The Death of Winky, House Elf
She never understood why Dobby was so happy. House elves weren't supposed to be happy or have fun; that's what Winky always said. They were born to serve their masters; period, end of sentence. She did her work and took her punishment when it was necessary. She was completely dedicated to the Crouch family and was fiercely loyal. Barty Crouch, Sr. broke her heart when he sent her away. She didn't clearly understand the treason Barty Jr. had committed; she only knew that she would die for him if she had to.
Dobby rescued her and Professor Dumbledore allowed her to work in the kitchen at Hogwarts castle. She didn't understand how the Hogwarts house elves could be so cheery. A nice place to work and a warm bed to sleep seemed more like punishment to her. Winky didn't think of herself as particularly sad, but compared to the house elves at Hogwarts, she was downright morose. She missed the Crouch's and for several months after she came to Hogwarts, she spent all her evening sitting by the fire drinking butterbeer and crying until she passed out. She didn't know who carried her to her sleeping corner every night, but when she woke up to help with breakfast, she'd been carefully covered with a warm blanket. None of the other house elves mentioned her drinking directly to her, but they did give her sympathetic looks and often stopped talking when she entered a room. Did the others not understand that her life was over? She was a failure.
After a while though, she started to loosen up just a wee bit. The other house elves did all they could to make her feel welcome. It was rough, but gradually, Winky didn't burst into tears immediately when someone tried talking to her. Dobby was very patient with her, but he didn't allow her to feel sorry for herself any longer. He told her that she was lucky to be at Hogwarts and that she could do a lot worse. She might have gotten a family like the Malfoy's who were mean and vicious and treated Dobby badly. Winky didn't understand that either; weren't house elves supposed to be treated badly especially when they failed to do their duties?
Dobby just shook his head and walked away. Winky was one pathetic house elf. He was worried about her drinking and melancholy. He really didn't understand how she could prefer working for a snooty owner like the Barty Crouch, Sr., when she could be a free elf getting paid to work at the greatest magical school in the world. Still, he never gave up on her. He watched her pass out every night from butterbeer and then he'd lovingly carry her to her sleeping corner, making sure she stayed warm.
One night, just as Winky was nodding off by the fireplace, the kitchen erupted with shouting and wailing like nothing she had ever heard before. She woke up quickly to find Dobby and all the other house elves in the kitchen.
"What's going on? Is something happen?" she asked, shaking her enormous head, trying to sober up.
"Is bad, Winky!" Dobby said. "Is real bad. Professor Dumbledore is been killed!"
The other house elves renewed their sobbing. Winky was stunned. Professor Dumbledore? Killed? Who would do such a thing? Professor Dumbledore was a kindest man to Winky.
"Dobby is wrong!" Winky shouted back at him. "Professor Dumbledore is kindest man. Winky never told Professor Dumbledore. Dobby and Professor Dumbledore saved Winky!" Winky threw herself on the fireplace hearth and began to wail and sob louder than the others.
"Dobby not wrong. Professor Snape killed him with the killing curse and now he's gone, too!" one of the other house elves interjected. "It a sad day. Sad, sad."
"Professor Snape kill Professor Dumbledore?" Winky asked. That seemed impossible to her. No, that couldn't be right. Professor Snape was his friend.
Winky just shook her head. "What is goin' to happen to Winky now?" she asked, more to herself than to Dobby because Dobby was busy trying to comfort the rest of the house elves.
A few hours later, Professor McGonagall came down to the kitchen and spoke with the house elves, confirming what they already knew. She had been crying, but she held her head high. She was headmistress now and she assured them that everything would remain the same. She gave them the next day off to mourn the Professor and to attend his memorial service, but the house elves told her they would work the next day in honor of Professor Dumbledore. It was their way to paying him homage. Professor McGonagall smiled and nodded knowingly. She understood their sense of duty.
"Things may change in Hogwarts," she warned. "I may not be here very much longer. If you decide to leave us, I do understand. There will be dark days ahead."
None of the other house elves, except for Dobby, seem to understand what she was telling them. Dobby's shoulder slumped over resigned. He knew that with Professor Dumbledore dead, Hogwarts was in danger of being taken over by dark wizards. He shook his head sadly.
The other house elves protested loudly. They would never leave Hogwarts! They promised. It was as much their home as the faculty and staff. They would defend Hogwarts to the death, if need be. Professor McGonagall thanked them for their loyal service and returned to her new office.
And life at Hogwarts did change after that night. Incredibly, the very man who killed Professor Dumbledore, Professor Severus Snape, was named headmaster of Hogwarts. And what was even worse, the Ministry of Magic hired two of the most sadistic Death Eaters in Voldemort's army: Alecto & Amycus Carrow. Dobby was sure they were sent to spy on Hogwarts and especially Professor Snape. All Winky knew was they were the worst kind of wizards she had ever known.
Alecto took over as Muggle Studies' teacher after the Charity Burbage disappeared and Amycus took over the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts with the promotion of Professor Snape to headmaster. They seem to enjoy tormenting students. The house elves stayed out of their way because they were especially cruel to them.
She stayed in the kitchen or in the prefects' bathrooms or the laundry room out of everyone's way and didn't talk to anyone, so she didn't know exactly what was going on. Some days she wouldn't see Dobby at all and that frightened her even more.
Dobby stayed away from Hogwarts for longer and longer periods of time. Winky missed her friend very much. Without Dobby to take care of her, she started drinking more heavily and even though she was always able to do her assigned work, she spent time when she wasn't working sitting on the hearth of the fireplace drinking. This time Dobby wasn't there to help her into her sleeping corner and cover her so she wouldn't get cold. She realized that with Dobby she had been happy and that it was possible for a house elf to be cheery. Now she just needed to tell him.
Winky's excessive drinking had damaged her ability to do magic. That was not something she spoke about. Truthfully, the only house elf she spoke to was Dobby and he had been so busy lately with all that was going on. Bad things were happening in the castle. She took the pledge to stop drinking and she did! She spent her evening helping the other house elves and she was eager to tell Dobby that she had turned her life around. She was even beginning to make friends.
Even with all the bad things that were happening at Hogwarts and in the wizarding world, Winky's attitude was improving and she looked forward to seeing Dobby again. Dobby told her that he was going on an important mission to help his good friend Harry Potter. He was so happy to help his friend. Winky met Harry, but she was too distraught to talk to him. She knew all about him, of course. He was all that Dobby and the other house elves talked about most of the time. He was the "chosen one" and he was going to get rid of Voldemort and the dark wizards. It was his destiny.
Winky waited and waited for Dobby to return. He'd never been gone that long before and the other house elves were beginning to worry. Winky knew Dobby could take care of himself; he was one of the bravest and smartest house elves she ever knew. She realized that Dobby changed her life and she absolutely loved him. She couldn't imagine life without her Dobby.
It was Professor McGonagall who walked into the kitchen that night. A look of sadness on her face. She had been crying. What was wrong this time? They wondered. Maybe Professor Snape was dead. They gathered around her quietly. "Terrible, terrible news," she said, wiping a tear from her eyes. "I'm so sorry to tell you that your dear friend Dobby is dead."
The stunned silence was replaced by sobs and wailing. The house elves threw themselves on each other for support. All but Winky.
"No! No! Madam is wrong!" they cried.
But Winky knew. She had had been right all along. House elves were never meant to be happy. She sighed heavily and turned around toward the fireplace and disappeared into the night.