It was a trick, getting away from his evil – Bad Dobby! BAD DOBBY! – pureblooded family, the Malfoys, to warn Harry Potter about returning to Hogwarts. Somehow, Dobby managed to get into Harry Potter's room to tell him. He heard Harry's probably noble, generous family (unlike the Malfoys, who were cruel and cold-hearted – Bad Dobby! BAD DOBBY! – downstairs, talking. They were probably kind, but Dobby decided that it was safer to wait upstairs in what he assumed was Harry's room for him to come than go downstairs and risk being seen by Muggles. Dobby waited for a long while, finally hearing footsteps on the stairs, and hoping that the footsteps signaled the approach of the noble, brave, and good Harry Potter. At long last, Harry flung open the door, where Dobby was eagerly awaiting him.

To Dobby, Harry looked surprised to see a house-elf sitting on his bed. Dobby, feeling that the proper way to acknowledge Harry's august presence was to bow, hopped off the bed and did just that. Harry Potter looked even more surprised at this. And then Harry spoke! To Dobby!

"Er – hello." Dobby could not believe that a wizard, much less Harry Potter, had greeted him kindly.

"Harry Potter!" Dobby exclaimed. "So long has Dobby waited to meet you, sir…such an honor it is!" Dobby hoped that Harry wouldn't get mad that Dobby had said anything. Usually, the Malfoys did get mad when Dobby spoke.

"Th-thank you," the great Harry Potter said. Harry Potter had thanked him! Harry Potter was not mad! Then, Harry said something else. "Who are you?"

Dobby was overjoyed. Harry Potter wanted to know who he was! Dobby replied, "Dobby, sir." Then, thinking that Harry might wonder whether Dobby had another name, he added, "Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf."

"Oh – really?" Dobby wondered if Harry Potter had seen a house-elf before. "Er – I don't want to be rude or anything, but – this isn't a great time for me to have a house-elf in my bedroom." Dobby heard a high laugh from downstairs. Yes, this probably wasn't a good time. Dobby hung his head. But Dobby had an important mission – wait, did Harry Potter just say that he didn't want to be rude? Harry Potter continued, "Not that I'm not pleased to meet you, but is there any particular reason why you're here?"

"Oh, yes, sir…" How should Dobby start? – this was going to be hard for Dobby, who did not want to make Harry Potter mad or sad. He took a deep breath and said, "Dobby has come to tell you, sir…it is difficult, sir….Dobby wonders where to begin."

"Sit down," said Harry Potter politely, pointing at the bed.

This was really too much for Dobby, who immediately burst into tears. He emitted loud wails, which seemed to startle Harry Potter. Sit down? Nobody had ever asked Dobby to sit down, ever. Not his family, not anybody. But Dobby should have expected this, for Harry Potter was kind, great, and good. "S-sit down! Never…never ever…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything -"

Harry Potter, worrying about offending a lowly house elf? This caused Dobby to wail even louder. "Offend Dobby! Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard – like an equal!"