Under the Mistlytoe [Harry Potter]

Under the Mistlytoe

I is remembering it like it is yesterday.

Miss must understand that Pokey is not usually talking to students about things like this, because it is not good or proper for a house elf to be talking of their personal businesses. But miss is asking so sweetly and Pokey is not having the heart to tell her no. Miss must listen carefully, though, because I is only going to tell it once.

The story is going like this...

We is in the kitchen with all of the other house elves and is getting ready for the Christmas feast. Pokey is remembering  it as the coldest Christmas in all her years serving at Hogwarts. We is already finished with the decorating and is now helping in the kitchens and none of the house elves is talking or singing because we is so busy with our preparations.

Pokey is making the mashed potatoes, like she is doing every year, and is sticky and sweating because the potatoes is very very hot; but they is needing peeling, and we is not minding because we is seeing the smiles on sirs and misses faces and is knowing that the students is very much enjoying what we is making for them.

Pokey is thinking that the potatoes is turning her hands into red blisters when she is hearing a very strange noise coming from the door of the kitchens. Pokey is sometimes too curious for her own good, so she is going over to see what the noise is and is jumping very high in the air when the door opens in front of her.

We is first seeing Dogey, the house elf, and is being frozen still, because we is thinking that Dogey is the most handsomest of all the house elves at Hogwarts and Dogey is looking at Pokey with the biggest and bluest eyes of all. He is always having the cleanest pillowcases to wear, even though Pokey is knowing how hard it is to get the stains out. Pokey is feeling her knees wobbling and is having to hold onto the door handle so that she does not fall over. She is not even thinking of the cold air that is rushing into the kitchen and of the potatoes that are getting cold because of it. But then, we is very soon forgetting that Dogey is even there, because then we is seeing two students who is shivering from the cold.

We is remembering our manners and is quickly inviting them in and bowing low, low to the ground.

"Come in, come in, sir and miss!" We is telling them, "It is below freezing in the hallways and Pokey is to be feeling very very sad if sir and miss is dying from the cold!"

We is taking miss by the hand and bringing her into the kitchen and we is happy to see that she is not shaking anymore when she is in the warm room.

"We is terribly sorry for the state of the kitchens," We is saying to them, and we is shaking our head because we house elves is usually very clean, but today we is so busy that it is difficult for even us to stay organized, "We is busy preparing the Christmas feast for tonight! You is welcome to sit down on a stool, but masters should be careful of where they is putting their bottoms. Two house elves is already having to go to the hospital because they is getting pinched and pinched and pinched by something in the kitchens."

We is not wanting to frighten them, but we is thinking that it is important to tell them.

"We is thinking it is the nargles, sir, because of all the mistlytoe that we is hanging around the school, so sir must be very careful to not let them get him or his missus." We is showing them, with our fingers, the pinching and pinching of the nargles, "Pokey is happy to be cleaning a spot for sir and miss to sit. Is sir and miss needing something from the kitchens?"

Sir and miss is not looking like they is believing Pokey, and Pokey is only hoping that the nargles do not decide to pinch them because then what will Pokey be able to do to help? And she is thinking that she will be very very sad if sir and miss must go to the hospital because she is telling them to sit down in the first place.