The Apprentice Piece
by Jardyn39
Part One of "The Apprentice Piece"
Chapter 5: Lunch with Dobby
"Professor? Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it."
In response Professor McGonagall just smiled at Harry as they stood in the lobby waiting for the lifts.
"Do you know how Hermione did?"
"You have to ask? Actually, Agnes thinks it may be a record. They are still checking so don't say anything yet. I'm not supposed to know anyone's grades yet."
"Okay, sorry."
"You are to floo directly to Hogwarts and stay there for the remainder of your holidays. Hagrid and Dumbledore are there but most of the other staff are away at the moment. Ask them to take you on one of their hunting expeditions. They barely need half an excuse anyway."
"They hunt?"
"Well no, not really. They usually spend half the time tracking some beast until it gets their scent and they spend the rest of the time running away. Stupid really, but they seem to enjoy it."
Harry wondered for a moment what kind of creature would both Hagrid and Dumbledore running away. Two chimes rang out announcing the arrival of the lifts.
As the gates slid open Professor McGonagall said quickly, "Well, I'll see you in a few weeks. I'm going up for another meeting. Is that box for me to take?"
Harry quickly handed her the box with the apprentice piece and then hurried to enter the lift opposite. He pressed the button for the atrium and gave McGonagall a short wave as her lift went up.
After a moment's hesitation, the lift gates slid shut and the lift car descended. Harry watched as the floors passed. As the atrium level approached, Harry readied himself to leave, but to his consternation the lift continued down. He tried pressing the atrium button again.
The lift continued down. Harry was becoming concerned. He didn't remember the lifts even going down this far before.
The lift stopped and the gates opened. As they did so, lanterns lit themselves outside revealing a stone walled lobby. Harry drew out his wand and listened intently. He heard faint shuffling ahead and a shadow emanating from a doorway reached across the floor and up a wall to the side.
"Mr Potter! Welcome to the Department of Mysteries."
Harry stared at the smiling wizard that had appeared at the doorway and walked over towards him.
"My name is Fides, I'm an Unspeakable," he said extending out his hand. "It's alright, the lift won't move again until you're ready to leave."
Harry was a little taken aback that the wizard had known exactly what he was thinking. He stepped forward and shook the man's hand.
"I didn't think the lift went down this far."
"It doesn't," said Fides un-helpfully, "It's a mystery," he added with a smile.
"I'm sorry to have brought you here like this. Unfortunately I missed you earlier so I asked the lifts to bring you down when you were free. I know I should have waited for you but I'm not keen on crowds."
"So, er, what did you want to see me about?" asked Harry with some trepidation.
"Well, I'd offer you a tour around the department, except I'm sure you aren't too enamoured with this place at the moment."
Harry just nodded.
"I just wanted to let you know that you are welcome to return at any time, when you feel ready. Just enter a lift and think of this lobby and the lift will bring you. Please just remember that we don't allow just anyone down here so make sure you are alone in the lift."
"Thanks," said Harry, "but what makes you sure I'd ever want to come back?"
"The Department of Mysteries is a rather misleading name. It implies that we are just an obscure part of the Ministry. The Unspeakables are actually custodians of a knowledge much older than the bureaucracy above us."
"And is that knowledge why you don't let anyone down here?"
"That and the fact that it annoys Fudge," Fides said with a smirk. Harry snorted.
"One day you will have need of the knowledge we guard here, down in the lower levels. It is protected because usually something that is a powerful good is usually capable of being powerfully evil. Any wizard wanting to use our knowledge would have to prove themselves worthy. It has been fatal to those found lacking or who have selfish motives. Can I offer you a cup of tea, Mr Potter?"
Harry stayed for some tea. Fides told him a little of the wonders they kept down there. Harry was sure that Fides was keeping something from him, something specific to Harry.
Harry listened intently to Fides as he chatted until eventually it was time for him to leave.
As Harry re-entered the lift, a question occurred to him.
"Has Professor Dumbledore ever been invited down here?" he asked.
Fides smiled and said, "Yes, indeed. He's practically an honorary unspeakable, although that's really only because we have never been able to put up wards strong enough to keep him out."
*
Harry arrived in the Gryffindor common room. He picked himself off the floor and dusted himself down before heading out of the portrait hole. He asked the Fat Lady what the password was but she said there was none during the summer holidays.
He decided to head down to the kitchens for something to eat.
As Harry walked past the Great Hall he heard wild high pitched chattering coming from inside. It sounded like a party.
Curious, he went over and pushed open the heavy doors into the hall and entered.
Seated at the four house tables were hundreds of house elves. They were chatting happily and loudly to each other. Harry was quite taken aback by the shear number of them.
Quite suddenly, the chattering stopped and all of the elves looked over to him.
"Harry Potter, Sir! Dobby has missed you and hopes you are well!" shouted a familiar high pitched voice.
Harry looked down and smiled at Dobby who had just dashed over from one of the tables.
"It's great to see you too, Dobby." Seeing that everyone was still staring at him, he continued "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I was on my way to the kitchens. Please carry on eating."
"Is Harry Potter hungry, Sir?"
"It's okay thanks, Dobby. Please finish enjoying your meals. I'll grab something from the kitchen," and he made to leave.
"Would Harry Potter like to join us?" Dobby asked with some trepidation.
"Well, I'd be honoured. Thanks, Dobby. Er, that is, if nobody minds."
Dobby grabbed his hand and pulled him over to a table. Harry sat and Dobby immediately stood on the next chair and whispered into his ear, "House elves is not supposed to sit at house tables if people waiting to be served so Harry Potter must please not ask house elves to serve or they will have to go."
"Thanks, Dobby. I understand," Harry whispered back.
Harry looked down the table to see all the house elves still staring at him. He reached out and took a roll from the centre of the table. He sensed them relax a little and gradually they continued eating and chatting quietly.
"I had no idea Hogwarts had so many house elves. Do you all work here?"
"No Sir!" screeched a house elf sitting opposite. "Our families are joining us during the holidays."
Harry noticed there were some very young house elves sat amongst them as well.
"Well I hope you get some time to enjoy yourselves while us students are away. May I pour anyone some juice?"
A tiny hand grasped a small cup and held it out. There was a collective gasp as the other elves realised what the child had done. Harry smiled and took the cup from the young elf. He filled it and placed it in easy reach of the child who smiled appreciatively as she grasped it with both hands. Harry thought she was more interested in having some more drink and looked quite unconcerned that a wizard was serving a house elf.
Dobby held out his trembling goblet. Harry filled it from the jug he was holding and was about put it down again when another goblet was held up. He filled it, noticing that all the elves were looking at him in wide eyed amazement. He smiled and decided to work his way down the table.
"You know my friend Hermione is quite fanatical about changing the way wizards treat house elves." He said carefully, knowing that the elves didn't exactly agree with Hermione's views about their welfare.
"You know, I don't think she's entirely right though. You've just reminded me that the simple pleasure of serving and helping someone who is appreciative and deserving brings its own rewards."
A few elves nodded to each other as he said this and the volume was noticeably higher by the time he got to the next table.
"Er, did Hermione actually free any of you, you know, leaving the clothes out?"
"No, Sir! She is not our Master," squeaked a house elf as Harry filled her goblet. "Only our Master can give us clothes and set us free!"
"Well, I'm glad. Actually, I wondered how the laundry got done if you couldn't pick up clothes."
Harry paused speaking but continued to pour.
"I think it's entirely up to you whether or not you want anything in return for your service."
"Still …" he wondered aloud, quite aware that every house elf in the hall was listening now.
"Hogwarts is special. Everyone wants to be here, me included. My friend Dobby, over there, was mistreated horribly before he came to Hogwarts. Would Professor Dumbledore allow any house elf be mistreated while he was Headmaster? I don't think so.
"If only we could be sure that house elves working outside Hogwarts are treated just as fairly. Hermione is, in her way, campaigning for an abolition of house elf enslavement.
"I personally think that enslavement is wrong, but it should be up to you who you work for and what, if any, terms you wish. If you want to refuse payment and time off, that should be up to you and no-one else. You should not be forced to work for any family that mistreats you."
He paused and then moved to the next table.
"Somehow I don't think that a change in wizarding law would affect the house elves' enslavement. It might improve the conduct of the wizards though. Make mistreatment of house elves properly punishable.
"Hermione can be very determined, you know. Once she decides to do something, nothing can stand in her way. That could be a problem. Hermione means well but she could end up creating more problems for you."
He paused a moment.
"You know what? I've come to a decision. It's high time I took a more active role in SPEW. What we really have to do, as a top priority, is get Hermione to change her campaign. That won't be easy.
"She won't listen to me. In fact, the only people she might listen to, is all of you."
Harry reached the last table.
"If we're going to get Hermione to draw up a new manifesto, she'll need to be persuaded quite soon. We were lucky she had OWLs last year, so we might still have time."
He continued silently along the table. The elves held up their goblets but the entire hall appeared to be deep in thought.
"Anyway, are you going to let me help out with some cleaning or what?"
*
The house elves did not let Harry help with the cleaning. He did however spend a memorable afternoon helping in the crèche.
While three female house elves looked on in mild amusement, Harry dashed about retrieving errant toys and curious elf children who were intent on sneaking off to explore.
Harry quickly realised the children were both very magical and very mischievous. They had quite a time lengthening and shortening the legs of his jeans as he walked amongst them. Harry, of course, pretended not to feel the material stretching and contracting until he looked down. He'd then act shocked and bewildered to guffaws of high pitched laughter.
He couldn't believe how fast they were. While he was allowing several of them to wrestle him to the ground, a new game that quickly became a favourite, Harry saw out of the corner of his eye a small elf get up and make a dash for the open door. Harry tried to get up as quickly as he could to give chase but was delayed trying not to hurt any of the others still clinging on.
"Enjoying yourself, Harry?"
It was Albus Dumbledore smiling down at him with the tiny elf child in one arm. The child was looking rather pleased with itself. As soon as they realised he was there, all the elf children scrambled to greet him.
Clearly a favourite with the children, he beamed back down at them.
"I'm afraid I've come to steal Harry away from you."
Harry felt his cheeks redden slightly as the elves protested. Dumbledore drew out his wand and waved his free arm in the air.
Instantly a small table laden with small treats and ice creams appeared. The children all rushed over to the table and Dumbledore put down the child who was now keen to get to the treats.
Dumbledore stood up and turned to Harry.
"Hagrid and I are planning a short trip into the forest. I'm afraid we won't be able to spend more than a few days in there but you'd be welcome to join us. We were not able to go last year because Hagrid was still away. I should warn you, he's quite keen on finding an interesting creature to make up for it."