Because of the unique nature of House-elves, and because this underground kitchen was hardly a place known to just anyone, Draco and the others' arrival came as a complete shock to the House-elves preparing dinner.
It wasn't the presence of wizards that startled them.
It was the presence of a Slytherin wizard. And that was a first in this place's history.
After all, in the eyes of those lofty little snakes, House-elves were nothing more than filthy, lowly creatures. The idea of a Slytherin setting foot where they worked was almost unthinkable.
No wonder their reaction was so exaggerated...
The moment Draco and the others appeared, every single House-elf froze mid-motion. Their large eyes, already unsettling up close, widened so much they looked ready to pop out of their sockets.
If only one House-elf had reacted like that, it wouldn't have seemed so strange. But when a hundred of them made the exact same movement at the exact same time, the scene became oddly eerie and unintentionally comical...
To be fair, this wasn't Hermione's first time here. She remembered that during her last visit, the House-elves had seemed flattered and overwhelmed, but nowhere near this dramatic. Anyone who didn't know better might think they had rehearsed it.
Seeing them stand there without responding for so long, Hermione began to feel awkward herself.
And the humble, almost self-effacing look in their wide eyes made her rub her temple in frustration. She wanted to help them, yet they seemed so resigned to their own lowliness.
It looked like she still had a long road ahead of her...
...
Unlike Hermione, who didn't quite know what to do, Draco already understood what House-elves were like. He simply walked toward the long table covered in food and fixed his gaze on the dishes that were disappearing one by one.
Almost instinctively, Hermione followed him.
The vanishing plates were clearly being delivered to wizards waiting for their meals...
"Is it some kind of perceptive magic?"
"Draco, honestly..."
"Not just that. It seems able to instantly sense each wizard's preferences, even what they feel like eating at the moment. Could there be a trace of Legilimens involved?"
"..."
Watching how absorbed he was, Hermione rolled her eyes.
She didn't believe Draco could unravel anything substantial in such a short time.
The wizarding world was full of secrets. Even a wizard who had lived nearly six hundred years might not know everything.
House-elves, with their own independent magical system, were very much part of that mystery. To this day, the principles and applications of their magic remained something wizards were endlessly curious about.
Their powerful magic, their ability to channel it without being bound by any Charm, and how they had once been defeated by wizards in the distant past...
In short, although House-elves would tell their masters everything they knew, it was more like an instinctive gift. When it came to explaining the finer details or underlying principles, even they couldn't articulate them clearly.
And so Draco, who had an insatiable curiosity for the unknown, completely forgot why they were here and became absorbed in the remarkable magic playing out before him.
Hermione planted her hands on her hips and lightly kicked his calf.
"Is this really the time for that?"
"What do you think, Hermione? I'd like to hear your opinion."
"Well... when I went back last time, I spent some time looking through books in the library about House-elf magic. I have to admit, the way they cast spells is very different. It's like..."
"Like they themselves are wands?"
"Yes! That's exactly it. It's completely different from wandless magic. My bold assumption is..."
Hermione had meant to remind Draco of their purpose.
But under his influence, her own thirst for knowledge took over. She found herself drawn in as well, growing even more enthusiastic than he was.
And so, under the unblinking stares of the motionless House-elves, Draco and Hermione began studying the dishes that kept vanishing before their eyes, behaving as though they were the only two people in the room...
To be precise, they were studying the House-elves.
House-elves: ?????
...
Hogwarts Underground Kitchen.
A question that had gone unanswered for years was never going to be unraveled by just Draco and Hermione in such a short time.
They had no idea how long they had been discussing it when Hermione suddenly snapped back to her senses and noticed the curious looks the House-elves were giving them.
Hermione wasn't nearly resilient enough to shrug that off. Her face immediately turned bright red, and in the next second she clenched her fist and jabbed Draco sharply in the side.
"Weren't we supposed to be dealing with the intelligence chain issue? You idiot!"
Draco paused, then corrected her in a serious tone.
"No. We're only here to understand the situation. I'm very aware of how difficult this will be."
He had said before that when it came to establishing an intelligence network, he intended to place his hopes on the House-elves.
Or rather, on Dobby.
But before anything else, Draco needed to see for himself what the other House-elves were like.
Was someone like Dobby the exception, or were there more like him? Draco felt he had to confirm that personally.
With that thought, he straightened and looked down at Hermione.
"By the way, how's your 'House-elves Are Wizards' Friends and Playmates Association' coming along?"
"It's the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare! Not whatever ridiculous name you just made up!"
Hermione practically bristled at the mangled title. She gave a small hop and stomped both feet onto Draco's insteps. To keep her from losing her balance, Draco instinctively wrapped an arm around her slim waist.
Now pressed against him, Hermione tipped her head up and glared at him, fierce and adorable all at once.
"Get it right."
"Yes, yes. The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
"Say it again!"
"...The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."
"Again!"
"..."
Feeling the indignant little "cat" fuming against his chest, Draco tried to calm her down, both amused and exasperated.
The House-elves watching the scene felt something oddly complicated.
They hadn't even had dinner yet.
And somehow, they already felt full.
So really... what exactly had you two come to the kitchen for?