Order Only: Last Night

[alt_poppy]

As Paracelsus is my witness, yesterday was an awful day.

First there was that dreadful business with young Marvolo's broken arm. He had suffered a great deal of very nasty bruising, but I can tell you no more of the Bludger's effect because that imbecile Lockhart vanished every bone in the boy's arm. Vanished them! I hope never again to have to dose a child with Skele-Gro: it is an utterly brutal thing to regrow bone within living tissue. He was very, very brave, and under exceedingly difficult circumstances. As you know there were crowds of well-wishers, and even when I succeeded in evicting all of the young folk, the Malfoys insisted on staying close by, which meant the poor boy was forced to keep up a steely exterior all afternoon and evening.

When his visitors finally took their leave, my patient collapsed into a deep, much-needed sleep, and I thought to hear no more from him until morning. Alas, he was granted no such reprieve. Just as I began my two o'clock rounds, I heard the boy call out, so I cast a silencing spell to keep the rest of the ward from being troubled. But it was not, as I first believed, that he had been woken by excruciating pain in his arm; as I approached, I realised he was not alone! I was appalled to think that someone should have crept past me to trouble him in the night, but I was completely unprepared for what I saw and heard next.

Just as I put my hand out to pull aside the curtain, Marvolo said, 'It was you! You made that Bludger try and kill me?!'

I put my eye to the gap in the curtain and received quite a shock. Sitting atop Mr Marvolo on his bed was an elf, the most hideously misshapen elf I've ever seen.

'Indeed yes, sir,' said the elf, his great ears flapping madly.

'You'd better get lost before my bones come back, Dobby, or I might strangle you.' I believe the boy was trying his best to sound fierce, but the elf was unmoved.

'Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at Buckingham. You know that's true, sir. And Dobby isn't the only one He tortures, no. And you know that, too.'

I pulled the curtain ever so quietly aside until I knew that my young patient could see me, but he gave me a look that said I should wait, and so we allowed the elf to go on.

'Calls himself Protector, but does He protect? No! Say it, sir!! You must say it!!!'

'What?'

'Harry Potter must say he knows that He Who Must Not Be Named is not his father,' said the elf. 'Not his father! Oh, Harry Potter knows it, I can see it!! He knows!'

It went on like this for some time, all of it quite mad, but very true. And I believe the elf was right: the boy accepts that Voldemort is not his father, truly. He didn't deny knowing his birth name, either. But he was shaken when the elf's ravings became a litany of the horrors Voldemort has committed--Voldemort and Amycus Carrow. The elf seemed well aware that the boy condemns Carrow for his violence. It was very clever and equally cruel, what the elf had to say. Perhaps I should have cut it short, but it seemed to me that these are truths the boy does need to hear.

He himself brought it to an end when he had heard all he could stomach.

'What do you want from me?' he demanded.

'Harry Potter is the One, the Chosen. He Who Must Not Be Named knows this. That is why he stole Harry Potter and murdered his parents. And Harry Potter must not join Him. No! He must fight. Fight for us, the lowly, the enslaved, we dregs of the magical world! We who are treated like vermin! And Harry Potter knows, knows it is evil to treat creatures like vermin and people like animals. That is what Carrow does. And He Who Must Not Be Named! Harry Potter knows! And he must choose! He must say it!!! And if he will not--'

The boy seized the elf's arm with his one good hand.

'What! What will you do if I don't say-- what? What do you want me to say?'

'If you will not fight Him, you must die!! Fight or die!!!'

I moved as the elf shrieked these words, as quickly and quietly as I could, and caught hold of him. Only then did I see the long, vicious blade he held at the boy's throat, but the knife clattered to the floor as I dragged the elf backwards off the bed.

'Say it!!!' he screamed. 'Say it or die!!!'

I tried questioning him, but he was far beyond reason. When I asked how he could have come here if he served at Buckingham, I got only elf gibberish about being unable to answer things his master forbids and frantic efforts to punish himself, though it was a sign of his madness that he did not punish himself at any point in his conversation with the boy. However he has rationalised it, the elf has convinced himself that his mission to Harry Potter is beyond his master's will. I've never seen anything like it. I did try to persuade him that I agreed that Harry Potter is important to us all, and I suggested that the boy must be allowed to grow wise and strong, but it did no good. The elf lapsed back into his raving that the boy must choose now to fight or he must die. He grew frenzied and suddenly broke my grasp, disapparating from the room the moment he squirmed free.

In the silence after his departure, the boy looked at me wide-eyed, but even as I asked if he were all right, the alarm sounded on my fire. He nodded, said he was fine, and turned his head away.


He was asleep when I returned from seeing to Mr Boot. And this morning when I asked after him, he seemed disinclined to discuss what happened in the night.

Comments

[alt_alice]

How bizarre. And frightening.

I've never heard of a House-elf going rogue like that. Do you really think he's working on his own? That could explain the enchantment on the bludger, but for Merlin's sake, it's difficult to sort out if the elf wants to kill him or save him!

I'm not sure how we'd go about protecting him from something like that. Perhaps the other house-elves would have some insight?

And how terrible about Terry Boot. What's causing it? Any idea?

[alt_sirius]

But he said he served at Buckingham. It's impossible for him to attack or harm Voldemort directly, but I can understand how an elf could twist logic to the point where he could attack Harry, believing that Harry is not really related to his master.

Yeah, they can be as tricky as goblins.

Still. That's disturbing, to say the least. We know who's after Harry, now, but what good does it do us? Have to think on that. I'm not sure it's a good idea to enlist one elf against another, either, Allie. Or how to protect Harry against a foe who can come and go as he pleases.

Meanwhile, about the Chamber - well, I thought I knew every nook and cranny of that castle, but I've never heard of the chamber, except as a bedtime tale my parents used to use to scare us. James, Peter, Moony and I certainly never found anything like an entrance to the lair of a giant beast bent on destruction. It's got to be someone using the legend to his own ends. Who has a vested interest in seeing Hogwarts becomes pureblood only?

[alt_alice]

Well, we both know the most likely answer to that. Perhaps our very High and Mighty is using an old ghost story as a cover so he wouldn't be directly implicated? He could be trying to drive all the halfblooded students out to make it harder for them to get educated and get jobs, while at the same time, undermining Minerva's authority over the school.

We all know he's using Regulus to do some underhanded things. Perhaps this is something similar.

But... that doesn't make much sense either, because the school enrollment would be so very small if only the pureblooded students were let in.

Which is all to say that I have no idea, Sirius. None at all.

[alt_sirius]

I can't work out why he'd do that, though - why now, when it seems things are already fairly stable as far as the balance of power goes, and why he'd do it this way instead of simply 'phasing out' the halfbloods. I mean, isn't that the whole point of the laws against Muggleborns, to gradually breed pure lines again? Obviously it's bollocks, as there have always been Muggleborns and Squibs, and always will be, but ... I dunno. It seems short-sighted even for Voldemort.

And Regulus ... Merlin, I dunno what his love notes to Voldemort are about half the time, but you're right, Allie. It's nothing good. Making him Apparate all over on Friday? I know what that does to me, and he's the same when it comes to rapid jumps. It's vicious, that's what. I wish .... Well, it doesn't matter much what I wish.

But Carrow ... it's possible. Perhaps he petrified Terry out of pique, or in utter madness, or in a shrewd attempt to deflect suspicion. We're all supposed to think that he wouldn't harm his own servant, right? But of course, he does, on a regular basis. And as Poppy has pointed out, while the poor lad will be like that for some time, it's not a permanent condition, so it's not as if Carrow has deprived himself of his servant forever.

Nick's case is puzzling, though. Poppy, did you say they were found together? Obviously, Nick must have happened upon the scene at just the right moment and had to be silenced. What sort of spell would freeze a ghost, though?

And what about this Brutka chap? He impressed Lucius Malfoy; that must mean he has a pureblood agenda of his own. He seems clever enough to be able to cast suspicion on someone like Carrow, who's such an obvious candidate for murder and mayhem. What do we know about the man? The chamber's supposed to house a creature - and he is the Magical Creatures teacher, isn't he?

[alt_poppy]

Do you know, I've been thinking about this all morning: could Voldemort's hand be in the opening of the Chamber? What would he gain from that? And at first I saw it just as you do, Sirius. He's firmly in control of the country as Lord Protector, seems to have absolute sway not only within the Ministry but with the Wizengamot, and people seem placidly content to swallow his ideas and teach them to their young. Why stir the pot?

Except that's what he does, isn't it? Perhaps an occasional dose of horror really does serve his purposes. Especially if he can engineer the event to showcase his power. Suppose there are more attacks and more petrifications of students or staff? And then the Protector solves the mystery and saves us all... just the sort of theatrics he enjoys, I'd say.

Or here's another thought: what if it's a diversion? What if things are not quite as stable in this country as we think? What if he needs to stage a crafted and controlled drama here at the school to draw attention away from things happening elsewhere? Could it be that there is something more to fear from the sickness in the camps than we've yet understood?

[alt_sirius]

Well, I suppose anything's possible. It could be that he wants to further things along faster than he thinks can be achieved through so-called 'legitimate' legislation. For example, if he created this crisis, it might convince people to ostracise halfbloods much more readily than they already do, or even force them to adopt some new restrictions. I wonder if there are any matters of law before the Wizengamot that might tip in the Death Eaters' favour if panic about the Chamber were to spread?

Or this could well be a distraction from what's going on in the camps, I suppose, as you say. A ghastly one, I'll grant you, but if everyone's fixed on what's happening at Hogwarts, then no one's paying much attention to all the prisoners ailing and dying, are they?

But then ... how is he causing it? Even Voldemort can't penetrate Hogwarts without Minerva knowing he's there.

Can he?

[alt_poppy]

Goodness, I hope it's not that he's decided the halfbloods must be purged. I've always thought, as you said earlier, that the notion was to reincorporate the halfblood lines--gradually and in a way that keeps those lines firmly at the bottom of his new, pure society (because there must be a bottom in order for there to be an enviable top).

But I'd be completely unsurprised to see him stirring up further hatred against Muggles and possibly against Muggleborns, too. I'm not sure that they've had much success convincing people to employ them as domestics, so perhaps Voldemort has decided that it's time to kill them en masse. He would definitely need to ready the public for such an extreme programme, and I suppose that the sort of thing we are seeing in our corridors at Hogwarts might be just the sort of first step he would imagine.

[alt_mcgonagall]

I highly doubt that Professor Brutka is involved. Certainly he must have an agenda; but if I recall - well, in any case, such things have happened before, and Professor Brutka was hardly present.

[alt_molly]

It is greatly disturbing. How fortunate you were there, Poppy, to keep him from harming the boy! Sirius is right about one thing: elf magic gives them the power to go wherever they like. Can Minerva set up some kind of protective ward around the boy's room in the Slytherin quarters?

What struck me is that it seems that Harry's encountered the creature before? Perhaps he knows it from seeing it at Buckingham palace. Did you hear him call the elf by its name before the elf named itself?

That whole business about the Chosen One--well, obviously the thing was raving, but still, I've always wondered: why did the Lord Protector adopt the boy, after killing his parents? It seems like such a strangely uncharacteristic thing for the monster to do. I can't shake the feeling that there is something special about the boy. And does the elf know what it is, beneath all that madness?

I've never heard of any Chamber of Secrets, either. Arthur's asking Bill to check with his analysts to see if any of them can uncover any helpful information.

(The twins sent me an owl this morning about Terry Boot. They're quite indignant over the whole thing, and inclined to suspect that somehow Carrow's behind it all. Is that what you and Minerva think, too? They did say that you thought that there was a potion that would restore him--as well as Hermione's cat. I certainly do hope that is the case.)

[alt_poppy]

I did have the distinct impression that the boy knew the elf already--and I feel quite certain that I missed the beginning of their conversation. I had the impression that there may have been other attempts the elf has made, that it is not just the Bludger he's used to threaten the boy. Something about the way the boy seemed to be piecing things together suggested this to me.

So much of what the elf said was well informed that I had difficulty discerning whether the elements with which I was unfamiliar were things he'd made up or things he knew that I did not. Merlin knows, there must be many things I don't know about the boy's history. It's undoubtedly true that elves are uniquely positioned to know their masters's secrets. It's possible that he knows something significant about the Protector's motives and plans for the boy. (And that makes me wish he'd said a good deal more!)

As for Mr Boot, I do, at least, know a Potion we can try. Horace, Pomona and I have put our heads together and have decided that we must rest our hopes on a Mandrake restorative. But I'm afraid it will be spring before it can be made. That is a very long time to keep Mr Boot in a hospital bed. On the other hand, he is safe here from anything worse Carrow might think to do.

I don't know what to think about the culprit. I know he is capable of harming the boy, and I suspect he would not hesitate to harm other creatures or even students. Mercy sake, he used Crucio on a student last year! What gives me pause is the ghost. I can easily imagine that Carrow knows spells Dark enough to cause this sort of petrification or transformation of living creatures, but a ghost? Perhaps I'm merely ignorant of the real substance of which ghosts are composed, but I know of no wizard's magic that could have such an effect.

Minerva and I haven't had a chance to discuss it. We've both had our plates rather full today.

[alt_sirius]

My parents used to tell us about the Chamber - the sort of thing Lily would've called a 'ghost story', despite the fact that there are no ghosts in it at all. You know the sort I mean - 'One day Slytherin's heir shall discover the Chamber, and drive all but the purest out of Hogwarts forever! So be good or Slytherin's Heir will come for you!!' Booga, booga, and all that rot. After we had one too many nightmares, Mother figured the tale had done its trick and stopped using it to ransom good behaviour, but doubtless it's the same sort of thing parents used to tell their children about Death Eaters, Grindelwald, lethifolds and Dementors - really any sort of bogeyman. It's rubbish.

But it's interesting that someone - Carrow, I suppose, as he's our best option at the moment - is using the legend to promote these attacks. Raise the fear level.

If it weren't an obviously pureblood agenda, one would think they'd find a way to blame me - but obviously, this is one set of incidents they can't explain away as blood-treason.

As for Harry, there was something Dumbledore tried to tell me, that day at the Ministry. It had to do with Voldemort's interest in Harry in the first place, why he went after James and Lily but kept Harry alive. But before he could spit it out we were under attack and I never had the chance to ask. Albus, if you're reading, this would be a good time for some revelation!

[alt_poppy]

It was lethifolds in my family.

What a perfectly wretched method for controlling children.

[alt_hermione]

Harry couldn't be, could he? I mean - the stories and all, about the Chamber. And being special and all -

[alt_poppy]

Have you exchanged letters with the boy recently, Sirius? I assumed that it was from you he'd learned about his parents. I did wonder how much he knew of the story of his abduction. He heard quite a blunt version of it from the elf last night. And before you ask, I have no idea whether the boy believed all he heard--if any of it was truly new to him.

I agree with you both that an elf is a formidable enemy to ward against: their magic is so often beyond us, in those things it does. I've often wondered how it is that elves ended up in service to wizards and not, well--.

[alt_sirius]

I haven't got anything from him too recently. Not in about a month. But to answer your question, yes, I've answered his questions when he's asked them. I don't believe I've force-fed him anything, though - not since my first forays. And what I have told him has been honest but restrained.

[alt_poppy]

I have no idea whether the elf is working alone. I hadn't really thought to wonder. I've never heard of an elf rebelling from his master, to be honest. I suppose it may have happened, but most of them seem so entirely self-enslaving that it's difficult to imagine one even conceiving the idea. Doubly so to imagine more than one elf in confederacy. Or that an elf would rebel against his master in order to follow another master's orders? I suppose stranger things happen in this world all the time.

I do find it unlikely that this elf's master is responsible for an attempt on Harry Marvolo's life, as his master would seem to be the Lord Protector himself.

Or. If that were true, it would certainly be a serious turn of events!

I don't know whether you meant to suggest any of those things, Alice. I may just be a bit punchy after this extra long day!

[alt_sirius]

Listen, you'd be surprised what an elf can consider to be 'serving his master's interest' - our elf at home used to take it into his head to toss our rooms for 'contraband' periodically, to curry favour with our mother. And if he found anything in Reg's room, you can bet he'd plant it in mine, because he decided it'd 'break Mistress' heart' to learn Reg had any secrets.

It's possible that, knowing Harry is not Voldemort's real son, this elf has decided that Harry is in no way its own master, and therefore it is not bound by the laws of its enslavement.

Another question is why now? What's set this elf off this year, when it had access to Harry all his life? I wonder if Harry left something where the elf saw it, to suggest that he's not entirely loyal to Voldemort? That might have convinced the creature to go after Harry.

[alt_poppy]

Now I've had a good sleep and a chance to run back over it all, I must say that I think this is the least likely scenario. It doesn't square with what I saw and heard. (Not that an elf can't take it in his head to do the wildest things in the name of serving his master--or mistress. I do not doubt your experience at all.)

However, this elf was in clear rebellion against Voldemort. What he demanded was that the boy should fight the Protector to save the lowly, meagre vermin slaves of the realm (there was a lot of language like that). If Voldemort is the elf's master, then, as you said last night, even if he has conceived the idea of rebelling, he cannot attack his master directly. It would appear that he's latched onto the boy as a champion, as the one with access and opportunity to strike a killing blow inside Buckingham.

Frankly, he appeared to have a rather more mystical notion about the boy's qualifications than that: there was quite a lot of raving about the boy's having been Chosen as The One (trust me the capitalisation was there in his voice).

On the other hand, I am not merely reaching for rhetorical effect when I tell you the elf was mad. I would guess that he has had every bone of his body broken many times in his life; his form is bent into the most grotesque posture; and his character is equally misshapen. By turns, he slavered over the boy, in anticipation of what he could achieve, and then threatened him with the most outlandish gestures I've ever seen any creature offer. He has been broken by his treatment, darkened and twisted into something unrecognisable. He does not behave as elves do, which means we cannot count on what we know of elves to help us understand this one's scheme.

[alt_sirius]

Well, if that's the case, then it sounds more like some sort of ... psychedelic break. It's been abused to the point of delusion, and you're right, there's no judging it by even the maddest elf I've known.

I dunno whether it's better or worse, though, that it sees Harry as a force for good. On the one hand it means it'd prefer for Harry to participate in whatever deranged vision it has of defeating Voldemort; on the other, I don't think much of anyone who threatens Harry, no matter what the perceived provocation! And if Harry doesn't acquiesce to the creature's wishes, if indeed we could even interpret how he is supposed to perform to expectations, well, the elf may come completely unhinged. How do we stop that kind of force?

[alt_poppy]

A psychotic break, you mean to say? Or, oh. Sirius Black! (Were there many elves in that 'scene', then? I'm sure I wouldn't know.)

Perhaps it's as simple as telling the Protector his creature came here to murder the boy.

Honestly! I can't believe I'm even considering such a thing, but the safest course would surely be to see the elf put down. And yet, I really couldn't live with my conscience if we simply become agents of Voldemort's violence.

Perhaps we should be thinking what more the elf might tell us if we were able to capture it.

[alt_sirius]

Er ... psychotic, then. Sorry. Psychedelic is the other kind, isn't it? Hah! (And don't worry, I've never gone in much for the more ... hallucinogenic substances. They'll kill you, that stuff will.)

As would telling Voldemort about this creature. I don't think there's much danger in not telling him - I mean to say, I don't get the feeling Harry tells him more than he has to do, about how things are for him. Hermione might have better information on how often they correspond.

I can't help thinking that if this elf does know something about why Harry's so important to Voldemort, we've got to work out some way to try to get it to tell us. That might be expressly against its binding, but who knows? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

But we surely won't get a chance if we hand the creature over to Voldemort without even an attempt to set it straight.

[alt_poppy]

Oh, I hadn't even thought... what if the boy tells his 'father' about the elf? Then we'd really be in a pickle if we hadn't reported what I witnessed.

Minerva?

Hermione? Do you know whether the boy has talked or written to the Protector since he left my charge? Has he told anyone else about what happened with the elf?

[alt_hermione]

Well he certainly won't tell his Father, Madam Pomfrey, he hardly talks to him any more. Except to complain about things, only I don't think he would about the elf, because he wants to sort things out for himself, it sounds like, and anyway he doesn't really think his Father does much. For him, I mean, not in general. He doesn't think that the Dark Lord takes him seriously. Which is reasonable I suppose. I mean, I don't think I would take him seriously if he told me about a deranged house-elf and I didn't already know, would you??

[alt_poppy]

That's reassuring, I suppose. I do feel for the boy; he has not had a happy upbringing.

Well then, Sirius, as long as Minerva agrees, I think you may be right that our better hope is to keep the elf's secret and to hope that he does not make another murderous attack on the boy. I wonder if there is any way to lure the elf into a trap so he could be questioned.

Or. Hermione, I should have asked before: were you aware of this elf while you were at Buckingham? Have you spoken with it before? I wonder if we could think of a safe way for you to question it whilst you are in the Palace over the holidays.

At the very least, we need to consider whether you and Mr Marvolo will be safe there during Christmas if that elf is on the loose.

[alt_hermione]

I haven't spoken to him. Outside of Hogwarts house-elves don't talk nearly so much, and when they do it's not always very nice, or very helpful. But I suppose I could have and not known it. I'm not very good at telling house-elves apart, unless they wear different things, and all the elves at the great houses wear uniforms, and of course they do at Hogwarts too, only at Hogwarts they get to customise them some.

[alt_mcgonagall]

I concur, Poppy. Simply put, I trust that Miss Granger can predict Mr Potter better than any of us might do; and I do not believe that it would suit any of our plans if the Lord Protector decided to come to Hogwarts and investigate my mind. I am always uneasy when I am put in such a position, and I believe the chance of the Lord Protector discovering the incident is slim.