If nothing else, at least he hadn't gotten immediately defensive when she mentioned that elves were largely slaves to wizarding families, but then, he likely hadn't pegged her for being part of the wizarding community herself. Luckily, her own family was comprised of Muggles, so they wouldn't even know what to do with an elf if one ended up in their home and insisted on scrubbing the floors. At least that was one good thing Hermione could take away from being Muggle-born.

She didn't know who or what Morgoth and Sauron were, but from the sounds of it, this elf's world was much better off than hers or even Thedas was, at least in their treatment of elves. "Then there is a world where elves are respected and well-treated? Oh, that's wonderful! I'd been beginning to think that being treated poorly was just their lot in life regardless of where that life was being lived; I couldn't understand it, really, especially not after meeting the much more independent elves of Thedas."

Hermione paused, then, frowning a little at the last thing he said. "What do you mean, 'the time of elves among the free folk is ending'? You say it as though it's a good thing, but that sounds like you're willingly giving up your freedom."