Harry was careful about how he described House Elves in general and Dobby in particular to Hermione. He told her everything he knew, but made sure to do so in a way that told her that Dobby’s former situation was probably an extreme. Dobby thought so. He also took care to explain that Elves needed to associate with witches and wizards to survive and, more than that, needed to be bonded to them. Harry emphasized that he felt Dobby was more a friend than anything else. He did not know why he was so careful. He just had a feeling that if he painted too grim a picture - which would have been surprisingly easy given Dobby’s former situation - Hermione might have done something. He didn’t know what, but whatever it was it would have been a distraction from what was important to them both right now. Obviously, this was their strange experiences and why they and Luna had gone through them. On a slightly less serious note, much as it would have been so like Hermione to get focused on something to the exclusion of all else and that was one of the things Harry liked about her, he preferred that the focus be on them as both the recipients of this message or whatever it was and as newly, if still very privately declared boyfriend and girlfriend. Harry found he really liked that time with Hermione and wanted as much of it as he could get.
Naturally, Hermione was not the type of girl who would spend all her time down by the lake snuggled in his arms and kissing him until they both needed a brief breather. Harry was certain the only way he could have that time with her all the time is if they were somewhere where there was not a Library in existence, much less nearby, and sometime when there was not a need to figure out what was going on. For the next few days, the two of them split their time between the Library and the tree by the lake, the latter being at Harry’s insistence but without any resistance from her. He finished his Potions Essay and figured he would be well towards finishing his History of Magic Essay before they had to leave and she did read over his finished essays - and provided a list of suggestions and correction as she was wont to do. She, in the meantime, was buried in stacks of books when they were not alone by the lake. She was still searching for any explanation about what had happened, but also spent some time reading about House Elves. She knew little about them, which was all the excuse she needed to read about them.
Oddly, or perhaps not so oddly, no one at the school seemed to pick up on any change in their relationship. True, they didn’t flaunt it. They didn’t spend their evenings in the Gryffindor Common Room snogging away nor did they spend any time “inspecting broom closets,” although they did look in one and neither of them could understand the allure those things had for the older students. They sat together at all the meals, but that would hardly raise an eyebrow as they always had. They held hands - a lot - but that was also written off given that they were known to be very good friends and, after all, she had been petrified. The truth was that few paid them any attention at all. The majority of the students who still resided in Gryffindor Tower were still sweating out their O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s and, even if they were not, they seldom paid much attention to Second Years anyway unless the Second Years in question were particularly annoying. The remaining students were all doing their own thing.
The two of them were thoroughly enjoyed their time together and were disappointed that it ended so quickly. All too soon it was the last night before the train ride back to London. The Leaving Feast was not what it was the last year with so many students already gone, but that did not seem to faze the Headmaster at all. One would think the whole school was there as he announced the final House Points and then the winner of that year’s House Cup. It was Gryffindor again and once again Harry’s end of year adventure had a lot to do with the win with some late House Points, never mind the Award for Special Services to the School that he and Ron had already earned and that Hermione picked up at the Feast.
Saturday morning found the two of them sitting across from each other in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express as it pulled out from Hogsmeade Station for its eight hour trip south to London. They had the compartment to themselves which was a little odd. Then again, over half of the students had already gone home yet despite this the train had the same number of carriages as usual. They decided to wait before they began doing boyfriend/girlfriend things, which to them was still limited to snuggling together and kissing. They had not succeeded in finding any clues about their déjà vu thing or why Hermione had any awareness of anything during the time she was petrified. By then they were pretty certain that whatever it was it was either extremely rare or maybe even unique, each of which bothered Harry. He might be getting used to being unusual, but that did not mean he embraced it.
“I totally forgot to ask you!” Hermione said looking up from a book. “Did you pick your courses for next year?”
Harry gave her a mischievous grin and nodded.
“Okay Harry. What’s with that face?”
“Nothing.”
“No, it’s not nothing!”
“Um, remember how we discussed trying to do things that would not bring back that weird feeling?”
Hermione nodded.
“You know Ron was trying to convince me that I should only take two electives, right?”
“Yeah. Muggle Studies and Divination, as I recall.”
“Well, I told him I had no interest in Muggle Studies really.”
“I think it would be interesting to see the world I grew up in from a wizarding perspective, don’t you?”
“It would, maybe. But you know that’s not why Ron wanted me to take the course.”
“He wanted to copy your work figuring you’d get top marks or something.”
Harry nodded. “I didn’t tell him that’s why I wouldn’t take that course for all the money in Gringotts. Told him why should I study something I already know? It would bore me even worse than Binns to sit through it and one boring class was enough, thank you. He wasn’t thrilled, but then went on about Care of Magical Creatures and I had to agree that sounded interesting. Didn’t say anything about Divination to him, although I think he thinks I’m taking it.”
“You’re not?”
“I read the stuff. Sounds like nothing more than fortune telling to me and I really could care less about that. What would I do with that? Hang out a shingle as Harry Potter the Medium?”
Hermione gave a slight laugh. “Well, that would blow the image of the Boy-Who-Lived all to naught! So if you’re not taking Divination, what are you taking in its place?”
“Um… Arithmancy,” he began.
“Really? Of the two of them, I would’ve thought you’d be more inclined towards Runes.”
“What makes you think I didn’t ask for that as well?”
“You did?”
Harry nodded.
“You do know those are probably the two hardest of the electives?”
“They’re said to be. But if you ask me, of all the electives they’re the only ones that are really useful. Care of Magical Creatures sounds interesting, but do you see me having a magical menagerie?”
“You have Hedwig.”
“Yes I do. And she’d be right put out if I started collecting other creatures. If you ask me, she’s a little possessive.”
“Where is she, by the way?”
“Sent a note off to Luna just before we left. I really don’t feel right keeping her all cooped up in a cage. It’s bad enough I’ll have to do that most of my time at my relatives.”
“And what did you write her?” she asked.
“Not much. It was an experiment as I didn’t address the envelope. I just told Hedwig to take it to my friend Luna and wait for a reply. If I get one, then I know our plan will work and that Dobby can bring us there even if we don’t know where there is.”
“So you still want me to come?”
Harry nodded. “You went through the same thing she and I did. It makes you a part of this as well and that letter might hold answers. Besides, while I think she’s pretty smart, having two very smart people working the problem is better than one, don’t you think?”
“Don’t sell yourself short on the smart stuff, Harry. Your marks aside, you’re smart too. So, Monday morning at nine you’ll come over to my place and then we go to Luna’s?”
Harry nodded. “That’s the plan. And if this works it also means we can see a lot of each other this summer - once you get back from France, of course.”
“Of course. Harry?”
“Yes?”
“I’m really happy you decided to take Runes and Arithmancy.”
“That’s also a reason why I did it, although at the time I was only hoping you would appreciate it. What are you taking?”
“Everything, of course. Yes, Divination might be useless and who knows about Muggle Studies. Percy Weasley suggested it, but he was raised in the wizarding world. Still…”
“You want to learn as much as you can,” Harry finished earning a smile from Hermione. “How’s that going to work? Can you take all five? I mean does the schedule work seeing as it’s not like we have loads of professors for any course, just one right?”
Hermione shrugged. “Professor McGonagall said that might be an issue but she also said she’d try to work something out so that I can. She wouldn’t tell me what, ‘though. Now come sit next to me.”
“Why?” Harry teased. “I like the view out the window from here.”
“Because I’d like some boyfriend time,” Hermione said with a false pout and matching whine.
“Good,” Harry said as he got up to shift benches, “‘cause I’ve been wanting serious girlfriend time since before we left!”
The train pulled into King’s Cross station on time, as it always had. Harry and Hermione said their more intimate goodbye before leaving their compartment. They had talked about it beforehand. After all, no one at school seemed to know they were a couple yet and they saw no real reason to let them know too soon. After all, Hermione had reasoned, it would completely mess up Fred and George Weasley’s betting pool if they managed to keep it quiet until next fall or even later. The other reason was they had only just become a couple and as Hermione’s parents would be waiting for her on the platform, she would rather not have to explain why she was giving some boy a long, goodbye kiss when she had yet to even suggest there was a boy like that in her life. Harry wondered how her parents could be on the platform for his Uncle always waited for him in the main terminal. Hermione explained that any Muggle related to a magical by blood could access the magical platform if they knew how. Harry’s Uncle was not so related.
They stepped off the train together and walked towards the front where the baggage cars were located to retrieve their trunks. This did not take long at all as all of the trunks were already on the platform when they arrived. They then walked towards the area where the parents were waiting and Hermione quickly found her parents in the rather small crowd. Harry stood back as she hugged her parents debating whether he should move on or meet them. In the end, he waited for even though he was not expecting another goodbye kiss and even though they would probably be seeing each other in a couple of days, he still wanted to say goodbye to her again. Besides, he reasoned, he had not really been introduced to her parents before.
“Mum and Dad,” Hermione finally said turning to Harry. “I’d like you to meet my best friend Harry. I was going to introduce you to him last summer at Diagon Alley but things got a little out of hand.”
“I’ll say,” Mr. Granger chuckled. “Never thought I’d see a prize fight in a crowded book store.” He offered his hand to Harry. “Robert Granger,” he said, “my friends call me Bob as in ‘Bob’s you’re Uncle’ and all that but seeing as you are Hermione’s friend and a boy, you can call me Mr. Granger.”
Hermione’s mother rolled her eyes. “Oh Bob! From her letters we know Harry is supposed to be a very nice young man. Do you have to try to intimidate him?”
“Of course,” Mr. Granger said with a mischievous smirk. “Hermione is our only child and our daughter. It’s a rule that I, as her father, am expected and required to put the fear of God into any potential suitor however remote said potential may appear at least until such time as she turns… oh I don’t know… forty or so. Under sixteen, she is protected by law and after menopause by nature to an extent. In between, her - um - virtue is my concern.”
“Daddy!” Hermione exclaimed clearly mortified.
“You’re such a Neanderthal,” Mrs. Granger said. “I’m Rose Granger and you may call me that if you’re comfortable with it, Harry. Don’t mind the troglodyte next to me. His rules or no, he knows who’s in charge.”
“Um, thanks?” Harry said shaking her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I would make some comment about seeing where Hermione gets her - um - beauty from, but won’t for fear of setting off her - um - virtue protection device?”
Mrs. Granger chuckled. “It would seem, Robert, that you now may be outnumbered three to one.”
“Not unless he pees sitting down,” Robert Granger quipped eliciting a gasp from Hermione, a stifled laugh from Harry and a smack at the back of his head from his wife.
Before anyone could think of a verbal retort, a cough caught all of their attention. The source of the cough stood about three feet tall, maybe a little more. It wore black sandals on its feet which were clearly too large for such a small body which were worn over two mismatched and quite garish socks. It wore trousers that were dark grey with black, vertical stripes that ended about mid-calf and reminded Rose Granger of Capri pants. It had on a white, button down shirt with a black bow tie and grey waistcoat over which was a black jacket not unlike a dinner jacket with some kind of coat of arms above its left breast pocket. It’s face was somewhat pointed in appearance and almost comical with a long, pointed nose, huge eyes and ears that reminded one of a bat. Its complexion was a greyish green color and it had no hair. For the Grangers, this was the first time they had ever seen a House Elf. For Harry, it was the first time he had seen Dobby wearing something other than a soiled toga made from a torn pillow case.
“The socks are a bit much, Dobby,” Harry chuckled.
“They be’s a reminder of the Great Harry Potter’s savings and freeings of Dobby from cruel, nasty wizards!” the elf said proudly.
“Mr. and Mrs. Granger,” Harry said, “Hermione? This is Dobby. He’s my friend and House Elf.”
“The Great Harry Potter Sir is too kind to Dobby,” the elf almost cried. “It be an honour to be just the Great Harry Potter’s Elf, Sir. But friend?” The elf pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and blew his long nose.
“Er, what does a House Elf do?” Mr. Granger asked.
“Dobby be doing whatever the Great Harry Potter needs be doing,” Dobby replied. “Dobby be taking the Great Harry Potter’s trunk backs to nasty muggleses house and then Dobby be taking the Great Harry Potter theres as well.”
“You’ve been there?” Harry asked.
“You’s says to find a way for you’s to be there without being bothered by nasty muggleses so Dobby goes and sets things to rights. Nasty muggleses not be bothering Harry Potter Sir.”
“What did you do?” Harry asked suspiciously.
“They be sayings that theys can do’s to Harry Potter whats they wishes when they wishes ‘cause Harry Potter be underage wizard and not be alloweds to be doing magic arounds them. They needed be understanding that Dobby cans so Dobby be givings them lessons. Dobby did puts nasty muggleses and their things and house and stuff backs together when Dobby was finished, Sir.”
“Um, I’m not sure that was such a good idea,” Harry said. “I will have to see them and all.”
Dobby shook his head. “Harry Potter tells Dobby he musts live in that house untils his birthday but he nots to be wanting to ‘deal’ with nasty muggleses what lives there too. Dobby has it all set up. You nots be seeing nasty muggleses and theys nots be seeing you, Sir.”
“How?”
“It be surprises but Dobby thinks Harry Potter will likes it so Dobby not saying ‘til Dobby be showing or it won’t be surprises.” Dobby then turned to Hermione. “Yous must be’s Harry Potter’s Grangy. Harry Potter be’s telling Dobby of Miss Grangy’s kindness, smarts and beauty but he’s not be tellings it all,” and the Elf bowed to her. “And you’s must be parents of this Great and Pretty friend of Harry Potter,” he added bowing to Hermione’s parents. “Dobby be taking trunk now so Harry Potter can says his farewells.” Before anyone could say anything, the elf and the trunk disappeared.
“That was an odd little - er - elf,” Mr. Granger said.
Harry shrugged. “Can’t say if he’s odd or not seeing as he’s the only Elf I’ve ever met.”
“How long has he been…?”
“In my employ?”
Mr. Granger looked confused but nodded.
“He bound himself to House Potter two weeks ago today. To be honest, while I’ve learned House Elves had served and their magic needs to serve witches and wizards, I have no idea what they can really do. What little I’ve seen is pretty amazing. We had a long chat about how he could help me seeing as all I have really is that trunk and a small bedroom at my Aunt and Uncle’s and Elves are usually on staff at Manors and stuff. He told me he had some ideas, but didn’t tell me what and went off to do whatever he was doing two weeks ago and I haven’t seen him since. I have no idea what he’s been up to. I just hope he didn’t overwork himself ‘cause I asked him not to.”
“It must be expensive.”
“Dobby was able to give me some idea of my finances,” Harry said. “Apparently, Elves know that to the last knut from the moment they accept a bond. I had more than enough to pay him 200 Galleons a month but he’s actually a brutal negotiator about salary and work conditions and I finally managed to get him to accept 1 Galleon a month with a holiday bonus by telling him he could use it to buy presents.”
“He talked you down?”
“I talked him up,” Harry said. “He was adamant about not being paid and not taking any days off at all. He finally agreed to one day off a month, provided he’s not required to take it.”
“I read about Elves, Daddy,” Hermione said. “Harry told me about Dobby and their ‘payment’ or ‘compensation’ is not monetary. By serving a magical family, they benefit magically. As a race, there are few places they can live without the ambient magic that a magical household provides. They need a relationship with witches and wizards to survive. They know this so they consider it an insult to serve for any other form of compensation.”
“Which is why I had to tell him to accept his pay and use it for buying presents, if he wishes, ‘cause even if serving me is enough for him it seems wrong not to pay him something. I’m pretty sure he’s underpaid already even if he is the highest paid Elf in Britain. I also think the reason he agreed is I insisted that I be allowed to cook meals on occasions if I have an opportunity to entertain friends.”
“It sounds like a form of slavery,” Mr. Granger said.
“If Dobby were human, it might be,” Harry agreed. “Elves, however, need their association with witches and wizards far more than witches and wizards need Elves. Dobby explained that slavery is an exploitative relationship. The bond Elves must have to a magical family can be abused just as any relationship can be abusive. Elves are a different species from us. Dogs are smart and very useful and most of them are eager to please their owners, yet some are abused. Is the fact that some people mistreat their dogs reason to forbid anyone from having one and teaching it to do things for them? Dobby’s last family was abusive and, well I can understand that about him. But the truth is in most cases we are the ones being exploited since it’s our magic that keeps them alive and healthy.”
“So they’re like parasites?”
“Except they cause us no harm whatsoever,” Harry said. “Well, that is Dobby can’t cause me harm. I’ve learned he can be quite dangerous to anyone who wishes to harm me in his presence.”
“And the socks?” Mrs. Granger asked after a long pause while they digested what Harry had said.
“Dobby’s last family was beyond the pale abusive,” Harry said. “I get the impression it takes a lot to push and Elf to the point where they wish for their bond to be broken with their family since it is usually a death sentence for them unless they find a new family and bond with them in fairly short order and most witches and wizards raised in this world will not take on an Elf that has been cast out. It might be some kind of rule or something, I don’t know and I don’t really care ‘cause if it is it’s just plain stupid. His old family was not about to let him go one way or another so I tricked the Head of that family into freeing him. Apparently, if the Head of a family bestows proper clothes to an Elf, it breaks the bond and I tricked the man into giving Dobby something - a ruined book. Inside the pages of the book was a sock, which broke the bond between Dobby and that family. He wears those socks in memory of that, I guess.”
“But he was wearing clothes,” Mrs. Granger observed.
“I didn’t give them to him. I told him I wanted him ‘properly attired’ if he was to work for me. I have no idea when or where he got that stuff but I did say he’s been off doing things for about two weeks.”
“Did you tell him to do something to your Aunt and Uncle?”
“No. Not really. I told him I had to stay with them for a month or so but I don’t want to have to… um… see them or hear from them or deal with them in any way. They were never… well, they’re not nice to be around at all. I guess he’s figured that out and saw fit to deal with it.”
“What did he do?”
Harry shrugged. “He didn’t kill them. Aside from that, I’m not sure I… Anyway, it’s not your…” and Harry went silent for a moment his eyes almost vacant. “I’d rather not talk about that,” he said softly.
“Don’t, Rose,” Mr. Granger said softly when it looked like his wife had other ideas. “Later.”
Harry took a deep breath and it seemed most of the light returned to his eyes. “Anyway, one of the things Dobby can do apparently is bring me places magically so I don’t need to get rides or such. I asked Hermione if I could come and see her this summer. I know you’re planning on going to France for some of it…”
“We’re leaving next Sunday for about a month,” Mr. Granger said.
“Yes Sir, she said that,” Harry said, “so I was wondering if I could come by and visit her?”
“I’m sure that would be lovely,” Mrs. Granger replied.
“Would Monday be okay?”
“Um… ,” Mr. Granger began.
“Ordinarily my husband and I work during the week, but I’m sure I can rearrange my schedule to be there,” Mrs. Granger said.
“Um… Well… I was… Well, another friend of mine invited me over too and I thought Hermione could come with me to visit her.”
“I would love to meet some of Hermione’s other friends,” Mrs. Granger said. “I assume this Elf of yours could take me along as well?”
“Um, I suppose,” Harry replied who looked at Hermione who gave him a shrug as if to say there was no way out of it that she could think of.
“Wonderful,” Mrs. Granger said with a smile. “So what time were you thinking of popping by?”
“Um… nine or so?”
“That would be lovely. Ah! I see your Elf is back so this might be a good time to say goodbye until then.”
Hermione then hugged Harry, kissed his cheek and whispered “Sorry about that, Harry.” Harry just smiled at her and watched as the Grangers walked towards the magical barrier that would take them back to the Muggle side of King’s Cross Station.
The Grangers had barely passed through the barrier when Dobby took hold of Harry’s hand and the next moment Harry found himself in what he recognized as the smallest bedroom at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey; his Aunt and Uncles home. As far as he could recall, he never really considered it a home for it was not one as far as he was concerned. As a little boy he had a concept of a home, even if it might have been idealistic. This place fell far short of that notion when it came to him. It was merely the place where he lived and if he had ever been given another choice in this life, he would have taken it sight unseen. This was not an instance of the grass seeming greener somewhere, anywhere else. As compared to the life he had here, any grass was probably greener or so he had always thought.
He looked around. “And my relatives?” he asked. As much as he utterly disliked them, he would rather leave and never come back than seek any restitution from them as to do so would be to acknowledge their lives had at least some miniscule meaning worthy of acknowledgment.
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“Dobby does nothing that cants be undone. Theys might not be knowing thats. But theys be rememberings what Dobby dids to them and why. Theys be rememberings that no wizards be comings to helps them. Theys not be hurting Harry Potter again. But Dobby didn'ts think lessons alone be’s enough so Dobby be warding this room so’s neither Muggles nor Wizards be entering unless it be’s by Harry Potter’s leave, Sir.”
“So they weren’t harmed?”
“Only in their minds,” Dobby concluded.
Harry seemed to accept that and frankly was unconcerned with what Dobby did since it seemed the Muggle authorities would probably find nothing even if they were called, aside from two people with crazy stories about aliens or some such and nothing to prove they were telling the truth. Moreover, from what little Harry had learned in the last couple of weeks, if wizards showed up, they too would find no evidence of magic, although they would probably be more likely to listen to his relatives' rants. A problem remained, however.
“So, I’m stuck in this room for a month then?” Harry asked.
“You can’t leave through the door,” Dobby nodded. “But you’s not stuck. Dobby can takes you out and brings you back. And, while Harry Potter must be in this room for a time, Harry Potter not being in this room at all.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dobby be checking. Dobby be checking nasty muggleses and their living shed. Dobby be wondering whys the Great Harry Potter be living in such… begging Sir’s pardon… squalor. Dobby be thinking that any wheres better for Harry Potter than this room, Sir. But Dobby be finding magic, Sir. Powerful magic in this place. Unnatural Magic.”
“Unnatural magic?”
Dobby nodded. “Many wizards be living in places with natural magic. That be magics that exist whether there’s be wizards there or not. Hogywarts be having natural magic. Diagon Alley be having natural magic. These be places where House Elves could lives without being bonded to wizards, if wizards would be letting it be. But many wizards not be wantsing to share with others: not with Elves, not with Goblins, not with Centaurs, not even with other wizards truth be known. Most wizards be then living in places not having natural magics. They be letting Elves live there too, but Elves then needing to be bonded.”
“So you could have been free if you could have lived in a place with this natural magic?”
“Maybe. There being over four hundred Elves at Hogywarts what not be bound to witch or wizard. There being other not bound elves in magic places. But elf magic be far more powerful and Elves live far longer even in magical places if they be bound to a wizarding family that treats them proper.
“But Dobby wants being with his friend Harry Potter and Harry Potter not be living in such places. Dobby would rather be Harry Potter’s Elf and friend than be wanting anything else. Harry Potter not be making Dobby his Elf. Dobby be choosing. But that not being what Dobby be trying to tells Harry Potter.
“There is being many wards on this Muggleses House, powerful wards, wizards wards and they not being natural. They all being set by same wizard one hundred and thirty-one moons ago. They all be designed to keep all but a few wizards from ever finding this place. Many, many kinds of wards. But all wards being tied to one ward and that ward be’s tied to Harry Potter and his nasty Aunt. That ward is very powerful and very protective of Harry Potter, Sir. Dark wizards cannot be killing Mr. Harry Potter so long as that ward remains. But that ward be the weakest too. It cannot remain if Harry Potter not be here for at least thirty days a year. So Harry Potter be returned here to help that ward remain and to keep bad wizards from killing Harry Potter.”
“Didn’t protect me from my Uncle,” Harry grumbled.
“They not be doing that. Wards must let muggleses in and let them know or Aunt not being here and wards fail. So, Dobby shouldn'ts be taking Harry Potter away from here while wards that keep Harry Potter safe from bad wizards remain. But, Harry Potter not says how he should stay here. A room can be a palace if one knows how.”
“I don’t think I have that kind of imagination,” Harry said.
“But Dobby be finding that kinds of magic,” the Elf added with a huge smile. “How to be in a room, to be here to recharging wards, and not to be in room? But Dobby being good House Elf be having answer. If Harry Potter be turning around, please?”
Harry turned. Behind him, in the space at the foot of his small bed was a trunk. He immediately knew it was not his trunk, not the one he had taken to Hogwarts the last two years. It was a little larger and certainly less battered about in appearance. But other than that, it would not have looked out of place in his dormitory. “It’s a trunk,” he said stating the obvious.
“Ah! Be true, Harry Potter. But what kinds of trunk? Dobby be going to Gringotts. Being Harry Potter’s Elf, Dobby can be going to Gringotts to help Harry Potter and check on his accounts and to make withdrawals to attend to Harry Potter’s business, and Harry Potter be giving Dobby lots of business to be doing, yes? Dobby be buying this trunk at shop what be selling special magical trunks. Look, look!” the Elf finished practically bouncing on his toes.
Harry was a little hesitant. Dobby’s ideas of helping Harry in the past, while arguably well intentioned, had been painful in one way or another. But Harry now understood that it was the best that Dobby could do to help given he was then bound to another wizarding family and was actively trying to thwart the plans of that family’s Head of House. He knelt down and opened the trunk. He expected to see an empty trunk. What he saw was the “trunk” was at the top of a ladder that descended he had no idea how far into a space below, except there couldn’t be a space below, could there? His bedroom was above the kitchen and that dark space did not look like the kitchen. But curiosity got the best of him and he climbed into the top of the trunk with his feet on a ladder tread where he guessed the cabinets should be. If felt real and solid enough so he climbed down slowly. It was not far to whatever the bottom was although it seemed to be a floor. At most he had climbed down about ten feet and he looked up and saw Dobby following him. Dobby closed the trunk as he climbed down and suddenly the dark space was bathed in light. It seemed to be all wood: wooden floors, wood panelling to the ceiling and a wooden ceiling with light coming from bronze sconces on one of the walls and pegs lining another wall at eye level At either end of the trunk was a wooden door.
“Dobby? Where am I?”
“Harry Potter be in the Trunk. This being Harry Potter’s cloak room which be where you enter and be leaving without magic or Elf. Pegs is for coats and such.”
“What kind of trunk is this?”
“It be live in trunk for witches and wizards what cans affords it and not be wishing for big houses. It being harding to’s finds than houses, but just as nice - and less expensive. This way,” Dobby finished leading him to one of the doors. “The other door be leading to the rests of the trunk, but yous needs to see Control Room first to sets things up.”
“Control Room?” Harry asked as Dobby opened the door and led him in. The room was not very large and was dominated by large panels of what looked like knobs, switches and darkened lights on the side walls and what looked like a screen on the far wall just beyond a desk like place with a chair.
“Here first,” Dobby said pointing to something on the back wall. It was the only “panel” there and all Harry saw were what looked like two holes. “Harry Potter be placing finger in hole on left and wand in hole on right. It be keying - that being the word - keying Harry Potter to trunk and trunk to Harry and being keyed, Trunk obeys Harry Potter’s commands and magic and no other witch or wizard can changes that. No ones, nothings not bound to the Great Harry Potter Sir cans open or enter without Harry Potters saying and without Harry Potter knowing.”
“OUCH!” Harry cried out pulling his left forefinger from a hole after be followed Dobby’s instruction. “That bloody well hurt!” He looked at the afflicted finger which had a drop of blood clearly visible and then looked at Dobby.
“Dobby is sorry, Sir. The magics of the Trunk and Wards being Goblin and wizard with Goblin security and… in… ter… face. It be needing blood and magic to set up for owner.”
“Any other surprises like that?” Harry complained.
“No Sir. Now be pushing the panel itself,” he added.
Harry did and it opened. There was a small space beyond barely the size of a shoebox and in that space there was a single, rather large brass key. Harry took it out and looked at it for a moment. Dobby indicated the wall of panels to Harry’s right. It seemed there was a long row of knobs on the wall each having what looked like a column of five darkened lights above it. The lights were labelled from top to bottom: On Line, Standby, Charging, Failure, Magic Available. There was also a place for the key on that wall closets to the back wall which Dobby instructed Harry to insert his key into and turn to the right. Once he did, he heard a hum and the bottom two lights came on. The bottom one was white and the next one, “Failure” was red. Dobby explained that the bottom light meant there was magic available either from Harry or the environment to charge the systems. Failure meant the system had no charge and was not working. He learned each of the columns controlled either a ward or some other magical function which included more than he could have thought of. At each column, Dobby told him to turn the corresponding knob one click to the right to begin charging. As he did this the “Failure” light would flicker off as the yellow “Charging” light flickered on. He was told it might take a while for each system or ward to charge which gave Dobby time to explain each in turn.
There were several different wards on the trunk. Many were designed to protect the trunk from damage both from internal events and external threats. There were defensive wards as well to prevent attempts to break in either through the lid or by many magical means. Then there were wards designed to conceal the true nature of the trunk. It was explained that neither witches or wizards nor Muggles would find the trunk of any interest to them at all. This way, it was less likely to be tampered with or stolen. There was also a special ward that would allow Harry to enter or exit without magic without anyone noticing anything odd even if he were to do so in front of scores of people. Finally, there were wards that prevented any forms of magical travel into the trunk or out of it unless Harry himself allowed both that form of travel and the person or Elf or Owl for that matter that sought entry or exit. Apparently there was a way for Hedwig to enter the trunk magically and leave the same way. She would not even have to enter the building where the trunk was located so she could now come and go as she pleased at Privet Drive without his Muggle Relatives having any cause for complaint. Finally, there was one ward that really caught Harry’s attention for it apparently shielded magic. What this meant was Harry could do magic inside the trunk anywhere, anytime once the ward was up and running and it could never be detected.
Then there were various magical systems that would work automatically when fully activated. There was a system that circulated air throughout the trunk and replaced the air as well. There was another for water and removal of waste water. There was a system for special storerooms that held perishables such as food and certain potions ingredients in a form of suspended animation. There was also a lighting system throughout the trunk. Apparently, there were fireplaces in the trunk so there had to be a magical way to draw away the smoke in such a way that it did not vent into whatever place the trunk was located. There was a magical system that made the trunk light enough to carry and move for, as Dobby explained, without this feature the spell Dobby had placed on the trunk would one day fail and it would then weigh as much as its entire contents which, Dobby said, was several tons at least. Finally, there was a “Motion Dampener” system. As the trunk could be moved about, stood on its side or even turned over, unless there was some magic to prevent it, everything and everyone inside would do the same thing. This could be both messy and dangerous so there was magic that meant the trunk could be tossed end over end down a hill but everything inside would be as if it was not moving at all. There was, apparently, an alarm feature to alert those inside if the trunk was being moved without Harry’s authorization.
The whole idea of a trunk like this was that a witch or wizard could travel the world and never have to worry about accommodations because their “vacation home” was always with them.
Harry was amazed at the complexity of magic involved for a trunk. Eventually, the yellow lights flickered off and the blue “Standby” lights came on and Harry was asked to turn all the knobs one more time. As he did, the blue lights were replaced with the green “On Line” lights.
The Front of the trunk was his “Surveillance System.” The wall was some kind of magical screen and the desk had some controls on it that Dobby explained. With those controls Harry could see outside of the trunk in every direction. Naturally at this time “down” was just black as he would be looking at the floor of his room at Privet Drive, but he could look all around the room and even directly overhead. It was, Dobby said, a good way to see if “nasty muggleses” or “Bad Wizards” somehow got into the room and were snooping.
Finally, on the wall opposite the large set of controls there was a single panel. It was similar to the ones on the other side except it only had one column of lights and next to it a couple of what looked like numerical key pads. Dobby explained this was a time compression ward as Harry turned the knob to begin charging it up. It would take at least a couple of days to build up a charge so that it could be activated. Then Harry had to tell the system what he wanted it to do and when he wanted it to be done. The activated ward altered the flow of time such that far more time passed in the trunk than outside. How much and how long was up to Harry. He could gain 720 hours in one go over an outside time of not less than three hours and not more than a day. It would then take a week for the ward to recharge before he could do it again. This was a way to gain time for relaxing or training or whatever Harry felt he needed extra time in the trunk to do. Harry felt the best bit was that people in the trunk would age at the same rate as those outside. The drawback was he needed to have enough food and supplies stockpiled in the trunk before the ward was activated for the duration of his “inside time.” While water could be conjured magically, food could not. Thus if he wanted to use this feature he had to plan ahead, although Dobby would be there to help with that should Harry decide to try it out.
Harry already thought this trunk was the coolest thing he had ever seen or heard of and he still hadn’t really seen any of it yet.