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Chapter 3
Waking up, Harry slowly blinked away his sleepiness, pondering all that had happened to him in the last twenty four hours. As he was waking, Harry realized something, he had the best night sleep he had ever had at Privet Drive. No early morning wake up calls by Vernon pounding on his door to begin his slave chores. Still lying in his bed with his eyes closed, Harry breathed in the moment. He tried to describe the feeling that he was experiencing in this moment, what was troubling him was that he couldn't. He had never felt this way before, he thought, could this be what control feels like? Is this what everyone else felt like, all those students at Hogwarts, living normal lives, without a care in the world. Shaking that train of thought, Harry wanted to bask in this moment a little longer. Smiling, Harry thought about how good he actually felt, even his crappy little broken down twin bed, felt like a magnificent triple king size bed made for a King.
Finally opening his eyes and reaching for his glasses on his night stand, Harry took a look around his room. As his jaw dropped, he couldn't believe it, this was not his room. A slight panic filtered through him, instantly he searched for his wand. Feeling much more confident with his wand in hand, he started to calm down as he walked around the room. It was magnificent! In fact, magnificent was an understatement. The bed he was sleeping in was bigger then a triple king, in fact it was bigger then his entire old bedroom used to be.
The floor space in this room was amazing, walking to the front of the bed, Harry took a seat at the foot and just looked around. Suddenly he knew that he was not in danger, he had sense contentment. Glancing to his left he noticed three doors, contemplating choosing one of these and exploring, he looked to his other side and he noticed a large balcony type bay windows with a marvelous gold perch with his best girl Hedwig looking right at him.
"Hedwig," walking over to stroke her feathers he noticed a letter attached to her leg. Untying the letter, he glanced out the window and was jaw dropped again, he was looking out on Privet Drive. As his jaw was slowly closing, Harry had only one thought, Dobby! Smiling, still clutching Hedwig's mystery letter, Harry walked back over to the bed and opened his letter.
Harry,
It has come to my attention that yesterday, sometime around late afternoon, the wards protecting Privet Drive flared for several hours. Which has led me to believe that you left the immediate neighborhood of Privet Drive. Need I remind you what dangerous times we are facing and I implore you to not leave Privet Drive for any reason. Thankfully you did not use any magic, for my detectors showed that you didn't, please only use magic in the most serious of circumstances. I know you are feeling guilty about losing Sirius, but remember that he would not want you to be reckless and put yourself in danger over sulking his passing. Remember Harry, there are people that care a great deal about you, Like your Uncle and Aunt. Confide in them, it is at times like these, when family is most important.
Sometime in the coming weeks, I will be taking care of some things, on your behalf, at Gringotts. Please send Hedwig to me with any letters that Gringotts may send you, and I will take care of everything. Remember Harry, things are not always as they seem, please don't be so quick to react. It is always best to take a step back and analyze every option that is available to you before jumping into a reckless and dangerous situation. Let us remember the what happened the last time you jumped to conclusions instead of listening to the wisdom of young Miss Granger. It is human nature to make mistakes, but it is the truly wise, who learn from them.
Take care of yourself my boy and I will contact you before September first with details about your Order escort to Diagon Alley to purchase your school necessities. Until then try and keep your self busy, I am told that the muggles have an invention called a Puzzle, it is rumored to be relaxing as well as quite difficult to complete. You may want to ask your relatives if they could pick you up one.
Albus Dumbledore
"That crazy old coot!" Harry bellowed out loud while crumpling up the letter as he forcefully made a fist and threw the letter across the room. Thinking about what Albus just said, and still needing to vent, Harry tried to remember his train of thought before he opened the letter. Where had that sense of contentment gone? Looking around this magnificent room, it started to came back a little. Remembering who was to blame for this room, Harry spoke out loud, "Dobby?"
As a small hand gently pilled at his pajama bottoms, Harry was completely startled, and flinched away from the hand, even though he was expecting to see Dobby, he was completely surprised by his appearance. "I'm sorry Master, I didn't mean to scare you," said Dobby with his head bowed down in shame.
"Don't be silly Dobby, I was just a little startled, why is it that when you appeared, there was no popping noise like there used to be?" Dobby looked confused at this, then he replied, "I was not aware that anything had changed? said Dobby. "You always made a pop when appearing in the past, try going to Diagon Alley and then back, I want to test this theory I've been pondering." "As you wish Master Harry," before Harry could remind Dobby to just call him Harry, Dobby was gone. No sound at all, he just vanished, determined to not be startled this time, Harry walked back over to the bay windows, so he could have a clear view of the entire room.
Waiting, with his head on a swivel, searching for any movement, several seconds passed until, suddenly Dobby was standing right before him. Again, no noise, completely silent. "Was that what Master wanted or should I go again?" asked Dobby a little confused. "No Dobby, don't leave, you just proved me correct. I don't know how, but something has changed about you."
"I am sorry Master Harry, I would try and change back, but I do not remember changing in the first place, does Master want me to talk to the House Elf Alliance, and ask them for a suitable replacement?" asked Dobby with a slightly rejected look on his face as he slowly bowed his head. "Have you gone bonkers? Dobby, you are my friend, the only thing you could do that would change that would be to sell me to Voldermort." A fiercely protective look flashed across Dobby's face as he hurriedly spoke, " I would never do anything to endanger Master Harry Potter-Black sir, I would gladly give my own life first…I" But Dobby was cut off by Harry who surprised the little elf by kneeling down in front of him and wrapping his arms around him in a fierce hug.
Dobby just stood there as his eyes began to fill will tears fighting their way to break free and run down his cheeks, as Harry lingered a little longer still hugging the elf. Finally releasing Dobby, Harry took a step back, still kneeling, eye to eye with Dobby, Harry spoke from the heart. "Dobby, I want you to understand," Harry began as he raised both of his hands to place them on Dobby's shoulders, he continued. "After losing Sirius, and you've seen my Uncle and Auntie, I have no family. Dobby, you are the only one who truly cares for my well being, with no strings attached. You don't want me to save the world or to use my fame, or borrow my money, you care about me, Harry. For heavens sake just take a look at this room you made for me, who in this entire world cares enough about me to do something so extraordinary? No one, but Dobby." As the dam broke, Dobby's tears poured down his cheeks, still staring into Harry's eyes, to choked up to speak, he just stood there, crying. Harry continued, " Dobby, it is I who should be begging you to hang around me, if you hadn't come to help me, I would be downstairs cooking dinner and dodging punches from Vernon right now. As messed up as my life is right now, the one thing I thank Merlin for, is that I have you, the most loyal and trustworthy friend a guy could ask for."
As the boy and elf came together in a hug again, Harry's eyes began to leak, as he silently cried. So thankful that he had a partner, an allies in this crazy mixed up world. As the two of them were holding each other, both with their eyes shut, just taking in this moment, neither of them realized the slight glow that formed around the two of them. Right before Harry opened his eyes and released Dobby from his grasp, the glow faded, gone unnoticed by the pair. "Now that we have got that straighten out, I never want you to mention me replacing you for any reason ever again, okay?" Dobby still overwhelmed with emotion, simply nodded his head that he understood. Looking for a distraction from this awkward moment, Harry asked, "Now, why don't you give me a tour of this marvelous room and then we can get some breakfast, how does that sound?" Smiling at those words, Dobby began to calm down as he grabbed Harry's hand and walked him over to the three doors.
" I thought about building this room as you were signing your Lordship papers, I think it will come in handy." Said Dobby with a huge grin as he wiped away some stray tears. As the door slowly opened, Harry turned from looking at Dobby, to looking in the room, what he saw, was his third jaw dropping moment. Harry was looking at a beautiful dueling room. The room was about a third of the size of Harry's Hogwarts Defense room. Walking into the room, Dobby closed the door behind them, and the room made a suction sucking noise and then sealed. The second the suction noise ceased, an animated voice was heard, "Please state configuration" Harry looked up and around the room trying to figure where the voice was coming from, he then looked to Dobby and shrugged his shoulders. Dobby smiled then said, "four attack dummies, mild stunners, forward progress, at multiple levels." At the other end of the room, appeared four attack dummies, standing roughly between five foot eight to six foot four, wearing long black robes. Their faces were featureless like mannequin dolls, spaced about two feet apart, they each had a stick like wand in their hand.
Staring at the four black attack dummies, Harry smirked as the animated voice spoke again, " simulation will begin when prompted, to stop practice session, clearly state End Training." Harry looked over to Dobby still glancing around the room, a few thoughts went through his head, but before he could state a few, Dobby interrupted him. "Don't worry Master, this room is sealed, no matter how much noise you make, no one will hear, I do mean no one. As for you using magic, there are no restrictions, and as no one besides Whiplock knows of your Lordship, outside of this room, your magical signature is unknown.
Nodding Harry said, "well that answers two of my questions, what about me? I mean how badly can they hurt me? "that depends on what setting you program them, right now they are programmed for light stunners, they will hurt and get hit with enough of them and you will be fully stunned."
Harry thought, "fully stunned? For how long?" "The room will revive you and heal you to some degree, but as the setting level raises, so will the pain level, residual pain, and soreness that follows." Said Dobby a little scared that he might have overdone it a little. There was a few seconds of silence as what Dobby just said, sank into Harry's consciousness.
"I can live with that, I mean no pain no gain, right? After all, Death Eaters wont be shooting stunners, so I will have to practice dodging and shielding stronger spells eventually. This room is amazing Dobby you did wonderfully." Looking from Dobby back to the practice dummies, Harry smiled, "Dobby, stand back, I want to break this room in. Dobby stood over at the observation area, as Harry walked over to the starting platform. Taking one last big breath, Harry pulled out his wand and got in proper dueling stance, "Begin," said Harry. The four dummies sprang to life and the dummy on the far left shot first, Harry, rolling to the right, evaded it just barely, standing up to release a stunner, he got hit by the fourth dummy and fell back on his but.
For a brief second, Harry paused before realizing that the dummies were still advancing. Instead of standing up, Harry rolled to the side while he fired two stunners at the closest dummy, watching as his spells hit the dummy dead on in the chest. Springing to his feet, Harry shouted "Protego" as his shield formed in front of him, he crouched down as more stunners bounced off his shield then sprang just to the side of his shield as he aimed at the two tallest dummies approaching, "confundo." The spell hit right between the two dummies, blasting them to shreds. The last dummy got slashed on his non-wand side from the residual damage from Harry's blasting curse. With just one dummy left, Harry could concentrate on the task at hand, waiting for the dummy to fire first, he was ready, as the spell was leaving the Dummy's wand, Harry dodged to the side, crouching down he shot back, "Deprimo" Harry watched the dummy's spell shoot past him just to his left then a half second latter, Harry's spell hit the dummy just above the waist as it flew backwards with a crash.
The second the last dummy hit the floor, the lights turned on and the animated voice spoke, "session ended, results calculating, target examination will begin now." The four dummies were raised off the floor and shot over against the wall and just floated there. Harry walked over and got a closer look at the damage he inflicted. Looking at the last dummy at close range, Harry was impressed at the damage the Deprimo spell caused, there was a hole, the size of a basketball just above the waist line. Harry smirked as Dobby walked over and joined him. "Just think Dobby, if I shot that spell at an unaware Death Eater but just a little bit lower." It took a few seconds for Dobby to follow Harry's train of thought and then he grinned evilly, " No more then the filth deserve!" said Dobby.
Harry laughed as he nodded his head that he completely agreed, his chuckles slowed, Harry was pacing in front of the damaged dummies examining his handiwork, as Dobby handed him a slip of paper. Reading the paper, Harry was astonished, what he was reading were all the particulars of all the spells he casted. Spell strength, damage levels, and the best part was there were variations listed. "Wow Dobby, this is amazing, not only will these practice sessions help with my accuracy and spell strength, but also give me new spells to practice to cause the same type of damage. Some of these variations are really old witch will be harder for my enemies to deflect and shield. I think I will be spending lost of time in this room this summer."
Harry walking over to the door, stated "End Training," and the dummies vanished as all the lights turned on. Opening the door, waiting several seconds as the room unsealed itself, they left the room and re-entered the main bedroom. Instantly Harry smelled something delicious, looking over to the corner was a small table with four chairs and a vast arrangement of breakfast foods. Walking over and sitting down, Harry looked back as Dobby sat at he foot of the bed. "What, not hungry Dobby? Why don't you join me, you've got plenty of food here." Dobby just smiled and went to sit down on Harry's right, as he sat down, another set of dinnerware appeared. "Dobby, how did you do all of this while we were in the dueling room?" Dobby just smiled until Harry finally figured it out. "You didn't make any of this did you? I know how you did it, Winky!"
With a loud pop, Winky appeared. " Yes Lord Potter-Black, it was I who made breakfast, I hope you approve, Dobby is a horrible cook, but he is an excellent food getter." Harry just smiled as he noticed Dobby blush and bowed his head with embarrassment. "Of course I don't mind Winky, in fact I am honored that you would spend your time making Dobby and I, food. Would you care to join us?" Winky squealed excitedly then hopped over to sit next to Dobby and another spread of dinnerware appeared.
After eating breakfast and saying goodbye, for now to Winky, Dobby showed Harry what was behind the other two doors in his bedroom. As Dobby was opening the door, Harry said, "after what was behind door number one, how could this get any better?" Harry walked in to one of the finest bathrooms he had ever seen. Whistling, Harry stated, "this is better than the prefects bathroom at Hogwarts." Walking around the room, he continued, "I am going to spend hours in this room tonight to really break this room in." As visions of chilling in the huge Jacuzzi, completely relaxed, messaging his sore muscles, danced in his mind.
Leaving the bathroom, the third door was not as cool, it was just a huge walk in closet, complete with lounging couches and huge wall length mirrors. Of course, it was completely empty of clothes, for everything Harry owned fit nicely in his school trunk.
But Harry could see the potential of this room, and he looked forward to filling those empty shelves for he badly needed a new wardrobe.
Sitting down on his bed, Harry smirked, "well Dobby, what do you say, I think its time for our little trip to Diagon Alley." "Can I make one suggestion Mast…Harry?" "Dobby, you don't have to ask, what's on your mind?" "I think you should change your appearance so we can stay under the radar, so to speak, Diagon Alley will be very bust at this time of day." "Your right Dobby, no sense pushing my luck, would you do the honors?"
Dobby just smiled as Harry's hair changed to shoulder length brown hair and his skin tanned, then his eye color changed to brown. Lastly his trademark glasses got an updated look. "All done?" said Harry as Dobby nodded, Harry walked in his closet to take a look in his full length mirror. "Wow, great work Dobby, you even tanned out my scar, I should just stay like this all the time." Raising his hand to feel his scar, he realized he could still feel it, of course he could, like it would be that easy to get rid of.
As they were getting ready to leave, Dobby made one more statement, " What about what Mister Dumbledore said about never leaving Privet Drive?" "I was thinking about that, because he is going to find out eventually. I will send him a letter when we get back, just before the Wizard and Elf vanished silently to Diagon Alley, Harry smiled for he knew just what to write. Sorry to Disappoint, No One's boy, Harry.