Always There

Chapter 10

Harry fidgeted in the darkness, half-asleep, then his eyelids fluttering slowly opened as Olivia woke with a start.

The two sensed something, a presence, when five bandaged fingers began to sponge Harry's brow and he bolted upright.

"Dobby!" Harry yelled making Olivia groan in pain. Her head was pounding and all that yelling was not helping.

"Harry Potter came back to school. Dobby warned him. Harry Potter should have listened to Dobby. Harry Potter should have gone back home when he missed the train. Dobby could not make Olivia Snape leave the school. Olivia Snape already at school." Dobby said loudly and Olivia wanted to hit him.

Her head hurt more than when she had got hit. "It was you! You stopped the barrier from letting Ron and me through!" Harry yelled angrily and Olivia got out of her bed and walked over to Harry's.

She then smacked him hard in to back off his head. Harry whined before pulling Olivia into his bed. She laid her head on his shoulder.

"Indeed yes, sir. Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and sealed the gateway." Dobby confessed and Olivia put her hands over her ears. Dobby was being very loud and it flipping hurt.

"You nearly got Ron and me expelled!" Harry yelled and Olivia decided it was a bad idea to lay down over here.

"At least you would be away from here. Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make Harry Potter  and Olivia Snape see --" Harry and Olivia interrupted the house elf.

"Your Bludger? You made that Bludger chase after us?" The two siblings yelled at the house elf even though it hurt Olivia.

"Dobby feels most aggrieved, sir. Dobby had to iron his hands." He said and should his fingers that were bandaged lightly.

"You'd better clear off before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you!" Harry yelled and Olivia's head started to pound worse.

"Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home." Harry ignored what Dobby was saying as red hot anger filled his veins.

Olivia had her head in between her knees. She wanted to cry, but her head hurt to much. "I don't suppose you could tell me why you're trying to kill us?" Harry asked as he looked at his younger sibling.

"Not kill you, sir, never kill you! Dobby remembers how it was before Harry Potter triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. We house elves were treated like vermin, sir. Of course, Dobby is still treated like vermin." Dobby blew his nose on the filthy pillowcase he wears.

"Why do you wear that thing, Dobby?" Harry asked as he pulled his sister toward him.

"This, sir? 'Tis a mark of the house elf's enslavement. Dobby can only be freed if his master presents him with clothes. The family is careful not to pass Dobby so much as a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house forever." Dobby's ears twitched, detecting footsteps.

"Terrible things are about to happen at Hogwarts! Harry Potter and Olivia Snape must not stay here now that history is to repeat itself!" Dobby whispered to the two and Olivia was relived they weren't yelling anymore.

"Repeat itself? You mean, this has happened before?" Dobby seized the Skele-Gro and started beating himself on the head.

"Tell me, Dobby? When did this happen before? Who's doing it now?" Harry asked and seized the Skele-Gro.

"Dobby cannot say, sir. Dobby only wants Harry Potter and Olivia Snape to be safe." Dobby mumbled and Harry looked around.

"Who is it? No, Dobby! Tell me!" There was a loud crack and Dobby was gone. Shadows flickered beyond the curtains encircling Harry's bed.