TUESDAY AUGUST 31, 1993
The morning was far less pleasurable than his first with Luna had been. Like the night before, she had wandlessly stunned him them put them both into the bed without clothing. Harry found himself to be rather chilled. Luna had managed to turn herself around, both wrapping the entire sheet around herself like a cocoon and sticking her feet into his face. Harry hopped out of bed and quickly pulled his clothes on before coming to a sudden realization. He whipped around to face Luna who was still cocooned but was smirking naughtily.
"You woke up before I did, didn't you," Harry accused. Luna didn't even bother to answer. "I didn't have any Skelegrow potion last night. Why did you stun me?"
"Otherwise you would have insisted on attracting twin lynchflingers. Their antics are not pleasant when they find that someone isn't dressing to their needs. Plus, I wanted to see what else you changed with your metamorph abilities."
Harry blushed, wondering what ways he had used to examine him. "Well, are you going to get dressed? I thought you were looking forward to using me as a dress-up doll in the muggle stores before we finally get around to actual school shopping."
Luna blushed, then started bouncing and wriggling around. "It's as I thought," Luna announced authoritatively, "I'm stuck."
Harry sighed and helped her escape her cloth prison. "We need to get our shopping done today since we need to be at the train tomorrow."
"Well then... To Harrods!" Luna exclaimed.
"Luna, I don't think this is the best place to shop," Harry said as he looked at the display.
"Nonsense, this is the perfect place to shop."
"I know I am rich, but really, four-thousand pounds for a pair of shoes seems out of even my price range."
"Well, I'm not telling you to get those ones, now am I?" Luna asked. She grabbed a pair of shiny black boots from the shelf. "Only three-hundred pounds and you'll look like a proper person with more money than they can spend. Not to mention the fact that they are highly durable." Luna dumped the boots into his arms, along with a collection of other seemingly random pieces of clothing.
Luna and Harry returned to the alley looking much better than when they had left. Frankly, Harry was glad that Luna had not meant the dresses for him, even if he was set back several hundred quid due to her own selections. Once they were in the alley, she began to perform an odd little dance where she skipped circles around him, twirling around occasionally.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked.
"It's a traditional dance my mother taught me. It's supposed to ward off... Oh... Too late."
"Potter, you look..." Malfoy drawled as he strode up in front of them, "Acceptable..." He sounded surprised.
"Thank you, Malfoy. Luna has been helping me learn what the head of an ancient and noble house should do, since Dumbledore decided to obliviate anyone who even had a remote chance of teaching me these things. Frankly, I should have listened to you more in first year, you actually gave me some decent advice and I'd have been much better off if I'd taken it to heart."
Malfoy smirked arrogantly. "Of course. I was merely trying to be helpful."
"Well thank you for that. In fact, if your father wasn't continually trying to get me killed we could probably be friends."
"After you freed Dobby, I don't think he'll stop anytime soon," Draco chuckled, "My father will be here soon. You'd best run along."
"It was... not unpleasant seeing you today. I hope we can remain at least neutral to each other."
"We shall see," Draco said dismissively.
Harry and Luna moved towards Flourish and Blotts.
"You freed the Malfoy's house elf?" Luna asked.
"They were terribly cruel to him. I wanted to get them back for releasing the basilisk on the school, and Dobby was in terrible shape because of their abuse."
"You do know that a house elf relies on their master's magic to survive. If they don't serve anyone, they will eventually run out of magic and die."
"You mean I condemned Dobby to death?"
"If he can't find a master. Most families wouldn't be willing to take on a free elf because it means that they are incompetent enough that their master couldn't use them and each house elf will put a small drain on your magic and weaken you."
Harry picked up his ancient runes textbooks which were piled conveniently on a table and paid for them before heading back to his room.
"Dobby!" He called, hoping the house elf could hear him.
With a sharp crack Dobby appeared in front of him. "Harry Potter, sir, called for Dobby?"
"Is it true that free house elves will run out of magic and die?"
"Yes, sir, Dobby will only live for one more year if he does not find a master."
"Would you like to work for me?"
"Harry Potter wants Dobby?" the house elf exclaimed, hopping up and down in excitement. Then he flung himself into Harry and began to cry. "Harry Potter is truly a great wizard. Dobby knew it!"
"So, do you know how this works? Do I need to do anything?"
"Dobby doesn't know. He was born into the bad master's family."
"Why don't you check your Merlin books?" Luna suggested, "House elves are no longer Fey, perhaps the one on intelligent creatures."
Harry retrieved 'The others: Intelligent creatures and how to get along with them', flipping directly to the empty pages in the back. "Tell me about house elves." Harry said. The page began to fill with text detailing the history of house elves, how they used to be related to wood elves until they went to war against wizards and were almost driven to extinction until they swore eternal servitude to wizards. Over time, the magic of the oath twisted their bodies and minds until they were adapted to servitude. "How do I accept a house elf into my service?" Harry asked.
"Please refer to Volume 12, 'Oaths, obligations, and the true nature of magic' for information relating to house elf oaths and bonds." The book replied.
Harry opened the indicated book and asked again, only to find that there was not one way but several to accept a house elf. Harry immediately ruled out the bond of pain and the bond of death. The bond of blood was better, but there were dangers associated with it that he didn't want to risk. He sighed. It seemed like all of the bonds were created by dark wizards. "Luna, which one should I use?"
"It's your choice," Luna said, "It won't make a difference."
"Dobby, you're the one who will have to live with the consequences of this, so why don't you pick?"
"Harry Potter will let Dobby choose? Harry Potter is a great wizard. Dobby is the luckiest elf in the world! But Dobby can't decide. If the oath of loyalty was used, then Dobby would better know how to serve Harry Potter. If the oath of empowerment was used, then Dobby would be better able to serve Harry Potter."
"Is it possible to modify or combine house elf oaths?" Harry asked the book, receiving a comprehensive description of the rules that needed to be followed when creating a bonding oath. Harry took one look at it then handed the book to Luna. "A little help?" he begged, "After all, you're the thinker and I'm the doer, right?"
Luna giggled, then pulled out the fountain pen that had been purchased during the excursion to the muggle world. Harry watched in fascination as she wrote snippets on seemingly random areas of parchment. Eventually, they combined to form two rather long oaths. "Both of you sit on the bed facing each other. Dobby, place your hand over Harry's magical core," she instructed.
Dobby placed his hand on Harry's chest.
"Now, read this," Luna said.
"Dobby pledges to serve his master, Harry Potter. Dobby pledges to serve with his life. Dobby's mind shall be his master's. Dobby's strength shall not wane as long as his master lives. Dobby will serve his master, Harry Potter. Dobby's loyalty shall be to his master. Dobby's desires shall be for his master. Dobby will serve Harry Potter. Dobby pledges himself to the service of Harry Potter. Will Harry Potter accept Dobby's service?"
"Place your hand on Dobby's head," Luna instructed, "And then read this."
"I, Harry Potter accept Dobby into my service. I will share my heart with Dobby. I will share my mind with Dobby. I will share my strength with Dobby. I accept Dobby into my service. I will provide for Dobby that which he needs to serve. I will provide for Dobby that which he needs to live. I will provide for Dobby what else I will. From this day forth, Dobby will serve me and my house until I thrice say, let our bond be broken. So mote it be!"
The effect was immediate. Harry felt his power drain rapidly. He had never felt such a powerful drain on his magic before. He wondered if that was the reason why the oaths from the book had been so simple. Dobby was actually glowing from the amount of power he was absorbing. Then, it was over and Harry collapsed in exhaustion.
"Dobby," Harry said, "I have an order for you... You are to keep yourself as healthy... as reasonably possible. That means, you... eat, sleep, rest, get... medical attention, or whatever as needed. Causing yourself harm... would reduce your ability to serve me, so you are not allowed to punish yourself." Harry closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Once in a while, Harry became semi-aware as potions were poured down his throat.