II of Hearts

II of Hearts
Chapter 1 - The Manor House

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It was a cool, rainy night and as Harry Potter tore through an open field as fast as he could run. The wind and rain against his face felt as if a million tacks were being thrown rapidly at him. The wet ground slid under his feet as he hurtled across the barren, grassy wasteland. Harry gasped deeply for air as he neared what seemed to be the end of the field, though, when he reached the top of a small hill, it appeared that the hill seemed to extend eternally into the raging storm. As he collapsed to his knees, Harry wondered why he had run away, where he was now, and where he was going to end up.

Wet, cold, and having none of his possessions with him - save the clothes on his back and his Firebolt which he held tightly in his right hand - Harry was scared and alone in the middle of nowhere with no where to go to and no one to turn to. No arms were there for him to fall into. He was but fifteen years old, alone, wet, dirty, and lost. Lost in an inky oblivion of a midnight storm standing in the middle of a never-ending field feeling naked and vulnerable.

Aside from Harry, there was only one other object in the field - a tall, seemingly old brick column. Harry turned his head back, looking wide eyed at the column as if it were a light beckoning him to his doom, or perhaps to his greatest desire - he knew not.

Crawling on hands and knees toward the column, slowly at first, Harry became closer and closer to the beacon. Then, suddenly, he stood and ran toward it as fast as his legs could carry him over the muddy, slippery ground beneath him. As he neared the column, it seemed larger and larger. Harry opened his arms wide as he ran, as if he were running to his heart's desire who had been absent from his life for all time. The column was warm and almost calming as the raven haired boy embraced the bricks.

Presently, Harry's soul became angered, for what reason, he did not know. Harry lashed out and kicked the base of the old column, knocking two of three of the bricks out. Like a bolt of lightning before him, Harry saw a huge house built of stone. Candlelight was visible from some of the windows - all of which, except a select few, were stained glass. Around the edge of the property was a large iron barred fence with many more brick columns in it. Bringing the two ends of the fence together in the front, were massive, black gates with a large letter M at the top. What that M stood for, Harry neither knew or cared at the moment - all he knew was that he had found people he could ask for help. Not only that, but they were people like him, magic type. Slowly, and carefully, as to not get stuck, Harry slipped in between two of the bars and started up the long path to the house.

As he walked up the twisting path, Harry felt as though a great heavy object had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt that he had finally found where had had been running too, though, what he was running from remained like a scorching flame in the back of Harry's mind. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind. Harry tried to hope that the people in the house were still awake at this hour of the morning and that they were nice people.

Reaching out a cold, trembling hand, Harry pulled back the large knocker on the wooden door. It was heavy and cold - perhaps it was iron. Harry let the knocker hit the door twice before he stood and waited for an answer.

Waited.

Waited.

Slowly, then, the door creaked open and two small round, yellow, orb-like eyes appeared from be abyss beyond the great door. Two small gem-like eyes starred up at Harry.

"Master says no visitors after eleven," a high pitched voice said to Harry.

"Oh, I see..," Harry said. He had hoped that the owner of the house would answer, but he should have known that someone wealthy enough to live in a house as large as this one before him would have elves.

"Would I be able to speak with your master?" Harry asked the small eyes peeking at him - he had yet to see the whole elf.

"Master says no visitors after eleven," the elf told Harry again. Harry just sighed and wiped the rainwater off his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I know that, but-" Harry continued as he tried to explain.

"Mr. Harry Potter..," the elf whispered, "Master's son speaks so much of Mr. Harry Potter to Master. Master's son would love if Harry Potter were here..," the elf trailed off as it began to speak to itself.

"Really?" Harry asked, "Does that mean I can come in?"

"Oh!" gasped the elf, jumping out from behind the door as Harry's question brought it back from it's discussion with itself, "Yes, Mr. Harry Potter can come in. Master's son will be so pleased!" Harry smiled down at the wide-eyed elf and stepped into the large foyer.

"Just," Harry began, "who is your Master?"

"Oh... Master would be unhappy with Rany if he knew she talked of him behind his back. Rany would have to punish herself many times," Harry simply nodded as the elf spoke to him and took a few steps into the spacious room.

"So then, Rany, you have to punish yourself a lot often?" Harry's question sounded more like a statement.

"Oh, Mr. Harry Potter, Rany is a good house elf, unlike Dobby. Dobby was always being bad..," Harry looked around the foyer at the many beautiful items that adorned small tables and the tapestries on the walls, not to mention the very old, very expensive area rug he was standing on. As the tiny elf spoke to him, all her words seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

The elf gave a light tug on Harry's wet slacks, "Mr. Harry Potter, sir, would you like Rany to show you to your room now? It is very late and Mr. Harry Potter needs his rest so he can meet with Master's son tomorrow."

"Oh," Harry said, looking down at the little smiling elf, "Alright then."

***Rany led Harry up a long flight of stairs - each of which, Harry's Firebolt thudded against as he dragged it behind him - before stopping in front of a door.

"This is Master's son's room," the elf said, "Rany will get some clothes from there for Harry Potter to wear tonight," Harry looked down at the elf strangely.

"Are you sure you should do that?" Harry asked quietly.

"Rany is sure Master's son will not mind. He talks so much of Harry Potter, Rany is sure he will be happy that Harry Potter wore his clothes," Suddenly, Harry felt very awkward and out of place. It's strange, after all, when some one - some creature - talks about how people love you so much.

Harry stood in the hall and waited while Rany quietly pushed open the door and slid into the room behind it. After a small amount of time Rany returned with a bundled up bunch of black fabric.

"Rany had to be quick and silent so not to wake young master. Rany brought you one of Master's son's school robes to sleep in tonight," Harry looked down at the little creature that was staring up at him with large, round, and very happy eyes. Harry just smiled back at her. Only then did Harry notice that she wore what looked like an old sweater. He wondered, though, where she had found it. After all, if a house elf is given clothing, they are free. Perhaps Rany had found the sweater somewhere.

"Thank you," Harry said, taking the robe from her hands. The small elf attached her self to Harry's leg and started to wail loudly. Harry had to cover ears to block out the sound.

"Mr. Harry Potter thanks Rany as if she was a person too!" Rany wailed in her high pitched voice.

"No, no!" Harry whispered to her, "Please be quite!" Even after Harry had spoke, the elf continued to wail on. "Oh no..," Harry muttered to himself, "not this again..."

Above all of Rany's wailing Harry managed to hear a slight sound coming from inside the room. Looking both ways, Harry bolted off down the hall one way, Rany still attached to his leg. After spinning around the corner, Harry reached down and pulled the small elf into his arms, covering her wailing mouth. Total silence followed.

Back in the hall, a boy about Harry's age poked his head out the door, peering from sleepy eyes in both directions. He shook his head about, tousling his already tousled hair. Harry peaked around the corner only enough to see the boy's silhouette amidst the dark. He heard the boy mumble something about a strange dream to himself. Harry knew he had heard the voice somewhere before, and, he figured that the boy was a fellow student from Hogwarts. However, Harry couldn't place whose voice it was.

Slowly, as the boy went back into his room, Harry set Rany on the floor. The small elf looked scared and completely shocked. Harry knelt down to her height.

"You almost go us caught, you did," Harry said to her in a soft voice.

"Rany is sorry... Harry Potter..," she trailed off.

"It's alright," Harry said kindly, "And, you can call me Harry if you'd like."

"Thank you, Mr. Harry Potter, sir, thank you," Rany stammered. Harry just sighed and stood back up.

"Where am I going to sleep?" Harry asked

"Just follow Rany."

Harry did as told and followed the little elf down the endless halls and into a lavishly furnished room of greens and golds. The little elf pushed the door shut behind them after they had entered. Harry jumped slightly as he heard the click of the door bumping the frame.

"Mr. Harry Potter should change out of his wet clothes," Rany said, as she turned around.

"Umm... right..," Harry said, still a bit taken by the beautiful room. Harry pulled off his wet shirt and slid the robe he had on over his head. Then, he let his pants and boxers fall to the floor. He felt a bit strange being naked under someone else's clothes. Once he had undressed, he set his Firebolt down next to the dresser. "What now?" Harry asked as he looked down at the pile of clothes on the floor. Rany turned around at the second the heard Harry's voice again.

"I will wash them for Harry Potter," she said, joyfully.

"Alright," Harry said, gathering the clothes in his arms and handing them off to.

Rany who sped from the room seconds after. Almost glad to have her gone, Harry shut the door and locked it. Turning around, Harry saw himself looking into a full-length mirror. He smiled and winked at his reflection. With a yawn, Harry walked toward the window next to the mirror and looked out into the front yard. There they were again - the gates with the M on them. Harry still wondered what it meant.

Taking another quick glance in the mirror, Harry noticed how messy his hair was.

He slid his glasses off and leant close to the other him. Running his fingers though his wet hair, he caught a glimpse of a blurred image of the house badge on the robe he was wearing and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Quickly as a rabbit, Harry pulled his glasses on and stared solely at the reflection of the green and silver badge in the mirror. His heart was beating so fast he felt as though it might burst. His eyes darted from the badge to the gates he could barely see - the M stood out as clearly as before, however.

Harry's bright green eyes widened like saucers as his hands clasped the fabric - and badge - that sat right above his heart.

"Oh no..," Harry whispered to him self; "I have to get out..."