A Time And Place To Grow

Chapter 13: Dealing with Dobby

Harry blinked uncertainly at the little house elf which was standing at the end of the bed with a most helpful expression. Harry turned up the lamp beside his bed, casting the room in a dull glow. "Dobby? You came but I didn't think it would be so soon. How did you get past the wards and know where I was and -"

"Harry Potter set Dobby free," Dobby hopped up on the edge of the bed, his pile of hats nearly sliding off his head. He straightened the hats and crept nearer to Harry. "Harry Potter freed, so Dobby can find Harry Potter wherever he is. Dobby received the letter, Harry Potter sounded worried and needing, and Dobby feels worried. Dobby is come to make Harry Potter feel better. But," the house elf glanced around the room curiously, "why is Harry Potter in Mr. Snape's house?"

"You've been here before?" Harry pushed himself up on his pillow, wide-awake.

Dobby looked very solemn. "Yes, yes, Master - er, Mr. Malfoy once take Dobby to Snapdragon Manor. Mr. Snape not let Mr. Malfoy kick Dobby down the stairs."

"Well, I'm stuck with Snape all summer," Harry explained. "He's my temporary guardian, or something like that. Dobby, you have to help me."

Dobby seemed confused. "Is Mr. Snape cruel to Harry Potter? Mr. Snape should be kind to Harry Potter. Mr. Snape has saved Harry Potter many times at school and Dobby is thinking that -"

"Yes, yes, Snape's been all right," Harry hastened. "I want to know about Malfoy Manor."

A white pallor swept over the house elf's face, and he adamantly shook his head. "No, Harry Potter has no reason to know about Malfoy Manor. Harry Potter must be happy at Snapdragon Manor for the summer, and never go to Malfoy Manor."

 "But -" Harry hesitated. He thought he heard footsteps in the hall. "Dobby, quick, disappear! Don't let anyone see you. I'll send Snape away, but I need to talk to you, and he can't know you're here. It would be very - uncomfortable for me if he found out."

Dobby still looked confused, but he nodded, and with a snap of his gnarly fingers, he vanished. Just in time too, because the door opened, and Snape charged in. Harry was sitting up so he did not have time to lie down and pretend to be asleep. Besides the light was already lit.

"Someone broke through the wards," Snape said tightly, wand grasped tightly in one hand. "Who was it?"

Harry pressed his lips together, annoyed. He didn't mind being asked, but it was the way Snape demanded that got on his nerves. Not "Oh, Potter, I heard someone or something breaking the wards, do you know anything about it?" Or even "The wards have broken, and I need to know if you saw or heard anything." No, Snape just automatically assumed that whenever something went wrong, it was Harry's fault. No matter what happened, Potter was to blame.

"I don't know anything about it," Harry answered coolly.

"Don't lie to me," Snape snapped, taking a few steps towards the bed. "Whatever it was came into your room. All the alarms pointed here, and you will tell me right now."

"Search the room," Harry answered back with a wave of his hand around the room. "No one's in here. Not my friends from school or my fan club."

"Potter, this is not a joke," Snape was very serious. "We could both be in danger. I need to know who it was, and I need to know now."

Harry knew he was being stubborn and childish, and he should tell Snape because this was Snape's house, but still!

"I don't know," Harry crossed his arms.

"Why is the light on?" Snape nodded towards the lamp.

"I couldn't sleep. I was reading," Harry answered.