Chapter 2: Dobby's Help
The canoe rowed through the mist as Harry shouted "Row! Up! Row! Up!" to keep everybody in the same rhythm. They were seated in pairs on what was an undeniably nice canoe. It had bits of green and yellow paint on it and the image of a bird emblazoned on the side. Harry tried as hard as he could to keep his attention on rowing but his mind kept on worrying about the other canoe he heard gliding through the water towards them. "One, two!" Harry heard through the mist, over and over again as the two boats edged closer.
He urged his teammates on with more shouts as he tried in vain to row faster. He knew that he did not want that boat to get any closer to them, but they could go no faster and looked like they were half-dead. The other boat moved closer now, until Harry could plainly see who occupied it: Voldemort, brandishing a wand in one hand and an oar in the other.
"Avada Kedarva!" he screamed and the green light poured from Voldemort's wand towards Ron and Hermione. "No!!" Harry yanked his out of the water and blocked the curse, hitting it and sending it in the other direction. Voldemort ducked it easily; the Killing Curse flew through the air until it hit a tree, killing it instantly. Voldemort stood up straight, laughing and tossed his wand to one of the rowers. He took his oar in hand and faced Harry, who looked at Voldemort with horror written on his face.
"What do you want, Voldemort?" The Dark Lord laughed and replied, "I only want one thing: to duel you right now; a battle in the canoes." He swung his oar at Harry, who blocked it and parried. The battle had begun.
It quickly became fiercer as Voldemort swung his oar into Harry's, beating him back. Harry heard his own oar begin to splinter so he took a chance and swung into Voldemort's side. The oar had no effect on Voldemort; instead of hurting him, the oar broke in two upon contact and Voldemort laughed his eerie high-pitched laugh. Dread filled Harry to the bone as he heard his teammates screaming.
Ginny's voice rang out "No, not Harry! Don't kill Harry! Take me instead!" "Move aside, you silly girl!" Voldemort shoved Ginny out of the way roughly with his oar before pointing it back at Harry. He raised it slowly and Harry shut his eyes waiting for the inevitable. Voldemort opened his mouth and said, "Harry Potter must wake up!" Harry blinked and woke up.
"AHHHH!!" Dobby was sitting there, on Harry's bed staring into Harry's face only inches away and poking Harry's side with a wooden spoon. "Dobby! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? You scared the living daylights out of me!" "Dobby is sorry, sir, that he must wake Harry Potter up, but he is having important information about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Dobby squeaked, pulling his hat over his ears.
Harry, through his tiredness, said, "Who, Voldemort?" The elf gasped and cried, "Please! You is not saying that name!" Dobby threw himself one the floor, taking the contents of Harry's nightstand with him and landing with a loud crash. "Hush," whispered Harry," you'll wake everyone up!" Ron stirred behind the curtains of his bed and mumbled "'ermione" before rolling over and going back to sleep.
Harry released the house-elf and asked, "Now, what information do you have about You-Know-Who?"
"I knows, sir, where Harry Potter can get the canoe that will help him beat the Dark Lord."
"A canoe? How did you know about that?" "Dobby is overhearing it when the Headmaster told Harry Potter."
Harry stared at Dobby. He had overheard? Then it was also possible for other people to overhear as well…but that wasn't important. What was important was that he find out as much as possible about this canoe.
"Okay, Dobby, tell me more about this canoe." "Well, Dobby is never seeing it, but he has heard it is the best canoe, the only canoe that can defeat the Dark Lord."
"And where can I find such a canoe?" prompted Harry.
"Ay, this is the difficult part. He is also hearing it is deep in the Forbidden Forest, being guarded by such a creature that no one could ever reach it because he would be eaten alive by the Guardian and his family. Unless, of course, he is doing some favor for the Guardian, for which the boat will be given as a reward."
Harry listened to Dobby filled with uncertainty. How could he get this boat, if the Guardian killed everyone who tried? Not to mention the fact that it was in the Forbidden Forest which was, well, FORBIDDEN! Harry smiled at Dobby weakly and said, "Thanks, Dobby. You've been a great help."
Dobby leapt off of the bed and bowed. "Dobby is only doing what Harry Potter would do for him," he squeaked before running out of the dormitory and back to the kitchens.
Harry lay back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It would be something to mention to Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George, and Fred in the morning, but he doubted anything would come of it.
The canoe rowed through the mist as Harry shouted "Row! Up! Row! Up!" to keep everybody in the same rhythm. They were seated in pairs on what was an undeniably nice canoe. It had bits of green and yellow paint on it and the image of a bird emblazoned on the side. Harry tried as hard as he could to keep his attention on rowing but his mind kept on worrying about the other canoe he heard gliding through the water towards them. "One, two!" Harry heard through the mist, over and over again as the two boats edged closer.
He urged his teammates on with more shouts as he tried in vain to row faster. He knew that he did not want that boat to get any closer to them, but they could go no faster and looked like they were half-dead. The other boat moved closer now, until Harry could plainly see who occupied it: Voldemort, brandishing a wand in one hand and an oar in the other.
"Avada Kedarva!" he screamed and the green light poured from Voldemort's wand towards Ron and Hermione. "No!!" Harry yanked his out of the water and blocked the curse, hitting it and sending it in the other direction. Voldemort ducked it easily; the Killing Curse flew through the air until it hit a tree, killing it instantly. Voldemort stood up straight, laughing and tossed his wand to one of the rowers. He took his oar in hand and faced Harry, who looked at Voldemort with horror written on his face.
"What do you want, Voldemort?" The Dark Lord laughed and replied, "I only want one thing: to duel you right now; a battle in the canoes." He swung his oar at Harry, who blocked it and parried. The battle had begun.
It quickly became fiercer as Voldemort swung his oar into Harry's, beating him back. Harry heard his own oar begin to splinter so he took a chance and swung into Voldemort's side. The oar had no effect on Voldemort; instead of hurting him, the oar broke in two upon contact and Voldemort laughed his eerie high-pitched laugh. Dread filled Harry to the bone as he heard his teammates screaming.
Ginny's voice rang out "No, not Harry! Don't kill Harry! Take me instead!" "Move aside, you silly girl!" Voldemort shoved Ginny out of the way roughly with his oar before pointing it back at Harry. He raised it slowly and Harry shut his eyes waiting for the inevitable. Voldemort opened his mouth and said, "Harry Potter must wake up!" Harry blinked and woke up.
"AHHHH!!" Dobby was sitting there, on Harry's bed staring into Harry's face only inches away and poking Harry's side with a wooden spoon. "Dobby! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that? You scared the living daylights out of me!" "Dobby is sorry, sir, that he must wake Harry Potter up, but he is having important information about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Dobby squeaked, pulling his hat over his ears.
Harry, through his tiredness, said, "Who, Voldemort?" The elf gasped and cried, "Please! You is not saying that name!" Dobby threw himself one the floor, taking the contents of Harry's nightstand with him and landing with a loud crash. "Hush," whispered Harry," you'll wake everyone up!" Ron stirred behind the curtains of his bed and mumbled "'ermione" before rolling over and going back to sleep.
Harry released the house-elf and asked, "Now, what information do you have about You-Know-Who?"
"I knows, sir, where Harry Potter can get the canoe that will help him beat the Dark Lord."
"A canoe? How did you know about that?" "Dobby is overhearing it when the Headmaster told Harry Potter."
Harry stared at Dobby. He had overheard? Then it was also possible for other people to overhear as well…but that wasn't important. What was important was that he find out as much as possible about this canoe.
"Okay, Dobby, tell me more about this canoe." "Well, Dobby is never seeing it, but he has heard it is the best canoe, the only canoe that can defeat the Dark Lord."
"And where can I find such a canoe?" prompted Harry.
"Ay, this is the difficult part. He is also hearing it is deep in the Forbidden Forest, being guarded by such a creature that no one could ever reach it because he would be eaten alive by the Guardian and his family. Unless, of course, he is doing some favor for the Guardian, for which the boat will be given as a reward."
Harry listened to Dobby filled with uncertainty. How could he get this boat, if the Guardian killed everyone who tried? Not to mention the fact that it was in the Forbidden Forest which was, well, FORBIDDEN! Harry smiled at Dobby weakly and said, "Thanks, Dobby. You've been a great help."
Dobby leapt off of the bed and bowed. "Dobby is only doing what Harry Potter would do for him," he squeaked before running out of the dormitory and back to the kitchens.
Harry lay back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It would be something to mention to Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George, and Fred in the morning, but he doubted anything would come of it.