The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

The House Elf Placement Agency

Lyall and Remus followed uncertainly.

"Tizzy!" she called when they'd stepped into the room.

There was a crack and the tiniest elf that Remus had ever seen appeared. If she was even a foot tall he would have been quite surprised to hear it. She wore a little toga 'round herself and her ears were nearly as big as she was tall. "Tizzy," said the receptionist, "I believe I have found you a house to serve."

Tizzy's long ears twitched with excitement and she looked up at Remus and Lyall with an expression close to euphoria, her little fingers clutching her lower jaw. She quickly swept her ears about herself, dropping into a low and wobbly bow. "Tizzy is at your service," she squeaked in an itty bitty voice that was something like the tinkling of a bell. "Tizzy is pleased to is be having masters to serve at last! Tizzy is been dreaming of the day for such a lot of days!" She raised herself up and clutched her fingers together, "And masters is looking so nice!!! You is goodwizards, Tizzy can tell! Tizzy can tell!" She nodded happily.

The receptionist smiled at Remus and Lyall. "Tizzy, this is Remus and Lyall Lupin."

Remus looked up at Lyall, whose eyes had softened from the stubborn look he'd worn all the way to the Elf Placement Agency office. Remus smirked as Lyall knelt down and held out a hand to Tizzy. "Hullo," he said to her, seeming rather transfixed by the itty bitty elf.

Tizzy looked positively delighted, "Master is shaking Tizzy's hand!!" she squealed with excitement and quickly rushed up and grabbed onto Lyall's index finger with both her hands and shook ecstatically. "Tizzy is to be taking good care of you! Tizzy is very, very good at making biscuits. Does Master Lyall like biscuits with his tea??"

"Very much," Lyall said, nodding.

"Oh then Tizzy will make Master so many biscuits in so many flavors!" she squealed with excitement. "Tizzy can make stew and roast and warm bread and Tizzy is good at cleaning and soaking and scrubbing and Tizzy is so very, very good at sewing and --"

As Tizzy listed all her myriad of skills as an elf, Lyall's eyes widened and a smile grew on his face, as he nodded and listened very intently to the elf's unending prattling. The receptionist looked at Remus, "What do you think?" she asked.

"I don't think he's just looking anymore," Remus replied, and he handed her the little pouch of galleons they'd just withdrawn from Gringott's.

James sighed as Sirius continued to go on about Kreacher having gone through his things. "I made him put the letters back," he said, "And I know the one on top was one from Lilly, so I don't think Kreacher saw anything worth reporting back before I caught him. I commanded him not to touch them again so he can't very well go looking through them again, so I think we're okay but still, just in case, ought'nt we tell your parents?"

James shook his head, "For the hundredth time, Sirius, no! Everything is fine! Mum said that nobody can get on the property unless the Secret Keeper tells them where it is. So even if you went and you told them yourself where it is, it doesn't matter 'cos you aren't the secret keeper. Bloody hell, I thought you knew how this Fidelus thing worked?"

"I do, I just - what if they find some way? What if - I dunno - what if they come and they stand outside and they wait until the Secret Keeper does come? Who is the Keeper anyway?"

James shrugged, "I dunno! Whoever wrote the note that mum has is, but I dunno who it ruddy is. Only my dad knows and he's forbidden to tell anyone - even mom! Even Dumbledore doesn't know!" James paused, "Honestly, though, between you and I, I'm pretty sure it's Kingsley Shacklebolt."