Chapter 13

Christmas was finally upon the castle and the spirit of the holiday was all around us. It was an interesting experience for me, I must admit. I had never had a good Christmas; all my Christmases were filled with hate and distaste, living with the Crouches and being ordered around all the time. I wasn't used to just sitting down for a Christmas meal and it was all new to me.

Yes, this was new and exciting! The birds were chirping outside the windows, the frost was glittering like diamonds on the clear glass, as if anticipating the festivities. Even the grounds seemed to be thrilled and the Whomping Willow was covered in a glorious blanket of white. It looked proud and tall, standing guard over the secret passageway which had been closed off from any entrance after last year.

The forest still looked dark and mysterious, yet now there seemed to be a glint of anticipation around it. The thick layer of snow covering the tree tops held strong against the billowing winds. It was a winter wonderland, with many hidden secrets and surprises for us to find and explore.

Inside the castle, the holiday magic was surrounding every wall and crevice. All the students were in anticipation for the festivities which would take place that evening and all hoped for a wondrous experience to take their minds off the horrors around them. You-Know-Who was gathering more power and causing mayhem all around the world now, which was making everyone nervous. Everyone was waiting for news from home.

I woke up early Christmas morning with a feeling of dread deep inside me. I couldn't explain it, nor could I shake it off. After dressing and walking down the stairs, I saw all the Ravenclaw students happily opening their gifts and sharing their candy. I felt a bit left out. Since I had no one to send me gifts I didn't get anything from under the giant tree, which towered over everyone in the common room.

Sitting down, I watched George shake as he opened his parcel, revealing a blue shaded book. It looked like a photo album, yet I couldn't be sure. He began to shake more, and I could swear I heard a sob erupt from his throat as he got up and ran to his dormitory. I knew something had happened and I knew why I'd woken up feeling the way I did.

What could I do though? I knew if George wanted someone to talk to he would have come to me and asked to talk in private, yet he didn't so I left him alone for now. But I would talk to him later and find out what was wrong. Frowning, I stood and stretched my muscles. I headed out of the portrait hole and made my way towards the Great Hall, from where I could hear faint music coming. I was lost in thought and didn't hear the footfalls behind me,

"Winky! Wait up! I need to ask you something!"

I stopped, just inches from the stairs, and turned around to see Hermione skidding to a halt. She was out of breath and her hair was tangled with the gold ribbon which she had put on.

"Hi, Hermione. What's going on?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow, curious now.

She took a deep breath, waiting for her heart to slow down and smiled.

"I have a surprise for you, come on!"

She grabbed my hand and took off, running into a secret passage. I felt the air rush by my floppy ears as we ran, having no idea where we were going until we stopped in front of a portrait of a bowl of fruit. My eyes lit up as I realized where we were. The kitchens!

Ever since I started school, I had no time to visit my House Elf friends, having to do homework and other stuff which took most of my time. But now that the holidays were here I was able to wander around and visit them. I had planned on doing this later that evening, when the festivities were over, but coming sooner was better. I smiled a huge, happy smile as I tickled the pear and watched the doorknob appear and placed my hand on it. Suddenly, I was unsure. How would they react to me being there? Would they be thrilled to see me, or would they hate me even more than they did when I first told them I was enrolling? There was only one way to find out and I slowly turned the knob with a bouncy Hermione in my wake.

The first thing I noticed when the door fully opened was the smell. Roasted chickens and potatoes invaded my senses, making my mouth water and my stomach to rumble. By the looks of the kitchen, breakfast had just been served since there was a large basin full of dirty pans washing themselves. Along the walls hung large pots and pans, gleaming in the candlelight. Elves were standing around the four large tables in the center of the room, placing the gold plates in a row along with the napkins and goblets. It was going to be a great feast, nothing like the start-of-term feast which had been held already.

"Winky!" Squeaked a shaky voice to the right of me.

I turned and saw Dobby, wearing his floppy hats and filthy clothes. He looked older since I saw him, which was only a few months ago. His tennis ball-shaped eyes were more droopy than normal and his floppy ears hung limp and lifeless, twitching every so often. I didn't care though.

"Dobby!" I said as I walked up to him, a tear glistening in my eye as I hugged him tightly. I released him from my hold. "How are you? It's been forever it seems!"

"Dobby is fine Winky. Dobby missed Winky though. The others don't like Dobby anymore since all he talks about is Winky."

"I missed you, too, Dobby."

I began walking with him to the stoves, where the chicken and other meats were now being roasted slowly, in preparation for the meal hours later. It brought back strange memories; I could remember standing in this exact spot, heightened by a stool stirring a pot full of potatoes and vegetables. I wanted to do that again, and found myself beginning to stand on the worn out wooden stool, when I heard a coughing noise behind us.

Blushing I stepped away, to where Hermione was standing by the doorway, watching me with a warm smile on her face. She seemed pleased about something. I couldn't put my finger on it, though, but didn't care as I watched all the Elves work away happily, or so it seemed to me.

"Dobby, how are things going?" I asked sheepishly, turning to where Dobby stood, holding something.

"Things are going well, Winky. Dobby now has enough money to buy Dobby enough wool to knit a sweater!"

He bounced up and down in excitement, causing me to laugh a bit.

"That's great Dobby, I'm glad. What colors are you buying?"

"Dobby is not sure. Dobby cannot decide on what pattern he wants to make."

His head was bowed slightly. I walked up to him with a warm smile.

"I'm sure it'll be wonderful, Dobby, whatever you decide."

His ears perked up and he jumped around happily, making me laugh. Suddenly he stopped and ran to get something from the back storage room which was hidden to all the students who came in. Seconds later he came back, holding a package in his thin knobby arms. Coming up to me, he held it out.

"Happy Christmas, Winky."

I took the package with slightly shaking hands and looked at him, a tear slowly forming in my eye.

"I don't have anything -"

"Dobby does not care, seeing Winky is enough." He said, large sticky tears falling down his face, making me cry.

I had always been a very sensitive Elf. Brushing away the tears quickly since Hermione was still in the room, I slowly unwrapped the dingy brown paper and looked with my mouth wide open.

Inside was a picture of me and Dobby, surrounded by the other Kitchen Elves. We were all dressed in our Hogwarts uniforms. It had been taken two years ago by a student…I think his name was Colin something. My heart swelled as I remembered that time, when I was still going through the difficult separation from my old master, Mister Crouch. I was such a bad Elf back then, doing nothing but sit on a stool by the fire drinking Butterbeer. It was a hard time in my life but I got through it, thanks to Dobby. Dobby was such a special person in my life, I don't know what I would've done without him.

"Thank you, Dobby, it's wonderful." I said chokingly, tears still springing to my eyes, even though I tried stopping them.

Dobby looked at me with his large eyes and bowed low to the ground, his ears scraping the stone floor.

"Winky is welcome. Dobby is glad Winky likes her present."

"Dobby, I wish you would stop talking in the third person," Hermione said, coming out from her spot and staring at Dobby with a mock glare. "You're not a normal Elf, you're special."

I giggled in my hand as I wiped my tears away and moved off. Dobby, however, looked shocked and bowed low again.

"Miss Hermione! Dobby is glad to see you again!"

Hermione shook her head, chuckling a bit and answered as she moved around, still staring at him.

"I'm fine, Dobby, how are you?"

"Dobby is good Miss, Dobby is happy to see Miss." Dobby replied, a squeak in his voice now, which meant he was nervous.

I wasn't really paying any attention to them now, though, as I walked around the kitchen, remembering everything as if it was yesterday. I stopped by the enormous fireplace, it's hollowed-out area ablaze with a warm and cozy fire. I had this sudden urge to sit down beside it and drink, and it scared me. I still wasn't over that period in my life, it was still new to me, even though it had happened years ago.

I guess even now, decades later, I still think about it sometimes and try to think of what my life would be like if I hadn't been accepted into Hogwarts. What my life would be like if I hadn't been granted permission to live like a normal witch. I would still be sitting on that stool, wasting my life away slowly, drinking my ambitions and happiness from a Butterbeer bottle. I guess I'm lucky I had such great friends like Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who stuck up for me so many times, helping me overcome my fears and inhibitions. I owe them a lot, and I will never forget them.

Anyway, as I was saying, I stared into that fire, watching my old life disappear in the burning flames, and knew that I was becoming something more. I was now a normal witch, holding my own in the wizarding world. I still had a long way to go before I was fully capable of doing it, but I knew I would; I knew I would become something great, something to be proud of. One day, the world would look up to me, instead of down and mockingly.

"…to go," someone said behind me.

I jumped, not knowing how long I had been standing there staring into the flames. I saw Hermione with her hand out, waiting for me.

"I'm sorr,y what? I must have blacked out there," I said slowly, as I walked over to her. I finally felt happier than I had in a long time. I knew that after all these trials that I would become something great.

"I said it's time for us to go. Winky, are you alright?"

Hermione had concern etched on her young face. I nodded, smiling warmly and turned towards the still-open door. I stopped abruptly and turned back to Dobby. I suddenly ran to him and embraced him in a warm hug.

"Thank you, Dobby, for everything. I mean it, you have helped me overcome so much over these years, and I don't know what I would do without you."

Dobby look shocked, but hugged me back with a warm, teary-eyed smile on his face. Slowly we let go, laughed at ourselves and said goodbye. For me, it sounded like a final good-bye, but I hoped it wouldn't be. I took a deep, cleansing breath and walked out the kitchen door, hearing the entire room fill with goodbyes as I left. I knew I finally had become something to them, that I had become their beacon of hope. They had figured it out; if I could change my life, and get into school, then they could too.