Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 172 Three Schools Competition

"Thea, are you really not worried that those young wizards will be discouraged?"

After everyone else had left the private room, Gella spoke to Thea.

"Why should I worry?" Thea's question left Gella speechless.

The dim light shone on Thea's profile, making her appear particularly cold. "I am neither their blood relative nor their closest friend. The only reason I want to bring them along is to have a clear conscience!"

"If they can't even accept this defeat, even if I have extraordinary abilities, I won't be able to help them succeed!"

"Either you remain a frog in a well, trapped for life, or you ride the waves and soar to the heavens. Whether you become a dragon or a worm, it all depends on today..."

Looking at Thea's delicate yet aloof features, Gella suddenly felt a pang of envy, envying these students for having a classmate like Thea...

In this life, if one can have the help of a benefactor…

Draco is currently busy developing the phonograph machine, Theodore is making potions, and Thea is busy processing the insights from the previous duel, so the important task of writing the application forms has been handed over to Zabini, Gella, Daphne, and Pansy.

The four of them did their best and produced a large activity application form in just two days.

Just one week after Thea brought up the news, Dumbledore personally approved the document.

Instead of organizing the event herself, Kassia handed it over to Gella and her group, claiming it was to train their abilities.

Although they were all a little puzzled as to why Thea wasn't involved, they still threw themselves into organizing the project with great enthusiasm.

As for why Thea didn't participate, the first reason is: she's very busy!

She's busy making money!

She's busy improving her skills!

Galleons don't just appear out of thin air, and Thea doesn't have the confidence to directly reach out to the Black and Malfoy families again.

She didn't have the ability before, but now that she has the ability to earn money, how could she be willing to ask others for help?

As for Thea's sources of income, the first is her alchemy blueprints, which is her main source of revenue.

The second item is the workshop that Lucius and old Nott collaborated on, which is the mass production of the phonograph. However, the factory has not yet started operating, so Thea has no income yet.

The third is the royalties from published articles. Thea writes papers on transfiguration and publishes them in some newspapers and magazines, earning her a fairly substantial amount of money.

That day, when Thea encountered a problem and was about to go to the library to look up information,

She happened to run into Hermione, who looked dejected, in the hallway.

Thea glanced in the direction Hermione had come from. "Hermione, did you go to the kitchen?"

“…Yes.” Hermione’s eyes instantly reddened. “Not one of them agreed with my idea…not even Harry and Ron. I could tell…they only reluctantly agreed to join SPEW because they didn’t want to embarrass me…”

Thea glanced at the sky outside, then sighed inwardly. Looks like she'll be staying up late again tonight…

After considering her words for a moment, Thea tried to use the gentlest tone possible, "Would you like to go for a walk? Perhaps I can help you think of a solution..."

The dim lighting gave Thea a gentle yet alluring aura.

"……good……"

Hermione had no idea how she and Thea had ended up at the Black Lake, chatting away. Gazing into Thea's deep and gentle eyes, she couldn't help but ramble on and on...

"So how do you plan to release your house-elves?"

At this point, Hermione became incredibly enthusiastic, "First, I want to make many people realize that exploiting house-elves is wrong! Then I plan to propose to the Ministry of Magic that they amend the laws concerning house-elves and grant them legal rights!"

Thea smiled. She really was still a young girl who hadn't even left school.

"How many people are in your association now?"

Hermione blushed instantly and whispered in a barely audible voice, "...12."

Thea nodded. "So, are they truly on your side?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Among those pet Pokémon, how many share your thoughts?"

Hermione's face turned pale. "...Only Dobby..."

But she quickly explained, "He's already found a paid job! Right here at Hogwarts!"

“But that’s the salary Dumbledore pays him,” Thea coldly exposed the truth. “Besides Dumbledore and you, I can’t think of anyone else who would be willing to pay their salaries.”

"...And what about you?" Hermione asked, staring intently at Thea.

“Me?” Thea chuckled. “Hermione, I still rely on the Malfoy family for support. Where would I get the money to pay them wages?”

"But aren't you the heir to the Black family?"

Thea's expression instantly turned cold, making Hermione uneasy. "Hermione... since you know about exploitation, you must know the meaning of the word 'slave owner'!"

Thea seemed oblivious to Hermione's increasingly pale face, and continued, "Judging from my status, I am an out-and-out slave owner, which is completely opposite to your position, isn't it?"

"The reason I'm standing here, willing to listen to your troubles and offer you advice, is simply out of a sense of duty as a friend. Once you leave this campus, you should know how many people, including myself, would be willing to stand by your side."

Seeing that the little girl seemed about to burst into tears at any moment, Thea softened her voice, "Hermione, you need to know that what you're doing now has another name: revolution!"

"You want to change the status of house-elves? That's like taking money out of the pockets of pure-blood families!"

“No one will stand by and watch their Galleons be taken from their pockets; they will definitely fight back.”

"If you want to change the status of a race, you can't rely on the pity of those in power, nor can you rely on the verbal battles of a group of people."

"What compassion? It's nothing more than a few flowers that the upper class peeks out from between their fingers as decoration when they pretend to be kind. It's of little use to you."

"Only those who hold power in their own hands have a voice!"

The moonlight illuminated Thea's features, and Hermione seemed to only now truly realize another side of Thea, but the trust built up over time still gave this Gryffindor the courage to act.

"...Thea, are you suggesting I join the Ministry of Magic after graduation?"

“If you want to achieve this goal, joining the Ministry of Magic will be the most convenient path for you,” Thea replied without hesitation.

“Oh…” Hermione lowered her head, seemingly pondering the long passage Thea had just spoken.

"You don't need to worry too much. Your grades are excellent, and getting into the Ministry of Magic shouldn't be difficult for you," Thea said, realizing she had been a bit harsh. She tried her best to comfort her.

"Then... Thea, will you help me?"

"………Maybe……"

In the end, Thea only gave an ambiguous answer.