Harry’s Private Army

The party was everything he thought it would be. His friends, the Order, and many people he had no clue who were, were there. It was a giant extravaganza. With decorations, streamers, games and food galore. The house was packed with people.  

Harry had never been to the like. Sure, he had a few small parties with the Weasleys, but this was a huge deal. He didn’t know what all the fuss was about. Sure, he got off, but was it really that important that he did? If so, why? Harry didn’t know, but he was going to enjoy the fun.

The one thing that didn’t happen, was Harry telling what went on in the courtroom. He would have no way to explain how he got heard, and he wasn’t telling anyone else about the doxies. So far only Sirius and the twins knew.  Well, Dobby knew too, mostly. He didn’t think the elf met the queen. He was sure Dobby have left before she showed up.

The twins set off fireworks in the house, which made Mrs. Weasley shout at them, but the rest of the residents were happy to see them. There was a cake and ice cream, and tons of finger food. There would be no dinner tonight, everyone was too stuffed with the food from the party.

That night, at bedtime, Harry sat in his room thinking on what to do next. He knew he still had to train his army, but where would he be able to do that at Hogwarts? “Dobby,” he called, thinking of an idea.

“Master is calling Dobby?” the elf asked, popping into view.

“Please, don’t call me that,” Harry insisted, then shook his head, and continued. “You and Winky worked for Hogwarts, do you know of a room that I can use to train my doxies?” the teen asked, getting off the bed and squatting down to the elf’s level.

“There is being the Come and Go Room,” Dobby said, tapping his finger on his chin in thought. “That is being a very special room that the elves know about,” he added, bouncing on his toes.

“How will it help?” Harry asked, putting his hand on the elf’s shoulder to stop him from bouncing.

“It cans be anything you is wanting it to be,” the elf explained, this time using his hands expansively.

“Oh, that is useful,” Harry said, removing his hand and settling back on the bed.

Dobby popped up to the bed and settled in a cross-legged fashion. “Dobby is knowing how to use the room. I will bes happy to show the Great Harry Potter,” the elf volunteered, his fingers playing with his shirt.

“That will be great,” Harry said, reaching to grab the doxy bag, which was hooked over a bedpost. He opened it up and said, “Queenie.” He had no idea what else to call her. She didn’t seem to have a name, and she did respond to this.

The head doxy flew up and glared at him. “What?” she asked with impatience. It wasn’t like she wasn’t busy all the time. She had a swarm to take care of, babies to make and troops to organize.

“I have a room for us to use when we get to Hogwarts. According to my friend here, there is a room that could be anything we want,” he said, pointing to Dobby, who was staring, in awe at the smart doxy that could speak English.

He knew that Harry Potter had doxies, he had fought them, but never in all his life had he seen a talking doxy. It boggled his mind and he wondered if this would start a new species. He wasn’t sure if they could be considered pests if they could talk. ‘Dobby will have to ask master’ the elf thought.  He always knew that Harry Potter was an amazing wizard, but this was just…

“That will be fine,” she said, not sure why he called her now for something that was going to happen later.

“I wanted to get your input on what to call up,” Harry explained, shifting on the bed a bit. “You know, do you want an archery range? Or an obstacle course? Or fighting dummies? I need to know what you think your men can do,” he finished, looking at her with earnest, like he really wanted to know all that, which he did.

“All of the above,” the queen said, thinking it over for a moment. It wasn’t hard to conclude that they needed all the training they could get. While they had done well at the Ministry, that was luck. Many of her men had almost been stepped on, and they needed to learn to be faster on their feet. Since they were used to flying, that meant practice.

“Dobby, will the room do that?” Harry asked his friend, who was still trying to puzzle out the talking doxy.

“Yes, Harry Potter, sir. The room can bes anything you needs it to be,” Dobby said, finally giving up on the puzzle and focusing on his master.

“Great, you’ll show it to me when we get there?” Harry asked, nodding to the queen that they were done for now. He did know she was busy. If she was anything like the human queen, then she had a lot to do daily. Though, perhaps a bit more since the doxy queen didn’t have a government. Perhaps, he could suggest delegating. He wasn’t sure if that would work, especially if they were like bees. The queen was the head for a reason.

Then he remembered there were a few doxies that acted as generals when they were doing drills. So perhaps the queen was already delegating. That was a bit of a relief to the human teen. He hated to have to call the queen away every time. But she was the only one who could speak to him.

She flew back into the bag to give her men the update. They would need to start drills in the bag and use what they had to practice stealth. She knew, from what little the boy said, that stealth was going to be the most important thing.

“Yes, Harry Potter, sir, Dobby will be happy to,” the elf said, breaking Harry out of his thoughts, and bouncing in place. He was a very excitable elf, and now that he was Harry Potter’s elf, it was doubly so.

“Great,” the teen said, this time putting his hand on Dobby’s head to stop him from bouncing. “How goes the cleaning?” he asked, hoping it was a neutral enough topic as to not excite the little guy. Not that he didn’t like to see his friend happy, he just wished the elf wouldn’t be so jumpy.

“We is being almost done,” the elf said proudly. “That nasty Kreacher tries to stop us, but we tied him to his bed and now he is not giving us any trouble,” Dobby said, a smirk playing at his lips.

“That’s great,” Harry said, with a chuckle. “I’m proud of you and Winky,” he added, knowing all the times he wished someone had told him he had done a good job when he worked hard. More times than not, he was punished for not doing it fast enough, or some slight that was imagined just to get him in trouble. He really hated the Dursleys, and if he had any say in it, he was not going back.

Which might finally happen now that the head of the DMLE knew Sirius was innocent. He could live here with his godfather. It was something he wanted since his third year, and he was pissed that Dumbledore never got off his arse an helped the fugitive. He was the head of the Wizengamot after all.

Still there were many things he didn’t like about how the headmaster interfered with his life. It really wasn’t up to the man where Harry lived. He wasn’t his guardian, that was Sirius. And if Sirius said he could stay here, then he was staying. The old man could just bugger off.

“Dobby, why don’t you go back to what you were doing. I’m going to go to sleep now. It has been a long day,” Harry said, already in his night clothes, which was some boxers and one of Dudley’s shirts. They were great night shirts.

“Dobby will be going to bed too,” the little guy said, popping away, only to pop back a second later. “Dobby is hoping that Harry Potter is being having nice dreams,” he said, then popped away again.

“You too,” Harry said to the air.

Hphphp

The next morning Harry got an idea. It would help with training and finally let him know what the hell was going on in this house. He called the queen again.

“Good morning,” he said, when she flew out. “I have an idea,” he added at her grumpy look.

“What?” she questioned, her lower hands on her hips, while her upper arms were folded over her chest.

“Do you have any men that could spy? I need to know what the hell is going on with the Order of the Phoenix,” he said, looking at her face as she concentrated. “That is a group of people who seem to think they can tell me how to live. Yet, they are keeping secrets from me. Since these secrets are about me, I want to know what they are,” he explained at her confused look.

“They are secrets about you?” she asked for clarification.

“Yes,” he said with a sulk.

“I will help you then,” she said, relaxing her agitated stance in to a calmer one.

“Thanks,” Harry said, glad she was no longer upset with him calling her again. “So, do you have any spies?”

“I have a few, and a few more that could use the practice,” she said as she flew back to the bag. She disappeared for a few minutes and reappeared with twenty men. “These men are good at hiding.”

The doxies were all armed with daggers and bows. The quivers that hung off their backs, were chock full of arrows. They had a loincloth for clothes, and Harry made a mental note to talk about the benefits of armor. They did look like a tribal group ready for hunting. It was a good look for them.  

“Great,” Harry said, settling down on the bed better. “Here’s what I want you to do. Go around the house and listen to what people are saying. Stay to the ceiling. Not many people look up,” he suggested, then pointed to their bows. “If those are prank arrows, which I hope they are, then use them to get away.”

“That is a good idea,” the queen said, mostly so her men knew she approved.

“When they have a gathering of more than five, three of you spy on them,” Harry said, thinking on how to easily explain the Order. “They usually meet in the kitchen, so maybe post a guard or three there,” was another suggestion. He really didn’t want to order them. They had a queen for that.

“How will you get your reports?” the queen asked, inspecting the arrows to make sure they were prank arrows.

“In the evening, if you aren’t caught, come and tell the queen. She’ll tell me,” Harry explained, moving his hand to make a point of staying hidden.

They nodded and flew off. Harry saw them split off right outside the door. He wondered, yet again, if they had a mental connection. They didn’t seem to talk amongst themselves, unless it was doing drills. He remembered, quite clearly, the generals giving orders. It was something he’d have to ask the queen. When she wasn’t busy.

“Is there anything else?” the queen asked, hating to be away from her bedpost.

“No, but thanks for hearing me out,” Harry said, getting off the bed and getting ready for the day. He got dressed and went downstairs. On the way down he spotted a few of the doxies, and he made hand signs that he could see them, and that they should hide better. Each time he did, they would nod and scuttle back behind something.

Oh well, they were still in training after all. He did wonder how many people would be pranked before the end of the day. That would be funny, if only because the twins would make sure to tell everyone it wasn’t them.

In the kitchen, everyone was there. Well, those that were staying in the house, and Tonks, who he was introduced to last night. He didn’t care where the rest of the Order was. They wouldn’t tell him anything anyway.

“So, Harry, we didn’t get to talk about your trial yesterday,” Sirius said, putting some scrambled eggs with cheese on his plate. “How did you get off?” He took a bite and waited for an answer.

“I just showed them a few memories,” was the casual answer. He was still racking his brain to come up with a reason not to get into an in-depth discussion about it. He didn’t want to share the spell he used, because he wasn’t supposed to be in that part of the library anyway. Sirius knew, but the rest did not.

“How?” Hermione asked, putting her fork down and staring at Harry. “I wouldn’t think they would let you,” she added at the confused expressions. “I read all about it,” she said, not really needing to. They all knew she had.

“I didn’t give them a choice,” Harry said, shoving a sausage link in his mouth. He was hoping she would drop it, but no such luck.

“That doesn’t explain anything,” his bushy-haired friend said with a harrumph.

“That’s all I am going to say,” the teen said, finishing his sausage. “What happened in the courtroom opened many unsolved cases,” he said with a significant look at Sirius, who perked up and grinned. “They are now being investigated, and Bones asked me not to talk about it,” he said, lying through his teeth.

“You mean it, pup?” Sirius asked, hope blooming in his eyes.

“Yeah,” Harry said, giving him a look that said, ‘later’.

“Oh,” Hermione said, “That makes sense, I guess.” She was one to listen to authority, and Madam Bones was the head of the DMLE. She was high up there.

“Can you tell us which cases were opened?” Mr. Weasley wanted to know.

“Well, I can tell you Sirius’s was, but the rest are not to be talked about,” Harry said, knowing Arthur would hear about it before everyone else. Well, maybe not Tonks and Kingsley, who he had also met last night. They were Aurors, so they might know by the end of the day. He did wonder what Dumbledore would tell them.  

Speak of the devil and he will appear.

“Hello, Headmaster/Albus,” was the greeting from many.

“Good morning, all,” was his response as he sat at the foot of the table, the head being occupied by Sirius. “How is everyone this wonderful morning?” he asked, serving himself some tea, and taking a pastry.

“We’re a bit knackered, I’d wager,” Harry said, putting his fork on his empty plate, which disappeared when he removed his hand. “Thanks, Dobby,” he said to the air.

“Harry, did you bring your house elf here?” Dumbledore asked, not sure how he felt about that.

“Yes, Dobby and Winky are both here,” Harry admitted, not the least bit ashamed. He knew the two of them were happier than they had been free.

“Harry James Potter,” Hermione yelled, only to stop when the headmaster held up his hand.

“You are misinformed about house elves,” he told her in a gentle tone. “I will be happy to discuss this with you, as I have many before.”

Hermione was in a quandary now. She hated to be told she was wrong, but this was the headmaster. “Of course, Headmaster,” she finally settled on.

“When did you bond with Dobby?” Albus asked the teen, a bit miffed that he could no longer use Dobby as an unwilling spy. Not that he had had a chance too, but that avenue was closed now.

“A few days ago,” Harry said, still not the least bit embarrassed or upset. “The house looks great now that they are here. Poor Kreacher is now bedridden,” he added with a snicker, that was accompanied with Sirius’s and the twins’ chuckles.

“I, for one, am glad they are here,” Sirius said, looking around the room, which was cleaner than it had been in years. Not even Molly could get it this clean.

“I don’t like it,” Molly said, put out that most of her work was now being done by house elves.

“Whyever not?” Albus asked, not sure what the woman’s problem was.

“I have nothing to keep the children busy with,” she fussed, her hands moving in agitation. “They have all the time in the world to get into mischief,” she added, glaring at the twins.

“Need we remind you, woman,” Fred started, folding his arms over his chest,

“we’re adults,” George finished, he too folding his arms defiantly.

“As long as you live under my roof,” Molly started, only to be stopped by Sirius.

“My roof,” the dogman said, giving her a hairy eyeball. “I continuously remind you that this is my house.” he too folded his arms, but in anger not defiance.

“No fighting at the table,” Harry reminded them. “After breakfast, have at it, but you’re putting me off my feed,” he said, putting a hand on his godfather’s arm.

“Fine, but we will be having this out,” Sirius said, going back to his meal.

“Now, Sirius,” Albus said, only to be glared at by Sirius and Harry.

“Not, at, the, table,” Harry said, enunciating each word. He smiled when everyone stopped and went back to eating. He did really hate arguments in general, but mostly during meals.