Through Her Eyes

Chapter 19: Into the Chamber

Hermione sat at a desk in the Gryffindor Common Room, scribbling her plan for the night over and over again on a scrap piece of parchment. Balls of paper already littered the floor around her feet, as the garbage can had filled up earlier in the evening after Hermione had returned from classes. Currently it was dinner time, and Lily, James, Remus, Sirius and Peter surprisingly enough, were serving a long detention with Professor McGongall. She called their prank yesterday, 'reckless endangerment of human life' and practically marched them all single file into her office before locking the door tight.
Hermione herself felt slightly guilty for letting Pettigrew take her place in detention, but it gave her time to plan in quiet, as well as give the others a chance to keep an eye on him. So now, while everyone was at dinner, Hermione sat alone, scribbling away the the lamplight. She had only just finished another well thought out plan when there were two distinct cracks somewhere behind her. Turning, Quitz stood there, holding the hand of Dobby. Hermione almost felt like fainting at the sight of him, living and breathing once more. She also took into account that he was no longer a 'free elf', at least not yet,

"Wonderful, welcome to Hogwarts, Dobby," Hermione stated with a smile, seeing the elf widen his eyes slightly,

"You know Dobby's name? Dobby has never been addressed so kindly by a great Witch, ma'am,"

"I'm not anywhere near great Dobby, as I was disowned and no longer hold my title-"

"Oh but my lady, already Dobby can tell you are a good person. Quitz told me so, ma'am,"

"Well thank you, Dobby. You can just call me. Hermione if you'd like. But know that I don't take kindly to house elves punishing themselves in front of me,"

Dobby's ears seemed to sink with guilt as he hid his badly bandaged hands behind his back. Harry told Hermione once that Dobby's way of punishing himself was to iron his fingers. That didn't sit well with her, not at all,
"Anyway, I'm sorry to have pulled you away from your duties at the Malfoy's, but I need to ask you something-"

"Dobby hates to speak out of turn, Missus Hermione, but Dobby has already found what you are looking for,"

Blinking in bewilderment, Hermione sat back as a white pillowcase tied with a spare piece of rope appeared in the elf's hand. Wincing as her arm began to burn slightly, Hermione already knew the Diary was inside,

"It has bad magic in it," Dobby complained softly, holding the pillowcase as if it would bite him, "my Master ordered me to hide it somewhere safe. I thought that it would be well protected here at Hogwarts, ma'am,"

Hermione smiled slightly and lifted a brow. She read in a book of 'Common Wizarding Classics' that House Elves were loyal to their Masters. But if they were betrayed, or didn't like their Master, they would exploit loopholes in the orders. Hermione herself had discovered that Kreature often did this, though it reduced greatly once Harry began giving him attention during Order meetings,
'This must be how Dobby disobeys Lucius,' Hermione thought, holding her hand as she winced. The dark magic was reacting to that of the Diary, as if it sensed another piece of Voldemort's soul, 'I can't believe Harry dealt with these phantom pains since he was 11,'

"Dobby, I promise I'll keep the diary out of reach of anyone. Thank you for coming here tonight,"

The little elf nodded his head and made a small motion to Quitz,

"If Dobby ever gets clothes from his master, missus, I will come to you. You are a good Witch, Hermione Black. A good, good witch,"

With that, the little elf disappeared as the pillowcase and diary fell to the table with a slight thud. Looking at it, Quitz poked the bag with a foot,