"David, are you okay?"
As soon as Professor McGonagall left, Hermione pushed through the crowd and hurried to David's side, her eyes filled with concern.
"I'm fine," David assured her, though he quickly noticed something was off. Hermione, along with Harry and Ron, wore expressions of unease, as if their question wasn't just about his safety from the fire dragon.
"What is it? Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Harry and Ron exchanged nervous glances before Harry nudged Ron forward. Ron hesitated but eventually cleared his throat and stepped up.
"Ahem... Well, you see, after you left, Professor McGonagall found us and asked where you were," Ron admitted, avoiding eye contact.
"And?" David prompted.
"At first, we were determined not to say anything!" Ron declared proudly. "But..."
"But what?"
"But she said you might be in danger!" Ron sighed, his shoulders sagging. "So we panicked and told her everything... and Snape happened to overhear..."
Ron looked utterly dejected as he finished his confession.
David took a moment to process this before smirking. "Is that all?"
"That's all," Harry mumbled, staring at the ground in guilt.
David chuckled, thinking how their expressions reminded him of his cat and raccoon back home after scratching up furniture.
"Relax," he said, placing a hand on Ron's shoulder. "I'm not mad. It's Professor McGonagall—we all know it's nearly impossible to lie to her. And besides, I trust you guys. You wouldn't have given me up unless you really thought I was in danger."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione let out a collective sigh of relief.
"David, what exactly were you doing?" Fred suddenly chimed in as he and George joined the conversation. Behind them, several Gryffindor students gathered, their faces alight with curiosity.
"Yes! How could you not tell us? We're your most talented and skilled allies!" George added, feigning outrage.
David simply shook his head with a sigh and ignored their antics. Instead, he turned to the surrounding students. "Why is everyone crowding around?"
"We wanted to say thank you!" Katie Bell exclaimed.
"If it weren't for you, we might've been buried under all that rubble!" Wood added, his voice filled with gratitude.
Lee Jordan, still shaken, chimed in. "I was just lying in bed, reading a book, when suddenly, my entire bed started shaking! I looked up, and a massive stone was falling straight toward me! I thought I was done for. But right then, a house-elf appeared and saved me!"
A snicker spread through the crowd.
"A book?" someone teased. "What kind of book?"
The mood shifted as the students burst into laughter, exchanging knowing glances.
Lee Jordan's eyes darted around suspiciously before he blurted out, "It was Research on the Development of Modern Witchcraft! A very serious book! Extremely serious!"
"Oh, sure, very serious..." someone mimicked, drawing out the words.
David, unable to hold back his laughter, joined in. "Of course, Lee, we totally believe you."
Lee Jordan scanned the crowd, looking for the culprit, then locked eyes with David. "It was you, wasn't it? Fred!"
"Not me—" Fred said in an exaggerated high-pitched voice before bolting away with George.
"You two, get back here!" Lee Jordan shouted, chasing after them.
Hermione, still confused by the sudden commotion, turned to David. "What was that all about? Is there something wrong with that book?"
David quickly wiped the smirk from his face, adopting a serious expression. "I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Ghosts know what nonsense they spout every day."
"Really?" Hermione arched an eyebrow, looking unconvinced.
"Of course!" David insisted, hurriedly changing the subject. "Anyway, do you want to visit the kitchen later? I haven't eaten enough, and I need to thank the house-elves."
Hermione hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, let's go."
Later, David led Hermione down to the basement level of Hogwarts, stopping in front of a painting of a fruit bowl. He reached out and tickled the pear, making it giggle before turning into a doorknob. With a smile, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The moment they entered, the house-elves noticed him. They immediately stopped their work and rushed forward, their eyes wide with excitement.
"Mr. David Scamander! You're here!"
David smiled warmly. "I wanted to thank you all. If it weren't for you, students might have been seriously injured."
Then, to Hermione's surprise, he bowed deeply to them. The elves looked horrified.
"Oh, no, no!" one cried. "We are just doing our job! You are our friend! You must not bow!"
David had seen their reaction before and knew just how to handle it. "Alright then," he said with a grin. "How about this? Can you prepare a meal for us? I didn't get to eat enough earlier."
The elves immediately calmed down, delighted by his request. "Of course! Right away!"
As they worked, Hermione observed the bustling kitchen. "They do everything for us?" she asked quietly.
"Pretty much," David confirmed.
Hermione frowned. "Do they get paid? Do they have holidays?"
David, sensing her tone, quickly cast a spell to ensure their conversation wouldn't be overheard.
"You want to change their lives, don't you?" he asked.
"Shouldn't I?" Hermione huffed. "They work tirelessly every day, wearing rags, living in a kitchen—"
David sighed. "House-elves believe their greatest purpose is serving wizards. It's ingrained in their very being."
"What about Dobby?" she countered.
"Dobby is unique," David explained. "You can't use him to define the entire species—just like Voldemort doesn't represent all wizards."
Hermione remained silent, digesting his words.
"If you force change on them, they'll resent you for it," David continued. "Instead, let's start by helping people appreciate them. Maybe write a book, or create a play—something to make people see them. Laws can come later, but for now, kindness and respect will go a long way."
Hermione pondered his words as the elves returned, serving them steaming plates of food.
David grinned. "Right now, the best way to respect them is to enjoy this meal."
Hermione hesitated, then took a bite of pie, chewing thoughtfully. Harry and Ron immediately dug in, and David smiled as the elves beamed with joy.
Change wouldn't happen overnight, but this was a start.