Harry Potter and the Extremely Weird Year

Chapter 2

"Darn! What is he doing here?"

Harry crept down the stairs a little further. What he saw was not too unexpected.

Macnair!

Harry laughed a little under his breath; why did he have all the bad luck? He shivered slightly. In spite of this, Harry, still kept staring down at them, not knowing they weren't the only ones being watched. He thought the way they were talking to his Uncle was unbelievably funny.

"So....how long have you lived in this lovely house?" Malfoy slowly choked out.

"Yes...... it's quite nice---does anybody else live here with you?"

Well that was quick!

Macnair's icy stare was focused on Vernon Dursley's beady eye's.

"Er....n---nobody but Petunia, Dudley, and I."

"Interesting......." Harry knew what Macnair wanted---him.

"Well," Malfoy said trying to break the tension, "can we have a tour?"

"Sure, why not." Uncle Vernon pulled at his bow tie.

"Can we start upstairs?" There was a hint of sarcasm in Malfoy's voice.

Great!

Harry hurriedly went back to his room. He could hear the footsteps come up the stairs, then past his room to Dudley's.

"There is a lot more to be shown downstairs." Said Uncle Vernon, finally making their way out of Dudley's room. "Why don't we go have some tea?" Uncle Vernon was obviously trying to direct them away from Harry's room. The footsteps were so unbelievably close now, Harry thought they might just storm in right that very moment.

"Tea sounds good." Malfoy finally answered.

Harry sighed in relief and confusion. Why didn't they try and take me? They obviously were trying to keep up some charade, but the Dursleys were no match for two wizards. This was getting very confusing.

Then, Harry felt it again. He was being watched. He slowly looked over his shoulder. There was nobody there. Harry sighed and turned back to the door to listen.

Uncle Vernon had obviously succeeded in guiding them back downstairs. The question was why were they going so far with this charade; Harry knew that there had to be a reason for all this. Still Harry listened, as time passed he couldn't ignore the increasing feeling that he was being watched---and then......

"Hello, Harry Potter, sir." Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Dobby?!" Harry's heart was rapidly increasing. "What are you doing here!" Harry practically screamed. "What are Malfoy and Mac---"

"Harry Potter," Dobby interrupted, "you must leave now!"

"This doesn't make any sense! Why aren't they attacking!"

"Dobby will explain it to Harry Potter later," Dobby was almost begging on his knees. "Pack up your things, Dobby will make everything alright."

"Alright, but you're going to have a lot of explaining to do." Harry walked over to his truck, which, to his dismay---the Dursleys let him keep in his room. He suspected they were to scared of Sirius to do anything.

"Is Harry Potter ready?" Dobby asked impatiently.

"Almost, " Harry said as he walked over to the loose floorboard. "Just have to get my letters." Harry pulled the loose board and grabbed up the hundreds of letters he had gotten.

"Now," Dobby said walking right up beside Harry, "take Dobby's hand."

"Why?"

"Just do it, sir!" Dobby said with impatience. Harry held on to his trunk tight and grabbed Dobby's hand. As soon as he followed through with this action, he wasn't in his room anymore---he was at Magnolia Crescent.

"H---how did you do that?" Harry stammered.

"Ah, sir, House Elves have more magic than Harry Potter realizes."

"OK, then, why did you bring me here?"

"Dobby had to make Harry Potter understand!" Dobby's eyes had never looked bigger. "Dobby was only trying to protect you, sir." Harry only nodded for him to continue. "Dobby heard what the Dark Lord was planning."

"Which was?" Harry said, hastily.

"To kill you, sir." Harry was still very confused. If they were there to kill him, why didn't they do it right away? "Do you know how much Mr. Fudge knew about you, sir?"

"No. Why?

"They kidnapped him, sir, they made him take a truth potion. That's why they knew where to come and find Harry Potter." Harry didn't move. All he could think was what?

"They were making sure that's where you lived, sir, " Dobby continued, "so they could tell the Dark Lord."

"S---so he could come and kill me?" Dobby looked down sadly.

"Yes, sir."

"That's why they didn't make a move on me." Harry said, almost to himself. "They were waiting to report back to Vol---, I mean You-know-who?"

Again Dobby's only response was: "Yes, sir."

"But I thought there were guards or something around my house. Wouldn't Dumbledore have known if they were broken?"

"They aren't broken yet, sir, Master---I mean, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Macnair were to make sure it was where you lived."

"Oh," There was still something bugging Harry though, where was he to go? What was he going to do? "You still haven't answered my question Dobby."

"I haven't, sir?"

Harry grinned slightly, "why did you bring me here?"

Dobby scratched at his feet, "I am going to take you somewhere, sir."

"Where?"

"That is up to you, sir, Dobby does have something for Harry Potter though." Dobby snapped his fingers, and almost instantly Hedwig was there. "Dobby took deliberately of making sure Harry Potter's letter got there fast." He beamed up at Harry.

"You......."

"Yes, sir. Dobby thought Harry Potter might need his owl."

"Thank you." Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder and hooted softly.

Dobby smiled. "Dobby is going to take Harry Potter somewhere safe."

"And how are you going to do that?"

Dobby chuckled. "There are so many things, Harry Potter, that you don't know about house elves." Dobby looked straight into Harry's eyes. "Dobby has great hearing sir, Dobby over heard everything."

"Huh?"

Dobby lowered his head. "Dobby knows everything---Dobby wants to help Harry Potter."

"So what you're saying," Harry hesitated, "is that you know everything that happened last year?"

"Yes, sir, everything." Dobby cut off for a second. "Naturally Dobby thought Harry Potter would want to go to his friends house----and since Dobby can get there faster than anything else......" Dobby's voice droned off.

Then, Harry noticed something flying overhead---another owl. The owl flew right in front of him with a letter tied to it.

Harry took the letter off and read it.

Harry,

How are you? Now, I want to tell you something---something important. You remember where we met last year? Well, that's where I am going to be for awhile. Dumbledore said you are not aloud to go to Ron's, but that I was to tell you where I was incase of an emergency. Bye for now, Harry.

Snuffles

Harry stared down at the letter, why did he tell me that?

"Who was it from, sir?" Dobby said breaking the silence.

"Umm...er... Snuffles."

"Ah, Dobby knows about that too, sir."

Harry just smiled and laughed. "I think I know where we are going to go Dobby."

"Where's that, sir?"

"Hogsmeade." Harry practically jumped for joy at the very timely letter. "Maybe for once, Dobby, I have gotten a lucky break." Dobby smiled at the delight on Harry's face.

"Should we go now sir?"

"Yes, but I have to put on my invisibility cloak first. I can't risk anybody seeing me." Harry opened his trunk to find the not-so-unfamiliar cloak. "Well, Dobby, you're not going to be able to see me, that's alright, right?"

"Yes, sir." Dobby complied.

Hedwig flew off Harry as he swung his cloak over himself.

"How do I look?"

"I can't see any part of you, sir."

"That's good. Now, how are we going to do this?"

"Dobby will take you there, sir."

"Alright." Harry bent down and grabbed the top part of his trunk, then grabbed Dobby's hand.

"Ready, sir?" Dobby asked.

"Yes." Harry closed his eyes, expecting when he opened them to be in Hogsmeade; but he wasn't. "Dobby, you can go now."

"Dobby can't, sir." He said exasperated.

"What do you mean you can't?!"

"There must be some kind of protection ward over Hogsmeade, sir, Dobby can't go there like this." Harry looked down dumbfounded.

"So you can't take me there?"

"No, sir, not like this."

"Great!" Harry said taking off his invisibility cloak. "Now what do we do?"

"Harry Potter," Dobby said calmly, "Dobby can take you there, just not as fast."

"How?"

"The Knight Bus, sir."

Harry's smile had returned. "I still don't want to be seen."

"Dobby understands, sir."

"Wait," Harry said hesitantly "I don't have any money."

Dobby smiled. "Dobby does, sir."

"I couldn't possib---"

"Dobby insists!" He interrupted, pulling some coins out of his very dirty socks.

"OK, I'll get back under the cloak."

"Wait, Harry Potter needs to stick out his wand hand!"

Then Harry realized something. "Aren't they going to notice that you don't have a master with you? What are you going to say if they ask you how you summoned the bus?"

"Harry Potter need not to worry. Dobby will take care of everything. Dobby will send Harry Potter things some place safe, so Dobby doesn't get questioned about them."

"Alright, Hedwig, get under here, and you," he said to the other owl. "Go away." Hedwig did as Harry commanded. The other owl ruffled his feathers at Harry and flew off. Dobby snapped his fingers; and his trunk was gone.

"Harry Potter must stick out his wand hand, sir." As soon as Harry did this, he heard the familiar sound of the bus. Remembering what had happened last time, he took a few steps backwards. Then there he was---Stan Shunpike.

"Hello, my name is Stan, welcome to the Knight bus. I will be your conductor this 'eve."

Well this is going to be a long ride!