The Grinding Goblin

"My esteemed young master Fox! Spoon has responded to your summons—"

With a crisp snap, a house-elf appeared before Gemini, immediately bowing humbly in greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Spoon," Gemini said with a smile, crouching down. "Could you do me a favor?"

"As you wish, even if it means death, Spoon will do it without hesitation," Spoon replied, head bowed, his tone filled with unwavering devotion and fervor. "Young Master Fox is powerful and beautiful; it is Spoon's honor to give everything for you!"

"Uh..." Gemini blinked awkwardly. This house-elf was certainly very dedicated...

"I was just wondering if you house-elves have any ways to detect curses..." Gemini smiled gently. "Actually, I received quite a few Christmas gifts, and some of the givers have had past conflicts with me. I'm not sure if they might have cursed me..."

"Please rest assured, young master Fox," Spoon maintained his humble bow. "We are responsible for sorting all the Christmas gifts received by every student at Hogwarts. During the sorting process, we conduct checks. Last night, Spoon and Lolo checked your gifts three times, Master Gemini, and none of them carried curses. If you are dissatisfied with Spoon's work, Spoon is willing to offer his head to you."

"No, no, no, what would I want your head for?" Gemini quickly waved his hands.

He felt that house-elves being too fanatical wasn't ideal; it was a bit unnerving.

"It must have been hard work for you to check three times for so many students' gifts," Gemini said kindly.

"No, only young master Fox's gifts were checked three times," Spoon lifted his head, his gaze towards Gemini filled with fervent admiration. "Spoon knows that young master Fox has offended many people, so Spoon and Lolo paid extra attention to the gifts sent by those individuals."

Gemini: "..."

Has my reputation really become that bad?

"Regardless, thank you all," Gemini smiled and conjured two large boxes of sweets. "Actually, I was planning to bring these to you tonight, but since you're here, you can just take them back now."

"Young Master Fox?" Spoon looked up, a bit confused. "Are these ingredients?"

"They are Christmas gifts," Gemini said gently. "I'm always troubling you late at night to get me food, so consider this a small token of my appreciation. I originally intended to put them in socks, but considering you might not be able to accept them, I've wrapped them in colorful paper instead. There are two hundred and thirty-seven portions in total."

Hogwarts had a total of around a thousand students and teachers, but there were over two hundred house-elves.

Hogwarts didn't originally have so many house-elves. Legend had it that the first ones were taken in by some kind Hufflepuffs who sheltered house-elves abused and expelled by wizards. They had multiplied at Hogwarts generation after generation.

Although they were called slave creatures, the house-elves at Hogwarts arguably had the best living conditions—for instance, the pillowcases they wore were clean, and they had their own dormitories.

So, in a sense, Hogwarts was not only a home for the students but also a home for them.

"Waaah—"

In an instant, tears streamed down Spoon's face.

"The kind and benevolent Fo—Young Master Fox is willing to give Spoon Christmas gifts... sniffle—"

Gemini: "..."

This was the difficulty in communicating with these house-elves.

These creatures lived such humble lives that even the most ordinary gestures of courtesy made them deeply grateful.

The slave mentality, deeply ingrained in their minds, continued from generation to generation. While Gemini wouldn't rescue them from their plight, he also couldn't feel at ease with their service; he didn't have that much gall. Therefore, even a verbal thank you was a form of respect.

To be precise, Gemini was not only respecting them but also respecting himself.

By respecting the house-elves' labor, he was, in turn, respecting his own upbringing and etiquette.

Spoon expressed his gratitude to Gemini once more before retreating with the two large boxes. For house-elves, the most boast-worthy thing was to serve their masters meticulously while remaining completely unnoticed by them. Therefore, house-elves generally disliked appearing in front of people.

After Spoon left, Gemini looked at the mountain of gifts beside him with a beaming smile, his eyes seemingly radiating golden light.

After a while, Gemini fell silent, gazing at the piles of snacks.

"Why are there so many food items?" Gemini picked up a box of Chocolate Frogs and sighed. "And they're all sweets..."

Hermione had given him a whole box of Chocolate Frogs. Dumbledore had given him a small gift pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, stating that based on his years of experience, there was definitely a 'earwax' flavored one inside and strongly advising Gemini to try it...

Snape had given him a bottle of Enhancer. This was a good item; it could boost the effects of other potions. For example, if Liquid Luck's effect lasted twelve hours, with this Enhancer, it could even extend its effect to over fifteen hours.

This item was not cheap; a small bottle like this could easily sell for fifteen Galleons.

In fact, Gemini was already surprised that Snape would give a gift, considering he had just swindled him out of a Nimbus 2000 not too long ago...

But then again, he was a Potions Master, a veritable hidden millionaire, so Gemini felt reassured.

Neville had given Gemini a pot of Drought Demon Succulent. It seemed his Herbology talent was starting to show. This type of Drought Demon Succulent was found in the Taklamakan Desert in northwestern China and in Egypt. It looked much like a regular succulent, growing in a lotus shape, but in the center, there was a mouth with sharp teeth that could bite.

The plant's main characteristic was its ability to absorb excess moisture from the air, maintaining a suitable humidity level in the room. It basically required no watering; even in deserts, a light rain once every six months allowed it to survive tenaciously. In a rainy country like Britain, it would thrive.

The only drawback was that it sometimes ground its teeth...

What a little goblin that grinds its teeth!

Draco had given Gemini a Top Hat, like the one Kaito Kid wore, but black. Gemini loved it and put it on immediately.

He looked in the mirror; he was still as handsome as ever.

The remaining gifts were mostly thoughtful presents—snacks, stationery, decorations, and the like. Gemini noted down the names of all the givers, planning to reciprocate next year.

Half an hour later, Gemini was leisurely eating breakfast in the Great Hall.

There were still quite a few students staying for Christmas, with dozens of them scattered around the four long tables.

However, at that moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on the table in front of Gemini.

In front of Gemini was a tower built from various colorful delicacies. On a large brass platter, five or six baked potatoes were arranged in a circle, with two roasted squabs in the center, brushed with a sweet chili sauce that was incredibly enticing.

In the middle of the copper platter was a small pillar supporting a small tray. On the tray was a piece of Beef Wellington, accompanied by a small piece of foie gras, garnished with a few large cherries in between.

Beside the two-tiered gourmet tower, a pitcher of Elderflower Cordial Soda was also quietly placed.

Without even thinking, this was definitely the House-elves' masterpiece…

"Why is his breakfast different from ours?"

At the Gryffindor long table, Ron looked at the large tray in front of Gemini and swallowed hard. The croissants on his own plate suddenly didn't seem as appealing…

Wuwuwu… Someone in the author group is showing off the silver alliances they received. I really want an alliance leader too, even just a regular one. Which of you generous readers could spare some kindness and bestow it upon me? I'm a novelist, ying ying ying h