The Uninvited Visitor

Nathan's Room, Godric's Hollow , Aug 15 th

"You know, Hermione has been bugging me to ask you about spell creation," Nathan commented casually.

"No surprise there." Harry laughed. "Is she still mad at you for not telling her about how I managed to jump ahead in Charms and Transfiguration?"

"No, I think she's determined to catch up to you though. She keeps sending letters asking me what you did to get so far ahead," Nathan said grinning slightly.

Harry noticed his brother's grin and asked, "What's so funny?"

"I think Hermione finally realized that she wouldn't have been the number one student in our year if you had stayed at Hogwarts," Nathan replied.

"I was surprised she was first in your year honestly," Harry admitted. "It's almost always a pureblood or half-blood who had been tutored in magic already."

"That's not true," Nathan argued. "Mum was top in her year all throughout Hogwarts."

"Mum wasn't a normal Muggle-born," Harry reminded his brother. "She and Professor Snape practiced spells and potions way before she got her admission letter to Hogwarts."

"Don't remind me," Nathan said with a disgusted look on his face. "I don't know how Mum can stand working with that greas–"

POP.

Harry and Nathan both immediately turned their heads to the side and saw a very unfamiliar house elf nervously rocking back and forth on its heels.

"Um, hello," Harry said tentatively. "Who are you?"

"Is you the great Nathan Potter?" the elf asked with wide eyes.

"I'm Nathan. That's my brother Harry," Nathan said, rolling his eyes at being called the great Nathan Potter. "Who are you, and why did Uncle Sirius send you?"

"Nathan Potter asks who I is?" the house elf said in awe. "You is just as kind and courteous as Dobby thought, sir."

"Obviously," Harry said, slightly annoyed at the groveling elf, "we need to know what your name is in order to ask you something. I guess we could just call you 'elf,' but that's sort of redundant. Now, Dobby, why did Uncle Sirius send you?"

"Dobby does not know Sirius, brother of the great Nathan Potter. Dobby has come to warn the great Nathan Potter," Dobby said, glancing from side to side nervously.

"Wait," Nathan said urgently, "if uncle Sirius didn't give you the secret, how did you get here? You Apparated-that should have been impossible!"

"Dobby thought hard and he popped to Nathan Potter, just like Dobby pops everywhere," Dobby said, appearing confused.

"So, the wards didn't affect you at all?" Harry asked, alarmed.

Dobby simply shook his head, causing his large bat-like ears to flop around his head.

"What do you want?" Harry demanded, drawing his wand and pointing it at the elf. He needed to tell his parents about that little flaw in the Fidelius as soon as possible.

Looking very uncomfortable at having a wand pointed at him, Dobby quickly said, "Dobby is here to warn Nathan Potter. You must not go back to Hogwarts. Bad things is happening there this year."

"What? Don't go back to Hogwarts? Absolutely not!" Nathan exclaimed.

"But you mustn't, bad things is happening there. Nathan Potter must be safe!" Dobby exclaimed.

"What kind of bad things?" Harry asked, lowering his wand slightly.

"Dobby cannot say," the elf said miserably. "Dobby will already have to punish himself very badly when he goes home for warning Nathan Potter."

"So your family doesn't know you're here?" Harry pressed.

Looking absolutely terrified at the thought of his family knowing what he was doing Dobby squeaked out, "No."

"Does this have anything to do with Voldemort?" Nathan asked, causing Dobby to gasp.

"You actually said You-Know-Who's name," Harry said, slightly surprised.

"The Headmaster said I should," Nathan said strongly.

"O-okay," Harry said hesitantly.

"So Dobby, does this have anything to do with Voldemort?" Nathan asked again.

Looking absolutely terrified at hearing the Dark Lord's name, Dobby took a moment to think before he shook his head negatively.

"Can you say anything at all about what might happen?" Harry asked.

Once again, Dobby shook his head, and Nathan seemed to have had enough. "Then I'm going back to Hogwarts. With the exception of Harry, all my friends go to Hogwarts."

"Dobby cannot let Nathan Potter be in danger!" Dobby said frantically.

"I've been in danger before," Nathan said patiently.

"Nathan Potter is brave and kind, but he must not go back. Dobby will not let that happen!" Dobby decreed as he raised his hands and immediately Nathan's bed began levitating into the air. Harry was about to send a spell at the elf when Dobby disappeared with another POP and the bed fell to the floor with a loud THUMP.

"Um…how was that supposed to stop me from going to Hogwarts?" Nathan asked, completely confused.

"I don't know," Harry admitted, looking just as confused by the elf's actions. "We had better go tell Mum and Dad though."