A Helping Hand by Moon-Ying
Disclaimer: I don't own ;_;
Author's note: There is some Elven speech in here: ^_^
Heruamin- My Lord
Tanya awra- that hurt
Eldalie- elvish (I think)
Onta vasa- create food (it's elvish magic!)
Harry naa amin mellon- Harry is my friend
Aiya- oh
Chapter 5
Mind games
The next time Harry opened his eyes he awoke to darkness once again. But this time was different. Instead of a dream, he knew it was real, or rather he just felt it in his bones. There was no Dark Lord hovering above him, ready to kill him, and no piercing cold in the room. In fact he was rather warm. There was a small blue fire popping in the fireplace and he was covered to his chin in a heavy flannel quilt. He blinked slowly, and reached automatically for his glasses. Putting them on his face, he peered through the dark window up at the bright moon hanging in the sky. Harry was even relieved to see that the sky looked much more cheerful than he had last saw it too.
What time was it? His mind began to fill with sleepless questions. Where was Snape?
Harry cautiously looked about the room. There was a soft glow to everything because of the fire and it was clearly obvious that he was the only one in the room. It was a large chamber with lots of bookshelves and two chairs in front of the fireplace. It was quite too. The only thing that dared to disturb the thick silence was the fire. The tranquility in the air was bizarre. Usually he always woke to his aunt's screeching voice or his cousin's taunts. Then his stomach growled loudly. Blushing, he placed it hand on his empty abdomen. How long had it been since he had eaten? Maybe he ought to find the kitchen….
Hesitantly Harry sat up, surprised to find that he felt perfectly fine and replenished like he had a long rest. It felt nice. He stretched a bit before carefully folded back the covers to reveal his body and frayed pajamas. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his bare feet smacking something very hard near the floor.
The silence was broken by Harry's cry of alarm mingled with a distressed wail. Before he knew it, Harry quickly pulled his legs to his chest and grabbed his wand, his heart pounding. He pointed it where he thought the voice came from. Instead of the frightful monster he expected, to his surprise all he saw was a small house elf. It was sitting on the floor, trembling, with its head in its arms. It murmuring something too but the elf spoke too softly that Harry didn't understand what it was saying. But he knew it was obviously scared.
"Tanya awra! Don't hurt Lecai!" the elf sobbed. "Lecai do nothing!"
Feeling guilty at the pitiable sight, Harry lowered his wand, staring bewilderedly at the distressed elf. He had seen many of the little (and odd) creatures before but he never imagined that Snape would ever have one. His family must be a very notable one to have a house elf. But this elf seemed different. Her (his?) small blue dress looked clean and she had slippers on too. Her hat lay on the ground too, pointed and blue with yellow stars, and her short brown hair was done up in a small yellow bow. If Harry squinted, he could have mistaken her as a child. But unlike a muggle child, her eyes were abnormally large, as well as her fingers, feet, and nose.
"I'm…I'm sorry…"Harry murmured, not meaning to sound as though he was asking a question. He sat his wand down. "I didn't know that you were there." Lecai sniffed and lowered her arms from her face. "Will you stop crying? I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Lecai's all right," the elf smiled and climbed to her tiny slippered feet. She stooped to pick up her hat from the ground. "Harry just scared Lecai."
Harry had to pause for a moment to absorb her drastic mood swing. "You...er…know my name?"
Lecai nodded quickly, offering a soft, toothless smile. "Heruamin told Lecai to see if Harry was awake hours ago. But Harry was still of in dreamland so Lecai did not wake Harry up. Lecai is to ask if Harry need anything when Harry wakes up. Does Harry need anything?" the little elf was out of breath by the time she finished. Harry didn't have the heart to laugh.
"Heruamin?" Harry questioned. "Who is that? Another elf?"
Lecai shook her head causing her hat to fall off. "Oh no! Heruamin is master in Eldalie!"
"Oh…er…do you mean Snape?" Harry asked.
The elf nodded and picked up her hat. "Heruamin is Lecai's master."
"So I guess he is…er…But you don't look the house elves I've seen," Harry told her. "Your clothes are actually clean! Unless you stay be because you want to…"
Lecai nodded quickly, smiling. "Yes! Lecai stay here because Lecai wants too!" she chimed excitedly.
"Oh…" Even though he felt guilty admitting it, Harry never thought anyone who stay with Snape it they had too, even it the person was an elf.
Harry's stomach exploded with a hungry growl for the second time. Lecai jumped up, widening her eyes. "Harry's hungry! Let Lecai get something for Harry!"
Harry blushing with embarrassment. "No that's fine," he began to protect. "I can get it myself, Lecai. Please don't bother."
"But that's Lecia's job!" the elf cried, tears forming in her eyes as he looked up at Harry. "Lecai likes to help people! That's what Lecai likes!"
"Shh! Okay!" Harry quickly replied, trying to calm the spasmodic little elf. "It's too late to be screaming like that!"
Lecai sniffed quietly; her hat lay once more by her feet. "Will Harry let Lecai get Harry something it eat then?" she asked hopefully, her eyes shining with her eager smile.
"Yes! Anything you want!" Just as long as you shut up, Harry thought to himself without much guilt.
Lecai clapped her hands and jumped up and down, obviously very pleased with his answer. Harry couldn't help but smile.
"Onta vasa!" Lecai softly called, flinging her slender arms out. Suddenly the bed Harry was sitting on was filled with delicious plates of food. It first he could only gape like a fool, his mouth hung open and eyes widening with wonder.
It was marvelous, almost like being back at Hogwarts. There was all kinds of meat-ham, turkey, beef, chicken-and vegetables, fruit, soups, sweets (a lot of it too) and pumpkin juice. For a moment he continued to stare at the fabulous food as his mouth quickly filled with water. He was so hungry that he didn't know where to begin!
He heard Lecai giggle softly to herself. "Lecai will be back to clean everything up!" she chimed brightly and, with that, the elf spun around and ran out of the room.
Harry stared after her, somewhere between confusion and incredulity. The bedroom door shut softly behind her and the silence that followed was insufferable. Then his stomach growled and he was once again painfully aware of how hungry he was. Without a second though he attacked the food like a starved wolf. He ate like he hadn't been fed in weeks and the food had been exception. Not that there was much to compare it too. Life at the Dursleys' wasn't exactly luxurious. There he'd be lucky to get a hardy square meal once a month.
After Harry had consumed all he could, he washed it all down with the cool pumpkin juice. To his amazement, the dishes (including her goblet) vanished into thin air as if they were a mirage. At first he was shocked then he calmed not, telling himself it was more Elven magic, just like at Hogwarts. How did Lecai know Harry was done was beyond him. It good timing though.
Now what do I do? Harry asked himself. He wasn't very sleepy to go to bed and there was nothing to do in the room. His trunk was in the corner with all his belongings but the thought of doing his homework made him sick to the stomach. He had all summer to do that. But there was only his trunk. No owl cage and no Hedwig. Harry shot a glance to the window. No bird flew outside. He frowned, feeling dread invade his limps. Hedwig should have been able to find him. Was she hurt when his uncle tossed her out into the night?
Harry felt like someone had just kicked his stomach. He swallowed hard and stood up. Maybe Snape knew what happened to her or had a letter dropped of recently. He was still dressed in his saclike and now wrinkled pajamas and his large white socks hung lifelessly off his feet. Not the kind of dress to be roaming a teacher's home but that was all he had at the moment.
"Oh bugger…" Harry sighed.
"Does Harry need anything?" a voice from behind made Harry jump a good feet.
"Oh! Lecai!" Harry sighed, turning around to see the little elf sitting on one of the pillows. Absentmindedly, he put hand on his chest, feeling his racing hart pound against his palm. "You scared the crap out of me! How did you get in here?"
Lecai smiled, her dark eyes glowing with mischief. "That's Lecai's secret!" she said in a singsong sort of voice, wiggling her small feet before her like a child.
"Well next time tell me you're behind me!" Harry replied.
Lecai's face twisted into a tearful pout. "Is Harry mad at Lecai?" the elf whined softly. "Lecai didn't mean to scare Harry! Lecai is a good elf!"
"Shh…you're a good elf, alright," Harry said quickly. "Don't start crying." And as he thought about it he safely added, "And don't start bagging your head against the wall either."
"Why would Lecai want to do that?" she asked, confusion masking her child-like voice. "Lecai likes Lecai's head."
Harry smiled before he knew it and then shook his head. "It's a long story. Forget I asked."
"All right!" she replied, smiling. "Now did Harry need something?"
"Um…er…do you know if a bird has come here?"
"Bird?" Lecai echoed.
"Uh…yea…she's a white owl. Her name's Hedwig," Harry told her.
"Hedwig? Nope! Lecai see no white owl named Hedwig," the elf replied happily. "But Lecai did see a black one! It came by hours ago while Harry was still fast asleep!"
"A black one?" Harry asked. "I don't know any black ones…"
Lecai nodded. "He was very slow and old! He carried a letter too!"
Harry tried his luck. "Do you know who sent the owl? Or who wrote the letter?"
Lecai shook her head, his face become very serious. "Nope! That letter is Heruamin's business! Lecai dare not touch it! Lecai dare not make Heruamin upset but touching Heruamin's things!"
Harry frowned. "Er…if you do something…I mean does Snape…Heruamin ever punish you?" he asked suddenly. From past experiences he knew that some house elves were mistreated by their owners, like how Dobby and Winky were treated by their masters. It was a pitiful sight.
Lecai shook her head. "Heruamin is nice to Lecai! That's why Lecai stayed with Heruamin!"
"That's good…well do you know where this letter might be?"
"Why?" Lecai asked, smiling.
"Oh no reason," Harry sighed half-heartedly. "I thought it might just be for me that's all. I wouldn't want to not read it and all. Might miss something important, do you know what I mean?"
Lecai giggled. It sounded like sunshine if sunshine could be heard that is. "Maybe," Lecai said mischievously. She smiled all the more, wiggling her feet again.
"In that case, do you know where the letter is?"
"It's in the dining room on the table!" the elf replied quickly.
Harry blinked and eyed the little elf as she sat on the bed. She gave the answer all too quickly to his mind. It was too easy. What if she was tricking him or something? What if she wanted to get him into trouble? Harry shouldn't mess with Snape's things anyway. And roaming the strange house in the night wasn't too appealing either. Didn't Snape tell Harry that he liked his privacy?
"Aiya!" Lecai suddenly exclaimed, jumping to her feet while still on the bed. "But Harry can't go get the letter in Harry's ugly pajamas! Such rudeness!"
"I didn't say I was going to get the letter!" Harry told him. "Keep it down. I don't even know if Snape is awake or not! What if he finds me?"
"Oh, Heruamin is fast asleep in Heruamin's chambers!" Lecai giggled. "Heruamin won't know about it at all! It will be Harry and Lecai's secret! Harry trust Lecai doesn't Harry?" the little elf leaned down so close to Harry that their noses almost touched. Lecai's eyes were larger now and quickly filling with tears.
"Er…sure I do," he quickly replied, forcing a smile.
"Yay!" Lecai cried out, clapping her hands and jumping on the bed in complete happiness. "Harry likes Lecai! And Lecai likes Harry too! Harry naa amin mellon," she broke of into her strange language. Harry didn't know what she said but it didn't sound bad.
"Now," Lecai suddenly calmed down. "Harry needs clothes!"
"No it's fine really!" he spoke up, stopping the elf. "I mean I don't think I'm even going. It's not the smartest of adventures I have go on mind you. I'm walking to this strange house which happens to belong to a very cynical and very creepy Potions Master with God knows what roaming the halls! Plus he even told me that I doesn't want me searching through his home. If I were at Hogwarts I might go but that's beside the point. I don't want to push his buttons tonight, all right?"
Lecai sniffed pathetically as she lowered her head like a melancholy child. "All right," she whispered. Her voice sounded as though she was on the verge of sobs. "Lecai understands if Harry doesn't want to go. Heruamin might get mad. And Harry might not be interested in just a silly letter. The words were so hard to understand. Lecai had heard time figuring what they were. He writes very messy, that Sirius Black."
~*~*~*~
Author's Note: does the ending seem a bit familiar? If not look at Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, at the last page of chapter eight! ^_^ **giggles** Well I hope that chapter was a bit more fun and not too short! Do you like Lecai? I'm not a big fan of new characters but she seemed so cute so I had to add her! What do you think? I think Snape might have a soft spot in him somewhere. Like always, reviews are very nice and I like to hear from you peeps! ^_^