House-elves on Broomsticks

Chapter Two - Recruits

Right after Potions, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed for the kitchens.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever had a test that hard in my life," Ron remarked.

"Me either," Harry agreed. "I'm just glad he didn't poison me. I was having enough trouble trying to remember which antidote went with which potion."

Hermione gasped. "Harry, good thing he didn't! What if you used the Boils antidote instead? That doesn't mix well with Tentacle related potions."

"Yeah," Ron said seriously. "You end up getting more tentacles, with boils on them!"

They walked for a few minutes, talking about the test, until they finally reached the kitchens.

"Now, Herm," Ron said. "I will not have you mentioning any kind of payment to these elves. If they agree to play at all, payment will scare them off."

Hermione sighed. "All right, I won't."

"Good girl." Ron smiled at her, and they opened the doors into the kitchen.

"Harry Potter sir! Harry Potter sir!" a little voice squeaked immediately. At the entrance of the three students, dozens of house-elves ran up and began bowing and offering food. Dobby, Harry's old "friend," pushed his way up to the front.

"Hello, Harry Potter sir!" he squeaked. "Dobby is very happy! Miss Hermione came and talked to Dobby yesterday! Miss Hermione says she wants Dobby to play Quidditch!"

Harry smiled, and struggled to keep himself from laughing out loud. Dobby's newest socks were a bright red one with butterbeers imprinted on it, and a purple one with gold Galleons.

"That's right, Dobby," Hermione smiled. "Now, I need your help. Can you go to the other room and tell all the house-elves to come in here for a second?"

Dobby nodded his large head and hurried out of the room.

"So, Herm, what are you going to say to convince them to join the team?" Harry asked curiously.

"Oh, I planned a whole speech out last night about how everyone deserves a break now and then, and how there will only be a few short practices a week, and stuff like that." Hermione said. "You guys will have to help me if no one seems interested, though."

The boys both agreed, and Dobby came back with a few dozen house-elves. "Miss Hermione!" he called. "Dobby has gotten all of the staff!"

Hermione stood up on a stool pushed over by a half-dozen elves, and Ron offered his hand for balance. She cleared her throat. "As I'm sure most of you have heard, your friend Dobby helped the Gryffindor Quidditch team win their game yesterday," she began. The humongous kitchen suddenly erupted with the elves' applause. Dobby bowed, grinning widely. "Now, I'm sure that while not many of you have played Quidditch, you-"

"Oh, Miss Hermione!" a small voice interrupted. A small female elf stepped forward, smiling shyly. "My name is Clunky," she said, bowing. Harry elbowed Ron in the side to keep him from laughing. "Clunky hopes Miss Hermione will forgive Clunky for interrupting, but what miss says is not true. Almost all of us have played Quidditch, miss. We just is careful not to let great wizards see us. We's very good at keeping secrets."

Hermione looked surprised. "Oh, well, thank you very much, Clunky." Clunky bowed happily and moved back into place. "Well, just how many of you have played before?"

To the students' surprise, three-quarters of the elves timidly raised their hands.

Hermione smiled. "Well, that's good, now I don't have to explain what it is! Now, here's my question - how many of you would like to join the House Elf Quidditch League?"

Dobby immediately raised his hand. "Dobby would very much like playing Quidditch!" he exclaimed.

The other elves looked at each other a little nervously.

Ron was confused. "How come no one else wants to play?" he asked.

Clunky came to the front again. "Well, we is wondering how we can play Quidditch when Mr. Dumbledore needs us to cook?"

"Well, I'm sure that all of you aren't going to want to join, so only a few of you would be missing at a time. Also, practice is only going to be a few days a week, so you'd still be working a lot." Hermione explained.

The elves still looked doubtful, and Hermione looked a little frustrated.

"Guys, come on, all we need is 14 players, so we can start with two teams. That's not that much. Then, after the rest of you see how much fun it is, you can join, and we'll have a real league!" Ron jumped in.

The elves began to look at each other, and a few of them actually began to smile. After a minute, Clunky and about a dozen other elves stepped forward.

"There be just one thing, Miss Hermione," Clunky said. "Will miss tell Mr. Dumbledore that we can get up extra early to be sure all the food is cooked?"

"Oh, Clunky, Dumbledore said that it would be fine to have you guys play Quidditch," Hermione assured her. "You don't have to work any harder."

In the end, Hermione, Ron, and Harry persuaded 27 house-elves to sign up for the league, including Dobby and Clunky.

"Hey, Dobby," Harry called.

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir?" Dobby asked.

"Couldn't you find just one more elf to join? That's all we need, just one more!"

Dobby thought for a few minutes. "Oh, Dobby is knowing just the person!" He scurried away, and came back a few moments later with Winky. "Winky," he asked. "Is you knowing how to play Quidditch?"

Winky looked at him a little dazedly. "Yes," she hiccuped.

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter," Dobby whispered. "Winky has been drinking butterbeer again."

"Oh, well, that's okay," Harry whispered back. He looked down at the drunk elf. "So, umm, Winky, what position would you like to play?"

Winky smiled, drooling a little. "Winky would - hiccup! - very much like to be Beater."

"Um, okay, I guess," Harry said. He walked over to Hermione. "Well, now we have all the players we need for two teams! I got Winky to play, she wants to be a Beater."

"Oh, that's great, Harry!' Hermione exclaimed, hugging him. Harry blushed.

"Okay, guys," Hermione said loudly. All the elves quieted down. "I need everyone who signed up today to come to a short meeting tomorrow on the Quidditch field. Is that all right with everyone?" All the elves nodded. "All right, everyone has to come so you can get your positions. I'm not gonna bother you anymore, you can get back to work."

"Umm, Miss Hermione?"

"Yeah, Clunky?"

"Well, Clunky is wanting to know if only Hogwarts elves is being allowed to join the Quidditch League," Clunky asked.

Hermione looked a little puzzled. "Well, all the practices are going to be here, same with the games, so...Well, why do you ask?"

"Clunky's cousin Doodly is coming to Hogwarts to visit Doodly for a few months. Maybe while Doodly is here Doodly can play Quidditch?"

Hermione smiled. "Well, we have all the people we need for teams, but Doodly's welcome to be an alternate."

Clunky smiled, bowed, and ran away.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry left the kitchen.

"No offense to them," Ron began. "But these elves have really weird names. I mean, listen to our players: Dobby, Clunky, Klinky, Clumsy, Scabby, Tolly, Bobbly, Dubbly, Cobbly, Winky...Plus a whole bunch of others."

"Well, I'm sure they think Ron is a very strange name, too," Hermione scolded, but she was smiling a little. "But to tell you the truth, I was half expecting Happy, Sleepy, and Grumpy to show up."

The two boys looked at her, confused.

Hermione shook her head. "Never mind," she muttered. "It's a Muggle thing."

"Well, Herm," Harry sighed. "This is your weirdest idea yet, but it's actually working! I can't believe it..."

"Yeah, me either," Ron said. "I can't wait until tomorrow's meeting, I have to see this: an entire Quidditch field full of house-elves flying around on broomsticks."

"Oh, that reminds me," said Harry. "Did you get that sponsor yet, Herm? We're gonna need those brooms from Creature Sweepers."

"I already told you, Harry, I've got that taken care of," Hermione said, her eyes twinkling mysteriously. "As a matter of fact, if I'm a little late to the practice tomorrow, just show the elves some flying. I'm going to be talking to our sponsor through the fire tomorrow. And make sure you don't come looking for me, either. I don't want you to know who he is yet." With that, Hermione headed for bed.

Harry looked at Ron. "Why do you suppose she's being so secretive?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know, but I hope we find out soon."

"At least now we know it's a guy," Harry pointed out.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not sure if that's good," Ron said, blushing.

Harry laughed and shook his head, and the two boys went to bed.