It’s back to our favourite Potions master

Although being thoroughly annoyed was a normal state of mind for the head of Slytherin House, it was ten times worse when the annoyance in question involved a Gryffindor. Severus Snape was muttering under his breath as he stalked through the great halls of Hogwarts. He was vaguely aware of almost toppling over tiny Professor Flitwick as he brushed by, and uttered a very insincere sounding apology.

As he approached the entrance to Dumbledore’s office, he realised that he had not checked for the headmaster’s new password. Suddenly, his forearm began to burn as though it was on fire.

Can this day POSSIBLY get any better!” sneered Snape. He turned to Potter’s infernal bird. “That moronic boy you call your owner will simply have to wait.”

With that, Snape headed out of the school and to the nearest Apparation Point, just outside Hogsmeade.

Back to the Boy-Who-Lived, who was having a most interesting day himself.

Harry’s scar had begun to burn immensely, but his focus was currently on the brownish lump now laying on his floor. It was covered in a worn sheet and seemed quite familiar.

“Dobby?” Harry asked, unsure. The form in front of him was definitely a house-elf.

“Not Dobby, sir! But I knows Dobby! I works with him at Hogwarts, sir!” the dirty elf replied.

“Are you okay? What’s your name?” Harry inquired.

The elf’s eyes clouded over with tears. “Dobby said you were kind, sir! Dobby says Harry Potter is great wizard! Dobby was right, sir! To speak to me with such respect!” The elf’s eye’s shone with unshed tears. “Grinny, sir! Grinny’s my name.”

Harry signed and rubbed his forehead. He’d had enough experience with house-elves at this point in his life to know that it could take an hour to find out why Grinny was here and dressed so shabbily. House-elves at Hogwarts were normally clean and well dressed. Well, well dressed for an elf, anyways. He decided to be as direct as possible.

"Grinny, why are you here?” asked Harry, gently. “And why didn’t you use the door?”

“Door, sir?’ asked Grinny, confused. “Dobby says to get here right away, sir! Warn Harry Potter, Grinny! Dobby can’t warn Harry Potter himself! They might know Dobby because of his old family, sir!”

Putting aside the fact that he still didn’t understand why Grinny hadn’t used the door, Harry now knew why the elf was dressed as he was. Dobby must be smarter that Harry thought, for no one would connect this elf with Hogwarts in his current condition. As if on cue, the elf squeaked. “Dobby has Grinny dressed like common elf so no one would know him, sir! Grinny apologises for his state, master! Grinny would never..”

Harry cut off the elf in mid sentence. “What were you supposed to warn me of, Grinny?”

“The bad wizards, sir! Dobby called them a funny name, sir-Death Eaters! Dobby says they know where you are, Harry Potter! Dobby says you must leave, now!”

Back to Snape, who has just Apparated into the Dark Lord’s Chambers...

Snape was surprised to see a mockery of a smile sitting upon Lord Voldemort’s face. He had expected Voldemort to be in a furious state-which usually was the case when the Dark Mark burned as badly it had.

“Ah, my loyal servants.” The Dark Lord said. “I am very pleased with your progress, especially after today’s development. I have come into an interesting bit of information, thanks to the newest of our number.”

Voldemort turned his gaze to a masked and hooded figure that Snape did not recognise. Not that it was surprising to him. The number of the Dark Lord’s supporters seemed to increase at every meeting. Severus had been relaying this disturbing development to Albus, of course. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t anything Snape could do about it. Everyone stayed masked the majority of the time now. He had been working on finding out the new identities for weeks. However, the newcomers were all too wary after Voldemorts’ descent from power the last time which came at the hands of a toddler.

Well, Snape thought. With any luck it won’t be anything earth shattering.

“You see.” Voldemort hissed. “Because of this new servant, I now know where Harry Potter lives.”