That evening, Hermione, Ron and Harry went to the owlery so Harry could send a letter to Sirius. As they walked, Hermione and Harry filled Ron in on everything that Sirius had told Harry. Ron was initially shocked about Karkaroff, but by the time they came in range to hear owl hoots, he had decided that they should've known all along
“Fits, doesn’t it?” he said “Remember what Malfoy said on the train, about his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup... I’ll tell you one thing, though, Harry, if it was Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he’s going to be feeling really stupid now, isn’t he? Didn’t work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here - I’ll do it-”
Pigwidgeon, who Ron had offered to Harry for Sirius's letter, was very overexcited, and was flapping madly all over the place, hooting happily. Ron snatched the owl out of the air, and Harry attached the letter to Pigwidgeon's leg
“There’s no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous, how could they be?” Ron continued “You know what? I reckon you could win this tournament, Harry, I’m serious”
“Harry’s got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament” said Hermione, folding her arms “If that was the first task, I hate to think what’s coming next”
“Right little ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” said Ron “You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime”
He threw Pig out of an open window. Pig fell about two metres, before gaining his bearings and flying away
“Well, we’d better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry-" said Ron as Pigwidgeon disappeared "Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now”
They walked back to the common room and, as Ron had predicted, there was a great cheer as the Gryffindors spotted Harry. Fred and George had managed to get all kinds of food imaginable, as well as gallons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer. Lee Jordan had set off a box of Filibuster’s Fireworks, and Dean had drawn some banners, which were now stuck on the walls. Most showed Harry on his broom, but there were several not very sporting ones depicting Cedric getting attacked by the Swedish Short Snout. The atmosphere seemed electrically charged, and the Gryffindors seemed ready to pull an all-nighter
Hermione picked up a plate of food, surprised at how hungry she felt, and the trio sat down with Ginny. Harry discarded the golden egg on the table next to them, and it was picked up almost instantly by Lee
“Blimey, this is heavy” he said “Open it, Harry, go on! Let’s just see what’s inside it!”
“He’s supposed to work out the clue on his own” Hermione started “It’s in the tournament rules...”
“I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too” Harry whispered. Hermione went red and grinned sheepishly
“Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!” said several people, as Lee passed the egg back. Harry gave Hermione a why not? expression, before prising it open along the groves. It was hollow, but the moment Harry opened it, a horrible screechy wailing echoed through the common room. Hermione instinctively covered her ears. She noticed that Neville went white, just as he had in Moody's first lesson, and had dropped a plate on the floor
“Shut it!” Fred roared, his ears also covered. Harry slammed the egg shut, and the noise ceased at once
“What was that?” said Seamus “Sounded like a banshee... Maybe you’ve got to get past one of those next, Harry!”
“It was someone being tortured!” said Neville shakily “You’re going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!”
“Don’t be a prat, Neville, that’s illegal,” said George “They wouldn’t use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing... maybe you’ve got to attack him while he’s in the shower, Harry”
“Want a jam tart, Hermione?” said Fred.
Hermione looked suspiciously at the plate of tarts Fred was holding. Fred grinned
“It’s all right” he said “I haven’t done anything to them. It’s the custard creams you’ve got to watch-”
Neville, who had just eaten a custard cream, spat it out quickly
“Just my little joke, Neville...” laughed Fred
"Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?” asked Hermione, taking a tart
“Yep” said Fred. He began talking in a high, squeaky voice; a poor impression of a house elf “'Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!' They’re dead helpful... get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish.”
“How do you get in there?” Hermione said, trying to sound as casual as possible
“Easy” said Fred brightly “concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and-” he stopped suddenly “Why?”
“Nothing” said Hermione
“Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?” said George, sounding amused “Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?”
Hermione didn't reply. She tried to ignore the laughs of several onlookers
“Don’t you go upsetting them and telling them they’ve got to take clothes and salaries!” said Fred “You’ll put them off their cooking!”
Just then Neville distracted everyone by turning into a large bird. The room burst into laughter
“Oh - sorry, Neville!” Fred said “I forgot - it was the custard creams we hexed-”
Neville had wilted within a minute, and joined in with the laughter
“Canary Creams!” Fred called “George and I invented them - seven Sickles each, a bargain!”
Hermione, not wishing to have to endure the rabble surrounding Fred and George, went to bed, visualising the castle and trying to remember if she'd ever seen a painting of a bowl of fruit
It turned very cold rather quickly at the start of December. Hermione wasn't entirely sure how the Durmstrang students on the ship were coping, but it seemed like they were used to the cold. The Beauxbatons students, however, clearly weren't, and Fleur Delacour took every opportunity to complain. The massive horses were kept near Hagrid's hut, which was a nuisance as the fumes from the single-malt whiskey they liked to drink kept wafting over Hagrid's garden, making the Care of Magical Creatures class very drowsy. As they were still attempting to look after the Blast-Ended Skrewts, this wasn't great
There were only ten Skrewts left at this point and, Ron had said hopefully on the walk to Hagrid's hut, they might've all killed each other by the Easter holidays at this rate. They were now about the size of a grown man, and had grown a grey, armour like outer skin. They were truly vile, but Hagrid was still looking at them as if they were overgrown teddy bears
“I’m not sure whether they hibernate or not” he said one lesson “Thought we’d jus’ try an’ see if they fancied a kip... we’ll jus’ settle ’em down in these boxes...”
The class looked miserably at the massive metal boxes Hagrid had brought out, lined with pink, fluffy pillows
“We’ll jus’ lead ’em in here” Hagrid said eagerly “an’ put the lids on, and we’ll see what happens”
As it turned out, the Skrewts didn't hibernate, and didn't take kindly to the class attempting to stuff them in fluffy metal boxes. Soon the pumpkin patch had turned into a smouldering wreck and most of the class had ran into Hagrid's hut and barricaded themselves in. Hermione, Ron and Harry, along with Dean, Seamus and Lavender, were the only ones who stayed outside to try and help Hagrid. Finally, multiple cuts and burns later, nine of them had been restrained, and the last one was advancing on Ron and Harry, who were both using red wand sparks to hold it off
“Don’ frighten him, now!” Hagrid called “Jus’ try an’ slip the rope ’round his sting, so he won’ hurt any o’ the others!”
“Yeah, we wouldn’t want that!” Ron roared
“Well, well, well... this does look like fun”
Hermione turned. Rita Skeeter was leaning against Hagrid's garden fence, watching the action and making no move to help. Hagrid leapt on top of the last Skrewt, and it flattened with a sound similar to a deflating balloon
“Who’re you?” asked Hagrid, tying up the squashed Skrewt
“Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter” Rita said. She grinned, and Hermione noticed several gold teeth
“Thought Dumbledore said you weren’ allowed inside the school anymore” said Hagrid blankly as he tugged the Skrewt over to its brethren. Skeeter ignore him
“What are these fascinating creatures called?” she asked
“Blast-Ended Skrewts” said Hagrid
“Really?” said Rita, acting fascinated “I’ve never heard of them before... where do they come from?”
Hagrid didn't answer, and Hermione's heart sank. Where had Hagrid got them from? He had won an illegal dragon egg in a card game in Hermione's first year, she wouldn't be surprised if the place he had got these things from wasn't exactly rule abiding
“They’re very interesting, aren’t they?" she said loudly "Aren’t they, Harry?”
She trod on his feet
“What?" said Harry blankly "Oh yeah... ouch... interesting,”
“Ah, you’re here, Harry!” said Skeeter, as if he wasn't the real reason she was here “So you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favourite lessons?”
“Yes” said Harry. Hagrid grinned
“Lovely” said Rita “Really lovely. Been teaching long?” she asked. Her eye travelled over the various injuries of the students still outside, and the faces pressed against the windows of Hagrid's hut, waiting for the coast to clear
“This is o’ny me second year” said Hagrid
“Lovely..." said Skeeter "I don’t suppose you’d like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I’m sure you know. We could feature these - er - Bang-Ended Scoots”
“Blast-Ended Skrewts” Hagrid said brightly “Er - yeah, why not?”
Hermione didn't like the sound of that, but she couldn't say anything, so she watched mutely as Hagrid and Skeeter arranged to meet up at the Three Broomsticks at the end of the week. A bell rang for lunch, and the students hidden in Hagrid's hut emerged and bolted towards the castle
“Well, good-bye, Harry!” Skeeter said brightly as Hermione, Ron and Harry set off up the hill “Until Friday night, then, Hagrid!”
“She’ll twist everything he says” Harry breathed
“Just as long as he didn’t import those skrewts illegally or any- thing” said Hermione. She and Harry exchanged looks - Hagrid could've easily done that
“Hagrid’s been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore’s never sacked him” said Ron firmly “Worst that can happen is Hagrid’ll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry... did I say worst? I meant best”
Hermione laughed, and a weight seemed to leave her stomach
Hermione didn't have enough head space to think too much about Blast-Ended Skrewts. After double Arithmancy, Hermione didn't join the crowds heading to dinner. Instead, she took out a map she had drawn of Hogwarts and marked where she was. Then, she set off down a corridor at random, scanning the walls she passed for paintings of fruit bowls, marking where she was going as she went
She continued her search for hours, but came up fruitless. She sighed, putting the map in her bag. Maybe if she was quick, she'd be able to reach the Great Hall before dinner finished. She hurried down the many staircases and corridors until she reached the Entrance Hall. She paused as Cedric Diggory walked passed her with some friends, walking down a set of staircases that she barely ever noticed. Hermione stopped. She had always assumed that the Hufflepuff common room was the only thing down there, but as Helga Hufflepuff was the one who was supposed to have brought the house elves here in the first place, what if she had put the entrance...?
Hermione stared for a moment, before following Cedric and his friends down the set of staircases. She found herself in a long, well lit corridor that didn't seem to go anywhere. Hermione wasn't fooled, though. On one wall there was a pile of vinegar barrels, which she knew hid the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room. On the other side was lines of paintings of food. And, at the far end, there was a painting of a silver fruit bowl!
Hermione ran over to it. It was exactly how Fred had described it! Hands trembling slightly, Hermione reached out and ran a finger down the pear. It squirmed and giggled, before suddenly turning into a green doorknob. Hermione grabbed it and yanked the door open, leaping inside a moment later
She found herself inside an enormous room, easily as big as the Great Hall which, Hermione deduced, would lie immediately above it. There were five long tables, exactly where the house and teacher's tables would lie on the floor above. There must be some kind of spell to bring anything put on these tables up to the corresponding place on the tables on the floor above
"Who are you, miss?"
Hermione looked down and her heart sank. About one hundred house elves, each with a tea towel with the Hogwarts crest stamped on it draped over them like a toga, were looking up at her curiously. They had all stopped momentarily from gathering the empty plates on the tables and washing them. The house elf who had spoken looked surprised at her own daring
"Um..." Hermione stuttered "my name is Hermione"
She looked at the house elves at the back of the room and jumped, noticing one that looked astronomically different from the rest
"Dobby?" she gasped
The house elf looked up. Dobby looked identical to how Harry had described him, with his long pencil like nose and large green eyes, in every aspect other than his clothes, which were very different. Harry had told her that Dobby had worn a large pillowcase while enslaved to the Malfoy's, but now he wore a very strange collection of things. He was wearing a badge covered tea cosy for a hat, a green tie with horseshoes on it, a child's blue football short and odd socks
"You is knowing Dobby, miss?" he said
"I, er, um" said Hermione, momentarily struck dumb by Dobby. Of all the house elves that could have been there, how was it that Dobby...? "yes, Harry talks about you sometimes"
"Harry? Harry Potter?" squeaked Dobby eagerly "you is knowing Harry Potter, miss?"
"Yes" said Hermione "he's a friend of mine"
"Then you is... you is..." Dobby's eyes widened "you is surely Hermione Granger, miss! One of Harry Potter's greatest friends!"
"I, um, yeah, I am" said Hermione, blinking
"I has been hoping to see Harry Potter since I have been here" said Dobby brightly "but I hasn't been sent to clean the Gryffindor common room yet, miss"
An idea struck Hermione
"I can bring him here if you'd like" she said "would you like that?"
"You- You- You'd do that, miss?" said Dobby, eyes brimming with tears
"Of course" said Hermione "wait here"
And with that, she sped off again
She sped through the castle, finally finding Harry with Ron just as they opened the Fat Lady's portrait. They stopped as they heard her and looked at her in surprise
“Harry!” she gasped, trying to ignore the stitch in her side “Harry, you’ve got to come - you’ve got to come, the most amazing thing’s happened - please-”
She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him along
“What’s the matter?” Harry said
“I’ll show you when we get there - oh come on, quick-”
“Okay,” Harry said, and he and Ron followed her as she bolted back along the corridor
“Oh don’t mind me!” the Fat Lady yelled “Don’t apologize for bothering me! I’ll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?”
“Yeah, thanks!” Ron called. Hermione smiled
“Hermione, where are we going?” Harry asked after they'd ran down three flights of stairs
“You’ll see, you’ll see in a minute!” said Hermione brightly, too out of breath to explain
They reached the right corridor and Hermione led them to the painting of the fruit bowl
“Oh hang on...” said Harry “Wait a minute, Hermione...”
“What?” she said anxiously, turning to face him
“I know what this is about” said Harry, nudging Ron and pointing to the painting
“Hermione!” said Ron loudly “You’re trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!”
“No, no, I’m not!” she said quickly “And it’s not spew, Ron-” she began angrily
“Changed the name, have you?” said Ron, cutting her off “What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I’m not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work, I’m not doing it-”
“I’m not asking you to!” said Hermione “I came down here just now, to talk to them all, and I found - oh come on, Harry, I want to show you!”
She reached out and tickled the pear again. Almost before it had the chance to turn into a door handle, Hermione had opened the door and shoved Harry inside. Ron was still giving Hermione a sceptical look, but his expression cleared as he heard Dobby's excited squeals inside
“Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!”
Ron and Hermione climbed into the room after Harry. Dobby had given Harry a very hard hug, judging by the oomph that had come from Harry's mouth, and Harry's face showed nothing except blank shock
“D-Dobby?” he gasped
“It is Dobby, sir, it is!” Dobby squeaked “Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!”
Dobby let go of Harry and beamed. Harry and Ron stared at Dobby's odd appearance
“Dobby, what’re you doing here?” says Harry, flabbergasted
“Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!” said Dobby brightly “Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!”
Hermione blinked
“Winky?” said Harry “She’s here too?”
“Yes, sir, yes!” said Dobby
Dobby grabbed Harry's hand and led him through the crowd, Hermione and Ron hot on their heels. How had she not noticed Winky? Dobby led them to the large fireplace at the end of the hall
“Winky, sir!” he said, pointing at her. Winky was sitting on a stool in front of the fireplace. She was wearing a blouse and blue skirt with a matching hat. She clearly didn't care much for her clothes, though. There were several stains on her blouse and a burn on her skirt
“Hello, Winky” said Harry.
Winky burst into tears
“Oh dear” said Hermione “Winky, don’t cry, please don’t...”
Winky cried harder
“Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?” said Dobby loudly
“Er - yeah, okay” said Harry
In seconds, six house-elves had appeared at their sides, carrying a tray between them, with a teapot and cups, a jug of milk and a plate piled high with biscuits
“Good service!” Ron said, and the house-elves beamed. Hermione frowned at him. Wasn't it obvious that they'd been brainwashed?
“How long have you been here, Dobby?” said Harry, taking a cup
“Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!” said Dobby brightly “Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed-”
Winky started sobbing harder, tears running down her face and tomato shaped nose
“Dobby has travelled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!” Dobby said brightly “But Dobby hasn’t found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!”
“Good for you, Dobby!” said Hermione
“Thank you, miss!” said Dobby, beaming “But most wizards doesn’t want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That’s not the point of a house-elf' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby’s face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid, Harry Potter... Dobby likes being free!”
“And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!” said Dobby eagerly
Winky collapsed onto the floor and started wailing, beating her fists on the floor. Hermione knelt down beside her and attempted to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest bit of difference
“And then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir! ‘Why doesn’t Dobby and Winky find work together?’ Dobby says. ‘Where is there enough work for two house-elves?’ says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!”
Dobby grinned
“And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!”
“That’s not very much!” Hermione said angrily
“Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off” Dobby shuddered “but Dobby beat him down, miss... Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn’t wanting too much, miss, he likes work better”
“And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?” asked Hermione
Winky stopped crying in an instant, but that had been replaced by fury. She glared at Hermione
“Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!” she said indignantly “Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!”
“Ashamed?” said Hermione, blinking “But - Winky, come on! It’s Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn’t do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you-”
Winky covered her ears with her hands and shook her head
“You is not insulting my master, miss!" she squeaked "You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!”
“Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter” said Dobby “Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won’t do it”
“Can’t house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?” said Harry, surprised
“Oh no, sir, no” said Dobby gravely “’Tis part of the house-elf’s enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family’s honour, and we never speaks ill of them - though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to - to-”
Dobby looked suddenly nervous and lowered his voice
“He said we is free to call him a - a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!” Dobby giggled in a frightened sort of way “But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter” he said, raising his voice again “Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him”
“But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?” said Harry, grinning
“Dobby - Dobby could” Dobby said slowly, looking scared “Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were - were - bad Dark wizards!”
Dobby froze, shocked. Then, suddenly-
“Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!” he started squealing, running over to the nearest table and banging his head repetitively on it. Harry grabbed Dobby and pulled him away from the table
“Thank you, Harry Potter, thank you” said Dobby
“You just need a bit of practice” says Harry
“Practice!” said Winky, glaring at Dobby now “You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!”
“They isn’t my masters anymore, Winky!” said Dobby firmly “Dobby doesn’t care what they think anymore!”
“Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!” squealed Winky, starting to cry again “My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her... oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!”
“Winky” said Hermione “I’m quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We’ve seen him, you know-”
“You is seeing my master?” said Winky eagerly, her crying ceasing at once “You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?”
“Yes” said Hermione “he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament”
“Mr. Bagman comes too?” asked Winky, and to Hermione's shock, she looked angry again “Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn’t liking him, oh no, not at all!”
“Bagman - bad?” said Harry blankly
“Oh yes” Winky said, nodding so fast it looked like her head would come off “My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying... Winky — Winky keeps her master’s secrets...”
She broke down crying again, and sobbed, “Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!"
They couldn’t get Winky to talk again, so they drank their tea and listened to Dobby's happy chattering about his wages
“Dobby is going to buy a jumper next, Harry Potter!” he said brightly, pointing to his torso
“Tell you what, Dobby” said Ron cheerfully “I’ll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas, I always get one from her. You don’t mind maroon, do you?”
Dobby was delighted, happy tears spilling out of his eyes
“We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you” Ron said “but it’ll go well with your tea cosy”
As they got up to leave, the house-elves swarmed around them, offering them various sweet snacks. Hermione refused, but to her annoyance Ron and Harry took as many as they could carry
“Thanks a lot!” Harry called to them all “See you, Dobby!”
“Harry Potter... can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?” said Dobby quietly
“’Course you can” said Harry, and Dobby grinned
“You know what?” said Ron on the way back to the common room “All these years I’ve been really impressed with Fred and George, nicking food from the kitchens - well, it’s not exactly difficult, is it? They can’t wait to give it away!”
“I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know” said Hermione, brightly “Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it’ll dawn on them that they want that too!”
“Let’s hope they don’t look too closely at Winky” said Harry
“Oh she’ll cheer up” said Hermione “Once the shock’s worn off, and she’s got used to Hogwarts, she’ll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man”
“She seems to love him” said Ron
“Doesn’t think much of Bagman, though, does she?” said Harry curiously “Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?”
“Probably says he’s not a very good Head of Department,” said Hermione “and let’s face it... he’s got a point, hasn’t he?”
“I’d still rather work for him than old Crouch” said Ron “At least Bagman’s got a sense of humour”
Hermione smiled
“Don’t let Percy hear you saying that” she said
“Yeah, well, Percy wouldn’t want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?” said Ron, grinning back “Percy wouldn’t recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby’s tea cosy”