Plans, Dobby, and Harry (5)

Hermione looked up, saw his expression, and immediately set down her quill. Ron stopped chewing too, Every Flavor Beans crumbs still clinging to the corner of his mouth, but he had no time to wipe them away.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

Harry glanced at the people still moving about in the common room—Seamus and Dean were playing chess, Neville was reading in a corner, and several younger students were discussing their History of Magic homework by the windowsill.

No one was paying attention to them.

"Dobby came to see me just now," he said softly.

"Dobby?" Ron's eyes widened. "That Malfoy Family Pixie? What did it want?"

Harry repeated what Dobby had told him—the Room of Requirement, the Heir of Slytherin, intelligence from pure-blood families. He spoke quickly, but enunciated every word clearly. By the time he finished, Ron's face had turned pale.

"The Room of Requirement?" Hermione frowned deeply, her fingers unconsciously tapping the tabletop. "Hogwarts: A History mentioned that place, but the description was vague. It only said it was a room that 'helps those in need.' It didn't say how to enter it, who built it, or how it worked."

"What about that heir Dobby mentioned?" Ron's voice tightened. "Is it not over yet? Does he have to kill a few more people before he gives up? Isn't he afraid of making Headmaster Dumbledore angry?"

"I don't know." Harry shook his head. "But Dobby was terrified. It wasn't pretending. I could feel it."

Hermione fell silent for a few seconds before speaking. "The pure-blood families discovered him. Dobby said 'pure-blood families,' not 'the Ministry of Magic,' and not 'Dumbledore.'" She looked up. "The Malfoy Family must know something."

"So Dobby came to warn me," Harry said. "It's afraid that heir will come after me."

The three