DISCLAIMER: THE BOOK BELONGS TO J. I HAVE ONLY BORROWED BOTH CHARACTERS AND PLOTLINE.

CHAPTER 26

Draco had been sitting on his bed reading a book on potions, when he heard a loud pop. Jerking in surprise he had his wand out ready to attack the intruder. Looking down he saw a house elf with large green ball y eyes, wearing a filthy, grimy pillowcase.

"Dobby what on earth are you doing here? Did father send you?"

"No Sir" Dobby said looking frightened and wringing his fingers "I's come by myself."

So saying, he grabbed the bed post and began banging his head on it. Sighing, Draco got up and physically had to haul the creature away, knowing that he wouldn't stop otherwise. Then looking down at his hands he shuddered and realized he had just touched Dobby's raggedy self-fashioned dress.

Running to the bathroom he scrubbed his hands clean till they were a painful pink. Coming back out he saw Dobby waiting for him, looking down at the carpet. "Something big must have happened Dobby, for you to have broken fathers' rules you must have really wanted to come here badly."

Nodding pitifully Dobby looked at him and said "Master Draco Sir, I had to find Master Darren Potter."

Startled, Draco looked at him surprised. "Darren Potter?" he repeated "what on earth for dobby?"

"I's have to tell him a secret" he said.

Straightening up looked sharply at Dobby, Draco said "You will have to tell me first, what it is you want to say to him Dobby, or I will forbid you from ever talking to him again."

Dobby started to rock on the soles of his feet looking desperate "Master is good and kind, but master must not know. Too many peoples knowing is dangerous" he said trembling

"Then I can't help you" Draco said turning away. Dobby threw himself at Draco's feet and clutching one leg started to cry "Master Draco Sir i will tell you everything Master" he sobbed "but I must warn the Master Darren potter."

Draco looked down at him feeling a little sick. He hated it when he reduced the elf to groveling, but he knew that anything a Malfoy elf would want to say to Darren could not be good and he knew about one very protective brother who would never speak to him again if, he did not tell him of these events.

So sighing, he gently shook of the elf that was now gulping deeply and said "Dobby tomorrow, I will summon you in the evening and everything that you know, you will tell me. Do not be afraid, I will not scold or punish you. But, there is another person who will want to listen to what you have to say now as well. Now go back home, before they notice you've gone and wait for my call."

The next evening Draco sent a note to Harry, telling him to meet him after dinner at the lake. Looking curiously at the note Harry nodded. The evening was a bit chilly with a small breeze playing with their hair as they stood beside the silvery surface of the placid lake.

"What's up?" Harry asked his hands in his pockets "Why all the secrecy?"

"Harry, there is someone who wants to meet you."

"Me?"

"Well, not you exactly, they want to meet your brother. But I know that you'd want to hear what they had to say so I asked them to tell you first."

"Do you know what it's about?"

"No" Draco said shaking his head, "I thought I'd hear it with you."

"Okay thanks, so where are they?"

"Dobby?" called out Draco, into the nights' air. There was a pop and a tiny, rather dirty house elf materialized before them.

"Dobby…?" Harry asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Um, mum had had a lot of sherry that day."

"I believe you." Harry said turning to the elf. "Why did you wish to speak with my brother?" he asked gently.

"You is Mr Harry Potter Sir! Master Darren potter's brother."

"Yes and anything that you want to say to him I'd be very interested in hearing."

Dobby looked up at him with his big eyes for a minute and as if coming to a decision he said "I will tell Harry Potter Sir. You must protect your brother."

"Protect him from what?"

Looking at Draco frightened, Dobby continued stammering "Mr Malfoy sir….dia…diary" he said.

"Spit it out Dobby!" Draco said looking frustrated "I promised you I wouldn't punish you."

"Wait Dray I think I know what he's talking about. Are you talking about a diary that Mr Lucius Malfoy gave to Mr Weasley this summer?"

Dobby looked stunned "How you knows it Sir?" he asked.

"Just say I do. But Dobby that book is lost now. It disappeared."

Squeaking in fright, Dobby tried to throw himself into the lake as if to drown In it and was caught just in time by Draco, "Ugh! Dobby can't you clean the pillowcase once in a while?" He said and turned to Harry "What are you talking about? What diary?"

"Dray your father gave this diary to Mr Weasley over the summer, telling him it was Voldemort's" Draco and Dobby flinched at the name, "Mr Weasley kept the diary in his living room for two hours and when he had returned it was missing. The diary, Mr Weasley said, was brimming with dark magic and that If it were found, it had to be destroyed."

"Bit careless of him, then, don't you think, leaving the book lying around."

Harry sighed and quietly said "Dray" in a, don't say that, manner.

"Okay, so the diary is missing." Then turning to Dobby Draco asked "why did you think it was necessary to inform Darren?"

"Master Draco" Dobby said "that diary must not go to Darren potter Sir, or his friends. It contains a great evil and if it were unleashed it would destroy Hogwarts."

After this ominous statement was made, Harry and Draco fell silent. "What do we do Harry?" he asked.

"I don't know" Harry said helplessly "if we had some clue as to where it was, maybe we could get help. Dobby," Harry said turning to the elf biting his lip, "I want to thank you for risking your life for my brother, but, I have a favor to ask you. Please do not tell Darren of this."

Draco turned to him in surprise and asked him why, "Dray after last year's incident, Darren hasn't been sleeping well; he has nightmares all the time. I know that someday he'll find out anyway, but right now there is no sign of the book in Hogwarts. So until then I want him free of worry. Plus dad and Mr Weasley are doing everything to retrieve the book. So let's not create unnecessary panic."

Draco looked as if he wanted to say something, but clamped his mouth shut and nodded. Dobby also agreed after Harry promised him that he'd look out for his brother.