This Chapter was Revised 8/29/09
Harry Potter, the Guardian, and the Chamber of Secrets
Chapter Two: Dark and Dobby
The black wolf perched on his pillow smirked darkly, the whimpering creature, that Harry recognized from Draco's description as, a house elf was pinned beneath one of the large, black, deadly paws.
Harry swallowed, keeping his back to the door and his eyes on the wolf. "What do you want, Dark?" he asked, forcing confidence into his voice.
The wolf, Dark, snickered. "You can't fool me, Harry. I know you're scared. I can smell it."
Harry only glared.
Dark flexed his claws around the house elf's throat. "Come and have a seat, Harry. Dobby here seems to want to have a chat with you. Won't Mr. Malfoy be…displeased." Dark purred, lowering his head to one of the massive ears on Dobby's head, his fangs dripping saliva onto the poor creature's head.
Dobby whimpered.
"Leave him alone, Dark." Harry said, moving slowly towards the chair at his desk, he idly noticed that Cleo and the note were gone.
Hedwig was, could it be called glaring, at Dark and Dobby.
Dark tilted his head to the side, loosening his grip on Dobby to show his pleasure at Harry following his command. "My chosen isn't very happy with you, Harry. For what you did to him. So, I was sent to deliver a message…one I'm quite sure you won't want to forget. And one that Dobby here can bring back to young Draco. I'm sure he'd love to arrange the funeral of his first friend." Harry glared, and this time, confidence coming into his voice without being forced.
"You can't kill me, Dark. Voldemort won't let you. He wants the challenge for himself."
Dark smirked. "You've gotten just a bit wiser in your year at the school. Does it worry you that I can get in here, when my chosen cannot?"
Harry said nothing.
The claws tightened around Dobby's neck. "I do expect an answer, Harry." Harry swallowed, worry coming over him for the house elf.
"A little." he whispered, watching as Dobby was once more released. "But not as much as I fear the one who trapped you like that." he finished.
Dobby cried out sharply, and Harry heard silence fall downstairs, but he didn't care.
He was busy wrenching the door open and sprinting down the stairs, an angry wolf on his tail and a bleeding House Elf on his bed.
The Dursleys and Masons screamed when the white tiger crashed through the front window, blocking off Harry's escape from Dark.
"Arcana." Harry whispered, taking a step back.
One guardian was bad enough, and Voldemort sent both after him.
Harry's breath quickened, and fear spread around the room, no one dared move a muscle.
"Have you missed me, young Harry? In the two months since we met last?" Arcana asked, his voice amused. Amber eyes glittered with malice and amusement.
Mrs. Mason scream-gasped, fainting into her husband's arms.
---
Dark prowled the shadows, watching the scene play out.
Arcana, his mind slave, circled Harry, each rotation just a bit smaller. He could practically taste the fear that the Boy-Who-Lived excluded.
His eyes landed on the boy.
The youngest of the humans, muggles, that his Chosen wished to wipe from the Earth with the rest of the pathetic creatures.
Amused at the sheer size and pleased at the fear induced sweat pouring off the boy, he stepped from the shadows near him. "Well, Harry. Rumor has it that you're abused by these…mortal fools. I guess you won't mind if I take one to my Chosen, for…pleasure purposes, will you?" Dark watched as realization flooded Harry. "Amusing, how almost everything used to be about you. Now, Voldemort wants someone close to you. How does family sound?"
Harry's eyes narrowed and he took a step forward, towards Dudley and Dark. "Leave him alone Dark! He's got nothing to do with this!"
His eyes returned to Arcana when the tiger snapped at his toes, forcing him back. "Master warned you, Harry. That Tarana couldn't keep you all safe. And how right he was…we will slaughter them all." Arcana's words were filled to the brim with promise.
Dudley's eyes were dilated in fear, pleading with his cousin to do something, while Vernon and Petunia stood frozen.
---
Upstairs, Dobby, with a newly healed neck, was disappearing with a crack. His worry for Harry Potter was genuine and he couldn't take on a guardian.
But he knew who could.
---
Miles away, Tarana was catching her breath. She had been running for days, returning back to Privet Drive, to her charge.
Laying against the tree, her head shot up when the crack of a house elf's appearance sounded beside her.
Her eyes narrowed on the small creature.
"What do you want?" she hissed.
The house elf bowed. "Dobby has come to warn you. Harry Potter is in danger. Dark is there-eep." He yelped as he was picked up in the guardian's mouth and dangled there as she ran.
"Explain." Dobby swallowed his fear and began to explain that he had arrived to warn Harry against going to Hogwarts this year, but Dark had already been there and before he could escape, had been pinned to the bed, and threatened Harry with the pain of death if Dobby left without express permission.
Harry had come up minutes later and made a comment that appeared to make Dark angry. Both had bolted and Dobby had been wounded and unable to follow.
Tarana's blue eyes narrowed in anger. "They will pay in blood if there is a mark on his body." she hissed, tearing down Privet Drive, letting Dobby drop as she approached the house.
---
Harry knew it was suicide the moment it entered his head. But he couldn't let Dudley die. He was after all, family, no matter how much Harry wished otherwise sometimes.
He lashed out, kicking Arcana in the muzzle, causing the cat to roar, before lunging for Dark, knocking them both to the ground, Harry rolling desperately to get away from the wolf.
Arcana recovered quickly and was on him like a flash. The claws and fangs never made contact.
The angered roar of a panther echoed through the neighborhood.
Tarana had returned.
