Apollonia had not meant to be quite so loud with her operatic humming as she strolled her way through the main doors of Hogwarts but it’s dramatic melody was bouncing it’s way off the stone walls and reverberating it’s way through the entrance hall.

It was a safe assumption to make that Professor Fergersnout was in a particularly good mood that day, not that she was often spotted without a pleasant expression on her face. She was on her way towards the grand staircase when she halted near some of the portraits on the wall to greet them with a quick nod. It must’ve felt quite the lonely existence within the confines of a frame and often ignored by the numerous students, a shame really considering that the portraits had seen so much history throughout Hogwarts that they were full of wonderful gossip to tune into. The least she could do was say good morning before moving on.

Back to the humming she proceeded, taking the first few steps up towards the arched windows.

Things were getting to be busy around the castle, although Giselle didn’t mind it. Aside from the times she had barely enough time between classes that she had to dash from one end of the castle or another. Thankfully, she’d had a bit of a break and as such, she had decided to let her cat out of her room for a bit of a jaunt. Maybe she’d head out to see Professor Paton, just for a visit. Not anything creature-related, aside from her guess that the professor would enjoy seeing Mysaria. She didn’t think there was a CoMC lesson scheduled right now.

Except she got a bit distracted by the sound of someone humming operatically, and the melody very much reminded her of mum and her violin. Well, and ballet, but that was different. Even so, the petite brunette and light-colored feline had changed their intended path, only to discover the new HoM professor as the source. Honestly, she ought to have guessed, but the Slytherin smiled. “Do the portraits enjoy opera?”, she asked, falling into step beside her and scooping Mysaria up so the cat wouldn’t find something to go after.

No cleaning had been done today. Algamus wasn't in a cleaning mood. There was hungry studentsies around and it wouldn't be right for Algamus to let them all go hungry!

With a loud POP announcing his arrival, the old and not at all grumpy house elf appeared in the Entrance Hall, a very large tray stacked with treats in his hands. "Algamus made yummy treatsies for Masters, Missus' and studentsies! Fully bellies helpsies with the studies, yes it does." The students would learn better if they weren't hungry.

Now where were the hungry studentsies?

OH NO OH NO OH NO!

This was bad. This was very VERY bad.

Head Elfsie Algamus was being nice to the studentsies which ordinarily wasn’t a bad thing but Algamus was the grumpy Elfsie who made sure everything got donesies or Hogwarts would falls aparts! If he was being NICE that meant the food wasn’t get cooksied and the dishes weren’t getting scrubsied and the floors weren’t getting sweepsied.

Beezley was a very emotional Elfsie you see? Beezley didn’t like it when the other Elfsies didn’t act normally because usually that meant that they got into troubles and troubles meant being punished and seeing THAT meant Beezley would cry. But today was even worse, Beezley was going to cry because Algamus was acting so strangies and none of the cleansies had been done and they were all going to get in SO MUCH TROUBLE from Headmaster.

Beezley came tottling along after Algamus from the kitchens, flour still covering her big earsies from the long baking session she and the other Elfsies had been making for pudding. Algamus had returned from inspecting the other floors, taken the baked treatsies and was handing them out to the studentsies in the entrance hall. “Those are for studentsies puddings Algamus, they be nonesies left and then studentsies get upset!” her bottom lip quivered.

Anna could not remember why she was skipping around on the ground floor of the castle. Had she been on her way to the common room? Maybe she had been heading OUT to the grounds to continue her investigation of the haunted boathouse? Maybe she had been heading towards the staircases to try her luck with the bronze knocker again or...maybe she was meant to be on her way to class. Unfortunately her bag offered no clues, no surprise there since she had not been great at remembering her class materials and only actually owned one of her textbooks, and her broken remembrall was certainly no help...but here she was and with the most delighted smile upon her features because her path happened to bring her close to two of the Hogwarts house elves.

Her skips slowed considerably when she caught the profile of who she was preeeeeeeetty sure was Algamus because, well, if ANY of the house elves were going to be cross about the mess her and Aurora had made last term it was going to be him. He wasn't alone though and Beezley had an air about her that made Algamus less intimidating AND she couldn't see a broom anywhere sooooooooooooo she continued her approach until she could hear their conversation proper.

"Is that pudding?!" the Hufflepuffle chirped, a rhetorical question but it felt necessary as the delight in her eyes sparkled. "But...it's not the lunch hour, is it?" Wait...WAS it and had she completely forgotten the time? Wouldn't be the first. Regardless, her tummy did give a tiny little rumble. Had she forgotten breakfast? No, no she most certainly remembered eating toast smothered in raspberry jam.

Well. .wasn't Ezra's timing just impeccable? He arrived at the entrance hall just in time to find that old looking house elf with a tray chockFULL of goodies. Full bellies indeed, Mister Elfsie! Ezra made a beeline to the treats. A boy on a mission, he didn't notice Anna or the other house elf there at first because, let's face it, TREATS.

And Ezra, not knowing why he was hungry all the time, was at the beginning of a growth spurt. “Don't mind if I doo..” His fingers hovered over a chocolate bake of some sort. “Thank you!” He added, because he was a polite young boy, raised with manners.

It was then he noticed Anna for the first time, “Oh hey, Anna!”, (yes, he knew her name from class), and the other elf with flour all over the place. His hand was still hovered over the tray as he addressed the female elf. “It's okay, we'll leave some for the others.” He assured her. He would just have one.. or two. They all looked so good.

Oh, looksie! Beezley had comes to helps Algamus gives the studentsies snacksies! Beezley must knows the studentsies works hards and gets hungries before meals. Yes, that's must be it. Such a good elfsie she was to ensure that lots of snacksies was being made!

"Studentsies is hungries all the times, Algamus makes sures all bellies is fulls. There's be plenties of foodsies, Beezley look how happies we makes the Missus' and Misters now." Look at the studentsies bright happy smiles! How could Beezley say densies all the yummies. She couldn't. Algamus says it is okaysie.

"Yes, yes! Taksie a snacksies and eatsie! Studentsies no haves to waits if they's bees hungries now. Algamus nodded his head so fast his big ole elfsie ears flapped about and he hopped up and down in excitement shaking all the treats on the tray he was carrying.

The studentsies were happy to have some yummy treatsies and Algamus was happy to be the one giving the treatsies to them! "Snacksies be yummy, yes young Missus' and young Mister?"

Did Algamus need to go get more from the kitchen?!

Had it been Tinka or Quirly who was handing out puddings then Beezley might not be so upsetsies but Algamus NEVER gave out free foodsie, not whens there was cleaning and disciplining the other Elfsies to do.

Who was going to make sures the Elfsies were doing their jobsies if Algamus wasn’t doing his??

“No it’s not yet Missus, Algamus stole the puddings for lunchsies!” she looked at the young Hufflepuff with watering eyes. Along came another studentsie excitedly taking the puddings. “Mister doesn’t understandsies.” His reassurance wasn’t doing much to stop poor Beezley from wailing.

“Algamus been acting funnies today since he came backs from cleanings the fourth floorsie. Beezley doesn’t knows what to do!” she bawled, tugging on her own flour covered ears clearly stressed by the situation.

Anna had not yet curled her eager fingers around anything, but that was mostly because she was so distracted by the conversation between the hospitable Algamus and distressed Beezley. It was a curious, abet confusing, dynamic to witness and had Anna briefly wondering if she was dreaming. Maybe she WAS - her dreams did tend to be quite visceral and lifelike so it wouldn't be the first time that she had been duped by her mind.

"Oh, hi," she greeted her peer with a smile and a wave, his own selection of one of the treats reminding her she was very much invested in taking one of the puddings and did so in the next moment despite Beezley seeming distressed by the whole scene. "Hey...can you pinch me?" she asked the younger Ravenclaw. "I want to make sure I am not sleeping."

Pudding in hand, Anna popped a very generous amount into her mouth and a smile immediately spread across her face. "It's delish," she assured Algamus before her ears began to ring just a little while Beezley continued to fret. Anna felt that, in her heart, and she felt a brief pang of guilt for indulging in something one house elf was so stressed about them having while the other positively jubilant about them indulging in.

"Oh, Beezley," Anna frowned while holding on to her pudding in one hand while the other lightly pat the house elf's back. "It'll be okay! It's just a bit of sweeties..." Really delicious sweeties that she couldn't quite resist taking another spoonful of while comforting the house elf. Sorry, Beezley, she was a lot more hungry than she had realized.

Stealsie?! Oh, no no no. Algamus did not stealsie the snacksies. That would not have been a nicesie thingsie to dosie. He wasn't a bad elfsie. Algamus was being a very good elfsie by filling up hungry bellies. Yes, he was.

Missus' no needs to be pinchsies, that would hurtsie. Missus' wides awakesie. All the awakesies to enjoysie her pudding!" Algamus bounced up and down again in excitement upon hearing Anna's confirm on how delicious the pudding was. "Algamus knows! He does! The studentsies are happsie now Beezley! Happsie studentsie are learning studentsies!"

See, Algamus was helping, yes he was! He was helping the studentsies learnsie and not be hungries no moresie! He was being the best leader elfsie!

Torn between her allegiance to Head Elfsie Algamus and doing her duties as a good little Elfsie, Beezley tugged on her earsies more and moresie making them droop down the side of her head.

Kind Missus was trying to reassure her but it wasn’t doing much to settle the distressed Elfsie with the sweet conscience. “It not JUST sweetsies. We haven’t finished the sweepsies or the brushies yet. Hogwarts going to look so dirty and Headmaster won’t be happy with Elfsies!” Her eyes watered. “Algamus supposed to tell Elfsies what to dosies but he giving out puddings insteadsie.” Algamus was the strict, bossy Elfsie who ordered the others around and grumbled any time a studentsie interrupted their work but since coming back from the fourth floor he had been acting VERY oddsie.

“Beezley glad studentsies happy though”

Anna seemed to believe she was dreaming - Ezra shook his head at her request, agreeing with Algamus. He didn't want to hurt her, so instead he gave her a light (pathetic) poke to the arm. She wasn't dreaming. Everything seemed real and as clear as day. “Wide awake. See?” He beamed at her. Unless... they were both dreaming..

No, that was just weird. Ezra really didn't want his brain to go off on a tangent and start questioning his own reality, so he focused back on the sweet treats. With Algamus's reassurance, he took the chocolate bake he had had his eye on and took a big bite. Oh yum. Yumyumyum. These house elves were gifted chefs. “Amazing.” He enthused. No, with such authentic, delicious flavour, they were definitely awake.

He shared Anna's pang for Beezley. Poor little elf was very distressed. Ezra hated seeing anyone cry. It made his whole body tense up and his heart ache. Surely Hogwarts house elves were treated better than those on the outside. No way would the headmaster punish them. A small frown creased his brow and he resisted taking another tasty treat for fear of upsetting her more.. Although his eyes were drawn back to them for a moment. No, behave, Ezekiel.

Then a lightbulb went off in his head. PING! “Hey, we could help clean up the hall!” He offered his services as well as Anna's. The older girl seemed nice and caring and concerned for Beezley as well so surely she would want to help too? He gave her an apologetic look.

Algamus heard Beezley, yes he did. The way her earsies droopsied all the way to the floorsie did make him feel badsie. "Algamus already sweepsie and cleansie the corridors upstairsies, yes he dids." That's where he had comes from before he had went to the kitchen for some snacksies. So he didn't see why it was such a big issue for them to take a break and give the studentsies some yum yummy treatsies.

"Studentsies liking the puddingsies. Happy bellies now," Algamus nodded his head vigorously, his big ears flapping about as he did so. He was so excited now that the young Master Ezra liked the treatsies he didn't hear anymore talks about cleaning. "Snacksies are the bestsies. All niceses and warmsies!" Yummy yummy for everyonesies!