activism-and-prejudice

In this chapter, Harry, Ron, and Hermione visit the house-elves to send a letter to Percy about Mr. Crouch's whereabouts, discovering Winky's alcoholism and emotional distress over her lost master. Hermione's attempt to stand up for house-elf rights causes tension among the elves, and later, Hermione becomes the target of malicious hate mail and a harmful curse from Rita Skeeter, leading to her absence from class. Meanwhile, Hagrid introduces the class to nifflers, new magical creatures that will be part of their Care of Magical Creatures lessons.