Funny questions (I hope)

[Tonks]

No: HPFGUIDX 116676


--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "ginnysthe1" <ginnysthe1 at y...> 
wrote:
> 
> While re-reading GoF last night, I came across this paragraph (ch. 
> titled The House-Elf Liberation Front, p. 381, US Scholastic ed.):
> 
> <[Says Winky] "... My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without 
> Winky? <snip>  I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my 
> mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it 
before her... oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed?  
Oh the shame, the shame!"  She buried her face in her skirt again 
and bawled.>
> 
> Winky's got a mother?!  And a grandmother?!  And they might still 
be alive somewhere?  (snip)


Tonks here:

I don't think that Winky's mother and grandmother are still alive. I 
think that she just uses poor English. A house-elf serves their 
whole life, so her mom and grandy are gone. She just uses the word 
*is* incorrectly. What she really means is *what would they say if 
they knew*... sort of like the expression we use *they would turn 
over in their grave if they knew*.

Tonks_op