Chapter Text
In a gated pristine manor rising above a small town outside of Wiltshire, the residents lay about in their summer depth, the child reading a recent letter for the dozenth time, the lady moving out from the living room to start on seeing to breakfast.
The man of the house sighed as his wife left him to his own devices for the moment. Over the past few weeks, in the time his son was back from boarding school, he had heard just about everything he could stomach without expressing his emotions outwardly. That would not do him good. He thought back to all the times over the year The Boy Who Lived had surprised him, indirectly due to his non-magical blood relative he had had to accept into the Circle.
He hummed as he got up from the couch with a decision made. The Hogwarts Letter arriving a few days ago had given him an idea. Two birds with one stone, he reminded himself. As per his son, the Weasleys and Harry Potter had become tight knitted due to their sons.
Lucius Malfoy waved and opened the trapdoor at the secluded corner of the living room. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, the two new pets Weasleys had adopted. He shook his head as he descended the stairs. A soft pop indicated that his elf had arrived.
“Master Malfoy.” The tattered robes on the elf were disgusting, Lucius had to turn up his nose.
“Get out of here.” He growled.
“Master Malfoy asked Dobby, he did.” The elf simpered. “Master Malfoy may need reminder. Master Malfoy to never come here alone.”
Lucius raised his cane and whipped it at the elf. The elf, barely an adult back then, had been under his father, Abraxas’ bond. And when it had come time for his father to breath his last, Dobby, the apple of Abraxas' eyes had chosen to bond with Draco, who had been three weeks old. Lucius had risen hell, but he was aware of the why. Dobby could not bond with him and live. Lucius had chosen the Dark Lord over his family before he had ascended to being Lord Malfoy.
Within the span of five days, the happiness of gaining an heir had been overshadowed by the loss of his father, the decapitation of the Dark Lord, and losing his house to his wife . The House of Black was above the House of Malfoy, and Draco, his boy, his heir, was commanding the house rules.
So Lucius had started early, making sure Draco's environment was filled with purebloods of their status. His closest allies, Lord Crabbe and Lord Goyle had been only too delighted. For nearly half a decade, Lucius Malfoy had fought and won the favours of the Ministry after his trial had been all but thrown out the window.
And then one day, he had discovered the trapdoor.
“Master.” Dobby creaked again.
Would it really hurt if the elf died? Lucius wondered but held in his ire. He quickly paced to the side and scanned the heirlooms. It was not even a memory, for the Dark Lord had obliviated and disposed of it, but Lucius picked up a diary. This would solve all his problems, his magic spoke to him.
“Master shouldn't.”
“Quiet, Dobby.” Lucius ordered. “Not one word.”
***
Harry Potter lay in his bedroom of the Dursleys' new house in Greater Whinging, counting down the seconds.
Four.
This was going to be the best birthday ever.
Three.
This was going to be the best week.
Two.
This was going to be it!
One.
He heard a creak, and suddenly his door shot open, a black streak of fur lunging across the gap between the door and his bed.
“God, Padfoot!”
“Happy birthday!” He heard a mixture of voices and turned to the door, his glasses askew. Padfoot was licking his neck in enthusiasm.
Dudley and Ron leaned against the doorframes, flanked by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. In the little gap, Harry could now see a cake floating towards him, Remus Lupin’s wand pointed at it as he levitated the surprise in and landed it swiftly on a nearby desk. Then, he waved his wand twice and the off white colours of his room started to change.
Harry took a swift glance around the room, a soft pink glow emanating from the walls. His family was smiling.
“Makeover!?” Harry guessed.
“Magical makeover.” Ron grinned.
“Amazing!” Harry grinned back.
In a few short moments, his walls turned a light green colour, his favourite.
“Is that it?” Harry asked Remus as Padfoot turned back into the form of his godfather and sighed.
“Kid is so disappointed.”
“No!” Harry shook his head. “This is… really cool.”
Half the house was still being setup with their personal things, having a wall of your chosen colour was still sudden.
“Don't worry, Harry.” Ron came in and slapped a hand on his shoulder. “My gifts will help brighten it up.”
“Ours, too.” Dudley smirked.
“A themed gift.” Harry smiled. “Wicked!”
“Do you like it?” Uncle Vernon asked.
“Of course!” Harry nodded.
“Time for cake!” Aunt Petunia waved them to his desk. She had placed several small candles on top of the chocolate cake. Twelve, Harry counted.
Sirius raised his wand. “Lumos.” He pinned the top of his wand to each candle, lighting it slowly.
“Ready to make a wish, Harry?” Aunt Petunia asked.
“Ready.” Harry nodded and closed his eyes.
It should always be like this.
He opened his eyes and blew out the candles. They lighted up again. Harry blinked and blew out another few, only for them to light up again. “Is this a trick set?” He turned to Dudley.
“No.” Aunt Petunia answered. “Sirius?”
“Aw nuts!” Sirius whined.
Harry laughed. “Nice try, Padfoot.”
“I got you, though.”
Behind him, Harry saw Remus shaking his head at his best friend's antics, smiling lightly.
“Try now. Marauders honour.” Sirius said.
“Okay.” Harry blew out the candles one last time and Aunt Petunia handed him a knife.
“Go on.”
Once the cake was sliced, eaten and smeared on the boys' faces, the family lay on the floor of his room, Remus clicking away some pictures as the boys roughhoused into the night with the adults trying very little to reign in any manners.
Harry Potter finally went to sleep, quite late into the night, oblivious of a new presence in the wards.
When he woke up, he screamed.
Two bulbous eyes and a tattered rag of a dress were enough to rattle Harry. This was no elf he knew.
“Harry Potter! Such an honor it is!”
“Harry?” Someone was coming.
“Who are you?” Harry asked. Was this a Hogwarts elf who had tracked him?
“Dobby sir, Dobby the house elf.” His voice was cathartic. A tiring balance of glee and fear.
“Open the door Harry!” It was Remus knocking now.
“Not to be rude or anything, but how did you know where I live?”
“Oh, oh, yes, sir! Dobby understands! It’s just that, Dobby has come to tell you- it is difficult, sir- Dobby wonders where to begin?” The elf’s pupil were dilating.
“Remus, it's some elf!” Harry called.
“Heck!” There was a punch on the door and Sirius continued to swear colourfully.
“Why don’t you sit down, Dobby?” Harry asked to buy some time. Sirius and Remus were bound to figure something out. For a moment, Harry thought to call Mitsy.
“S-sit down? S-sit- sit down?” Dobby wailed. “Dobby has heard of your greatness, sir, but never has he been asked to sit down by a wizard, like an equal.”
“You can’t have met many decent wizards then.” Harry muttered.
“No, I haven’t. That was an awful thing to say.” And suddenly, Dobby threw his body on Harry's bedpost, banging himself. “Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!”
“Stop, Dobby!” Fuck Mitsy’s vacation day, Harry thought. “Mitsy!”
“Master Harry calls?” Mitsy appeared within a second. “Mitsy said so- Master Harry has another elf!?”
She sounded agitated.
“Mitsy, no!” Harry shook his head.
Dobby turned to look at Mitsy. Mitsy opened her mouth and closed it again. “Dobby, speak. Now!”
Harry wondered what the hell was going on. Was this a prank gone wrong? No, if so, Sirius and Remus wouldn't be outside his door, still trying to break in.
“Hang on, before you tell me how you know Dobby, Mitsy, can you undo whatever he did to the door?” Harry intervened. “Sirius and Remus can't get in.”
Mitsy unlocked the door with one look. “Bad Dobby!” She reached out with her hand and grabbed Dobby’s ear, as the door burst open and Sirius entered, wand in hand and pure shock on his face.
Mitsy dragged a quite willing Dobby out the door. “Bad Dobby! Naughty Dobby!”
“Dobby tried to help!”
“Never listens! Never listens!”
“Dobby tried to warn!”
Sirius now turned to Harry. “What the heck is going on?”
Harry finally got up from his bed to follow Remus who was following the two elves in half amusement. “I have no idea.”
They ended up in the first floor landing where Dudley and Ron caught up to them.
The elves were still continuing to bicker.
“Scaring Master Harry!”
“Dobby has information!”
Mitsy stopped to berate him. Turning to him calmly now, still pulling Dobby's ear, she calmly asked. “Swear on my sister's head!”
“Dobby swears!”
She finally let go of the ear, and Dobby warmed it with his own hand. “Dobby will speak now. What Information?”
“Dobby had to come. Dobby has to protect Harry Potter. To warn him. Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year.”
Harry looked at him in surprise. Not going to school? Surely this was a prank?
“There is a plot, a plot to make most terrible things happen.”
“What terrible things? Who’s plotting them?” Remus asked, quite seriously.
“Oh, he! Can’t say!” Dobby twisted his face quite painfully.
“Mister Sirius, if you would ask the same?” Mitsy prompted.
“What good would that do?” Sirius asked.
“Hang on.” Ron interrupted since arriving on the scene. “Blacks have married into the majority of the old wizarding families, haven't they? You might have some sway, Sirius.”
“Okay.” Sirius blinked a few times. “Dobby, who's plotting these terrible things?”
“Dobby shan't take his name!” The elf squealed. “He shan't! He shan't! Master said Dobby should never!”
Harry saw Sirius’ eyes darken. “Voldemort?”
Dobby squealed again. Mitsy did as well, surprisingly. Ron let out a gasp as well, but that one was not surprising to Harry.
“Bad Dobby!” Again, the elf threw himself against the wall.
“Stop it!” Sirius ordered. “You are not to harm yourself. You are not to cry. You are not to punish yourself. Do you understand, Dobby?”
Dobby turned back to them. “Dobby understands.”
“You will tell us everything that you can. Now!” Harry had never heard Sirius speak with such authority.
“Dobby's family is cursed to forget. But Dobby remembers. Terrible terrible plots. History will repeat.”
“You-Know-Who? He's trying to come back?” Sirius asked.
Dobby nodded. “Dobby tried to stop it, Dobby did.”
“Alright. I will not ask you to betray your family.” Sirius spoke calmly. “What is the terrible plot?”
“Dobby- Dobby-.” His face turned painful again.
“It's okay.” Harry interrupted. “Sirius, maybe he really can't say?”
“Harry Potter understands!” Dobby welled up again.
“Dobby will leave now!” Mitsy spoke.
“Yes, Auntie!” And with another soft pop, Dobby disappeared.
Harry looked at Mitsy in wonder. “Auntie!?”
“Naughty Dobby.” Mitsy shook her head. “To scare you on your birthday, Master Harry!”
Dudley laughed then. “Entertainment never ends around Mitsy, does it?”
“No. It doesn't.” Harry chuckled. “Sirius, what do we do about this… information?”
“It's hardly anything we didn't know.” Remus said, beckoning them downstairs to the kitchen. “You've already come face to face with you-know-who once.”
“Doesn't really surprise me that some ponce is now helping the semi-dead man.” Sirius shook his head. “But, this means, no going looking for trouble, you two.”
“I never-”
Harry stopped when Sirius gave him a look. “You have to be careful, Harry. This isn't a one-off. This is a deliberate setup for a house elf to come warning you.”
“Yeah, the way he was harming himself,” Ron said, “there might be an actual truth to it, Harry. House elves cannot disobey their masters.”
“Is that true, Mitsy?” Dudley asked.
Mitsy was opening the refrigerator to levitate some eggs into a now magicked saucepan with boiling water. “We cannot disobey. The bond weakens when we do.”
“What was it about when you said Sirius might have some sway?” Harry asked Ron, now seated across at the dining table.
“Random guess. His current master must have Black blood. Sirius is the Head, though.” Ron explained. “Which means he can basically command any house elf whose masters have Black blood. Neville's elf likes me for the same reason, we share blood from the Prewett side. His mother and mine were third cousins.”
“I never knew that.” Harry looked around at Sirius.
“It's true. Most pureblood families are related through marriage. The most common being Black.” He turned up his nose.
The toaster dinged then and Misty was sending glasses of juice at the table, the discussions changing tracks as the boys used the time away from Petunia and Vernon to catch up on pranking ideas from the Marauders.
After breakfast, Harry ordered Mitsy away again, who looked miffed but left anyway. Petunia and Vernon had started early morning to collect Neville and Hermione from the Grangers’.
The boys stalled at the table as long as they could but eventually as the clock struck half past nine, they remembered the arrivals and ran to their own rooms to get ready.
***
“Harry!”
Still deciding on which shirt to wear, Harry was rummaging through his rucksack, when the door to his room opened.
He looked up to see Hermione Granger. She was wearing jeans and a light yellow sleeveless top with pink peonies on it. She blushed and look down.
Why was she blushing?
“Hermione!” He felt himself grin.
She looked up again and looked down.
What was happening?
“Would you just choose a damn short?” She called slowly.
Oh. Oh! Harry blushed now. “Sorry, you startled me.” He picked the green tee he had been eyeing and donned it quickly.
“Should've knocked.” Hermione murmured.
“All good now.” Harry laughed.
Hermione did, too. “You're a disaster, Harry Potter! Happy Birthday!”
“Thank you!” Harry made his way out the door and Hermione jumped into step with him. “Where's Neville?”
“Ron was downstairs, said he wanted to talk to Neville.” Hermione said. “Probably prank stuff.”
“Sounds likely.” Harry smirked.
Hermione hit the back of his head lightly. “Why are you lot always thinking of pranks?”
“What else should twelve year olds think about, Ms I'm Too Big For Pranks?” Harry heard Dudley as they passed his room.
“Studies, Dudley!” Hermione promptly replied.
“That, I will not argue.” Dudley nodded innocently. “But how do you apply it?”
“By making a career out of it!”
“Guys!” Harry interrupted. “No fighting. No arguing. It's my birthday.”
Dudley sighed. “I think I'd make a good researcher.”
Hermione bristled. “You? Do you even know how to read?”
“Hermione!” Harry warned.
“Tell me Hermione, what are the five charms to summon fire?” Dudley asked.
“Five!?” Hermione laughed. “There's only one, for your information.”
Dudley smirked and looked at Harry.
“Don't.” Harry warned, knowing that Dudley did know five separate charms and could list it right now. Harry did, too.
“Alright, I was just pulling your leg.” Dudley smiled innocently. “So, Ms Scholar, how were your year end results?”
Harry wanted to hit his head somewhere.
“Oh, it was wonderful! I got three E’s and two O’s.”
“Wonderful.” Dudley smirked.
“How was yours, Harry?” Hermione asked.
“I passed.”
“You shouldn't sell yourself short, Harry. I'm sure you must have got Acceptable even in Potions!” Hermione encouraged. “You assignments were great deal better towards the end of the year. Don't worry, I'll keep reviewing them this year, too.”
“Er- thanks.”
They had reached the living room now, and Neville and Ron looked up. “What are you guys talking about?” Ron asked.
“Grades.” Hermione smiled. “How did you do Ron?”
“Fours A’s and one E in Charms.” Ron provided.
“Neville?” Hermione turned to the last member of the group.
“Better than expected. I got an O in Charms. Mum was good at it too, Flitwick said.” Neville smiled proudly.
“That's so nice.” Hermione took a seat beside him.
“Harry, how'd you do?” Neville asked.
“It was okay.” Harry shrugged. Irritated as he was at Hermione now, it wouldn't do good for their academic egos to clash on his birthday. “Potions was rough all year, but what can you do with Snape in that class?”
That set off the group on a round of Snape bashing, and Dudley and Harry shared a look.
***
After a rousing lunch where the Dursleys and Grangers exchanges their news of years past and the children planned on the activities for the upcoming week, the group of them Floo’d to the Burrow, as planned.
They were welcomed by a grand hug from Mrs Weasley, and Ron quickly dumped his rucksack in his room, while the twins gathered multiple brooms from the shed.
It was time for the first pickup Quidditch match of the summer.
“On Team Potter, we have Fred Weasley!” Nymphadora Tonks announced, her hair pink and standing on its ends. “Ron Weasley! And Harry Potter!”
The three took off their broom from the cheering audience. Harry could see Hermione's parents trying to contain their shock.
“On Team Weasley, Geoger Weasley! Ginny Weasley! And Charlieeee Weasley!” Tonks added with a yell.
“I swear, if I catch them snogging one more time.” Harry heard Fred grumble.
Harry shook his head. The news that Sirius’ cousin was dating Ron's brother was surprisingly new, but it was hardly anything to complain about. Harry wasn't the one living with one of them, though.
“Your rules, gentlemen and lady!” Tonks smiled at Ginny, who went red in the face. “5 points for each goal. Whoever scores 100 first, wins! Begin!”