Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter XIII: Knoby's Job
Harry was a marked man it seemed, because James' declaration of his addition had been shouted all throughout the house. It was little wonder therefore, that he was soon confronted by Ginny, who looked most unsettled.
"Harry, James, Potter." Ginny had a definite scowl upon her face as she faced him whilst he came up the stairs. Her hand that was not gripping her wand was resting on the railing of the stairwell.
Harry was quick to respond, remembering how best to deal with a wrathful Ginny. "Sorry, Ginny, but as we are divorced, you have lost the right to use my middle name." Harry said, barely suppressing a laugh as he passed her by.
"Nipple rings, Harry?" her eyes were slits, and her cheeks were characteristically reddened.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Harry said, not aware that he had crossed his arms across his chest in a most self incriminating way.
"No idea, huh?" she fixed him with a glare worthy of the anger shown by her mother when dueling Bellatrix. "it's only what James has been going on about for the last quarter of an hour. No idea, my ass. What kind of influence are you setting for James? He's been a reasonably good boy considering he came from our line, but what's to happen now? What's he going to be like now? He'll start cursing people next, if he gets a taste for pain he'll become some...some... suedo masticationist person!"
Harry laughed, not a good thing when it came to Ginny's anger, but somehow he didn't care all that much. After all, she was the fool right now. "Ginny, if James hasn't learned proper mastication by this point- I really must wonder how he's survived."
Her face reminded him of Aunt Petunia's old look she used to give him whenever he insulted Uncle Vernon. "What?"
"I think you meant he'll become a Sado-Masochist. However, you insinuated that he would be a leather wearing person who chews their food…"
She blushed. "Well, I guess we all can't be genius' when it comes to dirty sexual practices now, can we? Nipple rings… I never would have thought…"
"Well yes, that was half the problem. Missionary gets old after a few years Ginny."
Her bottom lip came up and nearly covered her top lip, as her wand tapped against her leg. "We're getting off topic." Ginny said resolutely. "I just wanted to say, try to keep your new found delights under wraps around the children. Ok, Harry?"
He felt elated that he had found a way to make her so unsettled, it had always been difficult to make Ginny go on the defensive, Harry liked it. "Ok, I will try my best to cover it up…literally. But just know, I wasn't intending on letting him…you…know…"
"Good. Thank you, Harry."
There was no awkward silence that followed her sentence, and she let Harry pass by. He smiled deviously as she walked down the stairs, it had sure been an eventful morning, maybe he should raise James' allowance…just maybe.
Harry was walking down the blue carpeted corridor that led to the bedrooms of the Potter Estate. Harry no longer heard James' rants, but instead heard a very odd bumping noise coming from the farthest part of the hallway.
Harry heard a jingling bell, and what sounded to be tribal drums coming from Albus' room. Feeling extremely curious, Harry walked towards the door and knocked upon it, the noise ceased in volume at least, as Albus answered.
"Come in."
Harry turned the knob and entered Albus' room. The room reminded Harry of the Gryffindor Common Room, for there were large banners showing Lions and Gryffindors' colors. There were posters of Puddlemore United near the window, with players swooping in and out of sight. The most unusual sight, however, was that of Albus…and oddly enough…Knoby.
Knoby was wearing a shamefaced smile on his light grey face, and he quickly bowed to his master. Albus was wearing a strange looking chain necklace around his neck, and had on the largest pair of pants Harry had ever seen. Harry's eyes focused back on Knoby, who was quickly removing a gold chain from his neck, and was seen putting it under a pillow that also had a Muggle sports jersey hidden under it. Harry's head tilted in confusion, and he looked to his son first.
"What did I just walk in on?" Do I really want to know the answer…they both look so strange.
"Master Harry, if Ise could explain." Knoby leaned forward, no trace of fear on his face, just a toothy smile.
"We weren't doing anything wrong, Dad, just listening to some music."
"Yes, Master Harry, Knoby was letting Albus listen to Knoby's collection of Muggle music."
"Oh,…really?" Harry knelt down on his knees and strained to listen to the music still coming from a CD player. "Might I hear it?"
"Master wants to see?" Knoby's face was alight with excitement, and Albus' had the same look of joy. "Master Albus, let us show him!"
Albus nodded fervently and tossed Knoby the sports jersey, and the House Elf put the chain back around his neck, while Albus put on his own chain.
Knoby and Albus stood back to back, and their heads each turned to Harry. Knoby snapped his fingers once, and the knob on the CD player turned towards Harry.
What's happening…what's happenin…hey hey… Came the voice from the radio, along with a deep beat, and a rough voice was talking as if to friends. Knoby and Albus' heads bobbed in time with the beat.
Let's go, snap yo fingers! Do ya step! You can do it all by yo self! Let me see you do it! Harry's lips parted in utter confusion as Knoby started snapping his fingers in time with the music, each click making the lights in the room flash blue, green, red and gold. The House Elf and Albus sang along with the song, each one taking a different part of the song as a new voice broke through the thumps.
"Uh…" was all Harry could say.
"Like it Dad?" Albus asked as he turned the music up a little bit more.
"Snap yo fingers, Master Harry." Knoby requested of him, and Harry was unsure if he could properly acquiesce the House Elf's desire.
"S…su…sorry? What is this music, I've never heard it from you before Knoby."
Knoby nodded, his gold chain glinting in the lights. "Knoby has heard of Masters' choice in body modification, and therefore felt as if he could come clean with his tastes in musics. Master Harry, it is Lil' Jon, a Muggle born hip hop artist, and Albus has taken a great liking to it."
"Yeah, Dad. Doesn't the beat get stuck in your head?"
Harry wondered how Ginny would feel if she could begin to understand Muggle hip hop. Which was worse, he wondered. James turning into a Suedo-Masticationist, or Albus and Knoby learning the dance moves to …snap yo fingers…Harry cast the Muffliato charm on Albus' door. "Son, Knoby, I think it is great that you two have found something you each have in common. I think you performed beautifully, but…don't show your mother…Miss Ginny, yet. I don't know how she would react…at the moment."
"Alright, we'll keep it quiet, will you practice with us later maybe?" Albus asked, snapping his fingers with Knoby.
Harry's mouth was dry. "Maybe, I've got to eh…yes. Later." It was with that promise that Harry let the door close quietly behind him. He made sure he was down the stairs before he looked back at the door. "Good lord, what madness has come upon this house today." he laughed jubilantly.
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Knoby the House Elf had always liked Miss Luna, had liked her very much thank you very much, and he was all too eager to help Miss Luna with anything that she might be needing, day or night, oh yes sir indeed. When he received the letter from Miss Luna via her extremely well bred owl, Knoby read the letter with all haste, and was stunned to learn that the letter was definitely meant for him.
Dear Knoby,
I hope this letter has not caught you at a bad time…"Oh no, not at all, Miss Luna," if it has, I am truly sorry. I need to ask you a favor, Knoby…"anything at all Miss Luna, just ask," Knoby replied to the letter, sitting down cross legged as he read on. Knoby, I am planning something of extreme importance, and I need your help with it. If you are willing, I need you to do this. Go to Master Harry's bedroom, and look in his chest of drawers. "Of course, Miss Luna, with all haste!" Knoby rose to his feet. And once you have entered, go to the second drawer from the bottom, and within you will find a jar filled with extra blue faerie creatures. Take six of them and magic them into an unbreakable jar. "Ooh this is a true mission, Knoby, you mustn't mess it up!" From that point, find Draco Malfoy, and release them in his presence without him knowing. Since you are a House Elf, you will not be affected by them. Please do this for me and you will have my undying gratitude. Kindly yours,
Luna.
Knoby looked at Capella, then at the letter, and smiled while he kicked his heels in delight. He carefully folded the letter from Miss Luna and put it into his pocket tenderly, not wanting to bend it anymore than need be.
He surreptitiously made his way up to Harry's room, and knocked before entering. It appeared as though, by the silence, that Master Harry was out of his room, and therefore, this was the perfect time to enter it. Knoby felt mild apprehensions as he entered his master's chambers, but then again, Miss Luna had asked him to. He was sure that it would be alright.
Knoby walked silently over to the second drawer from the bottom and opened it, the drawer sliding out smoothly at his touch. Inside it he found random pairs of socks of all shapes and sizes, he also found pajamas and Harry's other clothes. Buried under a burned sienna colored shirt, Knoby found the jar in question.
Inside were about a dozen blue faeries, and Knoby carefully waved his wand, creating a slightly larger jar, which he sat on the floor. With his wand he carefully moved the requested faeries to the new jar, and placed the slightly more empty jar back where he had found it.
"Come now, my little ones, Miss Luna needs your helps she does. We mustn't disappoint her, oh noes…this way!" Knoby pranced out of the room, head exiting the door first, turning his head this way and that, on the lookout for Draco Malfoy.
Not seeing any sign of the blonde man, Knoby tucked the jar into his shirt pocket and set about looking for him. He passed Albus' room, and heard nothing from within. Knoby wondered if he had taken his CD and gone to listen to it on the grounds.
Knoby found Draco in the drawing room, reading over the Daily Prophet, and as luck would have it, he was all alone. The house elf wondered how best to send the creatures to Draco, would he just take the lid off? He wondered, unnoticed by Draco as the blonde man turned the page.
Knoby scampered over to a shadowy corner behind a vase of calla lilies. He presumed now was a good a time as ever, and he took the jar from his shirt and unscrewed the lid, as one by one the creatures escaped, emitting a low buzzing noise as they were freed. They hung in the air in front of Knoby for all of a heartbeat, before they realized a human was in the room. Knoby heard, via means of his abnormally large ears, their tiny shouts of joy as they soared to Draco.
Knoby watched secretly from behind the vase, and his bulging eyes fixed on Draco, as the creatures swarmed about his head, before disappearing into his skin like droplets of water. Draco dropped the paper and his face looked rather unsettled, he wiped his brow with the sleeve of his light colored robes, and got up from the chair.
"Oh Merlin.." Draco panted, looking uneasy. "It was breakfast…it had to have been…god my stomach…hell…" Draco clutched his stomach and rushed from the room, muttering Ginny's name under his breath.
"Job well done, for you, Miss Luna, Knoby does hope you is happy soon! Knoby has done as you asked, and Draco has been taken by the creatures." Knoby muttered happily to himself, as he exited the room and desperately waited for his Miss Luna's return.
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Disclaimer: I do not own "Snap yo Fingers" or any part of the song. Tis the property of Lil Jon and his folk.
AN: Reviews much appreciated, they do help the story progression along so nicely. Important note, Dreamstallion33 will be commandeering Beta Reading for this story, since it is set to be so long. Three cheers for Dreamstallion33! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far, they really do keep my enthusiasm at a high! Love, as always, TowerMage.