0634 Questioning

"Go home--"

Winky blinked her large, tennis ball-sized eyes that were now filled with fearful tears. She did not understand what Professor Watson meant by telling her to go home. Where was her home now that she had been freed from the Crouch family's service?

"It's like this, Winky--" Bryan began explaining patiently. He had no intention of teasing or upsetting the sensitive house-elf. The corners of his mouth twitched into a reassuring smile as he looked down at Winky's anxious face.

"During the few days I was away from Hogwarts, I went to visit Barty at his home--"

From Winky's suddenly excited demeanor, one could see how deeply loyal he still was to his former master Barty Crouch Sr, despite having been dismissed.

The moment she heard Barty's name mentioned, Winky tensed up, trembling with anticipation and hope. She even forgot his usual respectful, subservient manner as a house-elf. Instead, Winky stared straight at Bryan Watson's kind face, asking in a trembling, desperate voice,

"You saw Master Crouch, Professor Watson Sir? How is he? Is Master Crouch alright?!"

"To be honest, Barty is not doing particularly well at the moment, I'm afraid--" Bryan said gently with honesty.

"You may not know this Winky, but in order to organize and oversee the first task of the Triwizard Tournament, Barty personally went to inspect several dragon nature reserves around Europe. Unfortunately, there was a bit of an accident when he was visiting the Hungarian Horntail reserve and he was injured. His colleagues at the Ministry advised him to recuperate fully at St Mungo's Hospital for a while to receive the best treatment, but Barty was unwilling to put down his important work and delay the Tournament preparations. Now, his condition has worsened and he has no choice but to rest at home."

"Oh, my poor Master!" Winky wailed sadly.

Tears immediately began rolling down Winky's wrinkled cheeks at this distressing news about her beloved master.

"My poor Master Crouch, he's ill and injured. But what will he do without Winky there to help him? He needs me, Professor. Master Crouch needs my assistance to care for him. I've been faithfully serving and taking care of the Crouch family since the day I was born!"

"Just as you said, Winky--" Bryan said in a low, serious voice.

"When I went to visit Barty at his manor, it was quite clear he wasn't doing too well trying to recover on his own. The manor was very cold and dreary. Barty didn't even have a warming fire lit in the hearth. From what I could tell, he was relying on Muggle fast food takeaway.

Of course, as an extremely busy, high-ranking Ministry of Magic official, one can understand if he lacks some basic cooking and housekeeping life skills. But attempting to continue on like this while he's meant to be recovering definitely won't do. Barty's health will only deteriorate further."

Before Winky could burst into anguished howling sobs at the thought of his master suffering in such a sorry state, Bryan quickly continued on.

"So, I suggested to Barty, why not find someone trustworthy and loyal to come take care of his daily needs while he recovers? Considering that Barty definitely wouldn't want some strange witch or wizard suddenly showing up at his private home and having free reign to waltz around in front of him, I thought of you and recommended you, Winky."

As if a pause button had been pressed, Winky's sorrowful crying ceased in an instant at Bryan's words. Tears were still rolling down her furrowed cheeks, but her bulging eyes were no longer producing more.

Winky stared up at Bryan in stunned disbelief, hardly daring to breathe. Two glistening trails of snot were hanging from his garlic-shaped nose, nearly dripping into her limply open mouth.

'Could it be possible? Was she really hearing this correctly?'

"Although Barty initially showed some hesitation at my suggestion, fortunately I was able to persuade him. So--" Bryan smiled warmly and reached out to gently pat Winky's trembling shoulder.

"Winky, if you're willing to after how things previously ended, you can return to Crouch Manor and Barty's side to resume your role taking care of his health and home. I don't know if you still feel resentful that Barty had fired you before--"

"Going back to Master Crouch--" Winky repeated faintly.

She hadn't fully absorbed everything Bryan had said. Winky's mind had latched onto one thing - that she could return to serve the Crouch family once more. That she had somehow been accepted by Master Barty again!

Winky's body began to tremble and tremor and an expression of pure elation spread across her face. 

"Master Crouch is letting Winky return to his side. Winky can go home--" she said to himself, still in a state of ecstatic shock. 

The tremors racking Winky's body grew more and more intense. Then suddenly, all at once, the house-elf lost any trace of composure. She threw herself onto the stone floor of Dumbledore's office.

Winky went between pounding the flagstones with her hands and hugging herself in emotional joy. Rocking back and forth, she sobbed and wailed excitedly.

"Master Crouch has forgiven Winky. He wants Winky to come back! Oh, my great, magnanimous master! He is actually willing to pardon Winky for making such a grave, disgraceful mistake in the past. Master Barty is truly the kindest, most merciful wizard to ever live, boo hoo!"

Seeing this display of the house-elf being so emotional and blissful, simply by virtue of the man who had coldly thrown her out now agreeing to take her back into service, Dumbledore and Watson both felt their hearts constrict with sympathy and unease.

Poor naive, blindly devoted Winky. She still did not realize the extent of what was likely in store for her upon returning to that manor!

But Winky was oblivious to their heavy looks in her direction. She hopped up and scurried to Bryan's feet, dropping to her knees and respectfully gathering up the hem of Bryan's teaching robes. Winky continued to cover her now mucus-streaked face with the cloth. 

"And you too, great Sir Watson! It was you who convinced Master Crouch to be lenient and allow Winky to come home. You are too incredible, Professor Watson sir. Too kind and amazing. Winky will always remember this immense favor you've done for me, for as long as Winky lives. Winky vows to find a way to repay your benevolence!"

'The earnest repayment of a house-elf—'

Bryan pressed his lips together, a flicker of hesitation flashing through his eyes, but the light in his eyes soon stabilized.

"Barty is my friend, Winky. I could hardly sit by and watch him struggle helplessly in his current situation without offering help."

Bryan pulled Winky up by his side. 

"Some shortsighted witches and wizards in the wizarding world may hold lingering prejudices against Barty for his political views and... well... that scandal. But anyone with some proper sense recognizes Barty Crouch Sr. as an upright, respectable Ministry official.

Ever since entering the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, he has worked diligently with unyielding fairness to uphold the law to fight against the Dark Wizards. Honestly, at his age, Barty should take a well-deserved break from his career to simply enjoy life. Embrace his freedom and perhaps find a like-minded witch to spend the rest of his days with in quiet company..."

Winky nodded along, clearly already viewing Bryan as a confidant.

"Oh yes, Winky agrees, Professor Watson sir! Very much so," Winky sniffled with mixed pride and melancholy. 

"But Master Crouch loves his work at the Ministry. He is unwilling to spend time on entertainment and enjoyment. Winky also tried to persuade Master Crouch to find another wife, but ever since my poor mistress passed away, Master gruffly refuses to get close to any other ladies!"

"Admirable--" Bryan sighed in admiration. "Diligent in his career, extremely faithful in love. I heard Barty's wife passed away from illness back then?"

Winky was immersed in the joy of being able to return to the Crouch family and pride for Master Crouch himself. Caught off guard by Bryan's question, her calmed body suddenly shuddered, and her expression also appeared somewhat unnatural.

"You've heard right, Professor Watson sir. My mistress was always a frail, sickly witch, from the day Winky first met her. As the years passed, it grew harder and harder for the mistress to leave her bed for more than a few hours at a time. Perhaps...oh, but surely you must know what happened with poor young Master Barty..."

Bryan nodded, giving Winky an encouraging look, while Dumbledore, who had been quietly watching all this, also couldn't help leaning forward.

"After that horrible incident, my poor mistress suffered a tremendous blow to her already-weak body. Her health declined very rapidly because of the shock and despair. Although Master Crouch still tried every possible way to help the mistress recover, unfortunately--"

The sorrow in Winky's voice was heartfelt.

"I dare say the blow Barty suffered was no less than his wife's. Moreover, he also had to bear the grief of his wife's passing and the shame of his son being imprisoned in Azkaban. Has he forgiven him, Winky? I mean, is Barty still unable to forgive the mistake his son made? Has he gone to visit him over the years?" Bryan said worriedly.

A hint of unnaturalness flashed across Winky's face again. She subconsciously lowered her head to avoid Bryan's gaze, feeling both apprehensive and guilty inside.

Because there were some truths, she couldn't tell Professor Watson. She could only lie, lie to his master's friend, to a wizard who had shown her immense kindness.

"Oh, no, sir--" Winky said softly. "Before the mistress passed away, Master Crouch accompanied her to see young Master Barty once. After that, Master Crouch never went to see young Master Barty again--"

"Barty shouldn't have let his sick wife accompany him to Azkaban that day. Subjecting a witch as frail as you described to the presence of so many Dementors..... it was a very unwise thing."

Bryan narrowed his eyes and continued.

"Dementors can take away people's happiness and hope. Perhaps it was precisely because of the influence of such foul creatures that Barty's wife was unable to hold on. It's possible..." He trailed off not saying anything more.

"You're right of course, Professor Watson sir."

Winky was immensely grateful for Professor Watson's concern for her master. However, his questions made her sit very uneasy. She fidgeted uneasily.

"But the mistress...she loved the young master more than her own life. She was determined to look upon his face one last time, even if it destroyed her. Oh, my mistress had the gentlest heart. Always too soft when it came to the young master. And Master Crouch couldn't persuade her, Professor. Not when he knew it might be their final chance..."

Winky's voice cracked and softened into miserable, hiccuping sobs. Her body shuddered with grief and regret. "And not long after the mistress returned from Azkaban, she left us."

Bryan let the distraught elf cry for a long moment and finally ended his questioning. He turned his head to look at Dumbledore. The two saw surprise and understanding in each other's eyes.

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