Not Losing Hope (Against Time Sequel)

Chapter 6- Meeting The Killer

Chapter 6

Meeting the killer

We all went into the wood, with Mr. Weasley on the lead, and followed the lantern-lit trail. I could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around us, laughter and shouts, snatches of singing, yet I couldn’t seem to make the bad feeling away. I ought to be all smiles and laughs with everyone around me like that, but here I am, looking lamely around for any sign of trouble. We walked through the wood for twenty minutes, the others were talking and joking, Fred and George would ask now and then if I was fine, to which I responded with a big fake smile. Fred seemed to buy it, however George still looked at me worriedly.

“Seats a hundred thousand,” Mr. Weasley said looking at Harry’s amazed face. I couldn’t blame him the sight was enormous. “Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere here all year, they’ve suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again… bless them,” he added fondly, leading the way towards the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards.

“Prime seats!” said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she saw our ticket. “Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go.”

We climbed the purple carpeted stairs until we could climb no more and found ourselves in a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the golden goal pots. About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows here, and we all filed into the front seats and looked down upon an unbelievable scene.

A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their places in their seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The field looked smooth as velvet from our position. At either end of the field I could see three gold posts. In front of us, almost at my eye level stood a gigantic blackboard. Gold writing kept appearing across it as though an invisible giant hand were writing on it and then wiping it off again; they were advertisements.

I saw Harry looking behind us and looked at where he was. There was a tiny creature sitting in the second seat at the end of the row behind us. The creature had short legs so they stuck at the front of the chair, also it had long bat-like ears, it was wearing a tea towel like if it were a toga and it had its face hidden in its hands.

“Dobby?” Harry asked incredulously.

The creature looked up stretching its fingers; I was now able to see enormous brown eyes. Does Harry know… her?

“Did sir just call me Dobby?” she said in a squeaky voice. Ron and Hermione spun around in their seats.

“Sorry,” Harry told her. “I just thought you were someone I knew.”

“But I knows Dobby too, sir!” she squeaked. “My name is Winky sir – and you, sir –” I saw as her eyes widened at the sight of the scar. “You is surely Harry Potter!”

“Yeah, I am.” Harry replied.

“But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!” Winky said lowering her hands awestruck.

“How is he?” Harry asked. “How’s freedom suiting him?”

“Ah, sir,” Winky said as she shook her head. “ah, sir, meaning no disrespect sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor sir, when you setting him free.”

“Why?” Harry said surprised. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Freedom is going to Dobby’s head, sir,” Winky said sadly. “Ideas above his station, sir. Can’t get another position, sir.”