Dougsby had retreated to his own room, which due to the kindness of Mistress Lily Potter was much more than a simple cupboard. It had originally been just that, a boot sized cupboard with a baby mattress and old milk crate for a table. However Mistress Lily had taken offense at the limited space it provided for Dougsby, and after having checked that all the other Potter elves had similar boarding, had decided to do something about it. She had used charms to expand the cupboard to about the size of the family dining room. From there she had added walls and a hallway to break the enlarged space into many small but human sized bedrooms, ten in total, with five on each side of the hallway. She had then gone even further for the elves by hunting down unused furniture from the attics which she resized down for the elves or had Master James Potter transfigure in to whatever she wanted. Now each room was fitted with child sized beds, bookcases, dressers, and a table set with four chairs. For each bed there was a small nightstand beside it. Each room was well lite and contained a desk to be shared with other roommates due to space requirements, but for house elves it was a really luxurious setup, especially for Dougsby, Hughes, Betsy, Dazey, and Cook as their statues among the elves had allowed for each of them to have a single room. Giff and Gardner shared a room with their two younglings Able and Missus. The two female maids; Becky and Sable and the two footman, Mikey and Timmy each shared a room. There was one empty room that could hold up to four more elves if it ever became necessary too.

Dougsby remember fondly Mistress Lily's compassion and determination in designing this area for the elves.

He walked over to his desk area which he had setup to look like a miniature study of his own. Upon the desktop there were stacks of parchment; budgets, supply forms and ledgers. With a sigh he sat and got to work. As he filled out supply lists and ledgers he thought about the young Master's cousin Mister Dursley.

Dougsby had watched the Dursley's and young Master Harry from a distance over the years as it was all he could do with the wards in effect on number 4 Privet Drive. He had felt helpless as he watched the Young Master be assaulted and terrorized by his relations over and over. He watched day in and day out, he stood by as a silent witness to all the atrocities done onto him wishing he could take the young Masters pain from him and onto himself. He had felt furious with them and with himself for being unable to outsmart the blood wards that had surrounded the young Master like an impenetrable bubble no matter if he was within the house or outside of it. He had wept as he watched the six year old child drink bleach, making himself ill before he crawled into his cupboard and cried for his mother to come and take him, apologizing for everything and everything if she'd just take him too. Dougsby was still angry with himself for not being there when the wards finally allowed for one of them to get through. It was during one of the few times Dougsby had left his post as a silent witness, he had been notified by Gringotts that someone had tried to access the Potter accounts and that his presence was needed immediately and he had reluctantly left.

When he had returned to Privet Drive and had found the young Master missing he had immediately come back to the estate to check an instrument that Mistress Lily had designed that kept track of location and on Master Harry's health. Before he could go and check it though Betsy had popped in front of him.

Flashback **

Dougsby thought back on the day that the young Master had returned home.

He had just popped into the entrance hall, the only place a family member or elf could come through the wards from outside the Estate grounds when Betsy had popped in in front of him.

"Head Elfy Sir! The young Master's Home! He's back!" She had screamed happily at him before doing a little bouncing jig.

He had stood there stunned for a couple of seconds, one thought having flashed through his mind clearly in those few seconds, 'Finally!' before rapidly firing questions at her. "What?! Where?!" He had shouted enthusiastically.

She had quickly stopped her jig and told him that he was up in the master bedroom. He had immediately began to pop away to go there himself when she had shouted 'Wait! You can't talk to him!"

He had growled at her but had stopped and snap "Why!"

She had then taken a couple of steps back from him and said sadly, all trace of happiness gone, "He's in a healing sleep, Head Elfy Sirs. He not to be waking soon." She had hung her head and stared at the floor, tears slowly slipping down here face.

Dougsby usually has a great deal of self-control over himself and a well-disciplined mind and it generally would have taken a great deal before he allowed any hint of anger, frustration or annoyance to cloud his thought processes or impair his judgement and actions. It was this composure and discipline that had allowed him to become the Head Elf of the Potter Estate. He was known for being strict but fair in his dealings with all the other elves in the employ of the Potter Estate which had earned him years of respect both within the Estate and outside of it within the British Elf community. Only three times had he ever lost control of his temper in all the years he had worked for the Potters, which so far has been his entire life of sixty years. The three times though were enough of a reminder to the other elves of why it was he was to be feared. The first time he had lost his temper had been when one of the Potter ancestor's, a previous Lord and Master of the House had gotten drunk and made the mistake of striking a youngling elf. Dougsby had blasted the Master straight through the wall and out of his own house in his anger, nearly killing him from the blast and fly across the grounds. Dougsby managed to keep his position as the Lady of the house had come to his defense. The second time had been when the young Master Harry had been born, just before the Potter's had taken refuge in Godrics Hollow. Sirius Black had had too much to drink and decided that it would be funny to see newborn Harry try and slide down the main staircases banister in his basket as Lily Potter desperately try to stop him without hurting either Black or baby Harry, Harry had been crying and screaming. Needless to say Sirius ended up being the one to take a slide down the banister. Baby Harry had watched his Godfather from his floating position in the air as he was slowly floated over to his sobbing mother whom had thank Dougsby repeatedly. The third time he had lost his temper had been fatal, it was also well known to all elves within the British community. Back when James Potter's father was Lord and Master of the Estate a house elf that had been employed by the Lord had been discovered to have poisoned the Master's food. Dougsby had stopped the Master before he ingested it, but it had been close. Dougsby, being a very powerful elf had over powered the other extremely easily, and not only had he made the elf take the poison it itself had put into the master's food which would cause agonizing pain while slowly killing it, Dougsby had prolonged his death with antitoxins. Dougsby had also made sure every other elf within the Estate and its surrounding neighbourhood was present to witness what would happen to them should they attempt to cause harm to his family. The message was clear, no one would be allowed to hurt his family without consequence, whether they be other family, elves, or friends.

The day young Master Harry had come home however all self-control had left him and Dougsby had been frustrated and angry at being stopped. He had been waiting years for the young Master to come home. He had drawn in a few steading breathes trying to regain some measure of control over his emotions and whirling thoughts. 'He had a duty to uphold and needed more information, patience.' He had scolded himself. He had then clicked his fingers together, using some of his own magic to clean up Betsy speech so that he could understand clearly what she would tell him. He had released another calming breath before saying sternly, "Tell me what you know, from the beginning."

Betsy had looked up at him, tear tracks visible, "The blood wards collapsed finally. Young Masters cousin broke through them asking for help, and Betsy felt the pull so I went to young Master. I brought them back here. He wasn't breathing so Betsy put him into static state and brought him to the manor. I put him into the master bedroom and called the medic elf to see to him. She removed him from static state and we quickly shocked his heart and got him breathing again. He had a very severe chest infection coupled with some cracked ribs. He also had a lot of bruises and was malnourished. The medic elf said that he will need to take some antibiotic potions to help clear any ruminants of the chest infection, as well as one each for the malnutrition and the other a general restorative for tissue to help rebuild some damaged tissues. I have the ones she's left here for him in the pantry and have already given him his does for today. He also has a bruise slave to heal the bruising which has been applied already for today also." Betsy had stopped here in her explanation, having listed that all off in only one or two breathes. She had waited silently for further questions.

Dougsby had took in all she had said. He had then stopped to replay it over in his head to make sure he had gotten all she had said so as to make sure he missed nothing and as to assemble clarifying questions if he needed to before one word in particular caught his attention. He had felt himself becoming angry again. "Them? Who's them?" He had snapped at her hoping it had been just an error of speech.

She most have picked up on his anger for she had taken another few steps away from her, shaking slightly as she replied, "Young Master Harry and his cousin, Sir"

He had changed from angry to livid in a matter of seconds at the thought of that boy being anywhere near the Potter Estate. His voice had come out as no more than a whisper as he had hissed at her, "What did you say?"

He had been to livid in that moment to take note of how terrified she was of him. Looking back though at that moment he found himself somewhat in awe of the little thing, as she had been clearly terrified but had stood her ground and repeated herself. Before she had added, "The boy saved Master Harry, Sir, and the boy would have had to face his father's wrath for Master disappearing had we left him there, he would have been hurt."

And Dougsby, for just a moment in his anger, had thought it fitting and exactly what the boy deserved.

Before he could respond to that though, and as if she had heard his vicious thought she had straightened up and looked him directly in the eye before spitting out, "I is not like Master's relatives, Sir, and Mister Dursley is just a boy too.' she had then popped away.

He had stood there stunned once again before retreating to his quarters to think.

Later that night he had apologized to Betsy for his attitude and behaviour. In particular for the magic he had used on her to clean up her speech, it was considered very insulting to use it on another elf, even with permission and for scaring her. He had reluctantly conceded to Betsy's points. He had decided that the boy would only stay until Master Harry awoke and had gotten to speak with him and then Dougsby would drop him off in London. He had also made it abundantly clear to Betsy that he'd have no interaction with the boy, nor would any of the other elves and as she had been the one to bring him here he was now her responsibility. If the boy caused any problem, any problems at all it would be on her head. She had accepted that responsibility and they had both gone back to their individual duties for the remainder of the evening.

The next day Dougsby had discretely popped-in and out of the boys shared room throughout the day to keep an eye on Mister Dursley. His concern for his cousin seemed out of place, and Dougsby had wondered if it was just the current situation that had the boy acting like so. Eventually he decided to ask Betsy what her take was on the change in the boys attitude was about. On the occasions where Dougsby thought he might get called away from Privet Drive, Betsy would sit and watch with him and take his place watching the young Master if he had to leave, which had only happened a few times. Betsy had been watching them when he had been called away to Gringotts. She sadly looked at him before offering him her memory. He thanked her and retreated to his quarters to view it. The pensieve that Dougsby was going to use to watch it was a Potter Heirloom. Unlike other common use pensieve's this one allowed you to feel the shadow of emotions of whom ever you stood closes to within the memory. He helplessly watched on as the young Master slowly was dying behind the wards. It was a chilling memory to watch, and heart breaking even though he knew it was a memory. He felt Betsy's pain knowing that there's was nothing she could due to get to the young Master as she sobbed, but it was Dudley's actions that crushed what little control memory Betsy had had as she broke down into gut-wrenching sobs, clawing away at her chest as if to rip out her own heart to stop the pain she was witnessing as Dudley shattered in front of her. Dougsby felt like joining her in those action but ruthlessly pushed them back to watch what happened next. As Dudley slumped, shattered and spent against the side of the bed a ripple form through the ward visible only to those with mage sight, and creatures with the same, bit by bit, like the boy before Dougsby unconscious the ward silently shattered and fell. Betsy jumped as the bond re-established sharply with the close proximity to the young Master. Without hesitation she popped in to the Master's bedroom and placed a static state upon him before grabbing both boys and popping away. The memory faded here and Dougsby found himself once again outside the pensieve.

Dougsby had spent the rest of the early evening re-evaluating his opinion of the boy. Dursley's attitude was previously that of a spoilt brat. However he no longer blamed the boy entirely for his previous attitude, some of Dudley's choices wouldn't be forgotten, but Dudley had been raised as a spoilt brat, he had learnt this attitude from his parents as his role-models and disciplinarians which had instead of disciplining him, made excuses for him. They too had encouraged the bulling and abusive behaviour towards his cousin. This last week prior to arriving at the estate, Dudley had been showing some independence in thought and actions as he attempted to help his cousin, and even stood up against his own mother on behave of his cousin. There was the possibility of Dudley coming into his own potential there with a decent mentor, and a lot of hard work on Dudley's part. Dougsby couldn't forgive the boy for much of what he had done to his young Master, but he decided he would give the boy the opportunity to choose between doing nothing and continuing to be the brat Dougsby had always believed him to be, and the opportunity to work to become else. He still didn't like the boy, and rather send him home- mostly selfishly so all attention would be on young Master Harry, but he could tolerate him as long as he worked to better himself.

These thoughts had been what had led him to have a conversation with Mister Dursley in the library. ***