Dobby's Friend
DISCLAIMER! This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. Looking forward to the next movie!
When he is freed by Harry Potter, Dobby becomes the house elf of the boy-who-lived. With permission and assistance from the grateful Hogwarts house elves, the determined Dobby takes steps to ensure his wizard is safe and able to recover from years of neglect by every adult in his life. And the adults have to pay the price for abuse and neglect.
CHAPTER 03: 28 June Alastor Moody Keeps Secrets
The elf and wizard popped back to the girl's bathroom where Harry closed the secret entrance and then the pair separated – Harry hurried to the library and Dobby popped away to begin his journey to London. Once there, he popped into the Atrium at the Ministry for Magic instead of Saint Mungo's Hospital. In the Atrium, the elf waited invisible until he found Alastor Moody, (retired), hobbling across the atrium headed for the floo. The scarred veteran had lost a leg, an eye and several fingers in battles with Death Eaters during the insurrection.
The Auror stopped his journey across the atrium to rest for a moment before stepping into the flames to travel home – he always wanted to be rested before using the floo in case he stepped out into battle. As he waited, a little house elf appeared about five feet to the side, bowed and then walked forward.
"What do you want elf?" Moody asked cautiously. He didn't recognize this particular elf but respected the power of the creature that most wizards ignored.
"This elf sent to deliver magic juice to Saint Mungo's but not find any witch or wizard honest enough to talk to," Dobby lied, a skill he'd developed in the last 18 months while breaking free from the Malfoy family and helping Mr Harry Potters.
Snorting, Moody agreed. "That's for sure. Unless you got a pure blood line and good references, they won't treat you for even a splinter in your bum."
"Splinters in bum?" asked the confused elf.
"A stupid expression I use to describe the pain-in-the…What do you want elf?"
"My…wizard wants to help boy who got hand mangled by rushed potions brewsings at Hoggiewarts. This be enough basilisk venom for testings, grow hands on boys, and grow legs on Auror Moodys."
"Why are they rushing brewing at Hogwarts?" asked Moody, not aware of any problems at the school.
Dobby explained the annual sale of left-over (specially brewed potions) at the end of the school year to fund Albus Dumbledore's vacation and other projects (bribes and outlandish robes).
"Some hows, the Snarly Several's lab was trashed and the wizard brewsings new potions with helps of NEWTS students. Marcus Flints near cauldron that explodes and damageds hand must be removed."
Waving the flask in front of Alastor the elf said, "This be enough venoms to grow hands for boy, and legs and fingers for Moodys."
Taking the glass flask with the fluid, Alastor cast a dozen spells on the liquid and container before realizing the elf had vanished as soon as he handed over the fluid. It appeared to be basilisk venom, fresh and very potent.
'Who has easy access to basilisk venom? Who wants to help Marcus Flint?' Moody wondered. 'And more importantly, who wants to have me in their debt?'
The Auror thought quickly, decided to tell no one, (included Albus Dumbledore who would want to confiscate the fluid for 'testing' and let it fade away before it could help anyone). He apparated from the Atrium to Saint Mungo's, waited for ten minutes until he was allowed to visit with the senior healer who dealt with Aurors (active roster and retired), and presented the venom to the witch with the stipulations that it be tested, used to grow the boy's new hand and his own leg.
"I want my magical eye to remain, but the new leg and fingers would make me an effective battle wizard again."
Taking the flask in her hand and casting spells at the fluid, Healer Rumson quipped, "You'll not go back on active duty, Alastor. You're eighty-five years old."
&&&***&&& CHANGE SCENE
29 June Grateful HogwartsThe last evening while Ron and Hermione were distracted by a chess game – Harry was certain the genius girl could defeat the lazy ginger if she wanted to – the boy-who-lived slipped up the stairs to pack his clothing and belongings in his trunk. He'd shrink and hide the packed trunk so no one (Ron) could plunder the contents the next morning.
Dobby had taught him a bit of elven magic – wandless magic – to shrink his trunk with the touch of his forefinger. The same finger on the other hand would unshrink the trunk without any magic registering at the ministry.
Alone in the second-year boy's dorm, Harry found five packages wrapped in plain brown paper as well as two shoe boxes on his bed. No one was present so he read the tags.
To: Harry Potter From: Grateful Hogwarts.
Opening the shoe boxes first, he found a new pair of trainers with new socks. The shoes were bright white, and the half dozen socks were perfect for his feet. The second box contained a pair of boots with long, black wool socks, again everything fit his feet perfectly. He quickly stored the boxes in his trunk and opened the packages. One held six new sets of pants and t-shirts (white) and the second contained new blue jeans and wool trousers. He would stay warm next winter. The third package contained button up shirts and jumpers in three colours. The fourth package provided Harry with several colourful t-shirts to wear that summer when he worked in the yard around the house of his relatives. In the fifth package, he found soaps and shampoos, new hairbrushes and combs, three toothbrushes, a supply of toothpaste, and four small bottles of mouthwash.
Fearing Ron's reaction to see his 'friend' receive this treasure, Harry quickly cast the elven notice-me-not spells on every item and hid them inside his trunk. When he was finished, he found a new pair of pyjamas, robe and bath bag on his bed. Harry carried the items to the bathroom and enjoyed a long, hot shower – the last for the summer. Dressed in the PJs and robe, he returned to the room where the other boys gathered to change and turn in. Ron ignored Harry completely, as he crowed about defeating the mud blood witch at chess.
The room settled into silence until Ron began to snore. Harry quietly cast a silencing spell on the curtains around Ron's bed and the other boys called out, "Thanks, Potter."
The next morning, while the other boys took turns in the shower, Harry found some of his new clothing laid out on the foot of his bed with his outer school robe waiting for him to wear to cover the new jumper and trousers. No one would notice the new boots.
Dressed in the new clothes with the school robe hiding the new clothes, and his shrunken trunk in a pocket in his trousers, Harry waited until everyone was dressed and ready to leave before he tried to wake Ron. The ginger rolled over and whined, "Go 'way. Wanna sleep…"
Harry attempted to rouse his roommate by saying, "Breakfast Ron. This is your last Hogwarts's breakfast until September."
"Food!" shouted Seamus to make the red headed wizard begin to move. Ron sat up and grumbled but climbed from the bed. He slipped back into yesterday's trousers and shirt, leaving his pyjamas on underneath. Then he threw the last of his belongings into the trunk and slammed the lid shut.
"Let's go eat," declared Weasley, before he realized everyone had already left the room. Shouted out loud, Ron complained, "They were supposed to wait for me! What if the food is gone when I get there?"
~~~**~~~ Change Scene
30 June Back to LondonThe last morning's breakfast was loud and raucous with the students laughing about their plans for summer. Harry ate an unusually large amount of food and several pieces of fruit slipped from the table into his pockets. Ron didn't notice and while Hermione did, she held her tongue for once. During the year, the students were encouraged to pocket some fruit after each meal for snacking later in the day.
Today, Harry went back to his relatives, and Hermione feared his food supplies would be scarce until September. But Professor McGonagall prompted the young witch to remember her place – the adults were responsible for Mr Potter – not her.
Ron ate himself into a food coma at breakfast, stared stupidly as the headmaster awarded him and Harry enough points to award the house cup to Gryffindor and steal the trophy from Ravenclaw at the last minute. Professor Flitwick was disgruntled to lose the house trophy while Severus merely sneered at everyone, and Minerva stared at the disappointed looks on the faces of the Ravenclaw students who had worked diligently all year.
Seventh-year students trooped from the Great Hall with a few tears as they departed for the Hogwarts Express for the last time. The train pulled out of Hogsmeade Station on time and travelled the length of Britain in a single day. On board, Harry sat in the compartment with Neville, Hermione, and Ron (who slept until almost 1:00 PM). They talked about the last year carefully – not mentioning the chamber of secrets or Ron's sister's part in the potential catastrophe of releasing a basilisk inside the school and the resurrection of the dark lord.
"Who's got food?" Ron demanded. Harry handed over a bacon sandwich he'd packed for this very moment and Hermione handed over an apple. Weasley demolished the sandwich quickly and nibbled on the apple for many minutes to make it last.
Neville suggested a chess tournament after the apple disappeared except for the stem.
"Later," Ron replied. "I'm going to walk about and see if the firsties have any food."
Alone in the compartment, the other three Gryffindor students turned their attention to discussing their summer assignments.
The trip ended all too soon for Harry Potter and he said farewell to the others. Once the Weasleys had passed through the floo, Harry removed his outer school robe and followed Hermione through the portal to the muggle side of Kings Cross Station where his friend was swept up by her parents and hurried away.
Harry looked and waited, avoided the eyes of the security officials and other adults by purchasing a carton of milk and sandwich before sitting at a table while waiting for his relatives to appear. After eating, he walked around the car park for a while before returning to the station.
'They've deserted me,' he decided. 'The Dursleys didn't come for me…I'm free!'
It took a few minutes to decide what to do but then he consulted one of the large maps of the underground, traced the route to the street where the Leaky Cauldron was located, and paid for a ticket to carry him to Charing Cross Station.
Spending a pound, Harry bought a cap from a woman with a small case of items to sell at the top of the stairs from the underground. It was flimsy and wouldn't last long without the repairo spell, but it would help hide his identity and get him inside Diagon Alley. With the hat hiding his scar, Harry followed a family through the Leaky Cauldron and into the alley. He made his way to Gringotts, and after queuing for several minutes was directed to side door. There he met a goblin who claimed to be his account manager, and learned the goblin was unhappy with him (and Dumbledore) because he'd never responded to monthly statements with letters demanding meetings.
After a long discussion (without any tea), Harry discovered he had substantial amounts of galleons in various vaults that had sat stagnant since the death of his parents and imprisonment of his godfather. Following the advice of the goblin, (Sharptooth), Harry authorized Gringotts to follow the directions of his grandfather (a wizard named Fleamont Potter) to collect past due debts, raise rents according to lease agreements, make investments in the magical and muggle world, and increase the total wealth of the Potter estate.
'So, I have an estate? And it's just sat there for a dozen years?' Harry marvelled. 'No wonder Aunt Petunia said I was a burden. They never got any money to pay for my food and clothing…still, they could have fed me better.'
'Who is this godfather and why do I care about his vaults?' Harry also wondered.
"When can you return to Gringotts?" demanded Sharptooth.
Blinking for a moment, Harry said, "Tomorrow. I got no other place to go."
The goblin looked surprised and asked, "Don't you have a mansion in Wales where you live with relatives?"
"No, sir. I live with my mother's muggle sister…"
"Squib sister," the goblin corrected the boy.
"Squib sister in Surrey. Or I have until now. They didn't come to the station to pick me up this afternoon."
Now, Sharptooth thought before he said, "Mr Potter, if…when the Aurors ask you about your relatives, tell them that your relatives deserted you in muggle London. The key word is 'deserted' – that will help get you free of the muggles."
"But Dumbledore always says I have to return to my aunt's home."
The goblin hissed in a different language for several moments before returning to English and saying, "The headmaster is a worthless guardian for you Mr Potter. You never…"
After a long pause, the goblin continued, "You do not know me and Gringotts cannot get involved with your situation beyond protecting your financial assets. However, I know a human who is more trustworthy. Return in two days at 9:00 AM. Wizards are slow to be up and about so the bank is never busy before mid-morning. There's someone I want to introduce you to.
"Sure," Harry replied. "If it's a Death Eater, he'll just kill me. Can't be worse than my relatives or my school."
~~~**~~~ Change Scene
30 June Free to Breath and ThinkWith some galleons from his vault and the cap on his head to hide his identity, Harry rented a room at the Leaky Cauldron for two nights. Meals were included in the price and Harry went to bed with a full stomach. He made certain to shrink his trunk again and leave it in the pocket of his dressing gown. He was prepared to pop away in his pyjamas if necessary.
1 July Wandering Around LondonThe next morning, Dobby appeared with three potions for his wizard to drink before the boy ate a full breakfast. Free of his relatives for another day, Harry spent the day wandering around muggle London. He used the underground to visit the Tower of London (and met several ghosts included Queen Anne Boleyn). He stopped at a bookstore on Charing Cross Road and purchased three fiction books to read at night.
'I'll spend one hour on summer homework…drat, maybe I should get it all done so when Dumbledore sends me back to the Dursleys, it'll all be done,' he decided. 'I want better grades next year.'
That night he pulled out his summer assignments and realized he needed three textbooks for the next year to complete the assignments for potions (waste of time), transfiguration (eh…) and charms (interesting). Dobby appeared for a few minutes with potions for Harry to drink before bed and a dozen questions about Harry's adventures that day. The elf also adjusted the boy's clothing – trousers and shirts to fit for another day.
2 July Books and HomeworkThe second day after potions and breakfast, Harry went to the bookshop in the Alley, and used the book list from the previous year for third year students to find the potions, transfiguration, and charms texts.
The witch at the counter whispered, "Don't get this potions book. Snape always switches the books each year just before the letters are sent out. Anyone working ahead will have the wrong answer. Use the third-year potions book from when you were in first year."
"Thanks!" Harry said sincerely. He sat beside an open window in his third-floor room in the Leaky Cauldron and worked on his homework. After lunch, he worked another hour, then took a nap and read one of his novels.
When it was time for supper, he left the window open and ventured down the stairs to the main room of the pub to dine. There wasn't a large crowd – no one recognised the boy with the cap on his head, and Harry found a discarded copy the Daily Prophet. He carried it back up to his room and discovered Hedwig waiting on the back of his bed.
The reunion of wizard and familiar was sweet and the owl carried a letter from Neville Longbottom. His friend wrote about his greenhouses, the boring news his grandmother shared from the Wizengamot (the what's who?), and his work on his homework.
Hedwig stayed with Harry until he prepared for bed, then she flew out to hunt. Dobby appeared with potions and Harry decided his owl would return in the morning to sleep all day on the back of his bed and only fly out at night when no one would notice her distinctive colouring.
~~~**~~~ Change Scene
3 July UnspeakableThe young wizard slept well that night and woke in the morning when his owl returned. They talked for a time about her successful hunting for rats before she went to roost, and he showered and dressed for the day.
After potions, breakfast and glancing at the headlines of the Daily Prophet over a man's shoulder, Harry went out to the alley and bought his own copy. The large headline captured everyone's attention!
'Mysterious Deaths at Malfoy Manor!'
Harry sat in a chair at the ice cream shop that didn't open until 10:00 AM. Here, no one paid any attention to the boy as he read the article about the Department of Magical Law Enforcement being called by a distress call from an Auror. The article reported that the wizard pressed his wand against a rune bracelet on his wrist and the signal brought a squad to Malfoy Manor (home of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy and their son, Draco).
At the manor, the Aurors found the family and several guests dead in the small dining room. It appeared they were having a dinner party to celebrate the return of Draco from his second year at Hogwarts, but the gathering ended with the sudden, painful deaths of the entire family, the Parkinson family (father, son, and daughter) and Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, and his wife.
The minister's security team was also dead – the four Aurors had been eating in the family's breakfast room while the dinner party occurred down the hall. One of men managed to signal the DMLE for assistance.
Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge assumed the role of minister (seized) and demanded the DMLE discover how this assassination of Minister Fudge occurred. The Unspeakables were being consulted but thus far, no one could find any trace of magic or poison. Of course, there was dark magic seeping from several locations in the manor house now that the wards were collapsing (when the owner died without living heir, the wards fell quickly).
Gringotts Bank refused to discuss disposition of the Malfoy fortune so quickly after the deaths until they could perform their own analysis. Minister Umbridge threatened war with the goblins unless the Malfoy estate was handed over to the ministry immediately!
Keeping an eye on the time, Harry got up from the outdoor chair and wandered around the alley until 8:45 when he entered the lobby at Gringotts where he waited for 15 minutes. Then he was ushered down the side door and back into Sharptooth's office.
This morning, he found Sharptooth talking with an average looking man seated in one of the two chairs in front of the account manager's desk. Just looking at the man, Harry could not tell if the individual was a muggle or wizard because he was dressed in muggle clothes with a simple outer robe worn on top.
"Good morning, Mr Potter," the goblin greeted the boy who looked better today. He waved a clawed finger at the other human and introduced, "This man is Edward Tonks, an intelligent muggle-born wizard who has a foot in the magical world and the other in the muggle world."
"Potter? Harry Potter?" Mr Tonks exclaimed. "Sharptooth, you are a devious goblin schemer! You know I've wanted to examine this young man's scar for the years."
"My scar?" asked Harry, stepping backward.
"Yes, Mr Potter."
"Why are you interested in my scar?"
"There are a lot of unanswered questions about the night you received the scar and when you appeared in September 1991, everyone remarked on the wound never having healed. After more than ten years, it should have closed and healed. "
Frowning, Harry explained, "Dumbledore said it is a cursed wound and won't close up."
The goblin and wizard both growled. The goblin spit against the side wall and the wizard muttered about a senile old fool. The human cleared his throat and explained, "That's all the more reason why someone should look at the scar. The matron in the infirmary has seen you in the last two years, hasn't she? At least for your vaccinations and health checks?"
"I've been injured several times at Hogwarts and Madam Pomphrey has a cot in her infirmary that is reserved just for me, but she's never mentioned anything about my scar."
The man turned to the goblin and asked, "Sharptooth, do I have your permission to draw my wand and cast as many as a dozen spells at your client, Mr Harry James Potter?"
"You do have my permission so long as nothing you do causes my client harm. And you do nothing to artificially change his opinions or cause him to take actions not natural to his character."
Harry smirked and asked, "So, you're not a Death Eater?"
Mr Tonks looked surprised by the question. He glanced at the goblin who remained silent. "If you weren't sure if I was a Death Eater or not, why did you come here today?"
"All a Death Eater would do is kill me. I just don't want more pain, hunger, or lies…I don't trust adults!"
Tonks replied, "Magical Britain doesn't look after children properly. You're not the only child to not be properly cared for by healers, professors, or even the Aurors."
"Go ahead and cast your spells," Harry said. "Sharptooth is a busy goblin, and we can't keep him from his duties to the Potter Estate."
"Making certain there is a living Harry Potter to guide the estate is as important as any other task I have," Sharptooth replied. "If you die, the vaults are sealed for a thousand years after the real properties and investments are sold off."
"A thousand years?" exclaimed Harry. "Wow! That'd really impact profits."
The wizard's wand was busy with spells, but Harry thought the man also cast multiple wandless spells but said nothing and tried not to move too much. Parchments began appearing – the creation of a record seemed to surprise the young wizard. The goblin frowned – his client had not received proper medical care from the matron at Hogwarts and had not been seen by a certified Healer since he was old enough to notice things and remember.
The goblin summoned the parchments while the wizard was still casting spells and Harry noticed the goblin turned his head and spit again against the wall beside his desk. There were gouges in the stones as if the spittle was caustic and wore away the stone.
"Well…I'm not sure what to do first? Hunt down Albus Dumbledore and beat him bloody and blue or find the elf that's helping you with potions and give him…whatever he wants."
"Leave…leave my friend alone!" Harry growled. "But I'd pay to see Headmaster Dumbledore take a few blows to the head and body. Use your boots, not just your fists."
The goblin growled and said, "Gringotts cannot interfere in any manner with Mr Potter's health. However, in the name of advancing magical research and knowledge, I believe our Curse Breakers would be interested in examining Mr Potter's scar and experimenting on the magic there."
Mr Tonks assured Harry, "Sharptooth means they would remove the curse from your scar and play with it…examine the magic."
"How much will this cost?" asked Harry.
Sharptooth waved his hand and explained, "No charge if you allow us to keep the magic we draw out of your scar."
"Sure," Harry agreed. He watched Tonks and Sharptooth exchanged looks that seem to replace an entire conversation.
Mr Tonks turned back to Harry and said, "Mr Potter, I work for a special department in the Ministry for Magic. I can't talk about my work, but I endorse Sharptooth's offer without reservation. No one at Saint Mungo's will help you…or could help you. And none of the adults at Hogwarts have done as they should have to provide you with care!"
Harry grimaced and said, "Yeah…that's what I thought. And I'm sorry to hear that about the hospital. I sent them some basilisk venom to regrow Marcus Flint's hand. Do you think they'll just throw it out? My…my friend delivered it anonymously but how likely were they to throw it out?"
"Basilisk?" asked Tonks as he consulted parchments for mention of any physical ailments from an encounter with the King of Snakes.
"Where in the name of everything magical did you find basilisk venom, Potter?" demanded Sharptooth.
"I killed a basilisk a couple weeks ago in the Chamber of Secrets when it was trying…wait…I'm not going to get into trouble if I tell you this, am I?"
"No, Mr Potter," Tonks replied as he pointed to the last entries on the parchments. "You're not going to be trouble."
Sharptooth said, "Tonks, how about viewing Mr Potter's memory?"
"That'll be good."
"And Gringotts protects all of Mr Potter's financial rights to the memory and everything it shows."
"Agreed. I'm not one of the usual flunkies who'll try and steal from a child."
The goblin walked around from his desk and approached the young wizard. He pulled a large crystal out of a pocket and said, "This is a memory rock. If you concentrate on the memory of your encounter with the basilisk, this rock will make a copy of it that we can play here in the office. That'll let Mr Tonks and me see what happened and see if there is any possible financial gain to attempt to harvest the creature."
~~~**~~~ Change Scene