Chapter 599: School kitchens

Hufflepuff's actions not only changed the magical world, but also greatly promoted Hogwarts' status.

The magical families finally had to come to a compromise. They reached an agreement with Helga Hufflepuff, accepted the Hogwarts educational model, allowed young Muggle-born wizards to enter the school, and consequently formed a Board of Governors to oversee the operation of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

As for Hogwarts' independence from the Board of Governors and its independent teaching activities, that was later a matter for the Headmaster.

But it must be said that the success of the Hufflepuff and Hogwarts model was a major event, big enough to change the entire world of wizardry over the course of the last millennium. Schools of wizardry like Hogwarts had sprung up all over the world.

More and more Muggle wizards had been admitted to the school. The traditional form of magical inheritance, with only one apprentice in the family, had completely changed. Universal magical education had become the standard for magical education.

Helga Hufflepuff herself was the headmistress of Hogwarts until her death. She never left this place for life, and was even buried at Hogwarts after her death. She only passed on her favorite golden goblet as an heirloom to her descendants.

Like Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, the location of Hufflepuff's tomb had always been a mystery.

Because she had been buried by a house elf, no one knew exactly where Hufflepuff's tomb was.

For a thousand years, countless latecomers had tried to find his resting place in the school, but no one had succeeded.

Ivan had carefully analyzed all available historical data and believed that the key breakthrough lay in the hands of the house elves.

In addition to being the best wizard and educator in the history of magic, Hufflepuff was also the best cook, and the house elves were her assistants.

Ivan didn't think the key to Hufflepuff's secret treasure would be taken to her coffin, but her closest friend for the rest of her life was undoubtedly a house elf. Everything was in his custody, and even his own final burial was the responsibility of the house elf.

In her time, Helga Hufflepuff sheltered all the elves who had lost their place of residence because of the war.

She made them part of Hogwarts, and the so-called common friends in her councils were to be the elves.

Hogwarts had been home to the largest number of house elves in the wizarding world since the time of Hufflepuff.

For a thousand years, they had lived in the kitchens beneath the castle, where they built their own huge subway kingdom.

No wonder that both the key to the treasure and the secret of the Hufflepuff tomb were in the hands of the house elves.

Last term, Ivan had asked Dobby and other elves about this matter, but they all said they did not know.

He speculated that the secrets kept by the House Elves' ancestors might have been lost and no one had passed them on.

It was not surprising, since the house elves had been enslaved for too long.

They had lost their own cultural heritage and had become completely appendages of the wizards.

If they had really kept such important clues, they could have told the headmaster instead of hiding them.

Although no one knew for sure, there had to be some clue in the kitchens.

Not long ago, Ivan found a plan of the first construction of the castle in the library area.

It had been mixed up in a very unpopular magic book that had not been borrowed for hundreds of years.

The basement above the plan had been much larger than it was now, and the large area that disappeared later was near the kitchen.

That drawing verified Ivan's long-held conjecture. Combined with the information he had received earlier, he thought it was necessary to take a look at it.

Ivan led Hermione to the basement, which was the only way to the Common Room of the Slytherin and Hufflepuff houses.

The two followed a narrow corridor to the left and down a flight of stone steps. But instead of ending up in a dreary subway passage like the one that led to Snape's dungeon, they found themselves in a wide stone hallway, lit with torches and decorated with cheerful pictures that were mainly of food.

They approached the painting that showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl, and Ivan stretched out his index finger and gently tickled the huge green pear.

This one started squirming, laughing, and suddenly turned into a big green doorknob.

"This is the entrance to the school kitchens!" said Ivan. He pulled the door to reveal a low, dark, deep hallway.

"We're going in. Get ready," Ivan said.

He remembered the last time he came; he was surrounded by countless elves, who were quick to flash a wry smile.

"Ready for what?!" asked Hermione, glancing nervously around the foyer.

"You'll find out in no time!" Ivan took Hermione's small hand and they walked in together.

In the next second, they entered the painting. Inside, there was a huge, high-ceilinged room, as big as the Great Hall, with piles of gleaming brass pots and pans stacked around the stone walls, and a large brick fireplace at the far end.

They felt something, and before they could see any clearer, there was a pile of green stuff rushing towards them from the center of the room.

Hermione couldn't help but take a step back, and then she saw that they were all house elves.

There were over a hundred of them, which was unbelievable.

"Sir, Miss, do you want anything?" the elves asked loudly, crowding around.

Each one of them had a smile on their face, waiting for Ivan and Hermione's order.

Before they could speak, another house elf pounced on them, shrieking.

It hit Ivan hard in the middle of his body, hugging him tightly and tightly.

It was Dobby!

Although they had only recently met, he was very excited that Ivan was coming to the kitchen to see him.

He hugged Ivan tightly, and Ivan hurried him downstairs.

Hermione looked up in surprise at the two of them and the house elves around them. It took her a little while to adjust.

In fact, it had been a long time since she had seen Dobby. Dobby's huge, tennis ball-shaped green eyes brimmed with tears of happiness. His appearance was almost identical to what Hermione remembered; the pencil nose, the bat-shaped ears, the long fingers and feet... everything except the clothes, which were very different.

When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had worn the same old, dirty pillowcase all year....

Now, he wore a strange assortment of garments. He had done an even worse job of dressing up than the wizards at the World Cup.

He wore a tea-case as a hat, on which he had pinned various shiny badges; a tie with horseshoe patterns on the bare chest, a pair of what looked like children's soccer shoes, and odd socks. One was the black one that Harry had taken off his own foot and had tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving to Dobby, thus setting him free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes....

It was a style Ivan had never seen before. All the money he gave Dobby was used to buy socks, which were renewed almost every week.

In a sense, Dobby was probably the most fashionable house elf.