6. A letter from Fate
Harry was already sitting in the Great Hall when Ron and Hermione came down for breakfast. They both looked at Harry anxiously. He winked at both of them in turn, and made sure the other one didn't notice.
"Here Ron, sit next to me. Hermione, why don't you sit on this side." They both took their seats and watched one another.
"Oh come on," Harry said cheerfully, "let's have some drinks." The three of them each took a small sip from their goblet of pumpkin juice. Ron and Hermione went back to staring at each other. Little do they know, I didn't give either of them a love potion. Harry smiled evilly to himself. What a perfect joke!
Harry finished his breakfast and left the hall, feeling like nothing could bring down his high spirits. He walked past an empty classroom and heard voices.
"Do you even know where he is?" asked a female voice.
"If I did, I wouldn't be likely to tell you," another one said. Harry was very curious. I wonder who's missing? Oh well. Everyone's missing these days! He kept on walking. Before he knew where he was going, he found himself near the kitchens. Maybe I'll go see Dobby. No, Kreacher's probably there. I guess I won't.
He walked back up the many staircases one takes when going to Gryffindor Tower. When he went into the Common Room, there was Ron and Hermione, still staring at each other.
"What's with you two?" Harry asked. They both looked up. This isn't very funny anymore. Maybe I should start a little argument.
"So, Ron, has Hermione been correcting your homework for you?" Ron was still staring intently at Hermione. He answered without looking up.
"Oh, yeah, she has been, isn't that so nice of her?" Harry was shocked. I have to get away from this. It's starting to scare me. Harry walked up the stairs towards the dormitories. He sat on his fourposter, and started to think. Everything is going too good. I just know something horrible will happen and ruin it all.
By now he was laying down on his bed. He was the only person in the room, because it was so early. He slowly drifted off to sleep. He dreamed he was under water, swimming in a bottomless pit. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. Harry was about to die of suffocation when someone poked him hard in the face. He opened his eyes and fumbled around for his glasses, just as someone pulled their hand away from Harry's nose, which they had been pinching shut.
"Harry Potter must wake up sir!" said a squeaky little voice. The image before Harry came into sharp focus as his glasses were now in place.
"Harry Potter sir! Dobby has something for you!" the squeaky voice of Dobby said again.
"What is it Dobby? What do you have for me?" Dobby was a house elf who worked in the kitchens at Hogwarts. Harry had freed him from the Malfoys in his second year, who were treating him horribly. Dobby was sitting on the edge of Harry's bed, tennis ball eyes fixed on him.
"Dobby finds a letter sir, a letter in the kitchens addressed to Harry Potter. Dobby suspects it has something to do with nasty little Kreacher sir. If you don't mind me saying so." He held out a letter, that was indeed addressed to Harry. It looked like an old envelope. He opened it quickly. It looked like whoever wrote it, wrote it in a great hurry. It said:
Harry,
Go through the way I came.
Go as fast as you can.
Snuffles
Harry's jaw dropped. No, it can't be. They said Sirius was dead. Harry felt numb. He slowly walked down to the Common Room. The fire was blazing, and Ron and Hermione were doing their homework. Dobby was trotting along behind Harry.
"Oh hello Dobby," Hermione said kindly. "Harry, what's wrong?" Harry let the letter fall into her hand. Ron leaned in closer so he could read it too. After they had both read it, they looked dumbfounded.
"It can't be, it just can't," Hermione whispered. Harry could only think of one thing to do.
"Kreacher," he called. With a small pop, the shriveled, old house elf appeared.
"Master called?" he said in a half mocking, half sarcastic sort of way. Harry held out the envelope so Kreacher could see it.
"Some explaining, I think." Kreacher looked horrified. He then crumpled up on the floor and started sobbing.
"Master Black called me, before you became my master. He called me to a very strange place."
Kreacher's words were barely audible through his sobs. "He told me to bring him parchment and quill. Kreacher does what master asks of him. He writes a letter and says to give it to the new master Potter. But Kreacher doesn't want to, and he doesn't have to. By then bratty Potter is already my master. He becomes master while old master is writing his letter. He says he can't get out of this place until master Potter comes to get him. But master Potter never asked him to give him the letter, so Kreacher doesn't give it to him."
Harry couldn't believe what he just heard.
"Go back to the kitchens you two. Thanks Dobby." The two house elfs disappeared with a faint pop."You know what this means, don't you?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione. When neither of them answered, he told them. "I have to go through the curtain."