Chapter 4: The Creature That Answered
Severus quickly steps in front of Lily to hide it from the creature's prying eyes; the creature emerges from the darkness he was hidden in to be revealed as a simple house elf. Severus hides his surprise at not being aware of the house elf's presence much sooner.
"What do you want, and why are you here?"
"Forgive me young master, I meant no intrusion on your affairs. It's Dinky's job to clean the Astronomy Towers once a week, but I was later than usual getting around to it tonight."
Lily comes forward, after having put her shirt back down.
"I've meant house elves before, but they do not speak a well as you do. Why are you so well spoken, while the other house elves can barely put together a coherent sentence?"
Dinky turns and looks to the young mistress and replies, "A servant is not unintelligent, young mistress...and those who are cannot help themselves. If you suffer house elves to be ill-educated and our manners corrupted from infancy...then punish us for those crimes to which our first education disposed us...what else is to be concluded, my lady...but that wizards and witches first make ill educated slaves and then punish them?"
Lily gasps and then slowly shakes her head in agreement. Dinky's logic is irrevocably and in complete agreement with her views on the injustice and prejudices running rampant within the wizarding world. Lily just wasn't expecting what wizards and witches both believed to be the most ignorant of magical creatures; be so able to point out in a mere few sentences the blindness and arrogance of which even she had fallen into. With tears in her eyes Lily turns to the little house elf Dinky.
"Please, Master Dinky if you would excuse me my ignorance and prejudice, and allow me forgiveness, please consider, if I may have the pleasure of your company to better understand your people and their ways.
Dinky bows and smiles at Lily, then turn to Severus, and did the same.
"Dinky accepts your apology and would be pleased to tell you anything that my lady wishes to know about me and my people. My lord and lady I have heard your pleas and I wish to provide you with help."
"What do you mean Dinky? How can you help? Do you have employment you can provide for us?"
"No, young lord I do not have a place of work for you in Diagon Alley, I have something better. I know of a world of peace, a world created by all the races of elves; a world so much more magical than even the Wizarding world. A world where children who suffer as you both have can come and find peace."
*Quote taken from Ever After and rearranged by Dinky for his own purposes.*