Written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition
Team: Holyhead Harpies Position: Captain
Length: 1,053 words, excluding A/Ns
DISCLAIMER:
No matter how much I wish, I shall never be J. K. Rowling.
No matter how much I beg, I shall never own Harry Potter.
It was a fine day in the middle of April, the 14th if you must know, when the news arrived. Two words, that was all the news carried, two words. Yet these two words changed everything for a house elf named Winky:
Winky worked in the kitchens at Hogwarts. House elves were like slaves in most places. However, it was completely different in Hogwarts; where house-elves were not treated as slaves, but as servants. Unfortunately house-elves liked to be treated as slaves with only one known exception, Winky's friend Dobby, who desired like no one else in his race ever before, to be free and to wear clothes.
Winky was sitting on her bed, staring at Dobby's, (which unlike hers, or any other elves, was bright, colourful and looked cheerful) wondering when he would arrive; a few weeks ago he had gone to help Harry Potter who was in danger. There had been no news from Dobby since then.
As if sensing her fear of Dobby being injured, a house elf named Comy ran in shouting, "Dobby dead, Dobby dead."
Winky froze when the news reached her ears, "Dobby?" she asked in a whisper, not wanting to believe it.
Comy nodded vigorously, "Master... Professor Snape tells Comy that we needs a new house elf, he tells Comy that Dobby dead."
Dobby dead, Dobby dead, the words rang in her ears as they sank in. Soon the words changed from 'Dobby dead,' to 'Winky's Dobby dead,' ' Winky's Dobby dead,' 'Winky's Dobby dead.'
Yes, Winky loved Dobby, after all Dobby was the only house elf who had been nice to her when she had been drinking Butterbeer, and now, he was gone. Dobby was gone.
Dobby who had helped her find a job after Master Barty had given her clothes and then, had also helped her get over being sacked and stop her from drinking Butterbeer. Dobby had given her life a purpose again, and now, he was gone. Dobby was not there for her anymore. Dobby...
"Winky love you Dobby," she squeaked in barely a whisper as a silent tear rolled down her cheek. "Winky love you Dobby," she repeated a bit louder. "Winky love you Dobby," she said again and again, almost hoping that Dobby would hear her come back to her.
Winky lay on her bed for a while, grieving about the death of Dobby. Hours passed before she was able to build enough courage to go to Dobby's bed. She climbed onto his bed, picturing Dobby, the house elf she loved and already missed dearly.
Unlike her dark blue rug, Dobby's bed had a colourful patchwork quilt. In one corner lay two boxes, one contained Dobby's belongings (mainly socks) and the others gifts he had made for her, Harry Potter and Harry Potter's friend Wheasy. At the bottom of the latter box lay her blue petticoat and skirt, the ones she had worn when she first came to Hogwarts. Dobby had washed them for her, he had always wanted her to wear them but she had always refused. Things had changed now. She put them on, for Dobby. She then pulled out the socks he had made for her, they did not match, but Winky did not care. Dobby would be pleased.
That night, Winky had the worst night she'd had since she had met Dobby, her poor Dobby. She decided that she would avenge his death, Winky's Dobby's death. Winky cried herself to sleep that night.
April had gone and May had arrived without Winky even noticing it. In the last few weeks, Winky wasn't herself. Ever since she heard that Dobby died, she had lost her sense of time. Every day was just the same, get up, work, go to bed, and miss Dobby all day. Nothing would ever changed unless she got her Dobby back.
It was the evening of the second of May, there was a battle going in the school, on the higher floors. Most of the elves were hiding in the kitchens, or in their beds. Winky was sitting, alone, near the fire place, thinking about Dobby as she always did.
The words 'Dobby dead' still rung in Winky's ears, when the news of a death arrived, Harry Potter was dead. Harry Potter, the reason Dobby wasn't living anymore. Harry Potter who Dobby had gone to save and had been killed as a result. Dobby had saved Harry Potter's life in vain, Harry Potter would have died any which way. Though she knew that Dobby would never forgive himself if he knew that he had the power to save Harry Potter.
However, she knew that Harry Potter cared for Dobby and had not just forgotten her Dobby after he had died. After all she had gone to Dobby's grave and she had seen what Harry Potter had made for Dobby. Harry Potter cared for Dobby, just as she had. However, she, not only cared for Dobby, but loved him, too, with all her heart.
If Dobby had been there, Winky would have been sad and worried for the future of the House Elves, but Dobby was not there with her. The only elf that had ever been nice to her was not there. Winky was all alone; she had no one left, nobody cared for her anymore and she did not care for anyone else.
A few minutes later (what seemed like a few hours for Winky) the house elves heard that Harry Potter was still alive; Winky still did not care at all, hearing the screams above reminded her of Dobby. She did not even care for any of the people above, she just wanted Dobby. Her Dobby...
It was then that Kreacher, another elf said: "Kreacher wants to fight, Kreacher wants to fight for Master Regulus," Kreacher was going to go up and avenge Regulus' death.
None of the others wanted to join him, Winky would not have either if she had not wanted to avenge Dobby's death. "Winky will come with Kreacher," she said, getting up and picking up a chopping knife and a fork. Under her breath she added "Winky love Dobby. Winky will fight for Dobby because Winky love Dobby."
Thankyou for reading it, review if you please :)
Special thanks to MK and Alicia, who helped Beta my story.