Roses and Riots | f. weasley

Chapter 3: The Visit

At the beginning of August, Emilia was alone in the cottage in Yorkshire while Remus was at work in Flourish and Blotts. She was in the process of sorting her clothes, uniform, robes and books to pack into her trunk before heading to the Burrow for the rest of the month before school started back.

She looked out her window for what felt like the hundredth time for any sign of Hedwig, in hopes of finally hearing back from Harry. So far, she'd gotten no letters back from him in response to the ones she'd sent to him, not even to the birthday card she'd sent him for his birthday only days earlier.

She walked away from the window with a sigh and walked over to the bed where her clothes were piled up. She sat down heavily with a sigh, staring at the chipped paint ceiling above her, but a sudden, loud popping noise made her yelp and jump off her bed.

With her back to the wall, she stared at the small, humanoid figure with enormous eyes standing in the middle of her small bedroom.

"Bloody hell!" She gasped and clutched her chest as her pulse raced.

Emilia had seen one or two House-elves in her life in Diagon Alley, but she'd never spoken to one, and now there was one staring at her as if she was the best thing in the universe.

"Emilia Potter! Dobby apologises for scaring you, but he must ask for your help!" the House-elf said to her urgently.

"My help?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Miss!"

She pushed off the wall and slowly approached the creature, "why do you need my help?"

The elf, Dobby, began wringing his hands anxiously, and Emilia noticed and pulled over a chair from beside her desk, "here, Dobby, why don't you sit down?"

Dobby's already huge eyes went wide and he began to hyperventilate so Emilia immediately shoved the chair back across the room, "-or don't sit! It's fine!"

Dobby covered his face, "you must not let Harry Potter return to Hogwarts this year!"

He took his hands away from his face and looked at her pleadingly, and she was completely baffled, "why shouldn't Harry go back?"

"Dobby cannot say," he replied and he started pacing and mumbling agitatedly to himself so Emilia tried a different approach.

"Look, Dobby, I haven't gotten a reply from him all summer, so I have no way of telling him. You may have to talk to him yourself, but good luck trying to get him to listen."

Dobby's face lit up, "excellent plan, miss! Dobby will tell Harry Potter himself at the Muggle house!"

"No- Dobby, wait! I didn't mean you should actually-"

"Goodbye, miss!" Then he clicked his fingers and Disapparated.

Emilia blinked in confusion and sat down heavily on my bed. Why on earth would a House-elf want to warn Harry against going back to school?

—

The following week, Emilia paced the Burrow anxiously.

"I haven't heard from him all summer, and he told me what they're like! He gets scraps for dinner and he slept in a bloody cupboard under the stairs for ten years! What if something's happened and that's why he isn't sending any letters back?" she exclaimed agitatedly as she paced.

Ron bounced his leg anxiously, "we have to do something!"

"What, like rescue him?" Fred asked casually, though it was obvious he was a bit concerned about Harry too, "and how would you propose we do that, exactly?"