Some time in 1863, as the school year started - London/Hogwarts

Helpless, lost, and without much hope the House Elf trawled through streets of magical London desperately searching for something – anything – to help him get through this grief. He had no meaning to his life anymore; his master – cruel and vicious – had passed away several years ago and yet it still felt to the small House Elf that it had happened yesterday. No, not yesterday – it felt like it had just happened a few seconds ago and with every step the elf took, he wanted to let out a great cry – a call for help, a wish to travel back in time. Anything. Anything to make this pain stop. It wasn’t so much pain from grief: - the elf was kind of glad for his master to be dead but with that came lack of purpose. He had nothing to do! And that hurt!

The elf didn’t even know why he felt so lost and sad. His master was a bully. A torturous bully with no heart! But he was the elf’s master and to lose one’s master was akin to dying himself. And the Elf could feel his life slowly slipping away through his feet – and it felt as if every breath was a dagger in his toes. It physically hurt to move and the Elf couldn’t comprehend why it hurt so much. He knew it had been years. Why did it still hurt so much? Oh, why did it hurt?

His thoughts became filled with this question as he found himself following some rich-looking old man. The Elf thought that if he followed the man long enough, he’d stop and – why did this hurt so much? The elf frowned and slumped to the floor, his cheeks wet and mouth dry. He was hungry and thirsty, he didn’t know where to go, and he most certainly couldn’t understand why everything hurt so much though as he fell to the floor, the Elf felt the pain ease. That was strange.

As it turned out, everything was a slight exaggeration and the pain was pretty much confined to his feet. Specifically, to the stone lodged in his left foot. Well, that did make more sense.

Prying the stone from his foot, the elf winced a little before noticing a shadow standing over him. Frightened, the Elf jumped to his feet and almost apparated away before realising it was the rich-looking old man! He had no idea who this person was but that was irrelevant. He was gesturing for the elf to follow! And follow he did.

For a while.
A long while.
Kind of.
They apparated.
It didn’t take long, and ‘nor did it take a while but before he knew it, he had arrived!
And there it was; the elf’s new home! Hogwarmth!

A majestic, magical looking castle.
As the two went to an office to discuss the terms and an old cloth was thrown at him, the elf felt at ease. He had purpose once again. The elf felt elated as he apparated all through the castle like a buzzing bee desperate to find all the nooks to clean. This was the biggest, best, most amazing and wonderful feeling in the world contended only by the feeling of being able to see through a window you had just cleaned and gosh golly with a cracker were there many windows that needed cleaning!

He didn’t know who all these people were – ‘nor did he care – they didn’t matter. They can’t have been important. Why else were they separated by colour if not to have them… fight or something! Wizards were surely a strange species.

Apparating back to the office with a glistening smile, the elf nodded excitedly at the prospect of working here before being waved off – to the cleaning cupboards! What an amazing treat for his first day of work!

Standing in the middle of this enchanting cupboard, the elf knew what he needed and it was going to be his most important possession, “Me need sponge.”

And with that, the elf grabbed a dirty old sponge and went on his way to start this new chapter in his life.

This was the best day ever.

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