𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀 → hermione granger

18: dobby's warning

HARRY AND RAVEN MANAGED not to shout out, but it was a close thing. The little creature on the bed had large, bat like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls. Harry and Raven knew instantly that this was what had been watching them out of the garden hedge that morning.

  As they stared at each other, Raven heard Dudley's voice from the hall.

  "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

  The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. Harry noticed that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for armand leg holes.

  "Er—hello," said Raven nervously.

  "Harry and Raven Potter!" said the creature in a high pitched voice Raven was sure would carry down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, sir... Such an honor it is..."

  "Th-thank you," said Harry, edging along the wall and sinking into the desk chair, next to Hedwig, who was asleep in her large cage. Raven slipped the bread and cheese quietly into her cage.

Raven wanted to ask, "What are you?" but thought it would sound too rude, so instead she said, "Who are you?"

  "Dobby, ma'am. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature.

  "Oh—really?" said Harry. "Er—I don't want to be rude or anything, but—this isn't a great time for us to have a house-elf in our bedroom."

  Aunt Petunia's high, false laugh sounded from the living room. The elf hung his head.

  "Not that we're not pleased to meet you," said Raven quickly, "but, er, is there any particular reason you're here?"

  "Oh, yes, ma'am, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you,... it is difficult... Dobby wonders where to begin..."

  "Sit down," said Harry politely, pointing at the bed.

  To the twin's horror, the elf burst into tears—very noisy tears.

  "S-sit down!" he wailed. "Never... never ever..."

  Raven thought she heard the voices downstairs falter.

  "I'm sorry," Harry whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

  "Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard—like an equal—"

  Harry, trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time, ushered Dobby back onto the bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll. At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Harry and Raven in an expression of watery adoration.

  "You can't have met many decent wizards," said Raven, trying to cheer him up.

  Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his head furiously on the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

  "Don't—what are you doing?" Raven hissed, springing up and pulling Dobby back onto the bed—Hedwig had woken up with a particularly loud screech and was beating her wings wildly against the bars of her cage.

  "Dobby had to punish himself, sir," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross eyed. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, sir..."

  "Your family?"

  "The wizard family Dobby serves, sir... Dobby's is a house-elf—bound to serve one house and one family forever..."

  "Do they know you're here?" asked Harry curiously.