A small house elf awoke in a white room, the elf's name: Dobby. Dobby's eyes widened as he looked around the unfamiliar area, which seemed to him like a slightly colorblind version of the Hogwarts Kitchens. There were blurred shapes bustling around dark splotches in the shape of tables, so this had to be the Kitchen.

One of the blurred shapes detached itself from the hustle and bustle and walked over to where Dobby was. As it got closer, the figure became more defined. One blurry point of its body became a head, another into arms, a third into legs, and a fourth into a long beard.

"Dumbledore, sir?" Dobby asked as the bearded figure came into focus.

"Yes, Dobby?" Dumbledore replied.

"What is you doing in the Hogwarts Kitchens, sir?"

Dumbledore looked around as if noticing his environment for the first time, "The Hogwarts Kitchens, that's a first." The elderly man then turned his gaze upon Dobby with sadness in his eyes, "I'm very sorry Dobby, you poor elf. What you've been through has been absolutely horrible."

"What is it you are sorry for?" Dobby asked cautiously.

Dumbledore's eyes shined with tears under his half-moon spectacles, "Think back, Dobby," he told Dobby, "What happened to you before you were here?"

Dobby began to think, think very hard, so hard that his eyelids actually began to cover his bulbous eyes. And Dobby remembered.

He remembered dropping the crystal chandelier on Bellatrix Lestrange, and her anger at his defiance. He remembered taking Harry Potter and his friends away from Malfoy Manor. And he remembered the clenching feeling in his stomach and throat as Bellatrix Lestrange's knife passed through his skin to pierce his heart. Dobby even remembered his last words, spoken to his hero: "Harry... Potter"

"But, Dobby is dead?" Dobby asked.

"Yes," was the simple reply, "but if this area is the Kitchens, then I think you need to look in this." And before Dumbledore stirred clouds, forming a pot with water inside of it. Before Dobby's eyes the water fogged over and portrayed a vision.

It showed an image of Harry Potter, to his right was the still body of the dead elf, at a cottage by the sea. In Harry's hands was a spade that he was digging a hole with, and in the hole to help dig was his friends: Dean Thomas, and Ron Weasley.

Then the image shifted to a group of people standing around the hole, the body was no longer seen. Words floated up through the pot as if coming from the end of a long tunnel: "I'll always remember what you did for us." Said Luna Lovegood, "Thanks, Dobby" was Ron's voice, "Thanks", mentioned Dean. These words spun around Dobby's head, a funeral, an actual funeral was being held by wizards for an elf. In the image the pile of dirt next to the grave rose, and dropped, now smothering Dobby's body.

And finally came the voice that Dobby could never forget, Harry Potter saying to his body "Good-Bye, Dobby" then choking up on his own tears.

The clouds in the pot shifted once again to form the words written on the grave's headstone: HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF. Written sloppily as if with a hammer and chisel.

Tears grew in Dobby's eyes, welling up to drift down his face. He looked up to the old headmaster beside him and noticed that his eyes were glistening more than usual, wet with tears. Dumbledore moved his hand up beneath his glasses to wipe away his tears, "Dobby, you are the bravest house-elf I have ever heard of or seen." Dumbledore said, "And now you are gone before your time should have come. That wasn't the spot you were destined to die in."

Dumbledore's words piqued Dobby's interest, "But where is it that Dobby should have died?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I am charged by those who lead the Spirit World to give you a proposition." And with that the pot vanished and two chairs appeared. Dumbledore gestured for Dobby to sit down, and he hoped up into the squishy chair. Both wizard and elf looked at each other in the eyes as equals and Dumbledore continued. "There is a certain balance that must be kept in the world between forces of light and dark. Darkness rises up to terrorize for years and light will conquer them to cause peace for a few years. This is a circle that will always continue, until today. Today you died, and the leaders of the spirit world saw that their would be an unbalancing in the two forces. Harry Potter will face forces that will kill him, there is no doubt about it, but you were supposed to save him then. Without you, he will die. And the balance would be lost, therefore the leaders of the spirit world want to send you back."

Dobby kicked his legs underneath the chair, "send Dobby back where?"

"Back to life, of course."

Dobby's chair fell backwards as he kicked one time to hard. The small elf stared up at the bearded wizard, "Back?" he said in disbelief.

Dumbledore nodded and waved his hand, resetting Dobby's chair. "Yes" he said, "you will be brought back to life. This is an interesting process as the leaders of the spirit world can only break the laws of the universe so much, and you will only have one other chance to save him. Not to mention that right after, you will have to die a second time, we can't have you roaming around while you should be dead. "

Dobby's eyes were transfixed upon Dumbledore like he was made of galleons, "Dobby can save Harry Potter?"

Dumbledore only smiled.

The small elf watched Dumbledore's face and Dumbledore realized that this elf would not hesitate to die a second time for his hero. Harry had done well with this elf, treated it with respect, and sheltered its trust.

"Do you accept?" Dumbledore asked.

Dobby could only nod.

And with that, Dumbledore waved his hand over the elf, creating a column of light surrounding him. Dobby looked up into the light and let go of his chair, staring into the small prick of white brightness that seemed almost a mile away.

"and one more thing, Dobby." Dumbledore said, "You can not let Harry or anyone who knows that you are dead see you, this will automatically force your spirit to flee from the physical world and retreat to here. You will lose your chance, do not let him see you. Good luck."

Dobby closed his eyes and tore his emotions away from his nervousness, "Yes sir. I will not sleep for weeks if necessary."

"That won't be necessary."

And with a bright flash Dobby left what he believed to be the Hogwarts Kitchens.

Dumbledore stood up and waved his hand to remove the chairs from existence, "To him this looks like the Kitchens? That isn't anything that I've seen before, normally this is a person's home."

So this is an interesting idea I once had, I thought I might as well make a story on it. If you like it please like and comment, which will make sure that I make more chapters, and any comment helps me with my writing. Please tell me what I did wrong so I can do it right next time. And as usual, Have A Nice Day. -Dlahm17