Chapter 14: Serving Two Masters
Severus could only stare at the completed vials for several moments. He had always prided himself on keeping his composure and knowing exactly what to say, and when not to say anything at all, but this time he found himself completely tongue-tied.
"Your handwriting has improved since I gave you that copy book last week Harry," was what he finally decided on as he placed all the vials back in the flat and waved his wand to prepare them for transportation the following morning. "With some more practice I'm sure I'll soon be able to read what you write without developing a migraine."
Harry felt his jaw hit the floor as he gaped at the man standing before him. Had he heard the vicious Potions Master correctly? Sure it was a back-handed complement, but any kind of compliment from Snape was something foreign to even the best Gryffindor. "Thank you sir," Harry didn't mean for it to come out so hesitant and he could have kicked himself, but instead pulled himself up straighter. "I've been working hard on it and I wanted to use my best writing for your potions."
"Your work has been paying off Mister Potter," Severus assured him with a nod of his head before spinning about and gliding back up the stairs out of the lab with his robes billowing behind him. "I thank you for that surprise Harry, that is not a task I enjoy and your work has saved me quite a bit of stress and time; even if you did add to my stress level to pull off that task. I must say that that was a very Slytherin thing to do."
Harry had been following Severus out of the lab and congratulating himself on the man's surprise, but he suddenly stiffened and stopped at hearing his last statement. "Why do you say that sir?" Harry did his best to hide the fear in his voice and didn't care that it came out sounding suspicious.
Severus glared and turned to look at the dark haired child. "There is nothing wrong with Slytherin," he snarled.
"I-I didn't s-say there was," Harry stammered taking a sudden step back. He seriously hadn't meant to offend the man. His words had just hit too close to home with the whole Chamber of Secrets mystery. He couldn't deny that the whispers that he was Slytherin's heir scared him out of his wits, and having the sorting hat firmly declare that he belonged in Slytherin did nothing to soothe his fears. Now however, the dreaded Potions Master, the Head of Slytherin House himself was saying that Harry displayed Slytherin tendencies. Between all of that and the voice he had been hearing in the Hogwarts walls, it was getting to be too much and Harry found himself wondering how much more he could take before he finally cracked.
Severus glared at the young Gryffindor for a moment longer before starting off once more, finally coming to rest in the sitting room. "You may not have verbally said anything against Slytherin Mr. Potter, but your tone clearly stated you were not pleased by my reference."
"I was just confused sir," Harry stated coming to sit down himself.
"All I stated was the truth Harry," Severus insisted. "Gryffindors are known for their bravery and, often times, recklessness." When he saw the boy's mouth yank open to protest Severus hurried on. "I'm not saying that courage and a willingness to act is a bad thing Harry. Many strong leaders possess those traits, and our dear Headmaster is one of them. Slytherin however, has also produced some strong leaders, and I'm not just talking about The Dark Lord."
Harry looked absolutely startled at this news. All he'd ever heard about those from Slytherin was bad. "Like who sir?"
"Well, the great Merlin himself for one," Severus declared firmly and smirked when the Gryffindor's eyes about bugged out of his head.
"Merlin was in Slytherin?" Harry asked completely flabbergasted. "Nobody's ever told me that."
Severus couldn't help a short bark of dry laughter. "I'm not terribly surprised. It's not something many care to remember given the turn of events the past twenty years. You do need to understand however that no house is purely good or evil. As I stated before, Gryffindor's are acclaimed for their bravery and willingness to act. While those are needed talents, if not honed properly they can lead to recklessness and destruction. Slytherins on the other hand are often accused of deceit and treachery because of their cunning. If that cunning is teamed with ambition and properly nourished however, you open yourself to limitless opportunities. Such as managing to clean, fill, and label 150 potions vials kept in a locked lab without letting your ever perceptive Potions Professor know."
At this Harry couldn't help but grin foolishly. Now that he thought about it, he had needed cunning and ambition to pull off the surprise for Snape. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was definitely different than some of the other plans he'd carried out with his friends. Like taking a flying car to Hogwarts, or rushing to save another student from a troll 10 times their size. As he mulled it over in his mind, many of the ideas he'd pulled off with Ron and Hermione had been reckless and could very well have ended in disaster. Still, he wasn't entirely ready to face the idea of being in Slytherin. Not with Slytherin's monster still roaming the castle. "What other leaders have come from Slytherin?"
"Madam Pomphrey was in Slytherin," Severus replied and was pleased to see Harry's eyebrows rise above his hairline. "She was a great asset to the Order of the Phoenix in the first Wizarding War against The Dark Lord patching up anybody that needed her, and before she transferred to Hogwarts she was a Head Healer at St. Mungos with an entire staff at her command. Even now she is in complete command of her Hospital Wing. Not even the Headmaster can get around her when she makes up her mind about something."
"Yeah she's definitely a force to be reckoned with sometimes," Harry agreed. He silently wondered how many of his classmates knew that the Hogwarts Hospital Matron had been in Slytherin.
"You will have plenty of opportunity to meet more Slytherin's starting tomorrow since you're going to have study sessions with them every day." Severus was pleased that Harry didn't groan upon hearing this. It showed the boy had some hope of getting past his hatred towards Slytherins. "There are plenty of strong, good leaders that you attend class with every week. They just find they don't need to loud and outspoken to be heard. Often times it is wise not to draw attention to yourself, even as a leader."
Severus sighed; that was a lesson he had seen again and again in the first wizarding war. While Albus had gotten them far, there was only one Albus Dumbledore and anyone else that openly opposed The Dark Lord and attempted to lead any kind of resistance against him was hunted down and slaughtered without mercy. There had been a few however that were secret leaders; working underground and keeping a low profile so that their movements were harder to trace. Tiffany Braider, one of Severus's own classmates, had been nothing more than a shop keeper in Hogsmeade, but she had been responsible for hiding hundreds of muggle borns and squibs. It was something she had taken upon herself, but because she kept her head down and not actively joined the rebellion, she was never discovered.
Severus and Harry talked about the traits of different leaders all through the rest of the evening, and Harry found himself enjoying being able to talk to the older wizard and get his opinion on different things. Severus was also surprised to find he relished in the simple act of talking with the young Gryffindor. Yes there were some Gryffindors that didn't grate on his very last nerve, but this one had always been the worst one. Now however, it seemed Severus was seeing a completely different side of young Harry. The child was actually very bright, intuitive, and kind hearted. He might not be the scholar that Miss Granger was, but if given the chance he was full of questions and an eagerness to learn.
Harry had been warned the night before that he would be woken at 6 Sunday morning and expected to quickly dress, eat breakfast, and be ready to leave by 8. He'd also been ordered to make sure everything he was taking back to Hogwarts was packed, and Severus even checked it himself assuring Harry that he would be able to fit more in his trunk and actually able to find the things he needed if he packed it neater.
The morning went fairly smoothly, and both Harry and Severus were ready to depart for Hogwarts, confident they hadn't left anything of importance. They flooed directly into Snape's office and Harry shivered as the cold of the dungeons hit him with full force upon arriving.
After Severus finally turned Harry loose to run wild with his friends he himself headed for the seventh floor, gave the gargoyle the password with a grimace, and proceeded up the spiral staircase to speak with the Headmaster.
"Severus my boy," Albus Dumbledore allowed the door to swing open before Severus had even landed the first knock. "Come on in, would you care for a lemon drop? How about a spot of tea? It's still quite early so I can't imagine you had a proper breakfast. I can have the elves bring up something heavier if you want."
"Headmaster, I can assure you that I am just fine," Severus snarled. "Now could we possibly get on to the matter at hand?" The old man had been his mentor for years, but he could be more than slightly infuriating. He wished he would stop with the formalities and get on to business. It had been nearly two weeks since they had discussed the house elf issue, and Severus hadn't heard anything since. For a man that liked to know everything and have things under complete control, Severus was not doing well with not knowing how the Malfoy house elf could get through the most powerful wards available set by the Headmaster himself.
"Of course my boy," Albus's eyes twinkled in amusement. He was fully aware that he was the only person alive that could get away with irking the irate Potions Master without thinking twice about it. Without further hesitation, Albus silently summoned a scroll of parchment, unrolled it, and slid it towards the younger wizard sitting across from him. "It's just a theory, and we will need Harry's cooperation to test it, but I may have stumbled upon a solution that will put your mind at ease."
Severus said nothing as he pulled the parchment towards him. He doubted his mind would truly be put at ease until Voldemort's corpse was rotting twenty feet under the ground in the heart of the forbidden forest and all of his followers had received the dementor's kiss, but he doubted that that would ever be part of reality.
"I've started by listing the concerns that you brought to my attention Severus, and then tried to tackle each possibility in turn." Severus was glad for the Headmaster's commentary because although the man had neat writing, his notes were all over the place and Severus was having a hard time keeping track of it all enough to comprehend what he was seeing.
"What is the theory you mentioned a moment ago Headmaster?" the dark haired wizard placed the parchment back on the desk before placing his fingers hard to his eyes to try and block out the images of arrows pointing from one statement to the next so he could focus on what was currently in front of him.
"Well, I came across an interesting piece in my reading that suggested that a house elf can choose who he wishes to serve."
"I thought an elf was tied to a specific house Headmaster," Severus's brow furrowed in confusion. Blinky had stated over and over again that she was destined to serve the inhabitants of Prince Manor until she died just as her mother before her and so on for generations back.
"An elf is tied to a specific family, but not necessarily one particular house," Albus explained carelessly. "If a family had their standard home in London and a summer cottage in Majorca, and one elf between them, it would only stand to reason that the elf would serve both homes. It works the same way if the family had multiple elves. While they would no doubt be able to dispatch a few to keep the summer home in Majorca, they would be more accustomed to the ones serving them the majority of the year in London so might call upon them to assist them with a thing or two in Majorca."
"Alright Headmaster, but how does a summer home in Majorca relate to the Malfoy elf penetrating the blood wards?" Severus possessed the patience of a saint when he was working on his potions, but when it came to dealing with people; tolerance seemed like a foreign concept.
"Severus, may I remind you that you were the one that stated that you believed House Elves were bound to a certain house rather than a family?" Albus's fingers long fingers were steepled together with the tips placed at his lips as he stared across at the Head of Slytherin. "Anyway, I read that once an elf is set free, they are at liberty to choose whoever they wish to serve. Like the Genie in that new Disney production Aladdin that just came out."
"What?" Severus was entirely confused by this random analogy, and even though he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know, the single syllable seemed to slip out before he could stop it.
"After Aladdin frees him, the Genie still has his magic and is able to serve but no longer has to obey if he doesn't want to."
"Never mind Headmaster, forget I asked." Severus shook his head to try and clear his mind once again. He was honestly quite amazed anyone was able to hold a serious conversation with the senile old man. "I still don't see where you are getting at with Dobby because I can assure you that he is not a free elf."
"That is where the theory comes in my boy," Albus replied not taking his eyes off the wizard before him. "When an elf ties itself to a witch or wizard, they are able to perform near impossible tasks to serve their master and protect their master from harm. From what you said that Harry told you, it would seem that little Dobby greatly admires Harry, and only wants to protect him. It's a little unusual since he already serves the Malfoy's, but I'm wondering if Dobby has tied himself to young Harry."
"So you believe," Severus's felt like his head was spinning, "that Dobby might be serving two masters? And that that is why the elf was able to penetrate the blood wards and even enter the castle grounds itself?"
"That is my current theory Severus," Dumbledore nodded before rising once more. "It is also why we will need young Harry's cooperation to test it. We will need to have him try to summon the little elf. If it doesn't work then we are obviously back to the drawing board, and if it does, then we just might have the opportunity to question the elf ourselves and figure out exactly what is going on here. There is also the matter that the ordinary house elves are not able to penetrate the walls of the castle, but I have a theory regarding that was well, and we can test it right now if you wish."
"In order for me to test it Headmaster," Severus droned out lazily. He was really getting frustrated at the old man's waiting games, but he knew that if he showed his frustration it would only serve to fuel his desire to continue.
"It is my belief that the elves not generally able to penetrate the grounds of Hogwarts because they are not serving any inhabitants of the castle." Albus popped a lemon drop into his mouth and sucked the crystalized sweet a moment before continuing. "While several students here are served by house elves at home, the elf is truly bound to the family the child is from, and not the actual child. Since the family does not reside at Hogwarts, the elf is unable to aparate directly onto the grounds to assist an offspring of the family they serve. You however, are a resident of Hogwarts as a teacher here, and seeing as you possess a house elf of your own at Prince Manor; you can test my theory and see if your charming elf is able to aparate onto the grounds."
"Blinky!" Severus called without a moment's hesitation. He may have to sit through the Headmaster's little games, but he didn't have to participate, and the quicker he did his part, the quicker they would get through the entire ordeal.
"Master Severus is being calling Blinky?" The instant her name was uttered, the little elf had appeared at her master's elbow, and Albus's eyes sparkled with delight.
"Excellent," he declared as he clapped his hands together. Blinky stared at the Headmaster, and Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he really was spending too much time with insolent teenagers. "Now it's time for the next experiment. Blinky, would you be able to aparate Severus off the Hogwarts grounds?"
"Of course Blinky can be doing that if it is being Master Severus's wish," the elf answered bobbing her head vigorously before looking back at Severus. Albus too looked at his Potions Master, and Severus heaved a heavy sigh and held out his arm to Blinky.
"Take me to Hogsmeade Blinky," he ordered firmly. The elf obediently grasped his hand, and with a small pop both the wizard and elf vanished.
A moment later they reappeared at Dumbledore's mahogany desk and the old man gently placed his fingertips to his lips ones more. While he was entertained to be seeing his theories tested, he couldn't deny that this could pose a possible security problem. Hogwarts security was something he took very seriously, and he wasn't willing to put any of the children at risk. "Severus, take Harry off campus."
"What?" Severus hadn't side along apparated in years, and doing it alongside an elf had been more than a little disorienting.
"Try to get Blinky to take Harry off campus," Albus repeated ignoring his Potions Master's uncharacteristic confusion.
"Oh, right," Severus shook his head and looked at Blinky. "Blinky, I want you to take Harry to Hogsmeade like you just did me."
"Blinky cannot be doing that master Severus," the elf stuttered nervously starting to twist her ears. "Blinky cannot be taking any students out of school. Not even master Harry.
"Well that is at least some good news," Albus stated with a smile. Hearing that helped put his mind at ease. "Please do not punish yourself Blinky, we were just trying to see what we need to work around since it's been brought to our attention that elf magic has been something we seemed to have overlooked and we feared it could pose a security problem."
"You may return to the manor Blinky," Severus said dismissively. He felt immensely relieved to know that when the Dark Lord reappeared he wouldn't be able to use the elves to cart the children away from Hogwarts. Not that he thought he would even try it since the Dark Lord felt that all creatures were below that of the pureblood wizard. It was however, a nice precaution.
"Well at least we have that figured out and know that the majority of the students are safe," Albus replied as Blinky vanished. "Now we just have to figure out the rest of the details concerning Dobby and Harry. Let him enjoy visiting with his friends for a little bit and we'll ask him to join us after lunch."
Harry knew that many of the students had chosen to leave Hogwarts for the holidays because of the threat of the chamber of secrets and that they wouldn't be returning until just before dinner, but he found he still felt incredibly self-conscious as he made his way through the castle to Gryffindor tower. He was wearing a new set of casual robes in dark blue and he kept his head low and walked as quickly as he could while he prayed that he wouldn't come across anyone. While he knew he would have to face it eventually, he felt that he would be able to handle the stares and whispers a lot better with his friends by his side.
Harry found himself thanking Merlin and stopping to catch his breath when he was able to sink against the wall outside the portrait hole without having met anyone on the way. Taking a deep breath he did his best to brace himself as he gave the Fat Lady the password and stepped into the common room.
Instantly there was a strangled gasp followed by Ron calling out "Harry!" and jumping up from his game of checkers he ran directly over to his friend. "You survived!"
Shaking his head Harry quickly clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Yeah," he whispered glancing quickly around the room very aware that every eye was on him. "I take it 'Mione isn't out of the hospital wing yet?" When Ron shook his head Harry gave a quick nod. "Let's head there." Without waiting for a response Harry walked back out of the portrait hole ignoring the whispers that were already starting and thanking the stars above that everyone was currently too shocked to stop him.
Once in the hospital wing Harry immediately headed to the curtained section that hid Hermione. She was reading, but as soon as they walked over she looked up and her entire face brightened with a smile. "Oh Harry, I'm so glad you're back." Then she sighed heavily and looked at her hands. Although they were now the correct shape, they were still covered in fur, and even as they watched she began to choke up a hair ball. "Of course it's not all good news since it means school starts tomorrow and I won't be ready."
"Don't worry 'Mione," Harry replied with a grin. "We'll get all your homework assignments for you so you won't fall behind."
"Come on Harry, she's in the hospital wing, she needs a break. Besides, she's always done more than everything so it's not like it's even possible for her to fall behind," Ron argued with a roll of his eyes.
"Are you mental Ronald?" Hermione demanded looking absolutely flabbergasted at the very idea. "I can't just ignore my school work when classes start up again. Final exams will be coming up and..."
"Wait a minute; final exams?" Ron asked completely stunned. "She's worried about final exams and she thinks I'm the mental person. Merlin's starry hat Hermione, it's only January and exams aren't until June."
"Yes but we have to start getting ready because we already have half the term behind us and if I fall behind it will take forever to catch up and then I'll never be ready," Hermione argued.
"Don't worry Hermione, I'll bring your assignments and help you keep up," Harry assured her before Ron could cut in again and start a full on argument. He didn't want Madam Pomphrey to throw them out of the hospital wing for over exciting her patient.
For the first little while the three friends discussed how life had been with Snape, and both Ron and Hermione were amazed at what Harry had pulled off for the man's birthday the previous day.
"That was so sweet Harry," Hermione gushed.
"Are you kidding?" Ron asked with wide eyes. "He's just as mental as you 'Mione. Voluntarily cleaning and labeling all those vials and deliberately causing mayhem to get into trouble. He's lucky Snape didn't strangle him on the spot."
"Don't be ridiculous Ronald," Hermione was sounding exasperated again, and Harry had to hold in a sigh himself.
"It really wasn't all that bad Ron," he assured his best friend. "I didn't have much of a choice for something for his birthday and after all he'd done for me what with the new clothes and the Quidditch magazine I felt he deserved something for his birthday and that was all I could think of."
"I still think you're mental," Ron muttered shaking his head. "This is Snape we're talking about."
"Don't listen to him Harry," Hermione replied firmly. "I think what you did for Professor Snape was really thoughtful."
"Thanks 'Mione," Harry replied thankful that at least one of his friends understood. He kept quiet about everything Snape had said about Slytherin. He hadn't told his friends about the hat almost putting him there, and he really wasn't ready to do that now either. Things still felt all kinds of upside down and sideways.
Deciding it was time to change the subject; Harry sighed and tugged at a lock of his hair. "'Mione, do you have any ideas about what to do with my hair? It's not quite as greasy as it was before because I've washed it really well, but if I don't wash it every day it gets really oily and it being constantly in my face is driving me crazy."
"You could try experimenting with different shampoos Harry to see which one works best for you," Hermione responded tucking a stray lock of her own hair, which had returned to its normal color, behind her hair and reaching for a book on the night stand beside her bed. "That's what I did when I was younger since certain shampoos made my hair super frizzy and impossible to work with. There are also potions you can use on your hair to help it which is how I've got mine a little more under control than it was last year. There are all kinds of different potions in here Harry." She handed the book over to her friend as she started choking on another hairball. "When I get out of here I could probably help you make some if you are interested in giving it a try."
"That would be great 'Mione," Harry answered starting to flip through the book a little bit.
"As for it being in your way, I think the only solution to that is to cut it and I'll tell you now that I'm no expert on hair styles so you may have to find someone else. Maybe you could talk to Professor Snape about it."
"Yeah, I might have to." Harry couldn't lie; he was more than a little disappointed that his friend didn't have a way to help him. While he'd spent two weeks living with the man, he still wasn't completely comfortable around him, but his hair really was getting in his way. It would fall in his face when he was doing his school work, and it was all over the place when he was on his broom.
"We'll work on what we can together though Harry," Ron promised feeling a little left out of the conversation. He had been having a much harder time coming to terms with everything than Hermione had, but he also realized that Harry was his best friend and he needed to be as supportive as possible.
Severus sighed as he glanced around the Great Hall once again. Lunch was going to end in 10 minutes and it was obvious that the boy really wasn't going to show up. He shook his head frustrated that the little brat seemed to have completely ignored everything Severus had tried to drill into his head. Every single day during the Christmas holiday Severus had made sure to get Harry to eat 3 meals a day. That had rung especially true after Madam Pomphrey's examination last weekend.
At the same time however, Severus tried to force himself to remember that in the past two weeks Harry had proven to be shy and he understood that it would be difficult for Harry to deal with all of the whispers and stares that would pop up with his new appearance. He had to try hard to block out the thought that Harry would be ashamed of his new appearance because he really didn't want Severus as his true father. Either way, he now had to hunt down the dunderhead, who was probably complaining to his idiotic friends, force feed him something nutritious, and drag him off to the Headmaster to assure himself that the little tyrant couldn't be carted away by some crazed house elf.
Knowing that Miss Granger was still in the infirmary, Severus made his way up there first to see if the boy was visiting with her. He couldn't help a satisfied nod when he heard the unmistakable voice of Poppy Pomphrey fussing about.
"I can assure you boys that this is a one-time deal. The Great Hall is there to serve the students their meals, and my infirmary is not your personal hideout. The only reason I'm doing this Mr. Potter is because I can see you are determined not to go mingle with the other students quite yet and it is vitally important for you to keep your nutrition up."
"Yes ma'am, I promise it won't be an everyday thing." Harry piped up quietly and Severus could just imagine him staring at the floor and aimlessly pushing the food around on his plate with his fork. "I just don't feel up to dealing with the shock my appearance will cause twice in one day."
Severus felt an inward stab of pain. There it was spoken right out loud. Harry really was ashamed of him. Pushing that pain deep inside of him Severus threw back the curtain, ignored Miss Granger's squeal of surprise as she dove under her covers to hide her furry face, and glared at his son. "Mr. Potter, the fact that we have returned to Hogwarts does not mean you are going to return to your horrible eating habits. I believe that I have already explained to you that I expect to see you in the Great Hall eating something substantial for all three meals."
"Yes sir," Harry responded with a simple nod. "I just thought that one meal wouldn't hurt, especially since term hasn't really started yet. Madam Pomphrey has already been on my case however and brought us some sandwiches."
"Madam Pomphrey is not your personal waitress, and unless I was not informed about your newest admittance to the infirmary she is not your nurse either so she shouldn't be required to provide you with food you can obtain like any other student by going to the Great Hall."
"Yes sir," Harry all but whispered.
"Either way, hurry and finish your lunch because Professor Dumbledore wants to see you in his office," Severus ordered straitening further. Hermione was still hiding under her bed covers and he could only shake his head at her silliness. He'd seen her before Poppy had had a chance to start transferring her back to normal and it made no sense for the girl to be shy around him now. "Miss Granger, I brought you a potion that should speed your recovery. Take a dose now, a dose at dinner, a dose at each meal tomorrow, and a dose at breakfast Tuesday and you should be set for lessons that morning."
At this news Hermione slowly pulled the covers away from her face to look at her professor. "Are you serious Professor?" she asked timidly barely daring to hope. "I'll really be able to return to lessons on Tuesday?"
"Yes Miss Granger, you will really be able to return to lessons on Tuesday," Severus snarled shaking his head. "I wouldn't want you skiving off Potions after all. Who would be there to keep Longbottom on his feet?" With that placed the potion on the girl's nightstand, spun on his heel, and stalked to the door. When he reached it he didn't even bother to turn around. "Mr. Potter, I can assure you that the Headmaster has more important things to do than to wait around for you to take your own sweet time, now come along." With a final shrug to his friends Harry headed for the door while Madam Pomphrey measured out Hermione's first dose of potion.
Harry couldn't imagine what the Headmaster would want to see him for, and he found himself stewing over it the entire way up to the seventh floor. He couldn't imagine that he was in any kind of trouble, but there was just something about being called to the Headmaster's office that seemed to instantly turn your stomach to ice.
He didn't even register giving the gargoyle the password and he silently stepped onto the revolving staircase. When Snape knocked on the door and Harry heard the soft "come in," he felt as if his legs had been left behind with the stone gargoyle at the entrance, but he somehow forced himself to move forward.
"Ah, Harry, Severus, do come in," Albus Dumbledore smiled warmly and rose to greet his guests. "Have a seat and just make yourselves comfortable. Would either of you care for a lemon drop?"
"No thank you sir." Harry's mouth was so dry he felt sure he'd flooed somewhere far away and swallowed an entire bucketful of ash in the process.
After Severus made his usual refusal for the sweet, Dumbledore popped one into his mouth before replacing the crystal flask of them on his desk. "Well I'm glad you could come by boys, we need to get to the bottom of this, and the sooner the better in my opinion." With that he clapped his hands in delight and sat behind his big desk once more.
"Sir?" Harry asked feeling even more confused. What did they have to get to the bottom of? Things had been perfectly fine at the Manor after they had gotten a few things squared away, but even before that wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could have been.
"Harry, Professor Snape told me that you've had a couple visits from a house elf." Dumbledore decided that it would be best to jump right in.
"That's right sir," Harry replied with a nod. He wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing if Dobby was the reason behind this entire meeting. On the one hand he could honestly say he had absolutely no idea what was going on with the little creature, and therefore couldn't possibly be involved. On the other hand, it seemed that nothing good ever came from those encounters, even if he couldn't see the elf.
"Tell me about these meetings Harry?" the Headmaster prompted. "Professor Snape says that the elf tried to stop you from coming to Hogwarts this summer by showing up at your Aunt's house, and then even came here to Hogwarts to speak to you."
"Yes sir," Harry replied with a nod. "The very first time I saw him was in the garden this summer, but I didn't know it was him because he didn't come talk to me until later that evening. He told me that I couldn't return to Hogwarts because bad things were going to happen. I also found out he hadn't been giving me my letters, and when I said I was going back to Hogwarts he used magic and got me in trouble not only with my aunt and uncle, but also with the Ministry. I got a letter saying if I used anymore magic away from school I'd be expelled."
"I see," Dumbledore steepled his fingers together and peered intently at the child sitting across from him. "Was that the only encounter you had with him over the summer?"
"I thought so because I didn't seem him after that, but in the hospital wing he told me that he was the one that sealed the barrier at the train so that Ron and I couldn't get through. He said it was another attempt to keep me from going to Hogwarts. He also said that he was the one that tampered with the bludger so that it would chase after me in that first Quidditch match. He wouldn't tell me anything except that bad things were happening and that I needed to leave because I wasn't safe."
"Did Dobby ever try to take you away from Hogwarts himself?" Dumbledore asked with a deep frown. It seemed as if this elf new quite a bit about what was going on right now, and that made him think that Lucius Malfoy had a major hand in it somehow. The only problem was that he had absolutely no idea how to prove it. Even if the elf wasn't forced into silence by his master, nobody would take the word of an elf; especially over Lucius Malfoy. He was on the school board and Albus new very well that he had Fudge in his pocket. His only hope for now was that, like Blinky, Dobby was unable to transport anyone on or off the Hogwarts campus or through the wards at Prince Manor.
"No sir," Harry shook his head firmly. "Dobby has told me repeatedly that I should not be at Hogwarts, but he has never once tried to take me anywhere himself. His efforts to get me to leave are more through expulsion or serious injury."
"Do you think he could be on orders from his master to hurt you or get you expelled so you aren't at Hogwarts?" While Dumbledore was relieved the elf hadn't tried to take Harry away himself, he felt that he had to explore all of his options, and he wasn't about to put Lucius above ordering his elf to make sure that Harry wasn't able to finish his magical education since an untrained wizard would have a much harder time finishing off his master.
"No sir, I don't think so," Harry responded with a frown of his own. "He's never told me who his master is, but he seems to be trying to get me away from Hogwarts on his own rather than because he's been ordered. He seems to be sneaking around his master to do it because he's always trying to punish himself or telling me about having to punish himself for whatever he's done to try and 'protect' me or whatever he thinks he's doing."
"I see," Dumbledore nodded once before standing from his desk and turning to gaze out the window. After a moment of silence he spoke again, though didn't turn from the window. "I've called you here Harry because this is of a great concern to us. As you've already learned, house elves have their own type of magic, but they are restricted in its use according their orders from the family they serve. You should also know that there is a type of magic that is restricted on the Hogwarts grounds. It is called apparition, and it is restricted as a safety measure for you students."
"What's apparition sir?" Harry couldn't help his question. None of this was making any sense.
"Apparition is when a magical being is able to disappear from one place and reappear in another place almost instantly," Dumbledore explained without a hint of impatience in his voice but never turning from staring out the window. "You will be given the opportunity to take apparition lessons in your sixth year, and once you turn 17 will be able to go get your apparition license. It's kind of like having a driver's license in the muggle world. Anyways, as I stated before, apparition is severely restricted on the Hogwarts grounds. In fact, all forms of transportation are. Apparition however, is the most restricted because no witch or wizard is able to aparate on the Hogwarts grounds. This is a precaution we have taken to make sure that students are not abducted from the grounds since apparition is nearly impossible to trace. A house elf however, has magic as well and actually depends on apparition to do many of its assigned tasks. Therefore the wards in place allow the elves serving the school to aparate around the castle and on and off the campus to do the tasks they have been assigned. They cannot however remove any of the inhabitants of the school, and elves not bound to Hogwarts are not supposed to be able to aparate onto the grounds at all. As you have noticed however, this Dobby has somehow managed to get around that rule, and we need to see if we can't figure out how and why, as well as if he is able to take you away from the school."
"O.K." It was spoken slowly, and Harry had to try hard to keep his mind focused because it seemed to be absolutely everywhere at once. He once more wished that Hermione were here because he had absolutely no doubt that she would understand and be able to explain it to him.
Dumbledore finally turned away from the window to peer at Harry. "I have a theory, but I needed your help to test it. I already asked Professor Snape's assistance to test some of my other theories earlier today, but now I need your assistance. Are you willing to help me Harry?"
"Of course sir, whatever you need." Harry didn't know what on earth he could do to help, but he wasn't about to refuse the Headmaster anything.
"Excellent, now you told me that this Dobby seems extremely concerned about protecting you, am I right?"
"Yes sir." Harry nodded feeling a little skeptical. "I'm not entirely sure about his methods of going about it, but he seems to want to protect me."
"You also said that he doesn't seem to like the family he currently serves, correct?"
"No sir. I mean yes sir, he doesn't like them sir." Harry heard Severus give a small snort of disgust and felt his face flush red. He knew he was making a mess of his wording here, but it wasn't everyday he was called to stand, or sit, before the greatest wizard of the century.
"Well, it is my theory that because of his interest in protecting you and his dislike for his bonded family, he has somehow managed to forge a connection to you." Albus smiled kindly at Harry hoping to calm the boy at least slightly.
"What do you mean by a connection sir?" Harry was kind of glad that all of this was so complicated because it was keeping his mind busy enough that he didn't have too much time to worry about being in any kind of trouble.
"You see Harry, a house elf has the power to bind itself to a wizarding family," Dumbledore explained patiently. "Usually that happens if the elf has been dismissed from the family it was serving, but in this case I think Dobby has done it because of a strong desire to protect you and an equally strong dislike for his bonded family. I have never heard of it before, but if my theory is correct, you would also be Dobby's master, but you would be his secondary master and he is only able to serve you after he had fulfilled all of the requests of his primary master, the family he is bonded to."
At this news Harry couldn't help a small bark of laughter. "Dobby sure has a funny way of serving me then sir."
"You will be polite to the Headmaster Harry or we can have a lesson in manners when we are done here," Severus cut in.
"He's not trying to be disrespectful Severus," Dumbledore dismissed Severus's scolding with a wave of his hand and a smile. "From what we've heard so far about all the trouble the elf has gotten Harry into I can imagine this seems a little far-fetched. We do have a simple way of testing it however. Harry, would you be so kind as to try calling for Dobby us? It would be a great help."
"How would I do that sir?" Harry asked a little flushed in the face from Snape's scolding.
"Just call his name like you would for Blinky at the manor," Dumbledore responded sitting at his desk once more.
"Um, alright," Harry replied before scrunching up his face as he tried to focus. "Dobby." When nothing happened Harry frowned and looked at the Headmaster once more. At his encouragement, Harry tried once more. "Dobby, it is Harry. I need to talk to you." Still there was nothing, and Harry couldn't help but sigh as he saw Dumbledore frown and shake his head.
"Maybe he's just doing a task his bonded family and can't come to you until he's finished," Dumbledore supplied. He really needed to figure this out because he could not let the students be at risk.
Harry didn't know what else to say, and since Dumbledore hadn't dismissed him, he decided it would be best to just stay where he was. Time passed however, and Harry felt more and more awkward as nothing happened. Neither Dumbledore or Snape spoke, and Harry found himself absentmindedly kicking his feet and fiddling with his thumbs wishing someone would at least say something.
It seemed like he'd been sitting there forever, and Harry had just opened his mouth to ask what he was supposed to do now when there was a loud pop beside him and he felt out of his chair in shock.
"Harry Potter is calling for Dobby sir?" the little elf sounded hesitant and he was nervously wringing his hands tightly. When he saw that he was standing in the Headmaster's office his eyes went wide and the wringing increased. "Oh, Dobby should not be being here, master is going to be very upset and Dobby will have to be dropping the bricks on his feet. Bad Dobby."
"Dobby, Dobby, calm down," Harry insisted frantically as he pulled himself off the floor. "We just needed to be asking you some questions."
"Harry Potter is good but Dobby is not supposed to be being here," whimpered the elf edging closer to the wall of the office.
"Harry, try ordering him not to punish himself," Dumbledore requested smiling once more. The fact the elf had responded to Harry's summons was a very good sign.
"Dobby, I forbid you to punish yourself for coming to see me," Harry demanded feeling incredibly stupid. He wasn't used to ordering anyone around, and it wasn't as if the elf had listened to him in the past. If he had Aunt Petunia's pudding wouldn't have gotten smashed this summer. The order seemed to be working however because while the elf continued to look at the wall longingly, he seemed unable to get any closer.
"This is good Harry," Dumbledore stated sounding more delighted. Dobby however, looked ready to faint dead away. "Dobby, can you look at me please?" It took several moments, but the elf finally looked at him.
"What is it that the Great Professor Dumbledore is being needing of Dobby?" the elf squeaked still sounding nervous.
"Dobby, we need to know, have you bound yourself to Harry?" The elf didn't answer. Instead he just stood there with his big eyes. "Dobby, we know that you already have a family that you are bound to serve, but we also know that you have been trying to protect Harry and that you have been able to get through both the Hogwarts wards and the blood wards protecting Harry's house during the summer and we need to know why." When the elf still didn't answer Dumbledore sighed. "Harry, try ordering him to answer me."
"Answer Professor Dumbledore Dobby," Harry stated firmly. It still felt odd to be giving orders, but being ordered around was more of what he was used to so being ordered to give orders seemed more natural.
"Dobby wants to protect Harry Potter Professor Dumbledore sir," Dobby finally responded. "Dobby loves Harry Potter and wants to keep him safe and serve Harry Potter but Dobby can't because Dobby already has a master that Dobby serves."
"I see," Dumbledore nodded. "You serve the family you are bonded too, but when they don't need you around you serve Harry because you have bonded yourself to him correct?"
"Yes sir, Dobby is being bound to his family from birth, but he is also being bound to Harry Potter because Harry Potter is a wonderful wizard that Dobby wishes to serve forever," the elf responded sounding proud.
"I see, well that is very commendable Dobby," Dumbledore nodded his approval and let out a deep breath of relief. "Is that how you are able to get through the protective wards to Harry?"
"Of course Professor Dumbledore sir," the elf squeaked nodding violently. "Dobby has to be getting to Harry Potter to be protecting him.
"Are you able to take Harry off of Hogwarts campus?" Dumbledore asked hoping that his luck would continue and the elf would give the answer he was looking for.
"No Professor Dumbledore sir." This time the little elf sounded wistful. "Dobby is not being able to take anyone on or off the Hogwarts grounds because of the protection wards around. If Dobby was being able to he would take Harry Potter far away from Hogwarts because bad things is happening and Harry Potter is not safe." At this he looked pleadingly at Harry. "Please Harry Potter sir, leave Hogwarts. It is not being safe for yous anymore."
"I'm not going anywhere Dobby," Harry insisted once again sighing heavily. He didn't feel like going over this battle yet again with the crazy elf.
"Harry Potter is not safe sir and things will only be getting worse at Hogwarts," Dobby insisted. "Bad things is happening and..." the elf didn't get to finish however. "Dobby has to go, that is Dobby's master calling him." Without any further explanation the elf vanished from sight leaving the three wizards staring at each other.
"Well, at least now we know that the students can't be taken off the grounds by crazed house elves," Dumbledore replied cheerfully popping another lemon drop into his mouth.
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update, I updated my other story and things just got crazy with the holiday hustle and bustle. I wanted to get this up today though to start off the New Year on a great foot so I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas, or whatever you celebrate, and I wish you all a Happy New Year.
~Lily