No one's POV
"I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how! I is a good elf, I isn't using wands, I isn't knowing how!"
"You've been caught red-handed, elf!" Mr Diggory roared.
"Caught with the guilty wand in your hand!"
"Amos!" Mr Weasley said loudly.
"Think about it... precious few wizards know how to do that spell...where could she have learnt it?"
"Perhaps Amos is suggesting." Mr Crouch said with cold anger in every syllable.
"That I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"
There was a deep unpleasant silence.
Amos Diggory looked horrified.
"Mr Crouch....not...not at all..."
"You have now come very close to accusing two people in this clearing who are least likely to conjure that Mark!" Mr Crouch barked.
"Harry Potter – and myself! I suppose you are familiar with he and his sister's story, Amos?"
"Of course – everyone knows –" Mr Diggory muttered, looking highly discomfited.
"And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given, over a long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them?" Mr Crouch shouted, his eyes bulging again.
"Mr Crouch, I – I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos Diggory muttered, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.
"If you accuse my elf, you accuse me, Diggory!" Mr Crouch shouted.
"Where else would she have learnt to conjure it?"
"She – she might've picked it up anywhere–"
"Precisely, Amos." Mr Weasley said.
"She might have picked it up anywhere...Winky?" He said kindly, turning to the elf, but she flinched as though he, too, was shouting at her.
"Where exactly did you find Harry's wand?"
Winky was twisting the hem of her tea-towel so violently that is was fraying beneath her fingers.
"I – I is finding it...finding it there, sir..." She whispered.
"There...in the trees, sir...."
"You see, Amos?" Mr Weasley said.
"Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, leaving Harry's wand behind, a clever things to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them and Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up."
"But then, she'd have been feet away from the real culprit!" Mr Diggory said impatiently.
"Elf? Did you see anyone?"
Winky began to tremble worse then ever.
Her giant eyes flickered from Mr Diggory to Ludo Bagman, and on to Me Crouch before she gulped.
"I is seeing no one, sir...no one..."
"Amos." Mr Crouch said curtly.
"I am fully aware that, in the ordinary course of events, you would want to take Winky into your department for questioning, I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her."
Mr Diggory looked as though he didn't think much of this suggestion, but it was clear to Harry that Mr Crouch was such an important member of the Ministry that he did not dare refuse him.
"You may rest assured that she will be punished." Mr Crouch added coldly.
"M-M-Master..." Winky stammered looking up at Mr Crouch, her eyes brimming with tears.
"M-M-Master, p-p-please..."
Mr Crouch stared back, his face somehow sharpened, each line upon it more deeply etched.
There was no pity in his gaze.
"Winky has behaved tonight in manner I would not have believed possible." He said slowly.
"I told her to remain in the tent, I told her to stay there while I went to sort out the trouble and I find that she disobeyed me."
"This means clothes."
"No!" Winky shrieked, prostrating herself at Mr Crouch feet.
"No, master! Not clothes, not clothes!"
Harry had learnt that the only way to turn a house-elf free was to present it with proper garments.
It was pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea-towel as she sobbed over Mr Crouch's feet.
"Then do it." Harry said glaring at Crouch as he walked over and took off his coat.
Mr Crouch took a step back freeing himself from contact with the elf, whom he was surveying as though she was something filthy and rotten that was contaminating his over-shined shoes.
"You don't need her anymore so cut her loose." Harry said as he held his coat to Mr Crouch.
"I offer you my coat as a means to help you free her."
Mr Crouch looked at Harry stunned before he nodded and took the coat.
"Winky." He said sternly with no emotion in his voice.
"Stand."
Still sobbing Winky stood as she looked at the ground as Crouch draped the coat over her.
"I present you with clothing and i free you." He said disgusted.
Winky fell to her knees as her sobbing more.
Hermione was about to shout at Harry for what he had done but he raised his hand silencing her.
"Winky." Harry said as he walked in front of her.
Winky slowly looked up to him as he got down on one knee.
"Seeing as you are free, you now need a master." Harry said as a small smile dawned his face.
"I will be your new master from this day forth if you shall accept me." Harry said stunning everyone.
"W-W-What?" Winky asked.
"I-I-I-I-Is Mr. Potter wanting to be my master?" Winky asked and Harry took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped her face.
"Yes...and I can promise you I will never present you with clothing but refer to me as Mr. Kaneki." Harry said as he stood up.
Winky burst into tears once more as she hugged Harry's leg.
"Y-Yes!"
Harry put his hand on her head before he slowly pulled his leg away.
"Then hand me my coat." Harry said as he held out his hand.
Winky handed his coat to him as Harry as he put it on.
"Accio wand." Harry said as his wand flew to his hand before he holstered it.
"Winky, go to Greengrass Manor and explain the situation to them, they will understand it." Harry said.
Winky nodded before she Apparated away.
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