It was no fearsome, fanged beast that came traipsing down Hagrid's stone steps, but Dobby the house elf.

"Dobby!" exclaimed Harry, and several of the other Gryffindors also laughed with relief, and waved hello.

"Good afternoon, young sirs and misses," Dobby said, his nose scraping the stoop as he bowed elegantly. Parvati giggled.

"What's in the cauldron, then?" Pansy Parksinson asked dubiously.

"Hot cider!" Hagrid bellowed cheerfully, taking a sleeve of paper coffee cups out of one of his many pockets, "Go on then, 'elp yourselves."

"I is making it for you, young masters!" Dobby said proudly, as he scooped up several cups of hot cider and began passing them out, "With cinnamon, and cloves, and other secrets only Dobby knows! Take! Take!"

"What?!" Draco Malfoy was livid. "That thing...that's my house elf! Get over here, servant!"

Dobby cringed, and automatically took one step forward. Hagrid gave Draco a scowl, and drew himself up to his full height (which was certainly saying something, as Hagrid was half-giant).

"Now look 'ere..."

But Dobby had straightened up himself, and pointed an angry finger at Malfoy.

"I is not your servant anymore! I is belonging to nobody! Dobby is a free elf! I is working for Albus Dumbledore, now!"

"You tell him, Dobby!" Hermione hissed hotly. She then started elbowing Harry and Ron in the ribs, whispering happily, "Didn't I tell you? Didn't I?"

"I figured seein' as you're sixth-years, now" Hagrid explained, "It was time we move on from Magical Creatures to Magical Beings."

"I fail to see the difference," Draco said coldly.

"Well, tha's actually the problem," Hagrid continued excitedly, "See, The Ministry o' Magic, they divide all magical creatures into two kinds, like...There's yer Beast division, and then you 'ave yer Being division. Now things like flobberworms and nifflers and things wot can't think fer themselves, they's in the Beast division. But then you 'ave other creatures wot can think and talk an' such...now that gets a bit tricky."

"And house elves are in the Being division, right?" Hermione asked brightly.

"Right you are, 'Ermione. A house elf can think fer itself, and can make itself understood by wizards, so—"

"A house elf? Think for itself?" Draco asked, his entire face contorted with anger. A lot of the other Slytherins seemed pretty upset by where this lecture was going as well. "It's a house elf's job not to think for itself...it's their whole...reason for living!"

Dobby screwed up his fists into tight little balls and glared at Draco.

"Well, now, that ain't quite it, y'see," Hagrid said, and Harry could tell he was trying to keep his temper for his first class, "A house elf is bound to a family, most o' the time...one wizarding family, an' they serve jus' that family. And their children, an' their children's children, an' so on. See, it's part of the magic in 'em that binds 'em to that family. A house elf can only be freed when 'is master presents 'im with clothes...Like the jacket wot Dobby's got on 'ere..."

"Or a sock!" Dobby squeaked, with an admiring smile in Harry's direction.

Indeed, Dobby was sporting a miniature brown corduroy blazer, with mismatched yellow and green socks, and two of Hermione's knit hats pulled rakishly to one side.

Lavender raised her hand.

"Right! Miss Lavender."

"Well, besides being tied to one family, what makes a house elf a magical creature?"

"Good question! Why don't you show 'em, Dobby?"

"With pleasure, Mister Hagrid sir!" Dobby said with a grin, cracking his knuckles.

With a wave of his bony fingers, Dobby made the same stream of gold baubles appear in midair before them. He also caused Ron Weasley to hover briefly in midair, grinning sheepishly and blushing as the rest of the class laughed, and with a wave of his hand, he Scourgified the entire front of Hagrid's hut.

Draco pushed his way forward furiously, with Crabbe and Goyle at either flank. Dobby jumped back in alarm, and glared at him from behind Hagrid's leg.

"It's not right!" Draco shouted vehemently, and Harry saw that he had gone pale with fury, "It's not right! He's not even a real house elf anymore! He's just some oddball...a house elf that's not tied to a wizard family isn't a house elf! Besides, he's mine! I demand you come here, Dobby!" Draco shouted, pointing at his foot.

"No!" shouted Dobby, shaking his fist at Draco, and clutching Hagrid's trouser leg. Hagrid looked from one to the other anxiously. Harry could tell he hadn't expected an altercation during his first lesson of the year...

"Young master's father is...is...a bad, bad wizard!" Dobby shouted, "Always kicking Dobby and putting lumps on his head! Always plotting dark plots! Dobby is glad to be a free elf! Dobby would rather be an oddball elf than serve you!" The class began to squirm – this was getting a bit ugly.

"You!" shouted Draco, wheeling on Harry, who took a stepped backwards in alarm, "This is all your fault!"

The class gasped as Draco whipped out his wand. But Dobby had already lept out in front of Hagrid.

"You shall not harm Harry Potter!" he squeaked angrily, and with a wave of his hand, Draco Malfoy went flying backwards over the heads of the entire class, and landed with a thud about ten yards back, that knocked all the wind out of him. The entire class stared open-mouthed. Harry was reminded of the last time Dobby had saved him in this way, but found that he was just as awestruck now as he was then by the strength Dobby possessed...

"Right, forgot to mention tha'," Hagrid continued brightly, the tension evident in his voice, "They're quite good at defensive magic...quite powerful, when they 'ave a mind to be...s'pose it comes from bein' so small, like. 'Ave to defend themselves somehow, don' they?"

Draco picked himself up, his white-blonde hair slipping out of his ponytail, grass and leaves clinging to his robes.

"We'll see what my father has to say about this!" he directed venomously at Hagrid.

Hagrid snorted derisively, "Right. Fat lot of good that'll do ye. Not exactly one of the School Governors anymore, is he?"

The class got very quiet, even the Slytherins.

"My father is innocent," hissed Draco, "And as soon as he's cleared, he'll be back on the Board of Governors, and you'll be out of a job. And if you think I'm going to stand here and be made a fool of, then you're more of an idiot than I thought!"

But Hagrid had had quite enough by now. "Yer father is lying, murderin' scum, and I don't care for you much more," he said, his face turning splotchy red, "Now you can either stay an' learn somethin', or bugger off, and as yer gettin' detention either way, I don' care which, frankly."

"Fine then," Draco said coolly, "Crabbe, Goyle. Anyone else who thinks this is a load of rubbish can follow me."

But nobody followed. Pansy Parkinson looked as thought she felt she ought to, but kept looking back at Hagrid, clearly weighing whether it was worth getting detention. In the end, she just looked down at her feet as though wishing herself invisible.

"Looks like it's jus' you three, then," Hagrid said bluntly, "Reckon you'd better get goin'."

"Fine," Draco said, eyeing his fellow Slytherins with contempt, "But mark my words, there's going to be some changes around here!"

And with that he turned and stalked off, leaving Crabbe and Goyle to scurry after him.

"What did he mean by that?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"Who cares!" Ron said, delighted etched on every feature, "Did you see how far he flew?"

They spent the rest of the lessons discussing the various rules and restrictions the Ministry of Magic had placed on house elves...most of which, Harry had to agree, were pretty unfair. At one point, Hermione got on her soapbox and told the class yet again about her S.P.E.W. efforts, and letter campaign, but Hagrid gently countered that most house elves were quite happy to serve a wizarding family.

"I'm not sayin' all of 'em!" he added quickly, at a smoldering glare from Hermione, "I mean, look at Dobby 'ere! No, there's plenty of abuse wot goes on...but mos' of em are quite happy. In fact, Hogwarts is the largest community of house elves in Britain!" he finished proudly.

"Exactly!" Hermione said, her dander up, "And it's they, the house elves, that cook all of our food, and do all of our laundry, and make up the common room each night! We owe them all a serious debt of gratitude!"

Harry caught Parvati and Lavender imitating her behind her back, as Dean snickered, but didn't have the heart to tell them off. Hermione did tend to make herself an easy target. Ron looked about ready to sink into the floor with embarrassment.

"But we is happy to serve, Young Miss," Dobby interjected, "Dobby is happy at Hogwarts! Us house elves, we is just wanting fair treatment!" Dobby continued firmly, "And every house elf knows, Hogwarts is the best place for a house elf! We is just needing a union!" he continued, his moist, green eyes the size of tennis balls in his fervor, "to make sure house elves in all places is treated decent!"

Later, as the class was getting ready to leave, Hermione scolded Ron and Harry a bit.

"You might've backed me up!" she said irritatedly.

"What, and look like a couple of maniacs?" Ron said. "Not...not that you do," he added hastily.

"Alrigh', you three?" Hagrid said, clapping a beefy hand onto Harry and Hermione's shoulders, and nearly knocking them to the ground. Suddenly, he met Harry's eye, and looked so absolutely shocked, that Harry was sure he must look a fright.

"What? What is it?" he asked anxiously, "Have I got something on my face?"

"No, no, s'not that, just...blimey Harry, you look more an' more like your Da'."

Hermione and Ron turned to look at him. Hermione squinted a bit.

"He's right," she said slowly, "There's something...I dunno. Different about you. I can't quite place it."

Harry shrugged sadly, "Well, I guess it makes sense. I do tend to take after him."

"Yeh, but it's almos'..." Hagrid trailed off again, and then seemed to realize he was making Harry uncomfortable, for he clapped them on the shoulders again (and this time Hermione did fall down, and Ron had to grab her by the arm at the last moment), "Well! Guess I'd better let you three get yerselves to 'erbology, then! You lot'll come visit me when you get a mo', won't ye?" He leaned in confidentially, "Would love for ye to come an' visit Grawpy with me some time. 'E does ask for 'is Hermy!"

After reluctantly promising to pay "Grawpy" a visit, and promising again to visit Dobby in the kitchens, the trio made their way to Herbology.

"You know," Ron said, thoughtfully studying Harry's face, "You really do look a lot more like your Dad..."

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. Ever since he'd seen Snape's memory of his father, he wasn't sure how he felt when people told him this. Of course he still loved his father – or what little he knew of him – he just couldn't understand how the gentle shadow from the Priori Incantatem, the proud, beaming husband from the wedding photo, the noble Prongs Patronus, and the arrogant little berk that Snape recalled all fit together into one person...it was as though Harry had four or five fathers standing before him and had to decide which was his "real" father...the "real" James Potter...

Hermione and Ron seemed to notice his sombre mood, because they didn't say anything else on their way to Herbology.

Herbology was fairly non-eventful, especially by comparison. To be honest, Harry didn't pay too much attention, knowing he'd be able to figure it out from Hermione's notes well before their first test. Besides, Professor Sprout was just lecturing about her prize Venomous Tentacula...it didn't seem they'd be doing any magic or anything. Harry watched idly as she slapped away a tendril that was creeping casually over her shoulders.

In fact, it wasn't until after classes that Harry was abruptly snapped out of his funk.

"Harry, err..." Hermione stammered, "I think...that is, it's time...you'd better..."

Something clunked into place in Harry's mind. "Ohhhh," he groaned, "Trelawney."

"Tough break, mate," Ron said sympathetically, "But think of it this way, at least you're not getting graded, or anything. Just sit there for a while. If you're lucky, she'll nod off, and you can catch up on your sleep."

Hermione eyed Ron rather sternly at this, but Harry heaved a complacent sigh. It was probably true that he wouldn't get much out of it, but it could be worse. He said goodbye to his friends, and promised to meet them for dinner later.