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Chapter 14: Elves and Escapes

July 25

Harry opened the latest letter from Malfoy. As always, every word was expertly traced and looked like it was done by a calligrapher. Harry had been writing back and forth with the boy over the past few weeks, and every letter was actually interesting. Harry had expected that Draco would eventually slip into his old habit of insulting and belittling, but it hadn't happened yet.

Instead, they had discussed wizarding politics, the histories of various families, and even magical theory. Harry had explained what living in the muggle world was like, and the Malfoy heir had responded with fascinating descriptions of life in a wizarding manor. This latest missive was no different, though Draco had finally stopped addressing his letters to 'Potter'.

Dear Harry,

I still have a hard time believing half of the things you say about muggles. For instance, I don't understand how they could have sent a giant metal firework into space. Surely it would lose power before it actually left Earth's atmosphere, right? Even using magic, our fireworks only go up a few thousand feet at most. I feel as if you're making it all up. Do you have any proof?

Your thoughts on the Malfoy-Weasley feud in your last letter were intriguing. I asked my father what he thought about me and Ronald attempting to negotiate a peace, and he laughed. He assured me that even if I operated in good faith, any truce would need to be decided between the elders of the family, meaning him and the Weasley patriarch. He said that would never happen.

I then asked him about the future, when I am someday the head of the Malfoy family, and he said that I would need to negotiate with the eldest Weasley still living, which would almost certainly not be Ronald. Do you know how many older brothers he even has? I think there's 12 of them.

You also asked me about all the ways wizards get around. Obviously, there are the Floo network, broomsticks, and apparition. Those are the most commonly used methods of travel, at least in Britain. I know some countries allow flying carpets, but they're banned here for some reason. We have one somewhere in the attic, but it's only illegal to fly them, not to own them.

My father described portkeys to me as well. You have to be licensed by the Ministry to make one, as they're powerful and very easy to create incorrectly. A portkey is an object that has been enchanted so that once a person touches it, it will transport them to a specific location. If made incorrectly, it could take someone to the center of the earth, or the middle of the ocean. I know Wendelin the Weird used to make portkeys that would transport her high in the air, then she'd wait as long as she could before she got on her broomstick and landed safely.

I'm sure there are other ways to transport yourself, but those are the ones I know about.

If you want to learn more about this, I'd recommend taking Arithmancy as one of your electives this year. I know they cover portkeys and Floos in that class. What electives did you pick?

Hope to hear from you soon,

Draco

Harry smiled in spite of himself. Even knowing that Draco probably was trying to fool him, the boy wrote so genuinely that Harry felt as if they could be friends someday. He wouldn't have to work hard at pretending to be Malfoy's friend when they met up on the Hogwarts Express.

Harry was contemplating what to write back when Dobby popped into the room, carrying a plate of fudge and a note emblazoned with a large red heart. Harry tilted his head in confusion at his elf, who grinned back, looking a little embarrassed. The boy picked up the note and opened it. Inside it said:

Harry dear,

It was so thoughtful to send little Dobby to help me around the house for the past few weeks. However, I will soon find myself with nothing to occupy my time if he keeps this up. If you still want to send him over occasionally, I certainly won't object to your kindness, but please tell him to slow down a bit, won't you?

Enjoy the fudge,

Molly Weasley

Harry fixed Dobby with an assessing stare, and the elf shrank in on himself a bit. Dobby, Harry asked. Didn't I tell you to take breaks?

Dobby nodded frantically. "Dobby did, Harry Potter sir! Every three hours, Dobby would stop and get a drink. Dobby promises!"

Harry palmed his face. And how long did those drink breaks last?

Dobby considered for a moment. "About half a minute, Dobby thinks."

Harry sighed and got up from his desk, kneeling in front of the little creature so they were eye to eye. Dobby, that's not a break, he slowly explained. A break would be stopping every hour for five minutes, or every two hours for a fifteen minute break.

The elf looked mortified. "Dobby couldn't do that, Harry Potter! Dobby is no layabout! Dobby is proud to work hard for his master and master's family and friends!"

Harry shook his head. You work too hard, Dobby. I know you're used to doing everything around the house for the Malfoys, but there's nothing wrong with relaxing every so often.

He thought for a moment, then smiled as he remembered something he'd been meaning to do. Dobby, why don't we have you teach me something?

Dobby gave him a blank look. "What could Dobby possibly know that the magnificent Harry Potter doesn't?"

Harry grinned. How you apparate. You can go through powerful wards, like the ones on this house. Regular apparition is blocked here. How do you do it?

Dobby shrugged. "Dobby just does it, Harry Potter. All elveses can."

Harry had expected that answer, and so he gently put his hands on Dobby's shoulders while still looking right into the elf's eyes. All right, just think about how it feels to apparate, Dobby. Concentrate on the feeling of popping from one place to another. I'm going to try to find the memory in your mind.

Dobby looked dubious, but slowly nodded. "Dobby is thinking about it, sir. Is Harry Potter sure this is a g-"

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Harry felt like he was flying his broomstick through a firework show in the rain. Explosions in every colour imaginable surrounded him and pushed him back and forth, up and down. At the same time, tiny specks peppered his face and arms, making him squint and wince with every impact. The explosions and sharp pin pricks seemed to go on and on, disorienting and confusing him, until finally he hit a wall.

The impact jarred him, making his vision swim, but the cessation of movement steadied him until he could get his bearings. He peered out in front of him and after a few moments, he managed to understand what he was seeing. The flecks that still whirled through the air and stung his skin were emotions, and he began to distinguish individual feelings as they touched him. A spot of fear hit his arm, followed by a pinprick of happiness on his forehead.

He looked out at the explosions that still filled the cavern, and noticed that they were like no fireworks he'd ever seen. They would expand outwards rapidly and glow brilliantly, but then they would start to contract again, darkening and shrinking till they were nearly black orbs. Then they would explode out and repeat the process over and over, almost like flowers opening and closing.

If the tiny flecks were emotions, Harry thought, then those strange fireworks must be memories. But how could he get one, much less the one he was looking for?

Dobby? he called out tentatively. He got no answer, so he tried again, more confidently. Dobby!

The normally squeaky voice of his voice seemed to boom from everywhere at once. MASTER HARRY POTTER, SIR! IS YOU ALL RIGHT?

Harry clapped his hands to his ears, even though it did nothing to muffle the sound. Dobby! Not so loud!

This time, while the voice still came from everywhere, Dobby seemed to be trying to whisper. It was the loudest whisper Harry had ever heard. Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter! Where is you?

I'm in your mind, Dobby, the boy answered. I can't find you or the memory you're concentrating on.

Dobby considered that for a moment, then said, Dobby doesn't know how to help. Dobby will get help.

Harry barely had time to question what that meant before he felt a phantom pain in his ear, right where… the earring that Kaecilius had given him was. Wait, Dobby! he shouted frantically. I'm sure we can fig-

Harry felt his consciousness being pulled violently backwards, and in less than a second he was lying on his back in his bedroom, staring up at his master who looked distinctly unamused.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" the man asked.

Harry tried to give a winning smile, but he had a feeling he was about to be yelled at.

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He was right. Harry estimated that he had said "Yes, sir," and "Sorry, sir," at least thirty times before Kaecilius ran out of steam. His master could easily give Mrs. Weasley a run for her money.

Finally, Kaecilius had calmed down and eyed Harry reprovingly. "Very well," the man said. "Let's see if you understand what you did wrong. Explain it to me."

Harry gave a very quiet sigh, but obeyed. "I should have d-discussed my idea with you first."

Kaecilius nodded, clearly waiting for more.

"I should've discussed it with D-Dobby more before trying it."

The elf in question gave a quiet "humph!". Harry gave him a quick betrayed look, but it had no effect.

"I definitely should have had you w-with me when I tried it."

"Without question," his master agreed. "And?"

"And I owe you and Dobby an apology," Harry finished. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm s-sorry, Dobby."

Dobby bounded over and wrapped Harry in a tight hug. "Oh, apologizing to Dobby," the elf exclaimed. "You is surely the greatest master any elf could have, even if you makes silly choices sometimes!"

Harry grinned, feeling better immediately, and he saw Kaecilius crack a smile as well. The man had one more thing to say, however. "Harry, you could have been hurt, or trapped, or mentally damaged again. You entered an unfamiliar mind with absolutely no preparation. Did you forget that elf in the kitchens you told me about? Dobby is literally an alien! You should have realized that his mind would be different from anything you were used to."

Harry nodded. Put that way, he felt quite foolhardy for his actions. Kaecilius hummed quietly, then said, "All right. I want you to describe for me everything you experienced in Dobby's mind. If we're going to find that memory, we will be prepared."

Harry looked up in wonder and confusion. "You mean you'll let me learn how to apparate like Dobby?"

Kaecilius nodded. "Of course. That's assuming humans are even capable of it. If you succeed, the ability to teleport through even strong wards would be extremely useful. Now, tell me everything."

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An hour later, both Harry and Kaecilius were inside Dobby's mind, watching the fireworks expand and contract from their place by a wall. Let's see, Kaecilius said. Dobby, are you focused on that memory still?

YES SIR, Dobby's voice thundered deafeningly before the elf apparently remembered to whisper again. Sorry, Mister Kaecy. Yes, sir.

Kaecilius chuckled. Well done, Dobby. Now, let's try something. Don't stop thinking about when you apparate, but I want you to remember how you felt when Harry set you free from Mr. Malfoy. Remember how happy and relieved you were at that moment. Can you do that?

Oh yes, Mister Kaecy! Dobby's voice was ecstatic. Dobby can do that!

Harry turned to ask what his master was doing, but Kaecilius put a finger to his lips and pointed out amongst the memories with his other hand. Harry followed the man's finger, brow furrowed in confusion. For a moment, Harry saw nothing different, but then a change began with the pinpricks of emotions that filled the area. While most of the specks continued to dart and zip around randomly, there were a sizable number that stopped where they were, quivering, and then sped off in the same direction.

After them! Kaecilius shouted, and he and Harry pushed off from the wall in pursuit. Zooming through the explosions was still difficult, but being able to follow the tiny targets through the minefield helped him regain his focus every time a memory would disorient him. Finally, Kaecilius slowed beside him, and they came to a stop staring at one memory in particular, one that was surrounded and coated in the tiny flecks of happy emotion. Having the tiny specks expand and contract each time the memory did only made it look more like a firework, with streamers dissipating into the wind after the initial bright burst.

Thank you, Dobby, Kaecilius called. We found it. Feel free to stop concentrating on the memory and the feeling.

Instantly, the tiny spots of emotions dispersed, flying away and filling the whole cavern.

What do we do now? Harry asked. It just keeps exploding like that.

Kaecilius watched the memory for a moment, then replied, Wait until it has gotten as large and wide as it can, then approach it quickly as it contracts. If we grab it right before it expands again, we should be able to view it. Hopefully.

Harry turned to his teacher. Are you just guessing?

The man gave him a look of indignation. Mostly, but my method of finding the memory was also a guess. Wouldn't you agree that worked?

Harry shrugged and nodded, and they both turned to watch the memory carefully. After a few moments waiting for the perfect instant, they rocketed forward and reached out to touch the temporarily dark sphere. To Harry's amazement, it worked. They could see the memory from Dobby's perspective as he popped from room to room, moving rapidly through a lavishly decorated mansion. In each room, he would look around, snap his fingers to clean or straighten up, then pop to the next spot. Harry could feel how his body reacted to each apparition, and it was certainly different from the method he already knew, but he had no idea how to replicate it.

Without warning, Harry felt himself get pushed out of the memory much more violently than he'd ever been before. He was flying backwards, and he could see the memory he'd just been in expanding rapidly again. Not wanting to be battered and bruised by other memories and emotions, he frantically waved his arms to end the Occlumency trance. His consciousness returned to the real world, but his body retained its momentum and he was slammed into the wall behind him.

Groaning in pain, he opened his eyes to see Dobby frantically dancing by his feet, looking panicked. Harry looked around for Kaecilius, and found his master laying against another wall, looking similarly winded. "Are we supposed to be th-thrown out like that?" Harry asked.

His master chuckled, then winced and lightly touched his side. "Definitely not," he said. "But perhaps the rules are different in a non-human mind. Did you understand the memory?"

Harry shook his head, ignoring the crick in his neck. "Not really. Dobby?"

Dobby stepped closer to Harry, wringing his hands worriedly. "Dobby is so sorry, Harry Potter! Dobby would never try to harm the wonderful Harry Potter!"

Harry waved off the elf's apologies. "It's fine, Dobby. But I d-don't think we'll try to go in your memories again. I got a g-general feel for how you apparate, but I didn't understand it all the w-way. Do you think you can teach me?"

Dobby nodded hesitantly. "Dobby can try. Dobby recalls how the older Malfoy elf trained Dobby, but most elf magic is… by feelings deep in elveses minds. Is that making sense?"

Kaecilius nodded. "Your instincts, yes," he said. "You'll have to adapt what comes naturally to an elf so that Harry can understand. Can you try that?"

Dobby nodded more decisively. "Dobby will do his best for the great Harry Potter! Harry Potter will pop like the best of elveses!"

Kaecilius and Harry shared a smile. "In the meantime," Harry said. "We can t-try to find another memory in my mind, right?"

Kaecilius shakily got to his feet, holding his ribs gently. "Another time, perhaps. For now, I think we could both use some rest and pain potions."

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July 31

A week of practice with Dobby had shown no progress. There had been a certain sensation that Harry had felt in Dobby's memory, a feeling of rising and building that had preceded each pop. Dobby's coaching had sometimes been difficult to follow due to the unique speaking style all elves possessed, and Harry had been completely unable to replicate the feeling.

Kaecilius had also been stubborn about traveling into the memory chunk in Harry's head so soon after venturing into Dobby's strange mind. He was concerned about Harry getting tired while they searched for a memory, and he refused to listen to the boy's protestations to the contrary.

As it was, more practice was the last thing on Harry's mind. Today, he had received his Hogwarts letter, which also contained a permission slip for visits to Hogsmeade, the wizarding village near his school. It needed to be signed by a guardian, and Harry was eager to see if Kaecilius would do the honors. After all, he reasoned, Kaecilius was his 'master' according to the paperwork Dumbledore had filed with the Ministry.

As he waited for the man to arrive, Draco's majestic eagle owl soared through the window and settled on a chair in front of Harry. As the boy took the letter tied to the bird's leg, he noticed two things out of place about the envelope. Firstly, it was much thicker than usual, almost bursting open as soon as he touched it. Secondly, Harry's name was almost scribbled on the front, a contrast to the normally elegant script that Draco employed.

He tore open the seal and slid out Draco's letter, and what appeared to be a large section of a newspaper fell out onto his desk. He unfolded the letter first and read.

Harry,

I know you don't get the Daily Prophet (although you really should if you want to be well versed in wizarding current events), so I wanted to forward this on to you. Apparently, Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. Father's sources at the ministry said it happened a few weeks ago and the Minister's been covering it up, hoping to recapture him before anyone knew he was gone. The Prophet broke the story yesterday anyway, and now everyone's in a tizzy.

I don't know what kind of protections you have living with the muggles, but I hope they're good. Sirius Black is a madman. He killed 13 people before his capture, and that's not even the worst part! Apparently, he was friends with the Potters, and my father says he betrayed them to the Dark Lord. Don't leave your wards under any circumstances. The last thing you want is to meet him in a dark alley.

Stay safe,

Draco

Harry sat in stunned disbelief for a moment, processing what he'd read. A quiet creak behind him made him spin around and yelp in surprise, but it was only Kaecilius arriving through a portal, a look of confusion on his face at Harry's reaction. Harry reached back and handed Draco's letter to the man, who silently accepted it and began to read.

Harry picked up the newspaper pages and skimmed through them. At the top of the page was a moving picture of Sirius Black holding a placard and laughing hysterically. The article beneath the picture only confirmed Draco's letter, though the information about his parents' betrayal wasn't included. Certain phrases jumped out at Harry, like 'often heard babbling in his cell' and 'vanished without a trace'.

The rustling of paper told Harry his master was finished reading. "What sh-should I do?" Harry asked shakily, not turning around to look at the man.

Kaecilius sat on Harry's bed and cleared his throat. "Why do you have to do anything? As terrible as this news is, it seems to be a matter for law enforcement to take care of."

Harry swiveled around and looked at Kaecilius in disbelief. "He betrayed my p-parents!" he shouted.

The man nodded. "And you would seek revenge, is that it? You want to hunt down a fully-trained wizard who has already proven he doesn't mind killing people? You may be a talented 13 year old, but you wouldn't stand a chance. Happy birthday, by the way."

Harry impatiently waved off his teacher's last statement, but gradually he felt himself settle as he considered the rest of what Kaecilius had said. "So I just, what, do nothing?" he asked, feeling foolish.

Kaecilius shrugged minutely. "No, not nothing," he replied. "You should train and learn as you have been. The last few years have shown that trouble finds you no matter what, so I shouldn't be surprised if this Sirius Black hasn't broken out of prison specifically to find you."

Harry's eyes were wide. "F-Find me?"

"Absolutely. He betrayed your parents to Voldemort, which means he followed Voldemort to some degree. Then your mother's spell work destroyed the Dark Lord, which I imagine made Mr. Black quite unhappy. He can't take revenge on your mother, so he's left with only one obvious target. So on the off chance that he tracks you down, you will train and improve your magic. You will especially improve your abilities to escape and your mastery of the mirror dimension."

Harry cocked his head in confusion. "I understand the escaping p-part, but why should I focus on the mirror dimension?"

Kaecilius gave a grin that looked slightly menacing. "Harry, you are one of the only wizards in the world who has been taught to utilize that power. Wouldn't you agree that the mind-bending realm of the mirror dimension would be a fitting place to imprison a magical mass-murderer?"

Harry smiled slightly, but felt a little uncomfortable. "I suppose, but you said it would be horrible for anyone to b-be trapped there."

Kaecilius stood and walked over to Harry, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I did. My preference would be that you never run into Sirius Black. But if you do, I would much rather you trap him there than he succeed in killing you. So we train, yes?"

Harry nodded, feeling better already.

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It was only after a solid hour of work in the mirror dimension that Harry remembered the permission slip for Hogsmeade. He made his request to Kaecilius, who gave him a skeptical look. "Harry, Sirius Black is out and about. I'm sure he'd delight in cornering you in the village at the first opportunity. While we have a solid plan for dealing with him, I'm not going to serve you up on a silver platter."

"I'd be careful!" Harry protested.

Kaecilius snorted inelegantly. "Careful is not one of your specialties. Besides, I am not your guardian. Loathe as I am to admit it, that honor still falls on the shoulders of Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. While I am your master, I don't believe that would satisfy your professors' requirements."

Harry sighed and hunched his shoulders. "Everyone else is g-going," he moaned.

Kaecilius rolled his eyes. "Spare me your melodramatics. I'm sorry, but the answer is no."

Harry might have begged awhile longer, but his uncle chose that moment to bellow, "BOY!" up the stairs.

Harry groaned and made his way to the hallway to look over the banister. Below him, Vernon stood in his coat and hat. "Yes, sir?" Harry said.

Vernon huffed. "I'm going to pick up Marge from the station. I wanted to make sure you know that we've told her you attend St. Brutus' Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys."

"You WHAT?" Harry responded.

"You heard me!" his uncle bellowed. "That's what we've told her, and you'll stick to it, understood? I won't let her find out about your… abnormalities."

Vernon had a sick look on his face at the thought of his sister learning about Harry's magic, and this gave Harry an idea. As his uncle made to turn to the front door, he quietly said, "Uncle?"

Harry put on an innocent face as his uncle impatiently looked up at him. "That story's a lot to r-remember. What a name for a school! What happens if I let s-something slip?"

Uncle Vernon nearly turned purple in his rage. "I'll knock the stuffing out of you, that's what will happen!"

Harry shook his head. "No you won't, and even if you did, M-Marge would still remember anything I told her about mag-"

"All right, all right," Vernon shouted, seemingly distressed at any mention of magic. "What do you want, you little leech?"

Harry smiled broadly. "I've g-got a permission slip for a field trip I can go on at school. If you sign it, I'll p-pretend I'm one St. Brutus' most incurable cases, just like you want."

Vernon eyed him warily. "No funny business?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "None."

His uncle looked to be weighing his options, but finally agreed. "If, at the end of Marge's visit, you've kept up your end of the deal, I'll sign your ruddy slip. Now go away!"

Harry felt like cheering as he rushed back to his room, where Kaecilius waited with a wry smile. "Clever boy," the man said. "But can Dobby handle four unpleasant Dursleys at once?"

Harry looked blankly at his master for a moment before he understood the question. "Dobby!" he called.

The elf popped into the room, ready for orders. Harry knelt down and said, "Dobby, we n-need to do things a little differently while Aunt Marge is here. You can still do housework when I'm not downstairs, b-but whenever she's here, you let me deal with her."

Dobby looked belligerent. "Dobby can handle nasty Turdsley relatives!"

Harry smiled kindly. "I'm sure you can, but Marge likes to b-belittle me more than any of my other relatives. Could you say for certain that you wouldn't respond when she calls me s-stupid or ugly?"

Dobby seemed less sure. "Could Dobby give her donkey ears?"

Harry laughed, but shook his head. "No, and that's what I mean. I n-need Uncle Vernon to see that I'm on my best behavior. Donkey ears w-would interfere with that. So you just stay out of her way and let me be the one t-to respond to her. You don't deserve that kind of abuse."

Dobby looked up at his master with teary eyes, but nodded. Harry felt Kaecilius' hand on his shoulder. "You don't deserve that either, Harry," the man said. "But it is noble of you to volunteer yourself. Perhaps, after we leave here, you are ready to look for another memory from Voldemort's remnant. You said you wanted to look for information on portkeys, right?"

Harry's wide grin was all the answer Kaecilius needed.

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A/N: Please remember that if I changed canon, I did it for a reason. No Sirius this chapter, but don't despair. You'll see him plenty next chapter.

I'd forgotten that Vernon literally threatened to "knock the stuffing" out of Harry if he blabbed about Hogwarts in the 3rd book. The Dursleys really suck.

Sorry about the longer wait for this chapter. I know most fanfic authors don't update at my pace, but I feel bad after making you wait over a week. I was on vacation and I had writer's block. Next chapter will be done faster.

As always, review and tell me what you think!