Marauders' Godson Book 4: The Goblet of Fire

Chapter Six

The Quidditch Cup was being held in a gigantic stadium which stretched into the distance. Edward assumed that they could fit ten Hogwarts castles comfortably inside of it. He estimated that they could fit probably fifteen thousand inside.

They all crowded into the nearest entrance, which was surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards.

"Prime seats!" said the Ministry worker at the entrance, after she'd checked their tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Mr. Weasley, and as high as you can go."

They climbed several floors and then reached a small box, set at the highest point of the stadium and exactly halfway betweent he goalposts. There were twenty purple-and-gilt chairs set in two rows here. Everyone sat down.

Everything was lit by a mysterious golden light that seemed to come from the stadium itself. At the opposite side of the Top Box was a gigantic blackboard, on which gold writing portrayed advertisements.

The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family -- safe, reliable, and with Built-in Anti-Burglar Buzzer... Mrs. Shower's All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain, No Stain!... Gladrags Wizardwear -- London, Paris, Hogsmeade...

The box was empty other than a small House Elf sitting in the second-from-last seat behind them. She looked a bit like Dobby, with the same long bat-like ears.

"Dobby?" Harry said beside Edward, sounding incredulous.

The House Elf looked up, revealing enormous brown eyes. It was unmistakeably a female.

"Did sir just call me Dobby?" she squeaked in a voice that was a bit higher than Dobby's.

Hermione, Ron, and the triplets looked around at this. Even Mr. Weasley looked interested.

"Sorry," said Harry. "I just thought you were someone I knew."

"But I knows Dobby, too!" she squeaked.

"You do?" Edward asked with a smile.

She nodded. "My name is Winky, sirs -- and you, sirs-" Her eyes widened. "You is surely Edward and Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, we are," said Harry.

"But Dobby talks of you all the time, sirs!" Winky said, lowering her hands slightly from her face. She looked awed.

"How is he?" Edward asked. "How's freedom suiting him?"

"Ah, sir," said Winky with a sigh, "meaning no disrespect, sir, but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free."

"Why?" Harry frowned. "What's wrong with him?"

"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir," said Winky. "Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"He wants to be paid?" Edward guessed. Winky nodded, and Edward turned to Harry. "House-elves have strict rules. They're slaves, not servants." He turned to Winky. "If you see him again, would you tell him I'd be glad to hire him?"

Winky blinked. "Pay him, sir?"

"Of course, if Harry agrees; we're sharing a vault."

"Yes, sir... Winky will tell Dobby." Winky covered up her face again.

"So that's a house-elf?" Ron asked quietly. "Weird things, aren't they?"

"They are not weird!" Ruby whispered hotly.

Hermione smiled amusedly and pulled out her program. "'A display from the team mascots will precede the match.'"

"Oh, that's always worth watching," Mr. Weasley said with a smile. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."