A/N: Credits to Arithmancy Wiz for the wicked idea for this chapter.

Free an Elf

It was the end of March and Ayame Sohma had been making some visits to the kitchens to borrow elves that would help him beautify his office, but there was something bothering the young and handsome Professor Sohma. He didn't like the uniform the Hogwarts elves wore: tea towels stamped with the Hogwarts crest and tied to their bodies. It was simply distasteful in Sohma's opinion and the house elves needed a change of clothes as soon as possible. They needed a change in style and Professor Sohma was sure that he could create the perfect clothes for the elves. Every time he borrowed an elf, he observed the elf, what colour would suit the elf best, what kind of garments would look better on that elf, between other things.

Ayame decided that he had to do something and one day, while visiting the kitchens he suddenly asked, "Don't you ever change clothes?"

All the elves looked at the teacher with perplexed faces and some sent glances in Dobby and Winky's direction, the only elves that wore clothes because they were technically free.

"Professor, sir!" Dobby started. "Dobby is happy to see sir is worried about us house elves. Dobby is always delighted to have new clothes, but not all house elves agree with Dobby, Professor sir!"

"Nonsense!" replied Ayame with a big grin and gesticulating with his delicate looking hands. "This is outrageous! Everyone needs new clothes and thus, I will provide all elves with beautiful new clothes, made by yours truly of course!"

Ayame then muttered an unaudible spell and all of a sudden screams filled the whole castle in the middle of the night, but no one seemed to hear the yells of horror as most were asleep inside Hogwarts walls. All the elves were screaming as they saw the new clothes covering their frames. It was like looking at a rainbow as Professor Sohma had managed all clothes to be different. He had forgotten something very important though, which was to at least sew the Hogwarts crest into the clothing to convince the house elves of using the new clothes as if they were fancy uniforms.

Suddenly, all elves started to run to all sides, looking like colourful flashes of light and after a few minutes, many 'cracks' were heard, the air filling with the sounds of crying and howling elves Disapparating.

In less than ten minutes, Professor Sohma found himself with only two elves in the kitchen, Dobby and Winky. Both remaining house elves were staring at the teacher with horrified expressions. There was silence that was broken by Winky's hiccuping. She still hadn't completely recovered from the addiction she had developed for butter beer, but she had gotten better with time.

"What is Winky to do now? This is Dobby's fault!" Winky said reproachfully between hiccups, angry tears coming from her tennis ball shaped eyes.

"Yes, this is Dobby's fault. Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" Dobby started to bang his head against the nearest wall, and Professor Sohma stopped him.

"Why are you saying that this is your fault? What in Merlin's name happened? Where are the others?" Ayame was completely clueless.

"Professor! All the elves are free! They were provided with clothes! Now only Winky and Dobby remain, sir! This is Dobby's fault!" Dobby looked scared and a little confused.

"Isn't this my fault? I didn't think that giving them new clothes would set them free..." Ayame stated thoughtfully.

"No! Professor, sir! Never master's fault! Nothing is ever master's fault! It's Dobby's fault! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!" Dobby started to break empty bottles of butter beer on his head, but he was stopped again by the DADA teacher.

"Oh dear!" exclaimed Ayame as he removed an intact empty bottle from Dobby's hands. "What are we to do now? Who will clean the common rooms during the night? Who will make breakfast tomorrow?"

"No trouble, sir! Dobby and Winky is capable of doing everything!" Dobby didn't sound very sure, but he glanced at a terrified Winky as he spoke. Both house elves looked at each other worried.

Unexpected News

In the morning, all students noticed the delay with breakfast and Professor McGonagall kept looking at Dumbledore. "Albus, this has never happened before."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he chuckled. "I wonder what has happened, Minerva. Although, there is always a first time for everything, right?" He winked at her, but McGonagall didn't find what was happening very amusing. Things got even worse when Ayame pranced into the Great Hall wearing a neon pink apron with little yellow snake prints all over it. His long hair was in a ponytail and a neon pink cap adorned his head. He had a tray full of loaves of bread in one hand and another tray full of slices of cheese in the other. Right behind Ayame came a happy looking Dobby wearing a light neon blue apron with pictures of a smiling Ayame all over it and a combining cap. Then came Winky, looking almost satisfied, wearing a yellow apron that also had pictures of Ayame all over it and a yellow cap. Both Dobby and Winky had trays with biscuits, slices of ham, butter, bacon, and plates with scrambled eggs. Of course, not all of the trays were in their hands. Some of the trays were floating behind them and going to the different tables. Dobby also started to make plates appear in front of all the students.

"What is the meaning of this nonsense?" asked an infuriated Professor Snape, standing up in front of the faculty's table.

"It's all right, Severus," Dumbledore stated in a calming voice as he also stood up. "I will deal with this. Ayame? Would you care to explain?" Dumbledore was actually almost laughing at the amusing scene before him.

"You see, professor, I kind of caused a teensy bitsy accident last night," Ayame replied nervously, right after getting rid of his trays and having approached the staff table to speak soflty.

"What kind of accident?" McGonagall joined the standing teachers, standing right next to the headmaster.

"Well? I sort of freed all house elves, but I can assure you it wasn't on purpose."

"You did what?" asked McGonagall and Snape at the same time while the other teachers paled.

"You already heard him, Severus and Minerva," Dumbledore answered very calmly. "He freed the house elves."

McGonagall looked like she would have a stroke, placing a hand on her chest and Snape looked like he could kill Ayame on the spot. Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, non of the students heard the exchange as they ate, thinking that the new way of bringing breakfast was something that had only happened that morning.