Serena Black || 𝑪𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒐

Recruiting Spree

• Serena Black •

"Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."

The weather had deteriorated considerably within a few weeks and Serena was slowly but surely getting a complete withdrawal from Quidditch. She even missed Wood with his long motivational speeches before every practice.

The teachers seemed to have no mercy either, the fourth graders had never been given so much homework in their entire school career and that was just to prepare them for their OWLs, which would be another year away anyway.

Luckily, Serena had already finished her homework thanks to Hermione's help and was able to enjoy the last warm rays of sunshine outside on the Hogwarts lands by the lake. The year's best had then immediately scurried off to the library to do some research, leaving Ron and Harry sitting on their assignments, which they were now still working on in a huff.

Serena stretched her face towards the sun, which was just about to disappear behind the horizon. She sat by the lake in the tall grass and let her hands run over the stalks, lost in thought. But suddenly a loud call made her cringe.

"Serena!"

Serena turned and saw a pile of bushy hair running towards her.

Without a moment's pause, Hermione retrieved a small box from her cloak when she reached her roommate and excitedly began to let her in on her supposed secret, "I told you about my plan to save the house elves, right?"

Serena nodded slowly and stood up to be eye level with her, whereupon she continued, beaming, "The enslavement of the house elves goes back centuries and never once has anyone tried to help them!"

"So you want to take charge of that now," Serena stated with a grin. However, she herself felt that it would indeed be important to introduce rights for the house elves. For the Malfoys, and apparently Crouch, seemed to enjoy using them as their own personal doormats.

"Sort of," Hermione said, and suddenly there was a pleading expression in her brown eyes. "I thought you might help me with that?"

"Help you free the house elves?" asked Serena sceptically. Even though she held the same opinion as her friend, she wasn't sure that two teenage witches could do anything. After all, in the last year she had witnessed for herself how blue-eyed the Ministry wizards were. "Don't you think that might be something..."

But Hermione didn't let her finish. "The first item on my list is to enforce fair wages and good treatment."

Serena nodded slowly. "And how are you going to do that?"