Disclaimer: As always, anything that you happen to recognize regrettably does not belong to me but to the most divine, J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 2: Punishments
Julian only just managed to cover Rose's mouth before she let out a muffled scream. The creature had bat-like ears and bulgy green eyes that stared at them in awe. He was wearing a ratty old pillowcase with ripped holes for his skinny arms and legs. Harry knew that this was what he had seen watching him earlier that day. Downstairs, they heard Dudley greet Mr. and Mrs. Mason and they suddenly remembered where they were. As they all stared, the creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that his long thin nose touched the floor.
"Um, hello." Rose greeted the creature gently, her voice no louder than a whisper.
"Rose Potter!" said the creature, his voice quite high. They were sure it could be heard downstairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet the Potters. Tis such an honor!"
"Thank you." Harry said politely as he took a seat at their single desk chair. "Who are you?"
"Dobby, Harry Potter. Just Dobby sir. Dobby the house-elf." The creature responded happily.
"Could you perhaps keep it down?" Dorinda asked with a grimace. "Only our relatives are downstairs in an important business meeting." Aunt Petunia's high fake laughter rang throughout the house.
"She doesn't mean to be rude, Mister Dobby but this isn't really a good time for us to be having a house-elf in our bedroom." Rose explained gently, going to sit on the bed but she flinched in surprise when Dobby burst in to a loud sob.
"Rose Potter calling Dobby a mister!" Dobby cried out hysterically. Everyone looked around frantically as the noise downstairs quieted. "How kind of her to do that for Dobby!"
"Dobby please calm down." Harry whispered urgently, going over to the house-elf. "Here why don't you sit?"
"Sit down!" Dobby sobbed not at all calmed. "Never, ever has Dobby been asked to sit down by a wizard like an equal!"
"We didn't mean to offend you." Rose offered as an apology but Dobby's sobs wouldn't stop.
"Offend Dobby!" Dobby was clearly overcome with their politeness.
Julian frustratingly picked up the light house-elf and set him on the bed next to Rose, in a last ditch effort to calm him down. It took a few minutes before the house-elf quieted enough and got over a bout of hiccups, so they could again begin to talk to him about the reason he was in their room. Dobby stared up at them with adoring watery eyes.
"Dobby not that we don't want you here but is there any particular reason you decided to visit?" Dorinda asked slowly. She didn't want to risk upsetting the sensitive creature again.
"Oh yes, Dobby has come to tell the Potters, it is difficult. Dobby wonders where to begin." The house-elf struggled with his words.
"The beginning is always a decent place I say." Julian encouraged Dobby with a small smile.
"Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming here tonight." Dobby began his eyes fearful but resigned.
"Punish yourself but whatever for?" Rose asked abashed. Dorinda threw her a glare, warning her to not push Dobby into tears once more.
"Dobby's family has not allowed Dobby to come and warn the Potters and Dobby is a house-elf, bound to serve one wizarding family and house forever. Dobby must punish himself for disobeying his masters." Dobby spoke gravely, eyeing the table lamp.
"Masters?" Harry inquired, his face surprised. "Don't they care if you punish yourself Dobby?"
"Oh no, sir, no. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something sir and they just let Dobby get on with it. Sometimes they remind Dobby to do extra punishments." Dobby explained.
"Well they can't be very decent wizards then if they are allowing you to punish yourself for nothing!" Rose complained unhappily. She couldn't imagine ever having to order the poor creature in front of her to actually harm himself. Dobby shook his head and soon after, his eyes grew wide with fear.
"Bad Dobby!" Dobby suddenly reprimanded himself, launching his face towards the window. Julian however was quick to grab the lithe house-elf and prevented the obvious ruckus that would have occurred and alerted Uncle Vernon. But Julian's hold didn't stop Dobby from punching himself brutally in the face a few times. "Bad Dobby!"
"Dobby stop it." Dorinda hissed menacingly as she grabbed the tiny struggling fists. "You have not done anything wrong to warrant this punishment."
"Dobby almost spoke ill of his family Miss Dorinda." Dobby sobbed softly. "Dobby had to punish himself."
"Dobby how come you don't leave or escape?" Harry asked sadly, he had thought that they had had it bad here with the Dursleys. At least they were still at free will to talk badly about their relatives as much as they wanted without physical repercussion.
"A house elf must be set free sir and Dobby's family would never set him free. Dobby will serve the family until he dies." Dobby said. They all looked at him sullenly.
"Can't anyone help you? I mean can't we help you Dobby?" Rose whispered sincerely. Dobby stared for a moment with wide eyes before he again burst into loud sobs of gratitude.
"Dobby please be quiet!" Harry urged. "If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here!"
"Oh hmm doesn't look as if that did the trick Harry!" Dorinda chastised her brother. "Oh right that's probably cause he can't hear you over his loud wails!"
"The Potters want to help Dobby!" Dobby cried, making Julian flinch. "Dobby has heard of your greatness but of your goodness, Dobby never knew!"
"I wouldn't go as far as to call us great." Dorinda said awkwardly, her face growing hot.
"Speak for yourself sister." Julian said puffing his chest out proudly. Dorinda rolled her eyes.
"So modest and humble too!" Dobby's eyes were aglow in reverence. "The Potters speak not of their triumph over the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Voldemort." Harry corrected the elf absently. Memories began to surface again in his head of just a few weeks ago.
"Ah speak not the name sir! Speak not the name!" Dobby covered his ears and moaned.
"Sorry." Harry apologized. "I know lots of people don't like it. My friend Ron…" Harry trailed off as a pang of hurt hit him at the mention of his best friend. Dobby leaned in with wide eyes.
"Dobby has heard that the Potters have met the Dark Lord for a second time just a few weeks ago and that they escaped once again!" Dobby stated, his eyes questioning. They all nodded, their own eyes cast downward.
"Ah so valiant and bold the Potters! They have braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to warn them, to protect them even if that means punishment for Dobby. The Potters must not return to Hogwarts." Dobby said his face grave. Silence followed, the only noise that could be heard was from downstairs, the distance voice of Uncle Vernon grumbling.
"Bullocks!" Julian finally uttered, outraged at even the thought of not returning to Hogwarts. His declaration seemed to awaken his siblings out of their own stupors.
"We have to go back Dobby. Hogwarts is our home!" Rose tried to explain hysterically. No one seem to care if they made noise now, not returning to Hogwarts wasn't an option.
"We belong in your world Dobby. The wizarding world! Term starts September first and we have to be there." Harry said frantically. "It's all that's keeping us going."
"No, no, no!" Dobby squeaked. He shook his head hard making his ears actual flap. "The Potters must stay where they are safe. They are too great, too good to lose. If they is to return to Hogwarts they will be in mortal danger!"
"Why?" Dorinda asked harshly.
"There is a plot, Miss Dorinda Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year." Dobby answered, his whole body was now trembling. "Dobby has known for many months now. The Potters must not put themselves in peril. Too important the Potters are!"
"What kind of terrible things Dobby?" Rose asked concerned.
"Who's plotting them?" Dorinda demanded at the same time. Her voice had become quite severe in her agitation. Dobby made a funny choking noise before he banged his head against the wall. Julian tightened his hold on the elf and moved away to stand in the middle of the room. "Dobby!"
"Stop it Dorinda. He can't tell us." Rose scolded her sister who threw a nasty glare at her. "It's okay Dobby we understand."
"Why are you warning us then?" Julian inquired curiously. Harry's eyes suddenly lit up.
"This doesn't have to do anything with Voldemort, sorry, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named does it?" Harry asked Dobby, who eyed the wall again. "You could just shake your head yes or no."
Dobby slowly shook his head no.
"No, sir, not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named sir." Dobby elaborated, his eyes were wide however as if he were trying to give them a hint. But either they were complete idiots or the hint wasn't obvious.
"He hasn't got a brother has he?" Harry wondered in horror but Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.
"Well then who could possibly cause such havoc on Hogwarts that we shouldn't return?" Dorinda asked her hands on her hips impatiently. "Dumbledore is there for one thing, I suspect you know Dumbledore don't you?"
"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen. Dobby knows it Miss. Dobby has heard that his powers rival those of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself at the height of his strength Miss Dorinda." Dobby lowered his voice to a whisper. "But there are powers that Dumbledore doesn't, that any decent wizard wouldn't dare…"
Suddenly Dobby leapt out of Julian's hold, surprising him as he hadn't been holding tightly enough as he listened intently. Dobby went for the lamp but Dorinda tackled him to the bed before he could properly grab it. Rose gasped in horror at her sister's actions but before she could say anything about it, they heard the sounds of Uncle Vernon ascending the stairs.
"Dudley must have left his television on, the little tyke!" Uncle Vernon's voice reached them.
"Quick put him in the closet!" Julian urged his sister who practically threw poor Dobby in and shut the door. Just in time as well cause as soon as the closet door was shut, their own door was thrown open.
"What the devil are you four doing up here?" Uncle Vernon spit out angrily. His eyes were small and beady in irritation as he surveyed the guilty looking faces of his nephews and nieces. "You've just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke. One more sound out of this room and you all will wish you had never been born!" He stomped out of the room and Dorinda slowly let Dobby out of the closet. She bent down to grab him forcefully but stopped at Rose's voice.
"Oh give it a rest Dorinda and leave him alone." Rose pushed pass her sister and grabbed Dobby's hand and led him back over to the bed. "He has come at great expense to himself to warn us. The least you could do is offer him some of your lacking manners."
"See what it's like here though for us Dobby?" Harry ignored both his sisters. "See why we have to return to Hogwarts? It's the only place we're accepted, where we have actual friends."
"Maybe." Rose said sadly, thinking of the absent letters from Blaise. He had after all said he was going to write her.
"Friends who don't even write to the Potters?" Dobby said slyly.
"Well they've probably just been busy that's all." Rose answered softly.
"Wait a minute how do you know our friends haven't been writing us?" Julian asked suddenly, his voice suspicious. Dobby shuffled his feet awkwardly.
"You mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best." Dobby tried to explain nervously.
"Have you been stopping our letters?" Harry asked incredulously. Rose looked hurt.
"Dobby has them here sir." Dobby assured them as he pulled out a think stack of envelopes from his pillowcase clothing. Harry could make out the neat scrawl of Hermione and the untidy scribble of Ron. Julian himself saw the exaggerated cursive of Draco. Dobby blinked up at them anxiously.
"Not so forgiving now are you Rose?" Dorinda said snidely as she saw the longing on Rose's face.
"The Potters mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby hoped that if the Potters thought that their friends had forgotten them that they may not wish to return to school." Dobby audibly gulped at the murderous look Dorinda's own face held.
"It has to be illegal to intercept our mail." Dorinda stated logically. Julian however didn't wait for negotiations; he leapt towards Dobby who quickly moved out of the way. Julian landed on the bed next to Rose.
"Julian!" Rose exclaimed, appalled at her brother's behavior. She looked to Harry for help but he too only had eyes for the letters in Dobby's hands. Harry and Julian exchanged looks.
"The Potters can have the letters if only they gives Dobby their word! The Potters mustn't return to Hogwarts. This is a danger that the Potters cannot face! Say you will not go back!" Dobby backed away towards the door.
"No!" Harry said briskly. "Give me my friend's letters!"
"Then the Potters leave Dobby no choice." Dobby said sadly. The creature threw open the door as Harry threw himself at Dobby and manage to capture the house-elf's ankle but Dobby managed to pull out of his grasp and took off out of the room.
Harry lay on the floor looking back at his terrified siblings. Suddenly they all tore off after the house-elf, silently jumping over Harry on the ground. Harry hurried after. Dorinda got to the top of the stairs first and only patiently made it down a few steps before she jumped the rest of them. She landed cat like at the foot of the stairs, ready to spring as she looked for Dobby.
"I know she's our sister but sometimes, she is rather scary." Julian remarked, his eyes wide. Rose and Harry nodded in agreement before they followed quickly after Dorinda.
"Tell that very funny story about the American plumbers Mr. Mason. Petunia has been dying to hear." Uncle Vernon's voice came from the dining room. They met Dorinda in the kitchen and lost their breath at the sight. Dobby was crouched atop the corner cabinet and Aunt Petunia's prized dessert dish was floating up by the ceiling.
"No." Harry croaked out in horror. "They will kill us Dobby."
"Harry Potter must say he isn't going back to Hogwarts." Dobby shook his head defiantly.
"Please Dobby can't we just go back to the room and talk about this?" Rose suggested, her eyes beginning to fill with horrified tears.
"Say that you won't go back Rose Potter." Dobby urged again shaking his head.
"Dobby come on lets be men about this." Julian said seriously. Dorinda sent him a dubious look.
"Julian Potter please tell Dobby you won't go back to Hogwarts?" Dobby pleaded with the slightly taller brother.
"Ugh Dobby come on we're not going to stay here!" Dorinda whispered exasperated. "Be real, we are going to return to Hogwarts."
"Then I'm sorry Dorinda Potter." Dobby shook his head sadly. "Dobby must do it for the Potters own good."
They gasped as the pudding fell to the floor in an earsplitting crash. Cream splattered the walls and windows as the dish shattered into millions of pieces. Dobby vanished with a sound like the crack of a whip. Screams were heard from the dining room. Uncle Vernon burst into the kitchen and found the Potters covered from head to toe in their dessert. All of their mouths hung open in shock and their emerald eyes were wide as they stared not at Uncle Vernon but at the spot that Dobby had previously been.
"Petunia's sister's kids. Very disturbed. Meeting strangers upsets them so we decided to keep them upstairs." Uncle Vernon explained quickly as the Masons entered the kitchen. "Petunia?"
"I'm sure we have some ice-cream then Mr. and Mrs. Mason?" Petunia offered with a frail smile. "Come on lets go back to the dining room, yes?"
"As soon as they leave I swear!" Uncle Vernon muttered to them softly as Aunt Petunia ushered the Masons out. "Clean this mess up!"
They all sent each other looks but not wanting to test their luck tonight, they quickly got to work. Dorinda and Rose began to wash the walls and windows, Harry mopped the floor and Julian swept up the glass. Uncle Vernon might have still been able to make the deal with Mr. Mason if only the owl didn't show up ten minutes later. Aunt Petunia was handing out after dinner mints when the large barn owl swooped in the dining room window. It flew right over a terrified Mrs. Mason who ran from the room and out of the house screaming, not even noticing the letter the owl had dropped right atop her very head. Apparently, according to an enraged Mr. Mason, his wife was deathly afraid of birds of all kinds. He thought this to be a joke and left the house muttering about lunatics.
"Read it!" Uncle Vernon hissed evilly. Spit flew from his mouth and they all gulped at the obvious anger. He handed the letter to Harry, who was unfortunately the closest. "Go on, read it!"
Dear Mr. Harry Potter; Mr. Julian Potter; Miss Dorinda Potter; Miss Rose Potter,
We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.
As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.
Enjoy your holidays!
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk
IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE
Ministry of Magic
Harry looked up from the letter and gulped. They had just received a warning from the actual Ministry of Magic and for a charm that they themselves hadn't even performed in the first place. Surely such an advanced institution such as the Ministry of Magic would be able to decipher exactly who had performed the charm?
"You didn't tell us that you weren't allowed to use magic outside of school." Uncle Vernon said slowly. His eyes gleamed in madness. "Forgot to mention it? Slipped your mind I daresay?" He moved closer to them and stared down at them angrily. "Well I've got news for you lot. I'm locking you up! You're never going back to that school, never! And if you try to magic your selves out, they'll expel you! Ha!"
Uncle Vernon started laughing manically and grabbed both Harry and Julian by the scruffs of their shirts and dragged them up the stairs. Aunt Petunia sent the girls a look and they followed after the boys. Uncle Vernon stuck to his word and the following morning he had bars fitted to their only window. He himself installed a cat-flap to their door and used it to push in small amounts of food three times a day. They were only allowed out of the room to use the bathroom in the morning and at night. Other than that, they were locked up around the clock.
Time went by slowly. They didn't have much entertainment other than Dorinda's only book, How to Become an Animagus. Dorinda had finished reading the entire book long ago and through her instruction, they were all going through the first phase of actually learning the transfiguration art. Julian and Harry found it dreadfully boring but at the same time were anxious to be able to turn into animals. They became even more anxious when Dorinda told them that their father had been an Animagus.
The first phase, there were three total, was meditation. It took a great deal of control of one's mind and body to be able to actually continually transform into your own animal spirit. Meditation was harder than it looked and according to the book, it would take many months to be able to work up to a level that would be acceptable to progress to Phase Two. Phase Two consisted of finding and identifying with your actual animal spirit. This was the research phase of becoming an Animagus. It required you to learn the mind of your animal, to learn their instincts, their habits, their appearances and it basically required you to become an expert on their anatomies. This too took many months to complete and then once that was finished, Phase Three began. This was the actual transformation stage which was relatively easy after Phase Two but it too took time and practice to be able to transform at will and quickly. Overall, all four of them were willing to put in the time and work to learn the useful skill.
"Ugh I can't do this anymore!" Julian exclaimed in annoyance as they finished eating their pathetic dinner. Tonight's consisted of cold soup and didn't do much for the aching hunger in their stomachs. "It's been three days already and they aren't giving up. Let's get out of here?"
"How Julian?" Dorinda glared as she threw her empty bowl down angrily. "We don't have any wands to even contemplate the idea of escaping."
"We're going to starve to death." Harry said dully and looked at Hedwig in sadness. Devious, Julian's snake, had managed to sneak out and capture a few mice for their owls but they were still cramped in their cages.
"Stupid house-elf." Dorinda grumbled as she petted a meowing Annabelle. "Meddling in things that have nothing to do with him."
"Oh stop Dorinda he was only trying to help." Rose reminded them futilely. "Can you honestly blame him for trying to save us?"
"Save us?" Dorinda said outraged. "From what? Some evil that doesn't even exist Rose? For all we know this could be some joke from Malfoy to get us in trouble."
"Don't bring him into this Dorinda." Julian groaned.
"I think Dobby's warning was sincere." Harry remarked honestly. He doubted that Dobby could fake the sobs and utter devotion towards them quite so easily. "But still he didn't have to do this."
"Do you think they will come looking for us?" Rose asked quietly. "I mean when we don't turn up at Hogwarts?"
"Of course don't be silly Rose." Dorinda said confidently. "They won't just ignore our absence."
"Probably not." Julian agreed. "But we actually have to survive the next four weeks to even make it back to Hogwarts."
"I wish he would've given us those letters." Harry sighed wistfully. At least he knew that his friends had indeed written him, even though he hadn't received the actual letters.
"Yeah I could have used a letter from Draco myself." Julian ran a hand through his shaggy black locks.
"Oh I can hear the words now!" Dorinda chuckled and put on a snotty voice. "Potter, why haven't you written me? Do you know who I am? I'm an evil git, Draco."
They all busted up in laughter and Julian playfully tackled his sister. After a rambunctious tickling fight, they began their evening meditation in preparation to go to sleep. Dorinda was making them do it first in the morning and last in the evening for at least an hour. Every stray thought meant starting over and there were many stray thoughts. After an hour of continually trying, it grew dark and they clambered into bed, with Julian being the one to sleep on the hard wooden floor tonight. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep.
"Shut it Harry." Dorinda mumbled waking up slightly to Harry's sleep talk. "Come on Harry, quit."
"Do you hear that?" Julian's head popped up from the floor and looked at a startled Dorinda. The moonlight drifted in their window.
"Go back to bed Julian." Dorinda sighed tiredly and she flipped onto her other side. She opened her eyes briefly and gasped at the sight that caught her off guard. "Ron!"
Ron Weasley was outside their window.
AN: Thank you for anyone who has bothered to read my insane idea. Please if you can, review. Hope this is up to your standards and that everyone enjoys it. As always, with love.
Mettea