2 September 1992
The small creature arrived at his destination. All summer he had tried his best to find the Great One, but the creature's best wasn't good enough. He deserved to be punished.
He stared down on the sleeping form of the Great One. So much goodness and power mixed into one being! Here was the One-That-Gave-Hope-To-All-Beings! The Great Harry Potter!
Oh how he hoped the Great One would accept his warning. The Dark Ones were moving again and they sought to extinguish the Great One! That couldn't be allowed to happen! Bad Family were part of this. (Dobby would have to iron his fingers later for that thought!) Bad Master wanted Great Harry Potter dead. Bad Master ordered Dobby not to tell anyone Bad Family business. So Dobby couldn't. But it wasn't Bad Family business if Great Harry Potter wasn't where Bad Family sets their trap! No, Dobby couldn't fail!
The Great Harry Potter's eyes suddenly opened and glowed with Power in the darkness. Dobby was so surprised he never thought to pop away. And then Great Harry Potter had him by the throat. But Dobby was used to that. Old Not-So-Bad Master did that too.
"Who are you?" Great Harry Potter demanded in a low whisper.
" I is Dobby, Harry Potter. Dobby the House-Elf ." Great Harry Potter loosened his grip.
"Why are you here?"
"Dobby is here to warn Harry Potter! Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts! There is great danger! Harry Potter must leave!"
"Is it Voldemort?"
Dobby clapped his hands over his ears as the name invoked visions of the horrible times. " Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name !"
Some muttering came from another bed. Great Harry Potter quickly rose from his bed and walked into the nearby loo. He closed the door behind him and set Dobby down on the counter.
"Sorry about that," Great Harry Potter murmured. "I know people don't like saying that name." Dobby felt the tears start to form. Great Harry Potter was apologizing to him!
Great Harry Potter sighed. "Dobby why are you crying?"
"Great Harry Potter apologized to Dobby! Wizards never apologize to house-elves!"
The Great Wizard grimaced uncomfortably. "Yah well, I'll just say I've been there too." He coughed. "Now what is this warning?"
"Dobby try to find you all summer but Harry Potter not with his family! Terrible things are planned for this year! Harry Potter is too important. He must stay safe !"
"What terrible things? Who is plotting them? Is it Vol- He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
" Not - not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir - " Dobby answered with a particular nod. He hoped Great Harry Potter understood what he was trying to say.
"I can't leave Hogwarts, Dobby," the Great One answered. "I don't really have anywhere else to go until I am old enough to be on my own. My relatives don't want me."
"Harry Potter's family doesn't want him?" Dobby asked in disbelief.
"They hate magic," the Great One explained. "But I am told they are the only family I have left so I have to stay with them." Dobby felt his eyes start to tear again but this time in grief and anger. Great Harry Potter had no one! Dobby would find Harry Potter a family of his own! Then Great Harry Potter could leave Hogwarts and be safe!
"Don't worry, Harry Potter. Dobby will find you a family!" Dobby nodded his emphasis. "Stay safe, Harry Potter, until Dobby comes back!" With a pop he was gone. An elf on a mission.
....
15 October 1992
The Ravenclaws followed the Gryffindor students into the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Except for the very first class with the disaster with the pixies, Professor Lockhart simply lectured the class on events from his various books. Last week it was yetis and the week before was vampires.
Padma watched Harry as the students sat down. The students had been whispering about Harry since the writing on the wall and Mrs Norris was petrified. For some reason they ignored the fact Harry was with Hermione, Ron, and herself when the cat was discovered. Instead they just focused on Harry. It didn't make any sense to the logical Patil.
Harry just seemed to shrug it off- like it was all a big joke. However, Padma had learnt to read her closest male friend better than that. He was angry about the whispers but was keeping it inside. Thank Merlin that idiot Malfoy hadn't tried anything recently.
"Ah, welcome class to another wonderful session of Defence Against the Dark Arts!" Lockhart announced breezily as he waltzed into the room. "Are you all ready for another exciting glimpse into the world behind the veil that are the Dark Arts?"
Padma watched the man move into the room and start his lecture on werewolves. Padma was beginning to come about to Harry's position that the professor was a fraud of the first order. Listening to the man's descriptions matched little with the outside research Padma had done on the behaviour of feral werewolves. The werewolf the professor described seemed completely in control like it was under the influence of Wolfsbane Potion.
"Now, I shall act out my famous battle with the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Ah, Mr Potter, if you would please assist me again?"
Harry stood up but it was obvious that it was the last thing he wanted to do. Padma could hear Corner snickering behind her as Harry walked up.
" Nice loud howl, Harry- exactly - and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced - like this - slammed him to the floor - thus - with one hand, I managed to hold him down - with my other, I put wand to his throat - I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm - he let out a piteous moan - go on, Harry - higher than that - good - the fur vanished the fangs shrunk - the he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective - and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks." (HP CoS p 162 US hardcover)
Harry stood up from the floor and said, "Excuse me professor, but I don't think the class and I can really understand what a great feat you managed, sir." Padma was instantly wary - Harry was up to something. He was never that polite unless he was up to something. Unfortunately, Lockhart didn't know him that well.
"Whatever, do you mean, Harry?"
"Well, sir. I am just a small boy, not a huge werewolf. It just doesn't do justice to have me fill in for the werewolf as I am."
"I know - I know, young Harry. However we must make do with what we have," the author-professor responded while flashing his smile at the class.
"I had an idea, professor. If Hermione cast a glamour on me to make me look like a werewolf, then the class would get the full impact of what you dealt with."
The professor seemed to consider it. Padma didn't think her friend was capable of casting such a spell. The professor seemed doubtful also but Harry assured him that she was more than capable.
"Very well. Ms Granger, your assistance please?"
Hermione walked up while glaring at the small smile on Harry's face. Now Padma was sure Harry was up to something and most of the rest of the class was coming to the same conclusion. When Hermione reached Harry he whispered something quietly into her ear before stepping away to remove his robes. Padma winced a bit to see the scruffy, oversized Muggle clothes Harry insisted on wearing under his school robes.
"No need to get disrobed for this, Harry," Lockhart assured him with a look of distaste on his face as he took in Harry's clothes.
"Just trying to get into the role, professor. It is method acting."
"Of course, I recognized that my dear boy," Lockhart assured him. Padma didn't know what he meant by 'method acting' and doubted Lockhart knew either. "Do what you must."
Harry returned to his place in front of the classroom. "Okay, professor. I am all set."
Harry returned to his place in front of the classroom. "Okay, professor. I am all set."
"Once Ms Granger completes her glamour, advance on me just as before," Lockhart instructed.
Hermione made the complex wand patterns required for a glamour spell. Padma wanted to watch her cast but her attention quickly focused on Harry.
Harry threw his head back and let out a howl that sent chills down Padma's spine. At the same time, thick black fur was sprouting out all over his body as he grew. His head morphed into a giant representation of a wolf while his hands became massive claws with wicked looking nails the looked incredibly sharp. Padma was terrified and she was sitting twenty feet away.
Harry turned towards the Defence professor and let out a growl that seemed to reverberate through the bones of everyone in the room. The famed professor took one look at that horrible visage and let out a girlish squeal before dropping to the ground in a dead faint.
Harry the Werewolf sat back on his haunches and let out an odd sound. It took Padma a moment but she realized that Harry was laughing. Not just laughing but full out, rib-holding laughter. Now when the werewolf glamour looked out at the classroom, the creature's face seemed amused with his tongue hanging out to one side.
It gave Padma the impression of a giant, very dangerous, puppy.
Hermione must have released her spell because Harry suddenly shrank back into his normal form.
"Wow, mate. You actually made the git faint," Ron congratulated his friend.
Harry replaced his glasses and said, "He'll have to change his robes before lunch too." Just then the bell rang announcing the end of class.
"Guess there's no homework!" Ron cheered.
Padma and Su Li joined their Gryffindor friends as they walked out of the Defence classroom. Something just happened in the class and she didn't understand it. The three Gryffindors shared a secret. How did Hermione manage to cast that glamour? And that looked nothing like any werewolf she had ever seen pictures of. It reminded her more of stories she'd heard from her dada, her grandfather, on their visits to India when she was a child.
She would talk to Harry later to find out what just happened and how he did it. She didn't need to make a scene now.
As the other students left, Lavender and Parvati stayed behind franticly trying to wake their dashing professor while trying to avoid the growing pool coming from under the wizard.
...
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