Harry sighed as his cottage came into view, the day's failures weighing on his shoulders. Other than that man Bud no one had come into his shop, it was like a sad dead zone. In fact he could have placed dementors all around the plant store and it would have been a hundred times livelier than it currently was. He really had no idea what he was doing wrong. Did the people in Portland really hate plants that much? Harry shook his head that was an absurd thought. He has seen the houses in the surrounding area and had yet to locate on that had no greenery surrounding it. But if it wasn't the greenery than what could it be?
Harry pondered these thoughts as he walked into the cottage taking his shoes off and reverting back to his real body. He was so lost in his own mind that when he tripped and fell face first onto his enchanted living room carpet it took him a few seconds to register what had just happened. Rubbing his nose that he had landed quite unceremoniously on, he looked over his shoulder to see what he had tripped over.
For a few seconds all Harry did was stare quietly when he spotted the object responsible for his clumsy tumble. His mind refused to deal with what he was currently seeing. He then got up without saying a word and slowly walked outside of his home to stand in the surrounding woods. Pinching the bridge of his nose he took a deep breath and began to rub his eyes. It would have looked very funny for any passer buyer to witness. A small five year old child pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing his eyes tiredly, as if the weight of the world was on his seemly young shoulders.
Taking a deep calming breath Harry spoke, "I summon thee to your Master, come to me as swift as the shadows and as silent as the cold winter chill." Harry had never summoned death to him before. There simply was never any need, death seemed to always be around whether he wanted it to be or not. However now that he did have to ask for the beings presence he did so for only the upmost importance.
Harry felt death long before he saw him. The starry night sky surrounding him turned inky black, the woods that were busting with the sounds of creatures went unnaturally silent, and the once warm air turned icy cold like the chill of winter.
"You called master?" Death was kneeling on one knee with a hand across his chest lying over where his heart would be. When he was summoned so formally it was almost required to do so anything else would feel like disrespect.
Harry was so taken aback by the fact that death had spoken to him that he took a moment to respond. Only once had death spoken to him and that was when he first became the master of death. After that death always used those mental looks to convey his feelings or meanings.
"Why are you storing dead bodies in my home?" Harry's voice was authoritative and firm leaving no room for argument as he demanded an answer from death.
"I have done no such thing master." Death still kneeling had not gotten up or shifted his position. His master was demanding submission from him. Which he would willingly give, it was the first sign that his master had ever shown in regards to willingly accepting his position and tile as master of death.
Harry marched into his home beckoning for death to follow him. Once he reached the living room he pointed down at the floor. "What do you suppose this is then?"
On the floor lay a man naked as the day he was born. His smooth skin was an in between shade of paper white and blue, his lips completely devoid of color. He must have been around eight feet tall his body lean yet well-muscled. His face was set with heavy dark lashes and waist length tan skin colored hair was surrounding him like a strange form of a halo.
"As I said master I have stored no dead body in your home." Death was impassive with his words his voice sounding like the scraping of lifeless leaves in the wind. However before Harry could voice his displeasure at the situation death quickly cut in. "This is your protector I have brought him back for you."
Harry looked at death and the body carefully. "What do you mean my protector? What do you mean brought him back? I have no memory of ever meeting this man."
"Consider it a precaution on my behalf, a way to give me piece of mind. Though you cannot die and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe I cannot be by your side at all times. He however can and will be." Death motioned towards the body on the floor with a flick of his hand. "He will watch over you when I cannot and will give you enough time to summon me if the situation is truly dire."
"You still have not answered all of my questions. What do you mean you brought him back? You act as if I know him." Harry was still glaring at death with a deep set look of concentration.
"Master all answers will be reviled but first you must do as I request." Death sent an almost pleading look to his master. He dare not demand anything of his master when he was trying to show dominance so instead he requested. Death was not used to his master acting like this. His master always rejected him and ignored him. He was like a child before, a child playing in his parent's shoes pretending to be something he wasn't. But now his master was acknowledging him and in the process his position over him. He was no longer acting like a whiney child trying to kill himself and insulting his title, but like an adult accepting his position in the world.
Harry tilted his head in acknowledgement to death. "I will listen, explain yourself quickly."
"Please place your hand over the beings lips." Death spoke slowly fearing that he might offend his master.
Harry after eyeing the body placed his hand on the being mouth. After a few seconds of nothing happening he looked up at death and was about to demand answers when he felt a sharp pain in his hand. Holding back a yelp he quickly looked down and saw that the being had needle sharp teeth that it was using to bite into his hand. The being was gulping Harry's blood like a new born infant desperate for its first meal. Harry watched with a slightly morbid fascination as some of his blood dripped down the beings lips onto its neck. As the being drank he seemed to gain color, his chest began to rise and fall, and his hair gained luster that almost made it look like it was shining. It was then that the being released Harrys hand with a gasp his eyes shot open revealing large bright greenish yellow eyes.
Harry froze; he knew those eye anywhere….. "Dobby?" Harry was almost too afraid to ask but he had to know.
The being took a few deep breaths before looking and Harry and giving him the biggest grin. "Dobby has missed Master Harry."
Harry in that moment felt a dam inside of himself break. He threw himself into Dobby's arms never minding that he was completely naked. "How!?" Harry was only able to get that one word out as the tears began to prick at his eyes. So long! It had been so long since he had seen anyone familiar. It was like finding a piece of himself, a piece that he had forgotten had gone missing in the first place.
"Mr. Death told Dobby that Master Harry be needing protection. Dobby volunteered to come back to the living world to be with Master Harry." Dobby began to run his long slender fingers through Harry's hair in a soothing manner. "Dobby not realize that Master Harry had missed him this much. If Dobby known Dobby would have asked Mr. Death to let him come back sooner."
Harry shaking from his sobs could hardly respond. "I missed you so much Dobby! I'm so sorry that you died! I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you!"
"Master Harry have no reason to be sorry. He gave Dobby a sock; he set Dobby free from the Malfoys. Dobby is Happy that he gets to serve Master Harry again." Dobby began to rub circles in Harrys back.
After crying for around an hour and rapidly apologizing to Dobby for letting him die, while Dobby tried to sooth him. Harry finally looked up at death. "Thank you, I am forever grateful for what you have done."
Death bowed his head in silent acknowledgement.
"But one thing bothers me. Why now? Why didn't you bring back anyone else during those times that I was trying to kill myself? During the times that I was the most lonely?" Harry still clutching Dobby to afraid to let him go in fear that he might disappear.
Death seemed to give a deep sigh and leaned on his scythe. If Harry didn't know any better he would say that death looked old or tired. "Master in the old world there was no place in the cloth of the universe for them to come back. It would cause a tear in the cloth a paradox if you will; if I had brought them back, it would have destroyed your old world. In this new world I was able to bring your old friend Dobby back because in this world he never existed. He has basically been born again there is room for him here in this reality."
Harry looked at Death and then back at Dobby. "Why Dobby? Why not Hermione, Ron or Dumbledore?
Death looked at the ground unwilling to meet his master's face. However to his and Harrys surprise it was Dobby who spoke next.
"In order to come back Master Harry the person has to be willing. They has to want to come back." Dobby looked down at Harry with sad eyes.
"I don't understand…" Harry looked even more like a five year old than he ever had before with his lost and innocent eyes peering a Dobby.
"Master what he is saying is that no one else was willing to come back." Death finally was blunt with his master. He could see no other way around it. His master needed to know the truth.
Harry felt his world begin to spin and turn black around the edges panic began to set in and he clung to Dobby even harder. "I don't understand…. Are you saying that they didn't want to come back to me?"
"Master you must understand it's not that simp-" Death began to try to explain better but it was too late his Master had passed out.
I'm sorry I know that this chapter was long overdue however my computer has been broken for months now. I finally got it up and working and have been working all day into the night to get you this chapter as soon as possible.