A/N: Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Finals Round One.
Title: Dobby the House Elf
Summary: Dobby tries to do everything that young Master Malfoy asks him to do on September 1st, 1991, but figures out that the Malfoys aren't nice at all and don't deserve his respect—only his rebellion.
Characters: Dobby, Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and Narcissa Malfoy
Team: Montrose Magpies
Position: Chaser One
Words: 1,049
Dobby the House Elf was running around frantically on the morning of September 1, 1991. It was the first year that young Master Malfoy would be going to Hogwarts, and as such Dobby had a lot to do. Master Malfoy had asked Dobby to pack for him, and all of his things were strewn about his room, causing Dobby to be in a panic for the majority of the morning. He didn't want to have to punish himself, you see, so he was therefore on edge all morning about just how much time he had and how much stuff needed to be done.
"Dobby!" Master Malfoy barked from upstairs, causing Dobby to drop what he was doing at once and Apparate to his young Master. "Iron my underwear and socks, clean my room, pack my trunk, and fix me breakfast within the hour." Dobby just stared at Master Malfoy before causing the young boy to shout, "Is that too much to ask, Freak!?"
Dobby jumped, knocking over a vase and just barely managing to catch it before it shattered into thousands of pieces on the floor. Master Malfoy narrowed his eyes as Dobby sprinted from the room to go and do what Master Malfoy had asked him to. First, Dobby quickly made a breakfast for Master Malfoy that was fit for a king with eggs, bacon, toast, and even some apple strudel. This took all of twenty minutes with Dobby's house elf magic, but that still only left him forty minutes to complete the other chores left for him.
He walked over to the ironing board and snapped his fingers, causing all of Master Malfoy's socks and underwear to appear in front of him, ready to be ironed (and honestly, Master Malfoy had enough underwear and socks to supply a small army). As Dobby was bending over, about ready to start ironing a pair of socks, old Master Malfoy wandered by and, upon seeing his house elf, hit Dobby very sharply in between his shoulder blades with his wand, causing Dobby, who just so happened to be holding the iron, to place it on top of his hand.
Master Malfoy cackled before walking off, saying over his shoulder, "Watch where you place the iron, Dobby!" Dobby frowned, thinking, My Masters are the worst wizards around! However, shocked at himself for his bravado, he realized that he would have to punish himself, so he proceeded to iron his other hand—the one that hadn't been ironed when old Master Malfoy hit him. Dobby groaned with the pain before taking the iron off and continuing with his work.
After he was done ironing, Dobby realized that he only had twenty minutes left in which to completely pack young Master Malfoy's trunk for the train. Dobby hurried toward young Master Malfoy's room, though upon arriving found the door to be locked. He sighed and used his house elf magic to unlock it. Master Malfoy was sitting on his bed, lazily tossing a Snitch up into the air and catching it. He rounded on Dobby at once. "What do you want, Freak?"
"Dobby is here to pack Master Malfoy's trunk as Master Malfoy asked Dobby to," Dobby whimpered, but Master Malfoy just lazily leaned back up against his bed and continued tossing and catching the Snitch.
"That's right, I must've forgotten. Carry on, Dobby," Master Malfoy said, and Dobby began picking things up and placing them neatly into Master Malfoy's trunk. Once he had gathered up all of Master Malfoy's things and stowed them neatly away, he realized that he had five minutes left to spare before he needed to bring the trunk downstairs.
"I-Is there a-anything else Master Malfoy would like Dobby to do, sir?" Dobby asked hesitantly, scared of the repercussions he would face asking Master Malfoy a question like that.
Master Malfoy frowned before turning quickly to face the house elf. It looked as though he was on the verge of saying something before his mother poked her head into the door. "Are you almost ready to go, Draco?" she said, shooting Dobby a look of contempt.
Master Malfoy nodded, and Dobby watched as Mistress Malfoy glared at him once more before she left the room. Master Malfoy turned to him again, still seeming as though he was wondering if he should actually do this or not. "Dobby… I want you to do something for me, all right? It might get me into some trouble but… No, it won't get me into any trouble at all. I mean, how are they going to figure out who did it?"
Dobby stared at Master Malfoy, trying to figure out what he wanted Dobby to do. Master Malfoy again stared off into space, trying to figure out how to best word what he was trying to say. "After I make it into Slytherin, Dobby, I think I want there to be a nice celebration. Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Gregory Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and I all want to make it to Slytherin together, so if we do then I need to be prepared for a celebration. Are you with me so far, Dobby?"
Dobby nodded.
"Good. Then I need you to pack these for me, okay?" Dobby looked down at what Master Malfoy was holding and visibly started shaking. Fireworks were grasped in Master Malfoy's hands, and Dobby couldn't even count them because there were so many. Dobby nodded at Master Malfoy's wishes and stowed them in the bottom of his trunk so that Mr. Filch wouldn't detect them. He noticed that Master Malfoy now looked visibly relieved, though Dobby didn't know what he'd just done.
How could I have helped Master Malfoy do something against the rules for Hogwarts? He's such a bad little boy, Dobby thought, though once again he had to punish himself, this time slamming his head into Master Malfoy's dresser.