Harry stumbled in the dark and smashed his toe on his trunk, swearing immediately.
'Lumos' he muttered.
The little light gave him enough visibility to hobble over to his dormitory door. He descended the steps to the common room alert and ready to attack anyone at any given moment, when the common room came into view, he glanced around it. It was empty. He heaved a sigh of relief and sunk into an arm chair in front of the fire. Slowly his sleepiness returned to him and his eyes began to droop.
A light crackling of the fire brought him to his senses again and he jumped as the fire suddenly whooshed and a fireball landed in before his feet,
A figure began to appear as the flames died down and a little figure shook ash of the rag he had tied around him.
'Dobby!' gasped Harry shocked to see the house elf in such bad condition. His right eye had swollen so much, he could not possibly have any vision and it was coloured purple. His arms were covered in bandages and a long gash looked as though it hadn't yet started to heal.
'What happened to you?' He asked fearing the worst.
'Master gave Dobby to his master to complete a task for him but Dobby was afraid and Dobby did not complete his task' Dobby wailed and began to hit his head against the chair where Harry had previously being sitting in.
'Stop it Dobby!' said Harry grabbing the house elf's arm and pulling him towards him.
'Who was this master Malfoy gave you too?' Harry asked.
'Dobby does not know sir, Dobby did not see his face. Dobby stood inside the kitchen and the master's master spoke to him from behind the closed door. Dobby listened and when the master's master was done telling Dobby what he wanted him to do he left with the master.'
Harry felt his excitement building and he questioned Dobby again.
'What did he want you to do Dobby?'
'Dobby cannot say sir, Dobby is not allowed' wept Dobby hi nose began to run and he wiped it on his already filthy clothing.
'If Dobby told you sir he would have to punish himself much, much worse than he has already punished himself for not completing his task. Dobby failed his task! DOBBY FAILED HIS MASTER!'
'Stop shouting Dobby!' whispered Harry loudly and tried to stop him from burning his fingers in the fire. Taking deep breaths, Dobby began to relax and the high colour in his cheeks began to fade.
'I am sorry Harry Potter sir but Dobby, although he is a bad, bad house elf, he cannot tell Harry Potter such important things. If Dobby's master found out Dobby would be punished so very much, he fears for his life' said Dobby whimpering in fear of the thought of his master.
Harry wiped the sweat that had begun to form on his forehead and patted Dobby on the back.
'It's alright Dobby, I won't make you tell me, I wouldn't want to miss you' Harry said.
'Dobby must leave now Harry Potter before he is missed in the master's home'
'Okay Dobby, goodbye and take care. If there's anything you could tell me please Dobby help us'
Then with a final nod, Dobby disapparated with a crack.
Harry sank back into the arm chair trying to make sense of what Dobby had just meant. Then slowly as though a light had been flick on in his brain, he raced back up to his dormitory and shook Ron awake.
'Get up Ron, get up!' Harry hissed trying not to wake anybody else.
Bleary eyed Ron sat up.
'Bleeding hell Harry what in Merlin's beard are you on about?' said Ron with as much indigence as he could muster in his current state.
'Dobby just came to see me, he was in a bad state all bandaged up and everything, he said that his Malfoy had taken him to his master to complete a task but he failed it and punished himself for it but he wouldn't tell me what his task was' said Harry almost jumping up and down in excitement.
'Don't you get it you dim witted newt! Voldemort wants Dobby to do his work now! That must mean they caught Pettigrew or he wouldn't need anyone else to do his dirty work!'
As the impact of Harry's words began to sink in, Ron jumped of his bed.
'We have to tell Hermione!' said Ron and bolted to the door. Harry ran after him and skidded in time to see Ron being thrown half way across the common room and skid on the floor to end up at his feet.
Harry pulled Ron to his feet with a bemused look on his face.
'You are not allowed into the girl's dormitory's, how could you forget?' said Harry chocking back his laugh.
Ron muttered a curse under his breath.