Mr. Crouch and Lucious Malfoy...connected?

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Was reading GoF with my daughter tonight, and came accross this -

Goblet of Fire Chapter 21 pg. 378 (US paperback) "And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!" Said Dobby delightedly

OK, this just hit me funny...WHY would dobby know or visit Winky? Dobby was tied to the Malfoy family, Lucious being a former Death Eater. Winky had belonged to Mr. Crouch, and Mr. Crouch despised ALL death eaters, even to the point of putting his own son in Azkaban, and most likely would have despised Malfoy even more for getting off the hook. So...even though Lucious had got off, I really doubt that Mr. Crouch would have wanted to socialize with him at all. So, how would Dobby have known Winky? If Dobby knows Winky, there has to be some connection between Mr. Crouch and Malfoy right?

[kashlie]

I was thinking that maybe Dobby and Winky are related somehow. But it is very interesting that they know each other. They have perhaps come across each other during Barty Jr's visits with the Malfoy's though.

[Sir Cadogan]

This somehow reminds me of P.G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" novels. Butler Jeeves has his social nights with other butlers ... so maybe there is some kind of social network for house elves as well.

Another reason for Dobby to try and get acquainted with Crouch's house elf may be precisely the contempt Crouch holds for all death eaters, since we know what Dobby thinks of his wizard family.

But I prefer my first idea, actually. ;)

[Sirius Potter Fan]

The socializing thing doesn't really float though, I had thought about that, but Kreature could not leave the Black home untill Sirius unthinking told him to "get out of here" then he went to Narcissa. So unless either Lucious or Mr. Crouch did sometlhing similar, the only way for them to be acquainted would be for both their masters to meet. As far as Lucious meeting with Barty Jr. I don't think Winky would have allowed it to begin with, Barty was kept really out of it, untill right at the end. Also I really doubt that Lucious know that Barty was still alive. I think that had been kept very secret.

[kashlie]

SPF, I should have mentioned that I thought they knew each other from before Barty Jr went to Azkaban, when Voldemort was in power before. Dobby would know where Winky was and who she worked for, but not able to visit until he was freed. We have seen Malfoy take Dobby with him when visiting Hogwarts, so I think it is safe to assume that Barty Jr took Winky places on occasion (not necessarily discussing the DE though, in front of them)

[Boing]

I think it possible that they met through Junior as well. Also, there might be different levels of "imprisonment" for the house elves. I mean, there was a good reason Sirius didn't want Kreature going out - the Order had their secret hideout in the house. If Kreature got out, who knows what damage he could do, right?

On the other hand, it doesn't seem unreasonable that in houses where they don't have secret meetings, etc., a house elf would be allowed to visit with another elf.

[Kingsley]

I agree that they could have met through Jr as well
Parents have a way of being in constant denial/stupidity about their kids sometimes when it comes to the kids wrongdoings--think Dudley

It is possible that when Jr was a death eater that Crouch met Malfoy and the house elves met then as well

Then again it could be something different as to why the house elves knew each other--maybe when a house elf is born, there is a house elf school to teach them to be proper house elf slaves and how to control their magic :cool: