Second Year AU
The month of July was ending with a fair bit of heat. The sky above Little Whinging was clear and cloudless, with the Sun a golden orb of unrelenting warmth. Summer vacation was well underway and the children of privet drive were determined to have as much fun as possible before being ushered back into the monotony of their school lives.
Sprinklers were on in several yards with children running around them while others sprayed their friends with water guns or balloons. Even pets were joining in with dogs running through the water before shaking themselves dry in the middle of the laughing kids.
There was one child that wasn't seen running through sprinkler water or throwing water balloons however. Harry Potter in fact, wasn't outside at all even though he would love to be at that moment. No, Harry was inside number 4 Privet drive dusting the ancient grandfather clock that his Aunt Petunia must have inherited from her grandfather's grandfather. His list of chores would no doubt have him occupied until at least supper time, well after all the children went back inside.
Harry Potter was an eleven, soon twelve year old boy. He was tall for his age; sprouting up quickly last year, gaining at least four inches, making him as tall as or taller than his friend Ron was. He was quite skinny, but could be described as wiry or lithe. He had lightly tanned skin and dark black hair that stuck out at odd but stylish angles. Harry's most prominent features though would have to be his bright green eyes behind his round glasses and the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.
Harry just got back from an amazing first year at Hogwarts School for witchcraft and Wizardry and couldn't wait to return. All year he was learning how to transfigure one thing into another, Charm things to fly and ride his racing broom in exciting Quidditch matches. He also did quite a bit of detective work with his friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger; figuring out who was after a mysterious magical stone then stopping one of the teachers from getting it. However, now that he was at Privet Drive it all seemed like an amazing dream.
Ron said he would get his parents to allow Harry to stay over his house which was curiously named The Burrow. So far Harry hasn't gotten any letters that confirmed or denied his future visit. None of his friends, including his half giant friend Hagrid, have written back to Harry since summer started. Harry wished he knew why everyone suddenly forgot about him and determinedly brushed away any thoughts suggesting that none of it was real.
'My broom and trunk full of wizarding books and magical items are in my room. It was real!' Harry would exclaim to himself when lonely thoughts would invade him.
The Dursleys were afraid of magic and once they brought Harry back home from Kings Cross station they tried to take all his school supplies from him and lock them up. Harry however, was adamant about keeping his things and whipped out his wand on them.
"My things stay with me!" He had said, looking at each of the Dursleys fiercely. They backed down rather quickly, not knowing Harry couldn't do magic over the summer.
Since then his Uncle Vernon gained some of his bravery back and demanded Harry do a long list of chores.
"Without using that blasted whatsit anywhere near us!" as his Uncle Vernon had shouted after handing Harry the list. The Dursleys weren't all bad, but they definitely hated magic and that put a rift between Harry and them. Harry was still fed properly, though he had to eat in his room, and could watch the telly with them as long as he was unseen. He even had new clothes after Aunt Petunia saw that he had grown and taken him to the thrift shop.
Harry wouldn't mind doing the chores, even without magic, if his friends would just write back to him. He wanted to joke around with Ron again, and have intense discussions about obscure magic with Hermione and trick Hagrid into telling them secrets and stories about his parents. Harry wouldn't even mind a scathing missive from his yearlong rival Draco Malfoy, no doubt taunting Harry about what he was doing during the summer and insulting his heritage. Harry wouldn't let Malfoy know it under any circumstances but he rather enjoyed their banter, though that might just be nostalgia talking.
Harry dusted the rest of the sitting room before washing the dishes, sweeping and mopping the kitchen, vacuuming all the carpet in the house and cleaning both bathrooms. After his chores were finished Harry started on dinner, making Roasted Chicken with scalloped potatoes and mixed vegetables. He wrapped some chicken in a napkin and skipped upstairs after calling for his relatives to come eat.
Charms homework was already on his desk from the night before, but Harry ignored it. He sat on his lumpy bed and wished yet again that he could get a letter, anything before his birthday tomorrow. He told all his friends the day of his birth and it's not like they would forget, it was posted in the wizarding newspaper The Daily Prophet for Merlin's sake. Harry was famous in the Wizarding world; famous for defeating the evil and powerful wizard Lord Voldemort when he was only a baby. Left with only a scar and no parents, Harry was hailed a hero. Harry Potter day (Halloween) and his birthday (July 31st) were posted every year in the Daily Prophet along with an article about with wild speculation of what Harry might be doing to celebrate for everyone's viewing pleasure.
Harry laid back his bed and groaned. Birthdays aside, at least it was only a month before he could go back to Hogwarts. That thought haunted Harry, but also comforted him. Time passed by whether he wanted it to or not. Sooner or later, he would be back.
Unbeknownst to Harry, he had a visitor in his room. If he hadn't laid back on his bed he would have saw it, the strange creature that sought out the Potter boy. The creature inched toward Harry with unknown purpose, and squeaked when Harry suddenly sat up and looked straight at it.
"What the bloody-!" Harry shouted before stopping himself. It wouldn't do to shout in the Dursley house while his uncle was home. Harry stood up quickly and took out his wand, pointing it at the creature.
The creature in question was about three feet in height, very skinny and grayish green in color. Its eyes were large and bulbous, the irises a bright green. Those eyes were now cautious and stared down its long nose at the tip of Harry's wand. It wore nothing but a filthy pillowcase with a strange crest holding it up at the shoulder. The creature also had a full head of dirty, dark greenish hair which was pulled back in a hurried ponytail. Both its long ears had rings in them, though they looked cheaply made with cracked brass. One of its arms was hidden behind its back and the other was shielding its face. Harry knew at a glance it was male.
"Dobby is truly sorry for intruding sir!" the creature, presumably named Dobby squeaked in a high pitched voice. Harry did not lower his wand. After trusting his teachers and then having one try to kill him, Harry was too cautious to blindly trust anyone again.
"Why are you here? Who or rather, what are you?" Harry asked in a no nonsense tone. The point of his wand started to glow as he thought of different spells he could use at the moment. Dobby backed away, frightened.
"Dobby is a house elf! Dobby is here to warn Harry Potter! Harry Potter must listen to Dobby!" Dobby said in a rushed voice. He looked around quickly as if searching for an escape. Harry narrowed his eyes, not knowing what a house elf was and not leaving anything to chance.
"Show your other hand, slowly. Don't try anything funny." Harry demanded. Dobby inched his arm from behind him to show Harry a hand full of letters. Harry snatched them out of Dobby's hands before he could blink. Dobby jumped back and shielded his face with both hands. Harry sifted through the letters, keeping his wand on Dobby. Anger flashed in his eyes.
"These are letters from my friends! You stole from me!" Harry said in a low voice full of fury. Dobby kept his face covered, though Harry could now see tears shining down his cheeks.
"Dobby did it out of need Harry Potter! Dobby must not let Harry Potter return to Hogwarts this year! Harry Potter must stay safe!" Dobby said hastily.
"Stop saying my full name while speaking to me. Say 'you' or 'Harry' if you must. Who is plotting against me? Lord Voldemort?" Harry said, his anger ebbing away as Dobby cowered before him.
"Harry Potter said the name!" Dobby wailed. Harry noticed Dobby started to dig his blackened nails into his skull.
"Why did you take my letters?" Harry asked impatiently.
"Dobby thought that if Har-you thought that your friends weren't writing, H-y-you would not want to return to Hogwarts." Dobby moved a hand to look at Harry with a teary eye. "Dobby has heard of Har-you. Dobby has heard of your defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and also, of only a little whiles ago, when you defeated Him once again at Hogwarts! But Dobby must help you somehow, Dobby must keep you safe from what comes!" Harry eyed Dobby curiously.
"How do you know what happened last year?" He asked Dobby. Dobby cringed and pulled his ringed ears over his face.
"Dobby's master said so many times." Dobby said, and looked like he wished he hadn't.
"Who is your master?" Was Harry's predictable next question. Dobby sighed and tried to lower his ears further over his face but lost grip and both ears swung back into place.
"…!" Dobby's mouth moved but no words came out. Dobby blinked and tried again to no avail.
"You can't say?" Harry asked wonderingly, coming across this kind of magic for the first time. He couldn't wait to talk to Hermione about the enchantments involved with house elves and their masters.
"Dobby cannot, but this is their family crest." The house elf stated and pointed to the button holding up his pillowcase. Harry examined it, seeing a golden shield with a wand in the center and what looked like flowers swirling out the tip. Encircling the wand was a golden snake with two heads. Harry had never seen the crest but it looked somewhat familiar, though he might just be comparing it to Hogwarts' coat of arms and the other family crests people have worn last year.
"I've never seen it before." Harry noted. Dobby slumped slightly. Harry figured Dobby didn't like his masters much since he was so quick to tell Harry about them. Harry didn't like them either, whoever they were, for dressing their servant in such a disgusting outfit and treating him so poorly.
"My master does not know Dobby is here. Dobby is bound not to share his secrets but Dobby must warn you. Do not cross him or his heir. A plot against you has been borne and you must not return to Hogwarts!" Dobby ended with a beseeching wail. Harry gritted his teeth in impatience.
"I have to go to Hogwarts Dobby. My friends are there and I must learn more magic!" Harry insisted. Dobby isn't going to stop him, he couldn't. "If I don't go, who will save my friends from this plot?"
"Dobby is- Dobby doesn't know, Harry," the house elf confessed morosely. It seemed his plan to save Harry wasn't going to work. The house elf looked up at Harry in despair.
Harry stood straighter and adopted a fierce look. No one will harm his friends while he was alive.
"I will save them Dobby." Harry answered his own question. "I will stop this plot and keep Hogwarts safe. I promise you Dobby." Harry said earnestly. Dobby's eyes filled with tears as he gazed wonderingly at Harry, as though seeing a divine being.
"Dobby believes Harry Potter." He said reverently, bowing while keeping his shining eyes focused on Harry. In Dobby's eyes it seemed as though Harry was suddenly taller and his hair and clothes billowed by an unseen wind. Harry's eyes flashed and his scar stood out on his glowing face like a marker. When Harry smiled at Dobby's words, Dobby felt as if his quest's purpose was complete.
"Don't worry Dobby. Now go back to your master." Harry sat back down on his bed, exhausted from conversation with the excitable elf. Dobby didn't go yet, however.
"Dobby wants to help Harry Potter!" Dobby said fiercely after a moment of vacillation. Harry raised an eyebrow questioningly. His tone became vindictive.
"Help me? By stealing my mail and sneaking into my room?" he said brutally. The house elf shrunk into himself, shielding his face again. Harry sighed, pitying the elf slightly. "How will you help, Dobby?" he asked tiredly.
"Dobby does not yet know, but house elf magic has its uses Harry." Dobby said with a wavering grin. He snapped his fingers and Harry's Charms book was floating in the air. Harry gaped in wonder before remembering something crucial.
"Whoa, You can't do magic here Dobby! I'll get expelled!" Harry choked out, grabbing his book and slamming it back onto the desk. Dobby looked sheepish.
"House elf magic isn't detected like H-your magic." Dobby said. Harry blinked.
"Seriously?" he asked.
"House elves cannot lie." Dobby pronounced simply. Well, that certainly did have some uses.
After that, Dobby soon left and Harry slumped back onto his bed before jumping up, remembering the letters. Ron had sent quite a few, starting with jokes and questions of summer before devolving into quick missives asking why Harry hadn't answered. Hermione and Hagrid both had written as well, asking why he hadn't wrote back. Harry cursed Dobby and started on a quick note to his friends, explaining what happened and asking Ron if he could still come over. Hedwig chose that moment to fly in from the open window; she had stayed away from the house during the day on Harry's request after Uncle Vernon had shouted about 'ruddy birds flying about' and threatened to strangle her.
Harry smiled at her and ran his fingers through her feathers, loving their soft texture. Harry visited the owlery at Hogwarts and confirmed it: Hedwig was the most beautiful owl there was. With snowy white feathers, bright yellow eyes lined with black, long feathered ears slanted back and a powerful curved beak, Hedwig was quite remarkable.
"I found out why I wasn't getting mail Hedwig." Harry said to his owl, knowing she could understand him. Hedwig looked at him sharply and narrowed her eyes. She would sometimes come back to his room looking ruffled and clicking her beak impatiently. She also wouldn't have mail. Harry didn't know why she would do this, and now that he did he wished he would have hit Dobby with at least a stinging hex before sending him away.
"Don't worry, it won't happen again. Now would you send these to Ron and Hermione please?" Hedwig turned her head and barked once before reaching her leg out for Harry to tie the letters. She soon flew away and Harry, left alone and restless, started on finishing his Charms homework.
Hedwig returned early the next morning bearing gifts. Harry awoke to Hedwig biting his ear and quickly relieved her of her burdens. Ron answered with a resounding 'Yes!" that he could come stay. Apparently his dad was planning to come get him today after he got off work whether Harry answered or not. Ron seemed curious about Dobby but not nearly as much as Hermione. She sent Harry a long letter that sounded a bit rushed asking him about Dobby's description, mannerisms, and magic while also explaining what she already knew of house elves which was surprisingly very little. Hagrid just sent presents, not mentioning Dobby at all and wished him a happy birthday. Harry then started in on his gifts, seeing as this was the first time friends have gotten him anything for his birthday barring Hagrid buying Hedwig for him last year.
From Hagrid he got a whistle that when blown will stop any beast from attacking him. 'Great for the Forbidden Forest, not that you should ever go in there again' Harry read in the note that came with it. He immediately put it around his neck. From Hermione he got a book on wandless magic ('The Hand of Gods' by Silvers Silverstone) with a note that she says she has already read it and thought he might find it interesting. She also highlighted certain points in the book he should pay extra attention to and explained that wandless magic was unregulated by the Ministry due to its difficulty of use and no base target for screening unlike the wand, which meant if he learned it he could do magic anytime he wanted! From Ron he got chocolate frogs and of course the confirmation that his dad was coming to take Harry away from the Dursleys. Harry didn't know which friend gave him the better gift.
Ron's father was a tall balding man with bright red hair and a smile for everyone. When he arrived in a blue Ford Anglia he was wearing a simple white button up tucked into faded grey trousers with black boots. He rang the doorbell more times than he probably should have, but smiled radiantly at Aunt Petunia when she hurriedly answered the door and scowled at him.
"Hello, my name is Arthur Weasley and I'm here for Harry Potter!" he said grinning at Harry who ran down the stairs when he heard the doorbell's many rings. Aunt Petunia looked long-sufferingly at Mr. Weasley or better yet, at his wand that he was holding casually in his left hand.
"Will he be gone for the summer then?" She asked. Mr. Weasley smiled back at her until she started to scowl again before nodding his head.
"Molly and I would of course love to have Harry for the rest of August but we could bring him back in a few days if you like." Arthur said magnanimously. Harry almost cried out at the same time as Aunt Petunia.
"No! I mean, no it's fine. I'm sure Harry would enjoy the rest of summer with you. Are you packed Harry?" Aunt Petunia turned to Harry who was suddenly pulling his trunk with one hand and gripping his broom and Hedwig's cage in the other.
"Yes Aunt Petunia, goodbye then." Harry said, smiling more at the thought of leaving than to his Aunt. He started to walk toward Mr. Weasley's car when his Aunt's voice stopped him.
"Where's your owl Harry?" He thought she would have slammed the door and been well into a rant about wizards by now.
"I sent her ahead already. I didn't know you wanted to see her." Harry said feeling strangely guilty. Aunt Petunia looked mildly disappointed but waved him off. Arthur popped the boot for Harry and helped him place his trunk.
"It's okay. She's a very beautiful bird." She said and started to close the door, leaving Harry feeling like he should say something, but the moment quickly passed.
Mr. Weasley saw Harry to the front seat and started the car. It sounded nothing like Uncle Vernon's expensive BMW. In fact, it didn't sound like it was on at all. Mr. Weasley was grinning infectiously.
"Harry what I'm about to do, you cannot tell Molly about. Promise me?" He said conspiratorially and Harry grinned uncertainly back.
"Sure Mr. Weasley."
"Call me Arthur. And now, to fly!" Arthur then pressed a button on the dashboard, pulled a lever on the steering wheel and the car started to rise above the ground. Harry's middle tingled as the car rose higher and higher.
Harry was astounded. He was flying in an automobile with Ron's dad driving as if he did this every day! Which he probably did now that Harry thought about it. Harry peered out the window and saw to his delight Little Wringing getting smaller and smaller.
"Arthur, can the muggles see this?" Harry asked and Arthur shook his head.
"That button," he said pointing to the first button he pressed on the dash. "Is for invisibility. It should hold until we get to the Burrow." Harry nodded and opened the book Hermione got him.
Arthur pressed some more buttons and Harry heard the Wizarding Wireless rise in volume. The radio host was talking to someone about the chances England has for the Quidditch World Cup in two years' time. The other person didn't sound much like an England fan. Arthur changed the channel. A deep voice was singing morosely about the death of his love by dragon fire. Arthur turned it again and Harry tuned the radio out in favor of his book.
Hermione was right, this book was a goldmine of information about wandless magic. The author, Silvers, theorized that wandless magic could easily be as strong as or stronger than wand magic if learned before or at the start of wand magic education. There were differences such as effect duration of enchanting and curse power that varied for wandless magic, but since Harry hadn't learned to enchant or curse yet he thought he was right in line to learn wandless magic. After reading the first chapter he wondered if he would even need his wand anymore! Of course Silvers said not to rely too heavily on wandless magic and have your wand ready at all times. Hermione highlighted a section in the prologue chapter that said something interesting in Silvers' odd way of writing, as if he were talking to someone next to him:
Walk with me here, your magic flows through your hands first before going to your wand. How quickly is it for you to learn to use your hands to cast and not your wand? Carry on with me, feel your magic, it is deep within you and boiling like a potion over hot fires! Carry on, think of a charm, maybe the first you've learned, and bring it into being! Put down that wand! You need it not! Say the incantation, wave your fingers in the way you would your wand, and feel your magic flow into your hands like a God!
Harry enjoyed how Silvers would compare wizards to gods and would have tried what Silvers demanded if he weren't in a flying car. He stopped reading for a moment to look out the window and saw only clouds. Arthur looked over and smiled at Harry.
"We are currently five thousand feet up and flying over Winchester. We'll be there in about an hour or so. I say, magic will never get old and I've had it all my life!" Harry fervently agreed. Magic was amazing.
"Is there anywhere I can fly my broom near your house?" A pickup game of quidditch would be a great pass time during his stay with Ron. His friend's dad chuckled and answered positively.
"We have quite a bit of land around the Burrow and no muggle neighbors so you'll be able to fly on your broom. Thinking about practicing for quidditch right? Good on you for making the team so quick by the way. Making seeker first year is nothing to scoff at."
"Thanks, at the time I wasn't even thinking about quidditch. I was just trying to get Neville's Remembrall from Malfoy." Harry replied, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. Arthur looked thoughtful and they lapsed into silence for a moment.
"I noticed something Harry," Arthur said carefully before Harry could go back to his book. Harry looked at him inquisitively. "Ron talks about Hogwarts and what schoolwork he learned when Molly or I ask him, but I know he has been up to much more than just learning magic. Anytime we ask how he spent his free time he waves us off with saying he played wizard's chess with you. However his ears get red every time and I know that means he's either angry or lying. So since you come up a lot in his talks, what did you get into while at Hogwarts? Nothing illegal I hope?" Arthur finished with a quick laugh but Harry did not laugh. He wondered if he could tell Arthur what really happened during his first year. About the Cerberus, Hagrid's dragon, the trap door, Quirrell, the Sorcerer's stone...
Harry decided to hedge a little. "We did play a lot of chess, but we also explored the castle. It's so big I'm sure I'll still be discovering new things about it by seventh year."
Ron's dad laughed again and nodded emphatically. "Oh yes, Hogwarts is such a grand castle. I know I didn't find every secret by my seventh year and I even went out after curfew some nights." he replied and Harry grinned.
"I found a mirror called the Mirror of Erised and Ron and I looked at it." Harry ventured. "It showed us whatever we wanted most, but Professor Dumbledore moved it and told us not to look for it anymore. He said it was dangerous." Harry confided, feeling that was safe to tell Arthur without repercussions. Arthur looked sharply at Harry for a moment before turning to look ahead thoughtfully.
"I've never heard of such a mirror. It does sound dangerous if you would get caught up in looking at your desires and never getting them in real life, you could go mad! I always tell my children 'don't trust anything if you can't see where it keeps its brain'. Enchanted objects are no joke Harry. In fact, that's my job at the ministry, finding enchanted objects left for muggles and getting them before they do or before much damage is caused. It isn't just muggles who can be trapped by an enchanted object, remember that Harry.' And Arthur looked pointedly at Harry until he nodded back seriously. It made Harry think of something that happened much more recently than the mirror.
"A house elf was in my room on my birthday." Harry said, getting the sharp look he anticipated.
"A house elf? Why?"
"His name was Dobby and he warned me not to go back to Hogwarts because of an evil plot his master is apparently planning for this year. He also stole my mail." Harry added a little bitterly. Arthur looked alarmed.
"Who is his master? Wait, he wouldn't say, they never do. Did he wear a family crest or uniform?" Arthur asked. Harry nodded.
"Yeah, he wouldn't say who his master is but he wore a crest on that filthy pillowcase he had on. It was a golden shield with a wand in the center with flowers coming out the tip and a two headed snake circling the wand." As Harry described the crest Arthur's countenance grew more and more severe. When Harry finished Arthur growled out one word.
"Malfoy..." Harry's eyes widened.
"Seriously? That's Malfoy's crest?" Harry asked incredulously, thinking of the blond haired bully. Arthur nodded.
"Lucius Malfoy is somewhat of a bane of my working life. Always obstructing, using his pull and money to get himself or his friends out of trouble if we find them muggle baiting. I have no doubt he's capable and willing of endangering Hogwarts for some evil purpose. That man..." he trailed off and Harry thought he heard a few curses and tried not to grin. So Malfoy's dad was just as bad as his son it seemed.
Harry realized that they were starting to descend and before he could ask Arthur said "We have to get back on the road here and drive the rest of the way so Molly doesn't see a dirty great flying car coming toward the house."
They landed on a road covered by many trees and no other cars in sight. After about five minutes of driving the trees cleared and Harry saw the strangest house he'd ever seen.
It looked to be at least five stories tall and lopsided like the upper levels were being held up strictly by magic. It was a simple brick colored house but the garden seemed to have every color imaginable. There was also plenty of land around the house that had many different plants growing and surrounding gates holding horses and even chicken coop.
Harry saw some red headed boys in front of the house spinning around and throwing something small that Harry couldn't identify, but he knew the boys as Fred and George, twins and older brothers of Ron who was also there. When they heard the car they all started to run toward it with large smiles on their faces. Harry realized he was sporting a large smile too. As Arthur stopped the car in the garage that looked to be filled with random muggle stuff, Harry opened the door and stepped out of the car to get a good look at the Burrow.
"This is the most brilliant house I've ever seen." Harry said as the Weasley boys crowded around him. It felt like Hogwarts. Like home.