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In Goblet of Fire, Barty Crouch Jr, impersonating Mad-Eye Moody, strong-arms Harry from the Triwizard maze against Dumbledore's orders that Harry remain near Dumbledore until he was able to fully attend to Cedric Diggory. When Crouch Jr removes Harry from the scene, Dumbledore is immediately suspicious, follows Harry and "Moody" to the castle, and overhears Crouch's confession that he is the Death Eater at Hogwarts. Once Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape have subdued Crouch, Dumbledore orders Snape to fetch the Veritaserum and Winky the House-elf. However, Crouch is still in Moody's form at that point, his real identity presumably known to Dumbledore.

‘Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens, and bring up the house-elf called Winky.

Goblet of Fire - pages 590-591 - British Hardcover - chapter 35, Veritaserum

Followed by:

Dumbledore pulled out the chair at the desk and sat down upon it, his eyes fixed upon the unconscious Moody on the floor. Harry stared at him, too. Minutes passed in silence ...

Goblet of Fire - pages 592 - British Hardcover - chapter 35, Veritaserum

Followed by:

‘Crouch!’ Snape said, stopping dead in the doorway. ‘Barty Crouch!’

[...]

Filthy, dishevelled, Winky peered around Snape’s legs. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek. ‘Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?’

Goblet of Fire - pages 593 - British Hardcover - chapter 35, Veritaserum

How did Dumbledore know to have Winky brought up before he knew Barty Crouch Jr's identity?

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  • 5
    I want to say it relates to Winky's disgrace at the World Cup, but I don't have my copies handy at the moment -- I think it was clever deduction on Dumbledore's part, tho.. He seems to know a lot more than he says, and commonly holds his cards very close to his chest.
    – K-H-W
    Apr 27, 2012 at 17:33
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    Well, Snape was surprised to see it was Crouch - maybe Dumbledore wasn't. Maybe he had guessed it? Apr 27, 2012 at 19:35
  • 4
    He deduced it with magic!
    – Xantec
    Nov 12, 2012 at 13:02
  • 2
    Dumbledore suspected. Remember how Harry entered Dumbledore's memories in the pensieve? Presumably Dumbledore already knew Madeye Moody from their time in the Order of the Phoenix some 13 years before. Note: the Phoenix is also Dumbledore's familiar.
    – Ian Lewis
    Jun 19, 2014 at 12:43
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    Combine Winky's being found with the wand that made the Dark Mark and Dumbledore's knowledge that "Moody" is the hidden Death Eater. It's not too far fetched that Winky may somehow be tied to this Death Eater.
    – Chris G
    Jun 9, 2017 at 22:13

2 Answers 2

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  1. Winky was already involved in the whole mess, what with the Quidditch World Cup fiasco

  2. Dumbledore's guesses generally were good (quoting himself) - he may have possibly intuited Winky and Crouches had something to do with the affair from separate clues. He was unusually attuned to the role of House Elves in affairs of things - as we would see later in his advice to Sirius about his Elf. So he probably had a gut feeling, at least.

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Perhaps the simplest answer is from Dobby -

"Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry said in amazement. "Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby squealed excitedly. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir! "Winky?" said Harry. "She's here too?"
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21 'House Elf Liberation Front'

"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea. "Only a week. Harry Potter, sir!" said Dobby happily. "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed- " At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow. "Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work!" Dobby squeaked. "But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!" The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing. Hermione, however, said, "Good for you, Dobby!" "Thank you, miss!" said Dobby, grinning toothily at her. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That's not the point of a house-elf,' they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid. Harry Potter....Dobby likes being free!" The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume other crying. "And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky, and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!" said Dobby delightedly...."And then Dobby had the idea. Harry Potter, sir! 'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house-elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on!" Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes again. "And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!" "That's not very much!" Hermione shouted indignantly from the floor, over Winky's continued screaming and fist-beating. "Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off," said Dobby, suddenly giving a little shiver, as though the prospect of so much leisure and riches were frightening, "but Dobby beat him down, miss....Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better."
Ibid

Dumbledore had recently employed both Dobby and Winky, and would have known Winky's employment history. I imagine he would particularly remember Winky as Arthur Weasley notes that Barty Crouch firing his House Elf, after being found with a stolen wand that had conjured the Dark Mark, would be quite scandalous and of particular interest to Dumbledore:

"Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky," said Mr. Weasley irritably. "There'd be a week's worth of headlines in his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark."
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 10 'Mayhem at the Ministry'

Dumbledore generally seems more aware of the house elves in his employ compared to most wizards, at least based on his treatment of Dobby, Kreacher and Winky.

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