Yours Truly, N. Longbottom
Team: Kenmare Kestrels
Position: Chaser 2
Beta: Queen Bookworm the First and my step-dad
Prompts: (style) Letter!fic and (word count) 1,000.
Mod Head!Canon: The kitchen house-elves secretly help out the students during the year Harry is searching for Horcruxes
~x~
Dobby,
I cannot begin to express how thankful I am to you.
You do not deserve to have died such a violent death. Harry has told me what happened but he would not go into detail. It brings me such great despair just imaging what that violent woman did to you. You did not deserve to die.
I do not even know why I am writing this letter to you. You are dead and are unable to read it, but yet here I sit with quill in hand and parchment in front of me.
Dobby, you would love the life we are building. Hermione is fighting for house-elves' rights, making a difference and being the Hermione we all know and love. You died a hero and everyone is so thankful to you. I am especially.
Harry isn't the only one with secrets.
As you know, Hogwarts was a dark place the last little while. Children were tormented, teachers were soundless and Dumbledore was gone. Nobody could do a thing and yet there you stood; hands in fists, eyes blazing with determination and those crazy socks you loved wearing. I can't imagine what life at Hogwarts would have been like without you and the other house-elves.
What did you always say? 'Harry Potter is fighting out there against He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and we must do our part. Harry Potter needs us to keep fighting….Always keep fighting.' Something like that…
I'm getting off topic, aren't I?
You gave everyone strength. I'm just sorry that I- we weren't there for you. You needed someone and yet I was here, fighting against the Death Eaters who were supposed to be my professors. God, I miss Dumbledore. I miss you and I miss Remus Lupin. So many people have died and I can't even wrap my head around it.
The war has ended Dobby. And yet I feel like I am dealing with my own war inside of my head. The memories and nightmares are terrible. I sometimes envy you and the dead. You do not have to live with the battle scars the living do.
The nightmares are so toxic. When I try to sleep, I am back at Hogwarts in the middle of the war. The images are burned forever in my brain. I can still smell the burning flesh of my fallen comrades. I can still see Lavender Brown laying lifeless among the rubble and I will never be able to forget the sight of Colin Creevey fallen.
He is a fallen angel Dobby.
I envy you Dobby. You did not have to see all the death. You did not have to see Fred Weasley on the floor in the Great Hall, the ghost of his last laugh still on his face and yet unmoving. You did not have to see the many fallen souls that fought that day. You are lucky.
Our side may have won against Voldemort but he still robbed so many people of their lives. God, I can't even imagine what poor Teddy Lupin will have to go through without his parents.
Wait…I can. I can imagine because I too was raised by my grandmother and I basically had no parents. I don't think I've ever willingly told anyone that.
I can't believe I admitted that. My parents are insane because of the first war.
And now I am crying. I'm sure if anyone were to look at me, they would think I was crazy. I'm a war hero and yet I envy the dead. I sometimes wish I was dead. I am one of the lucky to have survived and yet all I can think about is death. Harry would be so ashamed. You would be so ashamed.
I am ashamed.
Ignore this Dobby. This isn't why I began to write this letter. I wanted to let you know that I thank you. Thank you for providing a listening ear, food, shelter, and blankets during my Seventh year at Hogwarts, or as I like to call it: Hell.
You were the one to suggest we use the Room of Requirement for a safe haven. You were the one who bandaged us students when we were beaten a little too hard. You provided food when our stomachs rumbled and we were near starvation.
You were the real hero, Dobby, and yet you are buried in a shallow grave at the beach where you fell.
I do not think any of us would have lived if it wasn't for you. You were the reason I kept fighting. You ARE the reason why I keep fighting. You, Fred, Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Colin, Tonks, Hedwig, and so many others: you are the reason why I pull my body out of bed to face the day.
Thank you. I cannot thank you enough for risking your life for me and the student body. Thank you for opening your arms and holding us close when we needed it. You were my saving grace and I can never thank you enough.
Oh…It appears I've been found. Hannah just appeared in the doorway. She is telling me that it's time to turn in for bed. I can not begin to think of the words to tell you thank you Dobby. You gave me the strength to keep fighting and now I've found the girl of my dreams. I just needed to say "thank you" and to let you know that your legacy will always live on.
I've become a teacher at Hogwarts and I will always tell my students the story of Dobby the FREE-house-elf. I will tell them about the house-elf who saved Harry Potter's life. Your memory will never die, I promise you. Never will I forget you.
Yours Truly,
N. Longbottom.