Chapter Fourteen - The Forbidden Forest Hides Many Secrets
One afternoon a couple of weeks later, Winky happened to glance out the window of her room at Hogwarts. She blinked and shook her head, certain she hadn't really seen what she thought. However, the scene was still the same-- Dobby and Twinky, each pushing a wheelbarrow piled with packages of some sort, were moving towards the Forbidden Forest. A few seconds later they disappeared into the trees.
Winky's big brown eyes narrowed and her ears went flat across her head. She emitted a sound somewhere between a squeak and a growl. "What is Dobby doing in the forest with TWINKY?" she fumed silently. Before she could think about it any more, Madame Pomfrey called her, and she scurried to obey her mistress.
There were several patients in the hospital wing, so Winky was unable to have dinner with the rest of the house elves that evening. The next day she watched out her window and again caught sight of Dobby and Twinky trundling their mysterious loads into the Forbidden Forest. It happened a third time the following day, and Winky began to worry. The situation wasn't helped any by the fact that she hadn't even spoken to Dobby in those three days, even though usually he spent at least part of his daily free time with her.
Finally, she went to the kitchens during her own free time and was told that Dobby had gone into Hogsmeade on a personal errand. This mystified and worried Winky even more, especially since she couldn't see Twinky anywhere in the kitchens.
Deciding that maybe a little fresh air would do her some good, Winky went outside and walked in the direction of Hagrid's hut. As she approached the hut an idea came to her, and she trotted up to the door. She couldn't reach the knocker, so she rapped her tiny fist on the door as hard as she could.
The door swung open and Hagrid looked around in some confusion. "I was sure I heard some'un knock," he muttered as he started to close the door.
"Mister Hagrid sir," she squeaked, "may Winky speak to you, please?"
Hagrid looked down in surprise. "Winky!" he said, "I almost didn't see yeh! Come in, come in!"
Winky stepped inside, where Hagrid's huge but cowardly dog, Fang, took one look at her and immediately dove into his bed, shaking in terror. Winky couldn't help but giggle at him.
"I was about to have a cup o' tea, Winky. Would yeh like ter join me?"
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Hagrid sir," Winky said.
He put a large cushion on one of his chairs, and Winky climbed up the braces between the chair legs like a ladder. Once she was perched on the cushion, not much more than her big brown eyes and ears could be seen over the table's edge.
Hagrid was momentarily at a loss as he surveyed his collection of cups, most of which were nearly the size of Winky's head. Finally he spotted his mending basket next to the fireplace and retrieved a thimble out of it. He quickly washed the thimble, set it on the table in front of Winky, and very carefully filled it with tea. In a couple moments it was cool enough that she was able to sip it, though she politely declined the rock cakes he also offered her.
"What did yeh want to talk to me about, Winky?" Hagrid asked.
"Winky... Winky has seen Dobby and another elf going into the forest several times now, and she wonders if Mr. Hagrid can tell her what they is doing there. Winky knows 'tis dangerous in the forest, and is thinking they isn't ought to be going there, sir."
"Well, yeh see Winky," Hagrid answered "the forest isn't all the same everywhere. Do yeh remember where we buried yer old master?"
"Yes, Winky remembers."
"Well, they're going to a certain part of the forest that's protected from danger in the same way."
"But what is they DOING there, Mr. Hagrid, sir?"
"Finish yer tea and I'll show yeh m'self," Hagrid answered.
When both of them had finished their tea, Winky climbed down from the chair and Hagrid opened the door. Once they were outside he quickly realized that Winky would have to run to keep up with him, so he effortlessly picked her up and set her on his shoulder.
As they entered the forest he had to be careful to not let Winky get knocked off his shoulder by branches or tree limbs. They followed a well-worn path for some distance, then stopped at the edge of a clearing.
Winky's huge brown eyes were wide open as she took in the scene. There were rows and rows of very small cottages, and several larger buildings in the center of the clearing. House elves were tending gardens in front of some of the cottages, while others could be seen talking in small groups. Two were playing chess on an outside table, and several more were sitting in tiny wheelchairs outside one of the larger buildings.
Hagrid carefully set Winky on the ground. "I'm way too big fer this place," he said. "When yer ready ter come back to Hogwarts, just follow the trail we took to get here. It's protected also."
"Thank you, Mr. Hagrid, sir," Winky said as he turned to leave.
As she walked farther into the clearing she could see that all the elves there were very old. Most were wearing Hogwarts tea towels, but one in particular stood out from the others because he was wearing a neat green sweater with matching shorts. He was slightly stooped-over and carried a very crooked stick, but walked with great dignity and seemed to have little difficulty moving around.
With a kind expression on his face, he approached her and said "we hasn't seen you here before. My name is Cubby. Who is you?"
"My name is Winky," she answered, dropping a neat curtsey.
He smiled. "Cubby thought you might be. Dobby is told us much about you, and Cubby can see why now."
Winky's cheeks went slightly pink before she was able to ask "what is this place, Cubby?"
Cubby answered "this is the Hogwarts House-elf Retirement Village. Professor Dumbledore is setting it up when he is become Headmaster."
By this time they were in the middle of the village, and Winky could see that despite their age, nearly every elf was busy doing something. She had already seen several tending their gardens, and now that she was closer she could see that most of the elves in wheelchairs were mending Hogwarts linens. In a workshop whose large doors were propped open, several elderly elves were busy repairing small items of furniture. Another elf in a corner of the same building was assembling picture frames. The two Winky had thought were playing chess were in fact carving and painting chess pieces.
"Is you all Hogwarts elves?" Winky asked as Cubby introduced her to several.
One elf with a very wrinkled face and glasses almost as large as Dobby's answered "most of us is, but a few has been cast out by their masters when they is become too old to do as much work as their masters wants. Professor Dumbledore never turns elfs away, even if they is too old or sick to do any work at all."
"But most of you is working," Winky observed.
"Winky is right," Cubby said. "House elfs is happiest when they has something to do. Most of us cannot do very heavy work anymore, so we mostly mends and makes small things now."
"Does all of you live in the cottages?"
"Those of us what can still get around on our own does, but others has rooms in the large building where there is someone to help them when they needs it."
Winky noticed that one of the elves in a wheelchair had put down her mending and was rubbing painfully swollen joints in her fingers. Winky approached and asked "is your fingers hurting you?"
The other elf answered "yes they is, but Zinny only wishes she could do more work. Professor Dumbledore is very kind to let her live here."
Winky had almost forgotten she was still carrying her pouch of medical supplies, but she had a sudden inspiration, and pulled a jar of ointment out of it. Gently she rubbed the ointment on Zinny's fingers, taking special care to get plenty on the swollen joints.
"Does that feel better?" Winky asked.
Within seconds Zinny began to flex her fingers more easily than she had been able to do in years. "Thank you! She said to Winky. "What is your name?"
"I is Winky. I works in the hospital wing at Hogwarts."
Zinny regarded Winky silently for a few seconds before she asked "what was your Mama's name, Winky?"
Small tears rose in her eyes as Winky answered "'Pinny' was my mama's name."
"Does you know your grandmama's name?" Zinny asked.
"Winky's grandmama was called 'Minnie.'"
Zinny closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them, Winky noticed how the sunlight accentuated the sparks of gold in the old elf's eyes, so much like her own.
"Zinny... Zinny is your great-aunt, Winky. She and Minnie was sisters."
Winky could only stand and stare with her mouth open. She barely remembered her grandmother, but she remembered enough to see that Zinny did resemble her.
Zinny made a small chirping noise, and Winky squealed "Auntie!" as she threw her arms around her great aunt.
Wiping tears out of her eyes, Zinny began to introduce Winky to the other elves who were sitting near her. Winky's status as a free elf did not particularly concern them, especially after she told them of her duties and the fact that she sometimes worked longer hours than the other Hogwarts elves. Several of them gratefully allowed her to apply the same ointment he had used on Zinny's fingers.
"Keep the jar," she told them. "Winky will see that you gets more."
She was still talking to the group when Cubby approached. "Winky is good friends with Dobby" he told them.
"You is friends with Dobby?" one elf asked Winky.
Blushing again, Winky said "yes, Dobby and Winky is good friends."
"Dobby is very good to us," another elf said. "He is coming here nearly every day to bring us food and take the things what we has worked on back to Hogwarts."
"He has never told Winky this, but she has seen him and Twinky going into the forest sometimes," Winky said.
"Twinky's mama is too ill to get out of her room most days," Cubby said. Twinky tries to come see her as much as she can."
Winky was relieved to hear this, while at the same time amazed to hear of this unknown aspect of Twinky's personality.
She continued to visit with the old elves for some time, but finally happened to notice that the sun was starting to go down. With a squeal of distress, she grabbed her medical bag.
"Winky is late!" she squeaked. "She must get back to Hogwarts right now!" She gave her great aunt a quick hug, waved goodbye to the other elves, and practically sprinted down the path towards the castle.
Winky arrived at the hospital wing panting for breath. "Winky is sorry, ma'am!" she squeaked. "She will not let it happen again!"
"For heaven's sake Winky, take a minute to catch your breath," Madame Pomfrey said, "there's no harm done."
With her breathing slowing down to normal, Winky said "Winky was at the Elf Retirement Village. She is discovered that her great-aunt is living there."
"Not many people even know that exists," Madame Pomfrey said.
Just then Toby walked into the hospital wing carrying a small piece of parchment in his hand. He bowed to Madame Pomfrey, then spoke. "Toby is just received this message from his papa. He says that Winky is very helpful to some of the old elves, especially with an ointment what helps keep their joints from hurting."
"Your papa?" Winky asked, "who is your papa, and how is he knowing this?"
"Cubby is Toby's papa," he responded. "Cannot Winky tell by looking?"
At this point Winky had to concede that Toby and Cubby did indeed look a lot alike. She also reflected that the fact that Cubby was wearing clothes also should have been a major clue.
"Well Winky, it sounds like you weren't late at all," Madame Pomfrey said. "It was your time off, and you spent most of it working anyway! Go sit down for a few minutes and catch your breath."
"Yes, ma'am," Winky said as she started towards her room.
Just as she was pushing the door open Dobby rushed in. Out of breath himself, he squeaked "Where has you been, Winky? Dobby has been looking for you everywhere!"
Winky carefully avoided saying just what had caused her to go out in the first place, but she truthfully told Dobby that she visited Hagrid, who had showed her where the Elf Retirement Village was. She also explained that she had discovered a great-aunt there that she had no idea was still alive.
"How is you knowing she is your great-aunt?" Dobby asked.
Looking at him in exasperation, Winky said "Dobby is ought to know the answer to THAT question! What planet has you been on?" However, any human hearing this statement would not have understood a word of it. The only thing a human would have heard was a series of high-pitched chirping sounds.
Switching back to normal speech, Winky continued "Dobby knows that elfs always can identify their relatives when they is speaking Elfish. Has you forgotten so soon how you is recognizing your own Papa less than a month ago?"
The mention of Dobby's father reminded Dobby of his reason for coming to find Winky. "Dobby must speak to Winky in private," he said.
Winky led the way into her room and closed the door. "What is you wanting to speak to Winky about?" she asked.
Without answering, Dobby reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, which he handed to her.
Winky carefully opened it, then squealed in surprise and amazement. The box contained a tiny ring set with a blue stone so vivid that it seemed to sparkle and flicker like a gas flame. She knew immediately that it had to be a very small piece of the largest Elf Stone in the world, located in Iceland. Its amazing beauty was only seen by elves; any other creature would see just an unremarkable chip of granite.
"Where is you getting this?" she asked in a whisper.
"Dobby and Nobby's papa is sent them a larger piece of the Elf Stone. We's had it cut in two by a jeweler in Hogsmeade, and Dobby had this part set in the ring."
As he slipped the ring onto Winky's finger, she asked "what is it called?"
"'Tis called an 'engagement ring,'" Dobby answered.
