"Other people manage to do their own housework, you know, Winky" Hermione said firmly
"Winky - hic - is not only - hic - doing housework for Mr. Crouch!" said Winky angrily "Master is - hic - trusting Winky with - hic - the most important - hic - the most secret-"
"What?" said Harry
"Winky keeps - hic - her master's secrets" she muttered firmly, shaking her head "You is - hic - nosing, you is."
"Winky must not talk like that to Harry Potter!" Dobby squeaked indignantly "Harry Potter is brave and noble and Harry Potter is not nosy!
"He is nosing - hic - into my master's - hic - private and secret - hic - Winky is a good house-elf - hic - Winky keeps her silence - hic - people trying to - hic - pry and poke - hic-"
Very suddenly, Winky collapsed onto the ground, snoring loudly. She was asleep
About five house-elves hurried over and covered Winky in a large tablecloth
"We is sorry you had to see that, sirs and miss!" said one, looking ashamed "We is hoping you will not judge us all by Winky, sirs and miss!"
"She's unhappy!" said Hermione "Why don't you try and cheer her up instead of covering her up?"
"Begging your pardon, miss" said the house-elf "but house-elves has no right to be unhappy when there is work to be done and masters to be served"
"Oh for heaven's sake!" Hermione finally snapped "Listen to me, all of you! You've got just as much right as wizards to be unhappy! You've got the right to wages and holidays and proper clothes, you don't have to do everything you're told - look at Dobby!"
"Miss will please keep Dobby out of this," said Dobby
The temperature seemed to drop several degrees. The house-elves were staring at Hermione, horrified, which Hermione didn't quite understand. She hadn't even said anything particularly radical, she thought
"We has your extra food!" said another elf, hurrying over to Harry and giving him various foodstuffs "Good-bye!"
The swarm of elves crowded around Hermione, Ron and Harry and began pressing their tiny hands against their stomachs, forcing them backwards towards the kitchen exits
"Thank you for the socks, Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby as the door was shut behind them
"You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Hermione?" Ron said "They won't want us visiting them now! We could've tried to get more stuff out of Winky about Crouch!"
"Oh as if you care about that!" snarled Hermione "You only like coming down here for the food!"
That evening Hermione decided to take out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. She was getting tired of hearing everything from Pansy Parkinson. The following morning she watched the owls eagerly as the post arrived
"Percy won't've had time to answer yet" said Ron "We only sent Hedwig yesterday"
"No, it's not that" Hermione explained "I've taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins"
"Good thinking!" said Harry "Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck-"
They watched a grey owl soar closer to them
"It hasn't got a newspaper, though" she said "It's-"
However, the grey owl did land in front of her, followed by about half a dozen others
"How many subscriptions did you take out?" said Harry, staring at the swarm
"What on earth-?" Hermione started, taking the first letter and opening it "Oh really!"
The letter wasn't handwritten, but was made of letters from Daily Prophet articles, stuck onto a short piece of parchment:
YoU are a WickEd giRL. HarRy PotTER desErves BeTteR. GO back wherE you cAMe from mUGgle
"What's up?" said Ron
"It's - oh how ridiculous-"
She passed the letter to Ron and Harry, whom both looked horrified
"They're all like it!" said Hermione, frantically opening the steadily accumulating pile of letters "'Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you...' 'You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn...' Ouch!"
As she opened one of the envelopes, a strong smelling yellow liquids flowed out of it and onto her hand. Where the liquid touched her, large, painful spots sprung up on her hand. Hermione tried to wipe the liquid off her, but it was too late. The damage was already done
"Undiluted bubotuber pus!" said Ron, sniffing the envelope
"Ow!" said Hermione, tears fighting back tears. It did really hurt
"You'd better get up to the hospital wing" said Harry "We'll tell Professor Sprout where you've gone..."
She didn't need to be told twice. Trying to cover her hand, she bolted for the door
YOU ARE READING
Hermione Granger and the Goblet Of Fire (Completed)
Fanfiction(Book 4) (completed) Hermione Granger never expected to have a normal year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So far, she had set a teacher's robes on fire, been attacked by a giant snake and nearly had her soul sucked out by what are es...
Chapter 23 - Hate Mail
Start from the beginning
