Chapter 27

I had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, as large as the Great Hall above it, when something small hurtled toward me from the middle of the room, squealing, "Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter!"

"Dobby!" I exclaimed, happy to meet him again. He was one of my favorite characters from the Harry Potter books.

"It is Dobby, sir, it is!" squealed the voice from somewhere around my navel. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!"

"You don't have to wait for me to come to you, Dobby. You can visit me anytime you want," I chuckled, answering the excited elf.

Dobby's eyes, wide as saucers, brimmed with tears of happiness. "Harry Potter is too kind, sir, too kind! Dobby has never known such a great and noble wizard to speak so generously to a humble house-elf!"

I smiled at his boundless enthusiasm. "You've always been a great friend, Dobby. How are you settling in at Hogwarts?"

"Dobby is happy, sir! Professor Dumbledore is kind to Dobby, and Dobby has his own corner in the kitchens!" He gestured excitedly toward the bustling kitchen, where dozens of house-elves scurried about, preparing food with practiced efficiency.

Plates, pots, and pans floated magically through the air as the mutterings of the elves filled the room.

Hermione, standing beside me, looked both fascinated and concerned. "Dobby, are all the elves treated well here?"

 "Yes, elves are treated well here, miss." Dobby's said excitedly.

"Dobby had trouble finding work because Dobby is a free elf now, and most wizards don't want to pay house-elves," Dobby said excitedly, bouncing on his toes. "So Dobby came to Hogwarts with Winky, and Professor Dumbledore agreed to hire us and even pay Dobby for his work!"

"That's great, Dobby!" I said, genuinely happy for him. "I'm glad Dumbledore recognized your talents. You deserve it."

Dobby's eyes grew even wider, if that were possible, and he looked on the verge of tears. "Harry Potter is too kind, sir! Dobby is proud to work at Hogwarts, where Harry Potter lives. Dobby will do anything to help Harry Potter, sir!"

Hermione, standing beside me, smiled warmly. "It's wonderful to see you doing well, Dobby. And Winky is here too?"

Dobby nodded eagerly. "Yes, Miss! Winky is here, but Winky is… not happy. Winky does not like being free."

Hermione's smile faltered slightly. "Oh, poor Winky. She's still struggling with the idea of freedom, isn't she?"

Dobby nodded solemnly, his large ears drooping. "Yes, Miss. Winky is missing her old family, and she drinks butterbeer all the time now. Dobby tries to help, but Winky says freedom is too hard."

I frowned. "Well, most house elves won't feel happy if they are removed from their work by their masters, even if their said masters treat them badly."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Maybe she just needs time to adjust."

Dobby's ears perked up slightly, and he nodded. "Yes, Miss! Winky will be better one day, Dobby is sure of it. Professor Dumbledore is very kind, and he says Winky can stay at Hogwarts as long as she needs."

"That's good to hear," I said. "At least she has someone like you looking out for her, Dobby."

Hermione, however, had a pensive expression. "Dobby, can I ask are there other house-elves here who want to be free like you do?"

Dobby's ears drooped slightly, and his voice lowered. "Oh, no, Miss. Other house-elves… they do not want to be free. They say Dobby is strange, even bad, for wanting pay and clothes. But Dobby is happy! Dobby is free and proud!"

Hermione frowned, clearly disappointed. "That's such a shame. They deserve freedom just as much as you do."

Dobby tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "Dobby thinks freedom is good, but some elves love to serve. They do not see freedom as Dobby does."

Hermione decided to head towards Winky to check on her, leaving me alone with Dobby. Seizing the opportunity, I decided to ask a question that had been nagging at me.

"Dobby, do you need to be bound to a wizard, their family, or a magical place to use your magic or to, well, survive?"

Dobby's large, tennis-ball-like eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously, his ears flapping. "Oh, no, Harry Potter, sir! House-elves do not need to be bound to survive or use magic. House-elves' magic comes from within."

I nodded thoughtfully, intrigued. "Then why do so many elves serve wizards or tie themselves to magical families?"

Dobby hesitated for a moment, his gaze dropping to the floor. "It is tradition, Harry Potter, sir. House-elves were taught long ago that serving wizards is their purpose. It is what they are told makes them happy. But Dobby knows it is not the only way."

He straightened up proudly. "Dobby is proof! A free elf, working for pay and still full of magic! Dobby does not need to be bound, Dobby chooses where to belong!"

That cleared up one of my doubts, and it was good to know that House-elves weren't reliant on being bound to a wizard or a family for survival.

"Dobby, you can also apparate in Hogwarts, right? Can you show me that once?" I asked him, as I wanted to learn that as well, especially since elves can Apparate without being stopped by the usual magical restraints that apply to wizards.

"Dobby would be happy to show Harry Potter, sir. Dobby can pop here and there, in the blink of an eye!" He said excitedly, happy to do something for me.

"Very well, Harry Potter, sir! Watch closely!" He took a deep breath, his ears twitching with excitement. Then, he vanished in an instant, leaving only a faint shimmer in the air, and appeared at my side.

"Thanks, Dobby. That was amazing." I said happily.

"Anything for Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby replied, his eyes glowing with devotion. "Dobby is at your service, always."

Hermione soon returned as well, looking disappointed after her unsuccessful attempt to cheer Winky up. As we began heading back to the common room, the other elves, who had been watching eagerly, started to fill our arms with snacks like cream cakes and pies.

"Thanks a lot!" I said to the elves, who had all clustered around the door to say good night. "See you, Dobby!"

*****************************

Check out my patreon for more advanced chapters of

Harry Potter The Archmage Awakens

Reality Bending in One Piece

patreon.com/Eternal97