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 08: 17 July Curses at Hogwarts
Healers from Magical Britain were summoned to oversee the wizard's return to London and Saint Mungo's. But before they could collect the elderly wizard, Dumbledore summoned his phoenix and vanished in a ball of flame. Amelia Bones was notified of the wizard's disappearance (escape), and she sent Alastor Moody to Hogwarts to determine the wizard's current condition.
Moody was forced to wait at the gates for a long time until Hagrid ran up, opened the door, and begged Moody to not beat him for being slow.
"I'm not going to hit you, Hagrid," Moody replied. The half-giant profusely thanked the Auror (retired) for his goodness and then ran to return to a spot on the lawn where he again began walking slowly toward the end of the grass. There, the half-giant turned around and slowly repeated his steps back across the lawn.
After watching the groundskeeper for a minute, Alastor walked up to him and asked what the half-giant was doing. Hagrid replied, "I got mow the lawn and it's gotta be perfect if I want any supper. And I gotta get finished before dark so I can't talk."
The Auror (retired) stared at the half-giant who continued walking back and forth on the lawn. He knew the elves kept the grass trimmed perfectly and examined Hagrid with his magical eye, looking for spells (none), compulsions (none), and curses (Bingo!) Examining the curse, Moody realized he had no idea what type of curse had been laid on Hagrid. And he didn't see any anchors that could be pried loose – the curse was wrapped around Hagrid's magical core.
Leaving the groundskeeper behind, Moody walked into the castle, and sought the professors. None of them were readily available so Moody called for an elf. An ancient elf popped into the entry hall, bowed her head and greeted the visitor.
"Where are the professors?"
"Wicked Jezebel knows that Miss Kitty is in her classroom, dusting the furniture and crying because her hands hurt," the elf replied. "Poppyseed Pommels washing windows in the Gryffindor Towers. Professor Who Once was Charming is shelving books in the library. Mean Library Penny's head hurts but she must sweep all the steps into the Star Towers above all castle."
"Did the headmaster return today?"
The elf grinned and replied, "Yes, Lemony-drops Whiskers being washing floor in Great Hall and crying because he be terrible hungry."
"Hungry?" Moody asked as he turned and hobbled toward the doors leading to the Great Hall. Pushing open the door, Alastor was surprised to find Albus on his knees scrubbing the floor with muggle brushes and cold, soapy water. Not interrupting the wizard in his tasks, Moody turned his magical eye toward Albus and again looking for spells (a few fading spells that Albus cast on himself to make his beard always look lustrous), compulsions (none), and curses (Bingo again!)
Examining the magic again, Moody found it to be the same magic that was attached to Hagrid. However, the magic wrapped around Dumbledore's magical core was a stronger by a factor of at least ten!
'What the bloody Merlin is going on this summer?' wondered Moody before he returned to the entry hall and called for the elf again.
He said, "Come with me to see Professor McGonagall."
~~~***~~~~ Change Scene
In the transfiguration classroom, Moody and Wicked Jezebel found Minerva dusting the furniture frantically. She cried, "I got to be finished before dark or no foods for freak! No foods for freaks!"
Moody tried to talk with McGonagall, and she seemed to recognize him, but she kept working, cringed back, and said, "Now I must iron the bedding for all the students. It must be perfect!"
As with the others, the curse magic was wrapped around McGonagall's magical core. He sighed and stepped into a hallway before conjuring his Patronus – a vicious bulldog – and he sent it with a message to Amelia, "There are curses on everyone at Hogwarts. Send a triage team, a relief team, and order Saint Mungo's to send their curse breakers. I don't think they can do anything, but we've got to go through the motions."
~~~***~~~~ Change Scene
Moody made his way to the Gryffindor to examine Madam Pomphrey – the same curse was wrapped around her magical core. He made his way to the Astronomy Tower to check on Madam Pence – again the curse was present. Finally, he made his way to the library and found the goblin-half-breed, struggling to climb the steps of ladder with a stack of books that needed to be returned to the shelves.
Flitwick was in his right mind because he said, "Greetings, Alastor Moody. I can't offer you a duel today because you find me in the house of pain and regret."
Moody's magical eye scanned the goblin-sized wizard and frowned. "There is a curse wrapped around your magical core, but it is not a strong…not wrapped as tightly as the ones around the others."
"Will you believe me if I explain what is happening?" Flitwick asked.
Honest enough to admit he wouldn't, Moody replied, "I've never trusted you. Goblin blood means you're always planning to betray wizards."
"Then figure it out for yourself," Flitwick replied. "I have books to shelf before I can eat tonight."
~~~***~~~~ Change Scene
Moody returned to the entry hall to find Amelia Bones and two teams of Aurors spreading around the castle. Their orders were to observe the professors but to not interfere with them going about their tasks. Amelia growled as she sent another Patronus to St Mungo's wondering where the healers were.
"Report," Amelia ordered when Moody was close enough to hear her growls.
"They're all cursed – a strong curse that's wrapped around their magical core and it'll last years. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Pomphrey, Pence and Flitwick are cursed," Moody revealed and explained what he'd found when he spoke and examined the staff members in the castle.
"What about Sprout?" asked Amelia, concerned about her old head of house.
"I don't see her," Moody replied.
"Elf!" demanded Bones. Wicked Jezebel appeared and the witch took a deep breath and took a step back. "Thank you, elf. We're very worried about the professors. Do you know where Professor Sprout is?"
"Nice Professor Green Lady be in Kent working in greenhouses to find new magical plants for potions. She not coming back to Hogwarts until month turns over."
Amelia cast her Patronus, and the large panther appeared. "Pomona, Hufflepuff emergency! Return to Hogwarts immediately! Don't bother to pack!"
Moody pursed his lips and said nothing to see the network that managed problems in Magical Britain go to work. Amelia spoke to the leaders of her Auror teams, making them turn pale but nod.
She fixed her eye on Moody and swore, "No one hears about this. If the Daily Prophet prints one word about this catastrophe, I will hire hit wizards to hunt down Rita Skeeter and put her in the ground instead of funeral pyre."
Moody grinned, "Saying that for my benefit? Or hopeful that Skeeter has some instincts for self-preservation?"
"I hope she doesn't. I have found the perfect hit wizard to remove that reporter if… when she gives me an excuse." Bones stared at the door, hopeful of seeing healers coming through the door. "Where are the healers? Is Saint Mungo's closed or just slow?"
Snorting, Moody said, "After twelve years of Severus Snape as the potion's instructor, Saint Mungo's is understaffed and will be for years to come. I have the basilisk venom to regrow my leg, but no one can brew the potion for the next month."
"Poetic justice," Amelia muttered. "Dumbledore needs healers to figure out what's wrong and because he kept that Death Eater at Hogwarts, he'll not get the level of care he needs."
"Say that again?"
"What part? He'll not get the level of care he needs?"
"No, the first… 'poetic justice.' Dumbledore is experiencing justice," Moody muttered. He paused before he continued, "They are suffering a justice curse."
~~~***~~~~ Change Scene
17 July RevelationsAmelia was quiet as she searched her mind for information about such curses and turned to stride into Great Hall and cast several spells on Albus Dumbledore. The elderly wizard was exhausted but continued to splash the cold soapy water on the floor. His face was streaked with tears of fear, and fatigue.
The headmaster didn't dare look away from his job and never noticed the spells that were absorbed to provide information to the Director of the DMLE. She took a deep breath and said, "Merlin, who has the power to cast this type of spell? It would take a coven of Unspeakables on their best day to lay the foundation of this curse and then it would consume their power for another week!"
A messenger ran into the entry hall, Auror Trainee (First Class), Nymphadora Tonks appeared, saluted and delivered a message from Rufus Scrimgeour. Reading the message, Amelia turned to Moody and said, "Alastor, go with young Auror Tonks to Edinburgh. There's been another spontaneous combustion that's proving troublesome."
"Do tell."
"The werewolf Fenrir Greyback was stalking a muggleborn child when he burst into flames, but his ashes keep trying to regenerate his body. The Oblivators don't have a clue how to end the werewolf's agony that's lasted at least an hour."
Moody looked at Tonks and motioned for her to follow him out of the castle. Amelia heard Moody ask, "Any ideas, Trainee?"
"Yes sir." Tonks replied. "Put his ashes inside a silver box until they cool down."
"Or the flames melt the silver, and the liquid silver absorbs the ashes."
~~~***~~~~ Change Scene
As soon as Moody and Tonks disappeared, Amelia left her most dependable leader in charge of the entry hall and made her way to the library to talk with Professor Flitwick. The part-goblin wizard always offered great insight into the strange events in Magical Britain and Director Bones was well-aware for Moody's prejudice against the brilliant dueller because of his mixed ancestry.
Striding into the library, Amelia followed the sounds of laboured breathing to find the charms professor trying to climb a human-sized ladder with an armful of books for a top shelf. She couldn't tell if the books belonged on the top shelf or not, but the professor was determined to stack them there.
"Hello, Director Bones," Flitwick greeted the witch. "Have you come to investigate our sad penance in this land of regrets?"
"Are you regretful, Professor Charming?"
A tear ran down Flitwick's face when he heard that favourite name his students gave him. He confessed, "I don't deserve any praise, dear lady."
Amelia pursed her lips and asked, "What happened?"
"I recognized something was off this morning when I kept washing the mirror in my bathroom after taking a cold shower. I couldn't drink my tea – it had no taste and flowed out of my mouth. And my stomach ached because it is so empty."
Waiting, the witch heard Filius Flitwick explain how he'd used the floo to travel to Gringotts and after sweeping the hallways, he'd made it to the infirmary where the goblin healers sent for the curse breakers. And then those goblins sent for the elder from his clan to sit and talk with him for a long time. "My eldest stone declared that Mother Magic has cursed me to suffer for justice. I failed… I ignored a child at Hogwarts who suffered a decade of abuse, hunger, and pain."
"You? Professor Flitwick, why?" asked Amelia as she cast the same spells on the half-goblin wizard and wondered at the differences between the results from Dumbledore and Flitwick.
"Dumbledore ordered me to do nothing, and I wasn't brave enough to stand up to him. He threatens to fire me every year or two and there's nothing else I can do for a living except work as a hit wizard or curse breaker."
"Who is the child?"
"Harry Potter."
~~~~**~~~ Change Scene
20 July The Basilisk HeartConcerned that their primary financial patron and the bribe-able minister were both dead, the remaining Death Eaters gathered at the home of Greg Avery on a Thursday evening. Avery was not the best host and failed to provide food or drink during the first discussions. Present with Avery were Thomas Mulciber, Evan Rosier, Stanley Goyle, William Crabbe, Paul Selwyn, Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, and Walden MacNair.
Rosier listed the recent deaths, "Snape burned up, the Lestrange trio. and the others in Azkaban all suffocated to death, and Malfoy, Parkinson, and Fudge all died some other way. "
"MacNair, have you heard anything at the ministry?"
"No, the DMLE is keeping a tight lid on all the reports – things are sent to the Department of Mysteries, not the regular archives."
"What about the bullpen in the DMLE, Mulciber? You're a senior class Auror, what have you learned?
The Auror replied, "Nothing! Director Bones is tight lipped, Scrimgeour checks everyone every day for charms and obliviating. No one knows anything!"
"Well, I learned something important today," reported Antonin Dolohov.
"What?" asked several voices.
"Rumour is that the Boy-Who-Lived is staying at the Leaky Cauldron this summer," the Death Eater replied. "We can kidnap him and kill him without any problem."
This declaration began a ten-minute discussion about how to kill Harry Potter followed by a second ten-minute debate on kidnapping, killing and returning the body, or simply sealing up the Leaky Cauldron and burning the Boy-Who-Lived alive along with every other patron inside the establishment.
Two Death Eaters worried about violating the Statute of Secrecy, but the rest of the group ignored the idea of any problems with the muggles if the building burned. They demanded that Avery provide them with appropriate drinks to toast their act of vengeance for the death of the Dark Lord.
Goyle said, "Tonight, muggles and wizards will fear the Death Eaters once again when we kill Harry Potter!"
Greg Avery frowned but was overwhelmed by the agreement of the other surviving Death Eaters (thugs and morons). He ordered an elf to bring tumblers of fire whiskey to the room. A table with a tray of tumblers with the drink appeared – there wasn't a bottle present and Avery smiled – one drink was all he'd provide to these idiots.
Each Death Eater grabbed a tumbler and waited for MacNair to raise his tumbler and shout, "The Death Eaters shall be feared again after tonight!"
They all drank the fiery whiskey down in a single gulp and waited for the flames to erupt from their mouths and ears. But no flames erupted from their mouths. However, inside their bellies and throats, flames were born and burned away the tissues and fluids. Their lungs were unharmed, so every Death Eater died screaming that they were on fire inside.
Nancy Avery, Greg Avery's wife, remained in her bedroom with their two small children for more than an hour with the door barred and blocked by the dresser and bed as well as every locking spell she and the elves knew.
After an hour, she asked one of the elves to explore the house while invisible and the elf returned after only five minutes to inform his mistress, she was now a widow, and that her husband and his 'friends' all lay dead in the lounge of the hunting lodge where they'd been hiding.
"Pokey, you and Poppie take the children to the manor house. I'll call you to come get me after a while," Mrs Avery said. "Obey no one until I call you or you feel something happen to me. If they arrest me, come get me and we'll leave the country."
"Yes, Mistress Nancy," the elf said before he popped away with his fellow elf. They would prepare the children's room and Mrs Avery's private bedroom at the Avery Manor house for their arrival later that day.
Dobby Potter Elf smiled as he vanished the rest of the poison that was a mixture of Basilisk Venom, Heart, and Blood blended with Sheep's Milk. The Death Eaters had talked for a long time about killing his Mr Harry Potter, allowing the Avery House elves to warn Dobby who appeared with the poison. Dobby filled the tumblers with the poison, and he popped the table and tray into the lounge where Greg Avery and his guests plotted to violate the Statute of Secrecy. He remained until the Death Eaters were all dead and nothing could revive them.
When Mrs Avery used the floo to call the DMLE offices, Dobby popped away. The Avery elves would rescue their innocent mistress if necessary. He had protected his friend, Mr Harry Potters once again from the evil wizards who plotted to kill him.
'Evil master and his friends wanted to kill my Mr Harry Potter. Evil Master sent evil book to Hoggiewarts to kill everyone. Evil Several Snap wanted to kill Mr Harry Potters many times! And the evil ones in the rock prison would kill everyone who not worship the stupid Darkness Fake Lord,' Dobby remembered. '