Winky's Loss And News

It was quiet – almost too quiet for Harry as he sat in his dorm room at Hogwarts and watched the sun come up. If he had been asked even the previous day, he would not have put money on him living to see today. He still wore the tattered and bloodstained clothing from the massive fight to end Voldemort once and for all and the teen briefly wondered what he should put on instead. Looking out the window, he could see the grim task of recovering bodies from the grounds, shoring up damage until it could be properly repaired and a few people just walking around in a daze.

"Master Harry Potter, Sirs?" Harry was shaken by a voice and he looked behind him to see Winky gazing at him. The little elf was covered in bandages and smelled faintly of some kind of healing ointment from Pomfrey's stores. "Does Sirs be wantings Winky for anythings?"

"Not right now, Winky… But, there is something I want to say to you" Harry paused for a moment as he tried to get his words in order. "You know what happened to us at Malfoy manor, don't you?" and the elf nodded. "Well, Dobby managed to get us out at the cost of his own life"

"Sirs?"

"Winky, Dobby… Dobby died"

"Winky be knowing this. But, Master Harry Potter, Sirs, Dobby be inside Winky for a long time"

"Erm, yeah…" Harry inwardly winced at his tone as comforting women had never been his strong point, "Dobby's life will stay with you for the rest of yours"

"Oh no, Master Harry Potter" Winky shook her bandaged head, "Dobby be inside me many times. I be having a Dobbyling"

"Dobbyling?"

"Winky be understanding it same for all"

"Oh" the terrible weight of that single word hit him like a ton of bricks. "Winky, I am so sorry"

"Not your faults" Winky shrugged. "Dobbys be knowing it be riskies, but Dobby be wanting to be rescuing Master Harry Potter, Sirs. Dobby had be wantings to ask you somethings, but Winky thinks Winky be askings for him"

"Whatever it is, you go right ahead"

"Dobby and Winky be wantings you to be protector of our tiny elf" and Harry never even hesitated and got down on his knees and bowed to Winky as much as he could.

"I would be most honoured, Winky" he said.

"Goods… Now, can Winky be getting you food?"

"After a nice warm bath" Harry smiled, "And then I could eat a horse"

"Winky be doings that" and she snapped her fingers and Firenze appeared with an apple shoved into his mouth and covered in hot gravy and roast potatoes all around him. "Oppsies"

"Meh… Close enough"