Cara carefully took the bowls of food up the stairs. She knocked gently with her elbow, careful not to spill the lukewarm soup contained in the two small bowls she had clasped tightly in her hands. She could hear her uncle downstairs, opening the door to let their guests enter; the masons, as Uncle Vernon had boasted all summer.
Harry's door opened and Cara smiled softly at her brother. The two exchanged silent, knowing looks, and Harry let Cara into his room. The two were meant to remain upstairs all night, silent, while the Dursley's enjoyed their dinner party.
"Cold soup. Great. At least we get dinner tonight." Harry mumbled, taking his bowl. Cara slipped further into the room, moving towards her brother's desk. As she went to set her bowl down, there was a small popping sound from behind her. Cara spun around at the same time her brother did, both staring at Harry's bed. Cara gasped at what she saw, dropping the bowl she still held in her hand to the floor. It hit the ground and cracked, spilling cold soup on the floor at her feet.
Sitting on Harry's bed, wearing a dingy pillowcase was a small elf like creature. He was a pale green color, short in stature with bat like ears and a long nose. He was staring at the siblings with large, glassy orb like eyes. Downstairs had gone silent momentarily after Cara's bowl had hit the ground. Harry, Cara, and even the creature perched on Harry's bed all held their breath, waiting to see if the voices would pick back up on the floor below.
When Mr. Dursley's unmistakable voice boomed out through the silence, continuing with whatever conversation they were having, Cara felt herself let out the breath she had been holding. Both Harry and Cara were still standing in shocked silence though, eyes on the creature before them. The elf fidgeted with the bottom of his pillowcase, staring at the brother and sister as well.
"Who-" Harry began, glancing at his younger sister before continuing on. "Who are you?"
Car was more interested in what the creature was, but settled for her brother's question instead. The two kept their eyes on the small creature, waiting for an answer. He fidgeted once more before opening his mouth.
"Dobby the house elf, Sir." The creature squeaked. He slipped off the bed then, bowing to the two so low the tip of his pointed nose touched the floor.
"Pardon, but-" Harry cleared his throat, clearly trying to work out how to ask his question without offending the house elf. "Why are you here?" He finally settled on.
Dobby's large, round eyes darted between the two. He seemed to be mentally fighting with himself over whether or not to speak, or maybe what to say. Cara scanned her emerald eyes over the small creature. She could see a number of bandages, old and new. The pillowcase it wore was torn in multiple places, with a multitude of stains dotting it's worn surface.
"Dobby has come to warn Harry potter." Dobby squeaked finally. "There is a plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School this year."
Cara felt her heart sink. Harry had told her about the pervious year at Hogwarts. She was already worried the school was dangerous, and now a house elf was claiming to know of a plot? It didn't sit well with the younger Potter sibling.
What kind of plot?" Harry asked, scanning his eyes over the little elf. "Who's plotting these things?"
Dobby's eyes widened. He started fidgeting more then ever as he looked away from Harry, refusing to make eye contact.
"Dobby can't say sir." Dobby squeaked out. "Dobby wishes he could, but he'll already have to punish himself for saying this much."
"Why-?" Harry began, but cut himself off. Cara frowned. She had thought that maybe the house elf was a little klutzy, and maybe that would explain all the injuries. If he had to punish himself though, and just for speaking?
"Why would you come here to warn Harry of something if you can't even tell him what it is? Why put yourself in the kind of position that would require you to punish yourself?" Cara asked, her tone soft as she questioned the creature.
"Dobby wants to make sure that Harry Potter is safe." Dobby looked away. "Dobby has heard of Harry potter's greatness and wants to help protect that."
"Can you give me a hint?" Harry sighed, hoping for some sort of help in figuring this out.
"A dark wizard sir. A most foul-" Dobby's eyes bulged as he nearly finished the sentence. He jumped from Harry's bed and grabbed the lamp closest to him, smacking himself over the head repeatedly, crying out fairly loudly in pain.
Harry practically flew at the small creature, trying to grab the lamp. Cara jumped off the desk and pressed her ear to the door. She could silence fall over the people downstairs.
"Harry!" Cara whispered. In the room downstairs she could her uncle chuckle loudly as he scooted his chair away from the dining table, excusing himself with a hearty laugh and an explanation of "Dudley must have left his TV on, the little tyke."
"Uncle Vernon is coming!" Cara hissed under her breath, her eyes wide with fear.
Harry managed to get the lamp back from Dobby before he grabbed the elf by the pillowcase and shoved him as gently as he could into the closet. He then leaned against the door to keep it shut while Cara quickly made her way to Harry's bed and sat down just in time for the door to burst open.
Vernon Dursley stood in the doorway, his beady eyes darting between brother and sister as his face took on the coloring of a large eggplant. Had she not been so terrified of the man, Cara may have even gotten a kick out of his appearance. He looked like a large, mustached vegetable, crammed into a much too small formal suit that appeared ready to break open at any moment. It was truly comical were it not for the circumstance.
"What the hell is going on in here?" The man whispered vehemently. "You just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke!"
"Sorry uncle Vernon." Cara and Harry both said together.
"It's my fault. I tripped and fell." Cara explained, hoping that would get them off with a warning.
"Keep it down!" The man hissed. He then straitened himself up and left the room, letting the door fall shut behind him. Harry and Cara didn't move, barely even breathed until they were sure he was back downstairs and apart of the dinner party once more.
When Harry was sure his uncle wasn't going to turn around and march back up the stairs to skin them both, he let Dobby out of the closet. The elf stumbled free, pulling a sock from his ear. He gave it a longing look before placing it back in Harry's hamper.
"This is why we have to leave." Harry muttered in a hushed voice. "We aren't any safer here."
"Harry Potter is safer here though." Dobby insisted, his orb like eyes turned up to look Harry in the face.
"No way!" Harry grumbled bitterly. "They abused Cara worse then ever last year while I was gone. It will only get worse if we stay."
Cara watched her brother talk to the elf. She was stull quite nervous about Hogwarts, but Harry had a point. The Dursley home was not a good place for them to stay.
"Harry is right. We can't stay here." Cara whispered, looking at her hands.
"Then you leave Dobby no choice." The elf snapped his fingers together and Harry's bedroom door opened. The small creature ran from the room and down the stairs. Both Harry and Cara followed Dobby downstairs into the kitchen where they saw Dobby, Their aunt's dessert cake hovering above his head, just out of reach.
The small elf was inching way towards the other room where the party was continuing on, oblivious to what was happening in the kitchen. Harry started walking towards Dobby, hands outstretched to try and grab the cake. Cara circled around the other side of the elf to try and grab the cake as well.
"Promise Dobby that Harry Potter will not return to school this year." Dobby whispered, eyeing Harry. He had one hand raised, his fingers pressed together; ready to snap them in an instant.
"I can't." Harry whispered.
"Then Dobby must do this." He said with a snap of his fingers. The cake began to move again and Dobby faded away from view with a pop and burst of smoke. Harry cursed under his breath and followed the moving dessert, as did Cara.
When the two entered the living room, Cara could see her cousin slowly start to grin. Her aunt's eyes widened and her uncle turned the angry purple color. Harry tried to grab the cake, just as it smashed onto Mrs. Mason's head.
Cara felt her heart stop in her chest. Uncle Vernon was glaring at the two, his fury showing in the vein that protruded from his skull at his temple. Harry moved so he was in front of Cara. Cara knew her brother would protect her with his life. Hell, she'd do the same for him if she had the chance.
"Upstairs." Vernon fumed. He quickly turned his attention to his guests, his demeanor changing visibly.
"Terribly sorry about this. Our nephew is disturbed. He doesn't do well meeting new people. Neither does our niece. They've been a bit off since the deaths of their parents. That's why we kept them upstairs."
Their uncle's excuse seemed as if it would work until the owl flew in through the open window and landed on the couch next to Mrs. Mason. She screamed and jumped out of her seat, flinging her purse at the bird. The owl screeched and Cara watched in horror as her aunt shooed it from the house, back out the window.
Harry and Cara were quickly sent back up the stairs while their aunt and uncle tried to fix the evening as best they could.
The two sat on Harry's bed, awaiting their punishment. Cara looked to the side at Harry, leaning against him. "We're screwed." She whispered, fear clear on her face.
"I know." Harry whispered back. "I know…"
The two sat in silence, waiting for Mr. Dursley to make his way up the stairs. When the tell tale sound of footsteps hit the stairs, Cara cringed and held tightly to her brothers arm.
The door opened. Mr. Dursley was the same, angry purple color he always was when he felt Harry and Cara were in trouble. He threw the letter that had arrived by owl at Harry's feet with a simple command.
"Read it."
Cara watched as her brother bent down and picked up the letter, sliding his finger along the back to open it. He started reading out loud, his face slowly taking on a greenish color. At the same time, their uncle's face was twisting upwards with a sick sense of glee.
"So." He said as Harry finished. "You can't do magic outside of that school or they will kick you out." He grinned wildly. "How interesting."
Cara shrank back as he turned his beady eyes on her. She wanted to disappear into thin air, vanish and be freed of this place, but that didn't seem possible.
"Downstairs!" Her uncle barked at her. "Now."