The Muggle Protection Act

As a note to keep in mind when reading this chapter, Hermione knows full well that Harry's family uses house elves. However, since she knows Harry's character, after he explained them to her, she didn't mind their slavery when they're treated kindly.

Harry left the Flamels a week after his last lesson with Nicolas, returning to Potter Manor by phoenix Apparition. He landed on the front steps to his home and stretched, happy to be home. Opened the door and immediately, two house elves took his trunk, leaving him free to relax.

Harry took some of his more personal belongings and began to sort them with his wand. His Transfiguration books went back into his family's library, Nicolas's notebook was placed beside his bed, Perenelle's binder was placed on the piano in the living room…Harry took the Sorcerer's Stone and went downstairs into a basement that served as a potions lab. He placed it on a table, deciding to not use the stone unless necessary – just study it. Dumbledore was right…gold and immortality weren't so great after all although Alchemy might become very useful someday.

He went upstairs to his bedroom, feeling tired and hoping to rest up for the next day. He opened the lights and hung up his cloak, yawning. However, it wasn't long before he realized that he wasn't alone. He gave a start when he saw a house elf in the middle of his bedroom. Normally, he wouldn't find it too strange since the Potters' house elves often came in to clean. However, this was definitely not a family house elf. For one, his family's elves were very clean and two, they wear very high quality blue towels with the Potter crest on it. They do not wear dirty pillow cases that look like rags.

The house elf saw him and bowed low. "Harry Potter! Dobby has wanted to meet you for a long time…such an honor it is."

Harry felt his cheeks burn. It had been a while since someone treated him like a celebrity, and it was always embarrassing for him when they do that. "Er, who are you?" Harry asked politely."

"Dobby, sir! Dobby the house elf," the elf replied.

"Okay, Dobby. Is there a particular reason you're here?" Harry asked, sitting down on his bed. He was curious about Dobby and why he was here, but Harry was quite tired at that moment.

"Dobby has come to tell you, sir…it's difficult, sir…he wonders where to start…"

Harry stifled another yawn. "Well you can tell me what family you serve, where you came from…"

"Oh no, sir, Dobby cannot say! They do not even know Dobby is here. Dobby will have to punish himself later by slamming his ears in the oven doors…" Dobby blew his nose into his pillowcase pathetically.

Harry winced. He knew that the treatment of house elves was generally very cruel and brutal, but Dobby's statement was like a slap in the face by reality. As far as he knows, Harry himself never punished the Potter family elves in any way nor had he every ordered them to do it to themselves. And he doubted any of his family ever did. Occasionally, one might ask for a punishment like Holly did several years ago, but usually that ended up never happening. Overall, his elves were very content with their lot, which seemed to be the exact opposite of Dobby. "Is there any way I can help, Dobby?" he asked, despite knowing that the only way to free an elf was for its own to give him clothes. Maybe Dobby wanted him to help trick his masters into giving him clothes since wizards would not easily give away such valuable servants...

Dobby began sobbing hysterically. "Harry Potter asked if he could help Dobby! Sir, Dobby has heard of your greatness, but of your goodness, he never knew…"

Harry's cheeks turned pink. The way Dobby was complimenting him made him feel very awkward. "Er…Greatness?"

"He is so modest!" Dobby was looking at him with eyes filled with adoration and admiration. "He speaks not of his triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He speaks not of the time when he saved the Wizarding World from chaos!"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, but I don't even remember it. No, really, it's the truth!" he said quickly, guessing that Dobby was about to go off on his humility or whatever.

"Harry Potter is so good and great…That's why Dobby has come here to warn you, sir! Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts! There is a plot. There is great danger at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Harry Potter is too great and good to be lost!" Dobby said.

Harry raised an eyebrow. That sounded so selfish that it was unthinkable, saving his own skin and leaving the danger to kill everybody else. Then he said firmly, though not unkindly, "I'm sorry, Dobby, but I can't do that. Hogwarts is where I belong."

"Harry Potter wants to go back to the school where he has no true friends? A school where the people isolated him and ignored him?" Dobby asked slyly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, his voice shaking slightly. It was as if the elf had just punched him in the gut. "It got better towards the end."

"But, Sir, are you really going back to a school that is quick to turn against you?"

"It's not just the school. My only friend is there!"

"You only friend, the only who never corresponded with you once over the summer?"

Harry was silent. It was true. Hermione never sent him a single letter although he had sent her several letters through Hedwig. She didn't even remember his birthday. Of course, he didn't mind that he didn't get a present. It hurt more that she didn't seem to want to talk to him. However, it was quite suspicious how Dobby knew that. "Wait, how did you know about that?" he asked.

Dobby shifted uncomfortably. Then he took out a packet of letters.

Harry narrowed his eyes. He recognized Hermione's neat handwriting anywhere. "You intercepted my mail," Harry stated softly. However, his voice was so cold that Dobby winced. "What were you trying to do? Break our friendship apart by making me think that she forgot about me?"

Dobby backed away slightly. "Harry Potter must not get angry at Dobby. Dobby thought that if he thinks that his only friend doesn't care about him, he would not want to go back to Hogwarts. It is better if he is sad than dead!" Dobby winced when he looked into Harry's angry eyes. They held so much rage…directed at him. The boy he wanted to protect was angry with him. It hurt.

"You're wrong then," Harry replied curtly. "I admit – it hurt when I never got responses back from her. But after she put her life on the line for me last year, you'll have to do more than that to convince me that she doesn't care about me. Now give me her letters back."

"Only if Harry Potter promises not to go back to Hogwarts!" Dobby insisted, still persistent.

"No." Harry stood up, and Dobby backed away to keep the letters out of reach. However, Harry had no intention of chasing after the elf. "Keep the letters. The letters are only second to the real thing anyway." Harry raised his arm and Ferlin appeared on it. He wanted to clear any misunderstanding between Hermione and him that resulted from Dobby's clever plan.

"Sir!" Dobby's large eyes were pleading now.

Harry shook his head, his eyes still angry. "If that was all that you need to tell me on this visit of yours, then I should be leaving now." With that, flames engulfed him and he disappeared, appearing right inside Hermione's front door. Ferlin flew upstairs towards Hermione's bedroom, alerting her that Harry was there. The next thing Harry knew, Hermione flew down the stairs towards him.

"Harry!" She wrapped her arms around him before asking anxiously, "Did you get my letters and the present? In all your letters, it sounded as if you never even received my letters!"

"That was because I didn't. It's a long story," he said. With that, he began to tell her about Dobby and how he had been intercepting his mail, hoping to stop him from returning to Hogwarts.

"That's weird…but, Harry, I don't think you should think about it too much. I mean, you live with house elves and you read about them. You said it yourself that house elves can't disobey orders from their masters. So, if Dobby knew about the supposed plot, don't you think that his masters would've ordered him not to tell anyone? Yet he came to you anyway."

Harry seemed thoughtful. "You have a point. It's most likely that he's trying to prevent me from going to Hogwarts on his master's orders and that the warning and the mail interception were just means to that end. Although he said that his masters didn't know he was there, that could just be an act, or else he really would've had to punish himself. And why would he risk punishment and disobedience just to save me? He doesn't even know me."

"See, Harry? Nothing to worry about," Hermione said, grinning.

Harry laughed. "Well, when I left, I wasn't really worrying about it. I was too angry with him trying to break up our friendship."

Hermione beamed. "Oh, and Harry, that reminds me. Do you want to go to Diagon Alley together to shop for school supplies? My parents are coming along too."

"Sure, you free tomorrow?"

Although Harry had visited Diagon Alley many times before, he was never ceased to be amazed by it. The shops were bustling with people. The shops contained wondrous wares. "Let's go to Gringotts first," suggested Harry. "I need to make a withdrawal, and you need to exchange muggle money for wizarding money." So they entered Gringotts where Hermione helped her parents deal with the goblins while Harry went down to his vault. When he returned, they were finished and waiting for him.

Harry told them sheepishly that he needed to request something from Gringotts before they go. Hermione was surprised to find out that he had requested a financial record, which came in the form of a small book, the numbers of which changes whenever he made a withdrawal or a deposit. It also included family trees, properties, maps, etc.

"Harry, why do you need a financial record?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I just thought that it might be time for me to manage my money properly," he said. "I never thought about it much the last few years, but now, I feel like I should also understand my financial situation…as well as other things." He glanced inside the small book and then pocketed it in his robe.

Hermione nodded without questioning before asking, "So where should we go to first?"

"Tell you what. You said you needed some more parchment and ink. I want to stop by at Knockturn Alley for a bit. We'll both meet up at Flourish and Blotts." At first, Hermione was shocked that he shopped in Knockturn Alley, having heard that it was much "darker" than Diagon Alley. It took Harry some explaining, but by the end, everyone agreed to go their separate ways and meet back at Flourish and Blotts. Hermione led her parents off to Scribbulus Writing Instruments while Harry went off by himself into Diagon Alley's darker counterpart. He remembered his first visit here had been terrible. He had been curious and had begged Milly to take him there. She had agreed reluctantly.

When he had stepped into Knockturn Alley, he had been creeped out by the unusual people he met there. When one of them actually grabbed him to ask if he would like some poisonous candles, he had panicked and Milly promptly blasted the witch away. After that, he learned that to avoid mishaps like that, he would have to act confident while, at the same time, he had to exercise extreme caution and show that he was on guard and would not be taken down easily. Over the years, it became easier as he became familiar with the streets, the shops, and the vendors. Milly had accompanied him on his trips until he received his wand the summer before. After showing that he could perform the Stunning spell as well as the Shield Charm and the Disarming Charm with a fairly good proficiency, he was allowed to do his shopping as well as go to Knockturn Alley alone since he could easily call one of his house elves to his side in a time of need.

To Harry, Knockturn Alley was a great news source as well as a shopping area for things that he could not otherwise have gotten from Diagon Alley. He pulled his hood over his head, making himself appear like any other shopper in Knockturn Alley, while at the same time, keeping his head high and back straight to give an air of confidence and mystery. It made him look slightly older, too. He kept his hand tight around his wand as he went into a tiny pub next to the Spiny Serpent. Sometimes Knockturn Alley provided more news for him than the Daily Prophet does, especially on darker goings.

" – passed Muggle Protection Act! They're conducting raids everywhere!"

Harry went to the barman and asked politely, "Excuse me. Can I have some butterbeer please?"

The barman never questioned his age and readily handed him a tankard of butterbeer for two sickles. It was typical of people in Knockturn Alley. They don't question. As long as they get their money, everything's good with them. However, despite that, Harry never drunk in Knockturn Alley. It was too risky. Any lowered inhibitions on his part could result in him getting mugged or worse… Usually, he'd just vanish the alcohol while listening to the conversations around him. It would've been too suspicious to just sit there alone.

"We'll be put out of business, no doubt about it. All that to just protect some stupid Muggles from touching dark magical artifacts."

"Or it could be a good thing. I heard a lot of families are selling off their more incriminating artifacts. That would be good business for us since they're so desperate to sell them off that we can buy it for a cheaper price than they're actually worth."

Harry frowned. He'd read about the Muggle Protection Act in the Daily Prophet.

"Yes, but then, we'd have to be careful about not letting the Ministry catch us with those artifacts as well as our own!" The old warlock snarled back. He had slammed his fist onto the table, making his more civilized companion jump.

"Heard Arthur Weasley was mainly behind it. He proposed it just a few – "

"You heard right! Bloody blood traitors…the entire family!"

"Lucius was furious over that…"

"Yeah, I heard the Malfoys had to sell off a bunch of their dark artifacts to Borgin and Burkes. No doubt Lucius will find a way to sabotage Weasley's career. Weasley's an idiot he is, and it will serve him right…"

Harry stood up, thanking the barman before stepping outside the pub to return to Diagon Alley to meet up with Hermione at Flourish and Blotts. Harry had no intention of telling anyone what he'd heard. It was, after all, a matter between Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley. However, he couldn't help but feel that he should try to help stop Lucius from sabotaging Arthur's career, since the man had only been looking out for the well-being of Muggles.

"Harry!" Hermione waved him over to a long line outside of Flourish and Blotts.

"What's with the long line?" Harry asked. "I haven't seen this many people so eager to read since that day in the library when the Potions essay was due in thirty minutes."

"Harry, we're actually going to meet him!" Hermione squealed excitedly.

However, Harry was entirely unfazed. "Who?"

"Gilderoy Lockhart! You know, the man who wrote nearly all the books on our supply list! He must be a really good wizard!" Hermione was rambling off. "He's giving out autographs."

Harry raised an eyebrow but didn't refute her. He just quietly took a Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 off of a table and placed it into a shopping bag, waiting in line with Hermione. He had no idea why he was going up there other than Hermione had asked him to go with her, promising him that it will be worthwhile, and she had sounded so eager that he couldn't say 'no.'

"…his books are supposed to be really expensive. Are you sure we'll be able to afford all this, Mom? Five sets of Lockhart's books would wipe out our savings…" came a familiar voice.

Harry spun around. Fred Weasley was talking to his mom. It appeared as if the entire family was here, too, waiting to buy Lockhart's books as well as get autographs. "Hey, Fred," Harry said.

"Oh, hey!" Fred turned to him, grinning. "I see you're a Lockhart fan, too, along with Hermione Granger here."

Harry gaped. "What? No, I didn't even know about him until today…"

Suddenly there was a thud behind Fred and they both turned to see what had happened. Ginny, startled to see Harry Potter up close, had apparently tripped over her robes and was now on the floor, her school supplies all over the floor. Although Fred laughed, Harry didn't say anything; instead, he only bent down to pick up her stuff while she sat, frozen in place due to his close proximity to hers. While he thought it was strange behavior, Harry didn't comment. After several minutes, he handed her back her cauldron filled with all her school supplies.

When he came back in line, George said in his ear, "Ginny, our sister, wouldn't shut up about you all summer. Excited to meet you in person ever since she knew you were going to Hogwarts. She's a first year this year."

"Yeah, and she'll want your autograph," Fred added.

Ginny, who had been listening in on their conversation, turned scarlet.

Harry chuckled. "I doubt she'd want my autograph, even if I do give them out," he said kindly, loud enough for her to hear. "My handwriting looks like chicken scratch." This comment made Ginny smile, even though it was a very shy smile.

"Harry," Hermione hissed excitedly. "He's…he's there! You can see him!"

Harry turned to see Gilderoy Lockhart at his desk. Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him in front of Lockhart's signing desk. "H-hello, Mr. Lockhart," Hermione stammered eagerly.

Harry was shocked to see his normally uptight friend completely lose all control over this man. She was acting like a fangirl, which was not at all typical of Hermione. Someone was taking pictures of Lockhart for the Daily Prophet behind him. Harry shifted uncomfortably. He was eager to leave. However, when Lockhart looked up, his eyes widened as they looked onto the scar on Harry's forehead.

"Merlin, it's Harry Potter."

Harry backed away. He didn't have a good feeling about this. The next thing he knew, Lockhart grabbed him by his arm and pulled him to his side for pictures. "Now, when young Harry came into Flourish and Blotts, he had no idea that he was going to receive my entire set of works…" Lockhart handed Harry a stack of books, which made Harry's knees buckle under their weight. "…free of charge! But that's not all! This year, he will have the real magical me teaching him Defense Against the Dark Arts at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Smile for the camera, Harry! Together, we'll make the front page!"

"Wait, sir, I don't want to…" Harry stood stiffly the entire time, sending Hermione looks of plea for help. However, she was too busy grinning at her friend being acknowledged by her idol to notice that Harry just wanted to get away. Finally, having enough of the humiliation, Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Lockhart's back, shifting his body slightly to hide his movements – it wouldn't be good for someone to see him do underage magic in the book store. The next second, Lockhart was hanging upside down in the air. Harry pretended to be in shock. "Oh, I'm…what's going on, sir? I'm sure someone will be able to get you down soon. I'll need to finish my shopping, so I'll see you later." With that, he marched over to Hermione, who was standing next to Ginny by the shelves. "That is going to be the last time I'm ever going to approach a man for autographs." He dropped the set of Lockhart's works into Ginny's cauldron, knowing that a whole set of Lockhart's books would save her family a lot of money. "Here, I can get my own set…"

Hermione looked back at Lockhart. "Harry, did you…?" She looked up at Harry, who was standing on a ladder, skimming over books on human Transfiguration.

Harry opened a book to a random page to check out its contents, asking, "Did I what, Hermione?"

"Harry, Lockhart's turning red! Get him down!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry turned towards Lockhart before flicking his wand in his direction. In a second, Lockhart was in an undignified heap on the ground. When he saw Hermione's disapproving look, he chuckled nervously, ruffling the hair on the back of his head. "It was the only way I could think of to get away from him…"

"I don't think you should go around jinxing your future teachers."

"Oh, c'mon, Hermione! Can't you see that he's just using me to boost his fame? I want none of it!" Harry defended his actions.

"He's already famous though! Why would he need to use you? Didn't you see what he did in his books?"

"Some people are just drunk on fame. Lockhart is an example of that – vain and self-obsessed," Harry replied, glancing disdainfully in Lockhart's direction. "I'm just glad that Dumbledore placed me in Potter Manor instead of some wizarding family who would treat me like a celebrity. As far as I'm concerned, the only reason I'm even touching his books is because it's required." He continued to skim through some more Transfiguration books before moving onto the section on Defense. "Hey, I didn't know they have an updated version of the countercurse handbook!"

Ginny whispered to Hermione, awestruck, "He jinxed Lockhart? Isn't he not allowed to use magic because he's underage?"

"He found a loophole," Hermione replied absentmindedly. She was still looking exasperated at Harry's lack of respect towards Lockhart.

When Harry stepped down from the ladder with an armful of books, which did not include Lockhart's books, he saw Ginny look at him with starstruck eyes. Seeing him looking at her, Ginny, startled for the second time that day, jumped and knocked over a stack of books behind her. Blushing furiously, she began to pick them up. Harry didn't comment. He only stacked his books on the floor before assisting Ginny and Hermione in stacking up the fallen books. Then he went back up to the Defense section. "There's more about his favorites and random accomplishments than defense!" Harry snorted in disgust, flipping through pages of one of Lockhart's books. However, he took down the stack of Lockhart's books.

"Well, if it isn't the Weasel Family…" came a drawling voice.

Harry, who was hidden behind his armful of books, recognized that voice anywhere.

Draco Malfoy was talking to Ginny. "I'm surprised your family is here. These books must be way out of your league," he said, gesturing to the pile of Lockhart's books in Ginny's cauldron. "Did your family sell the house to buy that set?"

Ginny's face turned red.

Harry, who finally realized that he could've just used a lightening charm on his books, did so before laying them on a nearby table. He and Malfoy hadn't spoken since that day when Harry caught the Remembrall from him. Malfoy never paid much attention to him, both fearing him because of the Sasha incident and not caring about whatever he does because Harry hadn't been popular in school. Jealous of his talent, though, he was, he never gave Harry too much of a hard time in school.

"Oh, and Potter, the famous celebrity walking into the humble Flourish and Blotts and getting put on the front page of the Daily Prophet," Draco sneered, turning to him and knowing that Harry wouldn't try anything in a crowded shop.

"Leave him alone, Malfoy. He didn't want any of that!" Ginny spoke up.

It was the first time Harry heard her speak out loud, but it made him smile.

"Oh, look, Potter. You've got yourself a girlfriend!" Draco sneered.

Ginny turned even redder.

"So that's how you got the books, didn't you? You got your boyfriend to buy them for you!"

Harry glared at Draco. "Lockhart gave them out for free. If you're famous enough, maybe he'll give you a full discount, too." He couldn't believe how cruel Draco was. He had thought that the incident on the train last year was just ignorance. Here, he was attacking Ginny at all her weak points.

Draco's pale cheeks tinged with pink.

"What have we got here?" A man who looked like an older version of Draco appeared behind him. "Ah, the Weasley's daughter…where's your disgrace of a father?" Lucius asked haughtily. He rummaged inside Ginny's cauldron and pulled out a battered looking Transfiguration textbook. "Tell me – with the extra raids he undertook, what's the point of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if he isn't even being paid enough for it?"

"We all know who the real disgrace in this shop is, Mr. Malfoy," Harry said, his voice steady. He understood what Malfoy was talking about – the raids due to the Muggle Protection Act. "We're just too polite to mention that it's you."

Lucius turned to look at him, his eyes flashing. Then he drawled coldly, "Well, if it isn't Harry Potter…the one responsible for the fall of the Dark Lord…"

Harry glared. "You know, 'Dark Lord' was what the Death Eaters call Voldemort."

"Brave boy, aren't you, calling him by name?" Lucius narrowed his eyes.

"Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself," Harry replied. "And I heard you were selling off some dark objects in your possession because of the Muggle Protection Act. Don't you think it's evidence enough that you were a Death Eater? Or maybe the court should have looked for a Dark Mark on your arm. I don't think Voldemort would've marked those under the Imperius Curse." Unknown to many people in the school, Harry, like Draco, can pick out weak points in people. He can use it to his advantage, although he rarely does. Harry knew about Lucius's trial as a Death Eater. By insinuating that he was a Death Eater with small bits of evidence and taunts, Harry could see fury and even panic flash across Lucius's eyes.

"You best watch yourself, boy, or you'll end up like your parents," Lucius replied furiously.

"I would hope I do," Harry shot back. "They were a great witch and wizard. They died, fighting for a cause they believed in, and they died, loving me. I hope I can do the same thing, although preferably without the death part. On the other hand, you were a bully and then a coward. You're pathetic."

"Harry, are you ready?" Hermione asked, coming over. She had went off to talk to her parents after helping Ginny pick up her books.

Lucius glanced at her. "Miss Granger?" he asked Draco for confirmation. Seeing his nod, Lucius turned to Harry. "I see that you're a muggle lover, just like that fool Arthur Weasley."

Harry turned to see a man, whom he assumed to be Arthur Weasley, conversing with the Grangers. Then he turned back to Malfoy, Sr. "Yeah I am," he replied coolly. "And I think Mr. Weasley is brilliant for proposing the Muggle Protection Act. As you can probably tell, Mr. Malfoy, just because you have an opinion doesn't mean it's correct."

Hermione had been confused when she entered the middle of the verbal fight, but she was starting to catch on that Harry's patience was wearing extremely thin. "Harry, let's go," she said urgently. She grabbed his arm. However, he had no intention of leaving just yet.

Lucius glared before giving his final words to Ginny before leaving the scene, "The company your father keeps…and I thought your family could sink no lower." With that, he took Draco, and both left the shop, their robes billowing behind them.

Harry visibly relaxed. He had been so stretched during the course of that 'conversation.' Turning to Ginny, he said wearily, "Tell your father I said that, can you? That he was brilliant for proposing the act. I'll see you in school." With that, he went to the clerk and paid for all his books. He shrunk them and then left the shop with the Grangers.

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