He.expected.the.elf.s.smile.to.vanish,.his.ears.to.droop;.he.expected.him.to.say.it.was.impossible,.or.else.that.he.would.try.to.find.somewhere,.but.his.hopes.were.not.high..What.he.had.not.expected.was.for.Dobby.to.give.a.little.skip,.his.ears.waggling.cheerfully,.and.clap.his.hands.together..
.Dobby.knows.the.perfect.place,.sir!..he.said.happily...Dobby.heard.tell.of.it.from.the.other.house‐elves.when.he.came.to.Hogwarts,.sir..It.is.known.by.us.as.the.Come.and.Go.Room,.sir,.or.else.as.the.Room.of.Requirement!..
.Why?..said.Harry.curiously..
.Because.it.is.a.room.that.a.person.can.only.enter,..said.Dobby.seriously,..when.they.have.real.need.of.it..Sometimes.it.is.there,.and.sometimes.it.is.not,.but.when.it.appears,.it.is.always.equipped.for.the.seeker.s.needs..Dobby.has.used.it,.sir,.
.said.the.elf,.dropping.his.voice.and.looking.guilty,..when.Winky.has.been.very.drunk;.he.has.hidden.her.in.the.Room.of.Requirement.and.he.has.found.
antidotes.to.Butterbeer.there,.and.a.nice.elf‐sized.bed.to.settle.her.on.while.she.sleeps.it.off,.sir….and.Dobby.knows.Mr.Filch.has.found.extra.cleaning.materials.there.when.he.has.run.short,.sir,.and.‐..
.And.if.you.really.needed.a.bathroom,..said.Harry,.suddenly.remembering.something.Dumbledore.had.said.at.the.Yule.Ball.the.previous.Christmas,..would.it.fill.itself.with.chamber.pots?..
.Dobby.expects.so,.sir,..said.Dobby,.nodding.earnestly...It.is.a.most.amazing.room,.sir...
.How.many.people.know.about.it?..said.Harry,.sitting.up.straighter.in.his.chair..
.Very.few,.sir..Mostly.people.stumbles.across.it.when.they.needs.it,.sir,.but.often.they.never.finds.it.again,.for.they.do.not.know.that.it.is.always.there.waiting.to.be.called.into.service,.sir...
.It.sounds.brilliant,..said.Harry,.his.heart.racing...It.sounds.perfect,.Dobby..When.can.you.show.me.where.it.is?..
.Any.time,.Harry.Potter,.sir,..said.Dobby,.looking.delighted.at.Harrys.enthusiasm...We.could.go.now,.if.you.like!..
For.a.moment.Harry.was.tempted.to.go.with.Dobby..He.was.halfway.out.of.his.seat,.intending.to.hurry.upstairs.for.his.Invisibility.Cloak.when,.not.for.the.first.time,.a.voice.very.much.like.Hermione.s.whispered.in.his.ear:.reckless..It.was,
.after.all,.very.late,.he.was.exhausted,.and.had.Snape.s.essay.to.finish..
.Not.tonight,.Dobby,..said.Harry.reluctantly,.sinking.back.into.his.chair..This.is.really.important….I.don.t.want.to.blow.it,.it.ll.need.proper.planning..Listen,.can.you.just.tell.me.exactly.where.this.Room.of.Requirement.is,.and.how.to.get.in.there?..
*.
Their.robes.billowed.and.swirled.around.them.as.they.splashed.across.the.flooded.vegetable.patch.to.double.Herbology,.where.they.could.hardly.hear.what.Professor.Sprout.was.saying.over.the.hammering.of.raindrops.hard.as.hailstones.on.the.greenhuse.roof..The.afternoons.Care.of.Magical.Creatures.lesson.was.to.be.relocated.from.the.storm‐swept.grounds.to.a.free.classroom.on.
the.ground.floor.and,.to.their.intense.relief,.Angelina.had.sought.out.her.team.at.lunch.to.tell.them.that.Quidditch.practice.was.cancelled..