Snips and Scars In Which Elves are Helpful, a harry potter fanfic

Chapter 46, everybody! Still working on that buffer….

In other news, Kreacher is much more inclined to be helpful now—didn't first intend for him to be in this chapter but then I recalled the past handful of chapters and went 'yeah he'd be willing to help out.'

Also Malfoy's a little farther on his redemption arc than in canon since he doesn't have a head of house that needs to play both sides plus the whole thing with second year. And real talk, he probably was asking Dobby how Buckbeak was every ten minutes or so.

Slytherinsal, thanks for the review! Sassy Harry is sassy. XD Ooh I like the wand idea, may I use that?

FaolenBookWolf, thanks for the review! Yes such a good movie, and it's been fun poking and prodding at canon. :D

DragonB0b, thanks for the review! I agree, Sirius and Remus would love Miguel and Tulio's antics (fun fact, Miguel and Lockhart are played by the same guy). Sirius is named after the dog star, so I feel like maybe he would have picked up on that naming convention. XD

Thanks for the review, guest! Good to be regularly updating again! We'll get to see some more Snips this chapter, don't worry.

The actual Quidditch match was awesome and Harry was pretty sure that he'd be seriously considering a career in Quidditch for a while. Was definitely itching to get back to the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch so he could practice some of those moves they had seen.

It was well into the night before any of them decided to retire, Ginny having to due to falling asleep and spilling her hot chocolate, the rest of them following soon after. Harry was looking forward to pleasant dreams—

Had those shattered, sitting bolt upright as Sirius leaped to his feet, growling in the direction of the tent flap.

"What? What izzit?" Ron asked, flailing for his wand.

"Probably the Irish getting their pride on," Fred groaned, rolling over. "Go back to sleep."

Percy grumbled, untangling himself from his bed and heading for the tent flap. "Gonna tell them off…blatant disregard for the Statute of Secrecy—"

"It's not the Irish," Mr. Weasley said, already at the tent flap.

Something in his tone shocked Harry fully awake. "What is it?"

"It's bad," Mr. Weasley said, running back in and shaking them awake and out of bed. "Hurry up—no don't bother getting dressed just get your shoes and your wands I am giving you permission to use them—"

"What's going on?" Harry asked, panic starting to set in fully as Snips darted for his shoulders. Looked sharply at the sound of an explosion and screaming.

"Listen," Remus said, a hand on his shoulder as the adults started herding the kids together. "When we get out, you kids need to run for the woods, okay? It'll be easier for you to hide there, we'll come find you when it's safe—"

"Someone please answer the question," Ron demanded.

Sirius finally shifted back to human form, wand at the ready, still snarling. "Death Eaters."

That stilled everyone, Harry making the connection a few seconds later, recalling Sirius explaining about Voldemort's followers after everything with Pettigrew—

"Okay kids get ready we're going to need you to run," Mr. Weasley said. "Harry, hurry up!"

"I can't find my wand!" Harry said, scrambling at his bed and clothing.

"Accio Harry's wand!" Remus said frantically—Harry's panic deepened when nothing happened.

"We'll find it later," Charlie said, shoving them towards the tent flap. "Look, when we say run, you run."

Why became clear as soon as they were out, Hermione grabbing Harry's hand and taking off, Harry grabbing Ron and Ron grabbing Ginny as Fred and George tore after them, the adults heading the other way—towards fire, towards masked wizards levitating the Muggle family that lived nearby high above the ground.

"That is sick," Ron muttered, staring back. "That is so sick—"

By then they were deep in the woods, focusing on not tripping, stumbling into a clearing and against each other, clinging tightly, everyone but Harry with their wands pointing outwards—

Harry hadn't really thought too much about what would happen if he were ever wandless, but now that he had that reality crashing down hard on him, realizing how vulnerable he really was—all the spells he knew were useless without a way to use them—

"OW!"

"WHAT!?" Ron squawked, trying to see everywhere at once.

"Snips!" Harry hissed—cut off quickly when the little batlike creature clung to his face, doing his level best to stare him down. Deep breath—

"Okay fine, get off," Harry said, peeling Snips off his face. "Now what?"

"We wait?" Hermione asked, voice wavering.

"For now," George said. "Hey—hey it's okay Gin, we'll keep you safe," he said, hugging his sniffling sister close.

"This is not going on my list of favorite days anymore," Ginny said thickly.

"Granted, it's not making our top ten either," Fred said—yelped when a rock came sailing his way.

"Will you shut up?"

"Malfoy!?" Harry squawked, recognizing the other boy as he stuck his head in the clearing. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, this is the latest new spot—what do you think!?" Malfoy hissed back, gesturing the way they had come. "And no, I'm not stopping here and you shouldn't either. Especially you, Granger."

"Since when do you care?" Hermione asked.

"They're hunting Muggles—and they're not going to be making any distinctions with M…with Muggleborns or blood traitors."

"Perhaps we will acknowledge this advice," Fred said, waving his wand a little. "Come on, deeper in. You too, Malfoy."

Malfoy seemed a little confused by this inclusion, shot one last look through the trees before following.

"Why would someone attack the Final, though?" Harry wondered aloud as they ventured deeper into the woods. "There's tons of wizards here, loads of Ministry officials…it has to be the worst place to attack right now."

"Drunk, my guess," Ron said. "Or stupid."

Malfoy looked like he dearly wanted to comment but refrained.

"But so long as they have those poor Muggles, no one can do anything to them," Hermione said. "If they attack those people, then they'll fall."

"Dad and the others'll sort them out," George said. "Think we're far enough in yet?"

Something fairly close exploded, a deep groaning reaching them—Harry connected it with a tree falling right as the splintering crash of it connecting with the ground happened.

"That would be a no, dear Georgie," Fred said. "Pity Percy went the other way—he could have at least apparated Ginny out of harm's way first."

"Granted, if you want to start splitting hairs everyone else could have apparated all of us out of the way first."

"I blame sleepiness and panic."

"Agreed."

"This isn't helping us," Ginny pointed out.

"Talking staves off the slow descent into madness."

"Or hysteria," Fred added.

"OW!" Harry barked. "What, Snips?"

Snips flew over to Ginny's head, since she was next to Fred and George and their lit wands, bounced up and down before tugging two feathers out and miming groveling.

"Not sure how that helps us," Ron said.

Snips sighed, stamped on Ginny's head twice.

"Two words," Ginny offered.

"Okay. First word…two?"

"Are we seriously playing charades in a forest with…whatever that thing is?" Malfoy demanded.

"This too, helps stave off the madness," George said.

"I think it's achieving the opposite."

Harry, however, felt he had pieced enough together to figure out what Snips was after. "The summer before second year," he said. "How I got to the Burrow."

Snips pointed at Harry.

"Oh right!" Ron said. "Except we don't have a house elf."

"I mean Sirius has Kreacher," Harry said. "But I don't—"

"Master Harry asked for Kreacher?"

Harry—and the rest of them—yelped and leaped back at Kreacher's sudden appearance behind him. "Kreacher!? But—why—how—"

"Master Harry called for Kreacher," Kreacher said, bowing. "Master Harry talked Master Sirius into letting Kreacher preserve the Black family heirlooms; Kreacher is indebted, he is."

"Um," Harry noised, not sure how to take this—or the fact that Kreacher looked worlds better now, certainly not like the pile of dirty rags he had resembled before. "I—we can talk about that later," he said at the sound of another explosion. "Listen—Kreacher, we're in danger here. Can you transport us somewhere safer, like the Burrow?"

Kreacher considered the group before him. "Kreacher would have to make several trips."

"Start with Ginny and Hermione please."

"Harry while I appreciate the chivalry I think you should go before me," Hermione said as Kreacher went to Ginny. "I still have my wand, you don't."

"What do you mean, you don't have your wand?" Malfoy demanded.

"It was chaotic and dark and we really don't have time for this right now," Harry countered, wincing at the sound of another explosion. "Unless you have a way to speed this up—"

Malfoy glanced at Kreacher—blinked like something occurred to him. "Wait—Dobby!"

Another crack, and then another very familiar house elf appeared.

"Master Draco, Buckbeak has been fed and brushed and has fresh straw still, like the last time you asked," Dobby said, bowing and wringing his hands. "Buckbeak is also asleep, sir, so—"

"Wait—Dobby?" Harry squawked, making the house elf jump.

"Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked, glancing rapidly between Harry and Malfoy.

"Wait—how do you know my house elf?" Malfoy demanded.

"HA!" Ron barked, pointing. "I told you it was Malfoy!"

"WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION LATER," Fred said loudly as another tree fell.

"Right—Dobby can you help Kreacher get us all to the Burrow? It's an emergency."

"Potter that's my house elf I give him orders," Malfoy spat at him—thought about it a second before giving Dobby a surly look. "What he said."

Dobby nodded and bowed. "Of course, sirs."

"Right. Hermione," Harry said, looking at her.

"Fine, but you go with Dobby," Hermione said, pointing at him.

"How does everyone know my house elf?" Malfoy demanded.

"Later," Harry said, accepting Dobby's hand, Malfoy taking the other.

"Hurry back," Ron said, glancing nervously at where red was starting to seep through the trees.

There was a crack, and then they were right in front of the Burrow, Hermione thanking Kreacher before running for them.

"Thanks Dobby," Harry said. "Can you get Ron too? I think Kreacher is getting Fred and George."

"Yes sir! Sorry sir," Dobby added to Malfoy before blinking away.

"Is there a way to apparate like house elves do?" Harry asked, still staring at the spot where Dobby disappeared. "Because it seems a lot less fussy than regular apparition."

"Go back to you knowing my house elf," Malfoy demanded.

"Summer before second year, Dobby shows up at my aunt and uncle's telling me not to come back to Hogwarts," Harry said. "I think he found out about the diary and figured I'd be in the most danger. After…well after that he gave me a lift to the Burrow."

Malfoy arched an eyebrow.

"After my uncle gave me a pair of black eyes," Harry added. "So I'm going to say Dobby viewed it as an emergency."

"What's your uncle doing giving you a shiner?" Malfoy asked.

"Let's just say my uncle has strong opinions on magic in general, house elves in his house in particular, and me especially."

"But that's over now," Hermione said, looking over at Fred, George and Ron appearing, two house elves with them. Ginny had already run into the house, which had prompted Mrs. Weasley to come out to check them all over.

"Oh thank goodness you're all alright the clock had you all at mortal peril is that everyone? Where's Arthur? Bill? Charlie? Percy?"

"They're helping stop those guys," Harry offered. "Er…Kreacher I'm not sure if you can check in on them and make sure they're all right without putting yourself in danger—"

"Kreacher appreciates the concern," Kreacher said. "Master Sirius is not dead, if that helps. Kreacher would have felt him go."

"Er, how?"

"Because Kreacher serves the Black house."

That didn't clear things up for Harry at all. "Well…can you check, at least, and if everything's calmed down let them know that we're all safe at the Burrow?"

"Kreacher can do this," Kreacher said, bowing before disappearing.

"Thank you!" Harry yelled, not sure if Kreacher heard. Turned to look at Malfoy, who looked discomfited at Mrs. Weasley checking him over for injuries as well.

"Er…Dobby you can let Mum know I'm all right," Malfoy muttered to Dobby.

"Yes, sir," Dobby said, bowing at him before bowing at Harry and the others. "It was good to see you again, sirs and ma'ams."

"Despite the fact that this is the first time most of us have ever seen him," Ron said. "And seeing as how we're all safe and sound: ha I was right that was Malfoy's house elf."

"Is now really the time to be gloating?" Hermione demanded.

"Of course."

"Get inside, get inside, all of you," Mrs. Weasley said, scanning the garden as she shooed them in, like those goons had followed them somehow. "Oh I hope the others are okay—"

"I'm sure they're fine, Mrs. Weasley," Harry offered, despite not knowing if that was truthful.

"Yeah Mum, Charlie wrestles dragons all day and Bill's a cursebreaker," George offered.

"Don't forget Percy talking them to death about thin-bottomed cauldrons," Fred added.

"Right. Those Death Eaters won't know what hit them."

"Death Eaters!?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

"I didn't tell her that part, George," Ginny said.

"So we gathered," Fred said.

"What are Death Eaters doing at the Final!?" Mrs. Weasley demanded. "That—with all that security—how did they even get in!?"

"They bought tickets just like everyone else," Malfoy muttered, arms crossed as he stared sullenly at the floor.

Eventually though Mrs. Weasley got them all sat and served hot chocolate as they told her what happened, her constantly going back to the clock and fretfully checking the hands. Harry could understand after looking at the clock itself: instead of regular hands it had hands for every Weasley, and currently four of them were pointed at mortal peril. It wasn't very comforting.

They had just about finished their story when Kreacher popped back in.

"Master Sirius, Remus Lupin, and the Weasleys are all right," he reported. "They are staying to help with the mess left, but wish to compliment you on your quick thinking." This with a general nod at them.

"Thank you," Harry said in the midst of gusted sighs of relief—which then switched to yips of alarm when Dobby popped in.

"Mistress Malfoy wants you home, sir," Dobby said, tugging on Malfoy's robe.

Malfoy fiddled with his mug a moment, like he was debating, before nodding and standing.

"Thank you for the hot chocolate," he muttered.

"Say hi to Buckbeak for us?" Harry offered.

Malfoy nodded curtly, Dobby giving them all a little wave before they both disappeared.

"Is it just me, or is Malfoy less of a git than when we first started?" Ron asked. "Because I'm not sure how to handle this."

"It's called growth, Ron," Hermione said. "Maybe he's started to be around positive environments that are showing him what he's been taught isn't right."

"Or maybe it was just a lot of gitness for an eleven-year-old and not so much for a thirteen or fourteen-year-old," Fred said.

"Oh yes, you should have seen yourself when you were two," George agreed. "You're much more agreeable now that your body-to-personality ratio is more balanced."

"Well at least I can sleep a little easier tonight," Mrs. Weasley said, straightening up from where she had been questioning Kreacher on the various Weasleys' health. "But as for the rest of you: bed. The others won't be back until morning."

"Remus Lupin had also requested that I inform Master Harry that his wand has been recovered," Kreacher said to Harry.

"That's great! Where was it?" Harry asked.

"Remus Lupin said that he would discuss that when he got back," Kreacher said, bowing. "May Kreacher get Master Harry a nightcap?"

"Er, no, thank you, Kreacher, you've already been a ton of help."

"Kreacher lives to serve," Kreacher said, before disappearing.

"So for the record, I'm not sure if a house elf would be worth all the fuss," Ron said, looking at where Kreacher had vanished. "Like sure they're more useful than ghouls, but I don't think I'd ever get used to the way they pop in and out like that."

"You're talking about a living being, Ron," Hermione said.

"Being living is a reason for me to talk nice about them?"

"All those spiders you've slandered," George said, making Ron shudder.

"Bed," Mrs. Weasley ordered.