manipulate him and abuse him further. They've got him convinced that if he steps out of line, they'll pull him from school and find someone to take away his magic."
"It's impossible to take someone's magic," said Professor Sprout.
"People believe impossible things when they are scared and vulnerable," said Cedric. "Right now, he's clinging to the belief that as long as I'm around he can't be harmed. As I'm graduating this year, I need to expand his support system to more permanent residents. I know that with Umbridge in charge your authoritative powers will be restricted, but Bailey needs someone who will fight to keep him in school. I worry about what will happen if he's threatened with expulsion."
"Is he in immediate danger?"
"He showed me a letter from his parents that said if he gets in trouble one more time they're pulling him from school and taking his magic away." Cedric gave Professor Sprout the letter. "I'm going to see about removing him from his current situation when school ends. I bet Hermione's family would make an exception in their Girls' Home. The residents there get their own rooms anyway."
"I think it's a noble thing you're doing for this boy, Cedric."
"It's not noble, it's just common decency."
"And yet common decency is scarce," she said. "Always has been, I suppose."
"Professor, it's important we establish this soon. With things as they are, I don't know how much longer I'll be allowed to stay."
"I won't let you be expelled, Mr. Diggory," said Professor Sprout, squeezing his shoulder.
"Watch out for yourself first, Professor. Umbridge will take you standing up for a number of students, but not for me. There's a saying in the Muggle World: Put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others."
"Interesting quote, what does it mean?"
"Can't help anyone else if you're dead."
"Ah."
Cedric lowered his pruning shears and stared at a spider that wove a web between two small branches. It was tiny, no bigger than the tip of a pen. He wished his life were as simple as that spider's. Spin webs, eat, find a nice girl, she bites his head off killing him instantly. That's the right way to live. He wondered if it could actually see him or if he was just too large for it to comprehend.
"Umbridge is going to do her best to break me," he said. "She's going to go after every shred of dignity I have left. She's going to let people hurt me worse than they already are. If there weren't people here who needed me then I would have left last night. As it stands, Bailey, Harjot, Gracie, Winnifred, and a few others still look up to me despite what people tell them. I still have a small handful of friends. Tabatha, Fred, George, and Lee. I think Red still likes me, but he cares more about what others think of him."
"I think you're the best Head Boy this school has seen," said Professor Sprout sincerely. "You care so much."
"Umbridge is going to announce a new Head Boy at dinner. I didn't have to read her mind, I just know that's something she's wanted to do." Cedric carded his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I… I think I'm done caring about my image, Professor. I'm not saying I'll betray the trust of those that still look up to me, but I'm tired of being nice. All my life, I've never been myself or what everyone else wants just… someone in between. I'm tired of it."
His Head of House nodded. "I understand. A hundred points to Hufflepuff for your tenacity."
They would lose the points in twenty minutes anyway, but the gesture was nice.
Cedric left the shears on the trolley and climbed out of the carriage, the steps dipping under the weight of his boot. He wasn't anxious to go back inside but the sooner he did, the faster it would be over with.
The Great Hall was more crowded than usual. Nearly everyone was there for dinner. Mostly to talk about the new Educational Decree and what that would mean for them and their daily lives. Most would remain unaffected. They would wrongly assume that once all was said and done it really wasn't that bad and anyone who said otherwise was exaggerating. If only they realized it wasn't about them.
He sat down next to Bailey. The boy was staring at the food on his plate, but not doing much else except be lost in thought. Terrified about what was to come.
"I talked to Professor Sprout for you," Cedric murmured. "She's got your back."
Bailey smiled gratefully and took a bite of his dinner.
"Thanks, Ced."
"Of course. Also, it might seem like I'm going to stop caring about things from this point on. Please note, that I still care about you and Harjot and Gracie and Winnifred and, well, everyone really. Still, I'm going to be punished for minor offenses every day until I graduate, so I firmly believe the punishment should fit the crime."
"I like your thinking, Ced," said George, taking his seat. Fred and Lee sat across from them.
"We always knew where to draw the line before," said Fred. "But considering the circumstances… well, Hogwarts did give us permission didn't she?"
"She did," said Lee.
This was the first time they really referenced what Hermione had done in the Room of Things. It was just so unbelievable it almost seemed like a dream. Tabatha had asked Professor Flitwick if it was possible to merge consciousness with a building like Hogwarts, but he dismissed it as fairy tale, so it was kind of an unspoken rule that whatever the hell that was, it was best not to mention it. Cedric just knew Hermione hadn't always been the one in control.
"How did Hogwarts give you permission?" Bailey asked, confused.
"It's… complicated."
From her spot in the center of the teachers' table, Umbridge rose to her feet and tapped her goblet with her knife. Professor McGonagall's hand shot out and batted over her own goblet. Cedric had seen Belle use that move when she was annoyed with him.
"Hem hem!" she coughed and the Hall fell silent. It wasn't respectful silence, but the anxious kind where you dreaded what you were going to hear next. "I understand you all might have concerns about a change in authority so late in the term, but may I assure you that in these few remaining months we have together there will be some major changes that will certainly have lasting effects. Many of these changes will be placed on notices outside the Great Hall and in your Common Rooms so that you may see them and remember them. However, there is one change that I will be making right now in front of all of you."
Here it comes.
"I believe that your current Head Boy has been erroneously chosen," she said. "He does not exemplify what it means to be Head Boy as he has a certain disregard for rules and regulations. After careful consideration, I have elected Mr. Ormund Atwood of Ravenclaw to be your new Head Boy. He will take on duties as second-in-command of the Inquisitorial Squad while also managing the prefects. I believe Mr. Atwood will be a leader to you all and you would do best to follow in his-"
Crunch!
Umbridge snapped her head towards Cedric. He stared her down and stuffed another Pringle into his mouth, crunching down on it as loudly as he could, the red tube tucked under his arm.
"Mr. Diggory," she snipped. "It is quite rude to interrupt an announcement as important as this one. Particularly when it pertains to you and the removal of both your Head Boy and Prefect status."
"Once you pop," he replied, giving her a good view of the chewed food in his mouth.
Her eye twitched. "Please, give your badge to Mr. Atwood."
Atwood strode over to him with a smug grin plastered on his stupid face. Cedric unpinned his badge without fuss and pressed it into his nemesis' hand.
"They're your problem now!" he said, loud enough for everyone to hear, and cackled wildly.
The Ravenclaw's smug expression fell away to pure horror as the prefects that still respected Cedric got up and started chattering over each other about schedule changes, orders to restock their prefect bags, and questions about certain rules that had been voted and agreed upon and whether those will be overturned. Fred pulled out a match from behind his ear, struck it with his thumb nail, and winked at Atwood.
"Say," said George. "Isn't there a rule about boys and girls not being allowed within six inches of each other?"
"That was moved to eight," said Lee.
"But it is just boys and girls innit?"
Lee visibly lit up. "Hey! It is!"
They climbed up onto the table, George picked Lee up and dipped him, kissing him. Lee kicked his feet in the air as they snogged. This was particularly unexpected, but Cedric was glad they had talked about their feelings. Guess with Fred and George not particularly keen on staying in school much longer, George and Lee decided to come out on their own terms. Fred and Ron looked almost as shocked as Atwood by this turn of events, though Ginny looked utterly delighted.
"Wait a second!" said Alicia Spinnet, removing her boombox from her bag. "It's not study hours! TURN IT UP!"
While "Magic Dance" by David Bowie blasted, several other students took out boomboxes and Walkmans alike, turning them up full volume creating a cacophony of differing musical stylings. Still, the prefects crowded their new Head Boy, shouting questions and complaints. Cedric transfigured a clean plate into a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for Winnifred which she gratefully put on and whispered her thanks. The preset fireworks that Fred, George, and Lee had rigged up just before dinner set off just outside the Great Hall.
BOOM!
"Make them stop, Diggory!" Atwood cried above the din.
Cedric picked out a chunk of crisp from his tooth and sucked on his teeth to get the rest.
"Ooh, so sorry those duties fall to the Head Boy," he said with a wicked grin and looked at Umbridge who was just starting to realize that she had made a horrible mistake. "Teenagers can smell weakness from a mile away so make sure you establish yourself as the alpha before you lose any shred of respect they have for you."
"Too late," said Tabatha.
"Tabatha, helped me!"
"Mm, can't," she replied. "I'm eating."
Cedric strolled to the Great Hall doors and flung them open. With a loud "wheeee!" sparkling pink and green pinwheels rocketed into the Hall, burning brighter with an audience watching. The place erupted into pandemonium. The rest of the castle was not much better off. There were yellow crackles in the crannies and neon jellyfish in the nooks. Sparklers wrote swear words that would give the first years fodder for days and colorful crossettes burst out of windows no doubt outshining the stars with their brightness. The noise was deafening. It was music to Cedric's ears.
He was giddy. This wasn't his problem and Umbridge was going to be busy trying to get rid of these fireworks which meant that he could get a good night's sleep tonight so he could prepare for the full moon tomorrow.
Even as he readied for bed in his dorm, he could hear the fireworks growing and spreading. Getting louder and multiplying. He stretched out on his bed and removed his mirror from under his pillow.
"Show me Hermione," he said.
The image shifted and he saw a ceiling painted in beautiful designs and the din of the lunch crowd. The face of a pretty girl who was not Hermione appeared. She had sleek, dark hair, striking eyes, and a very wide mouth. What was her name again? Márcia. That's right.
"Nia," she said. "There's a cute boy in your mirror."
With a happy squeak, Hermione picked up her mirror and quickly wiped her face with her napkin. Her braids were gone and her hair was back to curly, though she had kept it that lovely shade of Caribbean blue.
"Hola, Farm Boy," she said cheerfully. "When you weren't responding… I was worried. Is everything okay? You look like you're in a good mood."
"My Head Boy status was revoked and given to Atwood."
Her face fell. "Cedric, that's awful!"
"Yeah, it is," he agreed.
"Then why are you so happy?"
"Because Fred and George decided that they're not going to waste anymore time at school," he said. "And they let off their entire stock of fireworks which is going to take Umbridge a good few days to completely remove, especially since she banned teachers from doing anything outside of their own subject. And everyone who owns a boombox is blasting their favorite song."
"Sounds like chaos," she said. "I guess I can see why you're happy."
"It's not like my Head Boy status is going to matter anymore anyway," he continued. "I've got my job lined up already and the main students I'm helping aren't going to stop coming to me for help just because I'm missing a little piece of tin."
"True." She smiled at him. "How many days until I get to kiss you again?"
"Eighty-seven," he said. "It will pass by in a blur."
"Cedric and Nia sitting in a tree," her cousins began to sing. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."
"Could you go be mushy somewhere else?" someone asked.
"Is this coffee bitter?" Hermione asked, taking a sip from a paper cup. "No… must be you."
"Any plans for the upcoming holiday?" Cedric asked, wanting her attention again.
"Big plans," she said. "We get two weeks so I'm going to be spending it with some of my S.A.M.B. members. Visiting their communities and such."
"My family is one of them," said Márcia.
"Well, that sounds like an amazing opportunity."
"It is! I'm really excited about it." Her eyes lit up. "What if you came, too? Met all my friends?"
All her friends. Right…
"Eh, I don't know," he said. "I don't think I can get a portkey by next week and plane tickets are so expensive. Besides, I don't want to distract you."
Her expression wavered and he felt like a jackass. "Cedric… if your life is in danger… you will run won't you?"
She cared about him so much. He nodded and rolled onto his side.
"Of course," he said. "Say… when you were in that Vulcan mind meld thing with Hogwarts did you see a timer for when the Defense position curse would take effect?"
She shook her head. "When a curse is new, the dates are exact, but the longer it manifests and grows the more difficult it can be to pinpoint the exact dates. The Sanchez Curse was five hundred years old which is why our bad luck can happen on any day during the month we were conceived. Harry's curse is fourteen years old which is why he has particularly bad luck on Halloween. The Defense Curse is about fifty years old but it's tied with… well… it's unpredictable so the Defense teacher can be affected at any time, though it often seems to happen around finals. There's only a handful of cases where they're removed sooner."
"Damn." He itched to fiddle with something with his free hand and pain settled into his phantom limb. "I hope it doesn't wait until the last day of term. With my luck it will."
Hermione chewed on her bottom lip. He knew she was considering storming the castle herself. Instead of starting up the argument, she moved on to a new topic.
"I've been learning how to manipulate wards," she said. "Shall I tell you about it while I finish my lunch?"
"Actually… I should get some rest," he said.
"Oh. Right. Yes. I'll tell you about it some other time then."
~o0o~
Out of habit, Cedric woke up early. His entire body ached heralding his upcoming transformation that night. Still, he forced himself out of bed and dressed in his normal robes. He would have liked to go with a skirt, but he didn't want to push anything until he had seen what new Educational Decrees were up. He just wouldn't have the energy to come back down and change was all. He plaited his hair and went up to the Great Hall. The fireworks had mostly been pushed to outside giving a person who was lost in thought the idea that there would be a thunderstorm today.
Perhaps there would be. He wasn't a weatherman.
When he entered the Great Hall it was empty.
Not just of people. None of the tables were set up with hot plates of eggs, bangers, and mash like they normally would. No jugs of juice. No bowls of fruit. The only trace of food were the dirty remnants of last night's dinner. Crumbs and spills.
Odd.
Blinking away the last bit of sleep, Cedric looked at his watch. Had he gotten up too early? No. It was nearly six-thirty. The teachers would be coming down for breakfast any moment.
"Is this some sort of prank?" a slow voice drawled.
Cedric looked over his shoulder at Professor Snape.
"Believe me, sir," he said. "The last thing I want to do is get between you and your coffee."
Snape curled his lip at him and moved on to get to the teacher's table. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick arrived next and had similar questions. Again, Cedric had no answer. Students had begun to arrive as well and still no breakfast.
"Good morning, Cedrichard," said Luna, skipping into the Great Hall.
"Hullo, Looney Tune," he replied. "Any idea what's going on here? There's no breakfast."
"None at all," she said. "Though I had noticed that my dorm room was messy when I woke up."
His was too, now that he thought about it. He tried to keep it clean himself, but he always woke up to his laundry folded and his papers organized.
CRACK!
Hundreds of squeaky voices layered on top of one another.
"Two, four, six, eight, freedom now or no clean plates!"
Was that? Cedric hurried into the Entrance Hall to see every single house-elf in Hogwarts gathered. He never realized how many there were. Some were banging pots and pans, others had slogans like "Freedom!" and "Clothes Now!" and "Elves on Strike!" painted on old sheets, and a great many were wearing hats, mismatched socks, and left shoes that must've made their way into the lost and found over the years. Half of the elves were waving around S.A.M.B. pamphlets and each elf was wearing a S.A.M.B. button no doubt rescued from the rubbish bins they'd been disposed in last year. Meenie was standing on a soap box, holding a scroll, a determined expression on her face.
"Whoa…" he whispered and looked at Luna.
She stepped into the throng and helped an elf hold up a sign.
"What's going on here?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Well, it looks like the house-elves are demanding freedom," said Cedric. "Hermione is going to be so happy."
He did a double-take and realized that there was one elf standing near Meenie whom he knew very well. She was wearing a white blouse with a sash and a colorful skirt. She even wore a pair of earrings.
"Tavi!" he cried happily.
His old nanny lit up and moved through the crowd to greet him.
"Cedric!" she squealed and hugged him tightly.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Meenie has written to Tavi," she said. "Asking about Miss Hermione and S.A.M.B. They know you had freed me and wanted to know what it was like when it wasn't from cruelty like Dobby and Winky! I have told them all about other house-elves, sir. How their lives are different from ours here in Britain! I thought I should show them how I am faring myself. And Tavi has met her cousins Rikki and Tikki! And…" she dropped her voice — "Cedric's picture on the family clock has moved to danger. Tavi has come to take you home."
Feeling his heart swell, Cedric hugged her.
"I can't leave," he said. "Not yet. There's someone here who needs my help."
"Then Tavi will rescue them, too."
"No, if we don't handle this properly then he could be hurt."
Tavi pursed her lips and nodded, cradling his head to her chest. "Cedric is too precious for this world!"
He nearly laughed at the remark.
"What is the meaning of this?" an icy voice demanded.
Umbridge, flanked by her Inquisitorial Squad, was standing rigidly in front of the striking elves. Meenie cleared her throat and unfurled her scroll.
"We the house-elves of Hogwarts are going on strike," she declared. "We are having a list of demands! If these demands are not met, we will continue to strike and we will bring Miss Hermione Granger in to back our cause!"
Umbridge turned as pink as her hat at the mention of Hermione's name and the thought she had terrified Cedric more than anything he had ever experienced in the labyrinth.
"You are nothing but slaves," she spat. "Get back to work. That's an order!"
Some of the elves, particularly the older ones, wavered.
"She is only headmistress if you recognize her as headmistress!" Tavi shouted.
This hardened their resolve, though one creaky elf popped in and out, uncertain as to what he should do.
"We elves serve Hogwarts!" said Meenie. "We are her caretakers and we care for the children!"
Huh… this sounded a lot like what Hogwarts said. Do the elves speak to her?
"You will obey me!" Umbridge ground out between clenched teeth. "I will have order. Or perhaps I should free you all now and send you to the street!"
"FREEDOM!" several elves cried. "No justice, no eats!"
"Go ahead and free us with intent to fire us!" Meenie roared back, though she shook. She had been conditioned and bred to believe freedom was bad and wrong. Cedric was proud of all these elves for going against centuries of conditioning. "We can find work in other countries, but you will have a most difficult time finding good workers to cook your meals and clean your quarters for more than what we are asking for and their pride in their work will be half ours. Believe me, Miss Umbridge, some of your personal stains require pounding with a rock."
The witch's delightful shade of salmon deepened to resemble a tomato.
"Tell us your demands!" said Luna.
"No!" Umbridge shrieked.
"We elves demand holidays!" said Meenie. "We want one day off a week! We want a payment of one galleon a week per elf! Even our younglings who cannot work yet shall receive pay which will go into savings. We want the right to have bank accounts to store our pay in! We no longer want communal quarters beneath the castle. We want to build our own homes in Hogsmeade and be allowed to use the shops there! We want full responsibility for growing food and gardening elves shall receive extra pay of ten sickles!"
The more Meenie read, the angrier Umbridge got. Frankly, it all sounded fair to Cedric. Looking at the other teachers he saw Professor McGonagall thought of it as fair as well.
It was a big jump from Hermione's starting point and it was wonderful to see.
"Pardon me," said Professor McGonagall. "What exactly does this strike entail?"
"We will not allow the children to go hungry," said Meenie truthfully. "We will be serving them meals starting at lunch. However, until our demands are met we will not work! No late night snacks, no laundry, and no clean toilets! Your Mr. Filch is not as good at cleaning as he believes. He should stick to keeping the paintings."
Filch spluttered indignantly while several elves complained of his cleaning skills.
Tavi looked at her watch. "I must be getting home. My portkey leaves very soon."
"I understand," he said and hugged her again. "I'll see you this summer."
She nodded and turned back to the elves. "Remember my friends, stay strong!"
They cheered and she disappeared. Cedric stood up.
"Well, I think I'll go down to the kitchens to make a spot of breakfast," he said. "Anyone with blood sugar problems is welcome to come with me. I make a pretty good fruit salad. The secret is to mix it with warmed apricot preserves."
"I won't eat anything made by a filthy werewolf," Aiden sneered.
"I'm not making it for you," Cedric snapped. "God, you're presumptive."
"I'll help you make something," said Tabatha. "Mum taught me how to magically make challah. I can whip it up in about ten minutes."
"Brilliant."
While Umbridge was in a stand-off with Meenie, Cedric led a small group to the kitchens. The Kitchen itself was spick-and-span.
"Remember everyone," he said. "Leave it like you found it."