Rosabella Black | Daughter of Sirius Black | (Book 4)

The Madness of Mr Crouch

Winky shook her head very hard, spilling Butterbeer down her already stained clothes.
     
"Winky keeps – hic – her master's secrets. You is – hic – nosing, you is." Winky said mutinously, swaying heavily and frowning at Harry with her eyes crossed.
      
"Winky must not talk like that to Harry Potter! Harry Potter is brave and noble and Harry Potter is not nosy!" Dobby said angrily.
     
"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 –" Winky said and then her eyelids dropped and suddenly, without warning, she slid off the stool, snoring loudly.

House-Elves came over looking disgusted. They chucked a table cloth over her, hiding her from view.
     
"We is sorry you had to see that, sirs and misses. We is hoping you will not judge us all by Winky, sirs and misses!" A nearby House-Elf squeaked, shaking his head and looking very ashamed.
       
"She's unhappy!" Hermione said, exasperated.

My eyes widened as Hermione seemed to be working herself up from angry to furious.
     
"Why don't you try and cheer her up instead of covering her up?" I asked softly, trying to defuse the situation.
       
"Begging your pardon, miss, but house-elves has no right to be unhappy when there is work to be done and masters to be served." The House-Elf said, bowing deeply again.

That was the opposite of helpful. I gave Harry an uneasy look and right on cue Hermione exploded into an angry out burst.
     
"Oh, for heaven's sake! 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!" Hermione said angrily and desperately.
     
"Miss, will please keep Dobby out of this." Dobby mumbled, looking scared.

The cheery smiles of the house-elves vanished and they were suddenly looking at Hermione as though she was mad and dangerous.
     
"We has your extra food!" A house elf squeaked and shoved food into Ron's arms.
      
"Goodbye!" The house-elves said crowding round us and pushing us towards the door.
       
"Thank you for the socks, Harry Potter!" Dobby called miserably.
    
"You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Hermione?" Ron said angrily as the door slammed behind us.
       
"They wont want us visiting them now! We could've of tried to get more stuff out of Winky about Crouch!" Ron exclaimed.
       
"Oh, as if you care about that! You only like coming down here for the food!" Hermione scoffed.

It was an irritable sort of day after that.

Harry and I got so tired of Ron and Hermione sniping at each other over their homework in the common room that we took Dad's food parcel to the Owlery instead of Ron. Winter bounded off towards the grounds to go for a run and probably to hunt.

After we sent it, neither of us wanted to go back to the common room. Harry sat on a ledge in the Owlery and I sat between his legs. He wrapped his arms around me and we sat in a comfortable and peaceful silence. Harry would kiss my shoulder on occasion or my head or my cheek and I snuggled in closer. We watched the grounds and saw Hagrid digging enthusiastically in the ground. We watched intill darkness swallowed him and we had no choice but to return to the common room.

Thankfully, Hermione and Ron's bad moods had burnt out by breakfast the next day. Ron's worry about sub - standard food being sent to Gryffindor was proven false as the bacon and eggs tasted as amazing as ever. When the post arrived, Hermione looked up eagerly, she seemed to be expecting something.
     
"Percy won't've had time to answer yet. We only sent the Hedwig yesterday." Ron said.
     
"No, it's not that. I've taken out a new subscription to the Dailey Prophet, I'm getting sick of finding everything out from Slytherins." Hermione said.
 
"Good thinking!" I said enthusiastically, beaming at her.
        
"Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck –" Harry said and a grey owl soared towards Hermione but was closely followed by four barn owls.
      
"How many subscriptions did you take out?" I said, grabbing Hermione goblet before it could be knocked over by the cluster of owls trying to deliver there letter first.
     
"What on earth –? Oh really!" Hermione said grabbing the first letter and reading it, while turning red.
   
"What's up?" I said.   
   
"It's – oh how ridiculous –!" Hermione said and she trusted the letter at us.