The Adventures Of Harry And Dobby Chapter One
June 4th, 1979, the day that the four friends known as the Marauders, left Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and looked for something to do with their new freedom. James Potter already knew of something he was going to do, and that was to marry the most perfect woman he ever met, including his own mother. Lily Evans was his first and only girl he ever took a fancy to. At first it was her magnificent looks. From the first moment he saw her, he knew he had to get to know her, however, a main obstacle stood in his way by the name of Severus Snape. He was with her the first time he saw Lily and they seemed quite close.
The next thing he loved about her was her compassion for everyone. When she found out his friend, Remus Lupin, was a werewolf, rather than shy away, she made their friendship stronger by becoming closer to him and helping him after a rough night. Remus loved his friends, but with Lily it was more and if it wasn't James that was after her, he would have had a go at trying to win her heart. Severus shot himself in the foot by insulting her during their fifth year, so then, if anything James did to her resulted in the same way, Remus would do what ever he could to try and win her affection. However, James wasn't that stupid.
Now that school was over and Remus had been rejected for a position in the Ministry because of his background, so James and Sirius got together and bought a bookshop for him to run. Remus was a brilliant business man and had the store running at a profit a month later and he was able to expand his business two fold. They were all happy to see him being successful.
Sirius and James were accepted into the Auror corps and worked it for a year. James and Lily were married in late November and by Valentines day, found out Lily was with child. Sirius acted prouder than James did as he ran through the Ministry handing out exploding cigars.
Then Peter began to miss family get together events and even the birth of Harry, James and Lily's son. They began to see less and less of him, and Remus and Lily began to suspect something was wrong. James went to the Ministry and checked on purchasing a house elf to help protect Lily when he was at work, because she was worried about being left alone. He was there when the office opened and he asked to see the elves that were available. He was taken back to their quarters and asked them to all stand up and state their names.
While this was going on, another one entered the quarters and demanded the elves to present themselves to him. Lucius Malfoy was not a patient man.
"I'm sorry Malfoy, but I was here first, so if you don't mind I will continue my search."
"Get out of the way Potter, I'm in a hurry." and he pushed James out of the way, going to the first elf he came to. "You, what's your name?"
"Dobby sir."
The elf was shaking like a leaf in the wind and became nervous around the brute of a wizard before him. Then came the words he feared, "I'll take him. How much?"
"I'm sorry Malfoy, but Dobby is the one I was going to hire. Come here Dobby and lets get you cleaned up." and Dobby walked up to his new master lowering his head as he approached.
"Hold your head up Dobby, you don't have to bow to me or anyone else as long as you're with me." and Dobby raised his head and saw Malfoy cursing his Master. If anyone had looked closer they would have sworn Dobby was wearing a smile. Dobby pitied any elf that went with Malfoy, but was quite happy it wasn't him.
As they left the Ministry, Dobby turned to James and said, "Thank you Master." He was shocked when James turned to him and said softly,
"Listen Dobby, I am no master. In fact, all I am is an employer. You work for my family and you will receive a fair pay and days off. You will have a vacation of one week with pay each year and any other time off you need if it is justifiable. Now, do you except this offer, because if you don't, you will be back there and maybe with Malfoy."
"Dobby doesn't take pay sir."
"You will with me, or you don't work for me. You will accept all or nothing."
Dobby thought about what he just left and decided he liked what was offered him more. "Dobby will work for you sir. Does sir have a misses?"
"Yes, and also a child. I also have friends who visit quite frequently. Does this bother you?"
"No sir, I just wanted to know what would be expected of me is all."
"Well then Dobby, I better be truthful with you. We're hoping it isn't going to happen, but we feel there may be trouble brewing and I want someone there for my wife and son. I know elf magic is very powerful, so I got you. If you still feel OK with this, good. If not, then I can see where it would upset you and I will release you to return to the Ministry."
"Does Dobby have to answer right away sir?"
"No Dobby, you don't. If for any reason you feel unsafe, you may leave."
"Good sir, because Dobby wishes to get to know the family before he says anything."
"Excellent Dobby, now lets go meet the family, shall we?"
Dobby was expecting a little more of a house when they arrived at the Potter residence. It was a nice home, but quite small. Lily and Harry were wonderful, so that was in their favor, but the winner was the room he was given. It wasn't a cupboard like he expected, but a full bedroom, with a bed. Linen and a closet for clothes and a dresser with drawers for other needs. He fell in love with his room.
When he sat down to hear the list of duties for him, he was taken back as his primary duty was to keep the house clean and help take care of young Harry. Other wise it was what he was needed to help with.
Then when he was told his pay would be twenty galleons a week, he didn't know what to think as he didn't understand the significance of money. He asked James what he should do with it, and James set up a vault for him in Gringotts where he could save it. He didn't understand vacation, so he was told what it was. He questioned this because he didn't know what he could do with a week off. And then get paid money for doing nothing was a concept he had a hard time grasping. Do humans actually do this?
Dobby promised James he would have an answer to him in a week's trial. He wanted to see how truthful and gentle they were. He didn't see any of this in Malfoy, but at least he didn't try to hide it. Can a human family really be nice to a house elf?
Dobby was up the next morning ready to cook breakfast but saw the Miss already at work. He tried to step in and help, but she told him to get the others up and then come back and take a seat. He did as he was asked and came back to sit at a small table in the corner that was used to prepare vegetables for a meal. He used magic to create a chair for him to sit in.
When Lily saw this, she laughed and said, "Dobby, I meant sit at our table, not in a corner by yourself. Now, come sit here by me and Harry and you can help feed him while I eat, then you can eat while I finish feeding him and burping him. Then I will let you change his nappy. I can't get James to change them. Remus will do it for me sometimes, and Sirius is just like James. If he even thinks Harry needs a change, he is gone from the house and won't return for an hour."
"Missy, can Dobby ask you a question?"
"Of course Dobby, please do."
"Why is everyone being so nice to Dobby? House elves are just servants for humans."
"Not in this house they aren't. I told this to James before he went out and acquired your services. His pure blood upbringing may have had him thinking that way, but I told him I didn't want a house elf, I wanted a friend to help me when I needed it. Harry can be a handful at times and I could use a break to rest. Housecleaning is a chore for me, because of all the kids living here. Yes Dobby, James, Sirius and Harry are my kids. Remus always cleans up after himself. But his work keeps him away for long hours. So, in answer to your question, you are here to keep me company and if anything were to happen, do your best to help me protect Harry."
"Master James did tell me there was some protecting that may be needed."
"OK, that will be the last time you use the word Master in this house when referring to anyone. No master, no mistress no, as you command. We ask here, not command or demand. We are Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus. Of course there is also Harry. You are Dobby. We use our names here with no titles. Do you understand this?"
"Yes Missy Lily. It is OK to call you Missy, isn't it?
"As long as you use it as a term of endearment and not as a title. If it is as a title, then no, I don't like to be called Missy."
Dobby smiled for the first time in front of Lily, "Yes Missy Lily, Dobby understands." and Lily smiled back and patted him on the back. Dobby thought he was going to like it here, if they all treated him the way Missy Lily did.
Then Dobby was hit with his first nappy change and it was a corker. Harry had it smeared all over his bottom and legs. And stink. Dobby wondered what it was he ate to get this smell. Lily was watching and was trying so hard to hold back her laughter, but when Dobby stuck his finger in the mess and looked at it with a look of horror, she lost it.
Dobby finally got Harry cleaned up and dressed and he took him to clean up the house. House cleaning was a simple task for him and it took only a few minutes per room. Harry cooed in his ear as he worked and Dobby found this relaxing as he worked. Harry loved to play with Dobby's ear while he was cleaning. It never hurt, even when he put it in his mouth and bit down.
Dobby learned by accident that Harry loved to be held in the air by magic. Dobby learned this when he needed to move some furniture that could not be moved by magic. He did ask about this and Lily told him it belonged to James from his mother, who had things in it that were not meant to be mixed with magic, so she placed a spell around this furniture that kept magic off them. The items were still stored in these items.
Dobby would put the leviosar spell on Harry and leave him hanging in the air while he worked. Harry would kick his legs which caused him to move around in the air, making it look like he was flying. Lily saw this one day and once again she was laughing at what the two did together.
By the end of the week, James came to Dobby and asked, "Well Dobby, what do you think? Are you going to stay with us, or are you going back to the Ministry?"
Dobby put his hand to his chin and thought about his answer, knowing he was going to accept his position, but Missy Lily told him about pranking James and Sirius. "Well James, I have to tell you that Harry has made it hard for me. His Nappies are very stinky and he wears most of it, making it hard to clean him up. He is a hand full when it comes to cleaning and it always leaves me up in the air as to how to care for him and clean. Missy Lily has made some very strict rules about what she expects of me. So, you tell me what I should do?"
James looked disappointed with Dobby's answer, "If you're not happy here, Dobby, then you should return to the Ministry."
"Is James ordering me back?"
"No Dobby, just giving you a choice. We don't want you if you are not happy here."
"You don't want Dobby here?"
Lily was standing outside the door, and she couldn't believe what Dobby was doing to James. Dobby had been here a week and he had her laughing for a good two hours a day. Not even the Marauders did that to her. Now he was giving James a hard time about what to do. Dobby already told her he was staying, but Lily asked him to give James a hard time and he was doing better than she would ever have imagined.
"That isn't what I said Dobby."
"Yes James, you did. You said we don't want you here."
"If you're not happy here. I said that too."
"Dobby never said he was not happy here, so you are putting words in Dobby's mouth."
James was getting flustered and he finally just asked, "Dobby, are you staying or not?"
"Can Dobby have more time to think about it?"
James was coming unglued. "How much more time do you need Dobby?"
"How about seventy years?"
"OK fine, we will talk then." and James got up and walked out. He saw Lily standing there and she was laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her face. Then James remembered how long Dobby asked for and he slapped the wall in amusement. He had been pranked big time and loved it. "You knew about this didn't you?"
Lily was still laughing when she answered, "Of course. It was my idea, but I hand no idea Dobby was going to be this good. You should have seen your face. Merlin, it was priceless. Alice will never believe it. Selena has to know as well. Say, I wonder how she is doing after having her baby. We need to go see her this weekend. We'll bring Dobby with us."
"Great, spread it all around and make me look like an idiot."
"Of course darling, if that is what you want."
Sirius was walking through and heard the two talking and heard James call himself an idiot. It got his interest and walked in to ask what was going on. Before either could say anything, Dobby spoke up, "It is nothing that concerns you Sirius. Now run along and go play with a bone or your rubber chewy thing."
"Um, when did the elf get a sense of humor? And what does he know of my rubber ducky?"
Now even James was laughing as Dobby was continuing to entertain them.
Dobby stayed with them and him and Harry had become very close. Harry was speaking a few words and Ma, Da, PaFoo, uufee and ubby were his most said. Ma and Da were his favorite words. During the day it was Ubby. Playtime it was Pafoo. At bedtime it was Uufee because Remus loved to read to him.
On Harry's birthday, he got so many gifts he didn't know where to start in opening them. Harry sat in the middle of his castle of gifts and pulled the wrong one to open and the castle started to fall on him. Dobby reacted the fastest and Harry was pulled from the avalanche before he was hit. "Ubby nice. Tan U."
"Harry is welcome and is also nice. Now, how about I hand them to you to open?"
"Tay." and Harry opened the one he pulled. The rest of the opening was a safe one and Harry was pleased with what he got, where Lily was ready to string Sirius up by his gonads. A broom for a one year old was too much.
It was just after this that Dumbledore approached the Potters and Longbottoms about the Prophecy concerning Voldemorts most interesting challenge coming from a child. Dumbledore did suggest putting up a stronger field around their house and offered his services. A Fidelius charm was his suggestion and wished to be it's keeper. Lily had a different idea of who it should be, so she thanked the Professor and let him down as easy as she could. James and Sirius looked to her with doubt.
After Dumbledore left, Lily called for Dobby and asked him to see if Remus was free to visit them this evening. Dobby started laughing which made Lily curious, "What's so funny Dobbie?"
"Missy Lily, Remus is here just about every night for your home cooking, so why should tonight be any different?"
Lily smiled at the elf, but did answer him, "Because I'm making Sheppard's Pie this evening and it always leaves him so full that he can't move the next morning. Gluttony is one of his weaknesses. Now go do as I ask and be quick about it, before he makes other plans." and he left, still laughing. He returned twenty minutes later. He didn't say anything and started for the kitchen.
"Dobby, what did Remus say?"
He turned wearing a big smile, "Do you really have to ask? OK, he said (Lily is making Sheppard's Pie this evening, so where else would I be.) just like I said he would. Missy Lily is kidding her self thinking she knows everything about the Marauders." and he ran into the kitchen to avoid Lily's retort.
James and Sirius were laughing at the look on Lily's face. It was a mixture of what the hell and who the fuck. There was also a touch of humor mixed in. Dobby was becoming a big part of the family and he got away with much more than James and Sirius did. He was right there with Remus and Harry.
As he said, Remus was there at five on the dot and took a seat next to Sirius on the sofa. Lily and Dobby were in the kitchen with Harry by Dobby as he helped Lily with dinner. Harry was bouncing in the air with no visible means of support. Dobby was becoming a genius at keeping Harry happy and contented.
When it was done, Dobby walked in and called the three to the table. They made idle talk while they ate, and Remus was getting curious about why Lily wished him to be here this evening, even though he wasn't going to miss her Sheppard's Pie.
Dobby did the clean up after the meal and joined them when he was finished. Lily got them all something to drink and then took a seat next to James. "OK, I know you all are wondering why I did what I did today."
Remus stopped her before she went any further, "I don't know what you did today, Lils. Fill me on in this."
After telling him about Dumbledore and the Prophecy she went on, "Do any of you have any idea what Peter is doing?" she received four blank stares, getting one from Dobby and the rest. James didn't let it go though.
"Lily, what Does Peter have to do with anything? We haven't seen him in ages?"
"Not quiet James. Dobby, when did we see Peter last?"
"Three days ago, Missy Lily. He was asking many questions about how things were going with us all. Some sounded very personal."
Remus sat up at this and said, "What is he trying to do, after missing us for so long?"
Lily looked at him and answered him, "Need you ask? He hasn't seen us in ages, then he pops in after so long and wants to know how we are doing and what our plans were. Then Dumbledore comes in and says there is a Prophecy about Harry and Neville and Lord Voldemort. So, what do you all think?"
Dobby answered first, "Sounds like snakeface has a new follower and he is looking for something. I don't like the sound of this."
Sirius squealed when he heard this, "What did you do Dobby, read my mind. That was exactly what I was thinking to include the nickname."
Dobby fell to the floor as if fainting, "OH NO! I am becoming Sirius Black's mind. What can I do to get out of it? No wait a minute, That can't be true, because my mind is greater than his, so why would I want to drop to his level."
After finishing her laughter, Lily once again started talking, "Well, to get on with it, I think Dobby is right, and Peter is working for Voldemort. Now, what can we do to take advantage of this?"
James just said, "Take advantage of it? We should get away from it. Move someplace else so he can't find us."
Dobby jumped up and said, "That's brilliant!" and he started to dance around.
"Dobby, I don't know what you are talking about. That does not solve the problem. If he wants to find us, He will and there is nothing we can do about it."
"I know that Missy Lily, but what if we use Peter to set a trap for Voldemort and use this house as the target. Dumbledore said something about performing the Fidelius Charm on her. Why not, and use Peter as the Keeper. We do this after we have moved into your new house."
Sirius looked confused, "Why would we let Peter be our Keeper if we hardly ever see him?"
"It is because of that is why we do it. If we hardly ever see him then there's more of a chance of him thinking he is the perfect one to do it with. No one would think of him as being a secret keeper." Dobby added.
"But he will turn over the secret to Voldy? Someone may be killed because of it."
"That's right, and if we play this right, it will be Voldy who is the one killed. That's why they call it a trap."
"But what about the house, it could be destroyed?"
"Would you rather see Harry, James and Lily killed?" Remus asked.
"Of course not, but they will need a new place to live and Black Manor is not an option. The only things that deserves to live there are the rats. And Kreacher."
"What about Potter Manor? Mother and Father left it for me and it is vacant. I have to tell you that it is kind of big." James brought up.
Dobby asked James to take him there so he could do it himself next time. He did and seconds later they were back with Dobby saying, "Now, that's a house. You could fit this entire home in the sitting room. And that was all I saw of it."
Lily looked at James and he saw it. He replied, "Lily, it is as Dobby said, It is huge and spacious and clean and way too much for you to take care of."
"I'll be there too, won't I?" Dobby asked.
"Sorry, of course you will. I guess you could help with the cleaning."
"Is that why you never mentioned it to me before?" Lily complained.
James lowered his head with his answer, "It brings back bad memories of mum and dad."
Lily realized what he was saying and ran to him for a hug and a kiss. "I'm sorry James, I wasn't thinking."
"No Lils, I wasn't thinking. You deserve the best and it is by far the best. Dad loved his luxury and mum loved the gardens."
"There's more than one garden?" Lily chirped.
"Oh yeah. There's the rose garden, the variety flowered garden, the vegetable garden and the herbs garden with both muggle and magical herbs."
Lily didn't want to start it again, so she held back until later. James knew she loved gardening.
A couple of days later, Peter showed back up on their doorstep and Dobby showed him in to the sitting room where the others were sitting and drinking a cuppa. James and Sirius got up to greet him while Lily stayed seated and Remus was holding Harry.
The talk for over an hour was trivial and they all could see where Peter was getting bored and ready to leave, when Remus asked him for a favor. Now Peter took interest. "Of course, Remus, what ever I can do for you."
When he was asked to be the secret keeper for the Fidelius charm, he almost passed out. It was what his master had been looking for. He accepted this role and then excused himself so he could go home and get some sleep.
The five sitting there all nodded at the show that was put on by both parties, knowing only they knew the true value of the display.
A/N: Just here to explain Dobby's speech. Since he was living with the Potters and not the Malfoys, Dobby didn't have to become the docile creature he was in the books. He is told to be polite, but speak his mind. Be respectful, but also stand up for his beliefs. He had more courage and caring since he worked for a family and was not owned by the family. He had more to learn withe the Potters, which made him smarter as he had to read in order to learn what he did.
I hope everyone enjoys this one and I look forward to hearing from you all. As always, Ollie the Keeper.