"How did the rest of the meeting go?" Harry asked when Hermione had returned to the common room later that day.
"About as well as I expected. He was extremely cross and exhausted from dealing with everything so he was very short with me. He told me your staying with the Dursleys was for your own safety and refused to explain any further."
He snorted at that. "Figures."
"I'm sorry you'll be stuck with them for another few years."
"It's fine, I got through it before and this time I'm not afraid of them or their threats to keep me from coming back to Hogwarts. Plus I'll use the trunk I bought so I won't even have to interact with them for the most part."
"It's really not fair of Dumbledore to deny letting you even stay part of the summer with me. He had no problem with you visiting the burrow."
"Yeah and now we know why" He replied, thinking of the manipulations. "Besides, who says we have to listen to Dumbledore?"
"We do for now. Until you can get emancipated and claim your lordship title anyway. We have to tread carefully around him while he still has the amount of control that he does." Harry let out a sigh of frustration at this but he knew she was right.
"I won't even get any letters from you with Dobby's interference" He pointed out.
"Here, give me your telephone number and I'll call regularly. That way we can keep in touch even with the house elf stealing your letters" She promised handing him a quill and parchment.
Harry nodded and scribbled it down for her. He remembered Ron's disastrous phone call during the summer before third year but since Hermione was muggle born he wasn't at all concerned about giving it to her. Besides he already had a plan for dealing with the Dursleys this summer.
"I'll need you to write to Neville and tell him that you haven't gotten a response from me and that you suspect someone's tampering with my mail so he doesn't worry or think I'm purposely ignoring him." Hermione agreed to this.
Due to all the chaos, the end of year feast was cancelled. And because the culprit who had instigated the whole thing had not been found, the students were forced to help clean up without magic as punishment.
They had expected far worse repercussions than this and Harry suspected it was because Dumbledore had to deal with Quirrel who had mysteriously vanished the same day.
Before he knew it, the luggage was packed and they'd ridden the train back to King's Cross in London.
"Good luck" Hermione told him when they caught sight of Uncle Vernon waiting for him after they'd crossed back through to the other side. She gave him a hug and then went to find her parents.
Harry took a deep breath, reminding himself that he wasn't the scared eleven year old boy he'd once been. "Well don't just stand there, hurry up boy!" Vernon barked when he approached him.
Harry had one last glance at Hermione and then followed his uncle to the car. When they arrived back at Privet Drive, much like last time, the Dursleys attempted to lock up all of his school things but Harry stood his ground.
"Listen, I know you don't want me and believe me I don't want to be here either. I know all about the blood wards you've kept secret from me. So seeing as we're stuck with each other for the present, I have an arrangement that I think you'll agree with."
Uncle Vernon folded his arms, sneering. "Oh really?"
"Yes. You see this isn't an ordinary trunk I've got here. It's bigger on the inside, so big in fact it has everything I need to live in it. As long as it remains on the property the protection will stand. You don't bother me and I won't bother you. I'll fix all my own meals too. The neighbors won't even see me, let alone any magic I might do. All I ask is use of the telephone on occasion."
"What kind of trick is this?" He looked at him skeptically.
"No trick, see for yourself if you like." Harry opened the trunk.
"And if I crawl in there you'll shut me in and I'll suffocate."
"If it was a regular trunk you wouldn't fit" Harry retorted.
"Why you little-"
"I don't really care if you believe me about the trunk. Do you want me out of your hair or not?"
"Fine! Hide away inside your trunk but if you cast one tiny little spell on any of us I'll throttle you before you can say two words!" Vernon threatened.
"What about the phone?" Harry asked. "Or would you rather I sent out my owl for the neighbors to see?"
Vernon spluttered at this. "Alright alright you can use the phone but only for a few minutes a week and not if we have visitors over."
Harry agreed to this and put his trunk in his room. He had made sure to exchange some of his knuts, sickles, and galleons, for muggle money back when he'd visited Gringotts the summer before. He used this to do his own grocery shopping and cooked all his meals in the trunk's kitchen.
And so the summer passed quickly and was actually fairly enjoyable. It was almost like being on his own, completely independent. He talked to Hermione on the phone whenever he could and confirmed that he had not received any letters so far.
The Dursleys were quickly satisfied that what he had told them was true and were relieved not to have to deal with him anymore, a feeling that was very much mutual.
On his birthday however, when Harry had just finished using the telephone, surprisingly was stopped by Uncle Vernon on the way back to his trunk to inform him about the dinner party he was throwing for the Masons and warned him to stay in his trunk the whole night if he knew what was good for him.
Harry then realized that Dobby would be showing up soon if he was remembering correctly that is. Which could pose a slight problem for him. He couldn't hide out in his trunk, he would have to wait for Dobby to visit him in his bedroom. He just hoped he could keep the house elf better under control than he had last time.
Sure enough, not long after the Masons had arrived, Dobby appeared in the bedroom where Harry sat waiting for him.
"Hello, Dobby" He greeted and the elf looked at him in shock clearly not expecting this response.
"Harry Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice Harry was sure would carry down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir... Such an honor it is..."
"If you'll step with me into my trunk we can converse more privately" Harry invited and Dobby followed him in, looking mystified.
Once inside he offered Dobby a seat but when the house elf burst into tears, he didn't have to worry. The trunk was sound proof and so there was no chance of disturbing the Dursleys or their guests.
"Listen Dobby, I know why you've come and that you're only trying to protect me. I appreciate it but I've got things covered."
"Harry Potter cannot truly know the dangers that await him!" Dobby protested.
"You work for the Malfoy family and Lucius Malfoy is going to slip Ginny Weasley a cursed diary that used to belong to Voldemort" He responded, with a deadpan expression.
"How—how—how—" The house elf spluttered looking absolutely flabbergasted.
"I am the boy who lived, the one who conquered the dark lord. I have power and knowledge beyond anything you've ever seen!" It took everything in him not to smile or burst into laughter. He decided the best way to deal with things was to play up his role as the 'great Harry Potter' for the elf.
"So really you don't need to try and keep me from going back to Hogwarts, I plan to snatch the diary once it's in Ginny's possession and destroy it before any harm can be done," He continued smoothly.
Dobby seemed not quite sure what to say to any of this. "Harry Potter is sure he will be alright?" The elf finally asked, looking as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Completely I even know just how to properly dispose of cursed objects like the diary. I won't let any of Lucius' plans come to light and believe me I know about all of them."
"Then Dobby will leave it in your hands" The elf agreed.
"Thank you, Dobby. And don't worry I'm also working out a plan to free you from your masters.
Dobby burst into tears again after hearing this. "Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew..." Harry patted him consolingly.
"Now will you please give me my letters back?" At this he received a chagrin nod from the elf who then snapped his fingers and a pile of letters appeared in Harry's lap.