In the village of Hogsmeade, on the outskirts away from the main road there was an outlying cottage which had been vacated for a few months. Quietly, the property had been bought up, rent and mortgage no longer an issue, even interior work had been restored. For the residents of Hogsmeade, there was the story that their new neighbor was a Squib, that she had moved here to get away from the clash of living in a half muggle neighborhood, and she preferred her privacy. A sign on the fence at the end of the walk read: 'As A Courtesy Please Keep All Noises As Silencio'd As Possible'

It was true the woman living here had no magical ability. This was from a lack of any magical blood, however.

Master Casey said this would be a good place for Mistress Darla to recuperate. It was a comfortable distance from the school, for Dingy to be there and in case of emergencies. It was also the last place the other Masters and Mistresses would think of her being. The air of Hogwarts School next door gave the village a subdued atmosphere, even for the chaos magical life could bring. Most of that would be concentrated at the castle this year with the TetraWizard Tournament, buffered by hills, forest and lake, safely away. Since the foreign delegations had moved into Hogwarts, the festivals ended, Hogsmeade had again become a quiet hamlet.

Up until the Tasks, anyway.

Dingy had gotten used to moving in Master Casey to the Slytherin dorms over the years, so yesterday Dingy had spent the remainder of the day until he volunteered in the Kitchens for the Welcoming Feast here in this cottage, cleaning it out and preparing it for Mistress Darla[1] to move in.

Mistress Darla was well enough where St. Mungo's could do nothing more for her but she was still feeble. Dingy had moved her here early and the trip had spent all her energy. She warily sat at a rough wooden table with white linen by the hearth, draped in shawls and blankets supporting her feet on another chair. A bowl of warm soup was about all that she could eat.

Darla's dark ringed, sunken eyes would flit about and blink every few minutes, as if in disbelief to whether what she saw was real. Her mind held only flashes of the past few years, and her days in consciousness had only further blurred their significance. She stared at the curious little creature in the potato sack and the pan.

"You are...the elf, is that right?"

"Dingy is here to serve Mistress Darla!" Dingy replied cheerfully. Dingy's bond to Mistress Darla was only through her marriage to the family, but Master Casey's way of building geas, or the House Elf's obligation to its masters, had spurned Dingy to very much view Master Casey as a singular master, though the loudest of orders from Doherty Manor would summon the elf home. Dingy liked Mistress Darla, too, remembering times when Dingy had served her before in the other manor, during her pregnancy and Master Casey's early years. Mistress Darla would not throw things at Dingy's head.

Darla's eyes settled on a vase of irises on the table. "I remember, that smell...this isn't the big house?"

"No, this is a cottage in Hogsmeade Village. Dingy has been instructed to tell Mistress Darla that there is a bakery, a tea shop, a lake and a small marketplace should Mistress Darla ever have the strength to visit and Mistress Darla wishes."

"But it's not the manor..."

"No, Mistress Darla is safe here. Dingy's Masters and Mistresses in the O'Doherty family will not be bothering her."

Darla was very slow to comprehend all of this. "So, this is a village...but everyone here are wizards..."

"Yes, though Mistress Darla should not be troubled for a lack of magic. Hogsmeade Village is like other small villages. Dingy will keep people from entering if Mistress Darla wishes."

"Oh no," Darla made a slight gesture, "you don't need to, uh, 'Dingee.' I would like to see the people, someday, when I have the strength for it..." Her eyes gazed at the elf, quizzically. "Don't you have another name?"

"Dingy is Dingy's name."

"How strange," she mused. "Are there no schools in this village?"

"There is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is on the other side of the Black Lake from Hogsmeade Village. That is where Master Casey attends school, and Dingy volunteers with the castle's House Elves."

"Oh. Did you need to go back to work there, because I'm fine--"

"Dingy has no obligations to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Dingy helps during spare time as Master Casey allows."

"I wouldn't want to keep you, though, if you're busy...I just, uh, call for you if I need something?"

"Yes, Mistress Darla, and Dingy will come right away!"

Her mind changed track. "Is that all you wear, a potato sack? I could make you more fitting clothes if you wanted, I used to be good at sewing..."

"No!" Dingy squeaked. "Dingy appreciates the offer, but if Dingy receives special clothes from Mistress Darla, Dingy would no longer be in devotion to the O'Doherty family!" If Mistress Darla was able to give orders, the threat of ending the geas was as legitimate as any other source.

"Oh..." Darla didn't understand all of this. "So you have to wear sackcloth...?"

"Yes, but Dingy does not mind. It scratches not as severe once the potato dirt is cleaned off."

"If you're sure..."Darla settled back in her chair, managed to spoon one drop of soup into her mouth. She thought on repetition. "Hog..warts...is where Casey goes to school, yes?"

"Yes, Mistress Darla." Dingy felt troubled.

"Could I...ever visit? Or Casey comes visit me? Or is that even allowed...?"

Dingy fiddled with the edge of the elf's potato sack. "The students are allowed to come to Hogsmeade Village on select weekends. Master Casey would be able to visit all day on those weekends." Dingy smiled at Mistress Darla. "But school does not start until tomorrow, Master Casey has a free day today, and could come visit later though we need to be secret about it."

"Oh no, Casey doesn't have to come if it means trouble." Darla closed her eyes, relaxed, perched above the edge to restful slumber. "It's just nice to know I'm close to where my daughter is getting her education..."

She fell asleep and Dingy was left standing there feeling very troubled, quivering. Master Casey would like that Mistress Darla had settled, but not for how she remembered him.

1.

NPC