Title: Death of an Evil One
Author: Lady Foxfire
Pairing: None
Warning: Character Death
Setting: During 5th year
Category(s): Harry Potter
Summary: How far would you go to save your way of life, your magic and your life and that of your people?
Disclaimer: I don’t own the Harry Potter series unless you count own some of the books and DVDs. I also don’t make any money from this fanfic if I did I won’t be waiting my budget so much.
Bad Author Notes: I hate writing house elves having a conversation. I always end up mentally cross eyes from it.
Hogwarts slept. Well almost all of Hogwarts slept. The house elves were busy arranging things for the next day. Some pets were wondering around Hogwarts as is their nature. Owls circling the castle looking for a midnight snack. And Flitch was making one last round around the school, looking for students past curfew before heading to bed. So in general Hogwarts slept.
The door to the girl’s dorm slowly opened and an ancient looking house elf walked into the dorm leaning heavily on a walking stick.
The house elf slowly walking around the room, stopping at the foot of the first bed he came across. He looked intently at the girl sleeping in the bed before casting a spell on the girl which the house elves had used for generation to cause children to fall into a deeper sleep.
The house elf made his way to the bed, stopped and looked at the sleeping girl. He then cast the spell before hobbling on to the next bed.
He then walked over to the last bed in the room. He quietly walked to the head of the bed and stared at the girl sleeping in it. The elderly house elf then turned his attention to the girl’s nightstand on which was a number of books and some half completed knitting project.
The knitted item slowly rose into the air; the knitting needles slipped free of their place and dropped to the stone floor with a soft clinking sound.
The knitting slowly rotated in the air as the house elf studied it with a thoughtful look. Slowly it transformed into a nice snow-white fluffy pillow.
The house elf looked once again at the girl before using his magic to direct the pillow over her face and to hold it down.
The girl woke up almost immediately and started to fight against the pillow. With a muffled scream the girl pulled at the pillow, trying to pull it away from her face. Her body bucked as she tried desperately to get free.
Slowly her fight grew less and less until it stopped completely.
The pillow remained on her face for a full three minutes before it was lifted off and transformed back into what she had been knitting. It was placed back on her nightstand just as it had been.
“The evil one is no more?” a young house elf asked as he crept up on his elder.
“Yes. Sméagol has end the evil one’s reign,” the elderly house elf admitted.
The young house elf crept closer so he could look into the girl’s face. “House elves safe now? No worry about the evil one ending all house elves?”
“House elves safe until next evil one,” Sméagol admit.
“Next evil one?” the younger house elf turned to Sméagol with wide eyes.
Sméagol nodded his head. “Sméagol has seen 4 other evil ones in Sméagol’s life. Sméagol has ended 2 of the evil ones. Sméagol will probable see 2 more evil one’s before Sméagol dies.”
“Gimli does not understand. There were other evil ones?” the young house elf said
Sméagol nodded his head. “Sméagol has seen bad witches and bad wizard come to Hogwarts and learn about house elves. Some bad witches and bad wizard become good witches and good wizard after many questions, some become evil ones. Some wait until they become big witches and big wizard to become evil ones.”
Sméagol looked back to the cooling body of the current evil one. “Bad witch did not listen to house elf. Bad witch wanted to take house elves’ work. Take house elves home. Take house elves magic and house elves life. Bad witch wanted to kill all house elves because bad witch did not want to listen to house elves. Did not want to learn how house elves must work for witches and wizard for house elves to live. Bad witch expect house elves to take coins for house elves work. That is why bad witch is evil one.”
“But Gimli know that Dobby takes coins for Dobby’s work,” Gimli pointed out in confusion.
Sméagol nodded his head. “Dobby was given clothes, yes. But whose clothes did Dobby get?”
Gimli looked at Sméagol in confusion. “Dobby was given Dobby’s old master’s clothes.”
Sméagol shook his head. “Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir gave Dobby’s old master Harry Potter, sir’s sock and then Dobby’s old master gave Dobby Harry Potter, sir’s sock.”
Gimli looked at Sméagol with wide eyes. “So Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir is Dobby’s new master. But why does Dobby get coins if Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir is Dobby’s new master?”
“Because Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir thinks that Dobby is a free elf and should get coins for Dobby’s work,” Sméagol explain.
“Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir does not know that Dobby is Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir house elf?” Gimli said in disbelief.
Sméagol nodded his head. “Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir is a great wizard but Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir does not know much about magic. Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir will learn someday.”
Gimli looked back at the bed and the body of the evil one. “Will good witches and good wizard be mad that house elves kill bad ones?”
Sméagol waved his hand and used his house elf magic on the girl’s body. Her cut lips from where the pillow had forced them against her teeth were healed. The chipped nails on her hands were repaired. In short order all signs that the girl has been smothered disappeared and it appeared as if the girl had simply died in her sleep.
“Witches and wizards will not know. Witches and wizards will think evil one had Jesse Macklin disease,” Sméagol replied.
“What is that?” Gimli asked.
“Witches and wizard made up disease when evil one Jesse Macklin died. They think all evil ones die from this disease,” Sméagol explained.
“Witches and wizard no question the death?” Gimli said in awe
“Witches and wizard don’t like to ask questions. Witches and wizard will accept made-up disease,” Sméagol stated. “Gimli can go tell Dobby that Dobby can go back to Dobby’s duty to Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir in 5 days. House elves no long need to fear evil one.”
~*~
The students were busily getting ready for the new day when a scream alerted everyone that something was wrong.
A fifth year girl, still dressed in her nightgown, hurried down the stairs from the girls’ dorm and through the portal door in search for the head of her house. Shortly afterwards Madam Pomfrey hurried into the dorm followed by a parade of professors.
It did not take long before Professor McGonagall came back down the stairs. “Students, please gather around.”
Deputy Headmistress McGonagall waited until the students had done as she asked before saying “I am sorry to inform you but during the night one of your fellow students passed away in their sleep.”
The students immediately start to talk among themselves as they tried to figure out who died and guess from what.
“Silence,” McGonagall ordered as the noise level increased. “We believe this to be a case of Jesse Macklin disease but until Madam Pomfrey has had a case to examine the child we cannot exclude any other possible answers.”
“Jesse Macklin disease?” one of the students called out
“Sometime a witch or wizard will just die in their sleep for now reason,” another student answers.
“Sounds like an adult version of SIDS,” a third student chimed in.
“What’s SIDS?” a wizard-born student asks.
“Sudden infant death syndrome,” a first year answered. “My aunt lost my cousin to it. They go to bed like normal but for some reason they die. No one really knows why it happens.”
“So it can happen to us too? We just go to sleep and that’s it?” one of the students said a touch of panic in their voice.
McGonagall shook her head. “Jesse Macklin disease is very rare; only a couple people a decade are ever affected. And honestly we have no way of telling who will be affected and who won’t.”
“Professor, who exactly died? I mean we know it’s a fifth year girl since they’re the only ones missing,” a fifth year boy asked.
McGonagall looked sadly at the boy who asked the question and the ones standing next to him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Potter but it was Miss Granger who passed away.”
~*~
Before the evening meal, the colorful banners than normally decorated the Great Hall had been replaced with black one in mourning.
The general mood of the evening meal was disbelief as news circulated Hogwarts of Granger’s death due to Jesse Macklin disease. Of course there were some exceptions.
At the Slytherin table Draco Malfoy could be heard saying how it just proved that Granger was not a real witch since no real witch or wizard could die from such a disease.
Those at the Slytherin table paid attention to Draco as he continued to crow about Granger’s death and things his father had said while waiting for Potter or Weasley to snap, no one paid attention to the shadows and the conversation the shadows were having.
“Old master’s son is bad wizard,” the younger of the shadow said.
“Many bad witches and bad wizards there is. Few evil ones,” the older shadow stated.
“Old master’s son makes Dobby iron Dobby’s ears. Old master’s son kick and hurt Dobby many times when Dobby was good house elf,” the younger shadow, Dobby said.
“Dobby’s old master’s son is a bad wizard. Sméagol seen many bad witches and bad wizards,” the older shadow said.
“Old master’s son makes fun of Harry Potter, sir. Old master’s son makes Harry Potter, sir angry. Old master’s son makes Dobby’s duty to protect Harry Potter, sir harder,” Dobby admitted.
Sméagol sighed. “Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir will be angry at many time in Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir life, that does not make those Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir is angry at evil ones.”
Dobby sighed in frustration as he nodded his head in acceptance. “Old master follows He Who Must Not Be Named. Old master kills many witches and wizard.”
Sméagol nodded his head. “Yes, many witches and wizard died.”
“Harry Potter, sir says He Who Must Not Be Named is back. More witches and wizard will die,” Dobby states.
“Witches and wizard business that is. Not work of good house elf,” Sméagol replied.
“But if less witches and wizard then less house elf homes, less house elf magic. Many house elves died because He Who Must Not Be Named kills masters and mistress. No witch or wizard want free house elf or house elf with dead masters,” Dobby pointed out.
“Many tried to kill He Who Must Not Be Named, even house elves but all fail. Only Dobby’s Harry Potter, sir do it,” Sméagol replied.
“But those who follow He Who Must Not Be Named also kill many. If house elves kill bad witches and wizard then less good witches and good wizards die which mean more homes for house elves,” Dobby said.
Sméagol eyed Dobby. “Dobby wants house elves to kill old master and maybe old master’s son?”
Dobby seems to shrink under Sméagol’s glare. “Yes. If old master gone and other bad witches and bad wizard gone then Harry Potter, sir can kill He Who Must Not Be Named then make gigglies with girl and have many baby witches and baby wizard for Dobby to take care of.”
Sméagol turned his attention to those gathered in the Great Hall, a thoughtful look on his face. After a few minutes Sméagol started to walk to the secret entrance that the house elves used to enter and exit the Great Hall with Dobby following close behind.
“Sméagol will think on Dobby’s words. Dobby has said much that Sméagol must talk to other elders about,” Sméagol said before he stopped and looked back at the humans. “Yes, Sméagol has much to think about.”
The End