A/N: Sorry for the short chapter – I was sick for part of this week and didn't have as much time to write. Read it, enjoy it, pass it on.

It was a few days after that incident that Harry and the Wealeys Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron to stay for a night, in the hope that the Weasleys might be able to get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters on time the next morning. Ginny had complained that Percy was the only one of her brothers who was ever packed and ready on time, so Harry suggested forcing the issue earlier.

"How would that help?" Ginny had asked.

"There's no time limit on getting to the Cauldron," Harry had explained, "so they'll have the time to get everything together at the last moment. And they'll notice anything they're missing in time to get it. And then the next morning, everything will already be together, and since you're closer to the platform anyway you can all sleep in a little longer."

Molly had loved the idea and adopted it immediately, as had Professor Flitwick when he came to pick Harry up after the trip to Diagon Alley.

"I do need to be at Hogwarts that night, though," Flitwick said apologetically. "Would you mind bringing Harry along with you? I assume that you want to ride the Express," he said to Harry. "If not, I'll just bring you with me to Hogwarts the night before. You'd get to actually pick your bed…"

"No, I'd like to ride the train," Harry decided. "I'll stay at the Cauldron for the night with the Weasleys the night before – if that's alright, of course."

"We'd love to have you," Arthur assured him. "It's no trouble at all."

So Harry went to meet the Weasleys at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Hey Ginny, hey Ron," Harry greeted as he stepped into the Cauldron. "What's up?"

"I got a letter from Hermione," Ron said. "She's going to the Express early and will grab us a compartment near the center, so we should start looking there."

"Smart," Harry commented.

"She always is," Ginny agreed.

"Harry!" said one of the older twins. "Good to see you, mate."

"I saw you three days ago," Harry said, raising a brow. "Unless there's another redheaded family named the Weasleys."

"And it seems an age," the other declared dramatically. "The majesty of the boy-who-lived is such a…"

Harry tuned them out and began lugging his trunk upstairs. After a moment, Ron grabbed the other end to help him, and a few seconds after that Molly bustled over and Levitated it. "Thanks," Harry said, smiling at her.

"Of course, dear," she said, floating it up the rest of the way. "Which room is yours?"

"I'm not sure," Harry said, turning. "The professor just said he reserved one for me."

"Go ask Tom," Ginny told him.

"Right, that would be smart," Harry said, blushing slightly. He descended the stairs and headed over to the bar.

"Hey, Tom!" he called, and the bartender turned to greet him with a smile. "Professor Flitwick reserved a room for me, right?"

"Yup," the friendly old man replied, pulling out a key and tossing it to Harry. "Third room on the left."

"Thanks!"

The trio didn't have much trouble finding Hermione in the center compartment, and they spent some time playing Exploding Snap. After a while Hermione got frustrated with the cards exploding, brought out a set of muggle cards, and taught everyone some more mundane games, which were just as fun, If less explosive. No one was very surprised when Ron wiped the floor with everyone at poker, but Ginny turned out to be excellent at blackjack.

After half an hour or so, Luna knocked on the door.

"Come on in!" Ron said, seeing her. "Want to join in? Hermione has these muggle card games, they're really fun."

"No thanks," Luna said, entering. "I'll just watch. Maybe I'll join in later."

"Are you sure you don't want to find a compartment of first-years and make some friends in your year?" Ginny asked.

Luna shrugged. "I'll make friends once I've been Sorted. I'd rather not take the risk of antagonizing anyone who I'll end up sharing a room with for seven years."

"I understand," Harry said, nodding. "I could've gotten stuck with that. I managed to not make an enemy out of Draco, but it was a close thing at first."

Luna sat next to Ron and leaned up against him absently, causing him to blush slightly. "So I realized something," he said. "If Luna is Sorted into Ravenclaw, then we'll keep all of the boys in our little group will be in Gryffindor, and all of the girls in Ravenclaw."

"What about Draco?" Harry asked.

There was silence for a few moments.

"Draco is…" Ron began.

"He's not really…" Ginny tried.

"He's your friend, but he's not really part of our group," Hermione managed.

More silence.

"Where's Neville?" Ron asked, changing the subject.

"I got an owl from him that said he might run a little late," Hermione said. "Something about the greenhouse being-"

"-infested by rats," Neville finished entering. "I had to help clear them out. Can't have them in there all year, after all."

"Couldn't your mom take care of that?" Harry asked.

Neville grinned. "Nah. You'll find out why later."

"What about your grandmother?" Ginny asked.

"She's taking a year-long trip to Spain," Neville explained. "Trying to find a childhood sweetheart. Anyway, who's this?"

"I'm Luna," she introduced herself. "My dad's the editor of the Quibbler, and my mum is an Unspeakable."

"Unspeakable?" Harry asked.

"Members of the Department of Mysteries," Ron explained. "No one really knows what they do."

"Research on magic and how it works, mostly," Luna said. "Mum is working with the Head of the Department on something to do with giants, but I don't know the details."

"No one knows who the Head of the DoM is, either," Ginny told Harry. "Unless…"

Luna shook her head. "I heard that he's officially dead, though."

"Interesting," Harry commented. "Sounds like a job tailor-made for Hermione."

"Hey!" Hermione objected. "I haven't decided what to do yet! Although it does sound interesting," she admitted.

"You don't apply for a job in the DoM anyway," Luna said. "They come for you. Mum was a Healer at St. Mungo's before the DoM offered–"

Suddenly, a disheveled, maddened-looking creature with enormous eyes and ears appeared in the middle of the compartment with a CRACK! It leapt towards Harry, seized him by both arms, and they both disappeared with another CRACK!

When Harry regained consciousness after his sudden Apparation, he realized at once where he was. He was lying in a depressingly familiar hallway – that of Number Four Privet Drive. The crazy creature who had abducted him was standing in front of him, completely naked and covered in scars and bruises. Its eyes – no, Harry corrected, it was very obviously a he – were wild and jumped around the room as though afraid monsters would come in through the walls. He was very small, shorter than Professor Flitwick, and had leathery grayish-brown skin.

"Master Harry Potter is not safe," the creature said in a whimpering voice, cracked and pained. Harry realized with a start that it was a house-elf. "Master Harry Potter is not safe at Hogwarts!"

I can't be here again! Harry thought, panicked. I have to get out of here! he began to rise, trying to get away from this crazy elf, but it snapped its fingers, and he was suddenly locked in place, Immobilized.

"Master Harry Potter is not safe at Hogwarts!" the maddened elf yelled, twirling. "Only at his home is Master Harry Potter safe!"

Harry felt the magic binding him begin to loosen, and he tried to escape again while the elf's back was turned, but it simply snapped its fingers again and rebound him.

"I'm not safe here!" Harry shouted, frustrated. "There's no wards anymore, they collapsed!"

"Master Harry Potter is not safe!" it shrieked again, pointing at Harry and Silencing him. "Not safe at Hogwarts! Bad Masters plot to kill Master Harry Potter!"

"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded as the Silencing spell wore off. "Who are the Bad Masters?"

"Bad Masters will kill Master Harry Potter if Master Harry Potter goes to Hogwarts!" the elf shouted, clapping its hands and shattering one of the walls. Harry flinched. This elf was truly mad! It was probably more of a danger to him than the "bad masters" were!

"Why am I safer here than at Hogwarts?" Harry tried. "Dumbledore is at Hogwarts."

"Bad Master's bad son is at Hogwarts!" the elf cried. "Only at his relative's house is Master Harry Potter safe from Bad Master's bad son!"

"My relatives locked me in a cupboard!" Harry snapped. "I've never been safe here in my life! At least now that they're in jail I'm safe from them!"

The elf froze. "Master Harry Potter's relatives are in jail?" it asked slowly in a much saner tone.

"Yes!"

"For abusing Master Harry Potter?"

"Yes."

The elf burst into motion again. The floor began shaking and a huge crack appeared on the floor – another wall collapsed. After a few moments of the eerily silent temper tantrum, the elf shouted again: "No one must harm Master Harry Potter!" and snapped its fingers. Harry was frozen and Silenced once more as the elf Disapparated with a CRACK!

Well, Harry thought, wriggling and finding that these bindings weren't fading away. The elf is gone. Now what?