A/N: Some lines are taken directly from the book.

Of the two birthday parties Harry has had in his life, this one was certainly the best! Sure, the first one held a special place in his heart; but having friends -more friends than he can count on his hands- and more family to call his own, it couldn't help but be the most fun birthday of his life!

It made him relieved to see everyone get along so well. Even Draco's mum was kind and pleasant to him. His dad hadn't been, of course. Though Harry knew that it was as much because Uncle Sirius had sent at least two mild jinxes his way as it was because the man is a former death eater. All those things considered, the fact that the man didn't end up hexing Sirius was something worth recognition at how good the party went. Maybe with luck he and Draco can work on their families getting along better in the future? It was something Harry began to plot as he went off to sleep for the night.

Or he would have, had he not walked in to find a house elf sitting on his bed.

Before his mind could wrap around the strange sight, the house elf slipped off the bed and bowed low enough that its long, thin nose touched the floor. "Er-hello." He greeted the elf. A part of his mind went reeling. Surely someone didn't think to buy him a house elf for his birthday? It was strange enough having Kreacher around on the days he visited Grimmauld Place. More than that, Uncle Sirius was bound to throw a fit if he found out.

"Harry Potter!" The house elf greeted him, breaking Harry from his thoughts. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir… Such an honour, it is!"

"...Thank you." He replied. "Though… might I ask what you're doing here?"

"Yes, sir. Dobby has come to tell you, sir… it is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin..."

Harry's eyes widened at the house elf's stuttering. Dobby! That was the name Melly had given him. The reason Harry wasn't getting any owl posts! That and… Harry vaguely remembered when Melly went mad and yelled something about a sock. The memory made him grimace, doubly so since giving the house elf a sock would indicate that he does now belong to him. Though worried of the fallout to come, Harry walked straight over to his wardrobe and pulled out a sock. "Here." He said, holding it in front of the conflicted house elf. "I'm really sorry, but I'm not sure who thought I'd need a personal elf. The truth is, I prefer handling chores on my own, but please don't be offended if I ask you to return to your previous home."

Dobby stared at the sock with wide, bulging eyes. He was shocked, certainly. Then his eyes watered over with tears ...and he started to laugh. He laughed so hard that his body doubled over, falling to his knees. Harry stood dumbly at the strange reaction. Not at all able to understand what was so funny. As the laughter started to subside, Dobby wiped the tears from his eyes. "Dobby must apologize, sir. Harry Potter is a most wondrous wizard to wish to free an elf rather than keep one; but Harry Potter is mistaken, sir. Dobby has a family, though Dobby is not here on behalf of his masters."

Despite the oddness of the situation, and embarrassment of the misunderstanding, Harry's shoulders sagged in relief. "Then, why are you here?"

"Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely as he rose up to his feet, "that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago... that Harry Potter escaped yet again." Harry nodded, bringing the house elf to tears yet again. "Ah, sir. Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later... Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts!"

Staring at the house elf, Harry was somewhat amazed at his own lack of surprise. Then again, he already had this warning a week in advance. "I appreciate your warning, Dobby. Really, I do, but I'm afraid I do need to go back to Hogwarts."

"No, no, no." Dobby squeaked. His head shook so hard that his ears flapped about. "Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger."

"How do you know this?" Harry asked calmly.

"Dobby has known for months, sir, of a plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year."

Harry nodded slowly at the explanation. It was reasonable that Voldemort had planned to use Caireen after getting the philosopher's stone, though it was surprising that he would still go that route after being forced to abandon Quirrell. Still, Harry figured he might as well get more information. Though house elves can be tricky to talk with, if Neville and Susan's explanations were anything to go by. "Am I correct in guessing that you can't tell me who your family is?"

Dobby winced at the question. His body shaking, and holding onto his head as though fighting with himself. "Yes, sir." He squeezed out.

"That's alright. I understand." As he thought of a new question, Harry observed the house elf. Bruises and bandages covered his hands and legs. Harry flinched at the sight. Then, near as quickly, he moved closer to Dobby, his hands hovering just over Dobby's. "Your hands! Did he do this to you? We have healing potions, let me get them for you!"

"That is not necessary, Harry Potter!" The house elf blurted loudly, grabbing Harry in order to hold him still. "D-Dobby did this to himself, sir. Dobby must punish himself when he does bad."

"That isn't right!" He argued. "Nothing could be so bad that it deserves… this." His hand swept over Dobby's form, the collection of bruises filling him with a chilled sense of familiarity.

Dobby shook his head in slow, sad movements. "Dobby must not be a bad elf. When Dobby misbehaves he must punish himself. That is how things must be done."

"Not at Hogwarts. All of the house elves there are happy, unharmed. I've seen them all joke with each other, even teasing at the headmaster's expense."

Dobby took this knowledge with a look of awe. "They is lucky to be working at Hogwarts." Then his face took a stricken expression. At once he grabbed the edge of the bed and knocked his face against the frame. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"Dobby! Dobby, stop!" He pulled the house elf away from the frame. "Please don't do that again! I-" He gasped a breath. His body urged to recoil, but Harry knew he couldn't. Not now. "Can I tell you something? A secret? I'll need you to not say anything until I'm finished."

The house elf seemed confused. Though he did manage a quiet nod. Harry, in his relief, sat down on the floor. His hands turned inward, allowing the fingers to touch. His lungs filled with more assured breaths, his mind calming with each exhale. When ready, he began to speak. "Last year at Hogwarts I found something. A place. A secret place that no one at Hogwarts has seen in a long time." The house elf flinched, but stayed silent. "While I was there I met someone. An ancient basilisk named Caireen. Now, lucky for me, I understand snakes." Seeing Dobby shudder, he quickly added to the script. "I know. Talking to snakes doesn't have the best reputation, but it's something I was born with. I can't help it. Anyway, I got to talking with the basilisk, and you want to know what she told me? She said My purpose is to protect everyone at the school from muggles. Everyone. Even muggleborns. So, you see, even something as dangerous as a basilisk is actually at Hogwarts in order to protect students. We'll all be safe. If anything goes wrong, she will help me. She's my friend. Do you understand, Dobby?"

The house elf standing across from him stared at him with a look of rapture. "Harry Potter is greater than even Dobby knows." He whispered. "To have tamed that which- such a creature, before danger can even come to pass!"

He moved back towards the bed but Harry stopped him. "Dobby, no! You can't punish yourself. You didn't do anything wrong because you haven't told me anything that I don't already know."

"Dobby hasn't?"

"You haven't." He assured him. "I know about there being plans for Caireen." He gave a sad sigh, knowing the risk. "Just like I know that you've been taking my letters."

That caused the house elf to jump out of his grip. His eyes wide with surprise. Then he gave a look of sheepishness as he pulled a thick wad of letters from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. "Harry Potter mustn't be angry. Dobby hoped, if Harry Potter thought his friends had forgotten him, Harry Potter might not want to go back to school, sir."

Despite the relief on seeing the mass of letters, Harry couldn't help but shudder involuntarily. That was verbatim of what Melly muttered last week. Even the inflections were on the mark! It was disturbing, in a way. It's one thing to know of the future but to see it overlap with the present… he couldn't help but wonder how seers manage to not go mad from it all.

"I… appreciate your concern, Dobby. Really I do. Though I think we both know now that there isn't a danger for me anymore. Don't you agree?" Dobby seemed to struggle with the question. Gritting his teeth as though reluctant to let it go. Rather than wait, Harry outstretched his hand as both a welcoming gesture and to receive the letters. "You've been very brave to come here and warn me. Thank you, Dobby. I won't forget it."

Whatever war waged inside of the house elf seemed to ebb as his eyes filled with tears. "It is Harry Potter who is brave… and kind and good." He stepped forward slowly. Gently, he placed the stack of letters in his hand. "Dobby is grateful to have met Harry Potter. Dobby will treasure this moment always."

"So will I." Harry offered Dobby a kind smile. "Hopefully I'll be able to see you again someday."

"Someday…" Dobby's eyes shone reverently. "Yes, sir. Dobby hopes so very much. Goodbye, Harry Potter."

With that, the house elf snapped his fingers and vanished from the bedroom. His absence gave Harry a moment to reel over the strangeness of the encounter. The warning, the letters, the bruises… It was a lot to take in. A part of Harry wanted desperately to pour over the letters now in his possession. Even after seeing so many of his friends today, knowing how much he had missed them and been missed by them this past month was painful. That said, the letters needed to wait for morning. So he placed them on his nightstand and took an assured breath.

"Kreacher."

With a pop the gnarled house elf appeared. "Master Harry calls Kreacher?"

He turned to Kreacher with a nod. "Yes. Tell me, do you know which family owns a house elf named Dobby?"

Kreacher was naturally confused by the question. "Dobby be the house elf of Mistress Narcissa's husband, Lucius Malfoy."

Harry blanched at the information. Lucius Malfoy is still working for Voldemort?! "I- thank you, Kreacher… That's… all I needed to know. I think." The house elf gave a curt nod and a bow, then popped out of the room. Once again Harry felt the need to reel over the warnings of a house elf. A sense of dread filled him, wondering what this will mean both for himself and for Draco.