I do not own any recognizable characters or the Harry Potter Series. I am not making any profit from this post. And I have no intention of ever publishing this fanfiction professionally.

Before Harry could respond, the door burst open and Lucius Malfoy stormed in. He was quite ruffled looking and had a few scratches on his face and hands. Knowing that Narcissa was right outside waiting with his dad and Alanna, it wasn't hard to guess why.

"So you've returned. Even though you are still under suspension from the governors."

"I'm afraid you are mistaken, Lucius. The other eleven governors contacted me this morning. It was quite disconcerting to be bombarded by so many owls, I must say. They'd heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter had been killed, which was thankfully not true, and wanted me back at once. Other strange tales were in these letters, I must say. Several of them were under the impression that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

Malfoy turned even paler, if it was possible and changed the subject, "So? Have you stopped the attacks yet? Or caught the culprit?"

"We have," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Well? Who was it then?"

"The same person as last time, Lucius." Dumbledore replied, "But this time he chose another method. He was acting through someone else, by means of this diary," Dumbledore raised the destroyed book up and turned his x-ray vision on Lucius.

Harry was watching this play out with quite a bit of satisfaction when he felt a tug on his robes. He glanced down to find Dobby standing behind him, half in shadow, pointing to the book and then Malfoy before punching himself. Lucius didn't notice this exchange and said slowly, "I see …"

"It was quite a clever plan, I must say." Dumbledore continued, still staring at the other man intensely, "If Harry here -" This brought Malfoy's attention to him at last and Harry surreptitiously shoved Dobby further into the shadows, "and his friends hadn't discovered the truth behind the legend and found the book, why - Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would have ever been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will."

Lucius said nothing, his face being schooled into a very blank mask. Harry now had a grip on both of Dobby's arms and was preventing him from hitting himself any more.

"And imagine what that would have cost the Weasleys, especially Arthur, who I believe is working on passing a new Muggle Protection Act. If his own daughter was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns. Yes, it was quite fortunate the diary was discovered and Riddle's memories were wiped from it."

Malfoy choked out, "Very fortunate."

Harry was going over that day in Diagon Alley and remembered that of all the books Malfoy could have picked up, it managed to be one of hers, "Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius rounded on him and slipped up in his anger, "How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?"

"I didn't say you should, I asked if you wanted to. You gave it to her, that day in Diagon Alley. In Flourish and Blotts, you picked her copy of Magical Draughts out of the pile on purpose, didn't you? So you could slip the diary into it."

"Prove it," he hissed.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that, at least officially. Especially now that Riddle has vanished from the book. But I would advise you, Lucius, not to go out giving out any of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more find their way into innocent hands, you might find more unwanted attention on you and your belongings."

For a second it looked as if Malfoy might be reaching for his wand but instead he pivoted and started leaving, "Come, Dobby!" He wrenched open the door as the elf hurried to him and promptly kicked the elf through the door. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor and Alanna's angry voice following.

Harry darted his eyes around and his gaze fell on the destroyed diary, "Professor Dumbledore, can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"Certainly, Harry. But hurry. Wouldn't want to miss the opportunity for freedom."

Harry grinned, grabbing the book, and racing out, hopping on one foot as he pulled a sock off. Alanna had joined him as he followed Dobby's sounds of pain, steadying him as he did so. He stuffed the diary in the, frankly, filthy sock just as they rounded the corner.

"Malfoy, hold a moment," Alanna called, nodding at Harry when the other adult did.

"I've got something for you, sir," Harry said and forced the dirty sock into his hand.

He ripped off the sock into disgust and threw it off to the side, then looked at the ruined diary he now knew he was holding and back up to Harry, furious, "You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter. They were meddlesome fools too."

"I'd be careful who you threaten, Lucius," Alanna said softly, her wand in her hand, and Harry was thrown off over the quiet danger radiating from the usually sweet woman.

Lucius seemed to sense it too, so he simply sneered and turned to go, "Come, Dobby. I said, come."

But Dobby didn't move, staring down in wonder and the sock he was holding in his thin fingers, "Master has given a sock. Master gave it to Dobby. Dobby is free!"

Lucius stood there still for a while before lunging at Harry, "You've lost me my servant, boy!"

Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm Harry Potter!" the same time Alanna shouted, "Stupefy!"

Two stunning spells hit Lucius with a bang and he tumbled down the stairs three at a time, sprawling at the bottom, unconscious.

"Oh, dear," Alanna muttered and Harry couldn't hide his snort at her mild reaction, her grinning over her shoulder as she descended the stairs herself. The resemblence to the memory of his mum made him jolt, and his wand let out a puff of lily-scented mist, like his mum was giving her ok.

"Harry Potter freed Dobby! How can Dobby ever repay him?"

"By promising me one thing."

"Anything, sir."

"Never try to save my life again."

Dobby gave him a cragley smile and Disappareted with Alanna and Narcissa once they had said their goodbyes. Severus and Harry went down to the Great Hall for an early feast, While they went, Severus filled him in that the Mandrake Restorative Draught had finished this morning and Poppy had been applying it everyone Petrified while they were in the Headmaster's office. And that he had sent Batty out last night to order Hagrid's release. Harry had just sat down next to Draco when Hermione and all the other Petrified students came into the Hall. Hermione went straight to them, "Congratulations! You solved it!"

"All thanks to you." Harry said, standing up and hugging her after Terry.

Hermione wasn't the only Hufflepuff to come straight to Harry at the Ravenclaw table, Justin coming up to apologize to him and shake his hand. Dumbledore announced that given the events, all exams beside O.W.L.s and N.E. were canceled. He also announced Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he was admitted to St. Mungo's for the foreseeable future. The feast was nearly over by the time Hagrid showed up. He apologized for being so late, saying the messenger with his release papers had been briefly blown off course, pulling Batty out his pocket, who thankfully was fine, if wet. The rest of the term was spent in a sunny daze. Since there wasn't exams still needed to be prepared for, their Defense classes were canceled rather than having a substitute. Draco didn't really know what to feel when his father got sacked as a school governor. Ginny was perfectly happy again and joined her older brothers in taking the mickey out of Percy over his now not-so-secret girlfriend. Blaise and Harry were intensely focused on their parents' upcoming wedding, which was scheduled for late June. Harry was composing and practicing up a storm, as Severus and Alanna had trusted the music to him. Blaise was focused on seating charts, making sure feuds and curses wouldn't result by putting the wrong people together at a table. The final feast came and went, with the feeling that the last feast was only days ago. Hufflepuff won the House Cup, for Harry had insisted the credit of fixing everything go to Hermione, who received two hundred points for it. McGonagall went out of her way to compensate Ashewood from losing his final shot at winning the Quidditch season by giving him the blank Quidditch Cup. They got to King's Cross without anymore excitement and parted with promises to keep in touch.

"You can't use the excuse of a house-elf this summer, Harry!" Daphne called, the laughter that followed carrying him all the way back to Ymborth.