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Leeness · 07-20-2007, 01:09 PM

Second chapter :]

Quote:

With a loud pop, Dobby nearly Apparated on top of Winky, who was sitting on a stool fumbling with a half empty bottle of butterbeer. Winky screamed out in terror at the surpise, and nearly fell off the stool. One of her long, slender hands grasped onto the ends of the stool as she pushed herself back up with the other.

"Hic...Dobby ... hic ... scares Winky! ... Hic," the inebriated house-elf cried out.

Dobby steadied himself, and looked at the poor house elf, "Why does Winky drink herself again?" Dobby asked, as he looked around the kitchen, noticing that it was unusually quiet.

"Dobby thoughts this was a party to celebrate Hogwarts staying open," he thought aloud. "But Dobby says this looks more like a ...." he was going to say funeral, when he realized his foolishness.

Dobby grabbed the bottle from Winky's shaking hands and began whacking himself on the forehead with it.

"Arghh," Dobby began to mumble. "Dobby musn't say such things! Dobby almost forgot Dumbledore has left us! Dobby mustn't ever forget! Dobby must always remember Dumbledore... the greatest Master Hogwarts and house-elves have ever had!" he cried out as a welt from where he had repeatedly struck himself began to swell up.

Dobby dropped to the floor in frustration. His hands barely held his shaking head up as he wept openly among the other elves. The kitchen suddenly came to a complete standstill as the house-elves witnessed the usually jovial house elf sprawled out on the floor in complete devastation.

The house-elves were creatures who rarely shared such a display of emotion like this. However, Dumbledore was the one master that they all agreed was ideal to work for. He treated house-elves just the way they wanted to be treated; he always had work for them to do, and he gave them quarters far away from students and staff so that they could go about their business as house-elves should. He never made them work if they didn't want to, and even offered to pay some house-elves, even though most took offense to it. He was a master that didn't mind the elves speaking badly of him, although no house-elf ever felt the need to. The ripple of this loss was finally beginning to hit.

Dobby sat hunched against the wall, freely letting the tears fall. A soft, gentle hand laid on his shoulder and he looked up to see a small elf peering back at him.

"Tinka says don't you cry Dobby sir. Tinka thinks Dumbledore would not want his house-elves to be sad," she said looking down at Dobby with consoling eyes. "No, sir; Tinka thinks Dumbledore would want us house-elves to be strong and to keep working to make Hogwarts proud. Yes, that's what Tinka thinks, Dobby, sir." she said nodding.

Dobby rubbed his eyes, and picked up the butterbeer bottle that was now at his feet and began once again to hit himself with it. "Arghh! Tinka is right! Silly Dobby sitting here crying when there is work to be done. Ooooh Dumbledore would be so ashamed of Dobby ... so ashamed ..." he wailed.

Tinka smirked as she watched Dobby transform back into the crazy house-elf she knew him to be. She patted Dobby's shoulder comfortingly. "Tinka says it's okay, Dobby sir. Dumbledore knows how much Dobby loved him, sir. Of course Dobby will be saddened, but he mustn't forget that he has a new master to serve and make happy now....."

Dobby's eyes lit up at the last phrase spoken. He jumped up, pushing the bottle off onto the floor. It shattered, but Dobby didn't care. An old elf by the name of Argyle conjured a broom, and muttered under his breath as he pushed Dobby aside and began to clean the mess. Dobby did not seemed phased one bit by it; instead, he picked Tinka up and swung her around. "Tinka is a genius, yes she is!" Dobby cried.

"Dobby does have a new master to serve. Dobby musn't spend all day fretting around here. No! Dumbledore would want Dobby helping Harry Potter! Yes he would... Dobby must now serve Harry Potter! He must protect Harry Potter from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, he should!" said Dobby, bouncing happily around the kitchen, while the other house-elves stared.

Tinka closed her eyes, as she spun around the kitchen in Dobby's arms. When Dobby put her down, Tinka found herself dizzily swaying, frozen in place, unsure how to react. She watched as Dobby bounded around in celebration. Much to her own surprise, tears began to well in her eyes.

"Harry Potter? But ... Tinka thought Dumbledore was your master ... Tinka thought you wanted to serve Dumbledore," she said in confusion, a drop slowly running down her cheek. "What will Tinka do without Dobby sir?" She began to cry.

Dobby walked over to Tinka, returning the kindness that she had show him before. He knelt down next to her and slowly wiped her face off. "Dobby is serving Dumbledore. Dobby promises never to save Harry Potter's life again, but Dobby never promised not to protect Harry Potter. Dobby knows Dumbledore would wants Dobby to protect Harry Potter, and so Dobby must go and serve his new master and make his former master ... Dumbledore sir, proud."

Tinka reached out and latched onto Dobby. "Tinka wants to come, too, then. Tinka can help protect Harry Potter!" she said, looking at Dobby pleadingly.

"Dobby doesn't want to put Tinka in harm's way. The task is much to dangerous for Tinka. Tinka must stay at Hogwarts where Tinka is safe." Dobby answered, as he looked around the kitchen at all the others. They had stopped what they were doing and were watching the conversation between the two, completely distracted.

Suddenly Dobby's eyes grew wide, as a thought came to his mind. Grabbing Tinka and pulling her to her feet, Dobby cried, "Tinka cannot come with Dobby, because Tinka has a job to do right here!"

Tinka stood before Dobby and continued to stare at him longingly. "But Tinka doesn't want to stay here in the kitchens. Tinka wants to -"

"But Tinka needs to stay here in the kitchen," Dobby interrupted, "Tinka must gather a house-elf army!"

There was a sudden crash from across the kitchen. Schmoop, a quiet, yet gentle elf gasped as he heard Dobby's words. "An army, Dobby sir? But we house-elves doesn't want to fight. We is content to work here at Hogwarts where it is nice and safe," Schmoop said with a nod.

"Hogwarts is no longer safe without our Dumbledore, sir. We musn't let Dumbledore's ..."

But Dobby couldn't say the words that acknowledged the fact that Dumbledore was gone. With a sigh, he continued, "We must fight for our master, Dumbledore! Dumbledore isn't wanting Hogwarts to be unsafe! We must fight to help make Hogwarts safe again! A house elf is content to serve his master. Well anyone who serves Hogwarts is our masters and we must fight to keep them safe." Dobby said in a new-found confidence - one that was never much displayed in house-elves.

Dobby turned to Tinka, whose eyes were beaming with pride.

"This is why Tinka must stay behind. Tinka must help fight." Placing his hand upon Tinka's shoulder, Dobby looked her deeply in the eyes. He suddenly seemed taller to her - almost wiser. Dobby gently nodded to Tinka, "Tinka would make a good leader; Tinka is brave and smart and kind. Tinka needs to stay here at Hogwarts. Tinka needs to lead the house elves to fight, she does."

Tinka smiled brightly, "Yes, Dobby sir! Tinka will stay and fight! Tinka will protect Hogwarts and make Dumbledore sir proud. Hogwarts will be safe again Who will fights with Tinka?"

The house elves peered around at each other, none of them wanting to speak out. Everything had fallen into an almost stunned silence.

Dobby stepped in front of Tinka, "Hogwarts is not safe for students or house-elves. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will take over, and you will be forced to be his servants. Does house-elves want to work for the Dark Lord? Does house elves want to work for evil?"

Schmoop stepped forward again, and this time he showed his support for the house-elf army, "No!" he cried out. "We doesn't want to be serving evil. Dumbledore sir was a kind, gentle master ... Schmoop isn't going to let him down! Schmoop is going to fight!"

Another house-elf stepped out of the shadows, "Pips is going to fight, too!"

"So is Quirly!"

"And Tippin!"

"Beezley will fight for his master!"

One by one, to the astonishment of Dobby and Tinka, the house-elves pledged themselves to fight. Tinka jumped up and down, squealing with delight.

"Tinka is so happy and she has Dobby to thanks sir!" She threw her arms around Dobby and gave him a huge hug. "Tinka promises to make Dobby proud and help protect Hogwarts."

"Dobby has no doubts Tinka will do great. That's why Dobby is leaving. Dobby knows his place is with Harry Potter and he is leaving Hogwarts in good hands. Dobby shall return soon enough and Dobby will help the army prepare. Harry Potter will have some ideas for us, Dobby is sure. But Dobby must go now. Dobby must find Harry Potter before danger finds him " Dobby said with a sense of urgency, as he raised his fingers up and with a quick snap, Dobby was gone once more.

With the pop came a sound of the busy kitchen again. This time, along with the preparations for the evening dinner, there was a lot of chatter among the elves on the upcoming battle they were now sure they were going to fight.