"Thanks!"

So he goes to find the kitchens.

And on the way there he runs into a group of Hufflepuffs being led by a prefect, who notices him and blinks. "I'm pretty sure you got Sorted into Slytherin, young man," the prefect says, smiling.

"I have to talk to the kitchen staff."

"Why?"

"I have special foods I have to eat, and my prefect wasn't very nice about it, so I decided to come here."

"Oh, that makes sense. But you could probably ask about that in the morning? Aren't you tired?"

"I didn't eat any dinner because I wasn't sure. I think I should ask them, and maybe ask for some food, and then sleep. It's not good to skip meals, I think."

"Oh, yes, that makes sense. Except... The Hufflepuff Common Room's location is a secret, and as you've noticed now, it's on the way to the kitchens."

"I still don't really know where it is. I can just go inside and you can keep walking to wherever the Common Room is. Since I haven't seen it yet."

"But then that would tell you our Common Room is not in the kitchens, which it could be."

"Okay, so I'll wander around for twenty minutes and then come back, it can't take that long to get to your common room."

"That's a good idea. Good luck!"

And the prefect moves on.

Scott wanders around for twenty minutes, making sure not to take any stairs. 

And when he returns the group of Hufflepuffs won't be there anymore.

In which case, he tickles the pear, and looks for a house elf.

There are several! The kitchens are shaped like the Great Hall, with tables on the exact same configurations and sizes as the ones up there, and there are short long-eared wrinkly people wearing scraps doing work here and there. They notice him, and one of them approaches. "Is Mr. Student being looking for something?"

"You can call me Scott, if you want! How do you like it here?"

"Tinky is liking her job very much, sir! There is always things to do."

"That's good! What kind of things do you like to do?"

"Tinky is enjoying making foods very much, sir! It's why Tinky is working in the kitchens." She leans forward conspiratorially and whispers, "Tinky is especially liking making dessert."

"Why do you like working in the kitchens, though? Do you like to work?"

"Yes! Tinky is enjoying working very much, Tinky is a good elf."

"I don't like to work. Why do you like to work?"

"Tinky is being a good elf! Good elves like to work."

"If a wizard was working without pay, that would be sad. But when an elf works without pay, it's not?"