A/N: This is the sequel to The Muggles' Niece.

It began when Evanna Potter's aunt and uncle announced they were going on a holiday during the summer break.

'After all, it's only fair,' Uncle Vernon joked to Dudley and Evanna, one arm around his wife. 'You two run her ragged. Especially after that hectic school year ...'

'Where are you going?' asked Evanna quickly, wanting to avoid the subject of her and Dudley's first year at Hogwarts. To put it mildly, it hadn't been quiet.

'Australia,' said Uncle Vernon – then, catching sight of Evanna and Dudley's looks, amended quickly, 'All right, not quite so far away as that. We thought we'd go to the Isle of Man, actually.'

'But what about us?' demanded Dudley, finding his voice at last. 'Where are we going to stay?'

Aunt Petunia cleared her throat.

'We considered asking Mrs Figg or Aunt Marge –'

But the rest of her sentence was drowned in Evanna and Dudley's protests.

'Mum, no way! Aunt Marge? She takes better care of her dogs than us! And she's always pushing Cat around. And Mrs Figg's obsessed with cats, they'd scare Iris ...'

'No, not Aunt Marge,' Evanna protested, stricken. 'Please not Aunt Marge, I'd so much rather Mrs Figg, anybody other than her.'

'Actually, they'd better stay with a magic family,' Uncle Vernon put in. 'I'd rather not explain why Dudley has a pet owl – and there might be other tricky questions, too.'

Aunt Petunia let out a soft groan, but turned to Evanna and Dudley. 'What do you two suggest, then?'

'You could always let us stay here by ourselves,' Dudley said hopefully.

'What? Of course not! Don't be ridiculous, Dudley, you're both only eleven ...'

'Twelve,' muttered Dudley indistinctly, offended. 'I'm twelve.'

'And I'm nearly,' said Evanna. She and Dudley had only been born a month apart, after all, but hadn't met until they were both one, due to unusual circumstances.

'That's still not old enough,' Uncle Vernon said firmly. 'All right, maybe not Mrs Figg or Aunt Marge, but we have to find somebody to take care of you two.'

'Ron already asked me to stay over at his house twice,' Dudley spoke up. 'And he did come over for Christmas.'

'Er,' said Evanna. 'I could ring Hermione and ask; I'm sure her parents wouldn't mind ...'

'That sounds good then,' said Uncle Vernon.

'No,' said Aunt Petunia, in such a firm tone that they all, even Uncle Vernon, looked at her strangely. 'No, if you're going anywhere then I want the two of you together.'

'But Petunia, perhaps it would be more practical –'

'Mum, I don't see why –'

'Aunt Petunia, there's nothing the matter, really –'

'No,' repeated Aunt Petunia inexorably. And that, Evanna told Hermione on the telephone later, was that. Aunt Petunia wrote to Mr and Mrs Weasley, who sent Iris back with a conclusive reply:

Dear Mrs Dursley,

I have talked over your suggestion with my husband, Arthur, and we have agreed that we would be delighted to have Dudley and Evanna stay over the summer while you and your husband are on holiday. If you wish, I will take them to Diagon Alley with my own children to get their things for Hogwarts this year. My youngest son Ron spoke highly of his stay at your house last Christmas, and I must thank you again for letting him come.

According to your letter, you will be leaving for your trip on the first of August, so would it be agreeable to you for us to come and pick up Dudley and Evanna on the thirty-first of July? You also mentioned that you will be returning on the twenty-ninth, so I would suggest that we drop them back at your place on the thirtieth. Please owl me if you have you have any problems with this arrangement.

Best wishes, and looking forwards to seeing you on the thirty-first,

Molly Weasley

Evanna felt a bit put out when she found out what date the Weasleys were due to come. She didn't say anything, though; it was the day that fitted best, after all. Instead she called Hermione to tell her the news.

'... and Aunt Petunia wants Dudley and me to be together, even though it's really stupid,' she complained, exasperated. 'I mean, it's not as if we don't see enough of each other at Hogwarts and at home anyway. But she's really protective.'

'Tracey wrote to me,' said Hermione. 'She wants to know why you haven't been answering any of her letters.'

'What? It's she who hasn't been answering mine – she and Daphne too. I wrote to them both in June, but they never replied, so I didn't send any more.'

There was a pause.

'There's something wrong,' Hermione said finally. 'Has Dudley been getting letters?'

Evanna twisted the telephone cord around her fingers absent-mindedly, thinking. 'Yeah, he has.' It occurred to her that if Hermione hadn't telephoned when Evanna first sent her a letter with Iris, then she and Hermione might not be in contact now either. 'Listen, your post is fine, right? So can you write to Tracey and Daphne and tell them I'll be staying at the Weasleys' place in Devon from my birthday up until the thirtieth of August? Speaking of which, d'you want to come over for my birthday? Not the whole day, 'cause Dud and I'll be leaving later, but maybe for lunch or something? Uncle Vernon said he'll drop you off home if your parents don't mind.'

Hermione was there as invited on the morning of Evanna's birthday, along with presents, felicitations and news from their mutual friends.

'Tracey and Daphne sent me your presents once I explained everything,' Hermione told Evanna, handing her a stack of gifts as soon as they climbed the stairs and reached the landing in front of Evanna's room. 'They were really nice about it, though none of us know why – there's a house-elf on your bed!'

'What?' Evanna yelped, setting the forgotten presents on her bedside table and staring at the offending creature. Hermione was right, of course. 'Who are you and what are you doing in my room?' she asked the house-elf, too startled to remember her to be polite.

'I is Dobby, miss. Dobby has a message for the great Lily Potter because Dobby has heard about the great things Lily Potter has done and Dobby – Dobby has to warn Lily Potter!' the house-elf squeaked, dancing from side to side on Evanna's bed.

'Don't call me Lily. It's Evanna. And what are you talking about? What great things? Why do you have to warn me?'

'Won't you sit down?' Hermione added politely, patting the bed.

Dobby promptly burst into loud, sobbing wails, while Evanna and Hermione stared at each other helplessly. Finally Hermione sat down herself and gingerly put her arm around Dobby.

'It's all right, Dobby,' she said soothingly. 'You don't have to sit down if you don't want to. I didn't mean to offend you. What's wrong?'

Dobby cried louder, but this time they could make out words: 'Offend Dobby! It is not that – only Dobby has never been allowed to sit down with wizards – like an equal –'

'Evanna!' called Uncle Vernon up the stairs. 'Is everything under control up there?'

'There's nothing!' Evanna yelled back, covering Dobby's mouth with her hands to muffle the noise (she ignored Hermione's indignant protest). 'Everything's fine! Stop crying ... please,' she said to Dobby urgently, removing her hands. 'Look – you said you need to warn me – about what?'

Dobby's tears slowed, as if on cue, and he scrubbed at his eyes and nose with the edge of the lumpy grey pillowcase he was wearing. It was a pathetic sight. At last he spoke, his eyes fixed adoringly on Evanna.

'Evanna - Potter – must – not – go – back – to – Hogwarts,' he announced importantly, his eyes bigger and rounder than ever.

Evanna felt winded, like she'd been punched hard in the stomach. 'Why not?' she asked, her voice strangely distant. 'It's Hogwarts ... I belong there ...'

'Evanna Potter must not go back to Hogwarts because – because great and wicked things are going to happen at Hogwarts! Evanna Potter will be in terrible danger!'

'What kind of danger?' Evanna demanded aggressively. 'Tell me, Dobby!'

To both her and Hermione's amazement, Dobby began beating his head against the iron bed head, screaming, 'Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!' His head made horrible clanging noises as it connected.

Evanna lunged across the doona, pried Dobby's fingers off the bars and wrenched him away just as two voices yelled, 'Cat!'

She spun around, holding the panting and again-sobbing Dobby, to see Hermione kneeling on the bed behind her. Dudley was standing near the door, which he had obviously thrown open. He gaped when he saw Dobby.

'What is that?'

'He's not an "what"! He's a house-elf called Dobby whom we found in Cat's room,' said Hermione indignantly.

Dudley let out a low whistle, kicked the door shut and came closer. Evanna, sensing that Dobby was no longer about to beat himself over the head, let go of him cautiously. He stood on the bed, wobbling slightly and knock-kneed. Silent tears were streaming down his face and spotting his ragged pillowcase.

'Tell Dudley what you told us, Dobby,' Hermione said gently, handing Dobby her handkerchief.

'Dobby has come,' Dobby said haltingly (because each word was punctuated with a sniffle), 'to Li— Evanna Potter to tell her that she must not go back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, because great and terrible things are going to happen at Hogwarts this year!'

It annoyed Evanna immensely that Dobby could tell Dudley in one clear sentence what he came for, yet had taken forever to say it the first time to Evanna and Hermione. But she let it go, saying instead, 'Dobby, what kind of danger do you mean? Does this have something to do with Voldemort?'

Dobby clapped his hands to his ears, squealing, 'Speak not the name, Evanna Potter! Speak not the name!'

'Sorry – habit,' Evanna muttered. 'But does it? Have anything to do with Vol— You-Know-Who, I mean?'

Dobby swayed dangerously close to the bed-head again, but Evanna threw out an arm and held him fast. 'All right, we get it – you can't say,' she said hurriedly. 'Is there anything else you can tell us – like –'

'What's that under your pillowcase?' Dudley asked suddenly. Evanna was about to tell him off for his rudeness, but then realised he was right – there was a suspicious extra lump in Dobby's pillowcase. Before he could react, she whipped it out.

It was a messily tied stack of letters, all addressed to either Cat Potter or Evanna Potter, and with return addresses such as Tracey Davis, 16 Idlewild Drive, Lower Faraday, Bedfordshire and Daphne Greengrass, 78 Blackthorn Crescent, London.

The bar dropped into place. Evanna gaped at Dobby.

'You're the one who's been stopping my post!'

Dobby twisted the hem of his pillowcase nervously.

'Dobby thought ... Dobby thought that if Evanna Potter didn't get any post, then Evanna Potter might not think she had any friends, and she might not want to go back to Hogwarts ...'

'Well, it didn't work,' said Dudley unnecessarily.

Dobby still looked nervous. Hermione's eyes flicked from Evanna to Dobby, seemingly torn.

'So you're doing this to save my life?' began Evanna – but a voice from downstairs interrupted.

'Dudley! Evanna! Hermione! Lunch is ready; go and get cleaned up, please!'

Evanna, Dudley and Hermione turned automatically towards the door. Remembering Dobby, Evanna looked down – but found herself clutching thin air. Dobby had disappeared. Cursing under her breath, she put the letters on top of the presents Hermione had given her and followed Dudley and Hermione across the landing to the bathroom, feeling both apprehensive and thoroughly confused.