Chapter Sixty-Six: Patronage and Progress

Since their defeat in the war against the wizards, house elves have been trained for generations in servitude. They have even been classified as magical creatures, subject in Britain to the regulation of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures within the Ministry of Magic.

No idle house elf is permitted; in the eyes of the Ministry, should a house elf find itself with nothing to do, it may pose a danger to wizards or the human world—possibly even more serious than that caused by other magical creatures. After all, house elves possess magic. Although they have been slaves for centuries, wizards have never let down their guard against such beings.

Adopting a house elf is expensive. The initial deposit alone is five thousand Galleons, and many wizards find the cost steep precisely because of this requirement. House elves do not require wages, and, barring unforeseen circumstances, once they recognize a master, they remain a servant to that household for life. Thus, the only real expense is the adoption itself.

House elves are exceedingly useful, at least in the eyes of someone as lazy as Carn. Having someone to attend to you is far better than doing things yourself.

Hermione accompanied Carn to the Ministry of Magic. At this time, Voldemort had not returned, and all Death Eaters lay dormant. The British wizarding world was quite safe, except for Knockturn Alley and deserted places. Hermione, eager to learn more about the wizarding world, gladly accepted Carn’s invitation.

Aside from the somewhat peculiar way of entering the Ministry, everything else amazed Hermione. It was her first time seeing so many wizards outside Diagon Alley, and this was the very heart of British wizarding administration.

Guided by Ministry staff, Carn and Hermione soon arrived at the fourth basement level. As they exited the lift, Carn noticed the number of wizards had diminished, but he could still see a dozen or so bustling through the corridor, arms laden with files.

According to Mr. Tom’s introduction, the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is the second largest in the Ministry, the largest being the Department of Magical Law Enforcement—that is, the Auror division. The Ministry exists to maintain stability in the wizarding world: firstly, against dark wizards; secondly, to guard against magical creatures.

Following the signs on the office doors, Carn quickly found the House Elf Rehoming Office. After explaining his purpose, the Ministry staff member who received Carn was momentarily surprised, then began processing his request.

“These are the guidelines for adopting a house elf. Here’s the form—fill in your details, address, and the number of elves you wish to adopt. Leave the deposit, and you’ll be notified within seven days whether you may adopt immediately or must wait.”

Wizards who come to adopt house elves are typically wealthy or influential, so the Ministry staff are quite courteous.

Carn swiftly completed the form and left the necessary deposit. The House Elf Rehoming Office told him that he would receive a reply within seven days, informing him of the next steps.

With the house elf matter settled, Carn inquired about opening a shop. There is no clear department overseeing this; it generally falls under two branches of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. One must not sell Muggle items, nor those related to dark magic. For the former, a visit to the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office is required; for the latter, one must report to the Auror Office. Without proper registration, Aurors could inspect your Diagon Alley shop daily.

This time, Carn was merely gathering information, as he was not yet ready to open his shop. At least now he understood the process and would return to the Ministry when preparations were complete.

With their tasks finished, Carn and Hermione returned, enjoying some sweets in Diagon Alley before heading to the Leaky Cauldron. Carn was not accustomed to cooking, so he simply took Hermione out for a bite.

Whenever his goddaughter witnessed something new, she seemed to brim with boundless energy. Today was a perfect example: she had spent the morning accompanying Carn without feeling tired, and declared her intention to continue practicing spells and preparing her studies at home.

Hermione sensed Carn’s care for her and did not wish to disappoint his expectations. Moreover, she deeply loved the magical world, and now was simply pouring more of her energy into it.

After drinking the last sip of her juice, Hermione turned to Carn and said, “Godfather Carn, when we return, I’d like to continue studying potion brewing.”

“Of course you can. But I think it’s best to have a guide for potions; if you rely solely on your own exploration, even the basics are difficult to grasp. You must have noticed this the last couple of days, Hermione.”

Carn agreed, then advised her further. He spoke the truth—Hermione was bright, but brewing potions from the textbook alone would require a talent like Snape’s. Over the past days, Hermione had not succeeded in brewing a single potion, not even the simplest.

“I’ll find someone to teach you potions. There’s still a month before school starts; with guidance, I’m sure you’ll make great progress. What do you think, Hermione?”

“Thank you, godfather!”

Hermione replied with a delighted smile. She already sensed the depth of potion knowledge, and having a mentor would be ideal.

Though ‘godfather’ was a suggestion from her parents, during her time with Carn, Hermione increasingly felt his care and support. Without Carn as her godfather, she would have felt embarrassed even to spend her days reading. Now, she could browse magical books freely—even the latest releases from Flourish & Blotts—and had access to so many magical materials.

And on top of that, she could engage a potions tutor before term began. Hermione reflected: even if her parents doted on her, they probably wouldn’t spend so much money, given their family’s circumstances.

Carn, however, was different. He had plenty of Galleons. While he might not be able to hire Snape or Horace, there was still a chance to find a slightly less distinguished potion master; even some Hogwarts graduates had excellent marks in potions, and their knowledge would suffice to instruct Hermione.

...

Carn entrusted the matter to Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron. Upon learning that fifty Galleons would be paid for the job, old Tom gladly agreed. To his mind, it was a simple task—just finding a tutor for a pre-enrollment young witch. Anyone who had passed the N.E.W.T.s in potions would meet Carn’s requirements. Though such people were not numerous, Tom knew a few, and the pay was generous. If he were not lacking in skill himself, he would have taken the job.

On the third day, Carn received a reply from the Ministry of Magic.

He had applied for two house elves, and the Ministry had arranged everything. He could collect them at any time.