"Harry, you're coming with me." Hermione shouted excitedly and he smiled before giving her a hug.
"Yes Hermione. I'll be coming with you to the station." He said with a sigh before turning to Dan and Emma "If you two don't a problem with it."
Dan looked like he was about to say something but Emma cut off her husband before pulling him into a gentle hug as well "Of course not. You're always welcome in our home Harry."
"But Harry. What about your company?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Steve told me that he has everything in hand and he told me not to worry about the company. Plus, I'm the face of the company now so I need to show my face to the public a few times every week." He said with a grimace and Hermione's eyes widened.
"Is that why you're coming with us Harry?"
"Yup." He gave her a tired smile "There are probably a few reporters already waiting for me in the train station. If I don't get there in time then it might paint a bad image of me. And a bad image of me means a bad image for the company. So yeah. From now on, I need to take care of my public image and not punch Malfoy in the face when he tries something funny."
"Harry." Hermione chastised him for that and Dan looked like he was holding in his words while Emma simply smirked at the two of them.
"What? Don't tell me you've never wanted to punch him." He said and Hermione blushed.
"It's… it's not the same thing."
"To me it…"
POP!!!
The sound of apparition alerted him of the intruder and he turned around to see a house elf whom he knew well enough from the movie standing in front of him.
"Master Harry Potter must not…" that was as far as he went before the wards around the house forcibly ejected the house elf out of the house.
The house elf was thrown out of the wards and went tumbling down a few feet before it came to a stop.
Ahh… he had almost forgotten about Dobby and how he tried to stop the original Harry Potter from attending the school in the movie.
"Harry, who was that?" Hermione asked while pointing a finger at the house elf who seemed to rather disoriented from being forcibly ejected by the wards.
"Just the friend of my house elf Hermione" he lied because he could see that the sudden emergence of the house elf had disturbed the girl. "There's nothing to worry about. You know how those house elves are. Gentle creatures who won't hurt a fly." He said with a smile while giving a gentle squeeze to her palm and she calmed down a little as a result.
"But what did he want?" she asked and he gave a shrug.
"I'll go and ask him." He said and turned to Dan "If I'm late then you can leave for the station and I'll catch up with you there."
Before Dan could reply he turned and walked toward the house elf who was now rubbing a cut on his forehead.
That is why you don't try to forcibly enter a place that is warded against apparition.
"You're Dobby. Lucius Malfoy's house elf. Correct?" he asked as he kneeled in front of the house elf.
He remembered how the house elf died while trying to help the original Harry Potter in the movies and had a good impression of him.
And because of that, he would find some way to free Dobby from his master this time as well.
House elves were loyal beings and he wanted as many loyal people around him as possible.
"Great Master Harry Potter knows Dobby's name." The house elf said as tears started forming in his eyes "Dobby is not worthy of such honor." That was as far as he went before he openly started to cry before wiping his nose from his own cloth.
Harry grimaced. Only now did he remember that despite his loyalty, this particular house elf was rather eccentric.
Not that the other house elves were much different as they too were prone to crying if you treated them with respect.
He wondered if it would really be worth it to keep the house elf around him once he frees him from Lucius Malfoy.
Oh well, he'll cross the bridge at some later date.
After he consoled the house elf, Dobby started telling him exactly what he had told the original Harry Potter in the movie.
How the school would be dangerous for him and how he should not go to school this year.
Harry tried to tell the house elf that he would be safe but Dobby didn't listen to his words and left after realizing that the conversation was not going anywhere.
Harry sighed as the house elf left and turned to find that Dan, Emma and Hermione were still waiting for him in their car.
"Thanks for waiting for me." He said as he entered the car and sat with Hermione on the back seat.
Dan adjusted center mirror so that he could keep an eye on both him and Hermione and gave a nod. No doubt keeping an eye on him so that he doesn't try anything funny with his daughter.
Harry found the situation rather hilarious because he and Hermione were still only 12 years old but didn't comment about it.
No need to antagonize his future father in law needlessly.
Dan gave him one last look before starting the engine and they started their journey to the train station.
Author's Note:- It feels a bit weird to me when I see house elves being treated like dirt by the Purebloods in the movie considering how they are the most loyal beings on the planet and would do anything for their masters.
In my opinion, house elves are deserving of respect and proper treatment more than any other magical species. Even unicorns.
But that's just my two cents.
Hope you like the chapter.
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Have a nice day :)