Chapter 2: Dobby's Warning

Harry managed not to shout, but it was a close thing.

Sirius: what's a close thing? I don't get it.

All: ::rolls eyes::

The little creature on the bed had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.

Sirius/James: what's tennis balls?

Lily/Peter/Remus: ::ignores them::

Harry knew instantly that this was what had been watching him out of the garden hedge.

As they stared at each other, Harry heard Dudley's voice from the hall.

"May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end og it's long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like a pillowcase, with rips for arm and leg holes.

Sirius: Jeez...your son is sure stupid.

James: ::smacks him upside the head::

Lily: He's new to the wizarding world you idiot.

"Er - hello," said Harry nervously.

Sirius: Why is he so nervous?

Remus: Shut up and let Lily read.

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

"Th-thank you," said Harry, edging along the wall and sinking into his desk chair, next to Hedwig, who was asleep in her large cage. He wanted to ask, "What are you?" but thought it would sound too rude, so instead he said, "Who are you?"

Sirius: Why should he care if he's being rude to an houseelf?

Lily: ::gives him an murderous glare:: Because he has proper manners, unlike some ppl.

"Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the house elf." said the creature.

Sirius: ::says thoughtfully:: I wonder who's it is?

Lily: ::n atchs up her wand::

Remus: ::takes it out of her hands::

"Oh - really?" said Harry. "Er - I don't want to be rude or anything, but - this isn't a great time for me to have a house elf in my bedroom."

James: ::says outloud:: I'll say, what if those prats catch you!?

Aunt Petunia's high, false laughter sounded from the living room. The elf hung his head.

"Not that I'm not pleased to meet you," said Harry quickly, "but, er, is there any particular reson you're here?"

"Oh, yes, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir...it is difficult, sir...Dobby wanders where to begin..."

"Sit down," said Harry politely, pointing to the bed.

To his horror, the elf burst into tears - very noisy tears.

"S-sir down!" he wailed. "Never...never ever..."

Harry thought he heard the voices downstairs falter.

All: ::groan::

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to ofend you or anything -"

Sirius: Why should he care?

Lily: ::upper lip twitchs in anger::

"Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard - like an equal -"

Sirius: ::frowns:: He doesn't deserve to.

Lily: ::barks out:: What have you against house elfs anyway?

Remus: ::rolls eyes::

Sirius: ::says furious:: They are filthy buggers that don't have a mind and are brainless-

Lily: -you are a disgrase to the name of wizard! Just because you treat your house elf with disrespect doesn't mean other house elfs act like yours does!

Sirius/Lily: ::stands up, glaring at each other face-to-face::

James/Remus/Peter: ::jaw drops::

Sirius: ::replies calmly:: You're right. ::sits down smiling::

Lily: ::shakes her head confused and continues reading::

Harry, trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time, ushered Dobby back to the bed where he sat hiccuping-

Sirius: Harry was hiccuping?

Lily: ::shrugs:: I don't know.

Others: ::stares in amazement::

James: OMG, did Evans just say...?

The Maruaders: ::nods::

Lily: ::rolls her eyes:: She doesn't clear sat who sat down, you idiots...

looking like a large and very ugly doll. At last, he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Harry in an expression of watery adoration.

"You can't have met many decent wizards," said Harry, trying to cheer him up.

Dobby shook his head. THen, without warning, he leapt up and starting banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Lily: ::looks sad::

"Don't - what are you doing?" Harry hissed,

Peter: SNAKE!

Everyone else: ::looks at Peter::

Peter: ::hides under the bed, whimpering::

REmus: ::shakes head::

springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed - Hedwig had woken up with a particularly loud screech and was beating her wings wildly against the bars of her cage.

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

"Your family?"

Sirius: ::says bitterly:: Houseelves don't have families.

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

"Do they know you're here?" asked Harry curiously.

Dobby shuddered.

"Oh, no sir, no...Dobby will have to punish himself most greiviously for coming to see you, sir. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew sir-"

"But they won't notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"

Sirius: Of course.

"Dobby doubts it sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments...."

"But why don't you leave? Escape?"

Sirius: He asks too many question!

Lily: ::takes out her wand:: You make too many comments.

James: Alright-

Sirius: ::takes out his:: Think you can take me?

Lily/Sirius: ::glares at each other and sit back down::

Peter: ::peeks out from under the bed:: Is the snake gone?

Sirius: ::rolls his eyes:: Yes.

Peter: ::sits back on the bed::

Lily: ::continues reading::

"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..."

Lily: ::breaths:: How horrible!

James: Don't tell me your gonna start rambling about SPEW again, are you?

Lily: I know someone will like the idea! I know it!

Harry stared.

"And I thought I had it bad staying here for another four weeks," he said. "This makes the Durlseys sound almost human.

[ CEE82EE]James: ::interrupts:: Notice he said 'almost'

Remus: We noticed Prongs.

Can anyone help you? Can't I?"

James: ::mutters:: Oh no, Harry's gonna start SPEW.

Lily: ::grins proudly:: That's my boy.

Almost at once, Harry wished he hadn't spoken. Dobby dissloved again into wails of gratitude.

"Please," Harry whispered franticually, "please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here-"

Sirius: Then he's dead.

James: Exactly

Sirius: ::turns to Lily:: Your sister and her husband are prats.

Lily: ::about to retort and nods in agreement:: You're right.

Remus: ::in mock desperation:: No, you're becoming like THEM! ::points to Sirius/James::

James/Sirius: ::grins evilly::

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

Harry, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face, said, "Whatever you heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even at the top of my year at Hogwarts; that's Hermione, she -"

Sirius: Hey, Hermione sounds alot like you Lily.

James: Yeah, are you sure we didn't have another kid?

Lily: ::sighs:: Yes Potter, the book said only Harry.

But he stopped quickly, because thinking of Hermione was painful.

Peter: Why?

All: ::look at him::

Peter: ::looks away meekly::

"Harry Potter is humble and modest," said Dobby revently, his ord-like eyes aglow. "Harry Potter speaks not of his trumph over He-Who-Must-Not-He-Named- "

Lily: ::pauses a second then continues::

"Voldemort?"

Peter: ::flinchs, covering his ears::

Lily: ::freezes up::

Remus: ::looks away quietly::

James/Sirius: ::get identical looks of hatred::

Peter: ::moans:: Why did he say HIS name?

James: I don't think he knows the effect. ::looks at Lily::

Lily: ::absouletly quiet::

James: ::touchs her shoulder:: Evans?

Lily:: ::flinchs away:: Don't touch me Potter.

James: ::blinks hurt::

Remus: ::murmurs:: I think it's time for me to start reading.

Lily: ::gladly gives him the book::

said Harry.

Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned,

Sirius: Hey, that sounds like Peter!

Peter: ::turns red::

"Ah, speak not his name, sir!" Speak not the name!"

"Sorry," said Harry quickly. "I know people who don't like it. My friend Ron-"

He stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful too.

Peter: Why?

Sirius: ::groans:: Because he misses them, you cheese brain!

Dobby leaned toward Harry, his eyes wide as headlights.

"Dobby heard tell," he said hoursely, "That Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for the second time, just weeks ago...that Harry Potter escaped yet again."

Lily: ::blinks::

Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.

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

Peter: Why?

Sirius: ::gets annoyed:: We don't know yet Peter.

There was silence broken only be the clinking of knives and forks from downstairs and Uncle Vernon's voice.

James: More like a boom.

"Wh-what?" Harry stammered. "But I've got to go back - term starts September 1st. It's what keeps me going. You don't know what it's like here. I don't belong here. I belong in your world - at Hogwarts."

James: Of course he does, how come the little bugger keeps saying he's in trouble?

Remus: Probably because he is.

"No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard that his ears flapped. "Harry Potter must stay where he's safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he'll be in mortal danger."

Lily: ::sucks in a sharp breath::

James: Are you ok?

Lily: ::says through clenched teeth:: Stop asking me that.

"Why?" asked Harry in surprise.

"There is a plot, Harry Potter." A plot to make most terrible things happen in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, trembling all over.

Lily: ::lower jaw twitchs::

"Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril. He is too important, sir!"

"What terrible things?" said Harry at once. "Who's plotting them?"

Sirius: It's questions, questions, questions with your son.

James: ::smacks him across the head::

Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.

"All right!" cried Harry, grabbing the elf's arm to stop him. "You can't tell me, I understand. But why are you warning me?"

Sirius: That is a good question.

Remus: Shut it.

A sudden, unpleasent thought struck him. "Hang on - this doesn't have anything to do with Vol-

Peter: ::flinchs::

sorry-

Peter: That's alright

with You-Know-Who, has it? You can just shake or nod," he added hastily as Dobby tilted his head worryingly close to the wall again.

Slowly, Dobby shook his head.

"Not - not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir-"

Sirius: ::mutters:: Probably the Malfoys.

But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry a hint. Harry, however, was completly lost.

"He hasn't got a brother, has he?"

Sirius: ::starts cracking up::

All: ::stare at him::

Sirius: ::finally stops after five minutes:: A brother...jeez, your son is stupid-

James: ::hit him hard, with no trace of joking on his face::

Sirius: ::looks worried:: Sorry.

Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider then ever.

"Well, then, I can't think of who else would have the chance od making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry.

Sirius: ::shakes his head::

"I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing - you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"

Remus: Everyone know Dumbledore.

Dobby bowed his head.

"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, sir. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Wh- Must-Not-Be-Nsmed at the height of his strength. Bit, sir-" Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper - "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't...powers no decent wizard..."

All: ::become quiet::

And before Harry could stop him, Dobby bounded of the bed, seized Harry's desk lamp, and started beating himself around the head with ear splitting yelps.

James: ::shakes his head:: If he keeps that up, he'll get...um-what were they called?

Lily: ::whispers:: Head trama

James: Yeah, those.