Harry Potter and the Spirit of Revenge
Chapter Thirteen: A New Bond.

Please Read and Review. I'd like to know what I'm doing right (to keep doing it), and what I'm I doing wrong (to correct it).

All over Magical Britain, the first waves of the Spectre's actions were being felt.

Daily Prophet
"Mysterious Wave of Deaths"
By Rudolph Olanius

"It has been reported to this publication, that multiple individuals have died during the night, due to unknown causes. Many of them were upstanding members of society, Heads of House even.

The mysterious malady struck at them at apparently the same time, the symptoms are being studied by the Unspeakables as this reporter writes this note.

The Ministry of Magic has declined to comment."

"Attack During the Tri-Wizards Tournament"
By Rita Skeeter

"Dear readers, this intrepid reporter must inform you of a most extraordinary occurrence. Apparently, during the aftermath of the Third Task, that young and brave wizard, Harry Potter, and the no less gallant Champion, Cedric Diggory, both representing our esteemed magical institution, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, were somehow kidnapped and tortured by an unknown party.

Somehow, said unknown party managed to subvert the working of the Tri-Wizards Cup, taking both Champions to an unknown location, from where young Diggory managed to escape to summon help for his fellow Champion, sacrificing his own life to achieve this laudable goal.

According to a well placed source, although the purpose of said kidnapping is not clear at the moment, it seems it involved a very volatile potion, that somehow managed to manifest a disturbing effect on the participants. The only survivors are one of the kidnappers, and young Harry Potter, who was taken to Saint Mungo's for treatment.

We at the Daily Prophet wish Mr. Potter a speedy recovery, and send the Diggory Family our condolences on the loss of such a fine young man."

Hermione Granger folded down the paper, and put it next to her at the Gryffindor Table. Rigidly, she stood and walked towards the Staff Table. Headmaster Dumbledore had left his place at the table after reading The Prophet, so she walked to her House Head.

"Professor McGonagall? I… I'd like to ask for permission to visit Harry at Saint Mungo's." She said with a whisper.

The Scottish professor looked at her, sadness in her usually stern eyes. "I am sorry, Miss Granger. At the moment, Mr. Potter must be under Auror guard. The best we can do is wait until he is released and can come back to us."

Hermione nodded, and walked back to her place. She picked on her food for a few minutes more. When she coulnd't take it anymore, she left the table, while the whispers of her fellow students ran all along the House Tables.

Luna ran after her.

Hogwarts
Kitchens.

"Dobby is not beings a bad elf!" Winky said forcefully, wiping the house elf's forehead. Dobby trembled, his almost closed eyes drifting side to side. Somehow, they had become completely black.

"Dippy!" Winky called. A young elf popped next to the pair.

"Is Dobby being better?" Dippy wrung his hands, anguished.

"No. Winky not knowing whats to do… Only Dobby's master could do."

"Great Master…" Dobby whispered.

Winky held Dobby's hands in hers. "Dobby needs Master. Dobby knows where Master is?"

He managed to nod weakly.

"Then Winky takes Dobby to Master."

And they popped away. The sound was strange, as it lasted for a very long time.

12th Grimauld Place, Living Room

Harry and Nagini materialized noiselessly, surprising an already nervous Sirius Black. "James?" he said, "But… you… you are…"

Harry looked at him. "Sorry, Sirius…" he reverted to his normal aspect. "I am dead… but I'm not my father." and he fell on his knees. In a moment, Sirius was kneeling next to him. "Harry? Are you, okay, Pup? I heard on the radio that you didn't return at the end of the task. Only the Diggory kid. I…"

Harry wiped his eyes. "Voldemort got me, Sirius. He used my blood to make himself a new body, and then killed me." Sirius hugged him tightly, despite how cold Harry's body was. 'It's like the cold of the grave.' he thought, but kept silent, rocking Harry back and forth for a long time. He shushed repeatedly, trying his best to calm Harry like he had done long years before, back when Harry was a baby, and his parents were still alive.

Finally, Harry pushed Sirius away softly. "I… I'm okay, Sirius."

"Tell me everything, Harry." Sirius looked into Harry's deep set eyes. Green like Lily's, but filled with something he couldn't identify.

Harry stood up, and finally Sirius noticed the teenager wasn't alone. "Uh, Harry… Who is she and how could she enter this place despite the wards?"

"Being dead has its privileges, Sirius." Harry whispered. He was about to continue, when Winky popped in for an instant. "Mas-!" She managed to say, and popped away, rejected by the infamous Black wards. "Sirius! Let Winky pass!" he ordered, with a voice that admitted no discussion. Sirius ran to the wards book, and added Winky's name to the authorized access list.

"Winky! You may come now!" Harry yelled, as soon as Sirius gave him a curt signal.

Two elves materialized, but one was almost consumed to the bones. Weakly, he managed to smile and say, "Great Master…" with a barely audible voice.

"Dobby!" Harry turned to Winky, "What happened, is he sick?"

"Master Potter, Winky not being sure. Winky only knowing Dobby needs his Master."

Carefully, Harry grabbed Dobby's hand, fearing it would break. "Dobby, please. Tell me what can I do?"

"…Master dead… Dobby goes where Master is…"

"No! Dobby, please!"

Winky looked at Harry with big bulging eyes, and lowered her head.

Harry grew older again, his Spectre guise appeared around him. His hands glowed, feeding energy into Dobby's body. "Dobby, listen to me. It is an order."

"Master orders Dobby… yes…" his voice was a little bit firmer. "Dobby obeys…" he smiled.

"I am dead, Dobby. But I don't want you to die. You are my friend."

"Dobby …stays with …Master."

"Please, Dobby… don't do this." Harry was crying openly.

Sirius looked at Harry. "Did you actually bond with him?"

"No. He said he was happy being a free elf. I wouldn't take his freedom from him."

Winky shuffled her feet. "Dobby bounds himself to Master Harry."

"A partial bond!" Sirius exclaimed, seeing Harry change before his very eyes, and without even using his wand, had convinced him that something very strange was going on. "Harry, his bond is killing him! It tries to get energy from your magic, but…"

"But my magic has changed too much…" Harry finished.

"Dobby's Master has to bond Dobby prop'ly." Winky whispered. "With his magic as it is being now."

Harry nodded brusquely. "What must I do?" He looked at Winky.

"Master puts his hand on Dobby's head, and says 'I, Harry Potter, take Dobby into my service as my bonded and loyal elf,' and Master must mean it."

As soon as Harry said those words, Dobby's emaciated body began to fill, like a balloon filling with water. His bones hid beneath his flesh, and the colour returned to his skin. His labored breathing returned to normal. His head flopped down, almost hitting the threadbare rug under him, but Harry's hand caught it on time.

"Dobby!" Harry yelled.

Winky put a finger over her mouth. "Dobby beings sleep."

Harry exhaled a breath he didn't knew he had been holding, and the green robes disappeared. "Thank you, Winky." At a gesture of his hand, Dobby's limp body floated up. "What can I do now to help him?"

Winky gestured, a look of intense concentration on her face. "Dobby only needings rest. Dobby being sleep for a long time." Harry nodded, relieved. "I'll make sure he is comfortable." He looked at Sirius. "I'll put him in my room, is that okay?"

"Sure, Pup. You do that. I'd like to talk a bit with Winky in the meanwhile." Harry crossed the door, levitating Dobby behind him. "Please, take care of her while I come back. And of her too." He tilted his head towards the unknown woman, resting on the couch.

Once Harry had gone, Winky shuffled her feet again. "Dobby being lucky to have a really kind Master."

Sirius caught her meaning. "Winky? Do you have a family?"

"Winky alone. Winky works at Hoggywarts, but…"

"Would you like to have a family again?"

"No! Filthy Bad Master no needing another elf!" Kreacher popped in, blandishing a soup ladle, and stomping his foot on the floor, a cloud of dust surrounded his feet.

"Kreacher, shut up!" Sirius glared at the old elf until he lowered his head. "Your service to the House of Black is in danger of ending if you don't watch what you say."

Kreacher mumbled something that sounded like "How far House of Black falling under Filthy Bad Master…"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "If you have anything to say, say it clearly." Pointedly, he took his handkerchief out. Still looking at Kreacher, he unfolded the piece of cloth, and folded it back again, but didn't return it to his pocket.

"No… F… …Master."

An strident scream cut the following silence. "Woe! Who let the dirty half-blood in? Kreacher! Kreacher! Get the trash out of my home!"

"Stop right there, Kreacher!" Sirius ordered just as Kreacher popped away, he hurried to open the door and running to the hall.

Standing tall in the middle of the hall, Harry stared at Walburga Black's portrait. Silent, while Dobby floated next to him and Kreacher stood immobile a few steps away, horrified.

A nasty smile spread over Harry's mouth. "Your precious Voldemort is no more. I took care of him and his band of thugs."

The portrait gasped. "Impossible! He is the strongest wizard who ever lived. And a two-bit wizard like you couldn't harm him." She sneered at the young wizard.

"And yet, it is me who stands now before you." Harry raised a hand. A sickly yellow-green lightning danced on his fingertips. Slowly, he pointed at the wall. "Care for a demonstration? I would prefer to take care of my friend, but I can make the time."

"You wouldn't dare." She challenged him. Though her lower lip trembled. "You couldn't."

"Impressive charms on your portrait." Harry studied the canvas. "Practically indestructible, immovable sticking charm. You really wanted to stay in that wall."

Sirius commented "I have been trying to remove it for ages."

Harry smiled at him. A warm smile this time. "Well, let me try." With a hand, he unhooked the portrait. And put it on the opposite wall.

Walburga Black paled and stammered. "Impossible! The Dark Lord himself cast the spells on my portrait as a reward for my service to the Pure-blood cause! This cannot be!"

"And yet, it is. Now, shut up, you old hag." A snap of his fingers, and Walburga Black's mouth closed down forcefully.

"Mistress!" Kreacher whispered. Harry turned towards the old elf.

"She is unharmed. But I don't guarantee that state of being will continue." He touched the canvas with the point of his finger. A wisp of smoke appeared where he was touching. "I don't want my friend's recovery to be interrupted by your screeching voice." He looked deeply into Walburga's eyes. "Are we clear?" Walburga's image looked into those green pitiless eyes, and slowly nodded, her right hand resting protectively on her throat.

Harry guided Dobby to the bed, and set him down on the mattress. He covered the body with a blanket, looking at the sleeping elf for a long moment. There was a happy smile on Dobby's face.

Sirius and Winky stood respectfully by the door. "Winky," Sirius said, "we will continue our conversation later, okay? Could you please take care of Dobby in the meanwhile? I'm sure you know what to do."

"Winky does now." She looked at Harry with adoration.

Both wizards returned to the living room in silence. Harry prepared a couple of cups of coffee and set both on the table. For a long moment, he stared at his own cup. Finally, he set it down on the table, his head down.

"Now, Pup. What was that about you being dead?" Sirius asked gently.

With a sigh, Harry recounted the story. Sirius paled more and more with each word.

Harry's story shook Sirius to the core of his being. Silently, he opened a cabinet with trembling hands, brought a bottle out, and after spilling some of the contents on the bar, he simply took a long drink of it. He shook his head, and exhaled. his hands still trembled, but he got them under control with some effort. "Some story, Pup…" he plopped back on a chair, and passed a hand over his face. "Now what..?"

"I don't know. I am to be an avenger of the innocent. The Spectre is now a part of me. But I want to keep on being Harry Potter. I need to speak with Hermione…"

St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries
Staff Room

Dumbledore had arrived through the Floo as soon as the block had been removed and the witnesses released (after a confidentiality oath), and didn't waste any time in looking for Harry.

Two orderlies and a healer had managed to calm him enough to inform him of Harry's condition.

"Basically, Mr. Potter is sleeping. We have not detected any brain damage, though his readings show a lot of dark magic applied to him, he is practically drenched in the residue. He was also injured with a cutting instrument. We have treated his wounds and are waiting for him to wake up, Headmaster. Now, please, let us do our job."

"But I must see him! It is of the utmost importance that I talk with him!"

"He is in no shape to talk at the moment, Headmaster." The Healer insisted. "He is under guard, by orders of Madame Bones, and you are not on the list of authorized visitors."

"But…"

Madame Bones had watched the small argument from the side room. She had almost gone back to her home to sleep a few hours when Dumbledore arrived. "Headmaster. Mr. Potter, as the Healer and the staff have informed you, is in no condition to talk. He was tortured grievously, and he was very close to dying. It's a miracle we managed to get him here in time."

"Amelia, it is very urgent that I speak to him." He whispered. "I fear Voldemort may have managed to return, and Harry may have vital information about his return."

Madame Bones pursed her lips. "What do you know about that, Dumbledore?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.

"I only have some educated guesses, Amelia. I need to speak to Harry to confirm them."

"No. You don't. I'll speak to him when he wakes up. This is a matter of National Security that will be managed by the DMLE. I want you to tell me those suspicions you have. Or I will charge you with obstruction of justice."

"Amelia, please, I haven't shared my suspicions because I know there are Death Eaters infiltrated in the Ministry."

She tapped her shoe on the floor, clearly annoyed. "Well, I happen to know there were quite a few Death Eaters in Hogwarts, and two of them were hired by yourself. Now, talk."

Dumbledore gasped.

From the Astral Plane, a red clad ghost watched with a smile. "I like this gal!"

Author Note:

I apologize for both the delay and the loss of quality on this chapter. Actually, It should have been a chapter of Stranger Visitations, but I´m not in the mood to watch Evangelion at the moment.

Writing has become quite difficult for me, with all the stress of the quarantine. I wish you all to be safe and healthy.