I LOOK NOTHING LIKE MY MOTHER, HARPER thought when she looked through the photo book. Besides the hair and the smile, they couldn't be more different. She was more like her father, she discovered. They shared the same shape of nose, the same eye color, and when he smiled, he scrunched his eyes together just like she did.

Harper smiled at that.

Her hazel eyes landed on a picture of baby Harry being carried by Sirius Black. She knew who he was. Dorcas and Remus had told her about him. How he had betrayed her parents and killed Peter. However, apart from that, she didn't know much about the man. It was still a sensitive subject.

It was hard to believe when she stared at the picture. The way he held Harry and how he looked at him, Harper could not imagine he'd ever do something to endanger them.

Only one way to figure this out.

Grabbing a piece of parchment and her quill, Harper started to write the letter that might change everything she knew.

Sirius Black,

I am writing this because I'd like to know exactly what happened on 31 October 1981. I know you were my father's best friend and I can't understand why you would betray them. Neither Remus, nor Dorcas won't talk about it so that's why I give you the chance to tell me what happened that night. I just want to know the truth. Even if it's painful.

You'll find a quill and some parchment in this envelope. They probably haven't got that there in Azkaban.

Harper Potter

Harper then proceeded to take one of the photos of the Marauders and put it in the envelope as well. Closing it, she wrote Sirius Black on the back before handing it to Dale before she had a chance to change her mind.

"This one's for Azkaban, mate," she said quietly.

Dale stared at her with an are-you-kidding-me-look and Harper looked grimly. Dale hopped out of his cage and flew away.

• ✧ •

"YOU'VE GOT MAIL, BLACK."

Sirius Black glanced up and frowned as an envelope was shoved into his cell. He had never gotten a letter before. Had Remus finally found out it had been Peter who betrayed them? Was finally going to get the trial he deserved?

His hopes were starting to build up but went away as soon as he saw his name written on the back of the envelope.

That was not Remus' handwriting.

Opening the envelope, a photo fell out, landing upwards on the ground. Sirius' eyes widened when he say who was on it. He quickly bend down and picked it up, his eyes never leaving the hazel one's from James. Leaning against the wall, his eyes started to tear up and the ache in his heart grew stronger.

Taking a couple breaths, Sirius looked back at the envelope and took the accompanying letter.

Sirius Black,

I am writing this because I'd like to know exactly what happened on 31 October 1981. I know you were my father's best friend and I can't understand why you would betray them. Neither Remus, nor Dorcas won't talk about it so that's why I give you the chance to tell me what happened that night. I just want to know the truth. Even if it's painful.

You'll find a quill and some parchment in this envelope. They probably haven't got that there in Azkaban.

Harper Potter

His eyes stayed on the name.

Harper Potter. James' daughter. A soft smile played on his lips as he looked at her name, proudly. She had a lot of courage to send him a letter.

Just like James.

He quickly grabbed the parchment and the quill that she had send and started to write a reply.

After all, he couldn't ignore his little girl, could he?

• ✧ •

     HARPER'S DAY HAD BEEN BORING—THAT'S until she found a house-elf standing in her bedroom. She raised an eyebrow at the uncommon sight and closed the door behind her. The elf looked up and gave her a smile.

"Hello," Harper said, rather uncertain. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Harper Potter! You are as kind as they say!" the elf replied. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, Miss, such an honor it is . . ."

"Thank you," Harper said hesitantly. "I'm sorry but who are you?"

"I'm Dobby, Miss," the elf said.

Harper held out her hand. "It's a pleasure meeting you, Dobby."

Dobby looked at her hand in shock and burst out in tears. "Never . . . never did someone say that it was a pleasure meeting Dobby."

"I'm sorry," Harper started, feeling rather uncomfortable, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything . . ."

"Offend Dobby?" Dobby repeated not quite believing his eyes. "Dobby has never ever shaken the hand of a witch—as an equal . . ."

"You can't have met many decent witches then," she told him.

Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he started banging his head furiously on the closet, shouting. "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

"Don't!" Harper said, leaping towards him and pulling him away from the closet. "What are you doing?"

"Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, Miss," the house-elf replied.

Harper knew of rich and old wizard families who had house-elves serving them forever. She thought it was horrible.

"Do they know you're here?" she questioned him.

Dobby shuddered. "Oh no, Miss, no . . . Dobby will have to punish himself grievously for coming to see you, Miss. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew, Miss . . ."

"But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?" Harper asked confused.

"Dobby doubts it, Miss," the elf replied. "Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, Miss. They let Dobby get on with it, Miss. Sometimes they remind me to do extra punishments."

Harper's eyes widened. "Is there a chance they'll ever set you free?"

Dobby shook his head sadly and she immediately felt pity for him.

Harper placed her hand on his small shoulder. "Can I help you with something? I have some money, I can buy you and then set you free." She knew that wasn't possible but she had to do something.

"Harper Potter asks if she can help Dobby . . . Dobby has heard of your greatness, Miss, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew . . ."

Harper's cheeks burned up. "Whatever you've heard about my greatness, I'm sure it's a lot of rubbish."

"Harper Potter is humble and modest," Dobby said. "She speaks not of her triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named . . ."

"Voldemort?" Harper said. "It was hardly a triump. Harry did all the work—"

Dobby clapped his hands over his ears and moaned. "Ah, speak not the name, Miss! Speak not the name!"

"Sorry," Harper quickly apologized, knowing that his name still brought fear to a lot of people.

Dobby leaned towards her, his eyes were wide as headlights.

"Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harper and Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time, just weeks ago . . ."

Harper fell a stung in her heart when he mentioned Harry. She had written him but hadn't gotten any replies.

"That Harper and Harry Potter escaped yet again," Dobby continued.

"Well, I never had to escape him in the first place—" Harper began and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with eyes.

"Ah, Miss," he gasped, dabbing his face with a corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Harper Potter is brave, so brave that she would die to protect her own brother! But Dobby has come to protect Harper Potter, to warn her, even if he does have to shut his ears in the over door later . . . Harper Potter must not go back to Hogwarts!"

There was a silence between them as Harper looked taken aback.

"W-what?" she stammered. "But I've got to go back—term starts on September first!"

"No, no, no!" Dobby squeaked, shaking his head so hard his ear flapped. "Harper Potter must stay where she is safe. She's too kind, too good, to lose. If Harper Potter goes back to Hogwarts, she will be in mortal danger."

Harper raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Why?"

"There is a plot, Harper Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," Dobby whispered, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, Miss Harper Potter must not put herself in peril. She is too important, Miss!"

"What terrible thing?" Harper questioned him. "Who's plotting them?"

Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.

"All right!" Harper cried, trying to stop the house-elf from hurting himself even more than he already had. "You don't have to tell me, I understand it, but why are you warning me?"

Dobby took her lamp and started knocking it against his hand. Harper quickly grabbed it and put it back on its place. "I get it, you can't tell me, but I have to go to Hogwarts, I miss my brother."

"The brother who hasn't been writing to Harper Potter?"

"I'm sure he—wait—how did you know he hasn't been writing?" Harper questioned him suspiciously.

Dobby shuffled his feet while looking down.

"Harper Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby, Miss. Dobby did it for the best . . ."

Harper took a step closer to the elf. "Have you been stopping his letters?"

"Dobby has them here, Miss," he replied, pulling out a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harper could recognize Harry's handwriting and she narrowed her eyes.

Dobby looked anxiously up at her.

"Harper Potter mustn't be angry . . . Dobby hoped . . . if Harper Potter thought her brother had forgotten her . . . Harper Potter might not want to go back to school, Miss."

Harper leaped towards the letters but Dobby jumped out of reach.

"Harper Potter will have them, Miss, if she gives Dobby her word that she will not return to Hogwarts. Ah Miss, this is a danger you must not face! Say you won't go back, Miss!"

"No," Harper said angrily. "Give me my brother's letters back!"

"Then Harper Potter leaves Dobby no choice," the elf said sadly.

He snapped his fingers and fire appeared, starting to burn the letters.

"No!" Harper cried but the house-elf had already left, leaving nothing but the ashes of the letters.

• ✧ •

     "WE'VE GOT TO TALK," WAS THE FIRST THING Harper said when she arrived at the Burrow a week later. She then proceeded to drag Ron to his bedroom before telling him everything that had happened.

"Blimey," he said, "maybe that's why Harry hasn't been responding to my letters."

"You think Dobby has stopped his letters, too?" Harper asked.

Ron nodded and she sighed. "We need to get him out of there. Only Merlin knows how long he can handle the Dursleys without any reply of us."

"Agreed," Ron said, his eyes lighting up, "but we need two pairs of extra hands and I know exactly where to get them."

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May 29th 2022
I hope you enjoy it & tell me what you think of it! :)