The Cupboard Series 3: Potter Haven

Chapter 7

D

Harry Potter slowly turned around in a full circle. His right hand was slightly away from his body allowing him unimpeded access to his wand if he had to flick it out of his wrist holster.

The Scottish highlands around him were brilliantly lit up in the early morning sunlight. Deep greens and browns and flashes of purple dotted the hills and valleys around him. Lining the laneway that led to Potter Haven, small yellow flowers could be seen here and there on the hedges. Behind him, the valley appeared deceptively empty. Outside of the wards surrounding the valley, all appeared deserted.

He'd made the decision the night before to attempt this mad idea out here and in the early morning light, long before any sane people would be out of bed. To be honest, he still wasn't sure that his idea would even work at all. But at least outside of the wards it had a chance.

When he and Slipshard had designed the ward system that surrounded Potter Haven, it'd been decided that only his own magical signature would be accepted. In order for anyone else to enter, be they magical or mundane, their names would need to be added into the Ward Book that he'd found in the reception room behind a panel near the main fireplace, exactly where Slipshard had said that it could be found.

Even now, Harry had yet to add this person's name to the book. Only after they'd talked, assuming of course that his plan worked and they'd come to an agreement, would the name be added.

Taking a deep breath, he took one last look around to make sure that he was totally alone before uttering the words to see if his idea would work or not.

"Dobby the House Elf!"

As the minutes slowly began to mount, Harry was sure that he'd guessed wrong. Finally, he decided to give up. Just as he turned to make his way back into the valley, though, there was a sharp crack behind him.

Harry spun around, his eyes quickly settling on the source of the noise.

"Dobby?"

The little house elf nodded, his large, bat-like ears flapping wildly as he did so. Harry looked him over, taking in the rag of a pillowcase that Dobby still wore. It was even dirtier and more frayed than the last time that he'd seen it months ago in Dumbledore's office. Thankfully, the many bandages that Dobby had been sporting back then had gone, although his body looked a lot thinner and slightly greyer than it once had been. Only his large tennis ball green eyes were the same.

"Mister Harry Potter Sir called Dobby?" the little elf asked.

"Yes, Dobby, I did," Harry smiled. "Thank you for coming."

"Mister Harry Potter Sir thanks Dobby. Dobby always knew that Mister Harry Potter Sir was a great wizard," Dobby wailed.

"Um, okay," Harry began, unsure how to calm the elf down. "Dobby, are you able to talk to me at the moment or do you have somewhere that you have to be?"

"Oh no, Dobby has nowhere to be," Dobby replied, his ears flapping wildly as he shook his head. "Dobby is a free elf now with no family to look after."

"That's great, Dobby," Harry beamed, happy that the first part of his idea had just been confirmed. "Have you been able to find any work since Mister Malfoy freed you?"

"No, Dobby has no work. No wizardzies or witchies want to pay Dobby to work for them," Dobby replied.

"In that case, Dobby, I was wondering if you'd like to work for me?" Harry began before he found his legs wrapped in the sudden embrace of a clearly overwhelmed house elf.

"Mister Harry Potter Sir wants Dobby to work for him!" Dobby wailed. "Dobby has dreamed of working for the Great Mister Harry Potter Sir! Dobby would even work for the Great Mister Harry Potter Sir for no pay!"