Chapter Seven: In Which Elves Are Rescued
Harry and Hermione half-carried, half-dragged Ron through the entrance of the tent. The interior was exactly as Harry remembered it: a small flat, complete with bathroom and tiny kitchen. He shoved aside an old armchair and lowered Ron carefully onto the lower berth of a bunk bed. Even this very short journey had turned Ron whiter still, and once they had settled him on the mattress he closed his eyes again and did not speak for a while.
"Hermione?" said Harry urgently.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Now that you've set the tent and the protections up, shouldn't we be thinking about how to save Kreacher?"
"Someone from the Ministry might come with if we Summon him, Harry," she said casually.
"That's it?" said Harry incredulously, looking her straight in the eye.. "We're just going to let him be tortured?"
"Well. . . . We haven't got much of a choice, have we?" she said, shrugging her shoulders.
"What if it was Ron that was left at Grimmauld Place —"
"Hey!" protested Ron weakly.
"— huh? I doubt whether you would be as casual about it as you are now," finished Harry.
"That would be different, wouldn't it?" pleaded Hermione.
"Behold the champion for elf rights," said Harry sarcastically. "Come on!"
They Apparated to Grimmauld Place, Stunned the hell out of everyone except Kreacher and celebrated. Celebrating was very important, of course.
Harry and Hermione half-carried, half-dragged Ron through the entrance of the tent. The interior was exactly as Harry remembered it: a small flat, complete with bathroom and tiny kitchen. He shoved aside an old armchair and lowered Ron carefully onto the lower berth of a bunk bed. Even this very short journey had turned Ron whiter stil?l, and once they had settled him on the mattress he closed his eyes again and did not speak for a while.
"Hermione?" said Harry urgently.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Now that you've set the tent and the protections up, shouldn't we be thinking about how to save Kreacher?"
"Someone from the Ministry might come with if we Summon him, Harry," she said casually.
"That's it?" said Harry incredulously, looking her straight in the eye.. "We're just going to let him be tortured?"
"Well. . . . We haven't got much of a choice, have we?" she said, shrugging her shoulders.
"What if it was Ron that was left at Grimmauld Place —"
"Hey!" protested Ron weakly.
"— huh? I doubt whether you would be as casual about it as you are now," he finished.
"That would be different, wouldn't it?" Hermione pleaded.
"Behold the champion for elf rights," said Harry sarcastically. "You know what? I'm going to rescue him all on my own."
He stormed off.
Hermione looked at Ron. Ron looked at Hermione.
"Well. . . . Harry was kind of right, wasn't he?" he said with some difficulty.
Meanwhile, Harry had Apparated a few miles away from the tent.
"KREACHER!" he shouted, wand at the ready.
There was a loud crack as Kreacher, looking perfectly fine, Apparated and asked, "Yes, master?"
"You're — you're alive?" said Harry, bewildered. He had expected the spindly and ancient house-elf to be half-dead or something.
"Kreacher is alive," Kreacher confirmed unnecessarily. "Although Kreacher is confused why master asks such a question."
"What happened to Yaxley?"
"The Ministry stooge? Kreacher kicked him out, of course."
Harry took a minute to process this.
"How?"
"Kreacher protected the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black," said Kreacher simply.
"But how?"
"The House of Black was under attack, so Kreacher defended it."
"Uh . . ." said Harry, giving up. "So we can come back?"
"If master wishes so," said Kreacher simply. "The steak and kidney pie is ready."
AN: Of course, these were just two of the scenarios. In the second one, Kreacher uses his elfish brand of magic to protect the house he is bound to. Now, for the poetry —
Roses are red, books are kept on a shelf.
They don't want to save Kreacher the house elf!
Why so selfish, one might ask.
Fighting Ministry stooges, isn't much of a task!
Apparate to Grimmauld, fight and win.
Don't just save your own skin!