— Dobby Prelude —

(A/N: For a bit, everything Dobby says is taken right from the book, which I have in front of me)

Harry Potter was lying on his bed, seething in anger. He had just been sent to his room with no meal, all because, according to his uncle, he 'looked like he was up to something'. Of course, nothing bad must happen during a dinner with clients.

Well, Harry most certainly WAS up to something, just nothing about the clients dinner, or even anything in the Muggle World. He was trying to figure out how to practice magic without any trouble occurring.

He couldn't find anything good yet, and anything he did find he didn't try, just in case. There was a surprising lack of anything that could stop 'the trace' from working.

Harry was suddenly interrupted by a popping sound in his room, and his wand was pointed at the thing before he could process what happened.

At the end of his wand, was quite possibly the most hideous thing he'd ever seen. It looked like a malnourished, midget goblin, with much larger ears, as well as eyes that were almost comically large.

It screamed, and Harry panicked. "Shut up!" He whispered, with the same force of a yell.

Like magic, the thing slapped its hands over its mouth, and it settled down.

"Who are you and what do you want? And make sure to whisper."

"Dobby, sir. Just Dobby. Dobby the House Elf. Dobby has come to tell you, sir… it is difficult sir…"

"Just tell me Dobby, if my relatives hear me talking, I'll going to get into massive trouble."

"Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts!"

Harry looked at the little thing, Dobby, in confusion. "Why must I not go back to Hogwarts."

Dobby started shaking his head. "There is a plot Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts this year." He said, trembling all over.

He looked as if he was to say more, but Harry spoke first. "What kind of terrible things?"

(A/N: Now is when I start writing Dobby)

"Dobby… must not say."

"Dobby, if you cannot say, than I will go back to Hogwarts."

Dobby started looking panicked, and then crazed. He moved quickly, but Harry moved quicker. Wand still in hand, he snatched Dobby's clothing, which he just now realized was a pillow case, and pushed him onto his bed, wand pointed at his chest.

"Dobby, stop. Explain."

"Dobby must… Dobby must punish himself." He said, an animalistic glare in his eyes, darting around the room like crazy.

Eventually, Dobby moved, and kicked Harry in the chest.

Harry was sent backwards a few steps, as Dobby launched himself toward the lamp Harry had in his room.

Harry quickly whipped his wand at Dobby, and flicked it. Suddenly, Dobby stopped mid air. He tried to move, and Harry's levitation charm was struggling.

Then, Dobby opened his mouth, and took in a deep breath, seemingly about to scream.

"Fine! I won't go to Hogwarts."

Dobby froze. "Does Harry Potter mean it?"

"Yes, I mean it." Harry said, for some reason feeling bad about lying to the creature.

"Confundus." Harry cast on Dobby quickly. "You will not recall Harry Potter using magic on your visit." He said. Obliviate would have been better, but Harry wasn't too good at it yet. Hopefully this would work.

The magic he cast had been in front of no Muggles, and there had just become no witnesses.

Harry could only hope it would work.

Year 2

Harry Potter was in Diagon Alley. He had been broken out of his pri-house by his friends.

Well, Harry thinks of them as friends, even if they think they're his servants. Honestly it's quite exhausting.

Anyway, he was standing at the entrance to Diagon Alley, surrounded by his some of his friends that graduated last year. It was time for shopping, and hopefully there was no… issues.

The first stop, Gringotts Bank. "Hello, I'd like to withdraw from my account." I said to a Goblin teller.

"Key?" They asked me with a raised eyebrow.

"Uhm… I think Dumbledore still has it."

"No key, no entry." The goblin said with an intense glare.

"It's fine Harry, we have gold."

"What's ours is yours."

The others nodded. Harry thanked them, and they got enough gold for everything on the list… with some complaints though.

"Lockheart? My god. This teacher is more senile than Dumbledore."

That got a few laughs.

"Let's go then. See if good ol' Harry can get some cool fantasy books."

"Harry's are better than Lockhearts."

Harry froze. "I have fantasy books?"

"Oh yeah, quite a few. You wanna get some?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure, why not."

— Florish and Blotts —

"Oh great. Lockheart himself is here."

"There's the Weasleys, front and center."

"Let's see if we can get the books and get out."

In went the group, only to be immediately seen by the author. "Harry Potter! So great to see you here!" he shouted, and everyone turned.

"Not only did The Boy-Who-Lived come here to get my new autobiography, 'Magical Me', but little did he know, he'd be getting the real Magical Me in September." Lockheart proclaimed, then went into a dramatic pause. "It is here and now I announce that I will be the newest Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts!"

Lockheart smiled, then went to grab Harry. "Come on Harry, together we can be front page material."

So sooner did Lockheart put his hand on Harry, did he have half a dozen wands pointed right at him, with seven sets of eyes glaring at him.

"On second thought, I'll just give you signed copies of all the books, for you, free of charge!"

Harry was about to object, when someone whispered in his ears, "Just take it Harry, it's free books, and we can get some Ice Cream later if you want."

Harry glared, but accepted the books anyway. The seven wizards started walking away, before being confronted by a certain blond prat.

"Bet you loved that Potter." Malfoy said with venom in his words. "Little Harry Potter, can't go to a bookshop without being given things for free."

"Shove off Malfoy… or else." Harry demanded, green eyes glowering dangerously.

"Or else what Potter? You gonna sick your attack dogs on me? Pathet-"

"Draco." A voice from above interrupted him. Everyone looked up to see a bigger, longer haired blond prat. "Do you think yourself capable to take on 7 wizards alone?"

"Potters weak! I can handle him!"

"What about the other half dozen, trained wizards behind the young Potter. Those who would defend his honor to the highest extent if what you told me was correct."

Draco seemed to be noticing them for the first time, and started backing up.

"Yeah Malfoy, go back to daddy."

"At least I have a-" Draco stopped, and reconsidered what he was about to say. "Good day Potter! I'll see you at Hogwarts."

"I'm sorry about young Draco, Mister Potter. Please do not hold his rash behavior against him in the future. Eventually he will mature." The older Malfoy said, before swiftly walking out of the store.

His friends started chuckling at him, and Harry himself also had to laugh. "Malfoy? Mature? I'll believe it when I see it."

"I probably won't even believe it when I see it myself." They heard from behind.

They all turned around, and saw the Weasley's behind them. They saw the youngest male looking at the door in disgust.

"Hello, I'm Harry. Harry Potter." He tried to introduce himself, only for the look of disgust to be pointed at him.

"Hey Harry, remember us?" One of the twins asked from behind their brother.

"Don't mind Ronald" the other said, "he's always a bit of a prat."

"FRED!" Their mother yelled.

"I'm not Fred, I'm George." The offender claimed.

"And you call yourself our mother!" The other twin piped in.

"Whichever one of you if who, you do not do this in public!"

"Anyway," one of Harry's friends started, "We really should get going."

They started herding Harry out of the crowded shop, Lockheart still signing books, and smiling cheerfully, as if whatever has happened in the store didn't.

— Hogwarts —

"That sorting took entirely way too long." Theo complained when they were back in the dorm. It was just Harry and Theo, as everyone else was in the Common Room with the new snakes.

"They have less students." Harry said, grabbing his trunk and tossing it onto his bed.

"Yeah, and most of them went to Gryffindor. Out of 35, 14 went to Gryffindor."

"That's not most of them. Not even half. A large amount, but still less than half."

"Harry, did you not pay attention? That means on average, that's 7 for each other house. And we got 5, meaning 8 for Hufflepuff, and 8 for Ravenclaw."

"What else did you expect Theo? 11 years ago, the only people around to procreate where the light. Meaning they were all raised on ideals to hate Slytherin, and Muggleborns are excluded anyway, the Hat knows they'd be shunned, maybe killed." Harry said, with a bored face. Although anybody who looked into his eyes could see fire.

It was wrong. That Voldemort was robbing the Slytherin House of students, even when everyone thought him dead. That Muggleborns weren't able to be Slytherins, no matter their cunning intellect or ambition.

Something needed to change. Harry was determined, and he realized that he had the power to change this. He might have only been 12, but there were so many that saw Harry as a powerful person, a lord to throw their support behind. Someone to rival the power of Voldemort and Dumbledore.

Harry knew what he needed to do.

A/N: I think this is my longest chapter by far. Completely unintentional btw. I had wrote everything since the start fo Diagon Alley, then remembered I wanted to put Dobby in. So I did so.

I've recently been reading The Slytherin Prince series on AO3, which is really good. I like the Lockheart there, and it's given me some inspiration for how to do his character.

I hope you enjoy CoS, I plan for this to be MUCH longer that PS, as to be honest, I don't really like PS. So Gremlins, enjoy the time between now and when I get up my lazy ass and write.