Harry Potter 02 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

to be joking,’ said Ron.
    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 just getting started on what promised to be a good party when Madam Pomfrey came storming over, shouting, ‘This boy needs rest, he’s got thirty-three bones to regrow! Out! OUT!’
    And Harry was left alone, with nothing to distract him from the stabbing pains in his limp arm.
    *
    Hours and hours later, Harry woke quite suddenly in the pitch blackness and gave a small yelp of pain: his arm now felt full of large splinters. For a second, he thought it was that which had woken him. Then, with a thrill of horror, he realised that someone was sponging his forehead in the dark.
    ‘Get off!’ he said loudly, and then, ‘Dobby!’
    The house-elf’s goggling tennis-ball eyes were peering at Harry through the darkness. 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 when he missed the train?’
    Harry heaved himself up on his pillows and pushed Dobby’s sponge away.
    ‘What’re you doing here?’ he said. ‘And how did you know I missed the train?’
    Dobby’s lip trembled and Harry was seized by a sudden suspicion.
    ‘It was you !’ he said slowly. ‘ You stopped the barrier letting us through!’
    ‘Indeed yes, sir,’ said Dobby, nodding his head vigorously, ears flapping. ‘Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and sealed the gateway and Dobby had to iron his hands afterwards –’ he showed Harry ten, long, bandaged fingers, ‘– but Dobby didn’t care, sir, for he thought Harry Potter was safe, and never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter would get to school another way!’
    He was rocking backwards and forwards, shaking his ugly head.
    ‘Dobby was so shocked when he heard Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts, he let his master’s dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir …’
    Harry slumped back onto his pillows.
    ‘You nearly got Ron and me expelled,’ he said fiercely. ‘You’d better clear off before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you.’
    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 so pathetic that Harry felt his anger ebb away in spite of himself.
    ‘Why d’you wear that thing, Dobby?’ he asked curiously.
    ‘This, sir?’ said Dobby, plucking at the pillowcase. ‘’Tis a mark of the house-elf’s enslavement, sir. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, sir. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, sir, for then he would be free to leave their house for ever.’
    Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and said suddenly, ‘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, us 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