How to tame a Basilisk

Now that Draco is paying more attention to the house-elves at Malfoy Manor than he ever did, he spots several of them showing increasingly serious gashes in the weeks after his talk with Dobby. Apparently Aunt Bella is currently enjoying having someone to torture again, as Draco's parents had vehemently forbidden her from using Draco as target-practice. He certainly is relieved by that, still he can't help but worry about the little elves. This is why, once he has figured out the last details of the free-Dobby-plan, he has added another thing to discuss with the free-spirited elf.

After preparing his rooms with a lot of layered privacy- and silencing-charms, which he'd been forced to learn when the Dark Lord and his followers had taken occupancy in the Manor, he calls for Potter's loyal friend.

''Dobby!''

And with a pop the wide-eyed creature appears next to Draco.

''Master Draco has called Dobby, sir? Is it time for Dobby to help Master with his plan now?'' Dobby inquires excitedly.

But before Draco can answer him, he notices the little elf's fingers, which are twisted at odd angles. He gasps loudly ''Dobby, what happened to your hands?''

The elf looks sheepishly to the ground as he tries to hide his disfigured appendages behind his back. ''It is being nothing, Master Draco. Dobby is just protecting Tinky from Mistress Bellatrix.'' the tiny creature mumbles.

''Let me take a look at that, Dobby.'' Draco tells the elf sternly and as soon as Dobby hesitantly holds out his hands, Draco quickly casts several healing spells in succession. Dobby looks grateful for a second, before he starts fidgeting anxiously again.

''What is it Dobby? You don't seem relieved?'' Draco asks, slightly annoyed by how different the elf's reaction is to the last time he'd healed his injuries.

''Master Draco is being too kind. Dobby is very grateful.'' Dobby assures him hastily. At Draco's raised eyebrow he adds ''It is just... Mistress Bellatrix is being very angry with Dobby when she is seeing the healed wounds. She is blaming Tinky and Wonky for helping Dobby and they is being punished for it.'' the elf's eyes fill with tears as he thinks about his fellow elves being tortured.

Draco audibly takes a deep breath, as an idea forms in his mind.

''So, my aunt, she is torturing you and your friends, right?'' at Dobby's nod Draco continues ''And my father has given her the instruction not to harm you all too much, so that you can still perform your duties, yes?'' another nod. ''But theoretically, any order I give you or the other elves would be higher-ranking than her commands, right?'' At this Dobby's nod is followed by an expectant and hopeful look in his eyes.

''Okay, so if I were to order you and all the other elves to heal yourselves but to keep up glamours so that it looks to my aunt and parents as if you're still rather injured, you could do that, yeah?''

Dobby blinks at him in astonishment ''Master Draco would be doing that for Dobby and his friends?''

Draco smiles at the little elf. ''As long as my father or my mother don't give you any opposing orders it should work, right Dobby? And they wouldn't do that, considering I'm not planning on telling them that you're wearing glamours. House-elf magic should be powerful enough that they can't make the charms out on their own, isn't it?''

At Dobby's frantic nodding and happy squeal, Draco can't help but feel a little smug for getting one over on Bellatrix.

''Okay, so, would you please get all of the other elves to my rooms, Dobby?''

The little elf is so excited that he doesn't even tear up about Draco thanking him again, as he quickly hugs the young Malfoy and pops away, just to appear back after a few seconds with the other eight house-elves of the Malfoy-household in tow. The new arrivals look around suspiciously and as they spot Draco, they instinctively shy away a little, fear written all over their faces.

Before Draco can assure them that he means them no harm, Dobby steps in front of his fellow elves and starts speaking, ''Master Draco is not like his father or aunt. Master Draco is being a friend to all elves, he is not hurting Dobby and he is having ideas to help us all.'' he declares brightly.

Some of the other elves seem to be somewhat soothes by Dobby's words, while others only stare at him more dubiously now. Draco sighs. Of course the one elf who's fond of Draco had to be the one even the other elves find too nutty with his constant talk of being a free elf.

So Draco himself steps up slowly as not to spook anyone, and directs his words at the small elves-congregation.

''Listen up. Dobby is right.'' a few of them gasp at Draco's open endorsement of another elf. ''I have an order for you all, and one part of it is not to reveal anything of that order to anyone who isn't in this room at the moment.'' Nervous murmurs of Draco's parents and how they cannot lie to their masters as that would be betraying them rise up. ''I am not asking you to outright lie to my parents. Should they ever ask you directly about anything I am going to tell you in a moment, you may of course answer them honestly, as I am aware not doing so would go against your very nature.'' some of the house-elves look relieved, while others are still eyeing Draco suspiciously. ''Though if my aunt ever asks you about the following orders, you should consider lying for your sakes as well as mine. She has no legal authority over you, as you are predominantly elves under the Malfoy name, and whatever else she might tell you, she is not your Mistress.'' at that even the more sceptical elves start looking more hopeful. Draco nods to himself.

''Alright, so I hereby order you all to disregard Bellatrix' commands to punish yourself or her forbiddance of healing yourselves after she has hurt you. I order you to keep up glamours so that it looks like you are still suffering from your injuries, while I expect you to heal yourselves from any inflicted pains. Furthermore, if anything happens to you and you need help, I want you to come directly to me and primarily I order you not to tell Bellatrix about the glamours or the healing and to only discuss them with my parents if they specifically ask about those exact terms.''

There are several gasps coming from the elves and one after one elf-eyes start to fill with grateful tears as whispers of the 'kind Master Draco' and 'friend of all elves' fill the room. To Draco's relief, none of them is quite as disregarding of composure as Dobby is and they refrain from hugging him, even though some look like it's a close call. That doesn't stop them from lining up though, and each one of them thanks Draco profusely before popping away back to their previous occupation.

When it's only Dobby and Draco left, the latter turns towards the smiling elf to verify some of his observations.

''Dobby, is it correct that my father mainly tasks you with administrative help in his study?'' When the elf nods again, now sporting a fitting serious expression, Draco continues, ''And if anything annoys my father, he would probably give it to you to hold onto, right?''

''Yes Master Draco, everything that Master Lucius deems as too dangerous or annoying for himself to handle, he is giving Dobby.'' the elf nods solemnly.

''Okay great! So, you wait for my signal and try to always be around my father in his study over the next days, alright?''

Dobby shoots him an intrigued look, but refrains from questioning Draco, as he once again thanks '
Young Master Draco' for helping him and the other elves, before he too joins them in their various duties.

And now, Draco just has to put the finishing touches to his plan and then he can free the elf and send him to Potter.

***

...Lucius has finally found some time for himself and is currently going through his mail. Living in his house with his crazy sister-in-law is truly exhausting. He constantly has to remind her not to torture his only son and heir. Even though, if not for the risk to the continuance of the Malfoy-line, the boy could certainly use a little bit of torture, he is just too soft for a self-respecting Malfoy. Lucius sighs as he once again contemplates what is wrong with this child, who, while he desperately tries to imitate and impress his father, just isn't cut from the same cloth as his dignified ancestors. At least he has gotten over that Potter-obsession once he started Hogwarts and met the disappointment that that brat really is, Lucius shakes his head as he remembers his heirs previous antics.

Just then his eyes fall on a package with an unfamiliar crest on it's front. After some quick detection charms that tell him nothing dangerous is inside of the parcel, he opens it and is met with the first lines of a letter:

Dear Lord Malfoy,

We, the Muggle Relations Society, hereby invite you to our first annual charity ball to help ensure the continuing help for Muggleborns who wish to enter the Ministry...

Lucius eyes widen. How dare they ask for his money to fund the education of mudbloods? But before he can set the whole package on fire, his son comes bursting into his study, without knocking.

''Father, this has just arrived, it's from Pansy saying that her father is going to arrange a marriage contract between us! Please say this is not true father!'' Draco gasps for breath, he must've ran the whole way from his rooms once he got that letter.

Impatiently Lucius makes to grab the offending text from his son's hands, but he is still holding the horrific Muggle Relations Society package, so he carelessly tosses the parcel towards his house-elf that's standing beside his desk.

''Here, take this Dobby.'' he calls dismissively and grabs the young Miss Parkinson's letter. Under no circumstances will he allow his line to be mixed with these kinds of people. Mr. Parkinson has made quite the poor impression on Lucius, as his last business deals with the man had resulted in grand chaos and financial disappointment.

Occupied with the child's writing, which indeed is saying that her father wishes to marry his daughter off into the Malfoy fortune, Lucius does not catch his son giving Dobby meaningful looks and motioning for him to take out the letter of the parcel and look at the rest of it's contents.

Suddenly there is a squeaky gasp from behind Lucius.

''What Dobby, what is it?'' Malfoy senior turns furiously to his bothersome house-elf, daring to interrupt his reading.

Said elf is currently holding up a pastel-pink coloured tie, with the Muggle Relations Society emblem stitched onto it. ''Master has given Dobby a tie! Dobby is- Dobby is free.'' the creature whispers in open astonishment.

Realizing what's just happened, Lucius shoots out of his chair, raising his wand.

''You- you cost me my elf!'' he snarls in barely contained fury, turning towards his son. Draco's eyes widen in fear and Lucius redirects his wand at the elf in question, not able to decide whom he should punish first.

''Cruci...'' he starts, but Dobby snaps his fingers and the Lord Malfoy is thrown back into his bookshelf.

''Dobby is a free elf. Mr. Malfoy is not going to hurt Dobby ever again! And he is not going to hurt young Master Draco either!'' The elf declares angrily, then grabs his son and apparates away.

***

Draco stumbles as they reappear in his rooms, Dobby still grabbing his arm.

''Is Master Draco being alright?' the elf asks worriedly.

Collecting himself, Draco stands up again, ''I'm fine Dobby, thank you. You have to go now. Go to Harry Potter, he lives in Number 4, Privet Drive in Surrey, go!'' he hastily tells the elf.

''Dobby can't leave Master Draco alone, not with the old Mr. Malfoy being this angry!'' Dobby exclaims.

''It's fine, Dobby, really it is!'' Draco tries to assure the elf, ''He won't hurt me, I'm his only chance at grandkids to continue the Malfoy-line.'' he chuckles darkly, ''Besides, he won't blame me in the long term, he's going to be furious at the Muggle Relations Society, which, by the way, doesn't exist.'' he winks at the little elf.

Dobby stares at him in awe, ''Master Draco has freed Dobby! Dobby is so grateful!'' he breathes with anew tears in his eyes.

''Now go, Dobby. And talk to Harry, he will tell you more!'' he gestures for the elf to leave.

With one last reluctant look, Dobby hugs Draco deeply and then snaps his fingers again as he disappears.

***

Despite having to do all of his usual chores this summer is truly turning out to be so much better than last time. Harry gets all the letters from his friends and is able to let Hedwig fly at night, having learned to pick the padded lock with a hairpin. He can do his homework in peace and doesn't have to worry about Dobby showing up and doing magic to further fuck up his already fucked up life. The Dursley's are scared of Harry and his magic abilities, so they mostly leave him alone, even after he told them off so spectacularly. And he hasn't even been beaten up by Dudley and his gang the whole time he's been back in Surrey. All in all, it could be a lot worse, Harry muses.

Later, he is going to be angry with himself, for thinking even for a second his life could possibly go better than usually, and for thus letting his guard down.

As it is, he is currently walking towards the supermarket to get some more pre-cooked meals and maybe even look at some air-conditioning while he's there, whistling carelessly.

Then, suddenly someone shoves him to the ground and he is attacked by fists punching his face feverishly. A second body appears in his periphery, though it it rather blurred as his glasses have fallen off his face, and he is being kicked in the stomach while the other person continues punching his nose. Vaguely he can make out a voice that sounds suspiciously like his cousin. But the voice is not coming from his attackers and is instead screaming 'Stop!' over and over again, so it can't be Dudley. Even after a whole school-year and beginning of summer of eating normally, Harry is still weaker than a normal almost-twelve-year-old. He tries to squirm out of the hold of the body on top of him, but is being pinned down by a third person grabbing his wrists and twisting them uncomfortably. He can feel his ribs breaking as he is being further kicked into his side, his nose has already broken at the first punch. Something in his wrist cracks suspiciously too, after being twisted and crushed. Blood drips down his face and into his eyes, as Harry tries to blink.

'Well, congrats Voldy' he thinks sardonically, 'These Pre-Teens are about to finish the job for you before you even come back, isn't that something.'

Just as he's about to summon his wand, expulsion from Hogwarts be damned, a new voice joins the cacophony of screaming above him.

''WHAT ARE YOU DOING BOYS?'' a man's voice sounds loudly, as the body on top of Harry is being yanked up and the kicking and wrist-twisting stops abruptly.

Harry draws in ragged breaths, but the air won't quite reach his lungs. He feels around for his glasses and finds them broken and bent, but still better than nothing as he puts them on his aching, broken nose. Looking around he can make out Piers with bloody knuckles, Malcolm and Dennis next to him and Dudley standing to the side. He doesn't recognize the man, but apparently he has been asking Dudley's gang something, because his cousin answers ''He's my- my cousin, he lives at my place. My parents are home, I'll take you.'' And the man picks Harry up, who is too weak to protest and carries him back to Number 4 Privet Drive. Dudley's friends have made a run for it in the mean time. As the man sits Harry carefully down on the front-steps to knock on the door, he can see the little puddle of blood almost immediately building around him. Petunia answers after a moment and her face betrays her disgust for her nephew only for a second, before she schools her features into something resembling shock.

The man speaks up again, ''I found this boy being beaten by three kids twice his size, your son says he lives here with you?'' shooting Dudley a look, Petunia nods and the man continues, ''You should really take him to the hospital, Ma'am. I have to go now, I was on my way to pick up my kids from daycare, but please call me if you need anything, like a statement for the police or something like that.'' he says, handing Petunia a business card. Wait. Did this grown-up really just help Harry? He must be new to the area and not know about the lies Petunia tells all the neighbours about her nephew the miscreant. His aunt hisses a short thank you to the man before she ushers Dudley and Harry inside.

''Vernon, come here please, we have a... situation.'' Petunia calls and Harry's uncle comes stomping out of the living room. ''The boy has picked a fight with Duddikins and his friends and got a stranger to believe in his innocence, can you believe that?'' She asks her husband while glaring at Harry's bloody form on the floor.

But before any of them can say anything more, it gets even weirder, as Dudley suddenly speaks up.

''It wasn't Harry's fault Mum! Piers and Malcolm attacked him on the street, I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen to me! They even got Dennis to join them and if that man wouldn't have stepped in... I don't know how far they would've taken it, I heard his bones cracking Mum!''

Petunia and Vernon stare at their son in shock and for once Harry can agree with the sentiment. What the fuck?!

Petunia is the first to find her voice again and she rushes to her son to kneel in front of him, even though Dudley is almost as tall as her by now. ''Oh my poor baby-boy. Has your freak cousin scared you? You don't know what you're saying darling. Come, let's get you a hot chocolate.'' she coos.

Harry can only look on in astonishment as Dudley starts to protest and declares that it really wasn't Harry's fault as he is being lead away by his mother.

Vernon tears away his gaze from his wife and son's retreating forms and glares at Harry on the floor again. He grabs him by the collar of his shirt and drags him after the others into the kitchen.

''Now boy, tell us what you did to our son! And clean up that mess, we don't want your dirty blood on our freshly polished parquet!'' he barks.

Just as Harry is about to try to defuse the situation, an owl swoops into the open kitchen window and drops a letter on the counter, before flying off again. Where his uncle's face had been red before it now turns positively purple as he grabs the letter and rips it open. As he reads through it's content, his furious gaze turns into a malicious smile. Shit that can't be good.

''So boy, when were you going to tell us you weren't allowed to do magic over the summer, huh?'' Vernon bellows at Harry.

Shit shit shit shit.

''That's it boy, you're not leaving your room again this summer!'' Vernon grins viciously as he grabs Harry again by the collar and drags him up the stairs into his room. Harry can only check that the microwave and the mini-fridge he'd stolen last week are safely hidden under his invisibility cloak, before he's being thrown to the ground once more.

''You thought you could fool us, eh? Thought yourself clever with your freakishness? This stops now boy, you're going to regret ever taking the mickey out of us.'' Vernon hollers as he kicks Harry against his already broken ribs.

''You think you're better that us, huh? Better than the people who house and feed you, do ya boy?'' Vernon yanks Harry up by his hair, pulling out a few strands while doing so. He tries desperately not to whimper. He has faced worse god damnit! He's been crucioed and even fucking killed. But somehow this treatment at the hands of the people who are supposed to be his family hurts worse than any curse Voldemort has ever thrown at him.

''This will teach you to never lie to us again boy.'' Vernon calls as he throws Harry's limp form against the wall of his room, before he leaves and closes the door behind him.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, harry continues to lie on the floor, as he is in no state to move even a finger. He barely registers as Vernon puts the various locks outside of his door, or as he installs the catflap to feed him nothing but scraps. Shit! That makes Harry remember that he has almost nothing to eat left, apart from a few snacks. He was on his way to get more, but now he's fucked. Even if his whole body wasn't broken all over, he isn't prepared to live over half of the summer without proper meals anymore. Lying there panicking, Harry jolts at the sudden blaring sound coming from his window, where Vernon is currently screwing in the bars to keep him from climbing out the window if he gets too hungry. His head hurts from the abrupt movement and he lets it flop back onto the floor. Great, and because he has written to his friends the whole time, it's going to take them so much longer to realize something's wrong and even if Ron and the twins come to rescue him in the Ford Anglia again, by then he's probably gonna be a rotten corpse in a corner. He can feel crazy laughter bubbling up inside of him, thinking that he can now understand Sirius' reaction to Pettigrew's betrayal, as the only thing he can do faced with his certain doom is laugh manically.

Then out of nowhere there is a loud 'pop' sounding right next to Harry and as he blinks to focus his eyes through his smashed glasses, he recognizes one of the ghosts of his past.

''Dobby?'' he breathes, barely audible.

The elf's wide eyes find his form lying on the ground and widen even more, filled with immense worry, ''Harry Potter! What happened to the great Harry Potter?'' he gasps indignantly.

Harry can only smile dazedly as he takes in the form of one of his loved ones he thought lost to the war.

Dobby, apparently deciding that he can't leave Harry in that kind of state even a second longer, snaps his fingers and Harry can feel how his broken ribs mend together, how his nose rightens itself and the blood flow from his various wounds stops as the skin knits together once more.

With the last broken bone snapping back into place, Harry gasps sharply. The pain is certainly not gone, but so much more manageable and apart from a dizzy feeling, probably courtesy of blood loss, he almost feels normal again.

''Thanks Dobby!'' he rasps, voice still meagre from the punches to the throat he's received today.

Dobby has taken the time it took for Harry's body to heal itself to look around the room. His alert eyes and magical senses have spotted the bars and catflap, as well as the various bolts keeping the door shut from the outside. But at Harry's grateful exclamation he turns around and his eyes widen even more.

''Harry Potter is knowing Dobby's name! Master Draco must have told his friend Harry Potter about Dobby. Oh what a good and kind wizard young Master Draco is, telling the great Harry Potter about unimportant little Dobby.'' he practically swoons.

'Good and kind? Huh. Malfoy must've really improved his image over the summer.' Harry thought.

And friend? Harry wouldn't go that far, although he has to admit that the Malfoy he once thought he knew isn't the same as the one currently stuck in a time-paradoxon with him.

Dobby is apparently thinking ahead of Harry, as he rather urgently suggests that ''Great Harry Potter is not to be living in this house anymore! Dobby is taking Harry Potter to wherever he wishes.''

Harry pulls himself out of his pondering and thinks about his possible escape destinations. The most obvious choice would be to go to Ron, but he would have to explain his arrival via house-elf and he still feels rather weak from the tumultuous day he had today. Deciding that it probably would be best to heal on his own before he is confronted with the whole Weasley clan, he tells Dobby the only other destination coming to mind right now.

''Diagon Alley, take me to the Leaky Cauldron, please, Dobby.'' Harry whispers with his last strength, almost immediately followed by the familiar sensation of house-elf side-along-apparition.

And maybe, just maybe, this summer isn't as good as Harry'd hoped for that one foolish second, but it might not be that bad either.