Goblins & Elves

Dewey, Mercy, and Sung-Hee were brought to a smoking crater in the middle of the dungeons. There were a couple of ladders propped against its edges, and as they watched, several goblins climbed down, with sacks slung over their shoulders.

Dewey gaped, then he closed his mouth, and glanced at Bagrim, who merely smirked. They still had goblins poking them in the back with spears and swords, but Dewey was trying to keep himself between Bagrim and the girls. “For all the good it will do,” he thought bitterly.

“Wizards don't just underestimate goblins,” said Bagrim. “They underestimate Muggles too.” He patted the pistol at his side. “Muggles make many interesting and useful things.”

The Hufflepuffs all turned a little paler, and said nothing.

Bagrim spoke to the other goblins in Gobbledegook. The conversation went on for a little while. Dewey had no idea what they were discussing, or why they were waiting. He shivered, hoping they weren't trying to decide whether they needed all three of the remaining Hufflepuffs. He gripped Mercy's hand tightly, while Sung-Hee held her other hand.

Bagrim pointed to the ladder, and said to Dewey, “Down. Do anything foolish, and —” He made a slashing gesture across his throat and grinned.

“Yes,” said Dewey. “I understand.” He squeezed Mercy's hand one more time, then released it and walked to the edge of the pit. The ladders went down about ten feet, to a tunnel below.

Dewey was amazed at the tunnel running underneath Hogwarts. He wondered how the goblins had made it, and how long it had been there, but Bagrim glowered impatiently, so he grabbed the ladder and set his feet on its rungs, and descended quickly, to join more goblins at the bottom. He looked up, and waited nervously as Mercy and Sung-Hee came down the ladder.

Bagrim and his companions followed, and then the goblins jerked the three children roughly around, and tied all their hands behind their backs. Then they were made to stand there silently and wait some more. After perhaps ten or fifteen minutes, they heard more movement above, and a familiar sniffling sound. Dewey was surprised to see Chloe Grey being made to descend the ladder. He was even more surprised when she reached the bottom and turned, and he saw that she was clutching the Sorting Hat to her chest.

The Gryffindor girl stared at him fearfully, but said nothing — they were still surrounded by goblins pointing spears and swords at them. She looked so frightened, he doubted she'd have been able to give him a coherent explanation even if he did want to ask her about it in front of the goblins.

Bagrim spoke again in Gobbledegook to one of the other goblins who'd followed Chloe down. He snatched the Sorting Hat away while her hands were tied. Dewey almost gasped out loud, when he recognized the leader of the goblins.

Slipfang glanced at Dewey, and chuckled. “Ah, one of the four brave ones.”

Dewey narrowed his eyes, but held his tongue. He had already seen what could happen when you needlessly antagonized goblins. “No one else dies,” he swore fervently to himself.

Slipfang held up the Sorting Hat, with a disdainful look. “If you've got the mind of your creators,” he said, “then you must have some concern for wizarding children.” He put it on Chloe's head. “She'll die first, if you don't talk. I'll kill her while you're on her head. Go ahead and cry, girl. Give it a hatful of your fear.”

Chloe made a small sound in the back of her throat, but she didn't cry, unlike Mercy and Sung-Hee. Dewey swallowed and prayed. The hat sat limply on Chloe's head, and said nothing.

Bagrim pointed and said, “Forward.”

The tunnel stretched off into the darkness as far as Dewey could see. It was lit by glowing blue and white sticks of some kind, lying on the ground. Dewey had never seen magical lights like this, but they illuminated their path and cast silent shadows against the walls of the tunnel, as the four children marched forward into the dark unknown, prodded ahead by their captors.

Nagaeena was still whimpering, as they stood in the Slytherin common room. Violet wanted to tell her to shut up, but if she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that she was very close to whimpering herself. The goblin with the spear seemed to rather enjoy poking her with it, and it was really starting to hurt.

The goblins had brought her and Stephen and Nagaeena to the secret door in the dungeons, and made Stephen open it. Now, two of the goblins were going through the dorms, smashing doors open and making quite a mess in the Slytherins' bedrooms, by the sound of it, while two other goblins guarded the three first-years.

In contrast to Nagaeena, Stephen was tight-lipped and quiet. His face was pale and the fear in his eyes was obvious, but at least he was keeping his mouth shut.

One of the goblins smashed open the cabinet in the common room with a spiked mace, and picked up the silver snake sculpture that Ophilia had used for “Slytherin's Choice.”

“Worthless,” he sneered, and tossed it aside. He looked in the little bag where Ophilia had placed all the gemstones, took a few out to examine them, and tossed them aside as well. “Where are the goblin treasures you Slytherins are so fond of hoarding?” Annoyed, he swung his mace at the bust of Salazar Slytherin, smashing it to pieces.

Violet didn't know anything about goblin treasures. She doubted Stephen or Nagaeena did either. She was very surprised, then, when Stephen said, “If we tell you, will you let us go?”

Violet and Nagaeena stared at him in shock. The goblin with the mace grinned nastily and approached him.

“No, boy. But if you tell us, you can choose which girl gets to live.” The goblin with the spear jabbed Violet again, and this time she couldn't help letting out a little yelp, and then she sucked in her breath with a hiss. She was pretty sure he'd drawn blood that time. “Tuk doesn't like witches. A witch killed his family. He wants to kill one of you very much.”

“I want to kill all of them,” Tuk clarified. “But I'll settle for one.”

Nagaeena whimpered again.

More banging and crashing noises came from down the hall. Violet saw one of the goblins chopping down Ophilia's bedroom door with an axe. Ophilia was going to be very displeased.

Stephen raised a trembling hand, pointing at the portrait of Severus Snape that was hanging high on the opposite wall. “Behind that portrait,” he stammered, in a shaky voice.

The goblins looked at each other, and then the goblin with the spear walked over to the portrait. The goblin with the mace stood in front of Stephen, hefting it menacingly. Violet would have asked Stephen what he thought he was doing and whether he had gone completely insane, except it seemed rather pointless, since in a moment, they were all going to die.

Tuk extended his spear up to the picture frame, and Snape glared at him as he pushed the one-time Headmaster's portrait aside to expose the bare wall behind it.

Violet didn't exactly see everything that happened next. Stephen took a step back, spreading his arms and pushing against Violet and Nagaeena behind him. They tumbled to the floor and he fell back on top of them, while the goblin with the mace raised it overhead with an angry snarl.

Then Violet saw Stephen was holding a wand.

“Solaplaster!” he exclaimed, and the goblin flailed and then toppled forward, unbalanced by his heavy weapon, as the bottoms of his feet refused to leave the floor. Stephen kicked his legs frantically, pushing himself and the two girls across the carpet, inching out of the goblin's reach, and then he scrambled to his feet while Tuk came running at them.

Stephen pointed his wand at the ceiling and shouted, “DEPRIMO!”

The thick glass window holding back the lake exploded inwards, and water came rushing through. It poured into the Slytherin common room in a solid wave, sweeping Tuk off his feet and knocking couches and tables aside in an instant. Stephen grabbed the two girls and jerked them to their feet. “Let's get out of here!” he yelled, over the roar of water. He dashed for the entrance, and Violet and Nagaeena followed.

Water was already splashing around their ankles by the time they got the door open and stepped out into the dungeon corridor. Stephen and Violet together pushed the secret door shut, as water spilled out around their feet.

Down the corridor, they could see a gaping hole in the floor, and blueish-white light emitting from it. Upstairs, they heard more commotion and alarms.

“What are we going to do now?” Nagaeena whimpered.

“Slap you, if you don't stop whining,” said Stephen. Nagaeena looked startled and indignant, but she shut her mouth. Stephen pointed his wand at her, and made the ropes around her come loose.

“But they took our wands!” Violet whispered.

“Guess goblins never thought of looking for a second wand,” Stephen muttered. “The wand I had in my pocket will be an unpleasant surprise to the one who tries to use it.”

Violet and Nagaeena both stared at him. Then Violet looked up and down the corridor. The labyrinth was empty at the moment, but they could hear goblins stomping around upstairs, and any number of them could be heading their way right now.

“We certainly can't hide in our common room,” she said, while Nagaeena shook herself free of the ropes with a shudder.

“We can't go back up to the Entrance Hall,” said Stephen. “It'll be crawling with goblins.”

“Then,” Violet said, not liking the idea at all, “we have to go back that way, and find one of the other exits out of the dungeons.”

“Back that way” meant edging past the newly-created pit in the floor. Stephen gulped, then nodded grimly, and advanced towards the gaping hole, with his wand at the ready. Violet exchanged a look with Nagaeena, and then the two girls followed him.

Teddy wanted to make his way to the kitchens. Unfortunately, the other Gryffindors wanted to come with him. Teddy tried to argue that he could make himself look like a goblin and they couldn't, and therefore it would be stupid for them to leave Gryffindor Tower, but they insisted they could fight goblins as well as he could.

“I only fought 'em by hitting them over the head by surprise!” Teddy protested.

“Well, there you go,” said Colin. “We've already beaten one in a fair fight!”

“If you call four to one fair,” said Judith.

“I do when he's armed and we ain't!” retorted Edan.

“All the other goblins are going to be armed,” said Teddy. “Look, you're staying here and that's that!” He brandished his wand. “Do I have to remind you that I'm the only one who has a wand?”

Alfred immediately snatched up the wand that Klewscour had dropped.

Teddy sighed. He knew if their situations were reversed, he would be just as hard to convince.

“All right,” he said, “let's at least be strategic about this.” He opened the Marauder's Map once again.

The goblins seemed to be in retreat. A few were still in the castle, or skulking around outside it, but most were withdrawing into the tunnels through which they had entered. Teddy frowned as he noticed all the first-years who were no longer on the map, including Dewey and Violet.

Professor Llewellyn was alone in her office, which puzzled him. What had the goblins done with her? She wouldn't show up on the map if she were dead, would she? He hoped not. Madame Pomfrey and three students were still in the infirmary, apparently guarded by two goblins. Teddy didn't know whether they'd had the same breakfast as the kids in the Great Hall and were now unconscious.

In the Great Hall, he saw that there were now no goblins remaining, only students and staff.

“Look,” he said, “at least two of you should stay here, and guard the prisoners.” He pointed to the four goblins who'd all been dragged into a pile in the common room. A couple were beginning to stir, and making angry noises. “The other two, come with me to the Hospital Wing. We need to rescue Pomfrey and her patients.” He picked up Ragnok's spear.

The other Gryffindors looked at each other. “I've got a wand,” said Alfred.

“Know any good spells for blasting goblins?” demanded Judith.

“Do you?”

“Fine, Alfred, you come,” Teddy interrupted, before they could continue arguing.

Colin picked up the axe Teddy had dropped. “I'm tallest,” he said, though the axe looked no less heavy in his hands than it had been in Teddy's.

“Colin and Alfred,” nodded Teddy. “Judith and Edan, you stay.” They didn't like it, but sullenly agreed.

Privately, Teddy thought this was the best choice. Edan wasn't lacking in courage, but he was unfortunately very lacking in size, and Judith... well, he knew Aunt Ginny would give him the most humongous Bat Bogey Hex ever seen if he dared to say it out loud, and Violet would probably say something caustic, but Teddy just didn't think girls should be fighting goblins.

“Not that I should be either,” he reflected. What he wouldn't give to hear one of Violet's caustic comments right now.

The three Gryffindors only ran into one group of goblins on their way downstairs. They hid in an alcove as a troop passed by, carrying two casualties. One must have run into a defensive ward, as his body was bristling with long black spikes, stretching out his skin grotesquely. The other was groaning and had some sort of head injury.

Pieces of armor littered the hallways. A gauntlet connected to a spaulder, still gripping a sword, tried to cut off Teddy's feet. He danced aside, while Colin and Alfred stared at the bloody smears on the floor. Teddy hoped it was goblin blood.

When they reached the first floor, Teddy checked the Marauder's Map again.

“Goblins are gone from the infirmary,” he murmured, surprised. “But Pomfrey and the three students are there.” He looked up at them. “What do you reckon?”

Alfred and Colin looked at each other, and shrugged, nonplussed.

“Go and see if they need help,” Teddy decided.

“Where are you going?” Colin demanded.

“The kitchens. Until Harry and the other Aurors get here, I reckon house-elves are the only reinforcements we've got available.”

“Is this wise?” Colin asked.

“Now you're asking me that?” Teddy almost laughed. He shook his head. “No goblins coming — move, now!” While the other two boys ran for the Hospital Wing, Teddy descended the stairs towards the Entrance Hall.

He found Nearly Headless Nick floating there, highly agitated. He only looked more agitated when he saw Teddy. “Base, foul creature!” he bellowed, swooping down on him. “Despicable scoundrels! Cowardly little toads, cruel fiends —!”

“Nick, it's me!” Teddy whispered, looking around, and he lifted his helmet and morphed his face to look like himself again.

Nick's head tilted and nearly fell off, before the ghost righted it again.

“Teddy Lupin!” the ghost exclaimed. “What are you doing here? How did you escape capture?”

“No time for that now, Nick. I'm headed to the kitchens. I want to rescue my friends, and I figure the house-elves are the only ones who can help us now.”

Nick groaned. “Oh dear, Teddy. I'm afraid the house-elves will be no help, no help at all.”

Teddy's felt his heart sinking. “Why not?”

The Gryffindor ghost sighed. “Because those who are not in league with the goblins are as incapacitated as the students and staff. The Fat Friar told me they are unconscious in the kitchens.”

“All the elves, Nick?” Teddy felt hopelessness threatening to overwhelm him.

“They struck down Slughorn, and then forced all the remaining students to drink the poisoned pumpkin juice.”

Teddy gaped at the ghost. “Struck... down?”

“Never realized the little bleeders had that kind of power in 'em,” said Nick. He shook his head, almost causing it to topple off his neck again.

“So house-elves really have joined the goblins?” He couldn't believe it.

“It would seem so,” said Nick gloomily. “Although they didn't seem very happy about what their goblin master was making them do.”

Teddy frowned. “He made them, somehow. How could a goblin give house-elves orders?” Teddy leaned against the wall, feeling sick.

“I don't know, Teddy. The bugger was carrying a wand. Perhaps he has some Dark magic that we know not. Somehow, he has bent them to his will. He left some behind. They are in the Great Hall now, probably to ensure that no one escapes. I'm not exactly sure.”

Teddy sank to a sitting position, clutching his spear. Now what? He looked down. “And the kids the goblins took captive?”

Nick's tone was mournful. “Led into a great hole blasted in the floor of the dungeons,” he said. “The Bloody Baron followed them, rattling his chains and doing his best to intimidate the little beasts, until they threatened to slit their captives' throats if he did not withdraw. Despicable!”

Teddy shook his head. Tears stung his eyes. “So that's it, then, isn't it? The goblins really rogered us, didn't they?” He swore. “Ransacked the castle, outwitted all the adults, turned our own house-elves against us, and took my friends captive. What are they going to do with them, Nick? What are we going to do?”

“We ghosts are not unfamiliar with the feeling of helplessness,” Nick commiserated. “I only wish we could do something.”

“So do I,” thought Teddy bitterly.

Professor Sinistra's ancient broom would hardly go faster than a Muggle bicycle on the ground, so Gilbert had no problem keeping up with Kai. After the first few nervous minutes, he seemed to be enjoying his flying bicycle ride.

“This is so awesome!” he exclaimed. “I wish we could do this in the city!”

“You do that in the city, and you'll have the Department of Magical Law Enforcement all over you before you can say Leviosa!” Kai replied.

“It's a shame we have to keep magic a secret. Muggles would love flying bicycles just as much as wizards would enjoy computer games,” Gilbert said.

“I reckon you're right,” Kai nodded, with a grin. They had passed over the lake by the castle, and were now skimming over the trees surrounding the Hogsmeade railway station.

They saw the smoke before they shot over the woods and cruised past the rail line at the edge of town. The Shrieking Shack, sitting on its isolated hill, now stood in stark contrast to the fiery glow behind it. Gilbert stopped pedaling, and he and Kai sat there for a moment, broom and bicycle hovering in mid-air, as they looked around in shock.

Hogsmeade was burning.

They could see witches and wizards running up and down the streets, some summoning wind and water to put out fires, others just fleeing for their lives. They could also see a troop of goblins in the woods on the other side of the town, firing crossbows at the wizards who were casting hexes in their direction. Kai jerked on his broom as Honeydukes suddenly erupted in a fireball. Fiery debris rained down on the town, and some of it nearly reached the two boys, high in the air. More explosions followed.

“Oh, God,” Kai whispered, and Gilbert muttered something much more profane.

The pitched battle between wizards and goblins continued. Kai wondered what they could do to help. Swoop out of the sky and attack the goblins? Try to help put out fires?

“I don't think anyone here can help us,” said Gilbert.

Kai swallowed, and shook his head. “Now what?” he mumbled. He suddenly felt helpless, and realized that by fleeing Hogwarts, he and Gilbert had only left everyone else behind. They weren't doing anyone any good.

“Find somewhere safe?” Gilbert suggested.

Kai looked at him, then frowned and shook his head again. “No.” He leaned to the right, turning his broom around. “Let's go back. Maybe there's something we can do.”

Gilbert stared at him. “Like what?”

“I don't know!” Kai shouted. “Something!” He took off, back in the direction of the castle, and Gilbert blinked at him, then turned the wheel of his bike and pedaled after him.

As they neared the castle, they saw a beacon of light shining from the Astronomy Tower. It was visible for miles around. Professor Sinistra must have created it, and Kai wondered if it would be visible to Muggles. Certainly any wizard who saw that would realize something was up at Hogwarts. There was no sign of the astronomy professor as they sailed past the tower.

Kai thought about reentering the castle through one of the windows in Ravenclaw Tower, and then he heard shouting. He looked at Gilbert, who looked back at him, and then Gilbert pointed. “There!”

They saw two kids waving and shouting at them from Gryffindor Tower.

The two Ravenclaws flew over, and found Edan Burns and Judith Woodbury both leaning out of a window.

“Kai! Gilbert! What are you two doing? How'd you escape the goblins?” asked Edan.

“We were going to get help, but the goblins have attacked Hogsmeade too,” said Kai. “How'd you escape the goblins?” Both Gryffindors looked like they'd been in a fight.

“Teddy,” said Judith. “Now he's gone to try to rescue the others. Idiot.”

Kai laughed, his voice almost breaking. “What about everyone else?”

Judith and Edan shook their heads. “We don't know. We've got four goblins captured. They told us they have tunnels dug in and they'll keep the kids they took prisoner as hostages.” Edan looked grim. “They reckon we won't dare go after 'em if they threaten to kill their hostages. I reckon they're probably right.”

“They really aren't playing around,” Kai said, shaken.

“What now?” Gilbert asked.

Kai didn't have an answer. Then some motion caught his eye, and he looked to the north. Near the greenhouses, he saw three children running away from the castle... and half a dozen goblins in pursuit.

“Blimey!” he exclaimed. He whirled his broom around. “Look! Someone's escaping, and the goblins are chasing 'em! Come on!” He soared over the castle and descended towards the sloping green hill beyond, as Gilbert hastily followed. Behind them, the Gryffindors cheered them on.

Teddy looked up. “I have an idea.”

“Really?” Nick asked.

“If they think I'm Slipfang, they'd have to obey me, right?”

Nick scratched his head, almost dislodging it. “Well, yes, I suppose so.”

“How much do you know about house-elf magic and how they're bound and the rules for setting them free and all?”

The spirit looked abashed. “Er, I must admit, I've never thought much about it.”

“You've been here for how many centuries, and you don't know anything about the house-elves?” Teddy looked accusingly at the ghost.

“Well, why would I? I have no need of their services,” Nick replied, rather stiffly.

“Right,” Teddy sighed. He stood up, and closed his eyes, concentrating. He tried to remember that hooked nose, those yellow eyes, the one fang jutting out from his lower jaw.

When he opened his eyes again, he asked Nearly Headless Nick, “Do I look like Slipfang?”

The ghost stared down at him. “I, ah, I confess all goblins look alike to me,” he stammered.

“Well then wish me luck,” Teddy said, “and let's hope house-elves can be fooled more than once.” And he marched into the Great Hall.

Four elves were sitting on the High Table, looking very dejected. They immediately jumped to their feet when Teddy entered.

“M — master?” they quavered.

“Yes,” Teddy grunted. He recognized Golly, but not the other three.

The elves were all staring at him.

“What does master want now?” asked Golly, a little sullenly.

“We says already we won't go with you!” said the second elf, and then, making a sound like a stopped-up teakettle about to burst, began boxing its own ears.

“Stop that!” Teddy exclaimed, alarmed. The elf opened its eyes and stared at him, as it dropped its hands back to its sides.

“Please, master, no more hurting the children!” pleaded the first elf.

Teddy looked around. The resemblance to a battlefield was eerie and frightening; hundreds of bodies lying around, all of them dead silent. He saw Hagrid with a bowl of porridge on his head; it had flipped onto him when he collapsed. Professor Longbottom's head lolled back over the back of his chair. Professor Flitwick looked almost peaceful, like he'd just decided to lie down under the table and take a nap. Professor Slughorn was several yards away, on his back. His enormous belly rose into the air like a small mountain; he was nearly as tall lying down as he was standing up.

Teddy's mouth went dry, then he saw, with immense relief, that the Deputy Headmaster's stomach was rising and falling, a little. He cleared his throat.

“You... you didn't kill anyone, did you?” he asked.

The elves' eyes all became huge and tears welled up in them. “NOOOO!” they wailed. “Please don't make us, master! We won't, we won't, we won't!” One elf began beating his head against the table. Golly looked as if she might shake herself apart, and then grabbed a knife and seemed about to begin chopping her own fingers off.

“No, stop it!” Teddy yelled. “I'm not going to make you hurt anyone!”

The elves froze, and looked at him.

Teddy made a decision, and an abrupt change of plans. He walked over to Professor Slughorn, and muttered, “Sorry, Professor.” He pried off Slughorn's slippers, and then peeled off his socks.

“What — what is master doing?” the elves gulped.

“I'm setting you free,” said Teddy. And before they could respond, he thrust one of the socks into the arms of the first elf. He blinked at it, looked up at him, and then burst into tears.

“No, master, no!” pleaded the other three elves piteously. “We is good elves! We has done everything master asks!”

“Even the bad things!” wailed the elf holding the sock.

Teddy was confused, and he felt awful, but without letting them protest further, he quickly handed the slippers and sock to the other three, leaving all four elves wailing in abject misery.

“Now you're free, right?” He began backing away, turning towards the front of the hall. He meant to leave the Great Hall, turn back into Teddy Lupin, and then return, and hope he could persuade the elves to help him.

The elves seemed to have other ideas. He was startled to see their large, watery eyes narrow as they stared at him.

“Yes,” said the first elf, choking back a sob. “We is free.”

Teddy felt the hairs prickling on the back of his neck and arms, as the four elves hopped off the raised platform and slowly advanced on him. The house-elves suddenly looked anything but servile.

“We doesn't know why you did this,” said Golly.

All four of them raised their hands and pointed fingers at him. “But we thinks you is going to regret it!”

“Wait!” Teddy shouted, and then he was hurled into the air and suspended upside down.

“Stop!” he cried, and then he began spinning around so quickly that the Great Hall became a blur.

He felt himself bounce off a table, hit the floor, fly into the air again, and slam into another table with a thud and a clatter, as dishes full of cold breakfast went flying. He thought he was going to be sick. Who knew house-elves had such a mean streak?

“I'm not Slipfang!” he yelled, as he rose into the air and his helmet went tumbling away. “I'm not a goblin! I'm — Urk!” Abruptly, he dropped out of the air and landed on his back, and he blacked out for a few seconds.

When he came to, his vision was still blurry, but his first sight was strangely familiar: four faces leaning over him.

“Is young master all right?” asked one of the elves.

Teddy took a deep breath. He couldn't answer immediately — he was concentrating on not throwing up. He thought it was probably a good thing that he hadn't stayed morphed into Slipfang when he was knocked out.

“I think so.” He looked up at them.

“You tricked us,” said one of the elves accusingly.

“Yeah. Sorry.” He gulped. “Er... does that mean you're not freed anymore?”

They looked at each other, and then looked down at him, and their expressions were sorrowful.

“Elves freed by trickery is still freed,”said Golly sadly.

Teddy tried to sit up, found the world was still spinning around much too quickly, and lay back down.

“I'm sorry,” he gasped. “But I couldn't let you keep serving Slipfang. I mean, you didn't want to obey him, did you?”

They all looked down.

“Not anymore,” mumbled the first elf.

“Goblins is horrible.”

“We likes children much better.”

“Even though they never cleans up after themselves.”

“Right.” Teddy took another deep breath. “Listen... I need your help. You're free elves now, so you don't have to. And I know that was a dirty trick I played on you. But you know what the goblins are up to, and what they might do to all those other kids. So please... help me.”

The elves were silent for a moment, then one asked, “What does young master wish?”

“Yes, what does young Master Lupin have in mind now?” asked a voice from across the room.

The elves were no less surprised than Teddy, who forced himself into a sitting position, to gape at the young woman rising from the Slytherin table.

“Amazing,” said Ophilia Karait. She shook her head, staring at him. “Simply amazing.”