Disclaimer: I am still not J. K. Rowling, nor do I own Harry Potter.

Note: The following divergence from canon occurs in the summer of 1997, when Albus Dumbledore's portrait is outlining his plan for getting Harry out of Privet Drive to Severus Snape. This story is essentially about how the scene could have played-out differently, and is consequently a one-shot.

It was July of 1997, and Severus Snape had just broken into the office of the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to finalise plans with the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. He was starting to wish that he hadn't. Even as a portrait, Albus had a habit of devising unbelievably and unnecessarily complex plans – such as that which the portrait had just outlined for evacuating Harry Potter from Privet Drive.

"Have you finished?" Severus had to make an effort not to pinch the bridge of his nose from stress. Merlin alone knew what would happen if someone such as Minerva, say, were to happen by and catch him in here where he was not wanted.

"Err, yes, Severus." Albus said. "Did you miss something?"

"Yes." said Severus. "The part where you explained why we don't just ask Dobby to evacuate Harry Potter? That house-elf makes enough of a fuss of him, and I seem to recall him breaking into Privet Drive before now, without being hindered by any kinds of wards, to pester Mr. Potter. Back when he was working for the Malfoys, I'm sure he came and went from Malfoy Manor too, as the Malfoys required him, despite Malfoy Manor's own extensive protections against apparition, portkeys, and unwanted floo visits. I'm not even sure he hasn't come and gone from Hogwarts a time or two despite protections with which I'm certain that you will, yourself, be familiar. Your scheme involving multiple polyjuiced individuals flying through the night sky above Surrey is all very dramatic, but I fail to see, unless there is any particular need for such drama, why Dobby extracting Mr. Potter without any fuss should not serve as well – and with a good deal of less risk to Mr. Potter, which I thought was the principle objective here?"

"Ah." said the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, looking nonplussed for a moment. "I must confess that I had quite overlooked Dobby…"

Powerful wizards frequently did overlook house-elves, Severus thought to himself, trying not to grind his teeth. It was a failing that Albus Dumbledore shared in common with one particular Tom Marvolo Riddle…

"I'll take it as agreed then that I'll confund Mundungus and suggest he brings that up at the next Order meeting." Severus said. "It's much more credible and Mundungus-like a scheme for him to suggest anyway, than your crazy Gryffindor plot involving dopplegangers and broomsticks which is just asking for someone playing decoy to be killed. Now, unless you've any other ideas I have to poke a hole in, I need to get going, before someone catches me here…"

The upshot of this conversation was that Dobby the house-elf extracted Harry Potter on the appointed day from Privet Drive, leaving some very confused Death Eaters wondering as to how The-Boy-Who-Lived had been evacuated once the wards collapsed. Alastor Moody went on to run what, once the Ministry fell, proved a highly effective resistance movement from Grimmauld Place, unaware that in a different universe he had lost his life in the night skies over Surrey, and Mundungus Fletcher, under Moody's eye, never had the chance to complicate things by stealing a particular locket from what remained Order Headquarters.

With Moody supporting Harry and his two friends, it was all over by Christmas, with a minimum casualty list.

Author Notes:

Given that Severus Snape was last seen fleeing from Hogwarts at the end of Harry's sixth year, with accusations of his having murdered Albus Dumbledore flying thick and fast, I've taken the liberty of assuming that it was necessary for him to break into the school to have the conversation canon indicates which he has with Dumbledore's portrait about how Harry is to be moved out of Privet Drive. As far as I understand canon, it isn't until after Harry has been evacuated and Scrimgeour has been assassinated that Severus is 'cleared' and appointed headmaster and presumably becomes free to come and go from the headmaster's office as he pleases.

As far as I can understand, in canon, Dobby has no problem coming or going from Privet Drive despite Albus Dumbledore's wards, as indicated by the events of Chamber of Secrets, and he is equally unaffected in coming and going from Malfoy Manor (which I assume to be strongly warded), as indicated by events in Deathly Hallows. Whilst I'm unsure if he can come and go from Hogwarts (which Severus speculates on in this story) another house-elf, Kreacher, is apparently able to at least go from what I would assume to be a heavily protected location where Voldemort has been storing a horcrux, as is indicated also in Deathly Hallows. It thus seems reasonable to me to assume that Dobby could get Harry Potter out of Privet Drive with minimum fuss.

And with someone experienced and knowledgeable like Alastor Moody still around to direct things, and provide guidance to Harry (and others) as needed, it seems to me that things would inevitably go somewhat smoother, generally, than in canon.