Epilogue, Part II

A House Elf’s Tale

Tizzy brushed tears out of her huge eyes as she patiently waited for the ceremony to begin. Quietly sniffling, the tiny house elf reflected that she was overjoyed to see the happiness now often to be seen shining in the eyes of the wizard she had pledged to serve. Thinking back on his troubled and turbulent life, Tizzy was grateful that Master Sevvie had finally found someone to love.

The humans gave little notice to the small creature sitting in the place of honor at the front of those assembled. Indeed, many would have wondered at the fact that a house elf was sitting in the area reserved for the potions master’s family, had they but paid attention.

Smiling through her tears, Tizzy could not help but think back on her master’s past. Master Sevvie had been small and thin for a human child, but even then Tizzy had felt the raw power the young wizard possessed. Her ears twitched as she recalled the horrible treatment her master had often received at the hands of his father. Master Sevvie had always tried to be a good boy for his father and he had certainly loved his mother. Mistress Elena had in turn loved her son and had done her best to protect the young boy from his father and uncle.

A cloud passed over Tizzy’s face as she remembered that terrifying night spent hiding in the cupboard as Master Sevvie’s horrible father and uncle had raped and killed the kind mistress. Tizzy had known that if it were not for her usefulness to the crazed wizards that she too would have been killed that night. Instead, she had been bound by a house elf’s oath to never reveal the truth of that night. Then she had been forced to help clean up her dead mistress and make it appear to have been a natural death. The oath forbade her from ever telling her master the true circumstances of his mother’s death, but over the years Tizzy had come to realize that Master Sevvie knew somehow anyway.

As her young Master Harry took his place in front of the assembled group, Tizzy turned her thoughts to the happy day when her master had bought her from his hateful father. That day the poor elf had a first been mortified when Master Sevvie then freed her. What was she to do? Without a wizard to serve her life held no purpose. What most witches and wizards did not know was that a house elf needs to serve, for in serving others, the house elf will thrive and grow. The positive energies released from the very act of tending to the needs of others were absolutely essential to the house elf’s physical and psychological well-being. Without the ability to help others, a house elf would become gravely ill and go mad. However, her terror at the prospect of being without a master had been assuaged when Master Sevvie had instead offered to keep Tizzy on as a paid servant. The house elf had been overjoyed to learn that her master still wanted her.

Tizzy quickly took to her new freedom, learning along the way that while she was no longer enslaved, she could still draw on the same benefits from helping her master. Her large mouth tipped up in a smile as she recalled the long and hard-fought battle she and Master Sevvie had waged over that title. Though she was now free, the little house elf had absolutely refused to call her master anything other than that. In the end, the wizard had realized the fruitlessness of trying to convince Tizzy and had grudgingly accepted the honorific.

Watching young Master Harry nervously wait for his mate to arrive, Tizzy was so happy the young wizard had destroyed the evil monster who had hurt her Master Sevvie so much throughout the years. Often, Tizzy would tend to her master’s wounds and fetch the correct potions for the hurt man when he returned from his missions. Even now, the diminutive house elf shivered in the warm sunshine as she remembered her master’s pain and haunted eyes on those occasions. But Master Harry had finally changed that for her Master Sevvie and had freed them all from the fear of the Dark Lord.

Music started to play and Tizzy turned with the rest of the guests. Even standing on her chair, the tiny house elf was unable to see over the humans present, so she waited patiently for her master to meet up with his mate at the front. As Master Sevvie passed her seat, Tizzy saw and felt the happiness radiating off the normally stern man. The headmaster began speaking and Tizzy sat back down to watch and hear the ceremony.

The small house elf couldn’t help but feel proud that she had played a part in this bonding between the two powerful wizards. When they had both been blinded by their own sorrow and fears she had stepped in and forced them to speak honestly to one another. Knowing that the men truly loved one another, but also realizing that her masters were far too stubborn and foolish to do anything about it, Tizzy had taken some Veritaserum from Master Sevvie’s private stores and had laced their food and drink with the powerful truth potion. The house elf had then locked them in the master’s bedroom until they had admitted their feelings for one another. As a free house elf, Tizzy did not have to fear the consequences of manipulating her masters and she had guessed rightly that Master Sevvie would be too happy about the results to chastise her for her actions.

And now, she was here as an honored guest of her masters, watching them bond again. Tizzy knew well enough that it was practically unheard of for a house elf to be present at such a ceremony unless in the role of unseen servant. She sat up straight in her seat as she realized just how much she meant to her masters.

As the two wizards kissed, tears ran down the house elf’s face. Yes, she had witnessed the pair sharing their affections in the privacy of their chambers, but even with her limited knowledge of human culture, Tizzy understood that this was special. The headmaster introduced the pair as bond mates and the guests greeted the two with a loud roar of approval. To the sensitive ears of a house elf the noise was almost unbearable. But her discomfort was soon forgotten as her Master Sevvie turned and looked directly at her. Anyone else might have missed the small smile he gave his house elf, but Tizzy knew her master well enough to see it for what it truly was. Her master was happy and he was silently thanking her for all that she had done for him over the long years. Wiping a tear from her face, Tizzy smiled back and knew that life had just gotten better.

~The End~



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