Disclaimer: I do not own anything but my own characters.
A/N: I'm so sorry I have not updating sooner. Alot of things happened. I got dumped, got a job, and more in the past month. I wasn't feeling well and to write in that state of mind would have been horrible. I didn't want to ruin the story with my own personal feelings. So when I finally felt better about it, I decided I owed it to you guys to update soon. I nearly killed myself the past two days to get this up. Hope you enjoy.

The next morning, Harry woke up feeling completely refreshed and ready to begin working on Hedwig's binding. Getting up from his bed, Harry decided he didn't feel up to going down for breakfast. He didn't want to face the repercussions of what he had done yesterday.

He knew it was only a matter of time before Dumbles or someone came to find him, but he would wait until then to worry about it. Calling for Dobby, Harry slipped on a shirt and baggy jeans.

The little elf appeared with chiming bells. Harry noticed the elf was now sporting new socks. They were both ruddy brown, though one had gold stripes and the other had red stripes. Harry smirked. He recognized his house's colors.

"How can I help you, Harry Potter sir," Dobby asked, bobbing with anticipation.

"Just call me Harry, Dobby. And I was hoping you could get me breakfast," Harry answered.

"Right away," Dobby answered, before disappearing with a pop.

Harry sat back down on his bed, waiting for the elf to return with the food. While he waited, Harry reminisced about how he met Dobby and all the things that had happened with the elf. He hadn't realized, until then, just how much the elf meant to him.

Even with the chance of punishment, Dobby had risked his life to protect him. His attempts had landed Harry in more danger, but it had not been the elf's intention to do so. Dobby genuinely cared for his well-being and would have done anything to see to it that Harry Potter was safe.

Harry sighed. The elf had been one of the few to defend and protect him solely because they cared about him, not because he was the only one with the ability to defeat Voldemort. The elf had endured a lot and when the elder Malfoy had tried to harm Harry, the elf had stepped in to defend him.

'That's it. I've decided,' Kyi said, startling Harry.

Harry was about to ask what had been decided when Dobby popped back in with the food. With a snap of the elf's fingers, the trays of food moved to lie on the bed. Dobby looked at Harry expectantly. Harry lifted the trays to find toast, an assortment of jams, and more.

Harry looked up at the elf and smiled. He almost broke out laughing when Dobby had jumped up and down; repeatedly chanting that he had done well. When the elf calmed down, he bowed at Harry and said his goodbye to Harry.

'Ask him to stay,' Kyi said quickly.

Though confused, Harry immediately called out to the elf before he popped away. Dobby looked at Harry patiently.

"Dobby, stay and eat with me," Harry said. "There is a lot of food and I would hate for it to go to waste," he added.

A wide smile broke out on the elf's face. Bells chimed as Dobby made his way to sit on Harry's bed.

"Already ate, but I stay and keep Harry company," the elf said, smiling while he fiddled with his uniform anxiously.

Looking for something to break the silence, Harry asked him how he like working in the castle. The little elf burst out talking about the castle, the other elves, how he always bought socks with his wages, and how it was very nice to able to help Harry. Not bothering to stop the elf's ramblings, Harry ate his breakfast and listened.

'You should make him your elf, Harry," Kyi told him softly.

'My elf? How can I make him my house elf when I don't have a house and I am underage,' Harry thought, confused by the suggestion.

'I mentioned nothing of a house. Elves were not always house elves. They have their own magic, which they don't use unless commanded to nowadays. Back before they were employed to take care of the house related things, they were independent and free. They had their own ways and customs. These particular kinds of elves were always the most trusting and loyal of the elves. Because of this, they were tricked into service and over the years they have forgotten who they used to be, their heritage hidden from them,' Kyi said, voice quivering.

Again, Harry felt the pangs of guilt for what his kind had done to other magical creatures. His eyes softened as they took in Dobby's appearance, remembering the dirty pillow case he used to wear.

'I still don't understand,' Harry admitted to Kyi.

'The Glokien elves give everything in loyalty. If they decide to ally themselves with you and they pledge their loyalty, it matters nothing to them your age, wealth, and accommodations. They will give everything and anything to ensure those they are loyal to be served well and protected. Pledging themselves is a sacred honor, one that has been tainted and degraded,' Kai said, entering the conversation.

'A true Glokien pledge makes them allies and friends of the most loyal kind. It does not mean they are slaves or servants as many of wizard society believe. It does not give them the right to abuse them and mistreat them,' Kyi said angrily.

Harry stared at Dobby animatedly talking and talking. He agreed with Kyi. The elves were not deserving of such ugly treatment. Harry would do something about that.

'Then here is your chance. Give Dobby part of his heritage. Show him he is one you trust and care about. That he is your friend and ally. Ask for the honor of having him become your elf,' Kyi said softly.

Harry mused at the choice of words. Kyi had told him to ask for the honor of having Dobby become his elf, as if humans should feel honored at claiming an elf their own. Having seen and experienced Dobby's loyalty and powers, Harry was in total agreement with how Kyi had phrased it. He felt honored. He wanted to show Dobby just how much he meant to him.

"Dobby," Harry said, interrupting the talking elf. "I want to ask you something very important."

The anxious elf remained silent and merely watched Harry. Struggling with the words, Harry sighed. Worry passed across Dobby's face.

Fearing the elf was going to hurt himself by thinking he had done something bad, Harry finally said in a rush, "First, I want to tell you how thankful I am for everything you have done for me. Secondly, I care about you very much. You are my friend and no matter what others say about elves, you are important."

Harry paused and looked at Dobby's face. He cringed upon seeing that the elf had tears in his eyes. He hadn't wanted to make the elf cry. With a long sigh, he continued, "I was told that you are a Glokien elf and that in the past your kind used to pledge themselves to those they found worthy of loyalty. I would be honored to have you as my friend and ally. Dobby, would you agree to be my elf?"

Silence descended over them when Harry stopped talking. Dobby kept crying and Harry, unable to cope with the tears, immediately started babbling, "I know I don't have a house or place you can call home, but I can pay you anything you wish. Oh Merlin, Dobby please stop crying."

The elf stopped crying instantly. He reached out across the bed and grabbed Harry's hands. He started to shake them enthusiastically while saying "yes yes yes" over and over. Dobby let Harry's hands go abruptly and jumped off the bed. He began to pace around the room, mumbling something about how his new master needed a home and he would look for one.

Harry laughed at the elf's antics. He was used to seeing Dobby this way and was pleased that the elf had accepted his request.

"Dobby how much do you want to be paid? Is there something else you might want," Harry asked him.

The elf stopped pacing to stare at Harry.

"I not want anything and will not be paid to serve you. I would have done it even if you had not asked me. I will take good care of master. You will see. I will do anything to make master happy as master has made Dobby," the elf said, with a wide smile and eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Harry didn't know what to say to the elf. His request had meant that much to the elf. Suddenly the elf cried out that he had lots to do for master and had to make Harry officially his master, in true Glokien manner. Before Harry could say anything, Dobby disappeared with a pop.

"I take it all went well then," Harry asked his voices. He felt them hum.

'But Harry, what we said about Glokien elves being too trustful was true,' Kyi told him.

'It would be wise to inform Dobby of wolves in sheep clothing. This way, he would not be tricked and manipulated into doing anything,' Kai stated.

Kyi hummed in agreement. Harry knew Kai was right. Dumbles would, no doubt, make a story about it being for Harry's safety and Dobby would agree in an instant. If it meant Harry would be safe, Dobby would do anything. He would talk with Dobby the next available moment.

For now, Harry cleaned up his bed and set aside the trays. Grabbing his wand, Harry headed towards the owelry to see Hedwig.

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The moment he walked into the owelry, Harry spotted his snowy owl. She easily stood apart from the other owls. Hedwig hooted when she noticed him approaching.

"You should really stay in my room for the time being," Harry chided her. He didn't like the idea that Dumbles could simply approach her here and do something when no one else was looking.

Hedwig playfully pecked him before letting Harry run a hand along her head and wings. Harry had a feeling she knew what he was afraid of. Perhaps she feared it more than he did.

"Come to my room," Harry said softly. Although no one was around, Harry felt like he was being watched. He didn't know if he was or wasn't, but he wanted privacy for what he wanted to discuss with Hedwig.

Harry stood back and watched as Hedwig flew away towards his window. As soon as she was a good distance away, Harry nearly ran to his room.

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Back in his room, Harry immediately opened the window to allow Hedwig entrance. While she settled on his desk, he looked in his trunk for his notes of yesterday. He took out his quill and ink as well. When he felt he had all he needed, Harry pulled on his magic to cast the spell that allowed him to understand Hedwig.

Harry made sure he settled his magic after casting. When he was done he turned towards Hedwig.

"Alright, Hedwig, I made a lot of progress as to the binding Dumbles cast on you. All I need now is for you to help me narrow down the possibilities," Harry told the owl. Hedwig nodded her head and answered, "Whatever you need, neno."

Harry looked at his notes. He had noted that most of the bindings he found were in certain languages. Most were in Latin and the others were Galician, French, English, and Italian. There was one or two that he didn't know the language of, but he was hoping his voices would know. On the off chance that it turned out to be one of those spells, Harry would find a way to solve the language problem.

"What languages do you know, girl," Harry asked.

"I know only two. My own and yours. Mine is Galician," Hedwig answered. After a while, she added, "But I did not understand what the old man said when he spelled me. I am sorry, neno."

"No, that's okay. You helped me cross a few of these spells off," Harry said quickly. He removed the Galician and English spells. That still left him with a lot of other bindings. With a sigh, Harry asked, "Did you notice anything about what he said, did, or moved when he cast the spell? Perhaps a particular word or something that stood out."

Hedwig made a motion with her head. Harry assumed the action meant that she didn't notice anything or that she didn't remember. If it was true, narrowing down the options was going to be harder than he thought. He turned towards his notes, trying to will his eyes to see a solution in them.

"Ah," Harry exclaimed, being pulled out of his thoughts, suddenly, when he felt Hedwig peck him. He looked up to find the owl staring quite fiercely at him.

"You should listen when someone calls you, neno," Hedwig said, reproachfully. She hooted a string of words Harry didn't understand, but his voices seemed to find it hilarious. Pushing their laughter to the back of his mind, he focused on his owl. When she had calmed down, she looked Harry in the eyes.

"I may not remember what he said, I did notice something strange, neno," she said softly. Hedwig tilted her head to the side. Remembering the moment she was spelled. With a hoot, she continued, "He was speaking oddly, slurring his words as if he were…what is your word for it…well into his cups. I do not believe it was due to alcohol, but rather it was the way the binding was meant to be cast."

"Slurring," Harry repeated. Dumbles had been slurring his words when he cast the binding spell. Harry looked down at his notes and frowned. That meant that every binding spell he had read up on was useless. None of them were meant to be slurred, including those of unknown language.

Harry let out an exasperated sigh. He had prepared to spend a long time narrowing down the possibilities, not having all the possibilities become useless. In hindsight, he should have known, with Dumbledore's power and knowledge, that it would not be easy. Even with the library at his disposal, he had still come up short. Feeling the need to wallow in self-pity, Harry was startled when his voices yelled at him.

'You should really pay attention to what is going on around you, Harry,' Kyi said.

Harry straightened up, embarrassed that he been told twice to pay attention.

'Now, Harry, we wouldn't normally ask you to do this, but we need you to touch minds with Hedwig. The way she described the details of the binding…were disturbing,' Kai whispered, sounding concerned.

Harry heard the worry in Kai's voice, knowing that there was something the twins knew that he didn't. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was. Harry frowned. If his voices were concerned, he knew he should be too. Still, he was reluctant to touch minds with Hedwig. Not because he didn't believe he needed to, but because he afraid that he was going to do something wrong, and possibly hurt Hedwig in the process.

'You know, it isn't as hard as you may think,' Kai said.

Harry snorted. He wasn't naïve enough to think that touching minds was an easy feat and having just learned that such a thing is possible, he doubted many people could accomplish it. With what little he knew about it, he was sure that he would do something wrong.

'You need to have more faith in yourself. We believe in you. Trust us,' Kyi whispered softly. After a minute or so, his voice added, 'Beside, she is your familiar. The connection is already made. You just have to access it.'

"But if the connection is already made, how come I haven't been able to talk to her before," Harry asked, confused.

'Because of the binding,' Kyi explained. 'The binding made it so that she couldn't use the connection to talk to you, informing you of the bond between the two of you. Since you didn't know that such a bond existed…'

"I couldn't access it to talk to her," Harry finished. That's what Hedwig had meant about not being able to tell him. Since he couldn't normally understand her, she had no way of telling him about the bond, Dumbles, or the binding. It was only when he tried to talk to her that he learned about it. It must have been hard on her. It was for this reason, alone, that Harry made up his mind.

"What do I do," he asked his voices. He was scared about what he was going to do, but he wasn't going to let fear stop him from doing what needed to be done. If this could help him undo the binding and free Hedwig, he would see it through.

'Remember what we said yesterday? About how a physical connection should be made? You have to touch her,' Kyi said.

"But I thought the connection was already made," Harry replied.

'Yes, it was. The minute Hedwig forged the bond, accepting you as her master, the connection was made. However, due to the fact that she has not been able to teach you how to use the connection, you are a newbie at this. Start off by making physical contact. It should make accessing the connection easier and the chances of being overwhelmed will decrease. We'll try to guide you through it, since she won't be able to,' Kyi explained.

It made sense. Harry was new to this, starting off small seemed like the way to go. Had Hedwig been able to teach him, he would have started off with the easiest things, working his way to more complicated things, such as talking without physical contact.

'You were right, in the sense that few can touch minds like we can. It takes a great level of concentration, discipline, and power to create and sustain a mental connection. You are nowhere near that, but with the binding gone you will eventually be able to talk to Hedwig without any physical contact,' Kai said.

Harry sighed. It was just another indication that his voices were very strong. Harry looked at Hedwig, who had fallen asleep while he had been discussing with his voices. Gently, he ran a hand along her head. Slowly, she came to and hooted at him.

"I want to touch minds with you. Do you know what that is," Harry asked her. Hedwig ducked her head and lifted it. She knew. Harry stroked her feathers while he said, "I'm new at this so my voices told me to start off with physical contact. I want to know what he did to you. Is that ok?"

Again, Hedwig ducked her head. Harry kept his hand on her feathers and closed his eyes. He didn't know what to do next, but thankfully, before he could say anything, his voices intervened.

'Now you'll have to pull on your magic slowly. It must be a steady stream of magic, in small amounts. Too much magic could lead to a surge, too little and the connection won't be maintained. You must create a stream from your magical core throughout the length of your arm. Guide it outwards from your arm, to your hand, to your fingers, and finally to Hedwig,' Kyi instructed Harry.

Harry pulled on his magic slowly. It was hard to create the path for his magic to travel. Minutes passed and finally he made progress. He felt as his magic started to travel outwards on the path. He realized that he didn't need focus exclusively on keeping his magic in check. Once on the path, his magic flowed steady and evenly. There were the occasionally strays that Harry had to reign back in. Other than that, he had no problem with following his voice's instructions.

'Before your magic reaches Hedwig, be warned Harry. Your mind will be flooded with memories, images, sensations, and noises. You will be very tempted to drop the connection. Don't. At first, you won't be able to determine what is yours and what is hers. Concentrate on Hedwig's core to balance your own. Sometimes when establishing a connection, the other tends to throw images and more. Hedwig is your familiar so she will limit what you see to prevent you being overwhelmed. Though if you try with others, don't be surprised if the onslaught of sensations are too much,' Kai warned.

Harry wanted to ask what they meant by too much, but he knew he should concentrate on the task at hand instead. He would ask them later. Taking a deep breath, Harry let his magic flow out of his fingers towards Hedwig.

A couple of minutes passed and Harry didn't notice a change. He began to wonder what kind of images he would see, when he felt a light sensation of someone touching the back of his neck. Harry froze. He was tempted to open his eyes and look around. Instead, he kept his body still.

A few more minutes passed. Harry slowly relaxed his body and took slow deep breaths. As he began to pet Hedwig again, he felt the sensation across the back of his neck. Harry froze before a thought occurred to him.

Harry moved his fingers on Hedwig's neck once more. Almost instantly, he felt the same sensation on his own neck. Harry smiled. He was feeling what Hedwig was feeling. He brought his finger down to her wings feeling a ghost sensation on his arm. Harry let out a laugh. It wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be.

'Don't celebrate too soon, Harry,' Kyi said quickly.

Harry was confused. He didn't understand what Kyi meant. While he was thinking on the words, images started flooding his mind. Soon, what he could only assume were memories, took their place. Noises started to increase in volume. Scents and sensations started to invade. Harry's head was starting to hurt. A memory would pop up and upon viewing it the sensations would increase.

'Concentrate on locating her center. Try to ignore everything that is being shown to you. Focus solely on balancing it out and determining what is your and what is hers,' Kai urged.

Harry knew he was supposed to locate her center but he didn't really understand what that was. He felt lost and confused.

'The core of someone is where their magic originates and settles when it is not being used. This core lies inside you. It is the area where your heart sits. Your center, however, is not physical. It is mental. It is spiritual. It keeps you balanced and sane. It is called by many names. Your kind calls it a soul. Find her soul, Harry,' Kyi whispered.

Harry felt where his magic met with Hedwig's physical body. Following it, he dove into her mind with the sole purpose of finding her center. He pulled on all his focus and concentration. More and more, he was able to put aside all the images and all the memories to follow their origin. They were all connected to one thing. He let his mind travel further until he saw a beautiful dimmed white light in his mind. Moving closer, he felt warmth.

'Hello, Hedwig,' Harry told the light.

'Hello, neno. It took you a while,' Hedwig hooted in his mind. Harry laughed.

'Now Harry, look around the light. There should be something that looks like a thin strand. It is your connection,' Kai told him.

Harry looked around until he noticed a gold strand coming from the light. Taking a closer look, he noticed that the strand was connected to him too.

'Couldn't I have just followed the strand to Hedwig? It would have been easier,' Harry said, annoyed.

His voices laughed.

'Yes it would have been easier. But we wanted you to feel how it would normally be like to touch minds with someone you don't have a bond with,' Kyi said.

'Why,' Harry replied, his annoyance growing.

'Knowledge is power. If you ever need to touch minds you will be able to do so. Now that you know what it would be like, it should be easier to do and the chances of getting overwhelmed will go dramatically down,' Kai answered.

Harry would have huffed if he could. All his annoyance started to dissipate. Sure, it had been hard. But they had taught him a lesson worth knowing, for his safety. Had he simply used the bond now, he would have problems later.

Harry looked at his bond again. He mentally reached for it. It felt so familiar.

'Memorize the way your bond feels. Each bond feels different. Knowing the difference will make it easier to locate the particular bond you need at the moment. Right now you only have one, but once you acquire more, it will be harder to use them if you don't know which one you are using,' Kai said.

Harry reached for his bond again. He spent time memorizing the way it felt. Once he felt ready, he let it go. He looked at the light again.

'Hedwig, there is much I want to talk to you about. But for now, can you show me the memory I asked about earlier,' Harry asked the owl.

'Yes, neno,' Hedwig responded.

Suddenly, Harry couldn't see the white light anymore. Instead he was seeing images of a shop. There were other owls and animals around. The doorbell sounded and a man walked into the shop. Harry was surprised. He was looking through Hedwig's eyes. He had thought that it would be like a pensieve, where he would examine what was happening. Rather, he was experiencing what Hedwig had experienced.

Harry heard voices around him and watched through Hedwig's eyes as she looked up at several men. Harry noticed one of the men was Dumbledore. Hedwig's subconscious told him that the other man was the store owner. They were discussing whether Dumbles could view Hedwig in the backroom to inspect her. She would be a gift to someone very important.

Harry felt the jostling of the cage as the store owner moved Hedwig towards the backroom and placing her on the table. The store owner nodded his head at Dumbles and left. Harry saw Dumbles's image get closer as he moved to take Hedwig out of her cage. He felt how his claws…no her claws curled around Dumbledore's arm.

He heard Dumbles talking to Hedwig then.

"A very special boy is going to be your master. He will be very strong and he will be needed by many. But he is young. He will not know what he must do and so I must guide him. I know what is best for him and what he should do. Sometimes those things are not the same but I need him to listen to me. Through you, that will be possible. It is a shame I must do this to you. You are very beautiful for an owl," Dumbles said.

Harry felt rage course through him. Dumbles wanted to dominate his actions. That's why he kept his information to a limit and tracked him. There is a difference between guiding and manipulating him to do what he wanted him to do. Dumbles talked for him and did things on his behalf. Kept Harry depended on him so that the old goat could ensure things went his way.

Dumbledore started talking again. Harry brought his focus back to the memory. This time he could not understand what Dumbles was saying. Harry could pick up several words here and there, but nothing that made sense. He heard his voices gasp. Clearly, they knew what he was saying.

'He would dare,' Kyi hissed.

'The nerve of this man,' Kai yelled.

Harry watched as the spell was completed and felt pain descend. It burned white hot and nearly made Harry break the connection. His voices snarled in fury.

Hesitating slightly, Harry asked, 'Everything I feel is what she felt, isn't it?'

At first his voices said nothing. Harry felt a wave of warmth and sympathy before he felt their hums in agreement. Fury raged through him.

"That boy will be your master only in name. You will answer to me," Dumbles said, before the image faded away to blackness.

Harry saw Hedwig's center before him again. Reaching for the light, Harry poured every ounce of love he felt for her into it. He whispered over and over how sorry he was. Slowly, Harry backed away and before he knew it he was back at the beginning. He pulled residue magic back to his core. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Harry opened his eyes.

In front of him was Hedwig, his hand still on her neck. Bending over, Harry placed his lips on her head and silently swore Dumbledore would answer for what he has done. Leaning back on the chair, he put his hands on his lap.

"Tell me," Harry told his voices.

When none of them said anything, Harry sighed. As he was about to repeat his statement, his voices began.

'There are powerful things in this world and as most things are prone to, they can be corrupted. Your kind was blessed in so many ways. However, you destroy what you create as easily as you create them. One such thing was an incredible civilization. Among your kind, some were born with extraordinary gifts. These gifts brought these individuals together and they created a culture filled with a language, customs, gods, and magic. They were called the Gelknar mages. Known better as the reptilian mages, they worshipped all things reptile. The dragons, snakes, lizards, and such,' Kyi explained.

"What does an old civilization, these mages, have to do with what was done to Hedwig," Harry asked impatiently.

'The language was the key to their power. It was innate and they instinctually knew how to speak and understand it. This one language had many dialects and was filled with slurring. You know of one such dialect,' Kai answered.

"Parseltongue," Harry whispered. It made sense. While he couldn't understand everything Dumbles was saying, he did pick up a few words.

'The mages were incredibly powerful. More so than the normal wizards and witches. They were feared and so they united to make their own society. This powerful civilization grew to be very powerful but they were very secretive of their ways and customs. Every race has their bad and their good. The Gelknar mages were no exception. They had their bad. It was due to these bad that the Gelknar mages were feared as dark wizards. But their good and their civilization were breathtaking. Amazing. But all things are corrupted. Others grew jealous and manipulated the bad into turning on their own. Soon a war was started and by the end the mages dispersed. Some seeked safety, others wanted to be left alone. What was left of their civilization was robbed and destroyed,' Kai said, sadly.

"Is Dumbledore a Gelknar mage," Harry asked.

'No. His accent was rough and sloppy. He learned it from somewhere. The spell, however, was his. The Gelknar mages worshiped and honored animals and would never bind a familiar,' Kyi said, disgusted.

"How? You said the language was innate. How could he have learned it," Harry questioned.

'The old goat is a master at Legilimency and he is not above using it. I have a hunch he came across a mage and learned through memories. How he learned does not matter. What matters is that he corrupted and distorted what he learned for his own means. What matters is that with some studying on other dialects, you will be able to lift the bind from Hedwig,' Kai practically yelled.

Hope filled Harry. He had feared that the binding would not be able to come off but his voices were telling him he could do it. And he swore he would. It didn't matter what it would take. He had seen Hedwig's soul, had felt her love and warmth, and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she would die for him. She was his familiar. Not many would understand, but he had felt the pain she had. Never again.

Sitting there, Harry watched Hedwig fall asleep as he got lost in his own thoughts. He was startled when he heard the familiar pop of a house elf. Turning, Harry saw Dobby looking at him expectantly.

"Hello Dobby. Do you need something?"

Bells ringing, Dobby moved toward him. The elf began to nervously wring his hands before dropping to one knee. He lifted his right arm across his chest and looked at Harry.

"I, Dobby of the Glokien elves, hereby offer my all and pledge loyalty to my chosen, Harry Potter," Dobby said firmly.

With those short words Dobby had pledged so much. Anything else was just implied.

'I, Harry Potter, hereby accept and offer my loyalty and friendship. Rise,' Kyi offered Harry.

Harry quickly and firmly repeated those same words to Dobby. The elf breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. The smile on his face was so wide that Harry found himself sporting a similar one. The little elf was full of excitement and joy and started bobbing up and down.

When he finally calmed down, Dobby said, "Oh Master Harry, the headmaster has summoned you to his office."

Harry heaved a sigh. He knew the old goat was going to call for him sooner or later. He really did not want to go, but he knew that he should. He nodded at Dobby. The elf bowed deeply and was going to pop away when Harry yelled out, "Wait!"

Dobby froze in his place, waiting for Harry to continue. Harry took in a quick breath, trying to decide how he would talk to Dobby about Dumbles.

"Dobby, there are things you must know. I have told no one of this, so please believe me in that it is very important and I trust you a lot," Harry said.

Dobby's eyes widened for a moment before nodding for Harry to continue.

"First, Hedwig is my familiar. This fact was kept from me by someone who cast a binding spell on her before I met her. This spell caused her so much pain and prevented her from doing things that could have helped me and others from getting hurt or dying," Harry told him.

Dobby let out a gasp. The elf looked around the room until his eyes landed on Hedwig. Harry saw as his face fell and his eyes misted. Finally, Dobby turned back to Harry.

"This same person has manipulated my life to suit their needs and he has looked into my mind without asking. Always he presumes to know what is best for me but never actually does anything that is best for me. I have come to know two very powerful individuals who have looked out for me, taught me, and have prevented him from doing what he wishes. They have been helping me look for a way to remove the binding and to protect myself. And they are the ones who told me about your people and asked me if I wanted you as my elf," Harry said in a rush.

Dobby held a look of non-belief until it settled on a firm and rather dark look. The little elf was angry and was starting to shake with his rage. A small whisper escaped his lips. Harry shook his head, motioning that he hadn't heard. The little elf repeated louder, "Who has hurt my master?"

Harry took a deep breath before answering, "Dumbledore."

The elf gave a surprised shriek before yelling things such as "How could he" and "He would dare."

"Dobby! Listen. You must not tell anyone about this. Not yet. There are things that must be done first. And Dobby, you must not trust anyone but me or my voices. Until I know who I can trust, don't let others tell you to do anything. Unless you hear it from me, be polite so they won't catch on but consider that they are lying. Especially Dumbledore. He will try to trick you. Don't fall for it. And block your mind from any attempts," Harry told him.

Dobby, who had since quieted down, looked at Harry evenly. The little elf nodded and bowed again.

"I will not be tricked. I will protect my master," Dobby said fiercely.

"Good. Pretend that you are still working in Hogwarts until I can get us both a home. Dobby listen around. Be my ears around the castle. I need to learn who I can trust. Now I must go see Dumbledore," Harry said glumly.

Dobby's face darkened at the old goats face but soon his normal cheerful grin was back. Harry smiled in relief. His friend would do well in pretending to know nothing. Just the same, Harry wanted to get him to a safer place. Dobby whispered a quick goodbye and popped away.

Harry made his way out of the tower. Making sure his feather was still around his neck, Harry sighed and hoped the old goat didn't try anything.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Harry stood before the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office for five minutes, silently berating himself for not asking what the password was. Sighing, Harry tried to think about what the password may be. Dumbledore did like his sweets. All Harry had to do was guess the right one.

"This is going to take forever," Harry whispered.

'Try Laffy Taffy,' suggested Kai.

"What is Laffy Taffy? Sounds like something the Weasley twins would come up with," Harry said, picturing a taffy sweet that made you laugh uncontrollably. He sighed. He would make sure not to mention this idea to them.

"Lemon drops, jelly slugs, chocolate frogs," Harry said. When nothing happened, Harry continued naming all the sweets he knew. The gargoyle didn't budge an inch.

' Bon-bons,' Kyi yelled.

Without thinking, Harry said repeated it out loud. The gargoyle started to move to reveal a passage way. Harry whistled as he made his way to the office. His voices always seemed to come through.

'So what is your favorite type of treat, Harry,' Kai asked.

Harry thought about it before answering, 'Treacle tart, I suppose.'

Kyi laughed as she said, 'You suppose? Don't you know?'

Harry shrugged. He had never thought about it before. If it tasted good, he liked it. There were things he had never tried or didn't like, but he never liked to give favorite labels to anything. There would always be something new or better to try and, really, how could you pick among all the choices.

Upon entering the office, Harry looked around. Everything seemed to be exactly as it was since he had been there earlier in the year. The last time he had been in here was when Dumbles had explained to him that either he would die or Voldie would. It had been a bad day.

'So what are your favorite types of sweets,' Harry asked his voices. He knew he should have other questions to ask them, but he didn't really care. Sure, it was important to learn more about them but he could wait. Harry was struck again by the fact that he trusted his voices so much even though he knew very little about them.

'Apples with cinnamon and sugar,' the twins replied at the same time.

'Though we disagree on which apples to use,' Kai added.

Harry was about to ask how it tasted, when he received an image. It was apple pieces coated in cinnamon and sugar, served warm over a cinnamon crust. It looked like a smaller version of an apple pie and looked delicious. Harry was startled when his mouth tasted of cinnamon and apples. Apparently his voices could transfer images and tastes as well.

'Tastes good,' Harry told them. He felt their hums in agreement.

Harry made his way up the few stairs to stand in front of Dumbles's desk. The old goat didn't seem to be around. He looked at all the previous headmasters in their portraits. Most were sleeping or whispering to each other. None of them seemed to notice that he was there.

To the right, Fawkes was sleeping. Harry approached the phoenix quietly. Fawkes, however, still heard him and woke up to greet him. Harry reached up to pet him. Fawkes trilled. All of a sudden, Harry thought about touching minds with Fawkes. The idea was very tempting and could answer several of his questions. After all, Fawkes must have seen or heard something Dumbles had done or said.

'Don't Harry,' his voices warned him.

Harry let his hand drop. He asked them, 'Why not?'

'Fawkes is his familiar and as such will tell him everything. As inexperienced as you are, there is a chance that Fawkes will discover all you know. The fact that you can touch minds alone will alert Dumbledore that something is going on beyond his control. He will learn about us,' Kai answered.

'Not that we mind, though,' Kyi said offhandedly.

His voices may not mind, but Harry certainly did. They were the best thing in his life at the moment and he didn't want to share them just yet with anybody. One day, Dumbledore would realize what and who they were to Harry, but not yet. Besides, why give up the element of surprise?

As Harry continued to look at Fawkes, he was not aware of the moment Dumbledore had appeared into the office. The old man quickly looks the young boy over. Something had changed around Harry. It was unsettling not to know the reason or the change. The headmaster frowned. He would get to the bottom of it now.

Dumbledore coughed lightly to alert the boy to his presence before moving to sit behind his desk. Harry looked up, briefly glanced his way before taking a seat. Miffed by the lack of interest on Harry's face, Dumbledore began.

"Hello Harry. I hope you slept well last night and our recent encounter didn't trouble you at all. Would you care for a lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked him, motioning to bowl filled with candy.

Harry shook his head. He wasn't sure eating candy offered by Dumbles would not be dangerous in some way.

"Are you sure? Well, no matter. Harry, has anything happened recently," Dumbledore asked, trying to sound pleasant and inviting.

'Yes, now that you mention it. He found out that you were a lying goat. Pass a lemon drop please,' Kai said.

Harry allowed himself to smile at Kai's comment before answering, "No, headmaster. Nothing has happened recently."

Dumbledore, believing that Harry was smiling at him, nodded his head and smiled before asking in a soft voice, "How about the magical surge you experienced while at the Dursleys? Was there a particular reason?"

Harry sat up straighter. He hadn't expected Dumbles to be so direct.

"I was angry. How do you know about the surge," Harry asked coldly. He was not happy with the man in front of him, so Harry could not keep out the contempt in his voice.

Taken aback, by the sudden change in Harry's tone and manner, Dumbledore paused a few seconds before answering, "Several alarms were set along and within the Dursley home in order to ensure your safety. That day, the surge triggered the alarms, alerting us."

Dumbledore was about to ask what Harry had been so angry about, when Harry chuckled.

"For my safety? You all arrived hours after the surge had passed. Had I been in any type of danger, I sincerely doubt you would have been much help," Harry said softly, a glint of anger in his eyes.

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. The boy had never been so bold before. Something had changed Harry, more than he had previously thought. Dumbledore disliked not knowing.

'Oh look Kai, Harry is getting so good at pressing his buttons. I'm so proud,' Kyi said, in a tearful voice.

"The alarms alerted us to a surge and nothing else. Be sure that if we had thought you were in danger we would have arrived immediately. Though, we knew that was not the case," Dumbledore said dismissively.

Harry thought back on the day of the surge. If his voices had not warned him, Harry would have had another surge. If that had happened, he would have hurt himself and others. If the alarms had alerted them to the first surge, they should have alerted them to the start of another one. They should have known he had been in danger.

"Oh but of course, the adults know best," Harry said sarcastically.

Kai and Kyi snickered in the background. Harry fought to keep a straight face. Dumbledore noticed.

"Is there something you find amusing in all this," the older man asked.

Harry closed his eyes briefly. Upon opening them again, looked up at the old goat's eyes. Dumbledore was unsettled by the cold hard look Harry was giving him. Just as coldly Harry responded, "Yes. I find this situation highly amusing. It's not nice when you don't know all the information and details, huh?"

Before Dumbledore could respond to Harry's statement, the boy got to his feet and turned to walk away. Upon walking down the steps, Harry felt his steel feather on his neck heat up. He felt his magic cloak around him. His voices snarled viciously.

Harry turned on his heels and looked at the old man sitting behind the desk. The only reason his feather would have cast a cloak of magic was if he was being attack or dangerous magic was directed at him. Harry simply stared at the headmaster.

Behind the desk, Dumbledore smiled. He was peeved he had to go to these extremes to do so, but he would get his answers one way or another.

"Harry, come back and sit down. Let's talk some more."

A/N: Oh and before I forget. I would love to hear some feedback from you guys. It would help alot. :)