Just before they reached the turnoff to Privet Drive, Harry noticed a motorcycle veer off to the left. There was a familiar flash of long black hair under the helmet, leaving Harry to wonder if it was indeed Severus. His short muse was brought to a standstill when the car stopped violently in the driveway. Vacantly Harry undid his seatbelt, eyes resting on the towering house in front of him. Outwardly it was identical to every other house on the street, but Harry knew first hand the events that had transpired within in the past.
His cousin and Uncle moved their hefty bulks from the car, lightening it considerably. His Aunt shot him a furtive look, as if he were diseased, and bustled into the house. It was with a heavy heart he followed, not knowing what awaited him.
"Boy! You're wanted in the lounge room!"
The order was clear, although there were two boys in the house, only one would answer.
Harry's feet felt like they were laden with lead, but he knew the consequences of not answering.
His Uncle's pasty face was glaring at him, but his Aunt looked oddly worried.
"We've just received a letter from your Headmaster, Boy. In it, he states quite clearly that we can use whatever 'course of action deemed necessary' these school holidays. What do you think of that?" Vernon smiled at him, piggy eyes lighting up with devilish delight.
Harry's heart sank. Even with the ambiguous wording, he knew what Dumbledore meant. The man truly hated him for some unknown reason, and never wasted an opportunity to show it.
"But," his bony Aunt said. "We will not be following his advice. You are to spend the holidays in your room. No noise, no sign that you are there at all. A man will be coming tomorrow to put bars on your window. It will be as if you were never here at all,"
Harry gaped. Why would the Dursleys go against Dumbledore? They had no reason to after all. From the impression Harry had gotten, Dumbledore WANTED him to be beaten and starved these holidays.
"Don't ask questions. Just do it and be thankful," Petunia said, and Harry knew he would get no further answers from her.
"I don't see what the problem is, Petunia…" Vernon whined after Harry had left the room.
"I told you. I received threats from a wizard I used to know long ago, who was friends with my sister. I don't know what Dumbledore is capable of, but I do know what this man can do," she replied tersely. It had been harder than she thought to get Vernon to agree.
It was always a boost to his self-esteem to bully and belittle Harry. He got some weird, perverse pleasure from antagonizing the small boy, and it was just one of those things Petunia had accepted about her husband.
Vernon nodded after a while, beefy face contorted in thought.
"Well, you keep him out of my sight then. I can't be held responsible if that brat crosses me again," he said.
"Well just remember," Petunia stood and flicked imaginary crumbs off her front. "That if anything happens to Potter, it will be Dudley that suffers,"
Vernon paled and watched his wife leave the room suspiciously. She sure was acting strange, especially over the Potter brat.
Harry sat numbly in his room. Not much had changed since the year before, when he had left for Hogwarts the first time. It still seemed strange for Harry that he had his own bedroom; he was much more used to sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs while he lived with the Dursleys. There were more broken toys, but nothing of real interest. Harry sighed with frustration. What was he meant to do for two weeks? All his schoolbooks were at Malfoy manor.
'What am I thinking?' Harry thought suddenly. "I should be glad my only problem this years will be boredom. It could be…much worse,'
Perhaps if his Aunt were in a giving mood he would be allowed something to read.
The bars were fitted to his window, and a cat flap fitted to his door. Meals of lukewarm food were pushed through occasionally, and Harry had to ask to leave the room for the bathroom. All in all, it wasn't too bad. His Aunt had even given him a book of crossword puzzles, while checking furtively that Vernon was nowhere in sight. It was a boring existence, but he could handle it. After two or three days passed, he was used to it.
He was lying on his bed when a sharp CRACK! Sounded and a small figure appeared in the middle of the room.
"Dobby!" Harry whispered happily, remembering the elf from his visit to Malfoy Manor the year before. The House Elf smiled broadly in response.
"Master Harry! Masters Draco and Lucius is sending me here to keeps you company!" the elf explained.
"I thought Dumbledore said that another magical signature would ruin the wards here?" Harry asked, remembering why he had been forced to stay with the Dursleys in the first place.
"We is having a different type of magic, Master Harry. I is not even being noticed. I can take messages too, for Masters Draco, Lucius and Sir Severus," the elf flicked his ears hopefully.
Harry felt a strange lump grow in his throat. Although he was totally alone here at the Dursleys, there were still people who were thinking of him. Harry's heart suddenly felt lighter.
Having Dobby there proved to be the greatest gift Harry could have been given. Daily, he could send messages to Draco and Severus. Dobby even brought a deck of cards (not wizarding snap, unfortunately. Harry thought his relatives would not appreciate various bangs and explosions coming from his bedroom) and together they played poker. After Harry had won five times in a row he began to get suspicious.
"You're letting me win!" Harry accused.
Dobby's ears drooped bashfully. "Well, yes Master Potter. It's more fun for you if you win,"
"You've been with the Malfoys too long, Dobby, if that's your attitude," Harry said seriously.
"Yes Sir, I have," Dobby looked shocked, and suddenly grabbed a lamp and began bashing himself over the head with it.
"Dobby, stop!" Harry gasped, pulling the object away from him. "Why would you do such a thing?"
"Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir. Such a thing is not allowed. A house elf must be loyal to the family he serves, until he is released. Dobby can only be released when his Master presents him with clothes," Dobby sighed sadly.
Harry watched him thoughtfully.
"So you're a slave? You have to do whatever the Malfoys want you to do?" he said softly.
Dobby nodded, and Harry suddenly felt ill. The Malfoys had always been so kind to Harry; how could they enslave another creature the way they had?
"Most House elves is happy sir, to serve their family. It is a great honor," Dobby said.
"And are you happy, Dobby?" Harry asked.
"No sir," Dobby replied.
His Aunt began acting strangely one day. Harry heard the vacuum going much earlier than usual, and even heard his Aunt yell at Dudley once or twice. Footsteps came up the hall, and Dobby ducked under the bed.
"Potter! Your Aunt needs the garden weeded, and the grass mowed," His uncle growled after he had ripped open the door.
Harry sat with his mouth open for half a second, before scrambling to obey. Even if he had to work hard in the garden all day, it would be worth it to get a breath of fresh air. His Uncle glared at him as he brushed past, a feral glint in his eyes.
"Make sure there's not a weed to be seen, and the lawn is perfectly even," his Aunt snapped. The house, usually spotless, was even more clean than usual. Obviously the Dursleys were expecting someone of great importance.
"Yes Aunt Petunia," Harry replied, relishing his outside visit.
The day was unseasonably warm, but Harry kept working. He knew better than to expect a drink or word of praise for his efforts, but there was something satisfying in finishing the job. He had not completed it for the Dursleys, he reflected. Rather, he found the exercise stimulating and refreshing after a week and a half in the same space. Finally, as the day was growing dark, Harry went inside.
"Don't walk on the floor in those shoes, you'll get it dirty," His Aunt barked at him as soon as he entered the house. "Eat, and get back to your room. Absolutely no noise, tonight, do you hear?"
Harry bolted down some bread and cheese, hungry after his efforts. He knew better than to ask for more, and was surprised when a glass of extra water was pressed into his hands.
"Go!" Petunia hissed. "Before the Masons arrive!"
As Harry closed his bedroom door, and Vernon locked it, he could hear a different set of voices in the lower area of the house. At least it explained why his relatives had been acting so strangely the day before.
Dobby was waiting for him, sitting on his shabby bed.
"Master Harry! Master Severus is getting worried, after I told him what you were doing…"
"It's fine, Dobby. Really. A little hard work never hurt anybody," Harry insisted tiredly.
"But Sir! They is treating you worse than…than a house elf!" Dobby spluttered.
"Dobby, to them I am a house elf. It doesn't matter anyway," Harry smiled, but it did not reach his eyes.
Dobby looked at him indignantly.
"But you is not a house elf, Master Potter! You should be down there eating the dinner that you earned," Dobby smiled suddenly, and flicked his fingers.
The locks on Harry's door eased open.
"Dobby wait-!" Harry cried as the elf ran from the room, grinning mischievously.
Harry followed him with a sense of dread.
Finally he caught up to him, as he levitated a beautifully decorated cake towards them. Unfortunately it was at that moment, hovering directly over the Mrs. Mason's head.
"DOBBY!" Harry gasped, causing the elf to lose his concentration.
The cake fell over the startled woman, as Harry dived to catch it. Mrs. Mason screamed, cream dripping down her nose.
"It's my nephew. He's very disturbed, he doesn't really like strangers," Uncle Vernon said sorrowfully.
The words were no sooner out of his mouth when a large tawny owl swooped through the open window.
Mrs. Mason screamed again and fled the house.
"My wife is terrified of birds. I call this joke in very bad taste Dursley. I'm not sure I want to associate with a business such as yours," he sniffed imperiously.
Vernon saw red.
"Vernon, no, you can't-" Petunia begged as her flabby husband pounded up the stairs. He ignored her, fists clenched.
The door on Harry's room flew open; he dropped the missive the owl had been carrying in fright.
"I told you not to cross me boy," Vernon growled, hands grasping the front of Harry's shirt. Harry whimpered in his grasp as Vernon raised his hand to strike.
A/N- a nice long chapter this time. I suppose a lot of people who were reading "Depths of Darkness" have yet to read this story, so I'm waiting patiently for their reviews! –hint- XD.