AC_D3: Dobby, Don't!

This prompt-fill was supposed to be posted last December... but, well at least it's here now!

Sile: Dobby finds Harry in Konoha

DreamofStories: Dobby manages to find Master Harry Potter and his Ninja Cousin Master Whiskers.

These two prompts sounded utterly hilarious to fill out because of the potential for future Dobby induced chaos, so I kept that goal in mind as I wrote this out.

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With the approved property papers in his hands, Harry entered the Uzumaki clan property, unsure of how to feel.

The happiness and pride he should have felt for getting the clan property was overshadowed by how he had gotten it.

Was getting a property worth all the unseen strings attached to it?

Harry didn't think so.

In fact, Harry was certain that the property would just bring in more problems then it was worth.

"Dobby has found you, Harry Potter, sir," a familiar voice said, sounding out of breath and completely alien among the thick trees of Konoha.

Harry hoped he was hallucinating from the lack of sleep and all the stress, but he still turned towards where the voice had come from.

Clad in an eye-watering combination of bright and clashing knitwear, that even the shadow of a tall tree couldn't dim, Dobby bowed with wet eyes and a wobbling smile when Harry looked at him.

"Dobby? Is that really you?"

"Yes, Harry Potter, sir. " Dobby said, his high-pitched voice still thick with tears even as he smiled. He snapped his fingers, allowing a tree branch to rise up and float between them.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked in a rush of confusion as he moved closer. "How did you find me?"

The house-elf straightened with pride as he said, "Dobby kept trying to reach you, Harry Potter, sir but nothing Dobby did worked. Until today. Today Dobby could."

"What was different about today?" Harry couldn't help but ask in wonder and trepidation.

"Harry Potter got his own property." Dobby said with an almost reverent tone.

Harry gaped.

"Dobby found Harry Potter because of the property. " Dobby sounded so proud. "Now Dobby can go back to your Wheezy and tell him that Dobby found his Harry Potter. Miss Hermy will be pleased."

Harry's mind, occupied with everything that had happened, was slow to prepare himself as Dobby closed his eyes and snapped his fingers with happy determination, as though ready to disappear from sight just to do that.

Only, Dobby didn't disappear.

Nothing happened.

After a few seconds, Dobby opened his eyes and looked around with ill concealed panic. "Dobby cannot leave."

“What?" Harry asked in wary confusion.

The house-elf's wobbled and looked down in shame. "Dobby cannot leave. The way back is blocked," he said and burst into loud and ugly tears.

Harry knelt down with a sigh and patted Dobby's shaking shoulder, keeping a hold on the house-elf before he did anything drastic to punish himself. “It's not your fault, Dobby,” Harry murmured with as much kindness as he could.

Dobby's wails grew to a deafening intensity.

But it was not loud enough to hide the new voice. “Harii?What,” Standing quite a distance away, the newest visitor stared between Harry and Dobby and grimaced in confusion as he repeated, “what?”

If it was any other time or situation, Harry would have enjoyed Shikaku's reaction. But now, he was scrambling for a way to salvage the situation without exposing his magic.“I found something on the property,” Harry said to the older man, who was standing a few feet away.

Shikaku glanced around and then at the house-elf that was still crying against Harry. “What is it?”

“A...” Harry searched for a word he could use. A word that would translate into something understandable. “sort of Yōsei” Even as he said, Harry knew that he'd used the wrong word. Bewitching spirit was rather ominous, especially if Shikaku's step back and aborted arm movement was any indication.

“Any why is it crying?”

Harry shrugged. “He's happy.”

Shikaku's lips pursed in an unconvinced line. “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Harry said. At Shikaku's unconvinced look, Harry shrugged. “I became the owner of this property.”

“And that was enough for,” Shikaku chanced a cautious glance at Dobby before he continued, “it to show itself to you.”

“He,” Harry emphasized with a touch of annoyance. “He has a connection with people and properties or something like that.” That wasn't a complete lie. Just like it wasn't the complete truth.

“And what does i... he want from you?”

“Nothing,” Harry said.

Shikaku didn't looked remotely convinced.

“He's just worried about my safety and well-being,” Harry said.

“I can see how that would bring him to tears,” Shikaku said with a nod.

Harry huffed at the older man.

Dobby's tears were just abating when the house-elf finally noticed Shikaku's presence. The tears returned. “Dobby allowed himself to be seen by a muggle. Dobby has gotten Harry Potter into trouble.”

“No,” Harry said with panic at the thought of more tears and wails. “Dobby, Nara-san isn't going to give me any trouble. He just wants to know what you are.”

Dobby sniffed and glanced at the older man who was staring back with sharp and wary eyes. “Dobby can get rid of him.”

“No!” Harry said. “That's not... there's no need for that. I think I can come up with a nonsense story about you because he's never seen a house-elf before. Will you be okay if people know about you even if I'm just telling them nonsense? Will you be able to protect yourself in case someone tries to do something?”

Dobby sniffled and then burst into tears as he clutched Harry's arm, “Even now, Harry Potter is worried about Dobby.”

Harry sighed. The property was definitely turning out to be full of problems.

“Did it...” Shikaku' swallowed. “Did he teach you to speak like that?”

Harry blinked at the older man. “What?”

“You were speaking another language,” Shikaku said. Then with a slower tone, he added, “When you were speaking to him.”

It took Harry a moment to realize what had happened. Harry had spoken in English to Dobby in front of Shikaku.

“You didn't realize you were speaking another language?” Shikaku asked, another wary look aimed at the still crying Dobby.

“A lot has happened today,” Harry said with a shrug.

“What did he say to you? And why is he crying?”

Harry chose to answer the easiest question first. “He's crying because you saw him.”

Shikaku frowned at Harry.

“He likes being secretive and not being seen by people. He chooses who sees him.”

“He was hidden until you got the property?”

Harry nodded. “Apparently, the moment I became the property owner, he was able to talk to me, here.”

Shikaku stared at the two of them for a long moment. “And what does he want from you?”

“I,” Harry paused. “You know. I'm not really sure. We didn't get around to talking about any of that. You showed up before I could get any proper information.”

Shikaku frowned. “Maybe he's a protector of the plants and trees on this property.”

Harry glanced at him. “You think so?”

“He's small and green,” Shikaku said, as though that was the most obvious assumption to make. “He doesn't look like much of a fighter, so I doubt he's too dangerous.”

Remembering the damage that Dobby could do, Harry turned away from Shikaku before he laughed. Instead, he looked at Dobby and said, “What would you like to do now that you are stuck here with me, Dobby?”

Dobby sniffled. “Dobby can clean and cook and do anything that Harry Potter needs.”

Harry felt too relieved that Dobby's tears were finally drying up so he didn't argue about Dobby's future plans. “And do you want to get paid with Wizarding money or the currency that they use here?”

Dobby blinked.

“If I pay you with what the village uses, then you can go out and buy the things you need from here. Without them seeing you of course.”

Dobby glanced down at his sock-clad feet. “Do they have very nice socks for Dobby to buy?”

Harry stifled a snort. “I'm not entirely sure what kind of socks they have available. I haven't had a chance to look into it.”

Dobby straightened, stepping back and away from Harry. “Dobby will look into it. The village.”

“Right,” Harry said, not even in the mood to try and argue against the house-elf's logic. “Since Nara-san has seen you now, it's okay for him to see you. But I'd prefer not to have anyone else see you Dobby. I don't know what they would do to you.”

“Dobby was surprised by him,” Dobby said, shooting Shikaku an unhappy look that made the man twitch. “Dobby won't be surprised again.”

“But I will have to introduce you to my cousin,” Harry said.

Dobby turned back to Harry with wide eyes. “Harry Potter's cousin?”

Harry nodded. “I have a cousin who lives in this village. His name is Naruto. I think you'll like him.”

“Naruto,” Dobby repeated without any trouble.

In the corner of Harry's eyes, Shikaku started.

Harry too was surprised. Dobby had actually pronounced his Naruto's name correctly in one attempt. Ron would have a lot to say about that, especially when he was still Wheezy. “I think we can use Nara-san's unease of you in our favour.”

“Dobby understands Harry Potter,” the house-elf turned to Shikaku, and smiled. He looked more like a tiny goblin than a house-elf at that moment.

“He won't hurt you,” Harry told the older man.

“Good to know,” Shikaku said, still not making a move to come forward or even turn around to leave. “And what other discussions have you managed to have?”

“We were discussing what I'd pay him for his work,” Harry said, delighted at the linee that appeared on Shikaku's forehead. “It would be nice to have someone like him help take care of this property.”

“He will help with the property?”

“It's his job,” Harry said. “For now.”

Shikaku looked like he had many more questions he wanted to ask. “You told him about Naruto.”

“Naruto is going to live here,” Harry said with a shrug. “He needs to know about him.”

Shikaku frowned, eyes shifting around. “Where did he go?”

Harry glanced down at where Dobby should have been. “I'm not entirely sure.”

Dobby reappeared with Naruto yelling soundlessly beside him. Thankfully Naruto calmed down when he saw Harry.

“There were so many of him,” Dobby stated, motioning at Naruto. “But Dobby brought the warmest one.”

“Did he just,” Shikaku's voice was thick with shock. “Travel around Konoha and return with Naruto?”

Harry sighed and looked at Dobby. “I don't suppose you know how to Obliviate a person?”

“Dobby can try?” Dobby said with a narrow-eyed look at Shikaku.

Harry considered his options. “Let's wait to see what happens, first.”
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Dobby, please, stop scaring the Jounin Commander. Or at least, don't scare him too much. 

Polar