Lucy Potter: Harry's little sister

Chapter 3: The Trouble with House Elfs

Lucy's POV:

Harry and I rushed to the bedroom, determined to stay quiet and not make our family hate us even more.

Unfortunately, someone - or more something - else had other plans.

When we entered the bedroom, some creature, some magical creature, was jump- ing on the bed rather loudly.

"What the...!" The creature stopped jumping and looked at us when it heard me.

The thing was small and very thin, had a big head with even bigger bat ears in com- parison to its body. Its tennisball-like big eyes were a bright green. Its skin was most like that of a naked cat and it wore a dirty pillowcase as clothing.

It shrieked and jumped off of the bed loudly, while Harry and I were staring at it in shock.

"Mr. Harry Potter! Miss Lucy Potter!" It shrieked again. Harry tensed and I too, knew it was loud enough for people downstairs to hear.

"Er... sorry, but who are you?" I asked, restraining myself from asking what it was.

"Dobby miss!" It answered. "Dobby the house elf!" God this was not helping.

He was definitely magical and there was no doubt we'd get in huge trouble if the Dursleys found out.

"Well... I don't wanna be rude, but..." Harry looked to me for help, but I couldn't come up with anything to say. "This isn't really a great time to have a House elf in my house to be honest."

Dobby looked sad and I truly felt bad for him. "What brings you here in the first place, Dobby? Would you like to er... sit down maybe?"

That was a mistake. As soon as I said it, Dobby began to sob VERY loudly.

Harry looked downright miserable by now and I assumed I did too: the Dursleys REALLY hated us right now!

"Sit down?" Squeaked the crying Dobby. "Sit down? Dobby has heard a lot about Lucy Potter, but not of her kindness!"

Confused by this, I sat down on the bed, next to where Dobby stood with a frown. "You thought that was kind? You must not have met many kind wizards then..."

Dobby shook his head furiously. "No, Dobby hasn't..." then, he looked up shaken and leaped forward, to the lamp.

"Bad Dobby!" He yelled at himself and he started punching himself with the lamp. Harry and I stared at him in shock at this.

"Whoa, stop it!" Harry said, pulling at the other end of the lamp, so Dobby would let go. When he didn't, I pulled Dobby back and held him back from doing anything else.

"Why did you so that?!" I asked him.

"Dobby had to, Miss," Dobby answered miserably. "Dobby had to punish himself. He almost spoke wrongly about his masters! If they only knew Dobby was here..." he shivered.

"You have masters? Like a slave? Who are they?" I frowned. I hadn't heard of elf slavery yet and Harry seemingly, hadn't either.

"Yes, Miss. A house elf's job is to serve the family they belong to. But Dobby can't say who his masters are, Dobby would have to punish himself badly!" He shivered again.

"But what are you here for, then?" Harry asked, being the impatient stresser he was.

"Dobby came to warn the Potters. That they must not go back to Hogwarts."

Harry and I just stood there, stating at him like he was crazy. Completely dumbfound- ed.

"What do you mean?" I asked shakily. "We have to! We can't stay here! We belong in that world, not this one! Harry has his friends there!"