Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying

Chapter 66: The Elves and the Portraits
Although the Galleons in the Gringotts vault were enough for him to buy ten more brooms of the latest model, he still showed great joy at the elves' gifts and shared with them the candies he brought from home - when he changed his clothes and went out, he grabbed a bag and put it in his pocket.

"This is made by Muggles. There is no magic in it, but it has a rich fragrance and is very delicious," Wade introduced to them.

The elves looked flattered and hesitated for a moment, but since it was not the first time that they exchanged gifts with Wade, several house-elves quickly calmed down and accepted the candies, thanking them gratefully.

"Will Wade Grey want breakfast?" Phil asked respectfully. "Most of the breakfast is ready in the kitchen at this time."

"Okay." Wade said decisively.

Phil found a cleaner old mat from the junk pile, and Zoe and Happy left the Room of Requirement. Soon after, they came back at the same time, one of them holding a large dinner plate full of food, and the other holding a large can of drink, which was Wade's favorite orange juice.

The harpies knelt on the ground, spread the tablecloth, and put food and drinks on it. Wade also sat down, and then he saw the elves crawling up and standing beside him, but they still held candies in their hands and looked at Wade with smiles on their faces.

Some thoughts suddenly flashed through Wade's mind. He looked up and said in surprise: "Why are you standing? Sit down - this is our breakfast meeting."

“Sit—sit down!” Zoe stammered. “W—us?”

"Of course!" Wade imitated her and laughed, "Is there anyone else here?"

The three house-elves looked at each other, their expressions even more excited than when they first received Vader's gift, as if "sitting down" was an unimaginable honor.

But they seemed to be tied up hand and foot, and did not move for a long time, and their big eyes were a little panicked.

Wade slightly emphasized his tone and invited again: "Please sit down - don't you want to have breakfast with me?"

"Of course—I will!"

Zoe seemed to be having trouble breathing, and tried to breathe, then carefully sat down next to Vader.

Next came the harpy, who showed a little more courage and sat down opposite Vader on his hands and feet.

Then it was Phil's turn. He swayed, and with the encouragement of his two companions, he huddled down in the corner, his slender fingers unconsciously clicking on the tablecloth.

"Well then—" Vader looked at the three house-elves and announced, "Let the breakfast party begin!"

He took the mince pie first, and then gave one to each of the elves, and ate it casually. After a while, the sound of sobbing was faintly heard in the air.

Big tears fell from the house-elf's tennis-ball-sized eyes.

"Strange - so strange -" Habby wiped his tears and choked, "Habby is very happy - why is he crying -"

Wade said nothing, but stroked its ugly little head lovingly.

Phil and Zoe swallowed the pie in big mouthfuls, mixing it with bitter tears.

In the shadows of old furniture, a wizard and three house-elves sat together for the first time in a place where light and dark intertwined and finished their breakfast.

……

Monday in Ravenclaw still starts with the less popular Potions class.

The Room of Requirement was on the eighth floor of the castle, and the Potions classroom was in the basement. Wade was too lazy to climb the stairs, so he simply flew down on his broom, circled around the castle twice, and then landed in the central courtyard.

When he fell to the ground, Wade's fingers were almost frozen, and his ears and nose were also frozen red.

It turns out that winter is not a suitable season for flying. Even with a warming spell, it will still be cold under the strong wind.

"Snapped!"

Hobby suddenly appeared, handed Wade's schoolbag to him, then took the broom attentively, looked at Wade with eyes full of admiration, and said excitedly: "Habby will help Wade Gray put the broom into the dormitory!" "Thank you for your help, Hobby." Wade said with a smile.

The harpy bowed so low that his long nose almost touched the ground, and then he disappeared with his broom.

Wade had already had breakfast and had originally planned to go directly to the Potions classroom. But as he shivered from the cold, the damp and cold ground suddenly became disgusting, and the auditorium with a blazing fire became attractive instead.

Vader walked up the steps, crossed the foyer, and sat for a moment in the auditorium.

At this time, there were already some miserable fifth-grade students sitting at the long table. Most of them had messy hair and looked troubled and helpless. They ate breakfast while reading a book... or read breakfast while eating a book, which looked like it was about to fall apart.

Wade didn't dare disturb these stupid senior high school students. He sat quietly for a while, read a chapter of Potions class, and quietly left the hall after his body warmed up.

"Hey, Vader, long time no see!"

As I walked through the hallway, a familiar voice sounded.

"Griffiths?" Wade looked over in surprise.

"Yes, it's me." The red-haired wizard was lying on a tall picture frame. The original owner of the painting was squeezed into a corner by him. He looked angry but dared not speak, and glared at Griffiths angrily from behind.

"I haven't seen you for a holiday. Did you miss me?" Griffiths said cheerfully, "Hmm? It looks like you had a very pleasant holiday! Your face seems to have become a little rounder... I am different——"

He rolled up his sleeves, pointed at a bruise on his arm and said to Wade, "Did you see that? Someone beat me up! We haven't seen each other for a few years, but I feel like everyone has become unfamiliar and their tempers have become so bad—"

——Are you sure it’s not because of you that you became irritable?

Wade complained secretly, glanced at the poor wizard whose territory was occupied by the bully, and asked Griffiths: "Weren't you in the corridor? Why are you in the hallway again?"

"No, my paintings are still in the corridor!" Griffiths shook his finger and said with a smile, "They only said there was no room in the hallway, but they didn't say I couldn't visit! Dumbledore wouldn't have any objection to me visiting old friends who I haven't seen for a long time!"

"Hey, little guy!" In a painting next to him, an old man wearing a top hat suddenly shouted at Wade, "You brought this guy out of the astronomy tower, right? Please, send him back quickly!"

“Yes, yes!” The old men and women who seemed to be asleep all shouted, “Send it back, send it back!”

"We finally managed to get him to the Astronomy Tower, why did you get him out again?"

"Do you know how annoying he is? My hair is falling out in clumps!"

"——You are a portrait, so your hair won't fall out."

"I'm describing it! I'm describing it! Do you understand? Don't find fault with my words."

"I'm just telling the truth... Why are you so angry? Can't we just communicate?"

“Ahhhh——someone come drag this guy away!!!”

The usually quiet portraits suddenly started to quarrel among themselves. The students who had gotten up early for breakfast were extremely surprised and gathered around to watch with great interest.

Wade quietly left the hallway. Griffiths ignored the noise caused by him and walked through the portraits without hesitation, waking up some of the guys who were really asleep, and followed Wade out of the hallway.

"Noisy fellows, aren't they?" Griffiths said with a smile, "House elves are much quieter than them."

Wade stopped and looked at Griffiths.

(End of this chapter)