While the students were developing their theories about where Hogwarts' elves had gone, the blackboard finished its note-taking on house elf characteristics.
"Copy these down," Erik gestured toward the board before resuming his usual question and answer method of teaching.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
TakemetotheBurrow 
Ella was just eyeing Vinteren curiously. She couldn't tell if the question he'd asked was rhetorical or not so she answered anyway, feeling like she was repeating information. "Old wizarding families, I'd think." Like...those were the people who usually had house elves, yeah? And Alec sort of said the exact same thing so the blonde nodded in agreement.
As for his next question, the sixteen year old raised her eyebrows. Surely if they were meant to know that kind of information they would, yeah? As for the house elves having gone missing...is that what they were? Ella's eyes widened a bit, suddenly alarmed. She'd assumed they were somewhere else working until they were called back to Hogwarts... "Toddles is still here, Professor. And a few other elves too. Perhaps the others have jobs elsewhere."
"Old wizarding families and people who own old wizarding homes...vhose are vhe people who are house elf masters." Erik repeated this information for anyone who wasn't listening. Good job, Ella.
"Toddles is vhe only Hogwarts elf left in vhe castle."
He wanted them to know that. Any other elves they saw around belonged to professors or students who had brought them from home.
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Originally Posted by
MaverickMagpie "Well... I don't know much about the house elves here or anything much about this school, but... well... they're not paid, are they? It's in their nature to like to work, so it's not like they're on strike or anything."
But he still couldn't think of an actual reason for the house elves to be gone. Oooooh, was he gonna learn where they were at today?
"Maybe they were elf-napped?"
It went without saying that the boy didn't know much about this school. Erik listened to his answer regardless.
"Maybe," he acknowledged the second guess with a tilt of his head.
"Vhat is...plausible," but not correct.
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Originally Posted by
AlwaysSnapesGirl Penelope raised her hand. "Toddles said that they said they had to leave for some reason, but they didn't really want to leave, especially since they had to leave him behind." So that was all she knew. Just what Toddles had told her when she and Alexa had talked to him earlier in the term. She still felt bad for the poor baby elf that he had to be left behind by those he considered his family. It was sad.
Here was some useful information.
"Good," he gave a nod of approval to Penelope.
"Vell, not good vhat ve house elves had to leave, but I'm glad you're mentioning vhat Toddles told you. Vhy vould only Toddles be left behind? Do you haff a guess?" Quote:
Originally Posted by
RachieRu Hmm. Where were the elves now? Well. That was a kind of obvious question really. It was very clear where the house elves were. And it certainly was not at Hogwarts. With a little grin on his face Clement put his hand up into the air. "Not here...." He murmured with a little shrug. Well. it was true. The house elves weren't here. Though this probably was not the answer that the professor had been after. But oh well. Clement didn't know the answer, so this one would have to do.
Not here...
"How clever of you," the professor commented dryly, just managing not to roll his eyes.
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Originally Posted by
Talikins Hand raise and then pout before she opened her mouth to speak. "I think its something to do with the whole money situation, but not the money its self because they don't get paid." Did that even make sense? Maybe a little more rambling. "I think they left because of something related to that situation." A bit different to what the elves had told people themselves, but maybe Truebridge forced them to lie or something. You never knew.
"Vhat is another good point, considering Hogwarts' financial troubles coincided vith vhe disappearance of vhe house elves." Erik raised an eyebrow at the Head Girl.
"I vhink you're right, Ms. Dixon." Quote:
Originally Posted by
CassiopeiaAKTF Leaning back in his chair, Daichi grabbed a piece of parchment and his fwooper quill before he began to doodle. He still listened to what the Professor was saying though, no worries~
"Maybe you did that, sir" made the house elves leave that is. Straight forward Daichi was straight forward :3 "Or maybe they wanted a new job" did it really matter? He would be gone this term anyways.
Maybe he did that? Maybe
he made the house elves leave?
Well done, well done.
Erik let out a dark rumble of laughter at this Slytherin's presumption.
"Good one, Mr. Katharos..." he chuckled away the boy's answer with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"But I don't vhink vhe house elves left for either of vhose reasons. Sorry." Quote:
Originally Posted by
Emzily Errrrrrr... elfish?
No... really, he didn't know. Theo shrugged but said, "Well, they are still understandable, but it's like they speak like babies." He tried to think of an example, but he really didn't hold too many conversations with house elves. They were creepy. "Like, they always use their names instead of saying I." It made sense, but not really another language. Oh well.
MISSING?
"I thought they went on strike cos they weren't treated nicely." Because it wasn't a money thing since they don't get paid, right?
"It's sort ov a different dialect, no?" Erik understood what the boy was grasping at....mostly.
"But no, vhe house elves are not on strike. I believe vhe staff or Board of Governors vould have received a list ov demands by now if vhey were truly striking." His eyes twinkled with mischief at the idea though...just twinkled.
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Originally Posted by
DJ ExpelliarMOOSE It was really upsetting that the House Elves had to be let go, Poor Toodles must of worked his ears off picking up all the slack this term. "I'm not sure where they would be now." Unless Toodles did, and told someone. Did anyone actually know? "The House Elf Relocation Office in the Department of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures must have played some part in finding the Elves new places to work."
"Good guess, but also incorrect I believe." Erik shook his head solemnly. Didn't this boy know how ineffective his Ministry was? Terrible.
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Originally Posted by
Bazinga Putting her hand up, "Professor, with all do respect. I'm not sure any of us can really answer that. It seems like no one really wants us to know what's going on. We got here and they were gone. I'm hoping they left on their own, but I don't think any of us can say for sure. It would be nice to know these answers along with a few others this term if you may know them." She gave him another smile hoping she didn't step over a line by asking, but she had to try if they could finally get some answers.
"No one might vant you to know vhat is going on here," Erik replied seriously,
"but I believe education is power. Perhaps vith vhis lesson I can help you all figure out vhat is going on vith vhe house elf situation. It is one vhing I vould like to do as a Governor." To improve the school, out of the kindness of his heart, by helping them relocate their lost house elves. Wasn't that nice of him to do?
No promises of answers though. He knew only slightly more than they did.
Cough. Quote:
Originally Posted by
jrtpuplvr Since this was his first year at Hogwarts, he really had no idea what the House Elves were like or why they may have left. "Maybe the students were mean to them and they wanted new jobs? Or, we all ate too much and they got tired of cooking so often?"
"Vhose are....guesses..." Maybe. Maybe not.
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Originally Posted by
DaniDiNardo "I don't know where exactly they've gone but when I was talking to Toddles he said that they left him behind and told him they had to go. But the way he told it...kinda made it seem like they didn't wanna go. I'm guessing they might have been kidnapped or forced by some others means away from the castle." That was what she and Penelope had thought when they heard it.
"He cries a lot now and doesn't get hugs, but I'm guessing they figured it'd be better for him to stay so I'm willing to assume they're somewhere terrible now."
This was useful too.
"Good information, Alexa," Erik gave her a nod.
"I vouldn't assume vhey're somewhere terrible now, but if vhey're somewhere vhey're not used to, somevhere vhat doesn't seem as much of a home as Hogwarts, vhen ve can assume the house elves were reluctantly moved." Heh heh heh.
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Originally Posted by
hpfan18 Kace raised his hand, "Professor my Aunt has an house elf in her family. He is really sweet though. I love spending time with him." Kace then remembered something else. "He always helps out with the cooking and cleaning when my family has parties." he nodded at that. He always wanted to help Twinky but he always rejected it...but *shrugs* at least he offered right?
"Well Professor i know house elves stay with their family members, so maybe that is where some of them have gone?" Kace suggested.
A sweet elf that helped with cooking and cleaning, good to know. But the guess about house elves staying with family members??
"I believe vhe house elves here are...mostly family? Vith each other?" He wasn't sure what the young Hufflepuff was saying here.
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Originally Posted by
Deniiz "Corruption!" Using aaaall the cool words he knew. Yep. "Maybe unbidden ideas were spread among them, and they wanted to rebel. Or just have had enough of work. Judging by their descriptions, it sounds like they work quite hard to me. Too hard for any living thing." All in all, it was THEIR own choice to leave.
"I can't guess where they are, though. They can just go to anywhere they want, so." Shrug. And crave for ice-cream.
This kid was a riot. Really. Had he been in the last lesson? Heh heh.
"Maybe, rebellion is alvays a possibility," he responded as seriously as the Hufflepuff was being.
"Vhey do vork very hard, but......" dramatic pause,
"....house elves are not free to just leave vhenever vhey want to." He eyed the boy and his classmates to see if they were listening.
"Remember vhat a house elf's highest law is his master's bidding. To break vhat is to bring dishonor and shame to vhe elf and to vhe master he serves." Quote:
Originally Posted by
Govoni Dylan pondered that for a moment, trying to diplomatically choose his words. "If they are, sir...I am not aware of it." Ahem. Translation: No, they aren't...and that's kinda lame. "...Aren't they bound by magic? Like...it's the House Elves 'hightest law' or whatever to be loyal...They enjoy being enslaved and having a purpose." That's what the books said, anyway...Dylan could only go by that since he hadn't dealt with the creatures on a personal level...
...and the Slytherin stared at Professor Vinteren when he asked that last...There were things he wanted to say...but Dylan bit his tongue. Hard...Might have even drew blood...More diplomatic words...
"They......." Pause. "..... belong to the school...So, with that in mind, couldn't only the Headmaster or Headmistress send them away? NOT that I'm accusing Headmistress Truebridge...but with her running the show here, isn't that the most logical explanation?" PAUSE. "...because aren't House Elves too powerful to allow themselves to be stolen?"
No, they weren't. This boy was clever....and carefully spoken.
"Yes, you're correct on both points vhere." Erik hoped his classmates were listening. A slow smirk spread on his face as the boy then accused the Headmistress of sending them all away.
"Vhat is vhat it looks like, does it not?" He also paused and waited for his smile to fade.
"Vhe truth is, house elves literally belong to vhe school. Vhey literally belong to whomever holds vhe deed to vhe school. So if vhat is not in posession of vhe school's current Headmaster or Headmistress...." Erik trailed off into a deliberate shrug.
"Vhen vhey could sort ov be stolen." Or elf-jacked right from under the current Head's nose.
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Originally Posted by
Team ronmione No one really knew *how* a house elf went missing. That was something only they knew. They had either left Hogwarts as soon as they heard about the money situation, or had some inside spy that heard about the money problem, and so these house elves decided to stay home. If they had a home. Tag then wondered if the house elves had their own families to return or were stuck in Hogwarts the entire year. " Professor, Ummm, are there house elves that used to be here at Hogwarts, well, what if they don't have a family to return to in the summer holidays. Do those house elves just live at Hogwarts all year round, even when the school term is finished?" Just a curious thought. And, if that had been mentioned some time in the past by any Hogwarts professors, then whoops.
"Vhey actually do live at Hogwarts all year round," Erik gently answered the boy's questions.
"Hogwarts is vheir home more vhan any other place." Which was why it was just
so sad that they weren't here right now. Ha.
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Originally Posted by
lazykitty And eyebrow was raised. As in, Sky's eyebrow not Vinteren's. Her answer seemed to interest him, oddly enough. Hmmm. Something to think on later and possibly warn her aunt about. Anyway, the next question was up. And she was almost cracking up some of the answers. Really, ickles? Going home to their families? Had they not studied any kind of history ever? Or was it just that they were pureblood ickles? In which case, their dumbness could be excused. "I think Truebridge sold them off just like she did the dishes. Either that, or whoever broke in the Hogwarts vault at Gringotts somehow got hold of the deed to the castle and set them free....." But no, that wasn't possible, was it? Surely the BOG couldn't be THAT stupid.....
"Vhat's...a fair guess..." Erik shrugged off her first answer. He certainly wasn't going to defend the evil redhead for her kooky behaviour.
"However, I believe your second guess," he gave her a solid look that said yessss,
"is more on target."
Was he
allowed to tell them the deed to the school was missing? He'd heard it straight from the Headmistress' mouth. Why shouldn't he share this with the people who lived and learned in this school and returned here every year?
It wasn't like they could trace the deed back to him any more... Quote:
Originally Posted by
LilFox06 Anya raised a hand. "Some house elves are paid." she offered. "Seeing as we don't even have proper eating utensils, I doubt we could afford to keep them."
She then lowered her voice. "... or maybe we had to sell some?" She assumed that was a thing. A sad thing. But a thing none the less.
"Vhat's also true," Erik shrugged.
"But I don't vhink Hogwarts' vere sold. It's possible though." "So, theories on vhe missing house elves....vhis is history in vhe making, did you all know?" He turned around to the second blackboard and waved his wand at it lightly.
Why Hogwarts' Elves Are Gone
-they got new jobs
-they were elfnapped
-they had to leave, but didn't want to go
-House Elf Relocation Office moved them
-they're on strike
-Headmistress sent them away
-Headmistress sold them to pay off school debts
-someone stole the castle deed and set them free
-other theories?
"Let's discuss this." Erik returned to his desk and his lean against it, giving the class some very serious looks.
"Vhich theory seems most accurate to you, and vhy?? Vhat can we do about it, to possibly bring vhe elves back?"