"Prove it."
"Oh, Poppy," the little blonde called cheerily into the air.
"What can Poppy be doing for Missy Luna?" an old female elf came from nowhere and asked. This one was dressed in a pillowcase with the Hogwarts crest on it.
"Poppy, please tell Hermione that you are not a slave," she said, waving her hand in the other girl's direction.
"Poppy is not being a slave," the elf gasped, looking completely affronted that anyone would suggest that she was. "Yous is being another one I see. Poppy is telling Missy we is not being slaves," Poppy said with a small stamp of her foot.
"But, you were bought, and you don't get paid, or medical, or vacations. You're being brainwashed into thinking you like this lifestyle," the bushy-haired girl said kindly, as if talking to a mental patient.
"You is being thinking that we is being human. We is not," the elf answered as if that was all the answer needed.
"What does that matter?" Hermione stated as if it was inconsequential.
"Will yous be going into the forest and telling the horsy people that they must be living in houses and wearing clothes? Will yous be going into the lake and telling the fishy people they must be living on land?" Poppy asked, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Of course not, that's not the same at all," the Gryffindor female harrumphed.
"Poppy is not liking being told she is a stupid critter. Poppy is telling Missy she is putting her point-of-views on Poppy. Poppy thinks Missy would not like being told she should be workings hard and not learning in the schools. We are happy as we is. Why should Missy comes and tells us were are wrong," the kitchen elf stated firmly.
"But…"
"Hermione," Harry interrupted as he looked at all the elves listening in, "they all look happy and healthy to me."
"But they are slaves," she protested again.
"Poppy is not being a slave. Poppy is being bonded to the Headmaster and works like she is supposed to be doing," the female elf stated, stomping her foot again in frustration. "We was not 'bought', we all lost our masters, and was invited here. Or we is being born here after the great Lady Hufflepuff is bringing our forefathers to the castle to works," she explained slowly.
"But you are bonded, you just said so. Don't you want to be free like Dobby?" she asked, the noise in the kitchen stopped, but for the quick intake of breath from hundreds of elves. She dismissed the fact that one of the Founders condoned slavery. 'Helga Hufflepuff was a good woman; there was no way she had anything to do with elves being in the castle,' Hermione consoled herself.
"Dobby is being bonded," Dobby said with a great deal of confusion.
"But your free," Hermione stated with just as much confusion.
"Yes, but Dobby is bonded to Master Harry," the hyper elf said with a look of admiration that the teen in question.
"Oh, you are not making a lick of sense. How can you be free and bonded at the same time?" she snapped at the two elves.
"Master Harry did not buy Dobby. Dobby chose Master Harry," the elf said brightly as if that cleared it all up, which made the other elves feel better about having Dobby about.
"Do you have to do what he says? Do you have to stay with him? Do you get paid? Do you get medical? Do you get vacations?" she fired off, counting each question on her fingers.
Dobby turned to Harry and stated, "Master Harry, Dobby is being sick. Can Dobby go to the healer and not works for two days?" There was a gleam in the little guy's eyes that let Harry know he as just showing Hermione that she was wrong.
"Of course, Dobby," our hero played along. "I hope you feel better."
"Master Harry, Dobby does not think yous should be eating dessert todays. Can Dobby be saving it for tomorrows?" he asked with a wink to Luna.
"Yeah, Dobby if that's what you think is best. You would know better than me," Harry said with a smile.
"Master Harry, Dobby is needing a new shirt," the elf stated, picking at his brand-new kid's shirt. "Can Dobby be having some monies to buy one?" he gave the boy puppy-dog eyes.
"Sure, little guy, as soon as I get to the bank," Harry nodded, thinking he might have to do that for his own wardrobe. If he had money that is, which was going to be his next question when all of this is cleared up. Of course, if Dobby really wanted a new shirt, he would be more than happy to get the little guy one.
"Yes, Dobby gets medical, vacation, and pay," the hyper elf said as he turned back to Hermione, who huffed and opened her mouth to debate.
"Dobby, do you know Winky?" Hermione asked, thinking that there was one elf that would prove her point.
"Dobby is knowing her. She is being very unhappy right now, because she is having no one to serve. She is being crying alls the times, and drinking butterbeer," the tiny elf stated as his ears drooped.
"Who is Winky, and why is she important?" Harry asked, he could use another elf to help him get through his … situation. He was sure that his jailors wouldn't let him out anytime soon, so maybe they could do things outside his prison for him.
"Winky was Mr. Crouch's elf. He was the official man in the Hospital Wing. He freed her because she supposedly used a wand. She didn't, but I'll tell you that story later. The point is she is a free elf," the brunette stated, folding her arms defiantly.
"And from the sound of it, she is not happy about that," the only male debated. And then he looked at Dobby and said, "Dobby, can you ask Winky if she is looking for someone to bond with?"
"Harry," was the aghast response from his 'friend'.
He held up his hand and watched Dobby.
.....
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