Chapter 2

The next morning Harry woke to commotion in the common room. He heard two well known voices arguing. He slipped on his dressing gown and descended the steps leading to the Gryffindor common room. He froze on the spot when he heard his name spat out of his friend Ron Weasley's mouth.

"Hermione, why must you always defend him? He is nothing but an attention seeking asshole. Harry Potter is nothing but a glory hound, and he will end up getting us killed just like his godfather and our headmaster. For Merlin's sakes last year you almost died too. I am finished with him and if I were you, you would be to." Ron Spoke these words so hatefully that Harry started to feel anger beyond anger.

"Harry is my friend I would die for him, that is what friends do. If you can't understand this then I want nothing to do with you ever again." Hermione had tears streaming down her face. Ron looked like he had been slapped. At this point he looked up the stair case leading up to the boys dormitory spotting Harry. With his long legs, he quickly move to where Harry was and Exclaimed "THIS YOUR FAULT, YOU FREAK. YOU HAVE EVERYTHING, MONEY, FAME, AND NOW LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE HERMIONE TOO." "SMACK" Ron hit Harry hard in the face and stormed out of the common room.

Harry staggered, grabbed for the railing to break his fall.

"Oh Harry" Hermione cried out. She rushed to his side to help him up. His jaw was broken. He moved to sit on the stairs.

"Harry, he is just jealous he'll come around he always does" Hermione tried to consol him.

Just above a whisper through his pain he said, "He'll never get over this it happens too much, to often. I can't deal with him any more, not with everything I have to do, and maybe he is right everyone around me does seem to die, maybe you…."

She interrupted his babbling with the most serious expression on her face. "Harry James Potter Don't you even dare think that. I told you before I am with you till the end. Besides you need me, who is going to solve all your mysteries for you", She said this last part with a sarcastic smile. And he snorted out a laugh that shot a lot of pain through him. He had forgotten his jaw was broken.

She grabbed him under his arm to help him stand. "Let's get you to the hospital wing and get that fixed."

The walked quietly out the common room door and made your way to see Madam Pomfrey. About half way there she told him her plans for the summer since they were to be leaving that afternoon. "I told my parents that I was going to accompany you to the Dursleys, and then we would go to the burrow for the wedding. I told them I was going to help you with something important this summer so they would not be expecting to see me."

Softly Harry responded, "I am not going to the Dursleys any more, McGonagall wants me to stay here until I turn seventeen. After that I don't know exactly what I am going to do. I don't know if she will let you stay."

Hermione gave him a stiff nod, and a set expression that said 'we'll see about that'.

At the hospital wing madam Pomfrey came out of her office as they entered and exclaimed "Mr. Potter what have you done to yourself this time." Harry huffed as she reset his jaw and rubbed some salve on it. "There, now it will be sore for a few hours. Do not eat anything solid until morning. Now go."

As they left the hospital wing Hermione said "I'll catch up I have something to do."

"Well, don't take to long I want to see you before you get on the train in two hours." Harry replied. Hermione smiled and disappeared around the corner.

When Harry got back to the common room he found it already empty he guessed everyone left to meet the train. Up in the dorm only his stuff was left, he got out some fresh clothes, since he was still in his pajamas, and went to take a shower.

After his shower he made his way to the common room, found his favorite chair by the fire and got lost in his thoughts. He did not realize how long he was sitting there when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked only to see Hermione with the cat got the canary expression on her face.

"What got you in such a pleasant mood?" He asked her.

"I just talked to McGonagall and told her that I didn't think it was wise to leave you here by yourself to brood in the castle alone. I told her that I should stay to."

"And?"

"She said as long as I do not tell anyone but you. So, here I am. Everybody has left on the train already."

Harry just smiled and made his mind up. He was going to tell her about everything Dumbledore told him. He took a deep breathe and started. After over an hour of repeating the whole conversation his stomach grumbled.

"We missed lunch lets go down to the kitchen to get something to eat." Hermione replied to the grumble.

They reached to portrait of the fruit basket Harry tickled the pear, it opened and he was nearly bowled over By Dobby the house elf, as he hugged him around his legs.

"Harry Potter sir, you come to visit Dobby, Dobby is honored that such a great wizard as you come see him."

"Dobby, we would like something to eat, only I can't have anything hard."

At this they were bombarded with food from the fifty or so house elves that worked in the kitchens.

Harry and Hermione sat down at a small round table in the corner on the room eating their meal. When they were finished Hermione called out to Dobby, "Dobby, the food was excellent. How are you and Winky doing?"

"Not, Good miss. Do not get Dobby wrong he likes being free, buts House Elves lose their magic over time if they are not bonded to magical families."

"That's awful!!" Hermione stated with tears.

Harry had an idea "Dobby would you like to come work for me, that is to say you can bond to the house of Potter."

"Dobby is honored sir, Dobby has been hoping. But…."

"Go on Dobby" Harry gently told him

Dobby grabbed both of his ears and nervously said "you sees sir, Winky and Dobby kind of yous know……taken to be mated" He whispered that last bit.

Hermione let out a squeal of delight "Dobby Congratulations"

"Dobby, she is welcome as well. However, I have some stipulations. First you are not my slave, I do not like the idea of owning slaves, so you will have to consider yourself family meaning you will sit with me at meal times, and take a room for yourself when I get a house. Second, you are to where clothes of you choosing and take one day off a week to do whatever you like to do. Is that agreeable?"

Dobby was openly crying now, "Harry Potter is the greatest wizard in the world, I goes get Winky".

When Dobby disappeared, Harry found himself being nearly squeezed to death. Hermione was crying and hugging him. He choke out " Mione, need to breathe"

"Harry what you did is the most selfless thing I have ever seen anybody do for someone else." And she kissed him on the cheek.

All Harry could do was turning a dark shade of red. The there was a 'POP' and Dobby stood there with Winky behind him. "Harry Potter, Sir is it true what Dobby tells Winky that we can be proper house elves again, Harry Potter, sir," Winky said in a low squeaky voice.

"Did Dobby tell you the stipulations?"

Winky nodded slowly, and asked, "Can Dobby and Winky have little ones?"

"If you like." Harry replied

"Then Dobby and Winky be you news house elves, Harry Potter, sir" Dobby said for both of them.

"So, what do we need to do to bond, and what will happen after?"

"Harry Potter, sir every elf is taught the bonding ritual at the time they is starting to clean. After the bonding we'd being able to increase our magic depending on the strength of the wizard or witch. We can also be summoned anywhere. We go now to prepare for the ceremony." Dobby and Winky Disappeared Again.

After Hermione and Harry let the kitchen, they went to the library. Hermione wanted to make a schedule of their training. Since, she insisted on staying he told her she will have to join him, which she readily agreed to. They came up with the following schedule:

5:00am – 6am: Run around the Quiddich Pitch

6am-7am: Lift weights in room of requirement

7am-8am breakfast

8am-10:30am research Horcuxes

10:30am- 11:30am break

11:30am-noon lunch

Noon-3pm research hexes and jinxes

3pm-5pm practice hexes and jinxes

5pm-6pm dinner

6pm-8pm research occlumency

8pm-9pm practice occlumency

9pm-4:30am sleep

Being it was now 5:30 pm they decided they would start tomorrow, and they made their way back down to the kitchens for dinner. As, they were eating Dobby popped in and said the ritual is ready to be taken place which should be done at moon rise, in one hour in the astronomy tower. When Harry and Hermione said they would be there Dobby Popped out again.

They finished up their meal in silence, and then made their way up to the tower wondering what the ritual entails. When they reach it, the tower was different than they ever saw. On the floor was a circle surrounded by candles alternating by color; black, white, red, blue, and yellow, then it would start again. The ceiling had a hanging crystal chandelier with the same alternating colored candles. Runes also covered the inside of the circle on the floor.

Dobby grabbed Harry's right Hand and Winky got his left Hand, then they pulled him to the center of the circle. "Now, Harry Potter Sir, We's be saying 'Dobby quod Winky Operor sudo ut tutela pro quod servo Harry Potter ut nostrum vinco.' Then yous say 'I Harry James Potter accept Dobby and Winky as my loyal Servants'. Harry Potter Sir we have to be saying this with blood to blood." Dobby said this last bit nervously, thinking Harry was going to back out now.

"Don't worry Dobby I trust you completely" Harry Replied.

The moon was rising; Dobby produced a small knife and made a quarter inch incision on his hand then passed the knife to Winky. Winky then passed to Harry who did the same to both. They clasped Hands; Hermione could feel the magic pouring off of them in waves. Dobby and Winky said, 'Dobby quod Winky Operor sudo ut tutela pro quod servo Harry Potter ut nostrum vinco'. Meanwhile… Harry was hearing a voice in his head, it seemed familiar, and he heard that voice once before this week in the headmaster's office. 'Repeat after me, I Harry James Potter accept Dobby and Winky in the House of Potter as my Family' Harry was not sure but he trusted it and when Dobby and Winky finished their part, Harry said what the voice said. There was a gust of wind, white light surrounded the group, and they started floating. Dobby and Winky had expressions of shock all over their tiny faces. There was a scream from Hermione.

Hermione was watching Harry with somewhat of a proud expression. She heard the elves say there part, the Harry said his, however it was not what he was supposed to say. 'Harry, what have you done?' Hermione thought. Then she saw the explosion of light and saw the group floating. She started to panic. She tried to run to them, to help but there was an invisible wall in her way. She saw a gleeful expression on Winky and Dobby's Face.

Then there was a final explosion of light and they were safely back on the ground. Dobby was wearing a three piece suit with the Potter crest on the right breast. He also looked to be about six inches taller. He held himself, with dignity befitting a well educated man. Winky on the other hand was wearing a now simple looking dress with the same Crest on her left breast. Harry looked to be exhausted, he slumped to the ground. Dobby caught him "I got you Harry, you will be fine with some rest, what you did was very Dangerous" Harry couldn't believe it, he was being chastised by Dobby. The same Dobby that would iron his hands before he said anything ill about his former Family. With that thought he succumbed to darkness.

"Dobby, Bring Harry to his bed while I explain to Miss Hermione what has occurred." Winky told him.

Dobby popped out with Harry.