Dobby's Deceit

by La Morraine

What if Dobby bound himself to Harry without Harry knowing about it? How would that influence the story? [Harry/Hermione]

3. Chapter 3

New chapter, and a giant one. I just can't do short, it's a curse. Please remember that this story was written hard and put up wet, EAD style. Also, Harry has councelling sessions with a mind healer, but I'm not a psychologist (not even close), so don't go off writing reviews with reasons why I'm wrong, wrong, wrong. You're just wasting all of our time. If you don't like it - BACK BUTTON.

End of PSA. Have fun.

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Dobby's Deceit

Part 3

Despite his best effort, Harry was unable to sleep. He tossed and turned in his new bed and even contemplated asking Dobby to put him to sleep like he had done before. It was very quiet and sweet air came in through the open window. All Harry could hear was the occasional creak in the house and the rustling of small, nocturnal animals outside.

Maybe it is too good to seem true, Harry thought as he turned around yet again. Maybe I really need time to get used to this. Lots of time.

Finally, long after midnight, he gave up. Pocketing his wand, he left the master bedroom and wandered down the stairs into the living room, where Dobby had already sorted his few books into the vast, empty shelves around the fireplace. The emptiness was a sad sight in the bright moonlight and he resolved to build his own library as quickly as he could.

But it wasn't just the empty library. The kitchen looked, if not brand new, still a little abandoned, the stillroom was completely bare except for a large wooden work table, and the foyer of the house looked like something lovely and impersonal straight out of a magazine.

Harry realized that he may have claimed the house and the wards, but filling the empty shell with life - his life - was his own responsibility. It was a good thought, even an encouraging one, even if it was a little daunting at the same time.

I never really had a life before, he thought as he carefully padded down the cellar stairs. I guess I can do anything now, as long as it doesn't get me killed ... or expelled from Hogwarts. But what do I even want? I can't just play all day, but studying all day won't work, either.

The closer he got to the ward stone, the warmer he felt from the inside out. Only a moment later he stood before the stone and touched it with both hands. Immediately that sense of peace and security washed over him again as the magic embraced him eagerly. Smiling, Harry sat crosslegged on the floor and stretched a little to reach the ward stone.

We'll be good friends, he promised the stone and giggled when a prickling pulse of magic danced over his skin. We'll make a proper home out of this cottage soon, you, Dobby, and me.

Watching the gentle aura of magic coaxed Harry first into a meditative trance and finally lulled him to a restful sleep. He didn't wake when Dobby found him a little later and returned him to bed, but the sense of purpose lingered even in his dreams.

oOo

Hedwig woke Harry late by affectionately nibbling on his ear and cheek.

"Hey girl," the boy mumbled, clumsily stroking her along the wings. "How'd you find me? Did Dobby help you come in?"

Hedwig barked quietly.

"Awesome." Sitting up, Harry reached for his glasses. There, on his nightstand, a small vase with a single flower from his garden greeted him. Suddenly, Harry's cheeks flooded with heat and he felt his eyes well up. "Oh gosh. Sorry." He wiped at his cheeks. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Not minding his wobbly feelings in the least, Hedwig hopped closer and into her wizard's lap.

"I'm good now," Harry sighed when he had composed himself. "Welcome home, Hedwig. I think there's a small owlery somewhere, but I'll put your stand wherever you like."

She churred, hobbled to the end of the bed and took a short flight to the window-wall, where her perch had already been placed.

"That works," Harry laughed. He grabbed his clock, looked at it, and gasped. "Nearly ten! I have to get up. Sleep well!"

A quick shower in the ensuite master bathroom later, he ran down to the kitchen - and stopped so he could gape at the transformation of the space.

"Bloody hell, Dobby! Did you do all of that last night?" Harry exclaimed.

The house elf bounced on his toes, obviously proud of himself. "Dobby did. Is Harry Potter sir satisfied with Dobby's changes?"

Astounded and amazed, Harry looked at the additional gleaming pots and pans high up on the walls, the bundles of dried herbs, the braided bunches of onions and garlic, the salamis and hams and especially the lovely vintage still life paintings of French landscapes and food dishes. The work tops were empty and clean and shining in the morning sun.

"It's perfect," he breathed. "And it smells so good!"

"Dobby be making fresh bread with herbs and nuts for Harry Potter sir," Dobby said, "and scrambled eggs, sausages, and juice from fresh oranges. There also be butter and marmalade. Where does Harry Potter sir want to eat?"

"Can we sit outside?" Harry asked. "It's such a great day."

"Of course, Harry Potter sir. Dobby be setting the table immediately."

With a snap of his fingers Dobby was gone, leaving Harry with nothing to do but trot into the living room and through the French patio doors onto the small terrace. A white marquee gently protected him from the already glaring sun.

"Will you sit with me?" Harry asked as he pulled a chair back.

"Dobby will," the elf replied and climbed onto the second chair. With clever fingers he prepared first a plate for Harry and then a cup of tea just as he liked it. "Dobby be liking Potter Cottage very much indeed. If Harry Potter sir not be having other plans, Dobby would like to start preparing the garden for planting this afternoon."

"Yes, of course," Harry said. He took a sip from his orange juice and sighed in satisfaction. "Have you thought about what you want to plant? You're not only wanting berries, right?"

"Elves be eating lots of fruit, mushrooms, and vegetables and even flowers," Dobby agreed. "As long as they be full of wild magic. Earth here not be perfect, but it certainly be good enough to feed a handful of elves."

"How about we divide the land, then?" Harry asked. "I mean, I honestly haven't looked out of the back windows much, yet, and I guess I'll always want to use the lawn on the front side of the house because it's honestly large enough for playing and stuff, even Quidditch. So why don't you make the back half into an elf garden?"

"Ooh, may Dobby really have the whole backside of the land?"

"Sure!"

Dobby's already large eyes got even larger. "Dobby really has found the best wizard!"

"I don't know, all I'm doing is giving you more and more work to do," Harry said with a crooked smile. "But I can help! I know how to weed and as long as nobody is screaming at me, I rather like working in the garden."

"Harry Potter sir be always welcome in Dobby's elf garden. Dobby be even planning for walkways," the house elf proclaimed generously, making Harry laugh. "Dobby be starting today, when Harry Potter sir be busy taking a nap."

"I'm taking a nap? But I've just woken up!" Harry took a bite from his buttered bread. Just like the scrambled eggs, it was declicious. "Yum!"

"Yes, you are," Dobby said sternly. "Harry Potter sir still be tired after yesterday, and Dobby be knowing that Harry Potter sir be wanting to write some more in his journal."

That was true, but Harry also wanted to explore the property and find out what he could do to entertain himself. But first, he absolutely had the duty to enjoy Dobby's cooking, which he did with great enthusiasm. While he stuffed his face, Dobby told him where he would go to get cuttings of elf berry bushes, and that he intended to plant apple seeds and wild strawberries and even plants for elf medicine.

At last, Harry's plate was nearly empty and their talk turned to Harry's agenda for the day.

"Healer Spleenbash be fire-calling this morning and asking that Harry Potter sir be in the trunk tonight at eight o'clock for his check-up. It be time for bone assessment, and she also be bringing files on mind healers," Dobby said. With a snap of his fingers he cleared the table and handed Harry his potion. "I be reminding Harry Potter sir at seven."

"Great, thank you." Harry downed the potion and smacked his lips. "Oh, it's one with honey flavour!" He leaned back and just looked at his garden for a minute. "I feel right on holiday. It's great."

"Can Dobby bring Harry Potter sir's writing things?"

"Sure, but first I'll have a walk-around the property, before it's getting too hot. You coming?"

Together they wandered along the border and admired the large oaks and rowan trees. Imagining the huge space behind the house as a garden took some effort for Harry, but he was excited nonetheless about Dobby's plans. On the front lawn, the lone weeping willow at the lefthand corner was beautiful and imposing and offered a lovely place in its shade for a set of swings. Once Harry got started, he thought of more and more things he wanted to have, among them an outdoor trampoline like the one he had seen in the Dursleys' neighbourhood, a bicycle, and, of course, a broom.

"It doesn't even have to be a new one," Harry said, gesticulating towards the sky above the property. "Just something sturdy to pass the time. Maybe I could find a second-hand Nimbus? I liked the feel of the one Professor McGonagall gave me for Quidditch."

"There be such a shop at the very end of Diagon Alley," Dobby said. "Poorer wizards be buying their things there. Flourish and Blotts also be having a used book shelf."

"I'm not exactly poor anymore, am I?" Harry frowned. "Maybe I shouldn't buy things other people need much more than I do."

"Harry Potter sir could discuss this with Steward Sharptooth," Dobby offered. "It be his job to advise you. He also be having wizards at Gringotts who can buy such things for Harry Potter sir."

"Yeah, I'll do that. Good idea." Harry looked over his large lawn. "I thought that we shouldn't change a lot about this place, but what do you think about a pond for swimming? The Weasleys have one and it's so great in the summer."

"Dobby could dig out a pond," the elf replied thoughtfully, "but Dobby be needing to learn more about how to maintain it first."

Harry grinned. "That's okay, I've got lots of time for that. I'd rather have a broom first, anyway."

After their excursion around the property, Harry felt indeed tired enough for a nap, and the afternoon went by quicker than anticipated as he wrote more into his new journal and composed his wish list. In addition to the fun things, he also wanted a potions set for the cottage and even thought about finding out what he would need to build his own ritual circle. Now that he had his own land for that, it didn't feel right to use the goblin circle anymore, even though he could.

In the early evening it was so hot that Harry felt like he would begin baking at any second. The air was very still and the sky an ominous blue-ish grey colour. A certain tension thrummed under the lassitude of both flora and fauna, making Harry both tired and nervous.

"There be a storm coming," Dobby called from his spot in the newly dug up lawn. Large chunks of earth were whirling around him like a small tornado and settling back onto the ground. "Water be good for new plants!"

"It's so humid," Harry groaned. "Look at my hair. It's a disaster in normal weather, but now I've got curls!"

"You be looking very endearing, Harry Potter sir," Dobby grinned. "And just think about how Miss Mione would be looking right now."

Laughing, Harry had to agree. Hermione's hair really played in its own liga of unruliness, much to her chagrin. "When do you think it'll start to rain?"

"Dobby not be sure, but it be an hour at most. There be weather ward to protect the house and grounds from the storm, but there be no ward against rain. Maybe Harry Potter sir be wanting to go inside, where the temperature be better."

"In a moment. I like this, strangely enough. It feels like ants under my skin." Harry spread his arms and looked up into the roiling clouds. Swallows were sailing over the grounds so lowly that Harry felt like he could easily snatch them right up, like dark snitches. "It's crazy but I'd love to fly in such weather. Just swoop around like the birds until the rain comes down."

"Harry Potter sir be an adventurer," Dobby groused. "Dobby knew from the first moment he saw Harry Potter sir!" He dusted his hands off and popped away, only to reappear next to Harry. "We better be going inside now. Harry Potter sir be owing Dobby a bowl of gazpacho and potato bread with herb butter."

As if on cue, Harry's stomach growled. "I guess I could eat."

They headed inside and stationed themselves right behind the living room window so Harry could watch the weather drama unfold. A little nap on the couch after that, accompanied by the rushing of heavy rain, was all he needed to be alert for his meeting with Healer Spleenbash in the evening.

"Dobby be popping Harry Potter into goblin trunk," the elf said, "because Dobby forgot to buy Floo powder. Dobby be very sorry and be punishing himself while Harry Potter sir be meeting Healer Spleenbash."

"Why would you punish yourself for that?" Harry asked incredulously. "Dobby, you don't need to punish yourself for anything! You're already doing a ton of stuff, just because you're great! I didn't even think of Floo powder, so why would you? And besides, I love going with you! Why would I use the Floo when you're offering to take me? Elf travel is, like, the greatest thing in the world! Almost better than flying, and I really love that a whole lot. So please just forget it, yeah?"

"Dobby can't, but Dobby be doing better." The elf sniffed wetly. Hastily, he grabbed Harry's hand and popped them away, right into the foyer of the Gringotts trunk.

"Thanks, Dobby," Harry said. "Healer Spleenbash will be by in a minute, so promise me you won't punish yourself, alright? If it helps, you can pop out and buy the Floo powder. Deal?"

"Deal," Dobby squeaked and popped away.

The fireplace lit up in green flames and Healer Spleenbash stepped out. Her very presence demanded Harry's full attention and he spent an exhausting hour in the study going over his food journal and potion intake.

"You've been getting a lot of sun lately," she remarked with a hint of praise in her voice. "Your bones will thank you, Heir Potter. Of course, a few weeks of good treatment won't undo a lifetime of neglect, but that's what the blue potions were for." She waved her spindly finger over Harry's body and a vibrant picture of his skeleton appeared between them. "See here? The density of your bones improved greatly, as did the quality of your cartilage all over your body. I want you to give it another week of potions, rest, and your elf's special food before we meet again. The warding exhausted your core, which is not surprising. Sharptooth reported your instinctual connection to the ward stone and the depth of the merger. It's something to be proud of, youngling, even if it pushes the warding of your garden back for a while."

"How long?" Harry asked worriedly. "Can we do it before school starts?"

"Certainly," Healer Spleenbash assured him. "Two to three weeks of rest and as little magic as possible should restore your core to its prime condition. You may commune with your ward stone but I'd even limit that to once a week, if it is even necessary."

"Alright. So ... Sharptooth told me that there would be files of mind healers to sort through?"

"Don't pretend to be eager," Healer Spleenbash smirked. She pulled several stacks of folders from her satchel. "Here, knock yourself out, Heir Potter. The magical signatures are embedded in the files; if you're magically compatible with someone, your magic will let you know. That person is a good candidate and you should meet them if nothing in their file disqualifies them in your eyes."

"Seems easy enough," Harry said. "Just feel the magic and toss or keep."

He touched the first file and felt exactly nothing. His questioning look made the healer snort.

"A big fat maybe," she commented.

The next one generated a vague sense of disquiet, so it went to the left on the designated no-pile. Another one joined it, and then the first spark of wow flittered over Harry's fingers.

"This is a yes," he told Healer Spleenbash. Shaking his head, he smiled. "Magic."

"Magic," she agreed.

It took less than ten minutes to weed the undesirables and blanks from the stack. Six positives remained, but even there Harry was able to establish a ranking.

"This one's the best match," he said and flipped the folder open. "Brady Williams. He looks nice. Friendly."

"He's young," Healer Spleenbash added, "and, most interestingly, another parselmouth. He works part-time in our snake breeding program when he's without a client."

She proceeded to tell Harry about the young man's qualifications, but Harry barely cared about his two university degrees in medicine and mind healing or the fact that the man apparently was some kind of prodigy among the healers. He was, however, very interested in learning that Williams hailed from Australia and was an avid surfer.

"So, would you like to meet him?" Healer Spleenbash asked slyly after she'd answered several more animated questions.

Harry shrugged, suddenly a little uncertain. "Sure, why not."

"Should you hit it off, Healer Williams will make several confidentiality vows and sign a contract before you begin to work together," she said, correctly guessing his misgivings. "Nothing you say will leave Gringotts without your express consent. How does tomorrow afternoon sound? Around four? He's a Brit at heart and will love your Dobby's tea."

Numbly, Harry nodded.

"Don't be afraid, youngling," Healer Spleenbash soothed. "Healer Williams is very good and he'll work hard to help you through your issues. Health is not only for the body, the soul needs care and healing, too. Giving it what it needs is only proper."

With that, she carefully touched his hunched shoulder and bid her farewells.

oOo

Harry slept until noon on the next day, finally feeling the full effects of the warding. Dobby periodically fed him but otherwise let him be until it was time to get up and pop over to the trunk.

To their surprise, Healers Spleenbash and Brady Williams were already there, and a lovely high tea was waiting for them all in the study. The goblin introduced them and then proceeded to ignore them both as she served herself.

"I feel honoured that you've chosen to meet me," Healer Williams said and smiled a smile that would have made Lockhart writhe with envy. He had long, dark hair, a three day's beard, tanned skin, and fascinating blue-green eyes. "It's not often that I get to meet a new parselmouth in Britain."

"You're the first after Tom Riddle for me," Harry admitted. "I didn't even know that there was someone else in the country. Everybody told me that speaking parseltongue is the mark of a dark wizard."

"Oh, nonsense," Williams replied cheerfully. "Scone?"

Harry accepted the scone, a heaping amount of clotted cream and fresh fruit. "Why is it nonsense? They all seemed quite convinced."

"Because they're children and have no idea what they're talking about." Williams fumbled through the inside of his robes. "Look who wanted to come along, Heir Potter. Your friendly neighbourhood snake."

"Snake!" Harry cried out. "How are your doing? How big was your mouse? I hope the trip to Hogwarts was worth it."

"Hello, young one. It was; I'm still digesting," Snake answered, and he indeed looked a bit thick around the middle. "The King of Snake's lair was very big, as was the King himself." Snake stretched from Williams' fingers towards Harry and flicked his little tongue over his inner elbow. "I could still taste the mortal wounds of you both. It's a miracle you're still here."

"I guess it is, yeah, but I had help." To Williams, Harry said, "Did you go as well?"

Williams shook his head. "The goblins didn't want to risk it, in case another basilisk was lurking around. While they trust their human employees, there is always an uncertain element with such things, and all the parselmouths in the bank understand that." He allowed Snake to wind himself around Harry's arm and served himself sandwiches. "But I was the one to take the eggs to the breeding facility and I will personally oversee their hatching. It's fascinating work since death adders bred from a basilisk are practically unheard of in this day and age. There is already a bidding war going on for the little ones."

They both took large bites of their food. Meanwhile, Snake climbed all over Harry, finally choosing a resting place around his neck.

"You're nice and warm," Snake hissed. "Sometimes I miss the sun."

"He's a free spirit," Williams said with laughter in his eyes. "That's why we're taking turns taking him along on trips. He doesn't even want a name for himself, just be out and about and see the world."

"Well, if everybody else has a name, Snake is good enough, I guess," Harry replied. "I like him."

"He likes you, too." Williams popped the last of his egg sandwich into his mouth. "Now, what would you like to know about me?"

"Uhm ..." Now that he could ask questions, Harry's mind went blank for a moment. "You're from Australia? Why are you working here, then? Don't you miss the beaches and kangaroos and stuff?"

Williams laughed. "Well, I certainly miss the beaches, but kangaroos can be right little blighters! I return regularly to see my family and do some work on the home farm. As to why I'm working here: I'm an employee of Gringotts, and as you may already know, Gringotts is not a bank but a country. I started in Australia but quickly learned that the British branch offers fascinating opportunities, and so I transferred here. I'll stay as long as I'm needed and feel challenged, and then I'll transfer again to another branch."

"Sounds busy," Harry said. "Why did you study medicine and this mind healing stuff?"

"Because it interested me and because I have a knack for understanding people. I also understand snakes rather well, and that's why I'm working with them if I have the time."

It all sounded too easy. "What are your hobbies? Do you fly?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Do you?" Williams challenged.

Harry grinned. "Yeah, I'm the seeker for the Gryffindor team at Hogwarts. But I don't have a broom right now. I meant to write my steward if I can get one."

"I'm sure he can arrange for one, Heir Potter," Healer Spleenbash interjected. "I'll relay the message."

Williams took a scone, cut it open and heaped clotted cream on the halves. "I'm sure that you'll want to meet with other healers before you make a decision, but maybe you're interested in visiting the snake houses here at Gringotts sometime. As a parselmouth, it could be a rewarding experience."

"Oh, could I? Could I also see the basilisk eggs?" Harry asked. "I feel bad for killing their mom, no matter how crazy she was."

"Personally, I don't see the harm, but I'll leave that decision to the head of the facility," Williams said. "Now, do you have more questions?"

Harry, having warmed up to the man quickly, now dared to ask about his family (mum and dad and an older brother), the home farm (which turned out to be one of Australia's most prestigious snake farms for valuable poisons and other potion ingredients), and what he liked to do with his free time besides flying and surfing. Williams had the gift of making even the interrogation seem like a spirited conversation and he never made Harry feel like a little boy or like someone in need of help.

Harry was almost disappointed when their tea ended and Healer Spleenbash nudged him to give Snake back to the older man.

"I'll keep my time free until you've chosen someone," Williams said to Harry and offered his hand for a shake. "I won't be insulted if it's going to be someone else, and I'll definitely send a note for that visit we talked about."

"Thanks," Harry mumbled. He shook the warm, strong hand and smiled shyly. "See you soon, Healer Williams."

"You too, Heir Potter." Williams winked and Flooed away with a swish of his robes.

"That went well," Healer Spleenbash remarked and made a note on a piece of parchment. "Do you feel up to meeting Healer Upton tomorrow?"

"Sure, why not," Harry replied with a shrug. "Uhm, I've got a question ... since I won't be staying in here much and I still got a ton of homework to do ... could I take some of your books to the cottage? I'll return them when I'm done, of course."

"Certainly. We have all of the books tagged, so even if you lose one, at the end of the lease we'll just recall them."

"Oh." Harry grinned. "That's neat! Then I'll just ... you know, pack a few now."

"And maybe you should occasionally show your face to your relatives," Healer Spleenbash said dryly. "Their carrying on about your absence is getting worrisome."

"You're hearing that?" Harry was mortified.

She snorted. "It's hard not to, Heir Potter. They're the worst kind of muggles."

"As I said, they probably want their servant back," Harry muttered bitterly. "I won't go back up there without Dobby. My cousin likes to chase me around and lets his friends beat me up."

"Dumbledore should be ashamed of having placed you here, but it seems like you have it well in hand." She put her parchment away and showed her pointy teeth. "Your elf is a bloodthirsty little thing; you should capitalize on that ... in a manner that won't reflect on you, of course."

"Please don't give him ideas, Healer Spleenbash," Harry groaned. "He tried to set the anti-apparition wards to the antarctic continent, the Phlegraean Fields, and as a last resort into Mount Etna. We honestly fought about it! And then he pouted for the rest of the evening."

"He knows what he's about," she shrugged. "Keeping vermin away is hard work, youngling, and you'd best just leave him to it. I bid you good night, and I'll see you here tomorrow at four."

She vanished just as quickly as Healer Williams and left Harry to his brooding thoughts. Going up into his room seemed like such a burden but he forced himself to climb the stairs.

"Dobby?" he called quietly. "Are you back yet?"

"Dobby be waiting for Harry Potter sir's call," the elf said and appeared on the desk. "How may Dobby serve?"

"Healer Spleenbash said that I should show my face upstairs every now and then, but ..." Harry inhaled deeply. "But I'm kind of afraid what the Dursleys will do to me. She said that they're very angry."

"Dobby be protecting Harry Potter sir," Dobby assured him. "Dobby be putting perimeter ward around Harry Potter sir so no one can touch him. If dreadful muggles be mean, they be having nightmares later."

"Thank you," Harry breathed and stepped to the door. "Well then, into the fray."

oOo

The next afternoon, Harry and Dobby popped half an hour early into the trunk so Harry could pick even more books for the cottage. He was also determined to change Healer Spleenbash's mind on the matter of his relatives because last night had been terrible on many different levels. Uncle Vernon had raged all throughout dinner, his face worryingly puce-coloured and his shirt stained with sweat. Dudley hadn't been any better; egged on by his father's fury, he'd tried all evening to catch Harry and hit him. This, of course, backfired spectacularly. Every time he attempted to land a hit, he smacked himself instead, and hard. His wailing, along with Vernon's apoplectic rage, was enough to instill fear in ten grown men, nevermind one lone almost-teenager who wanted nothing more than to be left alone.

"I'm not going back there," Harry told himself over and over again. "Dumbledore has no idea ... he should just keep his long nose out of my business ..."

He startled when Healer Spleenbash rapped on the door frame of the study. "Oh, hello! Welcome, Healer Spleenbash."

The goblin stepped aside and introduced a middle-aged slender woman with blond hair and glasses. "This is Healer Marina Upton. She's specialized in mind healing for children and also mediates family conflicts."

After last evening's production, Harry was not keen on hearing that. In his opinion, no one could mediate between him and the Dursleys. "Hello," he said cautiously.

"Hello, Heir Potter." Healer Upton offered her hand for a shake, which the boy reluctantly accepted. "How do you do?"

"How do you do?" he returned.

Healer Upton smiled. "Very polite, but in this instance I am actually interested in hearing about how you are doing."

"Good, I guess. It's the holidays." Harry shrugged. "And you?"

Healer Spleenbash, perhaps sensing that an ice breaker was needed, announced that tea was being served now. As Harry was the host, he poured tea and offered food, but his heart wasn't in it. And unlike yesterday, the conversation simply wouldn't take off, no matter what Healer Upton tried. Her magic felt nice enough, but Harry was now learning that he might be magically compatible with someone and still not click on a personal level. It was a disappointment for the woman, he could tell, and he tried to be polite, but Harry honestly was just glad to have her gone.

"I didn't expect it to fail so spectacularly," Healer Spleenbash told him, her eyebrows raised and voice a little questioning. "What was it you didn't like about her?"

"I don't know," Harry said uncomfortably. "She was nice, I guess. It just didn't feel okay to talk with her like that. Like I'd be telling secrets I'd rather only tell my mom, you know?"

"Oh." Healer Spleenbash cleared her throat. "Well, in that case you might want to reject the other two female healers, or at least meet them when you're done with the males first."

"Uhm, I think ..." Harry hesitated. "I think I might want Healer Williams. I like him, and I don't want to meet any more people like that."

"Why not?" she probed, though without judgement.

"I dunno. It's just ... grown-ups. There never were a lot of good grown-ups around and it ..." Harry bit down on his lip. "It kind of stresses me out. Talking with them, I mean. They never take me seriously."

"Not all of them, I hope," Healer Spleenbash teased but sobered up immediately. "I understand, maybe better than you think. Healer Williams will be glad, and before you ask: yes, it is perfectly acceptable for him to teach you about being a parselmouth, and a wizard, of course. To own the truth, he would've been my first choice for you, as well." She made to grab a handful of Floo powder.

"Er, before you leave, could we talk about my relatives, please?" Harry shuffled a little from one foot onto the other. "They were in a really bad mood last night. I don't want to go back there again. I can't. If Dobby hadn't been around, my uncle would've ..." He fell silent, glancing helplessly at the goblin.

Healer Spleenbash sighed. "I know, youngling. Chief Ragnok had us placing listening charms on the trunk, just to monitor the situation in your home. It's an untenable situation, which is made worse by the ward Steward Sharptooth mentioned a while back. Do you remember?"

"Yes? What about it?"

"This ward is based on your blood, Heir Potter. To be exact, it's your mother's blood keeping you safe, but only here and the near vicinity of the house."

"Professor Dumbledore told me that it was my mother's protection that helped me defeat Professor Quirrel in my first year," Harry exclaimed. "But if my mum's magic is doing that, why isn't it also helping against ... against them?"

"I can only theorize, but it probably has to do with the circumstances that night. She wanted to protect you from Voldemort, so that's what her sacrifice accomplished. Her own flesh and blood might not even have registered in that very moment, especially since you have a godfather who was supposed to take care of you." Healer Spleenbash straightened herself against the heaviness of the conversation. "Somehow, Dumbledore has managed to cast the blood ward over this house, keeping Voldemort's followers from finding you, but also trapping you here."

"I'd be safer in my cottage," Harry muttered. "I don't need the Dursleys. It's not my-"

"Don't say it!" Healer Spleenbash suddenly bellowed. "Don't say it, Heir Potter. The consequences would be dire!"

"Why?" Harry demanded. "Why can't I just leave? They never wanted me, and they're doing their best to ruin my life!"

"Because Dumbledore would know, child!" Healer Spleenbash roared back. "He's your guardian right now, and he could take all of this away! One session in the Wizengamot is all it takes to further his hold on you!" She breathed heavily. "It's unfair and Gringotts is not pleased, but those are the facts. If you want to keep this secret, you'll play his game."

"I hate it." Harry was so furious that the whole trunk rattled ominously. "I'll get him for this!"

"You and the Nation both," Spleenbash growled. "Now let's be practical. My friends in the warding division calculated how much time you'd have to spend in the Dursley residence each summer to power the wards and throw Dumbledore off the trail."

"And?"

"Around three to four weeks should do it, but you'd have to be here constantly to accomplish it. Short trips away from the house are not problematic, but days at the cottage or generally away from the neighbourhood can easily disrupt the process. They recommend getting the charging out of the way first and spending the rest of your holidays elsewhere after."

"And we can't just take the wards with me, right?" Harry asked tiredly. "Because that would be too easy."

A speculative look came over Healer Spleenbash's face before she schooled her expression. "Be that as it may, you have a few days left for this summer. Why don't you give it a full week in your room, just to be on the safe side, and after that Gringotts will help conceal the fact that you're not residing here anymore?"

"It's a deal," Harry said quickly and grabbed the healer's hand for a shake. "But I don't have to like it."

"You most certainly do not," she agreed in such an arch tone that Harry was reminded of Professor McGonagall. "Now that this is cleared up, I suggest you call your elf and get settled. Maybe get that homework out of the way I'm sure is still wanting your attention."

oOo

A whole week in the Dursleys' house seemed like hell. Harry even used the goblin trunk to use the bathroom, but the mere knowledge that he was there drove Uncle Vernon crazy. Several times a day he attempted to force the door open, alternating between his best drilling machine, a saw and, most notably, a blowtorch. It never worked, thanks to Dobby, but it was obvious that thwarting Vernon was becoming a fulltime job.

"It not be good," Dobby huffed after he'd made Vernon's tools fall apart in his meaty hands. "Big mean muggle be supposed to give up. Instead he be buying battering ram. Dobby thinks he be crazy."

It was true that Vernon was so obsessed with Harry that he'd wasted his whole holiday on trying to wring his neck. He neglected everything else and even refused to go back to work on Monday, which was day four of Harry's exile. Dudley, at least, had friends and spent the vast amount of his time outside, probably terrorizing smaller children in the neighbourhood and stealing their pocket money.

"Only three more days," Harry groaned. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"At least your homework be done now," Dobby tried to console him.

It still was an eternity. Books, no matter how interesting, couldn't make up for the lack of sunshine and grass and his new house. Dobby was keen on working on his garden and Harry didn't have the heart to ask him to stay with him all the time.

On day five, Harry decided that he absolutely needed a short walk and had Dobby pop him to the park. There, away from the kids his own age, Harry rambled along the paths and stopped in a spot of sunlight whenever it was safe to do so. He even found a hidden place for a small break, sat down and sipped his lemonade.

When a house elf popped up in front of him, he wasn't even surprised. He just assumed that it was Dobby. However, the shabby pillow case that hung on the creature and its slight build made him realize his error right away.

"Er, hello," he said awkwardly.

"Hello," the elf squeaked back, watching Harry with huge, blue eyes. "You be Harry Potter?"

"Uh, yes. That's me. What's your name?"

"I be Betty," she said, wringing her tiny hands. "Harry Potter sir please not be angry at Betty, but Betty be following house elf Dobby around. Dobby be harvesting many elf berries and has lots and lots of work to do. He be so strong! Betty be wanting to ask whether Harry Potter sir be maybe needing another elf. Betty's master died two weeks ago, you see, and it be hard for Betty all alone." Her eyes welled with tears. "Please give Betty a chance, Betty be a good elf."

"Er, wow." Harry exhaled, fighting against the astonishment. "Uhm, I don't know. I'll have to talk with Dobby. Could you, er, wait a minute?" He offered the miserable creature his lemonade and the rest of his apple slices and then called for his friend. "Dobby, could you please come? Like, right now?"

At once, the house elf appeared in front of Harry. His shorts and shirt were brown with dirt, as were his hands. "How may Dobby help?"

Harry just pointed at Betty. "This is Betty. She just popped in to say hello. Apparently she needs a home, but I don't know her from Eve, so ..."

Dobby's eyes narrowed. "Dobby be handling this." He snapped his fingers and he and Betty disappeared in a small burst of magic.

Harry had no idea where they'd gone, or how long he'd have to wait, but he had his novel and a sandwich in his backpack and would be able to hold out for a while.

oOo

Harry gave it more than an hour before he decided to find his own way back into the Dursleys' house. Whatever the house elves had to discuss, he didn't want to disturb them, but sneaking in the house too late would almost certainly alert his aunt and uncle. When he stepped onto Privet Drive, however, Dudley was already laying in wait.

"Hey, Potter! You're finally having the nerve to show up?" the fat boy called, alerting a couple of neighbours. His friends laughed stupidly and Dudley continued, "That's good, because Dad's been a nutjob ever since you decided to do a runner. Grab him, guys!"

And it was Harry hunting all over again. As fast as his legs would carry him, Harry sprinted away, right towards Mrs. Figg's house. He didn't like the old lady much, what with her million cats and the stink in the house, but it was a hundred times better than getting caught by his cousin and his goons.

He turned a corner, Magnolia Crescent already in sight - and was tugged away in a caroussel-like pop that had his head spinning.

"Dobby be sorry, but dealing with Betty be much more ... intense than Dobby anticipated," Dobby said and looked to the left and right. "We be safe here from mean muggle brats."

Out of breath, Harry managed to stammer his thanks. When he'd calmed down a little, he asked, "What about Betty, though? Where is she?"

Dobby shrugged shiftily. "She not be understanding certain things ... Dobby be talking to her again soon, though, because there be lots of work to do and Dobby be needing help."

"And she's rather cute," Harry teased. "But she needs to lose the pillow case."

"That be one of the problems," Dobby admitted. "Betty be scared of being free. She not be feeling all that well, but Dobby be working on it."

"Okay. Uhm, so, could you maybe pop me to my room? I'm really done with Dudley, and I guess we can forget about interacting with my relatives. Being in the house will have to be enough, because I'm not doing that again."

"It be good plan," the elf agreed. "I be placing better silencing and repelling charm. Bad uncle be so crazy, he be breaking them every day."

oOo

The last two days of Harry's imprisonment passed rather quickly, partly in thanks to Dobby who was actually able to pop over to France and deliver a letter to Hermione, and even brought one back a couple of hours later, and partly because of the mystery of the small female house elf that had decided to skulk around Privet Drive. Betty cast longing, yet somewhat horrified looks at Harry whenever he secretly went outside for a walk and took to doing odd little jobs for him, like pouring his lemonade from its bottle into a conjured glass or retying his trainers when the laces became lose. It seemed to cheer her up and so Harry let her, but he was still nonplussed about how she'd even found him.

On day eight of his stay at the Dursleys, a rap on the inside of the Gringotts trunk woke him up very early.

Dobby immediately popped down, only to reappear a moment later. "It be Mind Healer Williams. He be asking whether Harry Potter sir be wanting to leave this joint."

Boy, did Harry ever. As fast as he humanly could he got up, dressed, and practically ran down the stairs of the trunk.

"Good morning," Williams said with a chuckle. "I thought I'd spring you, now that the wards are fully charged. As I'm not added to your property wards yet, and we need to do the confidentiality vows and the contract signing first, I propose breakfast at Gringotts. After that, I've got a surprise for you."

Excited as he was, Harry allowed Dobby to clean him up and practically pulled Dobby and Williams along when the elf then popped them to Gringotts' customer hall.

Healer Spleenbash was already waiting in Sharptooth's office and explained succinctly why the old goblin was needed.

"He is your steward, your welfare is his responsibility, even if Gringotts is providing all services for free. Therefore he'll oversee both the Healer's Vow and the signing of the contract." She looked at Harry and smirked at his still slightly rumpled appearance. "It's up to you how you want this morning to proceed, Heir Potter. Do you want breakfast first, or do you want to get the official part done and go on to your cottage?"

"I'm not hungry yet," Harry said. "And eating breakfast at home would be great. You can come, of course, if you'd like."

"We're needed here, but thank you for the invitation," Sharptooth replied. "Healer Williams, shall we begin?"

The young man drew his wand and recited a long oath. A little alarmed, Harry listened as he swore on his magic and even his life to treat Harry to the best of his abilities, to never reveal his whereabouts or that of his properties, and to also keep everything he should learn of his private affairs absolutely secret. In short, Healer Williams signed his life away so Harry could remain safe. It didn't sit well with the boy, but Williams was the first to reassure him that he wasn't the only high profile client requiring an unbreakable healer's oath, and that in the future there would probably be many more.

At last, the healing contract was signed by all four of them and a slightly celebratory mood came up.

"You'll need to add Healer Williams to your wards if you'd like to have your counselling sessions away from Gringotts," Healer Spleenbash said. "It's easy to do: your house elf can harvest his magical signature to admit him onto the property. After that you can comfortably add him."

"I'm fine with either," Williams said. "It's completely up to you."

"We can go to my place," Harry decided. "Dobby is really good at kicking arse, and I'd rather sit in my garden than in a bank. No offence."

"None taken. Then you'd best be off," Sharptooth said. "Enjoy your freedom, Heir Potter. If anything comes up at your relative's residence, Gringotts will let you know."

"Thanks, sir, ma'am, I appreciate it. May you always find profit in all your endeavors."

"So mote it be," Healer Spleenbash returned his farewell.

Dobby snapped his fingers, pulling a small amount of glittering mist from Healer Williams' skin. Then he vanished, only to reappear a second later, grab both wizards and pop them away.

oOo

Healer Williams' surprise was evident as he took his surroundings in. Maybe going for effect, Dobby had dropped them in the middle of the lawn in front of the cottage, allowing Williams a good look at the property.

"You be going to ward stone now, Harry Potter sir," Dobby said, "and Dobby be taking care of food. Breakfast be served soon."

Harry accompanied his guest to the terrace and went on to the cellar, trusting that Dobby had an eye on the situation. The ward stone already felt open to the new configuration, so all Harry had to do - and it came quite easily! - was to confirm the presence of the new person and allow them to come again as long as they didn't harbour ill intent. Remembering Healer Williams' strict vow about his safety, Harry also stipulated that visitors could only arrive on the lawn and were not allowed to enter the cottage without his permission.

It took a couple of minutes, but Harry felt very grown up and accomplished as he joined the healer at the garden table.

"You have found a great home," Williams said as he looked at the surroundings. "If you ever feel like you don't want to have our sessions here, just tell me. I'll understand if you want to keep this as your refuge."

"We haven't even started yet, but I will. Thanks." Harry smiled when suddenly the table filled with plates, cups, cutlery and breakfast dishes. It was obvious that Dobby relished in cooking for two, and he just as obviously wanted to make a good impression. "How do you like your tea?"

"Just a little milk, please." Williams sighed as the took a sip. "I must confess that I was shocked to learn that you hadn't received any councelling after the incident with the basilisk, and I suspect that there was more going on at Hogwarts before that, especially concerning what you told me about the other kids' remarks about you being a parselmouth. Unfortunately no one out of Hogwarts knows what; Dumbledore is very tight-lipped about it all."

Harry pulled a face. "He always says that Hogwarts is the safest place in Britain, but I don't think that's true. In my first year, he hid something in the school and had a three-headed dog guard it. My friend Hermione could open the door with a simple unlocking charm. I didn't think much about it at the time, but it shouldn't have been that easy, right?"

"No, certainly not." Williams' brow furrowed. "I thought Healer Spleenbash was exaggerating when she told me that you'd have a lot to work through."

"We don't have to talk about it," Harry said hopefully. "And also, what can you, or she, do about it? Voldemort will still be there, and I don't think Dumbledore will listen. He didn't listen to Professor McGonagall either when she told him to get the dog out of the school."

Williams' eyes narrowed a little. "A three-headed dog?"

"Yeah, Fluffy. He was guarding a trapdoor, but anyway, it was way too easy getting through to him. He nearly bit mine and my friends' heads off."

Healer Williams paled a little. "What? His deputy warned him and he didn't listen? He's acting outright against the other teachers' wishes?"

"I don't know about that, I only overheard him talking to Professor McGonagall," Harry mumbled, busy with his porridge. "But he's the headmaster, right? And the most powerful wizard in Britain. His chocolate frog card says so."

"That does not give him the right to decide such things," Williams countered. He set his tea cup down and snagged a piece of bread from the basket and started buttering it with agitated knife strokes. "I hope you know that the students' welfare and safety should always come first. A school is no place for a cerberus - that's the name of those three-headed dogs. I mean," and he suddenly pulled a comical face, "when and, more importantly, where did Dumbledore even take it for a walk?"

His over the top grimace had Harry giggling into his food. "Dunno. I guess that was Hagrid's job. He loved Fluffy."

Williams stopped asking Harry questions about Hogwarts at that point and instead encouraged him to talk about his favourite things. A little hesitant at first, Harry soon fairly gushed about Hedwig and Dobby and his friends from school. From there, the discussion naturally turned to sports and flying, and whether Harry had a favourite Quidditch team.

"Nah, not really. But I know that the Chudley Cannons are the worst."

"They are," Williams laughed. He cleaned his plate with the last of his bread and sighed happily. "Compliments to your elf friend, Heir Potter. That was outstanding. Now ..." He paused for effect. "I did promise you a surprise, so why don't we take a short walk and I'll show you?"

Harry was only too glad to get off his bum and do something after his house arrest. Healer Williams only led him as far as the point where they'd arrived earlier before reaching into his robe pocket and producing ...

"A broom!" Harry cried. "You really brought me a broom?"

"Better yet, I brought two brooms ... and this!" Williams fished something golden from his pocket.

Grinning from ear to ear at the sight of the snitch, Harry immediately accepted the broom and swung himself up, quickly rising a few feet. Williams followed suit, though not before leaving his robes on the lawn.

Forgotten was talk about Hogwarts, Voldemort or even nice things like hobbies and interests as they soared through the air, whirling around and trying to outdo each other with daring moves. When the snitch came into play, Harry learned just how good a flyer Healer Williams was. Not only was he able to get the absolut best out of his Nimbus, he was thinking fantastically outside the box and surprised Harry regularly with new tricks that had his mind spinning. However, it was equally obvious that the young man was also surprised by Harry's talent and so their time in the air was one of the best Harry had ever spent on a broom.

"You're a little sunburned ... let me help with that," Williams said once they'd landed and he'd regretfully told Harry that their time for the day was up. He waved his hand and a wave of magic washed over Harry's warm skin. "Better. I'll teach you the spell next time." He smiled. "I had a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to it!"

"Me too," Harry replied shyly. "When will you be back?"

"I thought Monday would be good. The goblins will likely begin warding your other property on Tuesday, July 27th. It'll take several days and I'd like to go over the specifics with you beforehand. You'll also be knackered afterwards, so, sorry in advance if you sleep through your birthday."

"It'd be worth it," Harry said.

"Make use of the weekend and spend the time sleeping, resting and flying." Williams winked. "Oh, and maybe you'll find some energy for this, too." With a little flick of his fingers, a handful of small toys flew from his robe pocket and enlarged on the lawn. "I can't believe I almost forgot about those. With compliments from Steward Sharptooth. See you Monday!"

While Harry was staring gobsmacked at all the things he'd been wanting for his garden, Williams disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

"Dobby!" Harry called as he reverently touched the metal frame of the large outdoor trampoline. "You've got to see this!"

The elf appeared and stared at the bounty. "Dobby be installing the swings at once!"

With a few snaps of his fingers, the swings were gently swaying underneath the willow tree, the trampoline had pride of place a little left to the garden in front of the cottage, and the new bike stood red and gleaming right in front of Harry.

"The goblins are the best!" Harry cried. Eagerly, he scrambled onto the bike and began pedalling as fast as he could.

As he circled the house, Dobby bounced madly on the trampoline, giggling like a little loon and whooping every now and then. They traded later and completely exhausted themselves. It was great, easily one of the best days of Harry's summer, and it extended over the whole weekend.

oOo

When Healer Williams arrived on Monday at ten o'clock on the dot, he met two rather lazy individuals. Instead of scolding Harry, the man praised him for enjoying himself and asked for a turn on the trampoline himself before they began to work.

As Williams bounced and flipped in the air like some kind of circus artist, Harry and Dobby watched him from the shade of a parasol, drinking lemonade.

"He's really good," Harry said to Dobby. "I'm going to ask him how he times his flips."

"Dobby be catching Harry Potter sir if he falls," the elf promised. "But now there be a lesson. Dobby be going to the garden and putting more elf berry cuttings in. Harry Potter sir be having a look later?"

"Of course!"

Dobby vanished and the meeting began. Instead of pestering Harry about Quirrel and Fluffy, Williams first patiently showed Harry how to apply the sun burn protection spell to himself.

"It's very easy," the healer explained, "as with most spells, intent is what really counts. Just imagine the magic spreading over your skin like sunscreen. Me, I like to think of it as popping an egg on my head. It tickles when it flows down. Here, watch ..." With a gentle tap of his finger on his head, a small, visible burst of magic popped into existence on Healer Williams head and rapidly flowed downwards. For a moment, all of his visible skin shimmered a light green. Then the glow faded and the wizard smiled. "And done. This will protect you all day. Just apply the spell in the morning and you won't have to think about it."

"Okay. But what about the finite spell?"

Williams was visibly taken aback for a second before answering, "Good point, and even an important one. If someone hits you with that spell, I want you to get the hell away first and worry about your sunscreen later. No one who hits other people out of the blue with finite incantatem ever has good intentions, alright?"

"Yeah, got it. Also, I won't burn just because someone ends the spell."

"Not for a good few minutes, at least, and there are easy healing spells for that kind of damage," Healer Williams agreed. "Now, let me show you the wand movement. You can try on me first, since it's hard for beginners to spell themselves."

Harry soaked up the lesson like a sponge. He loved doing magic, even if he'd not done anything as per Healer Spleenbash's instruction. After a few practice runs into the air, it fairly burst out of him when Healer Williams declared him good enough to try the spell on him.

"You don't have to tap me on the head, but if it helps, you may do that, of course."

He sat patiently in the grass as Harry collected himself, recited the spell once under his breath and then gently tapped the man on the head with his wand. "Sol praesidio."

A small bubble of magic burst on Williams' hair and covered his face and neck before fizzing out.

"Well done!" Williams called. "Very good for your first try! Again! There's quite a bit of me left to cover."

Harry cast the spell again, this time with more confidence. Imagining what he wanted to happen helped greatly and he managed to get down to Williams' forearms. Without needing to be prompted, he tried several times more until at last the spell flowed down on Williams' body as if Harry had done it for years.

"I'm impressed," the healer said sincerely. "It's not a difficult spell, but you seem to grasp the concepts of spell work rather easily. With your permission, I'd like to teach you more. There are literally dozens, nay, hundreds of spells and charms designed to make our everyday lives easier, and as a home owner you could probably do with them."

"Sure, why not." Harry grinned. "Can I try on myself now?"

Williams cast a wandless tempus charm and sighed. "I'm afraid not. We still have to do a little councelling, or Healer Spleenbash will tan my hide."

Harry grimaced, which made Williams laugh.

"Don't worry. We call it councelling, but in truth we'll just be doing a lot of talking. In order to help you deal with stuff, I first need to know what that stuff even is. Alright?"

Not really convinced but willing to try, Harry nodded. "Okay. What are we talking about, then?"

"I'd really like to hear more about your first year at Hogwarts, but I'm interested in anything you want to tell me, really."

"I don't know how to do that," Harry admitted. "Talking to adults, I mean."

"Healer Spleenbash mentioned that," Williams said evenly, "and it is fairly obvious why. Your relatives weren't a shining example of caring guardianship and Dumbledore's behaviour couldn't have helped, either. But," and Williams' frown vanished, "you realized that for yourself, which is very good. It's even better that you decided to give others a chance despite your unpleasant experiences. You found friends at Hogwarts, and a house elf liked you enough to stay with you and help you out. They're not human adults, of course, but you know already that not everybody is the same."

Harry was relieved to hear that, but felt that he had to be honest. "It's not just them or the teachers at Hogwarts, though. The teachers at my primary school didn't listen either when I told them that Dudley, my cousin, was bullying me."

"They didn't listen?" Williams asked. "Why?"

"Dunno." Shrugging, Harry picked at a few grass blades. "I guess the Dursleys convinced them that I was a trouble maker and always inventing things and that Dudley couldn't possibly bully someone."

"Did you have to go to the school nurse because of the bullying? Did your cousin hurt you?"

Squirming a little, Harry admitted it. "But only until I noticed that I was faster than him. And," he blushed, "also a bit smarter. I mean, I'd memorize when he'd be where so I could avoid him and his friends, and I got pretty good at climbing trees. Once, I kind of spelled myself on a roof at the school. The teachers were super angry and my uncle locked me in my cup-, er, room without supper for a week."

"Your uncle withheld food from you for a week?" Williams' eyebrows rose. "Because you ran from your cousin who wanted to beat you up?"

"Er, yeah. But it was kind of alright because Dudley couldn't get to me then, and Aunt Petunia didn't want him to hit me much anyway because the nurse asked her about it a couple of times."

"So, at least the school nurse tried to investigate?"

"Oh. Uhm, no. Not that one. The one at the doctor's office, who gave me my shots before I went to school. My arms were bruised and she had to give them to me there." Harry flushed and pointed to his bum. "Aunt Petunia was really angry after they talked."

"But nothing changed. Did someone come by the house, maybe someone from another office? Like social services?"

"Er, I don't know. I don't think so, but they could've been by while I was at school, I guess." Harry shrugged. "The nurse was nice, but Aunt Petunia didn't take me there again."

"The nurse tried to do the right thing," Healer Williams assured him. "There are procedures and guidelines for cases like yours and doctors especially are required to follow them. It's unfortunate that her intervention didn't have an effect, and I'm sorry for that."

"Well, I'm away from them now," Harry said quietly. "Next summer, I only have to go there for three weeks or so, and the goblins promised that I don't actually have to deal with them during that time. I mean, Healer Spleenbash wanted me to; I suppose it was because the wards charge quicker then, but not after the last time."

"Healer Spleenbash informed me about the blood ward," Williams admitted, "and I'm sorry that remaining there even for that long is necessary. Unfortunately, I agree that keeping Dumbledore off your trail is the best way to aid you in getting better and up to speed for your age group. After consulting your parents' files, neither of them was especially small and while you've already sprouted up an inch, there's still a little way to go until Healer Spleenbash and I will be satisfied with your development."

"But I'm feeling tons better already," Harry assured him. "Your potions work, Healer Spleenbash told me so, and I'm doing the breathing exercises she sent along a couple of weeks ago for stress management. As long as the Dursleys are leaving me alone, everything's fine."

"But that wasn't always so," Williams guessed, a little sadly.

"Yeah, maybe I wanted them to like me," Harry said roughly, scowling at the sudden sting of tears in his eyes. "But I'm not gonna try anymore. I'm not stupid. I stopped when I was six."

"It wasn't stupid hoping for that at all. It's only natural for children to want their caretakers to approve of them and show them affection. You learn life's skills from them, ideally, and if they fall short, that process is disturbed. It's frankly unforgivable, what your relatives did, Harry, and it's natural and just that you feel anger and betrayal."

"But it's not getting me anywhere," Harry snapped. "I hate them, and they don't even care!"

"I know," Williams sighed and pulled Harry against his side in a one-armed hug when the boy shuddered. "I'm sorry."

They sat for a while, just breathing and living in the moment. Harry felt open and raw, the suppressed demons of his childhood scratching and clawing at him like malicious rats. The healer's quiet presence helped, though, and he was able to rally eventually.

"Sorry," he mumbled, embarrassed.

"Don't be," Williams replied. "I want you to confront these things so you can find closure. An uncaring family is one of the worst things for someone to put behind, but I'm certain that you will be able to find peace eventually. Give yourself time. They hurt you for so long - no one expects you to be fine tomorrow, or next month, or even a year from now."

"But a year of listening to me whine about my relatives can't be fun," Harry protested.

"No, it isn't," Williams said. He smiled mischievously in an obvious bid to lighten the mood and added, "But the goblins pay me very well and I like to entertain myself by imagining all the mean things I could do to horrible people. If someone deserves it, it makes me feel like Spiderman, or Batman."

Harry laughed wetly. "Too bad muggle baiting is forbidden."

"Not in my thoughts, it isn't," Williams said cheerfully. "I can torture them to my heart's content. And you can, too, you know. Even thinking about it can release tension, just like a good cry. It's healthy every now and then."

"But I don't want to be like that," Harry mumbled. "Thinking about things like that makes my scar hurt, and I don't want to feel even more miserable because of them."

"Is that so? You feel pain when you're angry?" Healer Williams picked up his wand from the grass and pointed it at Harry's forehead. "May I cast on you while you think about something particularly horrible you'd like to do to your cousin? It's just a diagnostic spell, don't worry."

Harry shrank back a little. "I don't want to have a headache. Nothing works on those and they're horrid."

Williams paused and then put his wand back down. "I see. You're right, we shouldn't do this before the warding, then. But would you be willing to try after it's done and you've rested?"

"Do I have to?" Harry asked quietly.

"No, of course not." Williams carefully touched Harry's tightly clenched fist. "But I think that there might be a connection between your anger issues and the piece of Voldemort in your head. Knowing as much as we can about that thing will help the healers to prepare the procedure to take it out. You'll be safer as a result. But if you don't want to, I'll respect that."

Harry was quiet for long moments. Finally, he asked, "Can I think about it?"

"Take all the time you need, and maybe talk to your elf. He might have advice for you that Gringotts hasn't considered yet. Every little bit helps, I mean that."

"Okay. Thank you."

"No, thank you, Heir Potter. You're very brave, taking on all of that by yourself. It can't be easy and we at Gringotts are very conscious of that fact."

"It's not a big deal," Harry muttered, wiping at his cheeks.

"Yes, it is," Healer Williams disagreed with a gentle smile. "Anyway, to completely throw you for a loop: let's talk about the warding tomorrow!"

At that, Dobby popped up next to Harry, a scowl on his dirty face. "You be talking too long. You be needing a lunch break before talking about horribly exhausting warding!" He pointed at Healer Williams. "No business talk during lunch, or else."

Both wizards heeded the elf's words and ate their food in near silence. Over dessert, Harry finally became curious enough to ask what was expected of him on the following day.

"It'll be horrible, there's no other way to say it," Williams said with a grimace. "You're not believing me right now, but it'll go like this: Gringotts has planned for four days full of work. Tomorrow, they'll place the main ward stone somewhere on the property. You should've heard the curses of the warders when they realized that they had to fight an nest of whomping willows for the perfect spot. They appealed to Chief Ragnok for combat pay! It was hilarious ... and sobering at the same time, because the chief actually approved their request. After the main ward stone, they'll place the first seven times seven perimeter ward stones. You already know what to do with them, so be prepared to lose quite a bit of blood. Don't worry, though, Healers Spleenbash, Bonepick, and myself will be right beside you. Then on day two, you'll do the same for the next seven times seven perimeter ward stones."

"I have to do that twice?" Harry asked with considerable dismay. "Bloody hell."

"I know, and you should be happy to have Malijar's Gift as ward stones, because if it were lesser material, the number of stones would be much higher," Williams sighed. "Anyway, at the end of day two the goblins will cast their ward matrix over the foundation and make the property unplottable. That's a travelling nightmare right there, what with around sixty goblins having to use a portkey to find the place. Right now, because you're the owner and the configuration is open, they can use elf travel. We do have a few house elves at Gringotts, but they're mostly working in the kitchens and keep the offices tidy."

"Dobby could pop a few of them," Harry smirked, feeling a little better, "for a fee."

"You learn entirely too fast," Williams chuckled. "It's a lot of ward communion for you on day three while the goblins place the war wards, which is the truly exhausting part. For every ward placed, you'll have to do a communion to accept the setting. Then, on day four, if everything goes well, only the anti-apparition ward and the intent-based wards will be left, and of course more ward communion for you."

"I'll sleep for a week," Harry groaned.

"But you'll be done on your birthday, which'll be a pretty darn slick present, if you ask me," Williams countered and lifted his eyebrows challengingly.

"I know. It's just ... I don't like being so tired all the time. It's like, wasting time I could use for better things."

"Hmm. Tell me, are you done with your homework for the summer?" Williams asked.

"Uh, yes?"

"And have you any truly pressing tasks, other than warding your property, which you will have to complete during the next week?"

"No ... ?"

"Then please believe me when I tell you that resting after such a magically expensive venture is the absolute best way to spend your time. Your body and mind both will need the time to find their balance. In fact, it's absolutely necessary, and as we've established before, nothing should be more important to your than your own health and wellbeing. At least not right now." Healer Williams took the last sip of his coffee. "Do you have any specific questions about the warding itself?"

"If there isn't anything I don't know already, I don't." Harry hesitated. "But I forgot the spell for the perimeter ward stones. Could I maybe have it before we start?"

"Head Warder Shanoo will write everything down for you, you just have to read it off the parchment and, of course, mean it. The goblins will do the rest."

"You've no idea how much I'll mean it," Harry sighed and put his head down on the table. "I really had no idea how exhausting all of this is. Being on your own is hard!"

"But it can be very rewarding," Williams said. "You're reaping some of the rewards even now, don't you? And when you're done in a few days, you'll be right proud of your accomplishment, and deservedly so."

"I don't know," Harry mumbled into the table cloth. "Dobby'll want to work there all day, since the place is supposed to be his garden for elf food, and I'll be here alone."

"You could go with him," Williams replied. "It's not exactly luxurious, but why shouldn't you be able to pack a few things and spend time there? You could read or fly or just nap in the shade somewhere."

Harry groaned again. "I forgot that I can do that ... again. Why?"

"You'll get used to it eventually," Williams said with a little laugh. "But I'm pretty sure it'll never get boring working with you, Heir Potter. You need to get used to a lot of things, after all."

"Argh."

oOo

The first big day of the warding began promptly at eight. Harry was up by seven and ready ten minutes before Healer Williams was supposed to pick him up.

"Are you sure that you can pop us?" Harry asked Dobby. "Even Healer Williams?"

"Dobby can! Dobby be always able to find Harry Potter sir's properties." The elf was armed to the teeth with a picnic basket, blanket and a parasol and seemed more than ready to go.

Soon after, Williams appeared in a flush of magic on the lawn and they left the house to meet him. Greetings done, Dobby immediately grabbed them both and took them right where the head warders had installed a camp in Harry's overgrown field.

"Someone's eager," Williams commented. "Good morning, head warders, Steward Sharptooth, Healers Spleenbash and Bonepick. Plenty of gold and so on!"

"Same, same," Gartuk returned distractedly and the other goblins only grunted.

It was so unexpectedly funny that Harry started giggling.

This laughter attracted Shanoo's attention. "Ah, there you are, Heir Potter. Greetings and lots of gold, et cetera. Excellent, now come forward." She grabbed his hand and dragged him along with her as she strode over the small clearing. In the middle, a half dozen goblins let a boulder of Malijar's Gift the size of Aunt Petunia's kitchen oven float with their magic.

It was a bewitching sight as it glittered and sparkled in the morning light. There even seemed to be a light hum in the air, as if the rock generated energy that wanted to make itself heard.

"Wow!" Harry gushed. "Is that really my ward stone?"

"If it accepts you," Shanoo retorted impatiently. "We have a couple more if this one's not for you, so if you'd touch it now ..."

Unsuspecting and not needing to be told twice, Harry reached out ... and nearly blacked out at the electrical current hitting him with the power of an oncoming lorry. This was vastly different than holding a small pebble of that same rock, this was like approaching a feral animal that could shoot lightning and was more than willing and able to fry a wizard on the spot if it didn't like him.

Harry attempted to reach out with his magic as well as he knew how, expecting something like the connection he had with his first ward stone, but it was no use. The stone's power did not change its shape or intensity at all and Harry tried not to feel disappointed. At least he was able to take his hand away without repercussion and told himself to be grateful for that. The few moments in the rock's thrall hadn't been all that pleasant.

"Ah, no. Far too wild for a youngling like you," Shanoo decreed and waved the rock away. A new team of goblins levitated another piece onto the clearing. "Try this one, Heir Potter. It should be gentler."

And it was. So gentle, in fact, that Harry kind of missed a bit of resistance, that little bit of extra that told him that the magic was a fit for his own temperament. Still, it was very nice, and Harry thanked it silently for its readiness to help him, even if they were not a perfect match.

"No, not that one either. Please let that last one be the one, because it'd take us at least an hour to get more onto the property." Shanoo sighed. "Give it your best, Heir Potter."

Hesitantly, Harry reached out once the last boulder was in position. To his surprise, he had the feeling as if he already knew the stone. He wanted to call out, but then the hematite-coloured parts of Malijar's Gift began shining like fiery opals in deep blues, vibrant greens, pearl, pink, even red and orange, completely catching Harry's attention and inviting him to actually touch it.

I know you, Harry thought. I held a part of you in Sharptooth's office! Hello! A grin stole onto his face as warmth spread through his body in response. Do you want to stay with me? I need a guard for my garden and you feel nice! But not too nice, which is kind of perfect.

The vibrant, ever changing colours of the stone pulsed, making Harry grin even more broadly.

Awesome. You should meet my friend Dobby, he'll work on the land and make it into a garden just for house elves. As if he knew that he was being called, Dobby appeared at Harry's side and slid his small hand into the boy's. Immediately, his presence changed the conversation between Harry and the rock, moving to include him. There he is. Please take good care of us both.

Without really knowing it, Harry pulled out his athame, cut his palm and pressed his bloody hand to the stone. It only hurt a little, and only for a moment. Then, pleasure swept through him, and a deep sense of camaraderie and satisfaction bloomed in his chest. For a little while longer, Harry and Dobby bathed in the magic and allowed it to sweep all around and through them. Far too soon, it seemed, voices called them back and the lovely cloud of magic around them faded away.

"Well, I'd say that is a match," Head Warder Shanoo said dryly and grudgingly handed a sack of galleons over to Sharptooth. "Well done, Heir Potter, it has accepted you as its master. It even healed your hand, now look at that, Healer Spleenbash. But now we've got work to do. Step back, please. Planting a ward stone is risky business when there's such a big ley line running underneath its resting place. There could be magical discharges and to be honest, we're expecting quite a ride."

Sharptooth and the goblin healers accompanied Harry away from the clearing and a little into the trees. Protective wards went up as soon as they stepped over the perimeter.

"Go!" Head Warder Shanoo shouted.

Like a conductor, she directed the goblins under her command and slowly, slowly, the large boulder sank into the hole in the ground. As predicted, strong discharges shot up whenever the magic of the ley line connected with Malijar's Gift. It was a pretty sight, actually, but not an experience Harry wanted to make firsthand. It arced out and away, all over the clearing and high up into the sky. The goblins apparently wore protective gear because not one of them so much as flinched when a bolt slammed into the ground by their feet. They never broke their guttural chant and as one they painted flaming sigils into the air when the rock was safely placed.

"This is wicked," Harry said, awed by the sight. "My hair's all standing up!"

Williams showed Harry his forearm where all of the little hairs were raised as well. "It's the magic; it's so thick in the air that we're reaching out with our cores."

"Does it do something to us?" Harry wanted to know.

"In this case no, Malijar's Gift is a benign presence on your land as you bonded with it and married it to your purpose. But other sources of magic, like artefacts for example, can and will influence us more than we like if we're not careful," Williams explained. "It's one of the reasons the goblins count among the best warders on the planet. Their skin is much thicker and their approach to magic different enough to matter a great deal. Essentially, they're hardier and can direct magic with more precision than a human because they're not so easily, ah, impressed."

"Oh." Harry's respect for the goblins went up another notch. "That must be really useful."

"It is," Sharptooth replied smugly. "We're also very good curse breakers for that reason, although Gringotts employs its fair share of wizards. It's always a good idea to diversify. What one curse breaker can't do, another can. Sometimes it will take both of them, or even a whole team, but in the end the job will get done."

"I need a lot more books," Harry decided. "Until just now, I didn't even know that there was such a thing as curse breakers!"

"Healer Williams will bring you a pamphlet of job offers," Sharptooth said, visibly amused. "Although it might be a bit early for you to be thinking about work."

"Well, I can only decide what kind of career I want to have if I know what kinds of jobs are even out there." Harry huffed and didn't care that he sounded exactly like Hermione in one of her more passionate speeches.

"Hogwarts is supposed to councel you at the beginning of your fifth year, in preparation for your OWLs," Williams explained, "but I understand why it would seem a little late for someone muggle raised. After all, you didn't have a chance to grow up with that information, unlike your peers."

"I have lots of muggleborn friends. Can I show them your pamphlet, too?" Harry asked.

"Of course." Sharptooth smirked. "After all, they might want to work for Gringotts and we're always looking for talent."

Satisfied, Harry turned back to the chanting warders and watched as they buried the ward stone. At last, the still flaming sigils sank into the ground in a circle before winking out.

Aprubtly, the humming stopped and it was eerily quiet in the area.

"It's done. We can move on to the perimeter ward stones," Williams said. "They're from the same rock as the master ward stone, so that part should be pleasant, at least."

Head Warder Shanoo came up to their group. "Two things, Heir Potter: first, here is the spell you need to recite as you bind the ward stones to you with blood. And second, take your broom so we can get this part done as quickly as possible."

Dobby handed Harry his broom. Healer Williams also took his from his robe pocket and enlarged it with barely a wave of his hand. Together, they flew where Head Warder Shanoo pointed them and began the arduous task of binding the perimeter ward stones to Harry.

As promised, the task wasn't difficult, but an unforeseen affinity between Harry and his stones prompted a communion each and every single time he picked one up and pressed a drop of blood into it. Adding to that, crossing the property every time, even by broom, took time - time that the warders obviously hadn't thought they'd need.

"Unbelievable," Shanoo muttered, not quite annoyed but certainly not happy. "Only twenty-one stones done and midday already ... we'll have to break here, Heir Potter, lest you collapse from magical exhaustion."

Healer Williams agreed and the whole group retreated into the shade and had a long lunch break. Harry got a pepper-up potion and a blood replenisher after dessert, and a cooling charm on his clothes for good measure. Due to the many plants all around them and the slowly swelling clouds in the sky, the air became humid and no one wanted to risk a heat stroke.

"We'll be done soon," Williams encouraged Harry in the late afternoon. "Don't mind Head Warder Shanoo, she just didn't anticipate your intense connection to your ward stone. It happens and the warding of your cottage should have been a clue."

Harry caressed the fist-sized rock in his fingers and placed it into the hole in the ground in front of him. "I don't mind, and I'm not really tired. I'm just sorry that this might push back the schedule."

"It won't," Head Warder Gartuk assured him. "Shanoo likes to grumble, but she became a warder because the whole process fascinates her. No ward ever is the same, and sometimes a wizard still surprises her. It's all good, Heir Potter."

Finally, around six, the last perimeter stone was placed and Harry did a commune with the master stone. It was unexpectedly short, perhaps because he had unwittingly established the connections individually instead of all at once like the warders had initially anticipated. After no more than a minute, Malijar's Gift gently pushed Harry away as if to tell him that it was time to rest now, and to let the goblins do their part.

Even though he was feeling it now, Harry insisted on staying. Healer Spleenbash fussed and forced him to take another blood-replenishing potion and eat a full meal, but she relented and let Harry and Dobby watch the goblins anchor the first part of the ward that would make the property unplottable. While it wasn't the light show the burying of the master ward stone had been, it was still interesting.

To Harry's mortification, he fell asleep halfway through and slept on until Dobby came to wake him in his own bed early in the next morning.

oOo

Day two was more of the same, just as Healer Williams had told him, and at the end of the seven times seven ward stones, Harry was glad to finally get his fingers healed and be done with it all. Healer Williams had to spell him twice against the burning sun because the strong ley magic was bubbling all over the place due to the developing ward matrix. It would've been deeply interesting to Harry if he weren't so utterly wiped out.

"It's the damnedest thing," he heard Healer Williams quietly say to Healer Spleenbash. "He's not very exhausted magically, at least in no way I can detect, but mentally he's really done for."

Then, he slept again.

oOo

Day three of the warding dawned bright and early. Harry felt more rested and was very hungry. He nearly managed all of Dobby's breakfast offering and, even though he was full, he was already looking forward to his next snack.

As he'd fallen asleep the day before, he had missed the conclusion of the goblins' work. His property was now theoretically unplottable, but he needed to commune with the ward stones to fix the setting. Without that commune, the goblins also hadn't been able to build the war wards, though if the pleasant faces of the warding team were anything to go by, they weren't exactly angry about it.

"Almost every goblin hates portkeys," Sharptooth said, likely guessing Harry's thoughts at Shanoo and Gartuk's almost cheerful greeting. "They consider it a bonus, Heir Potter, so don't feel bad about pushing the agenda back a little. They'll still be able to complete all the tasks for today."

After a fortifying sip of Dobby's lemonade, Harry stepped onto the clearing with his ward stone. As if it had awaited him, magic surged up, ruffling his clothes and hair. Enthralled, Harry sat crosslegged onto the baked earth and put his hands flat on the ground. Information about the new ward came to him and he could almost see how it had been constructed. As there seemed to be no holes and the stone didn't offer any objections, Harry approved it and gently extricated himself from magic's embrace.

"Well done, Heir Potter." Healer Williams, now in his shirtsleeves, pointed towards the camp. "Now we've got some time on our hands as the goblins will be building their war wards. It's interesting to watch, but it'll take around two hours to finish. I could teach you how to apply the sunscreen spell to yourself in the meantime."

Harry was all for it and Dobby busied himself by offering more food and drinks. At first, Williams had Harry cast the spell on him a couple of times before moving on.

"Now, point your wand at yourself, either at the top of your head or at your chest and imagine the feel of the spell. You did it already, so you know that you can do it. The main problem for many wizards and witches is the correct wand movement, so feeling it is very important. Ready?" At Harry's nod, Williams gave the go ahead. "Yes, nice spell colour there ... give it a little more, your shins are still not covered ... good first try! Again!"

Harry took a deep breath, pointed his wand at his chest, screwed his eyes shut, and said the spell again. Warm and tingling, the magic bloomed behind his breastbone and travelled all over his body. It was weakest in his feet, but it was there and he felt like flying without a broom.

"Well done!" Healer Williams praised. "Give me one more go and then you should be just fine."

The last try had Harry feeling as if a couple hundred of butterflies were fluttering over his skin and when he opened his eyes, Healer Williams was hiding a laugh behind his hand.

"What?" Harry asked suspiciously.

Williams pointed at his arm, eyes shining brightly with mirth.

Harry was green. And he glittered!

Mortified, he sank down in his chair. "Oh no, and now?"

"You just put a bit too much juice into your spell," Williams chuckled. "It'll go away in an hour or so. Maybe."

"I look like the Hulk!" Harry cried. "I'll finite myself!"

"No, please." Williams sobered and his smile became soft. "Don't be ashamed. You and your magic are both growing. I'm not saying that it's exactly sentient,

but it obviously wants to work with you, even please you. Be proud of your work, even if you went a little overboard. You'll learn control quickly enough."

"Ugh, fine. But if someone laughs at me, I'll have Dobby give you herbal tea for the rest of the day. Only herbal tea."

"That's a deal. And since this went so well, how about learning an anti-mosquito charm? You won't always be behind wards and keeping small, blood-sucking critters away can only be to the good."

Harry was especially eager for that spell because Dudley had thrown a hornet's nest at him when he'd been seven, and while he couldn't fault the poor hornets for their ire, he really didn't want to renew his acquaintance with their stingers.

Healer Williams patiently demonstrated the charm a few times and explained the mechanics behind the wand movement. When he was finished, however, he lowered his voice and said in a conspirative tone, "We Aussies aren't all that fussed about wand movement, so if you don't want to get in trouble with your teachers, tell me now and I'll shut my gob about how wizards can really drop that act for similar results."

"Are you kidding me?" Harry asked, appalled. "Of course I want to know!"

Williams smirked. "Excellent, because you're no Pedantic Peter to begin with - it must drive your teachers crazy -, so this should be fun. Remember when I told you that magic is mostly about intent?"

"Of course," Harry said just as conspiratorially.

"What would you think if I told you that every act of magic is based on intent? That wand movements were designed to focus the caster and make the direction of magic easier, but that they aren't necessary?"

Harry stared at him with his mouth open. "Are you for real?"

"Very real. See, I can do all of the little spells and charms without a wand, and even silently." Williams demonstrated by hitting Harry with five different spells. He only waved his fingers a little and yet every spell hit its mark perfectly. "That was anti-sunburn, anti-mosquito, a personal hygiene charm, a cleaning charm for your clothes and a small healing charm. We don't have much magical wood for wands in Australia, you see, and living in such a harsh environment makes it easy to lose a wand, in any case. We never quite got used to using magical foci like Europe and North America did."

"But, but ..." Harry was aghast. While he liked his wand, it would've been nice to know that his life as a wizard didn't have to depend on it. "Why doesn't anybody tell me these things?"

"It's deeply ingrained, especially in Britain," Williams said calmly.

"But why?" Harry felt bewildered.

"I shouldn't say more; Healer Spleenbash warned me that you'd be curious. I'm sorry I even said this much."

"No, please, you can't start and then not tell me the rest," Harry begged. When Williams continued to look unconvinced, Harry resorted to threats, "I'll have Dobby buy books about it and then I'll know anyway!"

Healer Williams grimaced even as he gave a snort of laughter. "I bet you would. Oh, boy, that was me being epically stupid. Healer Spleenbash will tan my hide!"

"I don't think so," Harry replied. "If she didn't want you to teach me, she wouldn't have given me your file. She even said that she'd have picked you for me if it had been her choice."

"I see." Williams sounded a little speculative. "Well, then. Why not make the most of it? Where were we? Ah, yes, wands and our lack of need for one. The established opinion at Gringotts is that the dependence on wands is desired by the Ministry."

"What for?" Harry asked.

"To control the citizens of wizarding Britain, of course. The Trace is placed on the kids' wands to oversee their magic use outside of school, and the Trace is still active when they're adults. It's true that this helps solve some crimes, but the other truth is that keeping magical people bound to magical foci essentially cripples their magical abilities. If you're interested, you should find books about magical theory and philosophy ... by non-British authors, of course. And secretly. But I digress. Let's go back to casting magic: do you remember how you cast on yourself? How you barely moved your wand, just pushed your magic into it to form the spell?"

"Yeah, sure. It still worked out fine." Harry looked at his wand and suddenly understood. "Oh! I see. I'm feeling a little blindsided."

"I imagine you do, yes."

"Wow. Then the teachers at Hogwarts do lie to us." Harry stared vacantly at his hands for a moment before collecting himself. "I've only been in school for two years, but no professor ever told us that we don't really need a wand. They don't even explain how to feel the magic, just tell us to swish and flick and see what happens. A bit paltry for the best school in Britain, isn't it? And if the Ministry is in on it ... I don't know. It kind of takes the magic away from Hogwarts."

"That wasn't my intention," Williams murmured. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright. I'd rather know the truth than stay in the dark."

"Most of the witches and wizards don't know any better, if that's any consolation. Even those in power perpetuate the lie because they're unable to do differently." Healer Williams paused, sighed, and massaged the bridge of his nose. "Listen, Heir Potter, I'm somewhat contrary and prone to do stupid and reckless things to stick it to people who deserve it. I really should stop telling yout these things before I drag you down to my level."

"You really shouldn't," Harry countered somewhat cheekily. "Who knows, it might help to keep me from getting killed one day."

Williams grinned half-heartedly. "Is that so?"

"Definitely." Harry grinned back. "Also, you're enjoying yourself, aren't you?

"Far more than it should, to be honest," Williams admitted. "It entertains me to teach you new things because I can see that you want to learn. You have a talent for it, and you deserve to know what's really happening around you. But I'd never want to encourage you to take unnecessary or stupid risks with yourself, especially with powerful people like Dumbledore in the picture. If you plan on waging war against the teachers at Hogwarts, it might be better to stop here and now, before Dumbledore catches on and takes away even more of your freedom."

Harry's eyes narrowed and even Dobby looked a little miffed. "I already told you that I'm not stupid. I can keep this to myself."

"Can you?" Williams challenged.

"Unless Dumbledore can read minds, yeah, I can," Harry replied stubbornly. When Healer Williams suddenly paled, the words dried up in his throat.

"I actually forgot ... Dumbledore is a legilimens. I have to speak with Sharptooth. Stay here, alright?"

And off he went, worrying Harry even further.

"What now?" Harry asked Dobby. "That was only half an hour, and the way he's shouting at Sharptooth and Spleenbash, he'll be gone for a while."

"Harry Potter sir could practice the mosquito-repelling charm on Dobby," the elf offered. "Dobby be hardy; if magic goes wrong, nothing bad will happen."

"But if I hurt you, we'll stop!" Harry said sternly. Picking his wand back up, he imitated Healer Williams' wand movements and spoke the words clearly. "Oh, that worked!"

"Again! Dobby be liking the tickles!" The elf clapped his hands and hopped up and down on his chair.

Grinning, Harry forgot about the warding for a while and amused himself with hitting Dobby with so many sun and mosquito-blocking spells that the elf was shimmering with magic just like Harry.

"Harry Potter sir be ready to try on himself," Dobby said, once he was done admiring his green, glittering sheen. "Healers still be talking, but Dobby be watching over Harry Potter sir."

"Okay. Here we go ..." Pointing the wand at his chest, Harry muttered the incantation. After doing it so many times for Dobby, the magic came easily and covered him from head to toe in one sweeping rush. "Awesome!"

"Harry Potter sir be good student!"

"Indeed," Healer Williams said from the far side of the marquee. "Well done, Heir Potter." He walked up to their table and slumped into a chair. "Sorry for leaving you alone like that."

"It was obviously important," Harry replied. "What is a legimens?"

"A legilimens is someone with the ability to read thoughts," Williams explained. "And Dumbledore is one. It's easy to forget, what with the way the old man behaves ... too easy."

"How does that even work? Is there a spell for that?"

"There is," Williams confirmed. "Incidentally, it's also legilimens, although no one who's the least bit proficient in the art will shout it at you while they attempt to read your mind. No, all someone has to do is look you right in the eyes, preferably after asking the question to which they want to obtain the answer."

"He does that!" Harry cried. "He looks at us students like that, over his glasses!" He demonstrated by lowering his head and staring right up at the healer. "Can he even do that? I don't want him to read my mind!"

"He obviously can," Williams said, "but that doesn't mean he's allowed." He raked his hand through his hair in agitation. "If he's doing it to students, that's very bad. Not only is it unethical - you kids are walking hormone bombs and have interesting thoughts about other people - it is actually a violation of the law."

"Then why don't you report him?" Harry asked, not quite believing that he was saying such a thing about Dumbledore of all people, but determined to not having his mind read.

"Because it's devilishly hard to prove." Williams put his elbows on the table and leaned forward. "Untrained witches and wizard never even notice if it happens."

"But one can notice?"

Williams sighed. "Yes, thankfully. The art of hiding and protecting your thoughts is called occlumency. If you're not a natural at it, which is honestly rare, you have to learn and that takes time. Time that you unfortunately don't have."

"I don't want him to know what I've been up to this summer," Harry whispered. "I don't want to go back to the Dursleys."

"I know. There's a way around it, but it's not perfect, and you'll have to be very careful." Williams pulled a pendant from his trouser pocket and put it on the table. "This is a modified memory locket. They're like mini-pensieves and can hold up to five memory fragments. The magic in the locket amplifies these memories so that a casually looking legilimens will see one of those first. It won't hold up under intense scrutiny, pun intended, but hopefully it will get Dumbledore off your back for a while. Other than that you should train yourself to never look a person directly in the eyes if you suspect them to be a legilimens. There are ways to be sneaky about that, like looking at things in the environment, or focusing on your hands. Whatever helps sell your story is good."

For the remaining half hour until Harry's next ward communion Healer Williams instructed Harry in how to extract the most generic memory fragments possible. Harry chose flying with his quidditch team at school, sitting in the common room and reading the thickest book he owned, walking around the school grounds, doing homework and thinking about treacle tart, his favourite dessert at school.

"Remember to change the fragments every two to three months," Williams said. "Keep it current so he won't get suspicious."

"I will," Harry promised and slipped the necklace over his head. "Whew, I feel better already!"

"Me too," Williams confessed. "Don't think you'll get around studying occlumency, Heir Potter! Healer Spleenbash is working on a reading list as we speak." He pointed at the healer who was indeed scribbling on a piece of parchment.

"Will I even have time for school stuff?" Harry asked, dismayed. "There's so much going on!"

"It's a little crazy, but you can do it, just like all the other heirs of noble and ancient families."

"Wait, they are learning this stuff? Why not I? Dumbledore never ..." With a frustrated huff, Harry didn't complete his sentence. "I don't understand why he's doing this!"

"And maybe it's better this way," Williams said soothingly. "Knowing too much, too young can overwhelm you, and I don't want that to happen. I want you to be healthy and interested in your affairs, but that doesn't mean that you have to learn everything today."

"But it feels like I have to. Like it's really urgent."

"And I understand that. It may be your family magic pushing you, but you're new to all of this. It is important to pace yourself or you'll make yourself sick. Right now, nothing is pressing, and you're not in any more danger than you were before the holidays started. You have one of Gringotts' most ruthless goblins for a steward to fend your headmaster off, and he'll do that with great pleasure. Calm yourself, all will be well." Williams squeezed Harry's shoulder and smiled. "Besides, it is time for your next communion. I'm looking forward to your reaction to the freshly implemented war wards."

Harry was looking forward to it as well, especially after learning yet another disturbing thing about the headmaster.

Malijar's Gift welcomed him warmly just as it had done before and helped him understand the goblin wards with patient sweeps and rolls of magic. The war wards were nearly feral with their eagerness to thwart trespassers and ready to accept further instruction on how to deal with attacks. Harry reached out with his magic and almost bodily felt them pull out all of his worries. There were many but the most noteworthy ones were of course Voldemort, his henchmen and shades, and evil creatures that wanted to eat him. He couldn't help but also admit to his distress about Dumbledore and people like him. As each worrisome thought bled from his mind, the tune of the wards adjusted until Harry's head was pleasantly calm and the field of magic around him purred like a happy kitten.

"That took a while," Healer Williams remarked as he led Harry back to the marquee and checked him over for sun damage. "Is everything alright?"

"Sure, I'm great," Harry said with a shrug. "They're doing the anti-apparition ward next, right? I already chose the destinations for the deplacement."

"Let's hear them," Williams prompted. "How horrible will it be?"

"On top of the Alps, somehwere in rural China, and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina."

"Your elf's idea?" Williams fought not to laugh. "Or is that all you?"

"I'm perfectly capable of sending people to the wastelands myself if they try to do me harm," Harry informed him in a very McGonagall-like tone of voice.

The healer snorted. "I shouldn't feel pity for the poor sods, but I do. Apparating from there will be hell; the average wizard manages a couple hundred of miles easily, up to a thousand under duress. After that, he'll be toast."

"Well, good." Harry took his glass of elf lemonade and took a large sip. "What do you think, Dobby, is it time for lunch already?"

"For Harry Potter sir it's always time for lunch," Dobby retorted and snapped his fingers. Fat, juicy burgers appeared in front of the wizards, accompanied by piping hot French fries and mixed salads. "Dobby be making buns himself because the muggle stuff be ghastly."

"Thanks, Dobby!" Cheered by the sight, Harry grabbed his burger with both hands and took a huge bite. "Yum!"

"Yum," Williams agreed, and then they both didn't say a thing until their plates were cleared and Harry had taken his potion.

"Your Dobby is a marvel," the healer sighed, patting his distended stomach. "Can I borrow him? Just from time to time?"

"He is a good cook." Harry grinned. "I'm so lucky he's decided to be my friend."

"I think you're lucky to have each other," Williams said honestly. He waved lazily and a display of the time formed in the air in front of him. "It's two already. The goblins will be done soon and you can lock your anti-apparition wards."

Only ten minutes later, Harry was called over to the warders. Head Warder Shanoo observed him intently while he set the deplacement destinations and invited him afterward to take part in casting the ward net for the intent-based wards.

"You've done exceedingly well for one so young, so we're actually ahead of schedule," she explained her choice. "And it would be a shame to deny you this experience if the going is so good right now. I believe, and my husband concurs, that these wards can only become stronger with your direct involvement. We'll test the anti-apparition ward afterwards."

Harry looked at Sharptooth and the healers, and when all of them nodded, he gladly agreed. The goblins found a place for him in their midst and instructed him to allow their magic to take him along for the ride. Whatever the ward net needed from him, it would get, no spells or fancy ritual words needed.

True to their word, Harry felt the net being cast. The magic hooked into the perimeter ward stones and criss-crossed all over the property. Harry went along with it as it rushed and heaved around in its quest to close the last openings. When the work was done, a sense of deep satisfaction welled up in him and flowed back into the ground, completing the circle.

"This one's attached to his land," a goblin chuckled. "Good work. The communion is half done already. We might be home before the evening meal today."

Flushed with pleasure at the praise, Harry talked with the master ward stone, and then watched with bated breath as Healer Williams left the property, portkey in hand. He reappeared a couple of minutes later in the middle of the clearing.

"It works, and holy crap, that was a rough trip!" he called, shivering. To Harry, he said, "Be assured that I'll never try to stop by unannounced ever again."

"I think we can call it a day now," Head Warder Shanoo called. "Be here tomorrow by ten. If it works out like it did today, we should be done by early afternoon at the very latest."

Harry cheered with the goblins and then everybody was off, the goblins with mutterings of discontent for their portkeys, and Harry with a hearty pop, courtesy of Dobby.

Back in his cottage, he mused about the warders' unfortunate situation and wondered aloud, "Why can't we put my rented trunk in my garden and let the goblins Floo there?"

Dobby thought about it for a few moments. "Dobby not know of a reason why it shouldn't be working. Harry Potter sir might ask Steward Sharptooth."

Since they had Floo powder now, Harry fire-called the goblin and posed that exact question.

"Mmh, this is an unusual proposal, although a very generous one," Sharptooth muttered. "The trunk is yours by rental agreement, but more than half of it still belongs to Gringotts ... magic might just allow this ... I'll contact Head Warders Shanoo and Gartuk and get back to you, Heir Potter."

Figuring that it might take a while, Harry and Dobby had dinner on the terrace and simply enjoyed themselves watching the birds and insects and of course the beautiful flowers. Slowly, the sun began to descend, its light gentling bit by little bit.

"I'm getting there," Harry sighed into the silence, apropos of nothing. "Feeling at home, I mean."

"It be lovely home," Dobby agreed, just as content. "It be more work than Dobby dared hope, and Dobby's garden be coming along nicely."

"Is something growing, yet?" Harry rolled his head to the side and looked at his friend. "I'm sorry that I didn't visit these last few days."

"Dobby be knowing that Harry Potter be busy. It be alright. Dobby not be wanting to stress little plant cuttings, so there be magic to help settle, but no encouragement for growing. Elf berry bushes and trees and medicine plants be having time. Next year, Dobby's garden be beautiful!"

"I can't wait," Harry replied sincerely. "Do you really think it'll be enough to get you by?"

"It will," Dobby said with conviction. "But big garden be a problem. Plants be very strong because of ley magic. Dobby be needing a lot of magic to clean up before he be able to plant."

"We'll find a way." Harry yawned. "Wow, I'm more tired than I thought. It's not even that late."

"If you be tired, you be sleeping, Harry Potter sir. Dobby be taking fire-call from goblins."

"You're the best", Harry mumbled, already rising to drag himself to bed. "I should ask Healer Williams to teach me these personal hygiene charms next; I could just," he wiggled his fingers at himself, "and go to bed. No long bathroom production and stuff."

"Until Harry Potter sir learns, Dobby be helping."

The rush of elf magic took Harry by surprise, and he was even more startled to suddenly find himself in his bathroom. "Yeah, okay, one thing still left to do." He grinned sheepishly. "Thanks Dobby. Have a good night!"

"Dobby be having the best nights," the elf said smugly and popped away so Harry could use the loo in peace.

oOo

On the next morning, Healer Williams apparated onto Harry's lawn and prodded him back to his fireplace with a little grin.

"You just won the Best Customer Award for this year," he explained. "Your idea with the trunk was pure gold and you better believe that you made a couple new friends."

Harry smiled. "And that's why we're also using the Floo?"

"Yep. It never hurts to remind them who has rented the trunk and who they might owe a little favour. Plus, I guess that this is you christening the Floo connection of your new home, so go for it! I'll be right behind you."

Harry threw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, called the destination, and whirled away. It always gave him a rush to hurtle through the network, even if his landings left a lot to be desired. This time, however, a helpful warder grabbed his ankles and pulled him out, setting him on his feet and cleaning him up with a wave of his long fingers.

"Well met," Harry gasped and looked at the group of warders with a grin. "How are you?"

"Just fine," Head Warder Shanoo said and ushered Harry to the middle of the clearing, where the master ward stone's magic was already reaching out to him. "Someone is eager to see you."

"Is that normal?" Harry asked even as he sat down and patted the earth in greeting.

"Well, your ward stone is a gift from the Lord of Magic," she replied. "Who knows what he's really gifting you with?"

"Er, even if I don't believe in him?"

She looked patiently at him. "Maybe you will, going forward, but every sane being will agree that magic is a gift, regardless of faith, and that this gift may do different things for different people. It's not for us to decide what is normal and acceptable; there will always be outliers. It's what you do with the gift that counts."

That sounded reasonable and Harry felt reassured. Again, he patted the earth next to him. "Then I'll just say hello."

"You do that, and maybe think a little about the intent-based wards. We have everything in writing, but it would be annoying to forget something during the communion."

Knowing that the last part of the warding would be done quickly enough, Harry allowed himself to be drawn in by the magic of his ward stone. He learned what had been going on last night and, for the first time, got an unhurried impression of the impact the ley magic was having on his wards. There was so much power rushing beneath him that it was disorienting. Due to the tapping via the ward stones, this power was also rising, nay, shooting up around him, dousing the ward matrix in its own lovely, if wild, brand of protection. Apparently the ley line had adopted Harry's land as hers, just as he had laid claim to the land. Getting to know each other and being on friendly terms seemed like the least Harry could do.

The meeting, if one wanted to call it that, was unexpectedly lovely and he found himself thinking all the things he wanted to do with the property: how he wanted to create a haven for Dobby and all the other house elves who needed a place to rest, and how other animals, magical or not, were welcome also, as long as they could cohabitate in peace and weren't a danger to the people that came to visit. But most of all he wanted to help create a place for himself to live in peace, together with his elf friend and right among all the magical plants and trees who were doing him so much good right now.

When Harry woke from his meditation, Dobby silently and with quivering ears handed him a glass of lemonade and popped away again.

"Have your drink, and then we'd like you to take part in the casting of the ward net," Head Warder Shanoo told him. "Your connection to the wards really is unusually deep, we should capitalize on that."

"I'd love to." Harry gulped down the lemonade and sighed at the surge of energy the elf berry juice afforded him. "I'm ready if you are."

After discussing the intent behind the wards one last time, the warders organized themselves and Harry quickly around the clearing and cast the ward net. Following that, it was Harry's turn to settle the parameters. Remembering the multitude of people and beings and things Harry didn't want on his land, it took a while to complete this task, but when it was done, the result resonated beautifully with his magical core.

"It's alright now," he announced. Just like last time, something urged him to proclaim, "From this day forward, this land shall be known as Potter's Field."

Immediately, the tension dissipated. The goblins loosened their stance and looked at each other, although quite a few of them still seemed a little dazed from the ley magic.

"Very well, that's us done, team!" Head Warder Shanoo called. Spontaneous applause broke out and a few goblins hollered their satisfaction. "Since we've finished early, use the extra time as a bonus. Heir Potter generously consented to let us use his fireplace for the travel back to Gringotts."

"I'm glad it went so well," Harry said to her, one eye on the quickly packing goblins. "Thank you for all of your hard work, Head Warder Shanoo. You and your husband have taught me a lot."

"As did you," she replied. "Every warding is unique and an opportunity to learn is always appreciated. That being said, if there are any problems, or if you have questions, don't hesitate to contact us."

"I will, thank you." Harry bowed, spoke the traditional parting words and saw her and her husband off.

Once the small horde had vanished in the trunk, it was almost too quiet in his garden.

"I don't know what to say," Harry admitted when the healers, Sharptooth and even Dobby seemed content to just stand there and enjoy the day. "It's kind of strange that this should be over already."

Healer Williams smiled. "True, but then again it took long enough." He sighed appreciatively. "I can feel the change in the air. It's sort of heady."

Healer Spleenbash stepped up to Harry and waved her hand over him. "Physically you're surprisingly fine, youngling. Still, I recommend lots of rest, your Dobby's good food, and not too many shenanigans. Give it a week or so, and then you'll be right as rain."

"Great. I could sleep." Harry smiled. "Thanks for arranging all of this. You especially, Steward Sharptooth."

"Just Sharptooth when we're in private," the old goblin growled. He took something out of his vest pocket and put it in Harry's hand. "A gift, from Gringotts to one of its good friends."

"That's Malijar's Gift! The one from your office! Thank you!" Harry didn't even engage in the fight against the desire to hug the goblin. It only was a second, in case he offended with the gesture, but it was heartfelt. In his hands, the little stone vibrated a little. "It's awesome and I love it. Thank you."

"On that pleasant note, we'll take our leave. With your consent, Healer Williams will visit tomorrow, just to see how you're doing," Healer Spleenbash said.

"Yeah, of course. And the invitation to breakfast at mine stands," Harry returned. His cheeks hurt, he was smiling so much. "Whenever you like."

"Thank you, Heir Potter."

The two goblins and Healer Williams left and then it was just Harry and Dobby, standing in the middle of an overgrown field and doing a silly happy dance to express their overflowing feelings.

---

End of part 3