An: This was written for round one of the finals for the Quidditch League with the prompts: firework, everything happens for a reason and game

Well this is actually the first time I've written a house-elf or anyone that wasn't human actually. So, I don't know how well this turned out but I'm pretty okay with the end result. And it's only titled this because I couldn't think of anything else.

Word count: 1,077

Everything Happens for a Reason

"But sir!" the tiny house-elf cried against the booming of what sounded like fireworks in the background.

No! No! It couldn't be!

Anything but that.

Winky would take any punishment her master would give her, as long as he didn't present her with clothing. She couldn't fathom what she would do. She didn't want to become free from the house she served

"You have brought shame towards this family," Barty Crouch almost growled. "I will not have the Ministry Officials believing that you learned to cast such a mark in my home."

"But—" Winky stuttered. "Winky never did such a thing."

"Codswallop," Crouch replied harshly

Winky recoiled against his hard tone. She had seen her master upset and mad towards her, but never this mad. She had no idea how to deal with it and she was afraid of what would happen.

"If only Master would give Winky another chance," Winky started slowly, "For Winky to prove the she had nothing to do with it."

"I cannot afford to be associated with Dark Magic," Crouch said, firmly. "And I will not allow anymore foolishness in my house. Goodbye Winky."

Winky stood there, screaming and begging him to give her another chance. But to no avail, Crouch walked away without a second glance to the little house elf.

Winky sat off in the far corner of the room, near the fireplace, sitting on a stool with jar of Butterbeer in her hands. She had no interest in speaking with the other House Elves nor did she have any interest in doing any work since she was let go from her master.

Winky never meant any harm; she never wanted anything bad to happen. It was never supposed to happen that way. Winky tried her very best; she was only trying to do what her master wished. It just didn't turn out the way she wished.

Winky took another giant sip of the Butterbeer she was holding in her tiny hands.

Everything was going so well. She was happy serving Master Crouch and his family, just like her mother and grandmother before her. She was happy to serve him for the rest of her life.

Until that dreadful day.

A day which Winky wished she could forget and that's why she turned to the Butterbeer. Not that it really helped, but it was better than being aware of the constant memories.

"Winky," a close voice said, but it sounded farther away.

"Winky put the bottle down."

Winky refused to listen, thinking that it was just a voice inside her head. If she just ignored it, then maybe it would go away.

She felt a hand on her tiny arm, but still refuse to turn her gaze away from the fireplace.

"Winky, please."

After a while, she finally forced herself to pull her gaze away from the burning flame in the fireplace to look at whom the hand belonged to. Her brown eyes fell on the green eyes of none other than Dobby.

Dobby was one of the only House elves in the Hogwarts kitchens that bothered talking to Winky. He was also the reason why Winky was in here, not that she wanted to be. She didn't call enough to be around other house-elves. She'd rather be alone in her self pity, instead of surrounded by others. But Dobby refused to let that happen.

In a way, she was grateful but at the same time, she wished he wouldn't try as hard as he did. She didn't want his help, but no matter how hard she protested, Dobby never listened to her.

"Dobby hates what you're doing with yourself."

Winky went to push herself off the stool to try to get away from Dobby. She didn't care enough to have this conversation – or any conversation at any moment.

She lost her footing as she was stepping off the stool and had to hug the wall to keep herself from falling over, causing her to lose her grip on the bottle, sending it crashing to the floor.

"Winky!"

She felt familiar hands on her small shoulders, as Dobby helped her stand up straight.

"Dobby," she tried protesting, her words slurring. "Winky doesn't need your help."

"Dobby will help Winky. Is it no trouble for Dobby at all," Dobby replied, not getting the real meaning behind Winky's words.

She didn't doubt that it wouldn't be trouble for Dobby, but she just didn't care. Of course, she didn't say anything knowing that it wouldn't do anything since Dobby was far too stubborn for that.

Winky felt the familiar pull of Apparition and knew that Dobby was taking her where he usually did when she became too drunk.

Her surroundings slowly changed. Instead of the Hogwarts kitchens, with cabinets, tables, and tons of other house- elves, it was now her and Dobby in a large room. It was almost as large as Hogwarts itself.

There was a small bed off in the corner of the large room which was otherwise filled to the brim with junk.

Giving up fighting, arguing and protesting against Dobby, Winky let him lead her towards the tiny bed.

"Winky needs some rest," Dobby's cheerful voice cut through the silence. "Dobby will return to check on Winky later."

Winky was left to herself and her thoughts after Dobby left. She couldn't help but let her mind wander back to that day. Sometimes she wished that Master Crouch hadn't reserved the seats at the Quidditch World Cup.

Winky and Barty Crouch Jr would never have been at the game. Winky wouldn't have been found at the scene of the crime. She never would have been accused of summoning that mark and she would probably still be serving her master.

Maybe everything happens for a reason.

Winky had heard her master say that once, but she didn't want to believe it. There couldn't have been a good enough reason for her to end up here – in this state.

It couldn't be more than a cruel joke.

She sat on the small mattress and placed her head in her hands. She shook her small head, trying to force the thoughts out.

Maybe I can find some way to fix this?

But a part of her knew that it wouldn't matter. Nothing would change. Her Master would never forgive her or believe her. She would forever be stuck in the castle, wasting away her days.

Why did it come to this?

AN: This will be my last chapter for this collection of fanficitions for this challenge since we Harpies were eliminated. But I had one of the best experiences competing in this and it's made my writing better, or so I think so, and made some great friends through it. And I wouldn't change that for anything. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed everything that I've written out of this competition :)