"Alastor, please stand guard at the door," Dumbledore said softly to Moody.
Moody nodded, rose on his cane, and stood in the corridor, vigilantly surveying the surroundings.
Dumbledore stood before the cell door and gave his Wand a gentle flick. The iron door opened soundlessly.
The moment he and Snape crossed the threshold, the door seemed to be pushed shut behind them by an invisible hand, cutting off all sounds from outside.
The entire cell was silent, with only faint breathing drifting from a corner.
A tiny figure huddled in the dimly lit corner. Hokey lay sprawled there without a trace of vitality.
The house-elf was so small that she could easily have slipped through the gaps between the iron bars. But clearly, she no longer had the strength or will to do so.
Dumbledore walked over to Hokey, crouched down, and studied her carefully for a while.
He raised his Wand and lightly pointed it at Hokey. A pale green mist spilled from the tip, gently enveloping her.
Within the mist, Hokey's shriveled body seemed to fill out slightly, regaining some vitality.
Her thin fingers twitched faintly, and her long eyelashes trembled as though she were struggling to open her eyes.
Before the house-elf opened her eyes, Dumbledore cast another spell on her. A faint golden glow merged into the green mist.
Hokey slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of brown eyes as large as tennis balls.
Her eyes were clouded, and two streams of tears burst forth, running down her grimy cheeks and leaving two clear tracks across her face.
"Madam..." Hokey called weakly. "I'm sorry... Madam... Hokey didn't mean to..."
She struggled to crawl toward Dumbledore, but her body was too weak, and she no longer had enough strength to support herself.
"Stay where you are,