Prepare for a tear jerker of a chapter. Please don't kill me.

Draco pursed his lips as he studied the cuffs in his hands. "These little things are what is keeping the elves from escaping?"

The man nodded, glancing at his office door. A fat sack of galleons sat on his desk. When Draco Malfoy handed you a sack of money that held more in it than you made in an entire year, you listened to him. He grew nervous as he saw the man studying the cuffs.

"How do they work?"

"Well, there are runes on here, a spell activates them ahead of time, and only the caster can take the cuffs off."

"Looks like they're made of copper."

"Of course- we wouldn't waste valuable gold on elves." The man sneered.

"I suppose the magic strengthens the metal, so it's not so malleable. Tell me the names of the men that captured my employees."

"Uh..."

"Tell me, and I will double the amount."

The man glanced towards his office door. "Why do you want to know? You're not going to free them, are you?"

"Of course not! I just want to use these cuffs for the elfs that we employ in the future, that's all." Draco said smoothly, a smirk on his face. "So?"

Draco looked about the sitting room, casually looking around the place. It was full of Ministry employees and other society folk. He'd managed to buy an invitation from someone, and was surrupticiously looking around for the house elves. They were all probably in the kitchens- aha!

He saw an elf pop quietly with a tray of drinks in her hands. Several drunken partiers took their drinks from her tray, and Draco approached casually. She wasn't wearing cuffs. She wasn't one of theirs, then, but perhaps she would know...

He grabbed a glass of red wine, and murmured.

"Are Tippy and Tibby here?" He asked, and took a sip of his wine. The elf glanced about nervously, and gave him the smallest of nods.

"Good. And the others?"

She gave him another small nod, and popped away.

Draco was sitting at the long banquet table, watching Madam Umbrige carefully over the top of his tea. The woman was spouting propaganda nonsense to the Head of the Goblin Liason department. He set his tea down, frowning slightly as he'd noticed his napkin had fallen from his lap.

He bent down to pick it up, and his eyes widened as he saw a large group of elves under the table. Tippy beamed as she saw him, and raised a finger to her mouth. Draco kept his face cleared, and sat back up, folding his napkin in his lap.

"Would you like some more steak, Madam Umbrige?" The host asked charmingly.

"Oh yes, thank you!"

"Elf!" The man called, and the elf from earlier appeared, looking rather antsy for some reason. "Yes Master?"

"Please bring some steak for Madam Umbridge here."

The elf gave a slight curtsey, and popped away.

A moment later, another elf appeared, with a platter with a juicy steak on it. Draco leant back in his chair in recognition. Tibby.

Tibby bowed slightly as he presented the steak to Madam Umbrige. The woman looked ridiculously pleased.

"See, you just got to put them in their place, is all." She said with a smirk, and picked up her fork. The others laughed, toasting to this. Draco saw the woman frown slightly as her hand groped for her steak knife.

"Elf! Get me a steak knife!" She ordered.

Tibby nodded quickly, and gave another slight bow. Draco breathed in sharply as he noticed the elf already held a knife in his hand, half hidden in his side. In the blink of an eye, the knife was at her throat, slitting into her blubbery skin with ease, blood spilling onto her ugly dress and onto the table before her.

There were screams and cries as witches and wizards fled. Tibby just kept stabbing, Umbrige choking on her blood, clutching at her chest. Draco stood from his place finally, in shock. The screams barely disguised the noise of elves popping away from the manor, the magics on their cuffs weakening, as Umbrige herself had spelled many of them. The cuffs were left on the floor, broken and in pieces, forgotten in the calamity.

Tibby was pulled away by two men, finally dropping the knife to the floor, grinning madly. "She's dead! The old frog lady is dead!"

The next day, the news was centered on the fact that a House Elf committed murder for the first time in memory. Elves began disappearing from their homes in droves, their Masters and Mistresses were fearful of them for the first time.

The Forbidden Forest is where they gathered, over 8,000 of them. They were all cramped in their tiny houses, scared about what was going to happen to them all.

Tibby was going to be put on trial. To be made an example of, so the Ministry said. He'd even been put into a holding cell, at the Ministry, watched by Aurors carefully.

Harry and the others demanded to see him, to represent his case, but they weren't allowed. The elf was to be given representation from the Ministry, which would undoubtedly be his death. They weren't even allowed in the Court room.

Harry stood outside the courtroom, thinking about the trial taking place inside. Draco was pacing back and forth, while Luna serenely stared at the cieling. Neville was leaning against the wall next to him, scowling at the floor. Reporters and others were gathering in the hallway as well, taking quotes and waiting to hear the were a couple of elves hidden in the crowd as well, under invisibility spells. Missy was wringing her hands together, sticking closely to Tippy's side. Tippy was watching the doors carefully.

It was taking an awfully long time.

Harry's mind raced- what could he do to help? He glanced at the doors. The Prime Minister was aware of the situation, but he was dealing with a rather pressing problem as well- trying to organize a meeting of the muggle United Nations with the ICW. Adam Smith was helping him, along with a few others, ut he was focused on that at the moment. Harry knew that the man was thinking of the trial, but the Prime Minister had no control over the Ministry of Magic's laws.

The doors finally opened, and the reporters swarmed forth, taking pictures. Harry and the others pushed their way through the crowds, and Harry saw Tibby being carried in his cage, grimacing at all the bright lights in his eyes.

Harry felt claustrophobic at all the questions and talking, and flashing cameras- all he could see was the defeated look on the elf's face. Luna grabbed his hand as they followed the crowd through the Ministry.

Harry began to murmur something, trying to even out his breathing.

"Mother help me" He whispered, closing his eyes.

He started again, and sang it louder, his voice masked by the reporters and the crowd.

"Mother Heal Me

Please Release Me

From All things worldly

That do not serve me"

His voice grew stronger, and people began to look about, wondering where the voice was coming from. Tibby's ears perked up at this, and his hand clutched at the bars, eyes searching the crowd.

The Minister finally began to get settled in, and started to speak.

"We have decided that if the Elf wants to be like everyone else, he should be punished like everyone else as well. He will be served the Kiss at sunset-"

The crowd broke into gasps and murmurs, and Harry could feel Tippy shuddering against his legs. Luna picked the elf up, while Neville picked up Missy, so that they could see Tibby up in front. The elve's eyes were still searching the crowd.

"If another Elf attacks a witch or wizard, we will consider it an act of War, and kill all Elves on sight!" The man continued, and Harry shook his head, fear building in his gut. This was soo...bad.

"This isn't right!" Somebody yelled.

The Minister frowned. "If the elves wanted to be treated like humans, they will be- but they must follow our laws as well!"

Harry's voice began to break as he sang the next stanza. He knew Tibby knew the song- he'd taught this song to the elves a long time ago

"Within these stones

I feel the power

I am reborn

As I break

these chains that bind"

Tibby could now be seen mouthing the words, hope visible in his eyes, looking frantically around. Harry could hear Tippy whispering the next stanza next to him.

"and now I'm floating

light as a feather

as I break

these chains that bind"

Luna hugged the elf tightly in her arms, and the three of them sang the next stanza, and people looked around in confusion, and some of them finally found out who were singing. Hell, some of them even joined in.

"I'm gonna break

these chains that bind

I'm gonna break

these chains that bind

I'm gonna break

these chains that bind

Yes, I will break these chains that bind"

Tibby was singing openly now, his off-key voice the loudest of them all.

"Silence!" The Minister cried. "NO SINGING!" A reporter's camera went off.

"Oh blessed Mother

you empower me

yes, You have shown me

Just how to set myself free

and now I'm soaring

up in the clear blue sky

As I break these chains that bind"

Harry sang openly now, challenging the Minister, as if to say 'Do you really want to look like a fool? Look around you!' Their supporters were singing loudly, and those who had been in favor of keeping the elves as slaves were looking about, as if they didn't know what to do.

The Minister looked at Tibby's whose eyes were closed with happiness, his uninjured hand was clutching at the bars as he swung from side to side. His anger grew at the sight of the disgusting elf. Far too many times had he been undermined, tossed aside for favor of Harry Potter- complete disrespect!

Tibby rocked back and forth, feeling a change come over him, feeling more free than he ever had before. He felt lighter, he felt something...magical spark within him, something powerful. He smiled widely as he sang the last stanza-

"Yes I have broken

these chains that bind

Yes I have broken

these chains that bind

Yes, I did break

these chains that bind-

His words cut off suddenly, as a slicing hex cut his torso cleanly in half. Someone screamed. The light that had begun to build within him suddenly died, and the energy knocked a few people back, his cage toppling onto the floor, broken. The Minister of Magic held his wand in his hands, looking rather pale, and shocked at himself. The Minister of Magic was grabbed by the angry mob.

In the mess of people, Harry, Luna, and the others pushed their way through the crowds, trying to make their way to Tibby. The elf was dead, his cage blasted open with the energy that had been released at his death. Tippy sobbed as she went to his side, and Missy buried her face in her hands, shaking her head. The elves gathered Tibby's remains, and popped away, leaving the humans to turn to the crowd, and try to restore order.

Thousands of elves gathered on the bank of the Black Lake. Hagrid and Snape were there, as well as Harry, Neville, Draco, and Luna. A line of centaurs stood as well, and a few representatives of the Goblins were in attendance Many more witches and wizards, and muggles were gathered at the gates, watching solemnly. Some of them held signs, some had tears on their faces.

The Minister of Magic was force fed to the dementors by an angry mob, as were many of Umbridge's closest advisors. The only thing that kept the Ministry from collapsing completely was Albus Dumbledore, and a few other good men and women, including Harry and his friends.

Tibby was in a weaved basket, and flowers and leaves were piled on top of his body. It was Elf custom, and it was the first time that anyone besides the Elves themselves witnessed one of their burials. Tippy and Missy slowly pushed the basket out onto the water of the Black Lake, unable to cry any longer.

The gathered group watched in silence as the basket started to dip below the water. Harry blinked in surprise as fairies began to fly out of the flowers that had been piled on top- and by the way the elves were reacting, they hadn't expected this either. One single fairy, Mab, approached them, carrying a wreath of tiny flowers in her hands, coming to stop in front of Tippy.

"Tippy, you and your people have fought courageously for your freedom, and have won. Not without a price. Your have sacrificed your greatest warrior, Tibby, who will forever more be known as Maethor. A noble name for such a noble heart."

Tippy broke into tears at this, and some of the other elves began to cry as well.

Mab cupped the elf's cheek with her tiny hand, so that they could look at each other. "Tippy, it is now your job to keep your kind safe and happy. You will still look after the others, you will watch over them and care for them. You are not merely a Sister- you are more than that, now."

Tippy blinked her tears away as Queen Mab set the wreath of tiny budded flowers onto her head. As Mab leant forward, and kissed Tippy's forehead, the flowers burst into bloom, and became heavy on her head. Their leaves grew thick and sturdy, their stalks meshed and wound with one another, and the flowers and stalks alike hardened, as though they were petrified wood, all of it slowly coloring with a dark reddish/golden luster.

"I dub thee Naneth. Mother." She added with a softer tone. And then she bowed, the magic between them flowing seemed to vibrate in the cold air- the fairies had come out of their hibernation early for the burial. And for this. The elves were finally returning to what they once were. And this was the start of it.

Tippy, now Naneth, looked overwhelmed, staring at Mab tremulously. Missy bowed her head, curtsying slightly. The other elves began to follow. Harry and the others exchanged a look, and bowed as well.

Uh...yeah. Ding Dong, Umbrige is dead? Please don't kill me 'cos Tibby died. I was sad too, when I wrote this.

The song is by Kellianna (who has written some of the other songs that I've put into this story.) The song is called "Stonehenge", on her Lady Moon album. It's a powerful song, and you can't help but get lost in it. Play it while you're reading, and I can guarantee you will start crying. I did.

Maethor is Elvish for Warrior, and Naneth is Elvish for Mother. Not all the elves will get new names, just them. Uh...as far as I know.

A NOTE:

By the way, DarkAngel048 asked me to mention that the thesilversnitch website could use way more new hp challenges no one has posted hardly any challenges for 2011!

While I post exclusively for ffnet, and I have never been a part of a challenge, I could see why this would be important. A challenge would help a writer push their boundaries, whether it be the theme, character pairing, or whatever. Since I like to challenge myself in my own writing, I could see how this could be good.

So, a Challenge, for all of you:

I want a 20,000 Minimum word story. I would make it longer, but that's just me.

The pairing is between Harry and someone who he usually not paired with. So no Snape or Malfoy. NO GINNY FRICKIN' WEASLEY either. Girl or boy, it doesn't matter. Remember, girls can be Tops too. XD

I usually like the Post OOTP stories the best, so let's go with that time frame, 'kay?

I think it shall be a... brooding!Harry with a dash of manipulation, anger, and...sex.

There will be D/s, but it's up to you whether Harry is a bottom (squee!), or a Top (drool)

Also, the story will contain ten words:

Bitch slap, rope, tackle, laughter, jam (either the food or the action), rain, depressing, skipping, hiking (either traveling through a forest, or hiking up a skirt), and... apple.

Obviously, you can make this as graphic as you like. As long as there's plot and good spelling, you can make it smutty. No plot= sad Hecateslover

PLEASE use spell check. No spell check= extra sad Hecateslover

I encourage all of you to try this out. Make us laugh, make us cry, and most of all, make it fun.

I want it completed by Halloween. That gives all of you almost two months. Should that be enough time?

For those of you participating, send me the links to your stories through a PM. I'll post them on my profile.

Thanks, Hecateslover