Harry Potter and The Room of Creation

The Helpful Healer

Harsh and painful breaths could be heard in a dank and dark room on the third floor of number twelve Grimmauld Place. The shadow of a young man was lying on a large bed towards the middle of the left wall, in the largest of the bedrooms, and he was crying. This fifteen year old boy had shut himself away from everyone else in the world; he would not speak, eat or move. He simply lay in the bed of his dead godfather, wanting nothing more than to disappear.

The only thing Harry Potter would allow himself to do, besides cry, was sleep. He wanted to drown his sorrows in those dreams where he was still with Sirius and his long dead parents, Lily and James Potter. These were not the kind of dreams that would be unusual for any normal fifteen year old boy to be having, under the circumstances, but Harry Potter is no ordinary boy. He's a wizard, and currently learning the arts of wizards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry's dreams have in fact never before been pleasant. Most of his life they have been filled with thoughts and images of Voldemort, the most evil and dreaded dark wizard of the age. Lord Voldemort brings terror to everyone young and old; Muggle (what wizards call non-magic folk) and wizards alike, even the sound of his name make the most ancient of wizards shudder with fear.

Early in his summer holidays, young Harry's mind had been filled with his and Voldemort's latest encounter at the Ministry of Magic in London. Voldemort had lured Harry there in order to enable his faithful followers, also known as Death Eaters, to capture both Harry and an old prophecy. During the battle that took place in the Department of Mysteries on the ninth floor of the Ministry of Magic, the prophecy smashed and not one of them had heard it. It was on that night that Harry saw his godfather, Sirius, fall backwards to his doom straight through an archway of darkness.

Bellatrix Lestrange was the witch responsible for the curse that made Sirius fall. Harry had torn after her, intent on causing her as much pain as he possibly could. He followed her, running all the way to the Atrium of the ministry, where they duelled and where lord Voldemort himself had appeared.

It was not, however, Harry who duelled with Voldemort this time. It was in fact Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, who did. There was an insane battle, and when it was over Harry was sent by Portkey to Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts. It was there he learned that the thing that smashed was not the actual prophecy, but a simple recording. Dumbledore then told Harry the contents of the prophecy: Harry and Voldemort would one day duel, and on that day one of them would die at the hand of the other.

Harry didn't want to think about that right now. He just wanted to get back to the dreams he was having of him and his godfather, playing tricks and having fun. In those dreams Sirius wasn't dead; he wasn't gone...

'Harry? Please Harry, at least look at me. Won't you? We all care about you! Please?'

Nymphadora Tonks, who would rather just be known as Tonks, was the third one from the Order of the Phoenix to try and talk to him today. Harry simply ignored them.

The rest of the house was in a sombre state. Dumbledore, was sitting in the kitchen his head hung low in his hands, the old familiar half moon spectacles lying on the table in front of him, the twinkling sparkle that normally brightened his eyes was all but gone. Dumbledore had been the one that had brought Harry to Grimmauld Place from his Aunt and Uncle's, when the Order of the Phoenix had gotten no word from Harry's owl. The Order was a band of witches and wizards from all walks of life that had been brought together to combat Lord Voldemort's first attempt to seize power. After Harry had witnessed Voldemort's rise to power again a year before, Dumbledore had assembled the Order once more in order to fight the good fight against the darkness that threatened to engulf their very existence.

Molly Weasley, surrogate mother to Harry and Harry's best friend Ron's mum, was standing in the kitchen cooking dinner in a slow, almost catatonic state. Her eyes betrayed that she had spent most of the last days crying and getting very little sleep. Remus Lupin, the only surviving best friend to James Potter and last of the Marauders, was sitting to the right of Dumbledore.

Seeing his old mentor and Headmaster in such a depressed state was taking its toll on both him and the rest of the house. Albus Dumbledore was usually the beacon of hope for them all, now he did little more then worry about Harry, and Remus guessed, blamed himself for Harry's current state.

# # # # # #

During the first two weeks that Harry had stayed at number Four Privet Drive, there had seemed to be no problem. He had been in touch with the Order regularly as they had requested. However as Tuesday night had rolled around, Harry's owl had still not appeared. The old Headmaster had taken it upon himself to investigate as he was already at Grimmauld Place himself.

Dumbledore had checked with the person who was to keep an eye out for Harry that day, Mundungus Fletcher. Mundungus reported that neither he nor anyone else had reported seeing Harry in the last four days.

Dumbledore frowned at this and walked up to the door of the Dursley-house. Dudley Dursley, a large squat boy with bulging arms and an overt posture, had answered the door. Upon seeing the headmaster in the doorway he had given a yelp of surprise and jumped back at the sight of what he knew to be a wizard, given the robes that Dumbledore was wearing. The old professor smiled, a twinkle in his eyes, brightly looking down upon the stuffed boy from behind his half-moon spectacles.

'Ah, hello there Dudley, my name is Albus Dumbledore. I wish to speak to your parents; may I come in?'

Dudley could only nod as he stepped back in fright and ran into the house.

'Dad! One of THOSE are here!' Dudley cried as he ran in to the living room and hiding himself miserably behind his mother.

Mr Dursley, a large fat man, stood up abruptly, his face turning a bright shade of puce. He watched as an old man with long white beard stuffed behind his belt and equally long white flowing hair, followed his son into the room. Vernon started to shake with anger and tried to lift himself up proudly, against what he thought was an ungodly sight of an old man in robes with half-moon spectacles looking at him, and having the nerve to smile.

'W-hat are you d-doing here?' Vernon spluttered as his face turned from puce to red and back again. 'We haven't kept that silly boy from sending that, owl to you!'

Vernon was scandalized at the thought that someone like the man standing in front of him was allowed to even exist; and more so at the thought that maybe the neighbours had seen him arrive. Professor Dumbledore smiled kindly at the man even though the man was obviously appalled to see him.

'You are Vernon Dursley I presume. Hello, my name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry,'

At this announcement Petunia Dursley gave a screech and pointed viscously at Dumbledore.

'Y-You!' she spluttered angrily. 'You're the one that left that BOY here! You s-sent me that l-letter!' Petunia half screeched half spluttered at Dumbledore, who simply turned and smiled knowingly at her.

Vernon looked at his wife and then pointed his fat stubby finger accusingly at the old man in front of him.

'You brought THAT pest to my home! We never wanted - '

Vernon stopped himself. His eyes were bulging out of their sockets as he stared at the man who now seemed to be glowing. Every hint of a smile was gone from Dumbledore's features. Vernon gulped and took a step back almost falling down onto the large chair he had been sitting in a moment before. Dumbledore turned back to the very frightened looking Mrs Dursley.

'Where's Harry?' he asked simply.

Petunia lifted a shaking hand and indicated the stairs behind him.

'H-He's in his r-room,' she said trembling.

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow and turned to the stairs. When he reached the top, he saw a door with several locks and bolts, and what looked like a cat flap at the bottom. In front of the door was an empty plate, with small bread crumbs on it. His frown deepened. He knew the Dursleys had been treating Harry poorly, but this was outrageous!

'Alohomora,' he said simply and the door swung open.

Dumbledore pocketed his wand again as he stepped inside the room. What he saw made his heart ache and almost all colour drain from his face.

The figure of a young man with unruly raven black hair, a lightning bolt scar on his forehead and glasses slipped way down on his nose: was sitting in baggy overlarge clothes leaning with his back against the bed, seeming to look down at a white owl who was stroking her beak against his outstretched arm.

Harry Potter's face was so pale it was almost white, his scar shone blood red against the contrast of his skin; he looked awfully weak. The room was in shambles, books and clothes were strewn all over the place, like nothing mattered. The old professor noticed a parchment lying on the floor a feet or so away from the boy. He picked it up and immediately understood why Harry had broken off his contact with the rest of the world.

Mr. Harry J Potter

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

Dear Mr Potter, It has come to our attention that Sirius Black who was formerly charged with being a Death Eater, has been cleared of all charges and has had his entire estate returned to him. It has also come to our attention that this last of the Black family has passed away suddenly in the last week of May on the 26th.

We apologize for the lateness of this letter, the Ministry has been slightly unforgiving in allowing Sirius Black's last will and testament to be allowed as a law binding contract. We are pleased to inform you however, that we have obtained all the information required no more than a few days ago. Since you have been named as one of the major beneficiaries in the will, we ask that you meet with us on the 24th of July at 10 o'clock. Please notify us if you wish to change the date and time of this meeting.

Sincerely,

Mathilda Burrcamp

Last Known Wills Office

Ministry Of Magic

Dumbledore sighed heavily as he finished reading the letter. He squatted down in front of the young boy and tried to make eye contact. Harry Potter's bloodshot eyes did not respond even in the slightest.

'Harry? Can you hear me, Harry?' the professor asked softly.

The boy showed no reaction at all to the words. There was no recognition whatsoever visible on his face. Hedwig hooted softly and looked at Dumbledore sadly with her big auburn eyes.

'Are you able to fly?' the old man asked the bird.

The owl drooped its head in response. Dumbledore nodded his understanding.

'Fawkes!' he said sharply to no one in the room.

There was a bright sound of bird song and a swoosh of flames, as Fawkes the Phoenix, appeared on Dumbledore's shoulder. A golden quill and small piece of parchment materialized in the old man's hands. He scribbled a note quickly and took out a lemon drop from within the folds of his robes, pointed his wand at the lemon drop and spoke in barely a whisper.

'Portus,'

The lemon drop glowed blue for an instant, and then Dumbledore handed both the parchment and the lemon drop to Fawkes.

'Please, take this to Molly Weasley.'

The bird trilled softly and vanished in a new swoosh of flames. Mere moments later, as Dumbledore was inspecting Harry and making sure there was nothing seriously wrong with his health, a short plump woman with flaming red hair Apperated into the room with a loud pop.

'Albus what - ?'

Mrs Weasley's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the motionless body of a young man lying in front of the old headmaster.

'Harry!' she screamed as she threw herself down towards the boy, her eyes brimming up with tears quickly.

'Albus... h-he isn't... he's not...' she stuttered.

Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet her.

'No Molly, he is not dead, only grief stricken. I want you to take him back to headquarters with the Portkey I gave you. Ask the others to help you put him in Sirius' old bedchamber. I will be along as soon as I can, once I have gathered all of Harry's things. It's most important that you do NOT attempt to wake him until I'm there.'

Mrs Weasley nodded and placed Harry's hand on the lemon drop that she held in her hand, and then they both vanished.

Dumbledore stood up and sighed at the mess in the room, took out his wand, and with a light flick of his wrist and the word, 'Pack!' all of the things in the room began to pack and fold themselves neatly into Harry's trunk. However, everything suddenly stopped, floating on the air in front of the trunk. Dumbledore frowned and stepped over to it.

'Oh, I see. Engorgio,' he said softly.

The inside of the trunk expanded drastically while the outside of the trunk remained the same. The rest of the tings floated happily into the trunk and it closed itself. He looked over to the owl that was now sitting on the floor alone looking very tired and weary. The old professor took out a small vial from one of his pockets and let the owl sip the contents briefly. Hedwig hooted her thanks, flapped her wings and took off through the open window. Dumbledore smiled slightly, the twinkle in his eyes back where it belonged.

'Scourgify,' he said simply as he swept his wand across the room.

The bird droppings and feathers inside the cage disappeared; the room itself was now spotless.

'Locomotor trunk,' he said softly and the trunk rose up, hovering in the air.

Grabbing the cage, Dumbledore pointed the wand out in front of him. Walking out behind the trunk, he motioned it ahead of him and down the stairs.

The Dursleys were all standing by the foot of the stairs apparently trying to decide whether or not to follow the old man. They all leapt back when they saw Harry's trunk come gliding down on the air with the old man behind it carrying the owl's cage. Vernon Dursley looked up at the man with determination, but when he saw him holding a wand aloft he backed up several paces. Dudley cowered behind his mother, holding both his hands over his bottom, and started shaking like a leaf. Dudley obviously feared that he would get a new pig tail like he had from the impossibly large man, back when Harry had first been told he was a wizard.

Albus Dumbledore looked at Vernon harshly.

'Harry Potter shan't be returning to this house ever again, I will be taking on the role of his guardian effective immediately! I do however want you to know one thing Mr Dursley; the afterlife shall not be a pleasant experience for you. I only hope that your god is more lenient then I would have been!'

Vernon paled and Petunia seamed very shaken by Dumbledore's words. As he walked into their kitchen, the trunk sunk to the floor. Dumbledore put his hand on the trunk and looked back at Petunia with a hard glint in his blue eyes.

'I expected more from you, Petunia,' he said harshly, and with a loud pop he, the trunk and the cage were gone. Leaving the Dursleys looking very frightened indeed. This would be an experience they would not soon forget.

# # # # # #

Dumbledore sat in the kitchen staring blankly into space. The door to the kitchen swung open as another member of the Order walked in, Tonks' bubblegum pink hair was droopy and her eyes were slightly red. It was clear that she had been crying.

The old headmaster sighed at the sight.

'What happened?' he asked looking very tired, already knowing the answer.

'He still refuses to respond or even - even look at me,' Tonks said tears falling freely.

Remus Lupin sat himself next to her and hugged her gently allowing her to cry against his shoulder as he looked up at the tired old headmaster.

'What do we do Albus? He refuses to even acknowledge our presence in the room, we can't keep this up; it's tearing everyone apart,' Remus said pleadingly.

Before Dumbledore had a chance to answer, Severus Snape walked in.

'Severus, how did it go with Miss Granger?' Dumbledore asked looking worried.

Snape looked very tired indeed as he sat down at the table; he thanked Mrs Weasley for the coffee before he answered, all eyes in the room were upon him.

'I had to give her a sleeping potion; she was nearly in tears when I entered. Mr Weasley is keeping an eye on her,' he said, apparently not at all thrilled with having to put up with children when he wasn't in school.

Dumbledore nodded.

'Thank you, Severus. Molly...' he said looking up at Mrs Weasley. 'I think we all could use something to eat, is there any chance you could make some dinner?'

Molly nodded as she dried her eyes.

'I'll help,' Tonks said almost inaudibly.

'Thank you, dear,' Molly responded.

The others looked at each other knowingly. Mrs Weasley would never have allowed Tonks to help her in the kitchen knowing full well that Tonks was so clumsy. It was apparent to them all that in her current state, Molly probably didn't care how dinner would turn out, a fact that didn't sit very well with any of them.

Suddenly, there was a small pop, and everyone wheeled around to see a small green creature with long pointed bat-like ears and big glistening eyes looking up at Dumbledore.

'Dobby?' the headmaster asked softly.

'Sir, I is heard about Harry Potter, sir. I is heard he is very ill, sir. Dobby is wanting to help Harry Potter, sir.'

Dumbledore smiled kindly at the elf.

'Thank you, Dobby. I am afraid there isn't much that you can do. Harry is grief stricken and refuses to allow anyone to talk to him. You are of course welcome to try, but I feel I must warn you that the objects in the room may fly at you from seemingly nowhere, if you should attempt to talk to him.'

The elf nodded his understanding and disappeared again.

'Do you really think that was - wise?' Lupin asked frowning.

'I don't know Remus. We have all tried to make Harry listen, and failed. If Dobby has even the smallest of chances to get through to Harry, then we have to let him try...'

Remus nodded at Dumbledore's words.

'Albus, when - when you...' Lupin started.

'When I went to the Dursleys?' Dumbledore asked knowingly.

'Eh, yeah - what happened?'

Looks of intrigue shown from everyone in the room. Even Severus Snape looked at Dumbledore inquisitively.

'I saw with my own eyes, the horror, that I have put that poor child through...'

# # # # # #

'You did - WHAT?'

'But - but Dumbledore, the bond! You of all people must -'

The first voice they had heard was Remus Lupin's, their former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, the second neither of them could mistake for any other than their mother's. Ron and his younger sister Ginny had gone down to the kitchens agreeing that they had better get something to eat, but just before Ron had put his hands to the door, there had been an uproar from within the room, making the two quickly decide to stay outside and listen.

'EVERYONE! Please! This will not solve anything!' Dumbledore thundered.

Ron and Ginny jumped back from the door in apprehension, and by the sound of chairs being put back, so had several people inside.

'I am fully aware of the bond Molly, however I have come to realise a great error in my thinking, in regards to that bond. I put Harry's safety before his well being, an old man's mistake. I am now reaping my reward for that mistake. You all know the importance that Harry plays in the fight against Voldemort - '

There were collective intakes of breath at the sound of the name, Ron shivered while Ginny rolled her eyes at him and hit him on his right arm.

'But he's only a child!'

'Be that as it may, Molly,' Dumbledore continued, 'but Harry has faced Riddle more times than most Order members. He has survived and at times even stopped Voldemort. He even duelled with the dark lord and came out on top! In many ways he is more grown up than the masses of wizards and witches he has protected through his acts of courage.'

There was a collective silence following Dumbledore's words.

'What about the prophecy, headmaster - I suppose you told Potter?' Snape growled.

Ron and Ginny looked at each other in shock, apparently both thinking the same thing. Hadn't the prophecy shattered? Wasn't it gone?

'Yes Severus, I did. I should have done it a long time ago. Then perhaps, Sirius might still be with us,' the headmaster said, shaking his head sadly.

'That - that wasn't your fault, Albus,' Remus said groggily. 'You couldn't have known...'

He became suddenly quiet. Ginny and Ron leaned closer to the door, when it suddenly burst open. A very angry looking Mrs Weasley stood before them. They both fell over onto each other, as the support of the door vanished.

'RON!? GINNY!? WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!? THIS IS ORDER BUSINESS! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO EAVES DROP - WHY I THOUGHT I BROUGHT YOU UP BETTER THAN -'

'You NEVER said anything about any Order meeting!' Ginny blurted out.

Ron shut his eyes. They were doomed.

'That - THAT IS BESIDE THE POINT! I SHOULDN'T HAVE -'

'MOLLY! I think you will find, if you calm down, that it actually is the point!' Dumbledore said forcibly.

Ron stared openly at Dumbledore, his jaw hanging open in shock. No one had ever talked to his mother like that and gotten away with it! Ginny seamed to blush and look rather flustered when the headmaster looked at her with a weak smile. Mrs Weasley gaped at Dumbledore as he put his half moon spectacles back on his face, surveying the three of them.

'What ever these two heard, they did, because we got careless. We should be chiding ourselves. They have taught us a valuable lesson and whatever small nuggets of information they may have overheard, are theirs by right! Although I doubt they can make any sense of it either way, at least without the complete picture...' Dumbledore said kindly.

When Mrs Weasley looked back at her children she saw that the headmaster was quite right: both Ron and Ginny looked utterly bewildered. It was clear they had no idea what to make of what they had heard nor how important it truly was. Molly strained a smile.

'V-Very well! I'm guessing you're hungry, well sit down then!' she said exasperatedly.

Ron was still in too much of a shock to say anything and just nodded looking over at his little sister who seamed to be glancing from professor Snape's scowl to Dumbledore's smile, apparently very unsure of how to react to all this.

# # # # # #

Harry was still lying in his bed. He hadn't noticed when Tonks had left, but it suddenly hit him that he was alone again. Yeah, that's right. He thought. Leave me alone with my pain, don't worry, and don't try to comfort me! Selfish! They were all being selfish, with their mollycoddling! He told himself. I'm not a little defenceless child!

A vase near the other end of the room shattered against the opposite wall as Harry's internal tantrum began to pick up. Harry could feel the small table next to him start to shudder and lift itself off the floor. It felt good to feel the magic vibrate in him with his anger. It was the only thing he had left to hold on to. Suddenly however, the table stopped and sat itself down. Harry turned around quickly. He could feel someone looking at him. He was so enraged that someone had stopped him from exacting his revenge on the table that it felt as though someone had taken his life away from him. When he saw the squat and nervous figure of Dobby the house-elf however, his anger subsided and he turned away quickly.

'Dobby is sorry Harry Potter is sad, sir. Sorry he is that Harry Potter isn't well. Dobby comes to help Harry Potter. Dobby knows Harry Potter is lonely, sir. Dobby hoped... Harry Potter... in his grief would not mind, Dobby visiting, sir? Dobby has seen Harry Potter become a great wizard, a noble wizard Harry Potter is. Dobby is sorry you is not well. Please Harry Potter, sir. Dobby wishes to help -'

'I'm not a great wizard and I'm not noble, Dobby. If I was then I wouldn't have gone into the Ministry, THEN SIRIUS WOULD STILL BE ALIVE!'

Dobby's soft rambling had been cut short by Harry's outburst. Dobby looked pale, or as pale as a house-elf could look. He looked up at Harry with his big round bulging green eyes, his bat like ears hung low over his head. Harry didn't particularly care that he might have hurt Dobby's feelings. He didn't particularly care much about anything.

'Just, leave me alone, Dobby,' Harry sighed.

'No,' the elf said quietly.

Harry turned around and stared at the tiny little creature.

'Dobby - I order you to leave!' Harry said forcibly.

Dobby took a deep breath and heaved his head up, his floppy ears standing up once more.

'No, Dobby is not leaving the great Harry Potter alone!' Dobby shrieked, though seemingly more to himself than to Harry.

Harry Potter was shocked. He had never heard Dobby tell him no before. He had never even heard of any house-elf ever saying no to any direct order. Dobby seemed to gain strength from Harry's apparent surprise and lifted himself up boldly. It might have been impressive if the tiny creature hadn't been so small and shaky.

'Harry Potter is great, sir. Even if Harry Potter himself doesn't know ... Dobby knows ... Dobby is seen ... Harry Potter do Wandless magic, sir. Just like - like the great Albus Dumbledore can, sir.'

Surprising himself as he said the words Dobby seemed to falter slightly.

'All wizards can do that when they are angry Dobby, it doesn't make me great - I'm not great,' Harry said coldly.

'Not like other wizards, sir. No, no, no,' Dobby laughed slightly. 'Wizards not be able to be moving things at will, sir. Like the great Harry Potter can, sir. They have Wandless magic too, sir, yes. But anything happens then, sir. Harry Potter directed his power, sir. Choose to move table you did, sir.'

Dobby looked apprehensive when Harry frowned down at him. He did choose to do that to the table. But how did Dobby know that? As if reading his mind Dobby answered him quietly.

'Dobby is heard of the will - of Harry Potter's Blacky, sir. Dobby is wishing to be Harry Potter's new house-elf, sir.'

'How exactly have you heard about that Dobby? Did you read my letter?' Harry asked angrily.

Dobby looked shocked and appalled.

'No, sir! Dobby is not reading Master Harry's letters, sir,' Dobby cringed slightly. 'Dobby was a free elf, sir. Dobby did listen in though, sir. Bad Dobby - bad Dobby!' Dobby squealed and tried to hit his head against the bed post.

Harry didn't really know why, though it might have been out of pure habit, he stopped Dobby. He didn't exactly care, but he was slightly intrigued about what Dobby might have heard. After all there was only one person Harry could think of that Dobby would have overheard.

'Dobby, I forbid you from hurting yourself!' Harry said quickly.

Dobby looked up at him with gratefulness shining in his green tennis-ball-like eyes.

'Exactly what did you hear Dumbledore say Dobby?' Harry asked sitting up.

Dobby's ears peaked up and he jumped up onto the bed.

'I is heard the headmaster say things about this place, sir. About Harry Potter being the house's new master, sir. That why Dobby comes, sir, to be Harry Potter's house-elf, sir,' Dobby whispered importantly.

Yeah that makes sense. Harry had momentarily forgotten about Dumbledore being the headquarters' Secret Keeper. The only way Dobby would be there is if Dumbledore told him, or he overheard it. The small elf looked up at him from his feet.

'What else did you hear, Dobby?' Harry asked.

Dobby looked apprehensively around the room as if afraid his words might make what ever he dreaded come true right there.

'The headmaster is been talking to - to vampires!' Dobby shuddered.

Harry's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets.

'VAMPIRES! Are you sure about this Dobby?' he looked to the door as if afraid someone would burst in from him screaming out loud.

'No one is able to hear, sir,' Dobby said matter-of-factly, as if he had just read Harry's thoughts in a book.

'What do you mean by that? And how is it you know what I'm thinking!?' Harry said looking very surprised and slightly worried.

'Dobby made a silence charm before entered room, sir,' Dobby said brightly.

'And my thoughts?'

Dobby looked sheepishly at his tiny elf feet.

'House-elves can hear what they's Masters think, sir. T'is part of elves-magic, sir.'

Oh, Harry thought. So that's how come elves can hear their masters call them wherever they are! Harry looked at Dobby who nodded beamingly up at him.

'Did you hear anything else?' Harry asked still looking at the elf.

'Dumbledore was talking bout a new defence teacher, sir.'

'With the vampire? Are you absolutely sure it was a vampire, Dobby?' Harry asked.

He didn't really doubt that Dobby knew what a vampire looked like it just seamed so hard to believe that Dumbledore would be talking to them, especially now...

'Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Definitely a vampire sir, I is seen its fangs, sir,' Dobby said, shuddering.

Harry looked at the small creature as it trembled slightly.

'How long have you been able to read my thoughts, Dobby?'

Dobby looked away from Harry's eyes and seamed to screw up his face into what Harry could only surmise would be a house-elves expression for guilt, though in truth it made Dobby look slightly sick. Harry had to strain himself to hear the low whisper coming from his new little helper.

'Since - Since before Harry Potter's plan, sir,'

'You didn't tell anyone did you, Dobby?!' he asked apprehensively.

'No, no, no, no! Dobby never betray master's mind, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby never would!' the elf screeched imploringly as he shook his head fiercely.

'Are you sure no one can hear us, Dobby? Not even Dumbledore?' Harry asked, wishing he could know for certain what Dumbledore was up to.

'Dumbledore is a great wizard, sir. But this be elf-magic, sir. Wizards cannot see elves-magic. Only other elves would know it, sir,' Dobby explained proudly.

Harry's thoughts immediately jumped to Kreacher, the black family's disgusting house-elf. He was thoroughly surprised to hear Dobby muffle a laugh. Harry frowned at him.

'Kreacher isn't a problem anymore,' Dobby said with finality.

'What do you mean? You didn't do anything? Did you, Dobby?' Harry asked, getting slightly worried that something might go wrong with his plan.

'Great Merlin, no, sir! Elves-magic did, sir!'

Harry frowned, looking puzzled.

'Elves cannot be untrue to their real masters, sir. Cannot betray, sir. Elf that tries, goes mad, sir - they kill themselves, sir. Most horribly. Kreacher died - week ago now, sir,' Dobby explained, looking very shaken at the thought.

The little elf seemed to stretching himself up proudly as Harry revised the plan in his mind, nothing much had changed, really. Harry looked at the elf inquisitively.

'Dobby knows of Harry Potter's brilliance, sir. I knows Harry Potter - even fool Dumbledore, sir!' Dobby said, sounding thoroughly impressed.

Harry chuckled knowingly.