Harry was a whirlwind of emotions. Today had been… Interesting. And in hindsight better than many days he would have in all of his loops. It was evening and it was almost time for the DMLE check-in Amelia said he should expect. Just a check to make sure he was alright had food and was safe.

(He would later learn that whenever Amelia learned he was out on his own he would have Aurors stealth posted guarding him till he got on the Hogwarts Express. He was left confused and conflicted about that. On the one hand he felt incredibly safe and protected. More than he honestly ever had before even at Hogwarts. Whether it was really true or not he did not want to know. It took a long time for him to understand just how incredibly important he was to the magical community. That was also the source of his consternation and conflicted feelings. He did not want special treatment. He did not want to be this special almost deified child. He just wanted to be a normal kid with parents. While additional faces would be added to his reflection in the Mirror of Erised over his many many loops. One thing never changed his parents were at the forefront.)

He was sitting cross legged on the couch his face is his hands closing his eyes and wrinkling his brow whining a little as his hair was ruffled by the gentle hands of a young elf dressed in loosely fitted children's clothing.

His wide eyes held awe and care so deep Harry was honestly a little creeped out. There was a lingering grief in those eyes as well, but Harry would not understand that till later. Contrasting the creepiness a deep dark possessiveness also birthed in Harry's heart of what could be his last remaining Family.

The elf Mippsy breathed out.

"Yous be having black hairs when yous being a baby Harry sir."

The elf retracted his hand.

"But Mippsy also likes yous having Mistress Lilies hair as well. Mippsy can remember the last time I's changed you before….."

The elf prattled on. Harry let him listening intently for first hand info of his parents at home. Though he blushed at the mention of being changed which only made the elf brighten even more as his pale skin reddened enough to match his new hair.

The day had started simply enough. After the morning fog wore off Harry remembered that before he had been carried to bed Hannah had already been taken home. Ernie already fast asleep on the couch. Ernie's dad thanked him for being Ernie's friend but informed him he was going on holiday for a week or two as they wanted to spend time together before he left for Hogwarts. So, Harry spent the morning going to his appointments first taking care of the appointment with Mulciber. He posed with several toys and a smiling face with Mulciber behind him. His hair parted to the side and his scar uncovered. The Camerawomen was also paid for temporary secrecy. Mulciber again gave him a card for his psych wizard friend that Harry pocketed politely. The day was mercifully cloudy, so he simply wore muggle summer clothing that day. A light-yellow shirt with a collar and corduroy short trousers with a snake belt and knee socks, finishing the semi-formal outfit was leather school sandals. Having re-applied his concealer he made his way to the bank for his appointment. He went past the teller to the back offices where this time one of the bank's wizard employees noted his arrival and they began the trip to the long-term storage vaults after he presented the key. They did not descend into the bank for this. Instead, Harry was side-along apparated at a designated point. Nothing could have prepared him for the experience of being sucked through a toothpaste tube. If floo travel was a dizzying experience for him apparition was agony. Harry fell to the floor upon reversion to real space holding himself as everything clenched and squeezed.

Shakily getting to his feet the dead-eyed secretary was tapping her feet glancing at her pocket watch with dials and arms that moved crazily to Harry's untrained eye. He gave her a dirty look getting an eyeroll in return. They looked to be in a large hallway lined with vaults of all kinds and sizes. They walked through several halls until they reached a vault door that was twice the size of the one on his trust vault. She looked expectantly at the keyhole not having said a word this whole time. Harry shakily put in the key and turned. A series of loud clicks and turns and dials rang out as a vault that had not been opened in quite some time creaked open dwarfing Harry in size.

Harry was underwhelmed honestly at first glance. The vault was filled from floor to ceiling with furniture and items covered with dust sheets. Ornate carpets were rolled up with rope and laid against dressers and sideways loungers and tables. It was a maze and Harry had an hour to look around before the lady would drag him out to leave so Harry wasted no time walking in. Directly to the side of the vault door was a series of cabinets that looked slightly scorched, but the charms had done their job. The scorch marks instead indicated spellfire damage. Bits, bobbles, and the like were on display in the cabinets. Strange looking metal eggs. Ornate vases and jeweled goblets glittered faintly in the darkness. Artifacts Harry had no clue the meaning or context of were arrayed before him. He moved on past partially broken tables and dressers filled with Linens and fabrics and sewing supplies. The potter crest was sometimes prominent. He moved further in turning a corner, losing sight of the vault door. This would take years to get through alone…

He did not know what to expect. Portraits, books, esoteric grimoires? Anything? But it seemed the majority of items were inaccessible due to being piled together. He was honestly just hoping for a book on his family. Maybe their traditions.

He noticed a cylinder partially covered with a sheet tucked in one corner. He could see the faint outline of a familiar looking ear. Harry squinted activating the zoom function of his glasses. Nope too dark. He reset the feature before looking around having been made too dizzy to stand last time he left it engaged. He burned with embarrassment at the thought. But…

He began moving chairs and furniture out of the way, taking a good chunk of time. But finally, he stood before the cylinder and pulled out a muggle torch that flickered on. Clearly struggling due to the ambient magic but the radiation hardened device held. Knowing he would be going to areas where muggle devices had a hard time working he went to a hardware store and claimed his dad was doing a project but where he worked lights had a hard time working. When the man asked questions and mentioned nuclear power Harry just said yes. The result was a bulky small flashlight he would take to Hogwarts to see if it worked. Something for another day.

He shined it on the exposed part of the cylinder. An unwrinkled dog ear flopped down.

Maybe his family had been into taxidermy? Creepy.

He grabbed the sheet with the other hand and pulled it off. Coughing and sneezing and closing his eyes at the dust plume that was sent up. When he recovered, he opened his eyes and nearly dropped the torch when he saw a young looking House elf floating in the middle of the cylinder seemingly frozen.

Harry shivered and felt like vomiting. The extended primer had extolled the virtues of House elves and that in some families it was a high honor for an elf to be stuffed and kept on display for the family. A macabre display that made him a little disappointed in his family. He put his hand against the glass mournfully. And he looked so young too compared to the 'fairy' elf at the park.

That was apparently all it took as the cylinder started shaking and clacking around like a tea set. (Spyro the Dragon crystal sound) Harry barely had time to back away a step, eyes widened before the glass simply shattered to dust. Harry quickly covered his face having no time for any other reaction. A dull meaty thump rang out and a sneeze broke the silence. Harry chanced a peak through his fingers seeing the elf slowly getting up. Harrys eyes widened and he rushed forward to help up the rather tall elf who stood up to just below his chest. He was very dizzy, his comically large eyes lolling this way and that before he shook his head and peered at Harry in the faint torchlight. Squinting he exclaimed without much thinking.

"Master James! Yous being alive! But why is yous head red? And why is yous so small?"

Harry tried to smile reassuringly but was confused.

Interlude Mippsy:

Charlus Potter and Dorea Potter nee Black had just come back from escorting the younger Potters to the apparition point. He had just finished his first full day attending to his master's needs changing him when needed and keeping him entertained. He was in training as young Master Harry's personal elf much like his father was for Master James and his father was for Master Charlus. His father Moppsy looked proudly at his son. He had passed the test with flying colors and all of the other elves on staff congratulated him. He had secured his place. The Potters were putting in a last visit before going into hiding. Apparently the very bad man was going after them, so they had to leave Moppsy and Mippsy behind for whatever reason. They would come to visit sometimes but they would be hidden for quite some time. When Mippsy asked his father why they could not accompany the Potters Mistress Lily who overheard said it would be incredibly boring for him as the house they would be staying in would be too small.

A house elf with nothing to do is not a very happy elf all things considered. Potter manor and its grounds were just big enough for the six elves on staff. Mippsy was the youngest still being a child by elven standards, so he had been given the honor of being Master Harry's elf. He was still being trained on all of the nuances and family traditions in place and the rules of the household. His head constantly felt full being filled with child rearing and cooking and the potter family traditions. He would soon be finished according to his mom. Then it would be nothing but attending to Harry and keeping him out of trouble and healthy. Mippsy could not wait.

Despite being young he was rather tall for an elf. Master Charlus claimed good bloodlines having had Moppsy pick out his mom from an auction so many years ago as a reward for loyal service.

(When Harry learned this, he was genuinely horrified much to Mippsy's confusion. This is just how it was done. When a household bore too many elves the family magic could not sustain them and there was no work to do leading to malnourished and incredibly unstimulated elves. Elves died when theys did nothing they did.)

And while that played a part the elves knew better. The Potters were extremely generous when it came to sharing magic. Giving liberally where other families would only give the bare minimum. The Potter elves had been getting taller and fuller over time because of this. Moppsy and Mippsy would rank among the top 1% of elves in size which caused some jealousy in their peers and was the envy of females of their kind. Bigger meant more magic meant more work done. His mother did not have a name at first until Mistress Dorea named her Suzy, she now handled the basement cleaning cataloging and maintaining the wine and potions ingredients in storage.

Altogether Mippsy was a happy elf. They were given comfy cubbies, silken uniforms all the work they could stand and more magic than most households combined. Life was good.

Until it wasn't.

Later that night after Mippsy had been put to bed the ground was rocked with a horrid crack as they could feel the wards being ripped apart. Everyone was jolted awake and found they could not flee. They had even somehow warded against elf travel which indicated a siege ritual had been enacted. The houses defenses were activated. The rafters themselves came alive to defend the old manor. Suits of armor from different time periods arrayed themselves in chokepoints and the denizens of portraits fled to their backup paintings. The elves quickly went to Master Charlus for orders but the man simply told them to defend the manor at all costs or save themselves if they could. The wizened man pulling his wand out and rushing out in only his nightshirt. Having no time for anything else. Mistress Dorea followed soon after. A glint of madness and cruelty floated in her eye. Moppsy ordered Mippsy to hide in the wine cellar and followed after his master toward certain doom.

It was chaos beyond that point. The smell of fire and smoke saturated the air of the manor as wards failed and the old timbering began to fail and catch flame. Mippsy could only blindly run through the house trying to find the basement entrance. Wrecked suits of armor and the occasional mask wearing corpse were the only thing to guide him as the fever pitch of battle rang through the house. Tears streaked down his face as he found what was left of Floppsy his grandfather. Hurrying through the battle staying low, Mippsy saw Charlus wand in hand transfiguring and conjuring and cursing in a whirlwind. Dorea was laughing insanely her normally black hair changing colors with every foul curse she used. (And knowing the Blacks they were truly foul) Before finally Charlus was struck first in the leg by a blasting curse breaking every bone before finally being put down by the killing curse. Dorea's laughter became shrieks of fury as the very air turned to poison as she invoked magics so foul they would have seen her put in Askaban for even knowing them. Moppsy and Suzy looked each other in the eye a thousand words without a single one passing between them. Then looking at Mippsy, Suzy abandoned the battle and Moppsy turned back to blast away invaders.

She roughly grabbed Mippsy's hand and dragged him past a scorched hallway to the basement trapdoor. Before losing sight Mippsy saw Dorea brought down by the Carrow siblings amid a pile of barely identifiable corpses. Air returned to his lungs in the dank dungeon as his mother pulled him behind several bookshelves and the families stored artifacts and towards a stasis cylinder. A rare artifact that preserved rare items and creatures. Inside was a vial of unidentified blood. Likely priceless given its singular status. Suzy did not care roughly opening the tube and throwing the vial away she turned and embraced Mippsy the tips of her ears only coming to his chest and roughly shoved him inside. His last thought was hearing the basement blasted open and hearing his mother snap her fingers with a Titanic flexing of magic.

Until of course…

He flopped bonelessly to the floor amid diamond dust still in shock at what had just occurred to his perspective. Only there was no pitched sound of battle just dusty and dark furniture effused with the smell of smoke. Before him was a red-headed child that looked almost exactly like a photo of James Potter as a child if not for the red hair and the startled green eyes. A muggle torch provided the only light in the immediate vicinity which glinted off the boy's glasses indicating gold.

"Master James! Yous being alive! But why is yous head red? And why is yous so small?"

It had not hit Mippsy yet what had just happened. Master Harry was still a baby so this could only be Master James pulling another prank. But why? The boy smiled or at least attempted to do so. The smile came out mildly confused and broken in places.

"I am sorry, my father James is dead. I am Harry. Why were you in that tube? It can't have been comfortable."

The boy's brow wrinkled in concern which Mippsy secretly adored.

"But yous cant be Master Harry. Master Harry is a little baby, I just saw and changed him this afternoon."

Mippsy asserted in confusion.

A look of understanding seemed to come over the boy's face.

"What year is it?"

Mippsy thought the boy was daft in the head maybe. (And privately, that he needed a lot of meals far too thin.)

"Are yous alright? It's the year of our lord 1981."

A look of pity came over the boy's face but he asked.

"What is your name?"

Still confused, Mippsy answered.

"Mippsy be's Mippsy. Whos you really being?"

If Mippsy had paid attention to his magic, he would have already known the answer to the question but he was still addled.

The boy looked at a watch on his wrist before saying.

"Mippsy… I am Harry and the year is 1991 not 81."

His world came crashing down around him.

Everything else forgotten, Harry guided the distraught elf out of the vault, his time almost being exceeded. On the dot the vault closed behind him and the lady who had guided him there closed a book she had been reading and wordlessly started walking back to the apparition point. Harry quickly followed half carrying the rather large elf. She looked at him unimpressed as she side-along apparated both of them back to the Gringotts main branch. Harry simply paid the desk for floo access and returned to his apartment with the now insensate elf. Not wanting to deal with the crowd asking questions on the walk back to his apartment.

It took him a number of hours to coax the elf back to himself before he seemed to bounce back and quickly hugged Harry lifting him up and twirling him around. Demonstrating a surprising strength belaying his size as the elf only came up to his chest. Then began the story of his life as the waterworks again started when he again explained what he knew of his parent's death. He left out his own life for now knowing it would be too much for him let alone the elf. At a certain point Harry himself had started crying. Until finally they settled down on the couch together simply staring emotionally numb.

Family. He still had family as that's what the elf called himself and Harry had no reason to doubt him. Mippsy had no idea how he was still alive and apparently in stasis. Nor why Harry touching the cylinder had shattered it and freed Mippsy. He did not care.

His stomach growled and Harry rubbed the back of his head and started to get up to make Dinner for them both. He had not eaten since breakfast, and he did not think Mippsy had eaten since 1981…

But Mippsy beat him to the punch popping into the kitchen pulling ingredients and pans out and lighting the stove with a snap of his fingers. He looked incredibly possessive and his look warned Harry away. He had no idea how the whole house elf thing worked but he was about to find out it seems.

"No! Mippsy be's Harrys personal elf and he's be missing Harry whole childhood. Mippsy be missing every single changing, cleaning, and cooking. Master Harry be Mippsy's and no one else's. Mippsy be making up for lost time."

With a snap of his fingers Harry found himself sitting at the dining table, his chair pulled in and a napkin tucked in as a bib bewildering him.

Auror Bagnold appeared at this time seeing the manic elf and seeing Harry basically alright he looked around and noticing nothing out of place he nodded and bid.

"Mr. Potter. Welcome back and I hope you have a good night."

He disappeared as soon as he came. Mippsy having ignored the whole thing. Soon enough a small feast was arranged before him. More than he was certain he could eat. When Harry saw that Mippsy was only watching expectantly but made no move to cook for himself Harry decided that would just not do. If they were family, they were going to act it.

"Mippsy I order you to eat with me."

He hoped he sounded more confident than he felt.

Mippsy opened his mouth to complain but found he couldn't as the magic of his bond compelled him to pull up a seat. (Harry would later learn what he had actually done and apologize much to the elves confusion and tears.) Harry set aside some of the plates of food for Mippsy and dug in finding the food delicious and better than what he could cook. Maybe having a house elf could be something he could get behind.

The elf was acting weird staring at the food in fear and awe.

"I's be eating from the masters plate… But it's being forbidden."

The elf breathed out.

Harry did not understand. You ate what you were given and that was that. Why did the elf act like sharing food was some grand thing? He was half finished before the elf had taken a single bite and burst into tears when he did. Harry let him be until he was finished and waited for the elf to finish. He tried to coax him to eat more but Harry was still working himself up after a long period of near starvation. He regretted letting that slip when the elf looked on the verge of apoplexy.

"But Master Harry yous…"

Harry interrupted.

"Please just Harry Mippsy. I don't like being called Master by anyone."

The elf pulled at his ears.

"Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. It's all so wrong."

The elf looked at him tearfully.

"Mast… Harry sir yous supposed to be wanting for nothing. Not being starving. Master Charlus would have Mippsy's head if he be hearing that."

Harry held up his hands.

"Never mind that, we both need to calm down this is too much. We can talk more tomorrow. I am going to go take a bath why don't you go after me?"

Harry was not surprised when the elf inexplicably burst into tears once more, but he walked away to the bathroom. Not bothering with bath toys tonight simply putting on the safety collar and going diving once more to think. He sat underwater in a pink crystal bloom and contemplated what had occurred today. He had family, he had an elf. Why didn't he find out about it last time. If he had not started the loop, would he have even learned about Mippsy while in Hogwarts? He did not think so. It was all so wrong, and it was only the water around him that masked the tears that fell from his eyes as he finally got some knowledge of how his family had died. Why was Mippsy so emotional about basic stuff?

It was horrible what he went through, and it must have just happened to him too. At least from his perspective. He straddled a Hexagonal sideways crystal laying down. He looked up in time to see a scrawny arm reach down from the surface just above him and wrench him out. Harry sputtered naked as the ludicrously strong elf lifted him up and hugged him patting his back assuring him it would be alright and that he should not end himself. Harry was confused, annoyed and angry and even the faun towel rack looked unimpressed. With whom? Harry did not know. Harry sputtered.

"Mippsy?! What the…. Put me back in the tub. Whats your problem?! What do you mean end myself?"

The elf looked at him confused.

"You mean yous not be trying to end yousself? But yous be under such a long time. Master James tell Mippsy children should always be watched so they don't drown themselves. Hes ordered me to do so."

Harry sputtered again and squawked until the elf put him back in the tub. He looked at the elf highly annoyed. He only pointed to the safety collar around his neck which still faintly glowed with magic.

"The tub is spelled to be a crystal cave if you dive down Mippsy I was only thinking honest."

The elf's eyes widened contrite but also amazed.

"Really? Harry sir be giving Mippsy the chance to bathe like the masters?"

Harry was confused.

"Didn't you bathe before?"

The elf looked scandalized.

"No elf would dare presume to use the toilet facilities of the Master. It's just not done. We cleaned ourselves using magic."

It was Harrys turn to look scandalized.

"What! But that's barbaric!" ('And nasty.' Harry privately thought.)

With no thought at all to modesty so indignant was Harry he got out of the tub and stripped the elf and dragged him into the water to show him how to bathe, causing the elf to squawk as well. When Harry got out and Mippsy stayed behind amazed at the tub Harry would realize what he had done and reflexively cover himself.

Again, blushing to match his hair the faun statue held out the towel with a look of silent laughter on its face causing Harry to retort.

"Quiet you."

The statue almost seemed to double over in even more laughter as Harry realized he had just told a statue to be quiet. Deciding to quit with what was left of his dignity Harry found his underwear and pyjammas already folded on the counter. Drying off and getting dressed Harry decided to give the elf his privacy and went to his room.

("But Mas… Harry. Its being alright I's already change you and bathed you when yous was a baby what's different now?" Harry had tried to apologize later when he realized his presumption and the social faux pas he had committed. But the elf's response left him sputtering for an answer. And feeling inadequate in other areas. He was not a baby bloody hell.)

Wait… Where would Mippsy sleep?

There was only the one bed large though it may have been. He was almost afraid of the answer based on Mippsy's other answers. (When Hermione started SPEW in some of his later loops, he was almost tempted to join her if he did not understand freeing elves would lead to their starvation and death. Mippsy was his!)

Not 5 minutes later Mippsy came out smelling pleasantly like soap and looked cleaner than before. The lingering smell of smoke was gone. He still wore the clothes Harry told him to take due to the fire damage to his old garments. The elf had warned him to never give him clothes directly and had nearly had a heart attack earlier that day when Harry tried to give him some clothes. So, Harry got around that by telling him to go into the dresser to pick some things out. Getting another crying fit, which was annoying. Leading to his current mismatched outfit. Though it was concerning that it was only too big lengthwise and that he and Mippsy were of similar enough proportions that his clothes did not simply engulf the elf. Something for another time.

"Mippsy get some pyjammas we can go shopping for you tomorrow, you can sleep in the bed with me its more than big enough."

The elf looked to be experiencing another heart attack and ground out.

"No. No. M… Harry, the closet is being good enough for Mippsy."

All of a sudden, he was back in the cupboard.

'Loser!' 'Monster!' 'Freak!'

"No!"

Harry yelled scaring the poor elf. The lights flickered indicating accidental magic. Breathing in and out Harry told himself it was alright he was no longer in that cupboard.

"No Mippsy. I forbid you from sleeping in any closets or cupboards. You will sleep in my bed. And if tomorrow you want your own, we will get one. That's an order."

Mippsy made to protest but could not. The magic of the bond prevented him from disagreeing. Eventually the elf gave up his hand wringing and looked at Harry like he was an alien. Finally saying.

"Yous not be like any Wizard I's ever meet Harry."

The elf looked remarkably serious when he said this. Harry shrugged, the story of his life it seemed. Harry yawned too drained from today to bother reading. It could all wait till tomorrow.

As Harry tucked in, Mippsy laid at the very edge of the bed. A light breeze could have knocked him off. Harry pouted and dragged the elf with the ill-fitting pyjammas further into bed making the elf whine. Harry silenced him by placing the corner of the Phoenix quilt over him instantly putting a look of bliss on the distraught elf's face as he fell asleep. Putting out the light Harry joined him not long after. He has just met his first constant companion through the loops.

Mippsy was a little intense and motherly. It made sense to Harry, but he could be overbearing and he made decisions on his own for Harry's sake and wellbeing. That was something Harry could not order him about on. That was interesting to learn as Harry read over the Muggleborn primer once more. Regretting some of the orders he had made. This sounded like slavery to him. But he could not order everything. Even dead his parents' orders still stood and even more so now there was no one to dispute them. Harry not withstanding no matter how much he insisted he was not a baby. His Mother had charted out rules and guidelines Mippsy must follow when it comes to Harry going up to his third year at least. Seeing as he was essentially a permanent first year until he broke the loop that might as well have meant forever. Sweets only after vegetables, a strict bedtime, normal kid's stuff. Harry sighed lamenting the loss of his nighttime adventures. But after thinking of his detention in the forbidden forest and the second attempt on his life, as well as Heraclitus dire warning about death perhaps that was for the best. In any case Mippsy had already told him his orders had come from her and had something to do with his father.

'Nipping things in the bud.'

Was her only justification though Mippsy was equally as confused as Harry, Moppsy had told him nothing of being James's elf. That was another thing. The elf was incredibly clingy and followed Harry everywhere. He had to order him not to follow him when he took care of business that's how clingy. Harry was both amused and gratified as well as incredibly annoyed. He was being whiny, but all things considered, isn't that what he wanted? He had nothing and no one and suddenly he had someone devoted to his every need.

Slowly over the next two weeks they got to know each other better. Mippsy wearing better fitting clothes and a small children's cot being set up next to his bed. Mippsy told him about growing up through James's teenage years and being around his grandparents. Harry slowly opened up about the Dursleys which only intensified the elf's overbearing behavior. Harry was not allowed to pick up after himself anymore. The apartment was spotless, Harrys clothes were always set out neatly cleaned pressed and ironed and starched. The elf was industrious if nothing else as Harry had to stop him from sewing an ornate potter crest into everything he owned. Merlin knew he was still supposed to be incognito.

Finally, he told Mippsy about the loop showing him the hourglass on his wrist. It had finally hit him what Dumbledore had meant. Every memory with Ernie, with Mippsy, with Hannah. And soon with Ron and Hermione again would be like nothing in 11 months' time. Harry broke down as he realized what he had done. He had everything and nothing at all. And he still did not comprehend just how true that statement was.

Mippsy only rubbed Harry's hourglass tattoo. A contemplative look on his face and guilty looking relief as well. The elf looked into his teary eyes for a long moment considering.

"Mippsy… Mippsy might have a way to follow Harry sir."

Harry was confused.

"But Heraclitus said the loop is absolute. Only I am in it. It's its own stable time loop. How can you follow me?"

The elf's gaze hardened in determination.

"Harry sir said that only Harry's magic and soul go back. House elves get magic in return for pledging their lives and service to wizards. House elf magic is the wizard's magic. I's be bound to your magic, and I can choose to be bound to your soul as well Harry."

Harry was at first ecstatic but paused. That… sounded drastic and permanent. He was already fussing in his own mind whether this counted as slavery despite the elves being paid in work and magic. To add a soul binding as well…

"Are you sure Mippsy? Will that hurt you? I don't ever want to hurt family."

The elf simply nodded and said.

"No hurting Harry. I simply pledge my soul to you by magic and yous accept. Yous only be needing to call my name when you wake up and I will come. I's get even more magic in return Harry no worries."

(The elf had left out that when Harry died Mippsy would also fall dead on the spot. When Harry found out that the elf had invoked something forbidden and sacred he yelled for quite some time.)

"Yous only be needing to say with your wand so mote it be and I accept with my heart and soul at the end."

This… This sounded like a big deal. More than the elf he had just met was letting on. Curse his inexperience and 11-year-old brain for not seeing how messed up it was. When they both finally took up Mulciber's psych wizard friend on his offer it took years to unravel the trauma they both suffered and the decisions they made.

He was given no further time to think as Mippsy just started reciting snapping Harry's wand into his hand.

"I Mippsy, elf of House Potter whose life is already given do pledge my magic and personal loyalty to Harry James Potter."

His heart dropped into his stomach as he could feel the magic saturating the air.

"So-So mote it be."

A crack rang out as Harry felt a chain connect to his heart as he felt the pulse of the elf's sympathetic magic.

"I Mippsy, elf of House Potter do hereby pledge my soul for as long as we both may live bound forever to one Harry James Potter."

The magic was suffocating and Harry's head felt light.

"I accept- I accept with my heart and soul."

The crack felt different this time as a different chain formed between something he could not directly comprehend and describe. His too wide eyes glowed as Mippsy seemed to grow a few inches now reaching his chin. The elf practically radiated power and an hourglass formed on his right wrist.

Altogether it was anticlimactic. As it seemed most rituals were he would find out. The eventful ones always exploded.

A new normal and daily routine formed for the remaining two weeks until September the first. Harry would be woken up at 7:30 on the dot and served breakfast. His hair would be brushed, and his teeth cleaned and he would read until the park opened at 9:30. He would Meet Ernie and Hannah when she was there who were both delighted to meet Harry's elf. Mippsy would pop away and come back at 11:30 bringing a Picnic for all four of them and they would have lunch and continue in the park until Hannah was brought home and Ernie left at 5:30.

Mippsy would pop Harry back and serve dinner before the Auror check in and he and Mippsy would take turns in the bath. All the toys were delightful, and he would miss the crystal tub at Hogwarts. Gryffindor only had showers. At least the boys did. Mippsy agreed. Harry would study his Hogwarts textbooks until 8:30 when he was tucked into bed and he would read a story book until 9:30 when it was lights out. He whined and cajoled but that just got Mippsy to start using the phoenix blanket to shut him up. Mippsy got used to Harry's 'Muggle Morals' as he called them, and they compromised with one another.

It was honestly nice not having to lift a finger for anything. Though he never took it for granted. Finally, it was the last night, and everything was packed. The landlord checking in and inspecting the place looking approvingly at the house elf. Not a speck of dust was out of place. That night they both swam in the tub until they were completely pruned which was mildly terrifying on an elf. They explored the caves more deeply than they ever had before. As a treat Mippsy was able to pretend the clock was an hour before to fool the order from his mom as they both settled into listen to a Narration stone for a story book. Harry found them fascinating as it was like a wizarding muggle cartoon projecting the story book that moved off the page. They both looked enraptured. Happy despite everything else was the happiest he had ever been as they slept for the last time that loop in Diagon alley.