Nod.

He goes on to explain their three non-core required classes - Flying is actually only one semester, they'll have that block free after the Yule holidays, and anyone who joins a flight related club can be excused after only a few basic lessons. Orientation will help them learn about Hogwarts, such as how to find and use the school library and hospital wing. It'll also teach them about the magical world, including things like laws relevant to them. It'll teach magical safety - probably fairly early - including wand safety and what to do if someone is injured. Composition will help them learn how to write with quills and how to write essays. If any students are having trouble with reading or with recognizing words in their textbooks, the teacher's assistant who teaches Composition is the established tutor for that.

They have six core classes, which mostly will be referencing each other as relevant, working through modules together.

Each class meets for only two hours a week, and can't assign more than two hours of homework for the average student. Flying, Orientation, and Composition usually don't assign homework. Tutoring is available for all classes, usually by teacher's assistants.

Mostly things she already heard about from Professor Reynolds.

Professor Flitwick doesn't keep them very long, dismissing them soon enough to 'go have fun.' (He does tell them where their Orientation classroom will be - and that a Prefect will lead them there on the first two days.)

Ellie does have one question before she goes to have fun.

"Professor, who cooks the meals?"

"The house elves do," he explains. "They also help keep the castle tidy."

"Where are they?"

"The first floor of the dungeons - under the Great Hall, roughly."

"Thanks."

He smiles. "You're quite welcome, Miss Potter."

That's all the questions she had.

He heads off, then.

"So house elves," she says to Anathema.

"Not too surprised it's house elves... They work for wizards a lot."

"Read about them, but haven't met one. Want to go looking?"

"Sure!"

They can start at the Great Hall. Give them some practice getting there too.

Seems fair.

There's stairs down pretty near the Great Hall, and they're able to backtrack without much effort - and the kitchen is audible, a hum of activity and voices, even from a few turns away.

"Sounds like we're close."

"Yeah." Onward!

The Hogwarts kitchens are apparently rather large - and occupied entirely by very short people with grey or brown skin, sometimes with mossy crackles over them. Their eyes are exceptionally large for their faces - which aren't human shaped at all, more of a sideways oval or diamond - in shades of silver or amber or green, and they all have long thin ears and long bony fingers. They're mostly wearing what looks like tea towels folded into a tunic with the Hogwarts symbol emblazoned on it. There's not much activity right now - it's still two hours until dinner, though some food preparations seem to be starting. One - much smaller than the others, head a bit larger - is sitting near the entrance, apparently keeping an eye on the hallway while practicing cracking nuts. They look up when Ellie and Anathema round the corner and then stand, chirping, "Students!"

"Hello."

"Hello!" Anathema says. "We were looking for the kitchens!"

The house elf bobs their head cheerfully. "This is them, miss students!" they say. "Are you wanting snacks - ?"

"We were wondering if you did requests?"

"Of course, of course! We can bring food to other places, or at other times, or here, or do any sort of special food! And if you have a strict diet or any restrictions or allergies, we can tell where you're sitting in the Great Hall and put only your food in front of you - though the Madam in the Hospital Wing can help get allergies less bad."

"Oh. That's very, um, helpful. How do you tell where we're sitting from down here?"