Harry tried the bedroom door again- The deadbolt her uncle had put on stayed in place, her magic refusing to 'accidentally' cooperate.

She sighed and turned around back to the window, put her hands on two of the bars and used it to stretch out, popping her back.

It'd been three days. The first one, she'd woken up to pain in her cupboard, bruises dotting her chest and legs and hands like an art piece. Hours later, Vernon surged into the space, grabbed her, dragged her upstairs, and threw her into her newly-'renovated' room, locking the door behind her. In it, everything had been stripped away but the bed- empty of cushions or sheets- and a set of cleaning supplies.

A further hour, Vernon unlocked the door, Harry looking up hopefully, until the look in Vernon's eyes had her look away. Vernon's tone was hazardous- "You do the chores. All of them. You come back here. Thats it."

And that was it— Harry had meticulously prepared meals, washed the tile of any remaining cake, scrubbed clean each room, and tramped shakily back upstairs under the hawk eye of her uncle. She'd collapsed into bed.

It was now 4 am- Vernon would likely wake her in a few more hours and force her through the same process. She licked cracking lips. She touched the dried blood caking the top of her forehead and underside of her hair, trying to rub it off— Vernon had timed her use of the restroom, claiming any more than a minute and he'd barge in there. So she hadn't had time to clean it off.

Harry slid to the floor, facing the ceiling. Would the Ministry forgive her use of magic in this instance to break out? She had scarcely planned things out, so sure at the end of the first year that something- someone- would interfere to keep her from going back home. She pinched her nose, tried to will back the headache forming.

There was a crack, and Harry snapped her eyes open. In the middle of the room stood a very abashed-looking Dobby the house elf, rubbing her neck with one hand, the other behind her back.

"I… Mistress Harry Potter… Is in danger no matter what, isn't she? School, or here."

Feeling too exhausted to be angry, Harry simply nodded her head, eyes drawn narrow.

Dobby let out a sigh that threatened to wake the household, and Harry gave a sufficient 'shh' that Dobby's lips clamped. Then, she came forward and brought out her hands, a stack of letters in them.

Harry reached out and took a few, others spilling onto the ground. Dobby made to pick them up, and Harry, voice hoarse, said, "No, it's ok. I'll start with these."

She started reading through a few, only registering the odd few words of Ron, talking about his family at some place called the 'Burrow', Hermione asking Harry if she was alright and if she'd gotten started on work for the next year. Harry let out a weak chuckle, and set her hand over her mouth to stop from a coughing fit.

Dobby was eyeing her so intently that Harry was afraid the elf was going to keel over. Finally, Dobby made small movements over and past Harry and leaped up to the window, taking a look at the bars. With another snap of the fingers, the bars trembled, and with small groans, grew thinner, and thinner, until they were little more than rusted, brittle sticks and snapped off. Harry couldn't help but smile at the slightly satisfied look on Dobby's face, until the latter looked over and her smirk fell, eyes widening as Dobby seemed to register what she'd just done.

She paced the room, whining softly, while Harry made an effort to stand. Finally, Dobby stopped, looked up. "Dobby will do this for Mistress Harry Potter, but after she will need to beat herself quite soundly with a skillet. So we must go soon so that Dobby does not do anything else silly to deserve Dobby more lashings."

Harry took a step, felt wobbly, and just reached a hand towards the elf. "Dobby, please promise me you won't punish yourself for this. Keep safe. Go back to your family."

Dobby shook her head and turned away slightly, eyes fixed on the door. "They are not Dobby's family."

Harry knew what was going to come next, as soon as Dobby's eyes widened, and she stooped down to take the small elf's hands into hers, Dobby struggling against her, whispering, "No, no, Dobby can't say such things. Can't…"

"Dobby. Please, look at me." It took a few more seconds, before Dobby looked at the witch, eyes shining with tears, looking conflicted as the elf kept eyeing the nearby lamp.

"Everything in this house, after today- Never happened. I won't tell anyone. You don't have to. You came back and helped. That's enough. I'll keep myself safe and be on then look out. Now go, be safe."

Dobby gave another sigh, this one thankfully quieter, but shook her head. "Dobby will do one last thing. Dobby will take Mistress Harry Potter somewhere else, safer."

Harry went back over to Ron's letter, and looked over it again, then came back and presented it to Dobby. "Dobby, is there any way you can help get me here?"

Dobby studied the address and nodded up at Harry. "Dobby… she can do that."

— —

When Dobby and Harry winked back into existence, Harry stumbling onto the grass and letting go of her suitcase, they were in front of a large, leaning house at the edge of a grove. Harry would've admired the scene, except that she was retching into the grass, while Dobby looked on, nervously.

"Dobby should've wanted Mistress Harry Potter that apparating can cause some sickness. Oh, if only Dobby had a branch to whack herself with."

Harry wiped her chin and intrepidly tried to stand, and ended up bracing on the suitcase. "It's ok, Dobby. Part of it's probably because I haven't had a bite to eat in a bit. I'll be ok."

Dobby absently nodded in return, looked out into the woods, and back over. She spoke, softly- "Dobby has to return to their masters. It is crucial Mistress Harry Potter watch out, but Dobby will help where she can."

Harry smiled at Dobby, wondering if the elf noticed how she referred to herself. "Thank you for doing this, Dobby."

Dobby smiled herself as she looked at the ground, and brought her hand up to snap herself away.

Harry reached out. "Oh. One more question. If you could just magic us away, why did you get rid of the bars on my window back there?"

Dobby blinked and put her hand down, then looked at her hands. The house elf looked confused herself. Finally, she looked back up at Harry.

"Dobby shouldn't make habits of acting in ways that make only herself happy. It could cause more trouble."

Harry stilled her breath. Exhaled, listening to the wind stirring the night. Smiled down at Dobby.

"Dobby, I don't like giving you commands. But if I have to, I'm ordering you to take care of yourself. Ok?"

Harry winced through her still-bruised legs as she bent down to wrap arms around the elf, gripping her tight. Dobby was silent for a long time, the rustling of the breeze the only sound.

But Harry still heard her when she whispered back, "Ok."