Chapter No17:Unexpected Bonds: The Enthusiastic House-Elves and New Roommate

What exactly is in the drawer of the Ravenclaw study has always piqued Jon's curiosity. However, Jon is currently powerless and still needs to find a key or a way to make one. "Let's take it step by step. It's only the first day of school." Jon descended the stairs, and there were already students bustling inside the castle. He glanced at his watch and realized it was already past seven o'clock. "At this time, the Great Hall should probably be serving breakfast." Stuffing his wand into his ring, Jon followed the remembered route for a while and finally made his way back to yesterday's Great Hall. Standing at the entrance, Jon scanned the area and saw Bella, Autumn Zhang, and a few Ravenclaw girls gathered around Cedric, chatting and laughing while having breakfast. He turned around and left. It was the weekend, and if he went in now and got caught up with Bella, he would undoubtedly become an obstacle between Bella and Cedric, and that was not a good choice. Although he enjoyed stirring up trouble, he couldn't currently surpass his own cousin. Furthermore, Cedric clearly hadn't expressed any interest in Bella, so whether this "romance" would happen or not was still uncertain. Jon decided to go straight to the kitchen and get something to eat in his dormitory. No one was more familiar with the location of the kitchen than the Hufflepuff students. It was Jon's ancestor who rescued and protected the house-elves, and the Hufflepuff Cup was the first magical vessel used to assist the house-elves in transporting food. Speaking of the Cup, it should still be in Bella Trix's vault. Jon didn't have any plans to bring back this Cup that had become a Horcrux. Even though his identity had changed multiple times in the short half-month, becoming a pure-blood wizard and then a descendant of Hufflepuff, his thoughts and goals remained unchanged. Don't get involved in unnecessary trouble! Can't Harry Potter deal with Voldemort? In this gradually recovering magical world that was moving towards a higher magical society, who knew if Voldemort, the former Dark Lord, would be favored by the resurgence of magical elements in the world? After a few complaints in his mind, Jon finally returned to the floor where the Hufflepuff common room was located. On the way, he nodded in acknowledgment to several Hufflepuff students coming out of the common room, although they were all strangers to each other. Among the information about the kitchen's location, Jon remembered it more firmly than any other facility, perhaps because he had heard someone mention it just last night. He didn't even have to exert much effort to find a portrait depicting a huge silver bowl filled with fruits. The kitchen was hidden behind that painting. Jon extended a finger and tapped the big green pear in the picture, and it moved. Suddenly, it transformed into a large green door handle. Jon grasped the handle, opened the door, and walked in. The size of the Hogwarts kitchen was about the same as the Great Hall above it. There were many utensils placed on the cabinets, and four long wooden tables were arranged in the hall. The positions of these tables were identical to the ones in the Great Hall, where the four houses' tables were located. At this time, the tables were already filled with food, which was the students' breakfast. Jon noticed that there were still many house-elves bustling about, seemingly having prepared plenty of breakfast. It seemed the house-elves were still not entirely clear about the appetites of the new students. "Hello, sir!" A house-elf spotted Albert and ran towards him: "Do you need anything?" "Oh, it's my roommate. He's sick and unable to go to the Great Hall for food. I thought you might be able to provide some food here. I need some porridge and pastries. Could you bring me some?" "Oh, of course, please wait a moment." The house-elf hurried away, and soon several other house-elves ran over, carrying pumpkin porridge, pies, and milk in paper bags and silver meal boxes. There was enough food for four people. "Thank you very much. This is sufficient. You little guys have worked hard." "Serving a descendant of Hufflepuff is always our honor and duty. There's no need for you to express gratitude." Jon was taken aback and looked directly at the elderly house-elf who spoke. "Oh, there's no need to be surprised." The old house-elf grinned. "We have unique magic that can discern the bloodline descendants of Hufflepuff. It's an honor for all Hogwarts house-elves to serve a true Hufflepuff." "Alright." Jon knew that house-elves were extraordinary creatures, their magic often stronger than that of wizards. "But I hope you can keep my identity a secret. You know, I don't like to attract too much attention." "Of course, your humility and modesty are just like your ancestor, Lady Hufflepuff. I, Trich, assure you that all the house-elves will obey your wishes and keep your secret." The elderly house-elf Trich bowed to Jon, and the other house-elves followed suit, all bending down. "Okay, okay. My name is Jon, Jon Smith. I'm currently studying at Hufflepuff House. If I need assistance, I will definitely come to you for help." Surrounded by the house-elves, Jon almost fled from the kitchen. He had packed the food they prepared for him in his hands and under his robes, gaining at least the "friendship" of the house-elves. It wasn't too difficult to accept, but he realized he probably couldn't go to the kitchen for food in the future. These house-elves were really too enthusiastic, after all these years. Jon muttered in his mind as he opened the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room, and he immediately saw the Hufflepuff portrait in the lounge smiling at him. It's hard to imagine how much reputation this gentle witch left behind at Hogwarts. Jon was about to take the opportunity to have a quiet chat with Helga when suddenly, the barrel on the left side of the portrait opened, and a student crawled out from inside. He must be a new student. Jon didn't recognize him. At the house sorting ceremony yesterday, he didn't pay attention to who the new Hufflepuff students were. He didn't have any intention of making friends with anyone. Being too sociable would affect his study performance. Jon still remembered a saying from his previous life: not fitting in meant the beginning of success. However, he planned to ignore this new student, but the person didn't let him off. "Jon, good morning!" The new student walked towards Jon. "Do you want to have a meal together? I'm your roommate, Stephen Watson. You came back a bit late yesterday, and we didn't get a chance to talk. Shall we eat together?" "No, thanks." Jon raised his arm, wanting to refuse but feeling awkward. The words at the tip of his tongue changed to, "I happened to bring some food from the kitchen. Shall we eat together?" "Sure!" Stephen happily pulled Jon and entered the barrel, and behind them, Hufflepuff still smiled on the portrait. The rules from his previous life no longer applied. In Hufflepuff, the only criterion was that you would never lack friends.