Severus Snape detested most things but most of all he detested the start of term.

The potions master stood before a row of steaming cauldrons in the front of a bricked dungeon made of arches filled with rows of school tables. Pepper up was a rudimentary potion but necessary for newly inducted snot nosed brats, were bound to injure themselves and develops nasty colds. Brewing potion after potion was like forcing his brain through a sieve but at the very least, he could savour the quiet monotony he was afforded during the last weeks of summer.

"Severus there you are!"

He jumped at the sight of Albus Dumbledore standing at the entrance to the dungeon wearing an open robe with no trousers. Where those his testicles almost at his knees?

"Professor, what on earth are you doing?"

"I cannot for the life of me find my dress robes, the blue ones with the spangly gnomes?"

"I- yes I remember you wearing them last week to Fillius' birthday party, quite vividly."

"Last week? No, no Severus my dear, Fillius birthday is not until August. I was hoping to wear them to the end of year feast."

"The end of year feast? Are you drunk?"

"No, are you?"

Remus Lupin a dishevelled sandy haired man who looked to be in his thirties, slammed the daily prophet on the bar counter so forcefully the Three Broomsticks almost shook. Rosmerta the barmaid and Hagrid shook their heads in sorrow.

THE BOY WHO LIVED MISSING.

Elrod Greengrass.

Harry Potter the only known person to survive the killing curse has disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

Ten years ago, whilst Harry Potter was still an infant He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named chose to target his family murdering both of his parents. However, when the Dark Lord turned his wand on little Harry the killing curse failed. He-who-Must-not-be-named was defeated that very night but the details have remained unclear since. Some believe Harry's magic forced the killing curse to rebound betraying it's castor, other's believe the Dark Lord fled.

Harry is celebrated in our community as a hero and saviour but it seems the muggle relatives who took him in after his parents' death only saw him as burden.

Harry Potter's father was James Potter, the last pureblood of a well-respected wizarding family, his mother was muggle-born Lily Potter nee Evans. Being the last of Potters, Harry was sent to live with his only living muggle relatives Vernon and Petunia Dursley.

An insider reports, that the boy lived in squalor and was forced to eat scraps sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs for most of his life. The Dursleys who harboured a great hatred of magic tolerated Harry in their home until he received his Hogwart's letter. Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the keys at Hogwarts tells of the day he received his invitation.

"He was ever such a polite, sensible boy and really excited to be going to Hogwart's. But the Dursley's did not seem happy about it at all. I could tell they were the wrong sort but I had no idea they were this bad"

Several weeks before his first day at Hogwart's, ministry officials were alerted that the boy was missing, the Dursley's having reported the incident themselves after finding an empty bedroom and mattress full of blood.

Alastor Moody, head of the auror department has released the following report, "Harry Potter 11 was reported missing from his home in Surrey on the 12th of August with evidence of him being injured and abducted. We have good reason to believe that this is linked to Death Eater activity. Any sightings are to be reported to the Auror department immediately."

The ministry are at present investigating this as likely case of abduction by former followers of You-Know-Who but given the evidence of how the Dursley family treated little Harry Potter, this case leaves a lot to be desired.

Hagrid wept into a tankard of mead, "I wouldn't have sent him back if I had known."

Rosmerta soothed Hagrid. "There now, how were any of us to know?"

"I should have known, he's my best friends son." The vivid scars that decorated Remus' skin deepened with bitter frustration, "I should have visited."

"Why did he go them in the first place?" Asked Rosmerta as she poured Remus another shot of whisky. "Surely a hundred wizarding families would have taken him."

Remus felt a pang of guilt, "Dumbledore said it was best. I never questioned it." Remus swirled the contents of glass wishing he could drown in them. "I never met them personally. I knew Lily wrote letters to her sister which never received replies for but," Remus looked up at Rosmerta's pretty face with a look that was almost pleading, "I never knew she was like this. That she could do this."

Rosmerta squeezed his hand, "We can't be sure it was them. I mean, they did call the Aurors after all."

Hagrid hiccupped, " Moody thinks it's death eaters, not sure myself."

Remus sighed, "Let's hope it's neither."

Harry skulked amongst a set of extravagant hedges that took the form of life sized elephants. The elephants lined the outer edge of large marble stone path zigzagged with rows of immaculate green grass and flowers leading up to an opulent manor. Just ahead, standing at the large double front doors obscured by a fountain, was a man with very long white blond hair wearing a sweeping set of velvet navy wizarding robes. He waited as a balding pot belied man with a very straight back made his way up the path. He wore a dark open robes with trouser suite underneath.

"Maximus, a pleasure to see you. Come in. Come in."

Lucius Malfoy and Maximus Nott sauntered in and shut the door behind them. Harry who'd been prowling the yard since the early hours of the morning was waiting for some opportunity to be able to enter the house without setting off alarms but had no luck thus far. He had half a mind to cast Accio Tom Riddle's diary, but this would be too obvious.

Thankfully no one had seen him albeit he was well disguised with the disillusionment charm. He kneeled down.

"Why is Harry Potter hiding in the bushes? Peoples are looking for you." Harry almost jumped.

Staring back at him were the large pale green eyes of Dobby the house elf, his long thin nose almost touching his. Annoyingly, his camouflage was slowly fading away.

"Dobby!"

"The great Harry Potter knows Dobby's name?"

Harry didn't quite know what to do, "Ah yes Dobby, we're friends. Great friends." It was technically true, especially for Harry. Seeing Dobby after having buried his frail body with his own hands was extremely hard.

"Dobby is being the friend of Harry Potter?"

"Yes Dobby, listen please don't mention that I'm here to any of the Malfoy's. I'm kind of hiding."

"And listening to their conversations."

"Yes! I mean no!"

"Dobby would do anything for the great Harry Potter but betraying my masters…." he appeared to drift into his own thoughts but then proceeded to violently bash his floppy eared head into the hedge. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"Please stop!" Harry cast a full body bind on him, "I don't want you hurt yourself Dobby and I really need you not to make noise."

Harry then had a thought, it wasn't great one but it was all he had right now, he released the curse, "Dobby, could you please get me into Manor and then if you like….I can work out a way to free you. Free you from the Malfoys. Forever." He said the last part very slowly trying to gage Dobby's reaction.

"A Free Dobby? Dobby could be free? Bad Dobby, evil Dobby!" This time he banged his head on the floor with Harry allowing him to finish his chant whilst under a silencing charm.

He thought for a moment and then decided on a course of action, "First get me into the house, somewhere quiet, where no one will see me. Then offer Mr. Nott something to drink like a gillywater so he'll need the loo. Then I'll wait in the nearest bathroom and you stay by Mr. Malfoy's side. Just don't mention my name to him. Can you do that?"

When dobby nodded, Harry felt relieved. Was he always this eager to leave the Malfoy's?

"Harry Potter is not hurting anyone is he?"

Remembering the time Dobby had almost killed him with a bludger Harry thought this was a little hypocritical, "No Dobby, I wouldn't hurt anyone."

Dobby grabbed his arm and apparated into what looked to be empty guest room ready with silk sheets and baroque furniture. Dobby smiled for the first time and then placed finger to his lips as disappeared with another snap.

Harry whipped out a light silvery invisibility cloak vanishing underneath as he made his way through the sweeping manor and into the lounge where Malfoy and Nott sat having a very intense conversation about hair care products. Nott stroked his almost bald head as they did so.

When Dobby entered with a tray of drinks, Harry took his opportunity to enter the library opposite. Unsurprisingly, the room went on for miles, a vast matrix of books. Hermione would have love this place and she would have hated that it belonged to Malfoy. There was no way he was going to find the diary amongst so many books and there was no guarantee Lucius kept it here anyway. Then there was the little problem of Umbridge who may have beaten him to it.

Dobby was waiting for Harry in the lavatory, "Dobby gave cough potion mixed with brandy."

Harry suspected that particular combination would knock him out not fill his bladder up but low and behold Dobby must have been right as not long after they'd settled back into position Nott had burst into the bathroom. Seconds later Nott was on his back, a duplicate of himself standing over him.

Harry looked into the mirror, he wasn't quite sure the chin was right but it would have to do. He couldn't spend all evening practicing his transfiguration skills. Harry wasn't too worried about imitating him, he'd interviewed Maximus Nott after the war many times. He had a northern lilt, a dark sense of humour and an undying dedication to the dark lord.

Lucius swept up to him as locked the bathroom door, "You've been a long time."

Lucius' pale blue eyes met his.

"Old man's bladder."

"Unfortunate. You should see Healer Riley, he's excellent with that kind of thing, I hear."

Lucius guided him back to lavish lounge area and they continued to chat about various inane topics including, wizard prostates, the price of parchment and grooming pubic hair.

Harry struggled to keep up almost laughing on several occasions, "it gets right in between you know, vanishes the hairs too hard to reach but be careful not to use too much, Crabbe's testicles went missing completely. His wife did managed to undo it though. Poor woman."

"Went missing longer than Harry Potter I'll bet."

Lucius stopped for a second.

But then laughed so hard he almost fell of his chair. It wasn't that funny.

"Hey um, talking about Harry Potter I was just wondering….."

He leaned forward and whispered, "Have you had word from the dark lord, felt your mark?"

Lucius shook his head and frowned, "No…..I'll admit I thought the same but no, you?"

"No, I thought he might come to me if he was, if he was back. He left me with something important."

Lucius sat up straight, "He did?"

Harry took a chance and pulled out Slytherin's locket, "He told me to keep it safe."

Lucius took the locket and traced his fingers around the engraved locked, he deliberated but then handed it back, "He left me something too."

Harry cheered inside when Lucius returned as quickly as he left holding up the black leather bound diary, "I'm supposed to leave it with a student at Hogwarts. Someone fragile."

"Why haven't you Lucius?"

He looked panicked, "I haven't found the right time! And I'm not really sure what it is even. Who do I leave it with exactly."

"May I?"

Harry took the diary and flicked through the pages which he knew to be empty. Should he curse him and run now? He looked down at Dobby who stood dutifully two paces behind.

Harry slammed the book on the table and stood up, "Elf! Bring us some more brandy. If the dark lord is to return, we should celebrate should we not!"

Lucius looked gleeful, "Indeed we should!"

Harry pulled off Nott's tie as he poured generous measures of amber liquid into crystal tumblers throwing down the tie. He indicated for Lucius to stand up and take the tumbler allowing sufficient distraction to conceal the tie within the book.

"To the dark lord!"

"To the dark lord!"

Harry threw back the brandy and thrust himself back into his chair his short fat legs flying up as he went down knocking the pitcher with a smash. The spilled liquid reached the edges of the diary.

"Ah sorry about that Lucius."

Lucius did not seem too fussed, handling the book with a lazy hand, "Dobby, put this back in its place, now."

Dobby opened the book immediately jumping up and down, "Master has given Dobby a tie! Master gave clothes to Dobby."

"What?"

"Dobby is free. Master has given Dobby a book with a tie inside of it."

Lucius looked from Nott to Dobby and then back to Harry again spluttering, "I did not give you that tie!"

Just then the real Nott made his way around the corner stumbling over his trousers. Harry could see the veins in Malfoy's forehead.

He held out a hand, "Come on Dobby!"