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Author: cckeimig Story: Protecting the Prophecy Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: WIP Reviews: 5 Words: 18,887
Disclaimer: Of course it’s not my world! And the characters aren’t mine, either. Just the plot. I’m almost at the point JKR was when she published the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone. Except I’ve not got a finished book of my own waiting to be published... need to get busy on that.... A/N: Well, here’s the next instalment, folks. The story is complete up through chapter seven now (finally!), so I really hope the updates will come along faster. Thanks, as always, to my beta, DancingInMagic. You’re a great help, Sarah, and I really appreciate the support! After dinner, Harry went upstairs to take Dobby a plate of food and to dash off a quick note to Hermione. He was relieved to see Dobby sitting up on his bed, looking much better. And he saw that Hedwig had returned from the Burrow. She hooted impatiently at him and stuck out her leg with a note from Ron tied to it. He took it off her and gave her an owl treat. “Please don’t fly off to hunt just yet, girl. I need you to take a note to Hermione.” Hedwig hooted contentedly at him and began to devour her owl treat. “Here, Dobby,” Harry said, turning to his other friend. “I’ve brought you up something to eat. I hope you don’t mind—it’s not like what we get at Hogwarts, but Aunt Petunia’s not a bad cook or anything.” He handed Dobby the plate and cutlery he’d brought up with him and poured the elf a glass of water from the pitcher on his desk. “Er, Harry Potter, sir?” “Yes, Dobby?” said Harry, opening Ron’s note. “Where should Dobby go to eat, sir?” “You’re not getting up, Dobby. You’re not well enough yet. You’ll eat right where you are. And tomorrow you’ll eat at the table with the rest of us.” Harry looked him in the eyes. “You are not here as a servant, Dobby. You are here as an honoured guest, and I expect you to behave as such during your visit. I’ll not have you bowing and scraping as if you were unworthy of such treatment, either. Is that clear?” Dobby’s eyes filled with tears. “Dobby is to sit with the family, sir? But....” “No buts, Dobby. This is not an optional arrangement. And it’s the least I can do to thank you for your help, especially considering the risk I’m afraid you’re taking with your health.” Harry cut him off. “Now eat up, Dobby, while I read my letter and write another one. Lights out in fifteen minutes because that’s when I’m to take my Dreamless Sleep draught.” Harry turned his back on Dobby and sat down at his desk to read Ron’s note. He smiled when he heard the unmistakable sounds of Dobby applying knife and fork to the simple but tasty meal Harry had brought up with him. Then, bracing himself for a good Weasley scolding and thanking his lucky stars a Howler was out of the question considering his living arrangements, he unfolded the note and began to read. He was not disappointed:
Harry snickered and wrote a short note at the bottom in reply:
Then he took out a fresh sheet of parchment for his other letter:
He hurriedly sealed his letters and tied them to Hedwig’s leg, giving specific instructions to deliver Hermione’s letter first. Then he put on his pyjamas, climbed into bed, scooting an already sleeping Dobby over closer to the wall, took off his glasses, turned off the lights, and downed Madam Pomfrey’s potion in one long gulp. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow. * * * Harry awoke slowly, marvelling at just how great it felt to get a good night’s sleep. He opened his eyes and reached for his glasses to be able to check the time. Eleven o’clock! Wow! He’d really slept late for living with the Dursleys! He sat up, stretched, and then looked for Dobby. He was gone, and his room was immaculately clean. Harry shook his head and got out of bed, stretching again and yawning hugely. Now where could his little friend have got himself off to? Harry shrugged his shoulders and headed for the bathroom. After his shower, a much more awake Harry returned to his room to find the bed made, but still no Dobby. “Maybe he’s downstairs with Aunt Petunia,” Harry wondered aloud. He finished dressing and went down to find out. What he saw made him laugh out loud. There was Dobby, sitting at the kitchen table, feet swinging like a small child, having tea and biscuits with Aunt Petunia. The kitchen was so clean it literally sparkled, and the twosome at the table looked to be having a cosy little chat. Dobby jumped to his feet and opened his mouth to apologise. “Don’t you dare apologise, Dobby!” Harry cut him off. “You heard what I said last night. You’re here as a guest. Got that?” “Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Of course, sir. But Dobby has kept Harry Potter’s breakfast warm for him, sir, and just wants to get it for him.” Dobby hurried to open the oven and magic a large platter of food over to the table for Harry, along with a huge glass of orange juice. “Wow! Thanks, Dobby! Aunt Petunia, this looks fantastic!” Aunt Petunia smiled. “Don’t thank me, thank your friend here. He made us all breakfast—said he wanted us all to have a taste of Hogwarts. Although he refused to sit and eat with the rest of us—said he had to wait for you.” “Dobby, you should have eaten with the family! I slept so late! You must be very hungry!” “Dobby is feeling quite hungry, Harry Potter, sir, but Dobby has never eaten with the family before, sir, and was nervous, so he decided to wait for Harry Potter.” Harry grinned. “Fine, Dobby. I’m here now, so let’s eat. And don’t tell me you’ve filled up on tea and biscuits!” He sat at the square table between its two occupants and set to filling his plate. Then he sat and waited, looking pointedly at Dobby. Aunt Petunia laughed. “Dobby, please serve yourself. I don’t think he’ll eat without you.” Dobby’s ears folded back, and he hunched his shoulders as he reached for the platter, looking around nervously. “Dobby, my friend, what are you looking for? You’re the only house-elf here, so no one will be disapproving, and I’m the only wizard—no Malfoys to wallop you for your forwardness. As if they’d be able to get anywhere near you here.” Once Dobby had filled his plate to Harry’s satisfaction, Harry grinned again and dug into the plentiful breakfast with great gusto. Dobby ate a bit more timidly, but he did eat, sitting at the Dursleys’ kitchen table, safe from the prying eyes of the elder Malfoys, but not quite as Malfoy-free as Harry had assumed. Suddenly, just outside the open window, a low voice growled, “Stupefy!” and a jet of red light struck something. That something fell with a thud. Harry rushed to the window, wand in his hand, in time to hear a sharp ‘thwack’ like the sound of a wand hitting someone over the head in a less-than-gentle manner. Then slowly the prostrate form of Draco Malfoy was revealed to be lying on the ground, clutching a Nimbus 2001. “Good thing I can see through Disillusionment Charms, eh, Potter?” came the same gruff voice. “Yeah, Professor Moody. Good thing. I wonder what the little ferret was up to,” Harry drawled, not at all as confident as he sounded to have Malfoy show up outside his kitchen window. He turned to Dobby to share in the supposed joke, but his little guest was petrified with fear, staring in horror at the prostrate form of his former young master. “Keep an eye on this trash, Potter, while I look around and make sure there aren’t any more of them. Bloody Junior Death Eaters.” “With pleasure, sir. You may find Crabbe and Goyle lurking around if this one’s here—he rarely makes a move on his own. I rather think it’s more of a personal vendetta than anything directly connected to the Death Eaters. He is, after all, pretty angry with me for getting his father put into Azkaban a few weeks ago. As if I forced the evil git to come to the Ministry to spring the trap they set for me.” “There is that, yes, Potter, but considering what you got his father arrested for, in my mind those motives are one and the same.” “Good point, sir. Although I almost wish he’d come to so I could have the pleasure of Stunning him myself, the slimy git.” “I’m sure you do, Potter, but with all the special permissions you’re getting this summer, it’s probably not a good idea to look like you’re abusing privileges. I’d hate to se you hauled up on misuse of magic charges again—although how they can claim that any action against a Malfoy is misuse.... “By the way, this little turd was obviously eavesdropping. Anything we should worry about?” “Just Dobby’s presence in this house, I think. Unless he and Aunt Petunia were chatting about anything important?” Harry turned a questioning gaze on his aunt. “I don’t think so—I assume young Mr. Malfoy is acquainted by now with the details of just what happened during your second year...” Aunt Petunia said. “If he wasn’t, maybe it’ll open his eyes a bit more to what dear old Daddy’s been up to,” Harry said. “It might give him some ideas, but I suppose that can’t really be helped.” “I’ll be right back, Potter. Perimeter check,” said Moody. There was a rustling in the bushes, then silence. “H-Harry Potter, sir, Dobby is sorry for putting you in danger,” Dobby began, cringing. “Nonsense, Dobby,” Harry said. “If anyone’s been put in danger by your being seen here, it’s you yourself. As soon as Moody gets back, I’m going to crack those books so you don’t have to be at risk for any longer than is absolutely necessary.” He grabbed his plate from the table and ate standing at the window so he could keep an eye on Malfoy. “Well, Potter, it looks like this slimeball was acting on his own. And if not, he’s the only one who could have overheard anything interesting, I should think. I’ll just modify his memory a bit, shall I, and send the little runt home to Mummy,” Moody’s voice came through the bushes after a couple of minutes. “Yeah,” Harry said. “I suppose that’s all we can do. After all, eavesdropping is all we can accuse him of at this point, in spite of his intentions.” “Er, Harry Potter, sir,” Dobby began. “Yes, Dobby?” Harry turned toward the elf. “Dobby is knowing young Master Draco’s intentions, sir, and Dobby doesn’t think letting him go is a very good idea, sir.” Dobby looked like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. Harry felt his lip curl. “Don’t ever let me hear you call him that again, Dobby. I mean it.” Dobby’s eyes widened. “Moody, if Dobby’s right—which I don’t doubt—we’d best send for Dumbledore, don’t you think?” Harry said. “I agree, Potter. But what to do with...” Moody began. “Dobby will go get Professor Dumbledore!” There was a ‘pop!’ and Dobby vanished. Almost immediately he and Albus Dumbledore appeared in the Dursleys’ kitchen, holding onto Fawkes’ tail. The phoenix flew directly to Harry’s shoulder and began crooning comfortingly. Harry laughed and petted the beautiful bird. “Thanks, Fawkes. I’m fine, really. You seem to be there for me almost as much as your master, don’t you?” Fawkes crooned some more in reply. “Good morning, Professor Dumbledore. We’re sorry to bother you, but we have a bit of a situation here,” Harry said. Moody scoffed. “Yes, Dumbledore, just a bit of one.” Professor Dumbledore bowed to Aunt Petunia, then approached the open window and gazed neutrally down on the prostrate form of one of his students. He flicked his wand, and Malfoy was instantly bound with thick ropes. “Alastor,” Dumbledore said quietly, “please take young Mr. Malfoy to a safe place for questioning. The Shrieking Shack should do nicely. I’ll join you there shortly. Whatever you do, don’t wake him up just yet. Fawkes, if you would be so kind....” Harry felt his lip curl again at the thought of that slimy git so much as touching Fawkes. When the bird had vanished in a flash of fire with his charges, Harry muttered, “It’s a shame poor Fawkes had to get his feathers dirty.” Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled in unmistakable amusement. “Yes, quite. But he’s had to put up with much worse in the past, I assure you, Harry.” He turned to Aunt Petunia. “Forgive my rudeness a moment ago, Petunia.” “Not at all, Professor Dumbledore. Certain priorities must take precedence over social niceties.” Aunt Petunia held out her hand, and Dumbledore shook it. Then she indicated with a gesture that he should sit down. He did so with a smile. Harry was still marvelling at how psychedelic this summer was turning out to be. He wasn’t quite sure how to take in Aunt Petunia’s sudden receptiveness to the Wizarding world she had despised for so long. She laughed at him as though reading his mind. “Oh, Harry!” she gasped. “The look on your face right now!” Harry grinned sheepishly and sat down on the last unoccupied chair while his aunt grabbed the cordless telephone and dialled. “Hello, Mrs. Figg?” she said into the receiver. “Petunia Dursley here. Yes, yes, he’s fine, although we had a bit of an incident this morning. Let me put Professor Dumbledore on for you... no, really, Harry’s just fine... okay, talk to you soon. Good-bye.” She handed the headmaster the telephone. “I figured since you sent Mr. Moody off you probably need someone to take over his shift,” she said simply. Dumbledore just smiled, nodded, and put the phone to his ear. “Arabella? Good morning. Yes, he’s really fine. Not to worry, Arabella. But I need you to do me a favour, please. Could you contact headquarters and have someone else come take over for the rest of Moody’s shift? No, he’s fine, too. I just need him elsewhere for the present. Yes, Dobby and I will be here until the replacement checks in. Yes, thank you, Arabella. Good day.” He took the telephone from his ear and studied it for a moment before pressing the on/off button and returning the device to Aunt Petunia. “Now, Dobby.” He turned to the elf. “Please tell us more about young Mr. Malfoy’s intentions.” Dobby looked nervously at Harry and then turned pleading eyes on Dumbledore once more. “No, none of that, Dobby. The time for keeping secrets from Harry for his own good is long gone. You know full well what happened the last time he wasn’t told everything he needed to know, and I’ll not have him put at risk yet again. Not before the right time comes.” Harry felt chills run up and down his spine at the reference but said nothing. “Well,” the elf began, “you remember a few weeks ago, Professor Dumbledore, sir, when Dobby went to visit poor Dilly at... at....” “At the Malfoys’,” Dumbledore finished for him. Dobby gave the headmaster a grateful look. “Yes, sir. Poor Dilly has suffered more than ever since Dobby was freed.” Dumbledore just nodded. “Well, sir, while Dobby was there, we had a visit from Kreacher, sir, who told us of the trick he’d played on Harry Potter and how it had caused Kreacher’s master to be killed.” Dobby looked sick, but he continued speaking. “Kreacher had come to speak with Dilly’s mistress about what he should do next. She sent him to work for the Lestrange family. As a reward, she said.” Harry blanched. “That won’t compromise the Order, will it, sir?” He tried to sound as detached and professional as possible, but his voice shook and even cracked on the last word. “The Order is not what I’m most worried about at the moment, Harry. I think you are fully aware of my highest priority.” Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in Harry’s direction. “The prophecy,” Harry whispered. “What prophecy?” Aunt Petunia snapped, sounding like her normal self. Harry cleared his throat. “It’s the reason Voldemort came after me in the first place all those years ago. He wasn’t really after my parents at all. It was me he wanted. And it’s me he still has to kill to win this war. Either that, or I have to kill him first,” he said softly, voice cracking with emotion that he’d actually said all of this aloud. He was strangely gratified when his aunt paled and her eyes widened. “He’s still after my nephew?” She turned to Dumbledore for confirmation. Dumbledore nodded, then looked to Dobby. The house-elf sort of shrank into his chair before continuing, “Draco Malfoy asked his mother what she meant about rewarding a house-elf, and she explained that in spite of the fact that her husband had been arrested in the Death Eaters’ attack on Harry Potter and his friends, some—some good also came of it because her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, had managed to defeat their cousin Sirius Black in a duel and send him to his death. And that the whole thing happened because of Kreacher’s loyalty to the true members of the House of Black. “She also said that best of all, poor little Harry Potter had lost his godfather after having found him such a short time before. Then Draco Malfoy laughed and said that Harry Potter deserved it and that he could think of a lot worse things that Harry Potter deserved. His mother said that it was too bad the Dark Lord couldn’t touch him during the summers at his relatives’ house, so Draco said that if the Dark Lord couldn’t hurt Harry Potter at his family’s house, then he would think of something to get Harry Potter kicked out of the house so the Dark Lord could finally finish him off.” “Slimy little git!” came a tired voice at the window. “Good morning, Remus. Thank you for coming. I’ll be back as soon as young Mr. Malfoy has been searched and dealt with.” He nodded to Harry, Aunt Petunia, and Dobby, then Disapparated. “Professor Lupin, please come in and sit down. You should have some of this food and some nice, hot tea. Okay, so you should really be out cold in your bed still after last night. I can’t believe they got you up for this, sir!” Harry opened the kitchen door and waited expectantly. “Yes, Professor Lupin, is it? Do come in,” said Aunt Petunia. “Thank you, Mrs. Dursley, Harry. I am rather tired still.” Remus Lupin removed an Invisibility Cloak as soon as the door closed behind him. “And Harry, how many times do I have to ask you to call me Remus or Uncle Moony or anything but ‘Professor’? That job ended two years ago already.” “Old habits die hard, sir.” Harry grinned. “Besides, you’re still the best Defence teacher we ever had.” “Not that there’s been much competition or anything. Maybe they should just finally give it to Severus already,” he said with a tired smile. Harry hurried to serve him up a plate of breakfast and pour him a steaming cup of tea. He gestured to the chair Dumbledore had been using. Lupin chuckled softly. “That’s the closest someone like me will ever get to taking the headmaster’s place.” Harry tried to smile at this, but it was all too true, considering current legislation. “Aunt Petunia, Remus Lupin was one of my parents’ best friends.” “Yes,” she said. “I think I remember seeing him in the photographs my parents took of Lily’s wedding.” Lupin coughed uncomfortably, and Harry looked up at him in shock. “Merlin’s beard!” he said. “I’ve been such a self-absorbed little brat, wallowing in my own misery without a thought for anyone but myself! And you—you’re continuing to fight as if you hadn’t just lost your very best friend yet again!” Harry was furious with himself. “Harry, you’ve not exactly been wallowing in your misery without reason. Dumbledore informed us that he finally allowed you to learn the prophecy. Not even we members of the Order have heard the precise wording—all we know is that you’re the only one of us who is indispensable. The entire Order is ready to die to keep you safe while you’re trained up for the final face-off. Molly, as you can imagine, is beside herself with worry for you now that you’ve heard it. And after everything that happened this past year, I must say I agree with her. It’s a tremendous burden you bear, Harry. And although you’re the focus of what must be done, you’re not alone, okay? We all love you, Harry, and we’re all with you in this.” Harry laughed. “Yeah, I’ll just bet the entire Order feels the way you do, Uncle Moony. I’ll just bet.” He was trying to picture Snape saying what Lupin just had, and he couldn’t even come close to pulling it off. Lupin smiled. “Yes, Harry, even Severus Snape is ready to die to keep you safe. He may not love you, but he loves the idea of you. It’s just too bad he can’t get past hating you for being your father’s son.” “My dad was a real git to him in school, but he did save his life that time—even if he really did it to protect you and Sirius.” Harry shook his head. “As Sirius and I told you, Harry, James hated the Dark Arts, and Severus was into them up to his eyeballs back at school. They hated one another like you and Draco Malfoy do. Perhaps even more. It took us a long time to trust him, even with Dumbledore vouching for him. Until he proved himself utterly by...” but he never finished because at that moment Dumbledore Apparated into the kitchen. “Doxy eggs,” the old man said by way of a greeting. “A pouchful of Doxy eggs. That was his plan to get Harry kicked out of the house.” He shook his head. “As if they’d ever have had the chance to hatch in this house! My aunt vacuums and scours this place on a daily basis. They’d’ve hatched way off in a rubbish heap somewhere or been killed by cleaning chemicals! If that’s the best Malfoy can do, I’m probably safe for as long as I’m here this summer!” Harry cracked up laughing. Even Lupin and Dobby looked amused. Dumbledore, however, did not. “We’ll need to double the guard and strengthen the wards. Dobby, I’ll need you to accompany Harry on each outing and to and from Hogwarts for each lesson. Even after he masters the basics of Occlumency. “Harry, he’s visual confirmation of where you live and the fact that Dobby’s staying with you. He may underestimate the abilities of elves, but his mother probably won’t, and Voldemort certainly won’t. He’ll know exactly what we’re up to, and Dobby will become a target. I need you to stay here until the end of the month, Harry. Then we very well may need to move you to school a month early. To keep both of you safe. “Petunia, I have yet another houseguest to ask you to take in: Remus Lupin here. I hope you don’t mind. It really is a question of keeping you all safe, not just Harry. And I’ll strengthen the wards as well so that even if we’re all gone, any magical intruder will trip an alarm and the place will be surrounded by the Order in a heartbeat. You’ll not be left unprotected.” Aunt Petunia nodded. “This situation seems to be more serious each day,” she whispered, a haunted look in her eyes. Dumbledore nodded. “The authorised guards will be Tonks, Moody, Kingsley, and any of the elder four Weasleys only, Remus. You and Dobby are to be with Harry at all times, even in the house....” “Er, at all times, Professor?” Harry interrupted. “Well, in the bathroom and when you’re asleep, Dobby will be present. But Remus will be with you at all other times.” “I’ll go make up the guest room,” said Aunt Petunia, and she stood to go. “Thank you, Petunia,” Dumbledore said, then continued. “The rest of the Weasleys and the Grangers, along with Arabella Figg, are the only authorised visitors, present company and Minerva McGonagall excepted, of course. Any other visitors had better be well known to the family and Muggles. But even then, utmost care must be taken, Remus, as Dobby won’t be physically at Harry’s side during such visits. Dobby, you will watch over Harry from an appropriate hidey-hole. I’d prefer you avoided going invisible, as it’s so hard on you. Of course, Harry could always dig out his father’s Invisibility Cloak, but only in extreme cases....” “Such as a visit from Aunt Marge or an important business dinner?” said Harry, grinning. “Precisely, Harry,” Dumbledore smiled, eyes twinkling merrily. Dobby looked sheepish at the latter reference but remained silent. “Remus, if you’d like, take this opportunity to pop home for your things. I’ll wait for your return,” Dumbledore added. “So, what did you do with Malfoy, sir?” Harry asked. “Unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do, aside from a Memory Charm to wipe out Dobby’s presence in this house. That and take him straight to his mother. She’ll more likely punish him for getting caught than for what he tried to do, of course, but the humiliation of the situation may give him pause.” “I doubt it, sir. More likely he’ll blame me for it and have yet another reason to resent me. Too bad for him his snide little remarks are losing their potency. As long as it’s all talk, I can pretend to be annoyed enough that he’ll not be tempted to go any farther, I suppose. “I still can’t believe he thinks it’s my fault his father’s in prison. Talk about twisted!” He shook his head at the ridiculousness of it all. Dumbledore and Lupin chuckled at that, then Lupin Disapparated.
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