Chapter 21: Stuff
Josh, Harry, and Ron went up to the Owlery that evening to find Pigwidgeon, so that Josh could send Sirius a letter telling them that he had managed to get past his dragon. On the way, Josh would have filled Ron in on everything Sirius had told them about Karkaroff, but seemed that Harry had already told him, so it was relieving to Josh that he didn't have to explain to Ron about anything.
"It was pretty shocking to learn the Karkaroff had been a Death Eater," Ron said by the time they entered the Owlery. "I mean remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff?"
"You heard that too?" Josh asked, his arm still in a sling. Ron nodded.
"Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup… I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry, Josh, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You're still alive!" Ron said.
"Yeah," Josh said nonchalantly, and began looking around for an owl to use.
"You can use my owl," Ron said, gesturing to Pigwidgeon.
Pigwidgeon was so overexcited at the idea of a delivery he was flying around and around Ron's head, hooting incessantly. Ron snatched Pigwidgeon out of the air and held him still while Josh attached the letters to his leg.
"There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?" Ron said as he carried Pigwidgeon to the window. "You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Josh, I'm serious. I mean, I bet Harry could win too!"
Harry and Josh looked at one another and rolled their eyes.
"Yeah, maybe, Ron," Josh said. "But I still have a long way to go before I finish this tournament. I mean, if fighting a Dragon was the first task, I hate to see what's next, facing a giant octupus to save the girl I love?"
Ron shrugged, "Hey, I was just trying to make you feel better," he said.
"Thanks for trying," Josh replied, with a sigh.
Ron threw Pigwidgeon out of the window. Pigwidgeon plummeted twelve feet before managing to pull himself back up again; the letter attached to his leg - Josh hadn't been able to resist giving Sirius blow-by-blow accounts of exactly how he had evaded the Horntail. They watched Pigwidgeon disappear into the darkness, and then Ron spoke, "Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, - Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now."
The three Gryffindors made their way out of the Owlery and towards the Gryffindor Tower. They were on the second floor when Josh noticed that one of his shoes were untied.
"You guys go ahead," Josh said, stopping and kneeling down to try and tie his shoe. Harry and Ron nodded and continued to walk on.
"That was quite of preformance," said a familiar voice. Josh looked up to see his cousin, Cyrus, leaning against the wall in front of him. Josh stood up, while staring at his smug looking cousin. "But I think Krum still did a way better job then you. Exited the arena unscathed."
"Right," Josh replied. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if it was you who put my name in the Goblet of Fire."
"Why the heck would I want to do that?" Cyrus said, pushing off the wall. "I mean, yeah it's fun to see my younger cousin squirm and nearly get destroyed, but I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't even know how to do that. Besides, I'd rather have a Durmstrang Champion, not some stupid Hogwarts champ. I was as mad as Kakaroff when I learned another one of you pigstarts became champ, all of us were."
"So you don't want me dead?" Josh said, keeping a wary on his cousin.
"Why would I want you dead, Josh," Cyrus said, placing an arm around his shoulders. "I mean, you're family, and according to your family's status, me and my family are the only family you have left."
"Joshua!" called a voice. Cyrus and Josh turned to see Daphne walking up to them.
"What do you have here?" Josh heard Cyrus mutter.
"Daphne," Josh said, pushing Cyrus off of him.
"Hey," Daphne greeted, stopping in front of the two boys. "Who's this?" she asked.
"No one," Josh said, quickly.
"Now, now, Josh," Cyrus said, taking a step foward. "No need to be rude. Hello, I'm Cyrus Emyrs, Josh's cousin," He greeted, holding out his hand.
Daphne took his hand, "Daphne Greengrass," she said.
"It's nice to to meet a lovely woman such as yourself, Miss Greengrass," Cyrus said, taking Daphne's hand and kissing it, making her blush a little. Josh stood there glaring hard at his cousin, clenching his hands into fists. "Josh never told me he had befriended such a beautiful and intelligent lady."
"Well, he never told me he had such a dashing and polite cousin," Daphne replied with a small smile.
"That's because i don't have one," Josh spoke up. "Did you need me for something?"
"Yes, I..." Daphne said, while looking at Cyrus's smiling face. "Don't remember."
"Well, shame, but I'm off!" Cyrus said, turning to Josh, "See you later, pal," he said, punching Josh's injured arm.
"Ow!" Josh hissed, grabbing his arm and glaring at his cousin.
Cyrus turned to Daphne. "It was a pleasure, Miss Greengrass," he said, and bowed. "I would love to see you again. Well, Goodbye," he finished and then walking away, passing Daphne. Josh watched him leave. He watched as Cyrus turned, smirked and winked and then finally took his leave.
"Your cousin sure is something," Daphne said as she began to walk. Josh rolled his eyes and followed her.
"Sure," he said. "I gotta go, they're expecting me back in Gryffindor Tower."
"Okay," was all Daphne said.
"Right," Josh said, and began to leave.
"Oh yeah!" Josh heard Daphne say, "Josh! Wait up!" she called, running after Josh who stopped and turned to her. "Me and some of the Slytherins wanted to have a party with you."
"Really?" Josh said with raised eyebrows. "Well, I can't right now, I have to show my face at the Gryffindor Common Room."
"That's okay," Daphne said. "We can do it tomorrow afternoon." Josh nodded.
"Alright," he said, and smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."
Daphne smiled back. "Okay," she said, and both teen parted ways.
Josh entered the Gryffindor common room and was surprised when it exploded with cheers and yells again. There were mountains of cakes and flagons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on every surface; Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster's Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks; and Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some impressive new banners, most of which depicted Josh with his wand up and tree roots strangling the head of a dragon.
Josh grinned and moved further into the Common Room. He helped himself to food; he had almost forgotten what it was like to feel properly hungry, and sat down with Neville, Harry, and Ron, while Hermione was sitting on the other side of Ron, far away from Josh who loked at her and noticed she was avoiding his gaze.
"Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee, interrupting the moment as he picked up the golden egg, which Josh had left on a table, and weighed it in his hands. "Open it, Josh, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!"
"She's supposed to work out the clue on her own," Hermione said, swiftly. "It's in the tournament rules…"
"I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too," Josh spoke loud enough for Hermione to hear him. He smilde when she saw er smile a little.
"Yeah, go on, Josh, open it!" several people echoed.
Lee passed Josh the egg, and Josh dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and prised it open.
It was hollow and completely empty - but the moment Josh opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room.
"Shut it!" Fred bellowed, his hands over his ears.
"What was that?" said Seamus Finnigan, staring at the egg as Josh slammed it shut again. "Sounded like a banshee… Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Josh!"
"It was someone being tortured!" said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!" Sophie gave him a sad look, knowing what he was so worried about.
"Don't be a prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing… maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Josh."
"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" said Fred.
Hermione looked doubtfully at the plate he was offering her. Fred grinned.
"It's all right," he said. "I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch -"
Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out. Fred, Josh, and a few others laughed.
"Just our little joke, Neville…"
Hermione took a jam tart. Then she said, "Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?"
"Yep," said Fred, grinning at her. He put on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf. "'Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They're dead helpful… get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish."
"How do you get in there?" Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice.
"Easy," said Fred, "concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and -" He stopped and looked suspiciously at her. "Why?"
"Nothing," said Hermione quickly.
"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" said George. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?"
Several people chortled except Josh as he watched Hermione who didn't answer.
"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" said Fred warningly. "You'll put them off their cooking!"
Just then, Josh jumped when Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into a large canary.
"Oh - sorry, Neville!" Fred shouted over all the laughter. "I forgot - it was the custard creams we hexed -"
Within a minute, however, Neville had moulted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he reappeared looking entirely normal. He even joined in laughing.
"Canary Creams!" Fred shouted to the excitable crowd. "George and I invented them - seven Sickles each, a bargain!"
It was nearly one in the morning when Josh finally went up to the dormitory with Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. Before he pulled the curtains of his four-poster shut, Josh set his tiny model of the Hungarian Horntail on the table next to his bed, where it yawned, curled up, and closed its eyes. Dragons, Josh thought, as he pulled the hangings on his four-poster closed, Hagrid had a point… they were all right, really, maybe I can make a living out of it…
The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Draughty though the castle always was in winter, Josh was glad of its fires and thick walls every time he passed the Durmstrang ship on the lake, which was pitching in the high winds, its black sails billowing against the dark skies. They thought the Beauxbatons caravan was likely to be pretty chilly too. Hagrid, he noticed, was keeping Madame Maxime's horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey; the fumes wafting from the trough in the comer of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures class light-headed. This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them.
"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid told the shivering class in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. "Thought we'd jus' try an see if they fancied a kip… we'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes…"
There were now only ten skrewts left; apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them. Each of them was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-blasting ends; their stings and their suckers, combined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things Josh had ever seen. The class looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy blankets.
"We'll jus' lead 'em in here," Hagrid said, "an' put the lids on, and we'll see what happens."
But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. Hagrid was soon yelling, "Don panic, now, don' panic!" while the skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes. Most of the class - Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle in the lead - had fled into Hagrid's cabin through the back door and barricaded themselves in; Harry, Ron, Josh, Hermione, Draco and Blaise, however, were among those who remained outside trying to help Hagrid.
"Oi! Shouldn't you be inside hiding with the rest of your snake buddies?" Ron said to Draco who happened to be helping Ron.
"I want to help out," Draco replied. Ron didn't say anything else and allowed the Malfoy to help out the Weasley.
Together they managed to restrain and tie up nine of the skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts; finally, only one skrewt was left.
"Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid shouted as Harry and Josh used their wands to shoot jets of fiery sparks at the skrewt, which was advancing menacingly on them, its sting arched, quivering, over its back. "Jus' try an slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won hurt any o' the others!"
"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron shouted angrily as Harry and Josh backed into the wall of Hagrid's cabin, still holding the skrewt off with their sparks.
"Well, well, well… this does look like fun."
Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid's garden fence, looking in at the mayhem. She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm.
Hagrid launched himself forward on top of the skrewt that was cornering Harry and Josh and flattened it; a blast of fire shot out of its end, withering the pumpkin plants nearby.
"Who're you?" Hagrid asked Rita Skeeter as he slipped a loop of rope around the skrewt's sting and tightened it.
"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter," Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted.
"Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore," said Hagrid, frowning slightly as he got off the slightly squashed skrewt and started tugging it over to its fellows.
Rita acted as though she hadn't heard what Hagrid had said. "What are these fascinating creatures called?" she asked, beaming still more widely.
"Blast-Ended Skrewts," grunted Hagrid.
"Really?" said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. "I've never heard of them before… where do they come from?"
Josh noticed a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid's wild black beard, and his hearts sank. Where had Hagrid got the skrewts from? Hermione, who seemed to be thinking along these lines, said quickly, "They're very interesting, aren't they? Aren't they, Harry?"
"What? Oh yeah…ouch…interesting," said Harry as she stepped on his foot.
"Ah, you're here, Harry!" said Rita Skeeter as she looked around seeing Harry and Josh who was standing next to him. "And so is young Mr. Black! So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?"
"Yes," said Harry and Josh stoutly. Hagrid beamed at them.
"Lovely," said Rita. "Really lovely. Been teaching long?" she added to Hagrid. Josh noticed her eyes travel over Dean (who had a nasty cut across one cheek), Lavender (whose robes were badly singed), Seamus (who was nursing several burnt fingers), and then to the cabin windows, where most of the class stood, their noses pressed against the glass waiting to see if the coast was clear.
"This is o'ny me second year," said Hagrid.
"Lovely… I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these - er - Bang- Ended Scoots."
"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid said eagerly. "Er - yeah, why not?"
"Hag - Professor Hagrid, are you sure you want to do that?" Josh interuppted.
"Oh, don't be silly Josh," Skeeter said, grinning. "Of course he wants an interview."
Josh and the others stood and watch in silence as Hagrid and Rita Skeeter made arrangements to meet in the Three Broomsticks for a good long interview later that week. Then the bell rang up at the castle, signalling the end of the lesson.
"Well, goodbye, Harry! Goodbye, Joshua!" Rita Skeeter called merrily to the two boys as they set off with Ron, and Hermione. "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!"
"She'll twist everything he says," Harry said under his breath.
"Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything," said Hermione desperately. They looked at one another - it was exactly the sort of thing Hagrid might do.
"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore's never sacked him," said Ron consolingly. "Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry… did I say worst? I meant best," he added.
Harry, Ron, Josh, and Hermione laughed, and, feeling slightly more cheerful, went off to lunch, and then double Divination. After that, it was time for dinner, it was when Josh decided he was going to talk to Hermione, but she wasn't at dinner, nor was she in the library when Him, Harry, and Ron went to look for her afterward.
"Wonder where Hermione's got to?" Ron said as he, Josh, and Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Dunno...Balderdash," Harry said. The Fat Lady had barely begun to swing forward when the sound of racing feet behind them announced Hermione's arrival.
"Harry!" she panted, skidding to a halt beside him (the Fat Lady stared down at her, eyebrows raised). "Harry, you've got to come - you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened- please -"
She seized Harry's arms and started to try to drag him back along the corridor.
"What's the matter?" Harry said.
"I'll show you when we get there - oh come on, quick -"
Harry looked at Josh and Ron who both looked back at Harry, intrigued.
"Okay," Harry said, starting off back down the corridor with Hermione, Josh and Ron hurrying to keep up.
"Oh don't mind me!" the Fat Lady called irritably after them. "Don't apologise for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?"
"Yeah, thanks!" Ron shouted over his shoulder.
"Hermione, where are we going?" Harry asked, after she had led them down through six floors, and started down the marble staircase into the entrance hall.
"You'll see, you'll see in a minute!" said Hermione excitedly.
She turned left at the bottom of the staircase and hurried toward the door through which Cedric Diggory had gone the night after the Goblet of Fire had regurgitated his and Josh's names. Josh hadn't been through here before. Him, Harry, and Ron followed Hermione down a flight of stone steps, but instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like the one that led to Snape's dungeon, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food.
"Oh hang on…" said Harry slowly, halfway down the corridor. "Wait a minute, Hermione…"
"What?" She turned around to look at him, anticipation all over her face.
"I know what this is about," said Harry, catching on.
He nudged Ron and Josh, and pointed to the painting just behind Hermione. It showed a gigantic silver fruit bowl.
"Hermione!" said Ron, cottoning on. "You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!"
"No, no, I'm not!" she said hastily. "And it's not spew, Ron -"
"Changed the name, have you?" said Ron, frowning at her. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I'm not doing it -"
"I'm not asking you to!" Hermione said impatiently. "I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found - oh come on, Harry, I want to show you!"
She seized Harry's arms again, pulled them in front of the picture of the giant fruit bowl, stretched out her forefinger, and tickled the huge green pear. It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into a large green door handle. Hermione seized it, pulled the door open, and pushed Harry hard in the back, forcing him inside. She then seized Ron who seized Josh and dragged them in.
Josh had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward them from the middle of the room, squealing, "Harry Potter, sir!"
Josh watched the little elf run up to Harry, hit him hard in the midriff, and hugged him so tightly Josh thought Harry's ribs were going to break.
"D-Dobby?" Harry gasped.
"That's Dobby?" Josh asked Ron who nodded.
"Apparently," he said.
"It is Dobby, sir, it is!" squealed the voice from somewhere around his navel. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see me, sir!"
Dobby let go and stepped back a few paces, beaming up at Harry, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. Josh examined the elf, his pencil-shaped nose, the batlike ears, the long fingers and feet - all except the clothes, which were very different.
"Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry said in amazement.
"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby squealed excitedly. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!"
"Winky?" said Harry. "She's here too?"
"Yes, sir, yes!" said Dobby, and he seized Harry's hands and pulled him off into the kitchen between the four long wooden tables that stood there. Josh and the others followed.
Each of these tables, Josh noticed as they passed them, was positioned exactly beneath the four House tables above, in the Great Hall. At the moment, they were clear of food, dinner having finished, but they supposed that an hour ago they had been laden with dishes that were then sent up through the ceiling to their counterparts above.
At least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing, and curtsying as Dobby led Harry past them. They were all wearing the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied, as Winky's had been, like a toga.
Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed.
"Winky, sir!" he said.
Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire. Unlike Dobby, she had obviously not foraged for clothes. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for her large ears. However, while every one of Dobby's strange collection of garments was so clean and well cared for that it looked brand-new, Winky was plainly not taking care of her clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt.
"Hello, Winky," said Harry.
Winky's lip quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of her great brown eyes and splashed down her front, just as they had done at the Quidditch World Cup.
"Oh dear," said Hermione. She, Josh and Ron had followed Harry and Dobby to the end of the kitchen. "Winky, don't cry, please don't…"
But Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed up at Harry.
"Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" he squeaked loudly, over Winky's sobs.
"Er - yeah, okay," said Harry.
Instantly, about six house-elves came trotting up behind them, bearing a large silver tray laden with a teapot, cups for Harry, Ron, Josh, and Hermione, a milk jug, a huge hunk of chocolate that looked more like a large rock than anything and a large plate of biscuits.
"Good service!" Ron said, in an impressed voice and Josh nearly nearly laughed, but it dissolved when he saw Hermione frown at them, but the elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated.
"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea.
"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" said Dobby happily. "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed -"
At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow.
"Dobby has travelled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!" Dobby squeaked. "But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"
The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing. Hermione, however, said, "Good for you, Dobby!"
"Thank you, miss!" said Dobby, grinning toothily at her. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid. Harry Potter...Dobby likes being free!"
The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume other crying.
"And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!" said Dobby delightedly.
At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay face-down on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery. Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference. Dobby continued with his story, shouting shrilly over Winky's screeches.
"And then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir! 'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!"
Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes again.
"And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!"
"That's not very much!" Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor, over Winky's continued screaming and fist-beating.
"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off," said Dobby, suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening, "but Dobby beat him down, miss… Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."
"And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?" Hermione asked kindly.
If she had thought this would cheer up Winky, she was wildly mistaken. Winky did stop crying, but when she sat up she was glaring at Hermione through her massive brown eyes, her whole face sopping wet and suddenly furious.
"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" she squeaked. "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"
"Ashamed?" said Hermione blankly. "But - Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you -"
But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat, flattening her ears so that she couldn't hear a word, and screeched, "You is not insulting my master, madam! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, madam! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"
"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," squeaked Dobby confidentially. "Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it."
"Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?" Harry asked.
"Oh no, sir, no," said Dobby, looking suddenly serious. "'Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family's honour, and we never speaks ill of them - though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to - to-"
Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. He bent forward.
Dobby whispered, "He said we is free to call him a - a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!"
Dobby gave a frightened sort of giggle.
"But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter," he said, talking normally again, and shaking his head so that his ears flapped. "Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, madam, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him."
"But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Harry asked him, grinning. Josh looked at the elf. The Malfoys were his masters? And that got him wondering at Draco, and gave him an idea.
A slightly fearful look came into Dobby's immense eyes.
"Dobby - Dobby could," he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. "Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were - were - bad Dark wizards'."
Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring - then he rushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!".
Harry seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table.
"Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you," said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head.
"You just need a bit of practice," Harry said.
"Practice!" squealed Winky furiously. "You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!"
"They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!" said Dobby defiantly. "Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!"
"Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!" moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more. "My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her… oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!" She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled.
"Winky," said Hermione firmly, "I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We've seen him, you know -"
"You is seeing my master?" said Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt once more and goggling at Hermione. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"
"Yeah," Jsoh said, "him and Mr. Bagman are a couple of the judges in the Triwizard Tournament."
"Mr. Bagman comes too?" squeaked Winky, and to Josh's and the others' great surpris, she looked angry again. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him, oh no, not at all!"
"Bagman - bad?" said Harry.
"Oh yes," Winky said, nodding her head furiously, "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying… Winky - Winky keeps her master's secrets…"
She dissolved yet again in tears; they could hear her sobbing into her skirt, "Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!"
They couldn't get another sensible word out of Winky. They left her to her crying and finished their tea, while Dobby chatted happily about his life as a free elf and his plans for his wages.
"Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!" he said happily, pointing at his bare chest.
"Tell you what, Dobby," said Ron, who seemed to have taken a great liking to the elf, "I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?"
Dobby was delighted.
"We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you," Ron said, "but it'll go well with your tea cosy."
As they prepared to take their leave, many of the surrounding elves pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs. Hermione refused, with a pained look at the way the elves kept bowing and curtsying, but Harry, Josh, and Ron loaded their pockets with cream cakes and pies.
"Thanks a lot!" Harry said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say good night. "See you, Dobby!"
"Harry Potter… can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" Dobby asked tentatively.
"'Course you can," said Harry, and Dobby beamed.
"You know what?" said Ron, once he, Josh, Hermione, and Harry had left the kitchens behind and were climbing the steps into the entrance hall again. "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens - well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!"
"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," said Hermione, leading the way back up the marble staircase. "Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!"
"Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky," said Harry.
"Oh she'll cheer up," said Hermione, though she sounded a bit doubtful. "Once the shock's worn off, and she's got used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man."
"She seems to love him," Ron said thickly (she had just started on a cream cake).
"She doesn't think much of Bagman," Josh said. "I wonder what Crouch says at home about him? What makes Bagman so bad?"
"Probably says he's not a very good Head of Department," said Hermione, "and let's face it… he's got a point, hasn't he?"
"I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch," Ron said. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humour."
"Don't let Percy hear you saying that," Hermione said, smiling slightly.
"Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?" said Ron, now starting on a chocolate eclair. "Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cosy."
Minutes later, the four Gryffindors entered the common room, and began walking towards their dorms, except Josh, who was following Hermione.
"Hermione," Josh called. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Hermione stopped and turned to look at Josh. "I'm sorry, Josh, but I've got some things to do at the moment," she replied, then continued towards the girls' stairs. Josh sighed and ran up to her, stopping her by grabbing her arm.
"I really think we need to talk about what happened that one night," Josh said. "I mean, you've been avoiding me a lot lately, and you probably don't think I need your help cause I'm as smart as you, but I do."
"I don't want to talk about that," Hermione replied, pulling out of Josh's grip, and began walking away.
"But - "
"Josh, please, just leave me alone," Hermione said, and then ran up the stairs and to her dorm.
"What was that all about?" said a voice behind Josh who looked behind him and saw that it was Ginny, Ron's sister.
"Just stuff," Josh said, looking up the stairs, "Complicated stuff."
A/N: There is chap 21, not that great of a chapter, kind of slow and boring. But next chapter should be fun, if not I will try and make it fun and cool!