Amelia Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PART 1

10

'And I thought I was hard-done-by staying here for another four weeks,' he said. 'This makes the Dursleys sound almost human. Can't anyone help you? Can't I?'

Almost at once, Harry wished he hadn't spoken. Dobby dis- solved again into wails of gratitude.

'Please,' Harry whispered frantically, 'please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here ...'

'Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby ... Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew ...'

Harry, who was feeling distinctly hot in the face, said, 'Whatever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts, that's Hermione, she –'

But he stopped quickly, because thinking about Hermione was painful.

'Harry Potter is humble and modest,' said Dobby reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow. 'Harry Potter speaks not of his triumph over He Who Must Not Be Named.'

'Voldemort?' said Harry.

Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned, 'Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!'

'Sorry,' said Harry quickly. 'I know lots of people don't like it – my friend Ron ...'

He stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful, too.
Dobby leaned towards Harry, his eyes wide as headlamps. 'Dobby heard tell,' he said hoarsely, 'that Harry Potter met the

Dark Lord for a second time, just weeks ago ... that Harry Potter escaped yet again.'

Harry nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.

'Ah, sir,' he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grub- by pillowcase he was wearing. 'Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later ... Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts.'

There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon's voice.

'W-what?' Harry stammered. 'But I've got to go back – term starts on September the first. It's all that's keeping me going. You don't know what it's like here. I don't belong here. I belong in your