It Was Never Supposed to Be Easy
S.P.E.W
We hid in the cover of the shadows. The garden loomed around us, every breath of wind was a Death Eater, and every crack underneath our feet was our murder.
We snuck by the frozen flowers, skirting over the cobbled paths, pushing past the lanterns. We only had two Hats of Invisibility, and both Ron and Ginny had decided it was only fair we were all visible. We crept through the lavish gardens and slowly made our way around the edge of the mansion.
“I am freezing.” I heard Ginny whisper.
“Deal.” Ron snapped.
I felt bad for Ginny, but I don’t think she had any idea what we were getting into. She had no idea what tricks they were capable of.
Draco had shown me that.
“What was that?” Ginny whispered suddenly.
“Shh!” Ron whispered.
“I heard someth…” suddenly Ginny was cut off by Ron’s hands. The light of the moon was reflected off his suddenly shocked face. He had heard it too.
We were not alone.
Footsteps. Light pattering ones, skipping over the snow, its shadow stretching ahead of it. We didn’t move, we were sitting ducks, completely exposed.
We were so dead.
The steps came closer, and then a voice.
“Miss?”
It was a high-pitched voice, squeaky and small. The voice of…a…house elf?
I stepped around the still frozen Ron and Ginny.
“Who’s there?” I asked, my voice slicing the air wide open.
A shuffling noise and then a tiny, hunched over figure came around a statue of a witch in flowing robes. It was tiny, maybe a young elf, and it was wearing what looked like an old curtain, ripped into size and wrapped around the quivering body.
“It’s nobody, Miss. Just…Pobbet.”
I crouched down to the small elf’s height.
“Pobbet?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”
Its eyes shifted past me, to Ron and Ginny behind me, and then to the house, glowing golden from the candlelight.
Her eyes dropped to the ground and it scuffed at the snow. Her long lashes swept her narrow cheeks and then her eyes were on me.
“Miss, you were so kind to us. Saying thank you and smiling. We had no idea such a witch existed.”
“Well, you’ve got feelings to!” I said angrily, a new hate burning in my stomach.
She leaned forward, looking at me closely. Her nose almost touched my own and I heard her whisper, “You are here to help Harry Potter?”
“Yes, yes. We’re here to rescue him. Pobbet…?”
She smiled, twisting her hands underneath her curtain.
“Then I am here to help you.”
We were saved.
We snuck by the frozen flowers, skirting over the cobbled paths, pushing past the lanterns. We only had two Hats of Invisibility, and both Ron and Ginny had decided it was only fair we were all visible. We crept through the lavish gardens and slowly made our way around the edge of the mansion.
“I am freezing.” I heard Ginny whisper.
“Deal.” Ron snapped.
I felt bad for Ginny, but I don’t think she had any idea what we were getting into. She had no idea what tricks they were capable of.
Draco had shown me that.
“What was that?” Ginny whispered suddenly.
“Shh!” Ron whispered.
“I heard someth…” suddenly Ginny was cut off by Ron’s hands. The light of the moon was reflected off his suddenly shocked face. He had heard it too.
We were not alone.
Footsteps. Light pattering ones, skipping over the snow, its shadow stretching ahead of it. We didn’t move, we were sitting ducks, completely exposed.
We were so dead.
The steps came closer, and then a voice.
“Miss?”
It was a high-pitched voice, squeaky and small. The voice of…a…house elf?
I stepped around the still frozen Ron and Ginny.
“Who’s there?” I asked, my voice slicing the air wide open.
A shuffling noise and then a tiny, hunched over figure came around a statue of a witch in flowing robes. It was tiny, maybe a young elf, and it was wearing what looked like an old curtain, ripped into size and wrapped around the quivering body.
“It’s nobody, Miss. Just…Pobbet.”
I crouched down to the small elf’s height.
“Pobbet?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”
Its eyes shifted past me, to Ron and Ginny behind me, and then to the house, glowing golden from the candlelight.
Her eyes dropped to the ground and it scuffed at the snow. Her long lashes swept her narrow cheeks and then her eyes were on me.
“Miss, you were so kind to us. Saying thank you and smiling. We had no idea such a witch existed.”
“Well, you’ve got feelings to!” I said angrily, a new hate burning in my stomach.
She leaned forward, looking at me closely. Her nose almost touched my own and I heard her whisper, “You are here to help Harry Potter?”
“Yes, yes. We’re here to rescue him. Pobbet…?”
She smiled, twisting her hands underneath her curtain.
“Then I am here to help you.”
We were saved.