A Storms Approach
Harry looked out at the cold barren snow-covered expanse in front of him, the frigid wind ramming into his side mercilessly trying to remind him of its existence. He watched as the clean white dunes of snow were pushed along by the gale, rolling over top themselves like waves. The winds had been growing stronger all morning and now when he looked off to the distant pine forests south of them Harry could see the heavy clouds flying towards them.
He knew that there were only twenty or so more minutes before the storm hit him and the house elves. They were an odd sort, not like the ‘Men’ Harry had seen in the distance, short with large heads, larger eyes, and ears as wide as their hands. He doesn't remember much of the first few days that he and the elves apparently had been in this snowy place, but they insisted that they were there to help him. Time felt weird and not altogether real, he had only just started to think about it, he did not understand why.
As he watched the storm approach Harry expected that one or two of them would be out from their home to talk him into coming back inside. The elves liked to nanny him, especially the one that said his name was Dobby. As he stretched and laid out more fully into the snow, he wondered what a nanny was, he did not remember.
And as he thought that, that elf came out of the tunnel entrance behind Harry.
“Master Harry sir, it might be best to come inside now. Storm bes looking to be a bad one.” Dobby implored.
Harry rumbled out a sound of mild irritation, the cold was not something that overly bothered him. The black scales that covered him from maw to tail kept even the wind's harsh cut from biting in with little more than nibbles into his hide. He saw no reason to hide from the storm, and did not want to go back inside.
"Come now, Master Harry, wes still got most of that great wooly beast that you fell. It's been roastin’ most of the day.” The elf tried again.
Shuffling his wings Harry debated on whether or not to be tempted by that, the giant furred creature had been tough to bring down but had been turning out to taste quite good so far. He took a deep sniff, hoping to catch the smell of this roast, still reluctant to head inside.
He had wanted to get away from the bustle of the elves setting up the large series of domes dug into and out of the snow. Something that they had started to do after he had dragged his kill over to an indent in the snow, he was unsure why they had done so. He was unsure why they had moved his kill inside of one of the domes, when he had growled at them they told him that it was to preserve it and make it last longer.
He did not understand, and He was unsure, but he did know that he trusted them. He did not know why but he knew that they would not lie to him.
Harry could just barely get a whiff of the beast's meat from a hole in one of the snow domes, the smoke he could see spilling out of it not even smelling of smoke despite its thickness. He didn’t want it to be, but the smells were tempting even when he did not want it to be.
Harry could still hear and even see the house elves still working on the domes spreading out and surrounding him in a half circle. He curled up tighter in the snow and swirled his tail around himself, placing his head on the ground.
The storm was getting closer, darkening the horizon to a dark and shifting gray. A near solid wall of furious white reaching from heaven to earth that filled him with half remembered distress. Harry does not know why the heavy snow makes him think that he has rarely felt very cold, he did not understand.
Dobby came back into Harry’s field of view, standing at the level of his eyes, obscuring part of his sight with the storm at the elfs back.
The House Elf put his hands on his snout. “Master Harry, please, mes and the other elves have made yous a spot inside.” Dobby's hands were cold and starting to shake.
“Its a nice an’ warm spot that wes has made mighty sure will be good an’ quite for ya Master Harry.”
Snow started to fall heavily over both of them and a gust of wind struck down with a physical force almost taking Dobby off his feet.
Harry shot up onto his feet, scrambling to cover the house elf with his wings and away from the wind's rage. He craned his neck to look down underneath himself to check that the elf was alright within the cradle of his wings.
The House Elf had fallen to his knees and was actively starting to shiver.
Harry nuzzles his head up against Dobby with a questioning rumble, asking to make sure that he was alright.
“It bes al-alright, j-just g-g-give dobby a-a-a m-moment Mas-s-ter H-harry sir a-a-an’ we'll b-be right a’ rain.” The elves' teeth chatter through his response.
A chill stabbed into Harry that cared not for the cold, he did understand that he cared more about this creature than a bit of quiet time. So Harry with his wings used to block the wind and snow, began to herd his friend back into the entrance of their home with the wind and snow blowing fiercely behind them.
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The following are two texts borrowed from from The Wandering Archive
Excerpt from the journals of Archivist Eddy ‘Keeper of the first Books’
(Dates later added by Scholar Mompy son of Loppey & Dobby)
130 ac, 18th of the 6th month
It has been the fourth Day since we have arrived in this tundral waste, and Mr. Potter has finally stopped to rest. Dobby was able to get him to go to sleep in the rooms that the other elves put together for the young man. Many of us had feared that Mr. Potter's mind had been lost to the accident, but he has started to act less as a beast today. He even seemed to recognize us.
Regardless of all that unpleasantness, as we were finally able to make some shelter, I went through and checked the collection. Many of the books were only minorly damaged from what brought us to this place, and it seems that it is cold enough here that there was minimal water to damage the pages. I and Toby will begin what repairs are necessary.
Newspaper article clippings placed within the first pages of The Man we all Lost by Hermione Weasley né Granger, the article from the Daily Prophet is covered in angry cutoff red script, the words FUCK THEM is the most prominent.
The Quibbler
Potter-Black Pubic Library in Flames
By Luna Lovegood
A tragedy has struck the wizarding world.
Early in the morning yesterday there was an explosive magical fire at the Potter-Black Public Library, the fires raged for nearly the full day. The enchanted blaze took all of Diagon Alley’s Fire Suppression Brigade to prevent its expansion to the other buildings around the Library……
The Daily Prophet
Potter-Black Pubic Library in Flames
By Nihil Wrot
A tragedy has struck the wizarding world.
Early in the morning yesterday there was an explosive magical fire at the Potter-Black Public Library, the fires raged for nearly the full day. The enchanted blaze took all of Diagon Alley’s Fire Suppression Brigade to prevent its expansion to the other buildings around the Library……