New Servant

The next day, the Grangers officially moved into the manor.

Hermione spotted Kai Adler standing near the front door, waving his wand in a precise arc. She skipped toward him, curious.

"What are you doing?"

Looking at the bright smile on the young girl's face, Kai smiled as well.

"Setting up some security wards for our house."

"Security wards?" Hermione blinked her big brown eyes.

"Just a few protective enchantments and an Anti-Apparition Charm. Don't want some old man sneaking in without so much as a knock."

Hermione giggled. "You're talking about Professor Dumbledore, aren't you?"

Kai glanced at her, his face full of mischief.

"I didn't name anyone. You did."

"You're so bad." Hermione gave him a playful punch on the arm. Kai immediately raised his hands in surrender.

While the two were laughing and teasing each other, the Granger couple came walking up the path, arms full of large and small bags.

Seeing them, Kai quickly stepped forward.

"Let me take those, Uncle, Auntie."

With a gentle flick of his wand, the luggage lifted from their hands and floated neatly toward the front doors of the mansion.

The couple stared in awe.

"Magic really is convenient," Mr. Granger muttered, then turned to Kai. "Do you think I could learn it?"

Kai chuckled. "Uncle, you have a daughter who's already a witch~"

Mrs. Granger nudged her husband. "You're too old to start learning magic. Just stick to dentistry."

Mr. Granger sighed, clicking his tongue in defeat as he looked around. "This garden is beautiful. I've always wanted something like this to tend to myself."

Mrs. Granger scoffed. "With these old bones? We'll hire some help. You can supervise from a chair with a cup of tea."

"That does sound better…"

Though the Grangers had lived a modest upper-middle-class lifestyle before, employing household help was not beyond their means. Still, Kai frowned slightly.

If his suggestion had caused them to incur extra expenses, that wasn't what he'd intended. And beyond that, this was his personal residence. Having unfamiliar Muggle servants wandering around would be a constant security risk.

But the manor was far too large for just the four of them to maintain.

His eyes lit up with an idea.

"Uncle, Auntie, let me handle the staff. I'll find someone suitable."

Before they could reply, his figure vanished with a soft pop.

"Hey—" Hermione called out, reaching for where he'd just been, but he was already gone.

She wrinkled her nose. "Just because you can Apparate doesn't mean you should run off whenever you want!"

The Grangers exchanged puzzled glances.

Where had that boy gone now?

Not even half an hour later, just as they were admiring the west wing, Kai reappeared in front of them—though his appearance was a bit messier than before.

Hermione's sharp eyes immediately caught the rip in his shirt hem.

"Where have you been? And—did you tear your clothes?"

"Oh," Kai glanced down and noticed the damage. "Got snagged on something while I was… inviting help."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What kind of place did you go to invite someone?"

The Grangers were curious too.

"You'll see," Kai said with a mysterious grin. Then he snapped his fingers. "Come and greet Mr. and Mrs."

With a faint shimmer of magic, a small, thin figure appeared beside him.

The being's oversized ears drooped slightly, and his round, bright eyes blinked nervously.

"Dobby greets Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger."

"Ah!"

The unexpected shriek came from Mr. Granger, who jumped back comically, hands in the air and one foot lifted.

Mrs. Granger, by contrast, crouched down with fascination, studying the odd-looking little creature before her. He was wearing a ragged pillowcase but held in his hand what looked like an expensive black leather glove.

"Hermione," she whispered, "what is this?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Dobby?! Isn't that the Malfoy family's house-elf?"

She looked sharply at Kai. "You didn't—"

She covered her mouth mid-sentence, staring at him in disbelief.

Kai smirked. "I paid a quick visit to Mr. Lucius Malfoy. After a very polite and respectful discussion, he graciously gifted Dobby his glove and granted him his freedom. Dobby then volunteered to come work here."

Hermione eyed him over her glasses.

"Polite and respectful, huh?"

She could only imagine the look on Lucius Malfoy's face.

But then her expression changed, her voice softening with concern.

"I still… don't feel right about house-elf enslavement."

Kai gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"How could I forget?"

Dobby immediately stepped forward and looked up at her earnestly.

"Miss Granger, please don't misunderstand Mr. Kai. Mr. Kai is a good wizard! He gave Dobby a job!"

With that, Dobby held up a gleaming gold Galleon in both hands like it was a priceless treasure.

Kai added with a smile, "I pay Dobby one Galleon a month, and he gets one day off every week. He can do as he pleases during that time."

Dobby beamed. "Dobby is a free elf!"

Hermione lit up with joy. "Kai, you're the best~"

Kai raised an eyebrow, satisfied. Of course I am. One Galleon a month—and in two months, Dobby will be wealthier than the entire Weasley household.

Mrs. Granger crouched beside Dobby, curious.

"Dobby, is it? What can you do?"

"Dobby can do everything, miss!"

Kai chuckled. "Go take a bath first and change into some proper clothes. Then you can show them your abilities."

Turning to Mr. Granger—who still looked a bit pale—he added gently, "Uncle, house-elves are docile and deeply loyal. You've nothing to fear."

Mr. Granger gave a forced smile and nodded uncertainly.

An hour later, Mrs. Granger stood stunned in one of the guest rooms, which now looked freshly polished and flawlessly clean.

Beside her stood a neatly dressed Dobby in oversized but well-mended clothes that had once belonged to Kai.

"Kai told us house-elves know magic," she said, "but I didn't think—"

"You did an amazing job, Dobby," she said warmly, reaching out to rub the top of his head.

Kai stood nearby, arms crossed, watching with a faint smile. He had explained that house-elves remained small throughout their lives, but Mrs. Granger still treated Dobby like an adorable child. Not that Dobby seemed to mind.

"Dobby," Kai called out, "want some snacks? I made quite a few earlier."

"Snacks!" Dobby's eyes sparkled with joy. He remembered the last time he'd eaten here—unforgettable!

But he paused, glancing at Kai uncertainly, as if asking permission.

Kai sighed. "Dobby, don't forget—you're free now. You're working, yes, but I'm not your master. If you want to eat, you don't need to ask. Just go."

"Oh! Dobby is a free elf!" Dobby grinned. "Dobby wants snacks!"

"Alright~ Let's go then."

As the elf scampered off with Kai, Hermione watched their retreating figures and smiled.

"You're actually a really good person, you know."

She turned to look up at him, her expression open and sincere.

Kai looked away. "Probably."