Till Forever Falls Apart

Chapter Twenty-One: Dobby's Warning

The elf emerged from its hiding spot, cowering in the sliver of light that peered through Harry's curtains.

"What are you?" Harry made a grab for his wand and aimed it towards the creature. "Who are you?"

"Harry, stop it!" Val reached for his arm and lowered the wand. "You can't even use magic outside of school anyway!"

"I think they'll forgive me for protecting us!" Harry said through gritted teeth, still eyeing the elf suspiciously.

The elf whimpered. "I'm Dobby, and I've come to you with a grave message, Harry Potter."

Harry thought for a moment, and put his wand down. "Have a seat," he gestured to his unmade bed.

Dobby's eyes went wide. "Harry Potter offering me a seat? I can't!" He cried. "Why do you treat Dobby so kindly?" The two kids looked at each other and back at the elf.

"Dobby," Val said slowly, stepping closer to the elf. "Who do you work for?"

"I cannot say," Dobby hung his head sadly. "I cannot speak ill of my master."

Val raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to play a game?"

"Play a game? With a wizard?" Dobby looked frantic. "Would my master allow it?"

"We're about to find out," Val said under her breath.

"Are they pureblood? You can nod or shake your head."

Dobby nodded.

Val turned to Harry. "Okay, that leaves like twenty-eight families. Easy."

"Easy?" Harry scoffed. "By the time we find out who it is they'll be punishing him for telling us."

Dobby stuck out his bottom lip as if he was about to cry.

Harry surged forward to comfort him. "Don't cry please!" He awkwardly gave him a tissue, holding out for the elf to take.

"You said you had a message for Harry?" Val sat across from the elf. "Would you mind telling us?"

Dobby's expression grew solemn as he did what he had traveled to do.

"Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

"What?" Harry stammered, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "What will happen if I go back?"

"Harry Potter will be in danger. There is a plan for Harry Potter. A plan that will put him in- in-"

Dobby began to hiccup.

"Dobby, it's alright!" Val gave him another tissue. "Could you calm yourself and tell us who is planning it?"

Dobby shook his head, sniffing.

"Well that helps," Harry muttered.

Val shot him a look. "Is it..."

A cold, sickening feeling came over Val.

"Is it You-Know-Who?"

A thick silence wrapped itself around the three figures sitting in the bed. The light bulb of the lamp near the nightstand began to flicker as the trees rattled against the window, sending a feeling down Harry's spine, becoming a pale shade of yellow.

"No. Not him," Dobby choked.

Both kids clutched their hearts in a sigh of relief.

"Well then I should be good to go back," Harry argued. "We're safe at Hogwarts. Dumbledore wouldn't let anything happen to us."

Val nodded subtly. "Is there anything you can tell us about this plan, Dobby?"

Dobby paused for a moment, and gathered his thoughts.

"Harry Potter must say he's not going back to Hogwarts."

Val fell flat against the bed, huffing in frustration.

Harry shook his head. "I won't. I have to go back. I have friends there, and quidditch, and schoolwork."

"Since when have you wholeheartedly cared about homework?" Val asked.

Harry ignored her. "Just tell us anything Dobby. Please."

"Is everything okay up there?" James called from the bottom of the stairs. Harry looked at Val before flying to his bedroom door, opening it, and peeking out his head to talk to his dad.

"We're alright! Got a bit rough while playing, that's all."

"Val, darling! We're leaving!" Sirius yelled as well.

Harry gave Val a helpless look, looking back at the creature that looked as if it was going to crumple itself up from desperation any moment. She moved past Harry and jumped down the flight of stairs.

"Couldn't I stay here? Just for the night please?" Val clasped her hands together, pleading.

Sirius looked at Harry, who was still only showing his head from behind the door frame, and looked back at his daughter's pleading face.

"Oh, alright," Sirius smiled. "Have fun. See you in the morning." He gave her a kiss on the top of her head and waved before walking down the road. Val climbed the stairs once more and followed Harry back into the room. The elf was gone, and there was not a trace of him left.

"Where did he go?" Harry looked under the covers and then peeked his head out to open his closet doors.

"Harry?" Val said uneasily. The boy turned quietly, not speaking.

"What do you think he meant by you can't go back? That you're not safe?"

"Beats me," Harry said softly, twirling his wand between his fingers. "Maybe he's making it all up, I don't know. What I do know is that I can't not go back."

"Should we tell your parents?" Val asked as she rearranged the room. Harry shook his head furiously.

"We shouldn't worry them about this. Did I ever tell you that sometimes I hear him and Mum whispering when they think I'm asleep?"

Val gave him a look of concern.

Harry pulled at the covers of his bed and slid in them. "Dad told Mum a few weeks back that he heard a rumor at the Ministry. That some of Voldemort's... sorry. You-Know-Who's supporters are gathering again," the young boy hung his head.

"I guess we shouldn't be worried until the Ministry says something, right?"

Val said nothing. They had grown up in a post-war wizarding world where the effects of dark magic still lingered, as if it was right behind them and ready to pull the children back into its petrifying grasp. The war hurt too much to speak of. Val and Harry knew that quite well. So if there was even a hint of a rumor, if the Ministry knew something that they didn't, could they possibly be correct?

    "We're too young to be worried about this," Val gave an aggravated sigh and pushed herself up from the edge of Harry's bed. "You're right. Until the Daily Prophet, or McGonagall, or Dumbledore himself says something, we don't have to think about it," she gave her best reassuring smile.

Harry rubbed his eyes as he took off his glasses. "Yeah. I guess so. Good night, LB."

"Night, Harry."

Val closed the door and walked to the room next to her best friend's. The Potters had added onto the house when she was only a baby, and had given Val her very own room at their home.

The room was painted with pastel greens and pinks with flowery decor and timeless, vintage furniture to accent the walls. Val hastily threw back the covers and climbed into bed, letting the cool fabric of the blanket relieve the aches of heat that crawled across her body.

She lay awake, thinking about what Harry and her had discussed. It seemed almost impossible not to worry about the rise of another powerful dark wizard. The Ministry had barely managed to destroy the first one.

Stop thinking about it, Val chided. It will only make you anxious.

Val closed her eyes and longed for sleep to overcome her. Fatigue rested itself over her body, and Val wished for good dreams as she inhaled her final breath before settling into a deep sleep.