Chapter 468: Winky's Testimony

Chapter 468: Winky's Testimony

Amelia Bones wore a surprised expression, her monocle slipping down her face, and she took it off to wipe the lens.

"Dumbledore, if I'm not mistaken, neither of them has an owner..."

Winky had been standing blankly until that moment when she suddenly screamed, "No—Winky belongs to the Crouch family! Winky has her own master! His name is Barty Crouch—"

"Not true!" Dobby retorted. "Wizards, Mr. Barty Crouch gave Winky her freedom! Dobby saw it himself!" Winky closed her eyes and screamed, "No! No! No!" Dobby shouted louder, "Now Winky is free like Dobby!" He proudly puffed out his chest, leaving the surrounding wizards bewildered.

Never had they seen such an unconventional house elf—or rather, some had—in the "Future World" company. They turned their heads towards Felix.

Felix calmly stated, "Winky used to serve a prominent family, then she gained her freedom, and I offered her a job," he emphasized, "just a job."

"I've heard about the odd house elves at the 'Future World' company," muttered one wizard.

Winky continued to scream while Fudge rudely interrupted her, "You, little creature! Are you called Winky? Formerly owned by Barty Crouch?"

"No—not—not—" Winky continued shouting, rolling on the ground, tears and snot streaming. Dobby tried to pull her up, but his attempts failed. He stood in front of her, helplessly waving his slender arms. "Yes! She's Winky, and I'm Dobby."

"Dumbledore, do you want them to testify? House elves aren't trustworthy—"

"I don't agree," Dumbledore smiled, "Their clothes indicate their complete free will. There's no need to worry about them being bound by unbreakable magical contracts."

Fudge stared, watching Winky rolling on the ground. "Are you sure? Apart from an extra piece of clothing, she's no different from other house elves."

"Dobby, could you talk about what happened that night at the Crouch Manor?" Felix asked. "Only what you saw."

"Oh, of course! Dobby’s more than willing!" Dobby quickly recounted the events of that night, mentioning only the chilling voice and Crouch's unusual behavior. But most present seemed to believe him, confirming that Crouch was indeed under someone's control, and it wasn't his son—he was at Hogwarts at the time.

As Dobby spoke, Winky gradually quieted down, sobbing softly.

"He didn't mention that person," Amelia Bones quickly checked her notes and asked.

"Dobby is an outsider. He had nothing to do with this incident other than inviting friends for Christmas," Felix said. "For more information—" He glanced at the house elf sitting on the ground, speaking gently, "Winky, your testimony is helpful. It at least proves that Mr. Barty Crouch isn't an evil lunatic."

"The master is not a lunatic!" Winky hoarsely shouted. "He's under a terrible spell!"

"Then—Winky? Is that the name? Can you elaborate?" Amelia Bones inquired. "If there's more to this, I can consider reopening the case of Barty Crouch."

"Will the master be freed?" Winky asked excitedly, finally calming down.

"Impossible!" Fudge exclaimed. "Impossible." He repeated, and Amelia Bones reproached him, turning to Winky, "Acquittal... highly unlikely, but we'll reconsider his sentence. He was supposed to be in Azkaban for life."

Winky's eyes sparkled with hopeful light. "Winky... Winky is willing to testify."

"You should have let her finish," Amelia Bones looked displeased, addressing Felix.

"She said what needed to be said. If you're expecting a specific name or a grand plan, I'm sorry, you've heard it all. She knows limited information. In fact, you had a chance, that was Peter—unfortunately, the Dementor took his soul."

Fudge glared, speaking slowly, "That house elf—she's been cursed too."

"I can't pretend it didn't happen," Felix said. "It's likely a Confundus. Voldemort underestimated house elves, thinking a Confundus was enough, or maybe she was meant to be disposed of, not worth the effort. But anyway, Winky's memory hasn't

been altered. Her actions afterward, even before, show a consistent line of thought."

"If Winky is testifying, I'll arrange for a healer from Saint Mungo's to verify."

Fudge was dumbfounded for a moment and then erupted, "All this is mere conjecture! All of it! I don't know the point of our discussion today!"

"Cornelius," Dumbledore spoke wearily, "I brought this up not to deny or overturn anything, but to remind. We discussed this in private, but you—due to certain reasons—refuse to believe the existing evidence. You should know how much we lost in the last war; do you want to go through another unprepared conflict?"

"I—You—this isn't—" Fudge was flabbergasted.

"A crucial question is, do you know what you're doing, Minister Fudge?" Felix softly questioned.

"What do you—mean?" Fudge's face turned beet red.

"We could consider a hypothesis." Felix leaned intriguingly towards Amelia Bones and those present. "Please, Madame Bones, and everyone here, witness—"

Madame Bones adjusted her monocle to better see Felix.

"Today, we heard two completely opposite views, neither yielding. But time will prove who's right. However... we need to ask ourselves if, in the event of war, someone should be held accountable—"

"Nonsense!" Fudge shouted loudly. "Do you know what you're saying? Accusing a sitting Minister of Magic—Who authorized you to do this?" He glared fiercely at Felix, shifting his gaze between him and Dumbledore.

"As I said, Minister Fudge... I know what I'm saying, but it seems you don't understand what you're doing." Felix smiled. "These are merely hypotheses, discussing possible futures, right?"

"I indeed lack the power to dismiss a sitting Minister of Magic or subject them to punishment," he said contemptuously. Fudge was close to boiling in anger; no one had openly threatened him like this before. Yes, he took Felix's words as a blatant threat.

"...But, everyone should be responsible for their words and actions, especially those in power," Felix said. "So, I'd suggest everyone present remember today's arguments. Keep your thoughts, and when everything becomes clear, you'll naturally know whom to support and whom to deny."

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