50 Dobby

Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased.

"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. "I can mend bones in a second — but growing them back —"

"... Madam Pomfrey, I didn't have any broken bones."

"What? They why did he get rid of your bones?"

"...he missed Harry and hit me instead."

"..."

"You will be able to grow my bones back, won't you?" said Arth desperately.

"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Arth a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night... both of you."

"Um... Madam Pomfrey, I cant change my clothes."

"..."

Harry didn't know whether laugh or be mad.

Hermione waited outside the curtain drawn around Arth's bed while Ron helped him into his pajamas. It took a while to stuff the rubbery, boneless limbs into clothes.

"Does he think everyone likes him?" Ron growled as he pulled Arth's limp fingers through the cuff. "If Arth had wanted deboning he would have asked."

"Cant believe a teacher can be like that." said Hermione. "And it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Arth?"

"No," said Arth. "But I don't feel anything else either."

As he did sort of a jiggle with his torso, his limbs flapped around pointlessly.

Hermione and Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain. Madam Pomfrey was holding a large bottle of something labeled Skele-Gro.

"You're in for a rough night," she said, pouring out a steaming beakerful and handing it to him.

"Regrowing bones is a nasty business."

So was taking the Skele-Gro. It burned Arth's mouth and throat as it went down, making him cough and splutter.

Still tut-tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron and Hermione to help Arth gulp down some water.

"We won, though," said Ron, a grin breaking across his face. "That was some catch Harry made. Malfoy's face...he looked ready to kill..."

"Yes, I'm so happy that Harry won. Now I'm sitting here on the bed with no limbs. As a human flesh toy."

Harry gave a cheerful smile.

"It is kind of weird now that you think of it. If Lockhart was any better with his aim, then you would be down in the common rooms celebrating while I would be here with a boneless arm. That Bludger was out for blood."

"I want to know how they fixed that Bludger," said Hermione darkly.

"I don't think it was the Slytherin's. They don't have the brain cells nor the bravery to do that. Plus, from the way they were dominating us, they didn't need to do it."

"...Then who?"

The door of the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry.

"Unbelievable flying, Harry," said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem too happy."

They had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice; they gathered around Harry's bed and were getting started on what promised to be a good party.

Hermione came over to Arth's bed and sat down.

Arth gave a wry smile.

"I guess Harry has a higher priority than me."

"Aww, lookie here. Is the very adult like Arth jealous?" Teased Hermione. "It's ok, they still care about you, just know that they are excited because they won the game."

Arth sighed and stared at the ceiling with a lonely gaze.

"... you reckon they brought me a turkey leg?"

"..."

Hermione just say there with he mouth wide open before giving a small sigh.

"I should've know that that was what you wanted... lucky for you, I know you very well."

Hermione took out a nearly wrapped box from within her bag and presented it towards Arth. Arth tore the wrapping off and gave off a smile of delight.

"Oh I love you Hermione."

Hermione blushed a deep rose color, however, Arth was too focused on his turkey leg to notice.

Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting, "These boys need rest, one of them has one hundred and twenty six bones to regrow! Out! OUT!" And Arth and Harry were left alone.

Arth groaned.

"I seriously don't know what's worse. Drinking skelegrow or the pain of regrowing bones."

"Probably the regrowing. At least the skelegrow is gone after it goes down your throat."

"Well reasoned."

The two of them were silent after that.

Hours and hours later, Arth woke quite suddenly in the pitch blackness due to the screaming of one of his friends.

"Get off!" Harry said loudly.

Arth groaned.

"Will it kill you to let people sleep? I'm trying to regrow my arms here."

"Dobby!"

"What?"

There was a house-elf peering at Harry through the darkness. It had large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls.

A single tear was running down his long, pointed nose.

"Harry Potter came back to school," he whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned Harry Potter. Ah sir, why didn't you heed Dobby? Why didn't Harry Potter go back home after repeatedly hearing his warnings?"

Harry heaved himself up on his pillows and pushed Dobby's sponge away.

"What're you doing here?" Arth said.

"I'm here to warn Harry Potter sir."

"You'd better get lost before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you." Said Arth while rolling his eyes. "And trust me, I'm not as soft as Harry over there."

Dobby smiled weakly.

"Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."

He blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore, looking pathetic.

"However, mister Harry Potter's friend is quite the wizard. Dobby can not believe that mister friend managed to take Sir Harry Potter with him to Hogwarts. Very dangerous yet very skillful."

"Complements won't affect me Dobby."

Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and while ignoring Arth, said, "Harry Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make —"

"Your Bludger?" said Harry, anger rising once more. "What d'you mean, your Bludger? You made that Bludger try and kill me?"

"Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" said Dobby, shocked. "Dobby wants to save Harry Potter's life! Better sent home, grievously injured, than remain here sir! Dobby only wanted Harry Potter hurt enough to be sent home!"

"Oh, is that all?" said Harry angrily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you wanted me sent home in pieces?"

"Ah, if Harry Potter only knew!" Dobby groaned, more tears dripping onto his ragged pillowcase. "If he knew what he means to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers, sir! We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir! Of course, Dobby is still treated like that, sir," he admitted, drying his face on the pillowcase.

"But mostly, sir, life has improved for my kind since you triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, and Harry Potter shone like a beacon of hope for those of us who thought the Dark days would never end, sit...And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more."

Dobby froze, horrorstruck, then grabbed Harry's water jug from his bedside table and cracked it over his own head, toppling out of sight. A second later, he crawled back onto the bed, cross-eyed, muttering, "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby..."

Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"I knew it, you know that the chamber of secrets were open ring this year didn't you, Dobby? You also know who is releasing it, don't you? Who is your master Dobby. Don't make me repeat it, who is your master."