Disclaimer: One Piece and Harry Potter does not belong to me, each belongs to their respective author. This fic is not intended to make money, but be a recreational way to practice English and develop creativity.

-.- Dobby's Warning

Ace walked towards the school, not driven by some sense of nostalgia, but rather a sense of curiosity. He wanted to know how the place looked when there were no students? What did the portraits do? What did the suits of armor do? and what did the teachers discussed at the meeting before school starts?

Surely nothing very interesting, but maybe he could see Hagrid and Fluffy.

About a month ago, he'd finished his first year at Hogwarts. But before he had left the castle, Professor McGonagall made him a proposal. She felt unable to let the child wander the country alone, so she offered Ace a place to stay with her for the summer. Ace, being weak to almost any maternal gaze, accepted; and thus, after the end of the year he went to the cottage that the professor had in the village of Hogsmeade, but not before making a fast trip to Diagon Alley, something the professor didn't like too much, as Ace had decided to walk back to Hogsmeade from London, hitchhiking from time to time on cargo trucks that passed by.

The day the teacher announced that she'd be going to school for a teacher's meeting to refine the details of the beginning of the term, she had also suggested for Ace to accompany her and, curiously, the child accepted.

"Minerva, you finally arrive" said a voice on top of the first landing of the staircase.

"Severus," acknowledged the professor, greeting the tall black figure that was receiving them.

"I see you brought along Mr. Portgas" the man replied "You might yet have become just as crazy"

"Oh come now, Severus, must you keep doing this?"

"Don't tell me you missed me," interrupted the pirate "If you want, the next summer I'll spend it with you"

Professor McGonagall pretends to cough to hide a laugh, while the man watched the boy with an impartial expression before saying without much enthusiasm "I Pass"

"We'd better go to the meeting," said Professor McGonagall still with a touch of light humor in her voice "Ace, try to stay out of trouble"

"Aye, Aye"

And, going up the stairs, they quickly got lose in the halls.

Despite how empty it all was, Hogwarts was still Hogwarts. Portraits slept most of the time, the armors maintained their guarding positions in the different halls, but he found several who spoke with him, including Ser Jozan, who told him that he was excited with the tournament of the beginning of the year around the corner and everyone was preparing for the event. He also invited Ace to attend. "Just do not repeat what happened last year," he said in an amused tone.

He walked in search of something else to do, and, as he turned around the corner something struck his leg, something soft and with a squeaky voice.

"Sorry," the boy said, "I didn't see you."

Looking down, Ace saw better who was in front of him, or what was in front of him. The little creature on the floor had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls. He was watching Ace with what the boy identified as surprise, admiration and... panic.

They stared at each other for a moment and then the creature bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Ace noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm- and leg- holes.

"Harry Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir... Such an honor it is..."

Recovering from the impression of the weird voice, Ace also bowed, not as low as the creature, but perfectly straight and with a "The pleasure is mine"

The sound of a sob reached the ears of Ace as he noticed that the creature was crying "A bow, to Dobby..."

"Sorry," said Ace dropping in front of the creature, "I forget that it is not very common the bow in this place," he said with hands raised in a peaceful gesture, trying to calm the creature, "It's more common here a hand shake, Dobby, right?" And with that offered his hand.

"Dobby has never been asked to shake hands by a wizard ... like an equal ..." For a moment it looked like he was going to drop again to cry.

"I've never seen a creature like you?" The young pirate asked leadingly staring at him, as he removed his hand (which seemed to make the creature anxious) "Excuse me, who or what are you?"

Managing to control himself, the creature fixed his great eyes on Ace in an expression of watery adoration. "Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf,"

"Dobby" repeated the boy, testing the word "Well Dobby, I cannot bow or shake your hand, how do I greet a house-elf ...?"

"No ... there is no way a wizard greets a house-elf, a wizard never greets a house-elf"

"You must greet everyone properly. You can't have met many decent wizards," said Ace.

Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the wall, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Ace stood up, grabbing Dobby by the pillowcase to stop him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Ace hissed.

"Dobby had to punish himself, sir," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross-eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir. . . ."

"Your family?"

"The wizard family Dobby serves, sir. . . . Dobby is a house elf… bound to serve one house and one family forever..."

"Serve? That doesn't sound like a family, if you ask me" Now that he held Dobby more closely, Ace could see multiple scars on him. "Do you punish yourself often?" He asked as he let the elf on the floor.

"Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. Sometimes my family reminds me to do extra punishments. . . . " Ace felt disgusted by the twisted definition of family that this creature had "Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, without his family knowing, sir. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. "

"You say you came by your own decision?" The child said as the creature agrees "then why do you not leave? Escape?"

"A house-elf must be set free, sir. And the family will never set Dobby free . . . Dobby will serve the family until he dies, sir. . . ."

Great, slavery, if there was something that disgusted Ace the most was that word. "Dammit! And there's nothing we can do? "

Almost at once, Dobby dissolved again into wails of gratitude.

"Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby . . . Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew. . . ."

"Stop" Ace said instantly "First of all, the name is Portgas D. Ace, do not call me otherwise. Second, I have not done anything for you to tell me all that, you do not even know me. "

"Harry… er Portgas D. Ace is humble and modest," said Dobby reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow. "Portgas D. Ace speaks not of his triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…"

"And here we go…" murmured Ace.

Dobby leaned toward Ace, his eyes wide as headlights. "Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Har…Portgas D. Ace met the Dark Lord for a second time, just weeks ago . . . that Portgas D. Ace escaped yet again."

"Well that's true but…" Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.

"Ah, sir," he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillow case he was wearing. "Portgas D. Ace is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Portgas D. Ace, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later. . . . Portgas D. Ace must not go back to Hogwarts."

Total silence.

"I'm in Hogwarts"

"Portgas D. Ace must not come back when the year start" Dobby squealed, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Ha ... Portgas D. Ace must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Portgas D. Ace come back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."

Ace was already hallucinating his own name, he had never heard it so many times in so little time.

"Danger?" said Ace in surprise.

"There is a plot, Portgas D. Ace. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, sir. Portgas D. Ace must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"

Ace looked at Dobby, a moment with a serious and thoughtful expression, which gave Dobby the impression he was considering his suggestion. "How dangerous?"

"Very dangerous," he said quickly stretching his arms to show the boy how big.

Dobby stood still, waiting, watching the thoughtfully boy.

"Well, there is no other way. First of all, call me only Ace, my name is very long, and you are driving me crazy" the elf was about to protest, "and about your warning, thank you very much, that just means that this will be a fun year."

Dobby just watched Ace smile, it was not the reaction he expected.

"Portgas D. Ace, will not go?"

"No, and miss whatever they are up to?, never. Also, I cannot let the boys get in trouble."

"Friends who don't even write to Portgas D. Ace?" said Dobby slyly.

"That they don't write does not mean... wait a minute," Said Ace, frowning. "How do you know they haven't been writing to me?"

Dobby shuffled his feet.

"Portgas D. Ace mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best…"

"What did you do?"

"Dobby has them here, sir," said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of Ace's reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing.

Dobby blinked anxiously up at Ace.

"Portgas D. Ace mustn't be angry. . . . Dobby hoped . . . if Portgas D. Ace thought his friends had forgotten him . . . Portgas D. Ace might not want to go back to school, sir. . . ."

"Give me those letters," said the young pirate in what appeared to be a low tone that sent chills to all the ones present, and the house elf could only do one thing as he feel threatened, and that was run, run as fast as his little legs allow him, and as que turn around a corner he saw the boy, he could only feel more fear when he saw the boy running at high speed to catch him up. The elf's ears rose in alarm as he ran faster and jumped in desperation to pass through a small arch and down to the level below.

The little elf did not had the luxury of stopping, he fell to his knees, turning a few laps before stopping and standing to keep running, and ran and ran feeling that murderous presence right behind him. Dam by curious to know if the boy had continued up the stairs and how much distance he had won with this maneuver, he turned his head to look back, big was his horror when he saw the boy running still behind him, and too close, possibly he had jump throw the arc just behind him, just what he had expected of the great hero Harry Potter ... erh ... Portgas D. Ace, the great hero would not fear a jump like that... Although this was no time to feel admiration, his biggest hero was chasing him, to possibly kill him and then eat him. And with his bad luck, at that moment Dobby came to the stairs, which he didn't saw and fell down.

At the same time was a fortune as he descended faster, giving him a slight advantage, and ran through the halls, before reaching the staircase leading to the entrance. Feeling bold, Dobby decided to jump over the railing, only to fall noses to the ground, and thus he run to the next door he saw, without knowing that the great door leading to the outside, he took the small staircase on one side, and before descending he saw the boy jumping the railing too, the elf did not stay to admire as Ace fell on his feats.

He went down the stairs quickly and turned left without knowing where he was, behind him he could hear the footsteps of the child who was still chasing him, feeling desperate, he opened the first door he found only to find a cold and dark room. He looked to one side, looked at another, and seeing a door; he quickly decided to take it, anything to save himself from being eaten.

As he ran he stumbled upon an object, only to fall again and rolled straight into the door, which opened with the force of the body, only for Dbby to find that he was missing the weight of all the cards. As he was turning to see where the letters were, Ace took them in his hands from the floor.

"It is over, Dobby" and turning around the pirate was ready to retire.

"Harry ... no, Portgas D. Ace cannot return to Hogwarts"

Turning, Ace watched the strange little creature. "I'm at Hogwarts," the boy said firmly, "whatever it is you want to stop, I'm not going to miss it for the world."

Looking around, the elf made a decision and gave his best firm look to the pirate. "Then Dobby must do this, sir, for Portgas D. Ace's own good."

Ace recognizes that look, but without knowing what to expect he watches as the creature raised his hand and snap his fingers. The sound of hundreds of things exploding was heard, and Ace in a reflexively move, raised his arm and leaned down to protect himself while he became fire to ward off different objects that could hit him, when everything calmed down Ace raised himself, this was a real disaster, and Dobby was nowhere to be found.

"PORTGAS!"

Sure, of all the classrooms and professor's offices, it had to be Snape's. Dobby was brilliant.

-.-

Author's Notes.

Dobby is the best!