Living at Hog's Head wasn't the best. The floors were so dirty you couldn't even tell if there was one, or if it was just bare dirt. The first floor was a shoddy bar filled with rickety wooden tables strewn about adorned only with candle stubs. Harry's room was just as poorly furnished. It contained one old dresser, the doors of which were threatening to pop-off at any moment; a wobbly table and a three-legged stool; a bedside table with a lamp on it that did not even have a shade; and a bed that smelled like a wet dog. There was one window that looked out to the adjacent wall of another building.
The tavern's patrons were just at shady as the place looked. It was not the type of place for a twelve-year old boy to be living. However, things had become much tamer since Harry's stay. The presence of Aurors certainly had much to do with it. They made sure that Harry was safe. In fact, it was a little too safe for Harry's liking.
Harry's freedom was limited. He was only allowed to walk around the immediate vicinity of Hog's Head. While this meant that he could peruse the shops in Hogsmeade, he could not go outside of the town at all. The Aurors were constantly in and around the tavern, watching over Harry. Of these, there was one that was a permanent fixture and that was Jack. He was the highest ranking of the Aurors stationed there to keep an eye on Harry. Jack was mostly aloof, never staying long enough in one place to keep a good conversation. His communication with Harry consisted mostly of terse one-liners such as, "I hope you had a good night's sleep" and "keep your nose out of trouble."
This night Jack said that most he has ever had to Harry. Unfortunately, it was only to berate Harry for having gone missing and breaking curfew. Jack authoritatively terminated Harry's meager freedoms in order to curtail any more mischief, leaving him isolated to his room. While his living situation was tolerable before, now it was terrible. Harry lay in bed, contemplating his bleak predicament. He thought that maybe he could still keep his routine of sneaking off to the Hogwarts grounds with the use of his Invisibility Cloak, but dismissed the idea because he didn't want to get Aberforth into anymore messes with Jack.
All of a sudden, Harry was startled by a loud cracking noise and bolted up straight. Out of nowhere appeared a bat-eared, bulgy-eyed little creature. The creature gave him a low bow.
"Wha … who … what are you?" Harry said in said in fright, thinking this might be some sort of demon like the one the Liche had summoned in the Forbidden Forrest.
"Need not fear, sir. I am a house-elf. The name is Dobby, sir—Dobby the house-elf."
"So, you're not a demon from another dimension," Harry sighed in relief, "but what are you doing in my room? Are you something Jack … er …," Harry quickly redoubled, thinking a polite house-elf probably wouldn't appreciate being referred to an an object, "… did Jack send you to babysit me?"
"No, sir. Dobby was not sent by Jack. Although, it was fortuitous that Auror Jack has confined Harry Potter to his room. Harry Potter is in great danger."
"Great danger? All I did was miss curfew," Harry was careful not to mention his escapade in the Forbidden Forrest.
"This is not about the events of this evening, sir. There is a plot, sir, to make horrible things to happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. Harry Potter must not go back.
"Are you nutters?! I'm going crazy here. I'm like a caged animal. I can't even so much as sneeze without the ministry's minions handing me a hanky. I need to go back to school! I need to see my friends!"
"Good friends that don't even write to Harry Potter, sir?"
"I'm sure there's a good explan—wait, how did you know they haven't written?"
"It was for Harry Potter's own good, sir. Please do not be angry. Dobby thought that if Harry Potter thought that his friends were not writing him, that Harry Potter would not want to go back to school."
"You—you've been keeping my friend's letters?!
"Don't be mad at Dobby, sir. It was only for Harry Potter's sake … and I am sorry I have to do this, sir. It is for your benefit. Harry Potter must not go back to school," with that, Dobby raised a long finger at Harry and magically lifted him from the ground and thrust him out the bedroom window.
Harry was in total bewilderment. He crashed through the class and was hurtling head-long down towards a steeply sloping, rocky hill. Before he could hit the ground, Harry immediately stopped himself from falling and hovered in mid-air. He gently stepped back onto the ground and was instantly surrounded by Aurors, headed-up by Jack.
"Are you ok, Harry?!—What were you thinking?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?! I can't believe you were trying to sneak away like that. Tomorrow, you will be taken to a safe-house where you can't get into anymore trouble … and trouble won't be coming after you, either!"
"But it wasn't me!" argued Harry, "It was this elf—this house-elf—he pushed me out the window! I wasn't trying to escape! You've got to believe me!"
"Not another word. I am up to here with your behavior," Jack said, waving his hand high above his head. "Now, go back up to that room and stay there until I can finish with arrangements to ship you out of here!"
Harry stomped back into the tavern with clenched fists and teeth, muttering swear words all the way up to his room. He swung the door open and saw the shattered window from which he had just fallen. There was no sign of Dobby. Harry sat down on the three-legged stool. He couldn't believe what had happened. He didn't know what to think. Harry felt like his brain was throbbing and was about to explode from the pressure. At that moment, a large owl flew in through the gaping window, deposited a letter on the table in front to him, and flew back out. Harry opened the letter, hoping that Dobby had finally let one of his friends' letters through.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We have received intelligence that you performed a Levitation Charm at a quarter to midnight this evening.
As you have been informed, 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).
Enjoy your holidays!
Yours truly,
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
"Yeah, what else can go wrong? The can expel me if they want to. I'm going to be taken to a safe house anyway" Harry grumbled to himself. "I think I'll just apparate to London and get away from this—"
"Harry!" Ron shouted from the window.
"R … Ron?!"
"Yeah, it's me! You haven't been writing and we were worried about you. We came to get you out of here!"
"How did you get here?"
"We borrowed my dad's car," Ron said, pointing to the flying vehicle behind him.
"Er … ok," Harry hesitated, thinking about Jack, "Hurry and come and help me with my stuff! The Aurors will be up here soon."
Harry and Ron quickly grabbed Harry's belongings and shoved them into the car. Harry saw that in the front seats were Fred and George.
"Hi Harry!" they both greeted
As they were about to speed off, Harry saw Jack burst in to his room.
"HARRY POTTER!" Jack yelled, his voice trailing as the car leapt upwards.
A/N: I know, I totally mangled chapter 2 of Chamber of Secrets, but I had to keep my story going. It's a challenge trying to adhere to the main points of the canon.