Chapter Seventy-Four - Dobby Returns

Professor Moody was waiting outside the champions' tent when Bagman dismissed them. Harry had become used to the sight of the professor. He no longer felt an unpleasant lurch in his stomach when the enchanted eye swiveled in his direction before the ex-Auror turned his face Harry's way.

"You have visitors," the professor grunted as Harry approached.

His first thought was of Sirius and Remus. He was on the point of explaining that he'd already spoken to his godfather when Moody gestured with his walking stick. Sirius and Remus were indeed waiting for him further along the path, but so was Mrs. Zabini.

Moody had already started to walk in their direction. Harry followed him, easily catching up with the elderly professor. He did not want to be rude, but it was difficult to keep pace with Professor Moody when he wanted to rush immediately into Mrs. Zabini's welcoming arms. He managed to keep his excitement in check and remained calm, at least on the surface, though it was a relief when Mrs. Zabini greeted him with a warm hug.

"I'm so proud of you," she said with emotion, "And I'm so relieved you weren't hurt! When Ludo told me about the dragons I could have strangled him!"

Harry might have mentioned that he was hurt, though the wound was already healed. He didn't think this would do any favors with Mrs. Zabini, and he wasn't sure he wanted to sabotage Bagman's chances at becoming Blaise's new stepfather just yet. He would speak to his friend later and ask him if they ought to put a stop to this courtship, or see how things progressed.

"Have you seen Blaise?" Harry asked, looking around them. They were drawing stares from the students still trickling out of the makeshift arena, and Harry expected to see Blaise and Millie among the curious faces.

"He's been here and gone again," Mrs. Zabini said, the corners of her mouth lifting wryly, "He and Millicent left with assurances that they will have a celebration waiting for you when you return."

Harry grinned to himself. For the first time, he thought it wasn't so bad to be a champion.

"You might want to take this conversation someplace a little more private," growled Professor Moody. His enchanted eye had swivelled directly to the back of his head. Harry took the hint and glanced behind him. Rita Skeeter, dressed in horrid green robes to match her Quick-Quotes Quill, was standing not far away. She seemed to be interviewing students on their impressions of the first task, but Harry caught her shooting eager looks in their direction.

Mrs. Zabini had noticed her as well. Her lip curled as she shot a disapproving glare in the reporter's direction. Harry worried what would happen if Skeeter attempted to confront him with Sirius and Remus present, but fortunately Moody offered his guardians the use of his office. His invitation was gratefully accepted, and they had moved away without so much as a greeting to Rita Skeeter.

Moody's office had once belonged to Remus. Harry had spent many hours in the room last year, practicing the Patronus Charm. Back then, it had been fitted up with shelves packed with leather-bound books. On one or two occasions Harry had spotted a cage or glass tank containing an interesting creature they would be studying in class. Now that Moody had settled in, the room was mostly filled with old artifacts from his Auror days.

"I like what you've done with the place," Remus commented as he too surveyed the change in decor. He gestured to an odd, cloudy mirror in the corner and asked, "Been getting a read on that Foe-Glass?"

"Most of 'em know to keep their distance," Moody said with an amused chuckle, "It's the Sneakoscope I've had the most trouble with. Too many students cheating on assignments or lying to their teachers. The damn thing won't stop whistling! I've had to put it away."

Harry squirmed a little at the mention of cheating. With all the praise he'd received, he certainly didn't want to admit that he knew about the dragons beforehand. Harry began to wonder if the professor had seen right through him. Perhaps he had offered his office not to be polite, but to reprimand Harry for breaking the tournament rules in front of his guardians. To his immense relief, Professor Moody merely encouraged them to take all the time they needed for their chat, then he shuffled out of the room on his false leg.

A passing thought suggested to Harry that Moody may be another admirer of Mrs. Zabini. Certainly stranger things had happened, and it would explain this unexpected kindness from the grizzled old professor. Then he recalled that Moody was an old friend of Sirius, and he dismissed his theory as ridiculous.

"I suppose all my worry was for nothing," Mrs. Zabini said as soon as Moody had left the room, "You were truly marvelous today, Harry."

"I couldn't have done it without Blaise," Harry said quickly, "He's the one who taught me the summoning charm. I'd never have been able to summon my Nimbus without him."

Harry did not offer the praise to sound humble. He felt guilty that Blaise had rushed off without staying to visit his own mother. Harry continued to talk about Blaise as if this made up for his absence.

"Blaise didn't teach you to fly like that," Sirius interposed.

Mrs. Zabini nodded her head in agreement, and added, "You should have heard Ludo. He thinks you have a future in Quidditch, Harry."

For a moment, Harry imagined himself dressed in the yellow robes of Bagman's own Wimbourne Wasps. Perhaps, like Bagman, he could try out for the British national team. His mind flew to the possibility of playing in the Quidditch World Cup one day, or even flying head-to-head against Krum!

This was a pleasant fantasy, but it was interrupted by Sirius, who asked Harry about his egg. It was still tucked under his arm. Harry passed it to Sirius while explaining that it supposedly contained a clue for the next task.

"Well, getting it open certainly isn't part of the riddle," Sirius observed, pointing to a mechanism near one pole of the egg that was clearly meant to open it, "Suppose we give it a crack now and see what's in store?"

"Don't spoil the fun," Remus said with his usual caution, "Harry's supposed to face these challenges on his own."

Mrs. Zabini smiled smugly and stated, "Ludo has already spoken to me about the next task. After the dragons, I… Well, let's say I don't think the next task will be as much of a challenge. Harry has already proven he is quite capable. I say we let him enjoy his current victory. There will be time for golden eggs and riddles later."

Harry was now certain that Mrs. Zabini never told Mr. Bagman to help him. If that had been her intention, she would have passed along a clue related to the next task. Her confidence in him was actually flattering, and her calm tone when speaking of the next task put him at ease. He only wished he could ask her if she still believed he had put his own name in the Goblet of Fire. He knew Blaise had written to her weeks ago, but he hadn't heard her response. He wasn't sure how to introduce the topic now.

Sirius, a little disappointed that he couldn't help Harry with his next task, passed the egg back to him and said, "I wish James had been here to see you. He would have been so proud. You knew he played on Gryffindor's team, right?"

Harry knew, but he was always eager to hear Sirius speak of his father. He said only what was needed to encourage Sirius to go on, but at that moment, the office door swung open. Professor Moody had returned, an amused, crooked smile on his face.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, "There's someone else who would like to congratulate Potter on his performance."

He stepped aside, and Harry recognized the large ears and bright green eyes of a very familiar house elf.

"Dobby!" He exclaimed, both surprised and delighted to see this old friend. "What are you doing here?"

Dobby smiled broadly, though he appeared a trifle nervous in the presence of the older witch and wizards. He did not let this stop him from stepping forward and accepting Harry's outstretched hand.

"Dobby has found work at Hogwarts!" he explained, "It is only Dobby's… That is, it is only my first week at Hogwarts, sir. Dobby… I have wanted to tell Harry Potter about it, but house elves is… are meant to be silent and unseen when we move about the castle."

Harry was stunned. He had no idea that Hogwarts employed house elves. He felt very stupid as he realized that someone must be making their meals andtending to the many fireplaces throughout the school. And then there was the matter of their luggage, which somehow found its way from the train into their dormitories when they arrived each year. These would all be simple tasks for a skilled house elf.

Harry noticed that Dobby had taken to wearing clothes, though they were odd and woefully mismatched. He was also making a definite effort to change his speech patterns, though it was difficult for him to manage, particularly when excited.

"Do you like your job here, Dobby?" Harry asked him with genuine interest.

"Oh yes, sir! Dumbledore has given me wages and - and… even vacation days! I may go on holiday twice a year - whenever I choose!"

Harry was happy for him, and he told Dobby that he was welcome to come and visit whenever he had some spare time. Dobby was nearly prostrate with joy at this invitation, though Harry was forced to give a word of caution. He shared a dorm with Draco, after all, and Dobby was a former servant - or rather a slave - to the Malfoys. Harry warned him against the dormitory and common room for any future meetings.

Dobby glanced nervously at Mrs. Zabini and the others, though the adults were making small talk as Harry spoke with his friend. They did not appear to be listening closely to their conversation. Leaning toward Harry, Dobby quietly suggested, "Harry Potter might visit me in the kitchens. The other elves will not mind."

This was an intriguing offer. Blaise and Millie would surely love the opportunity to explore a new hidden room in the castle. The Chamber of Secrets was off-limits now that it was no longer a secret, but the kitchens could be a welcome diversion. Dobby covertly promised to tell Harry how he might sneak into the kitchens after hours, careful lest the adults disapprove of their plan. Harry enjoyed this little intrigue, though he privately thought Sirius would approve of the scheme. In fact, he might be able to locate the kitchens using the Marauder's Map.

Dobby soon announced that he had to get back to his duties. His departure prompted Sirius to say, "We had better be going, as well. I think Dumbledore might have spotted me in the stands earlier, and I don't fancy a lecture today."

"You mean you don't have Dumbledore's permission to be here?" Harry asked in surprise.

Sirius gave him a warm smile and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, I never ask for permission."

Moody, in spite of his previous employment, seemed to find this very funny. He chuckled a bit and offered to see them out of the castle himself. Mrs. Zabini rose from her seat to follow them, but Harry asked her to stay back a minute. Seeing Dobby had him thinking of other house elves he had met, and he was curious to know how Torsh and Winky were getting along.

Mrs. Zabini admitted that Winky was having a difficult time adjusting. Torsh had tried to help the poor creature, but with little luck so far.

"The truth is," she explained, "I have very little for one house elf to do, especially with you boys out of the way. There isn't enough to keep two busy. I think if Winky had more work, it would give her something to take her mind off her grief."

She added with a slight smile that Mr. Bagman's visits had not helped matters. The ministry official was often coming to call on Mrs. Zabini at home, and this led to some awkward encounters.

"Winky is still frightfully fond of her first master," Mrs. Zabini said, "In spite of the way he treated her. She seems to share Barty's resentment toward Ludo."

"Mr. Crouch doesn't like Mr. Bagman?" Harry asked with feigned surprise. The two men struck him as so entirely different, it wasn't shocking to hear that they disliked one another.

Mrs. Zabini replied carelessly, "They're different people. Ludo respects Barty as a minister, but he does chafe at the way Barty constantly criticises how he works."

Harry was barely paying attention now. He couldn't help but compare Winky's plight to Dobby's former situation. The elf's happiness in his new job had given Harry an idea.

"Do you think Winky would like a job at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"I don't see why she couldn't apply," Mrs. Zabini said thoughtfully, "She's not bound to me, after all. She can go where she pleases."

Mrs. Zabini agreed to speak to Winky about it, and even offered to write a recommendation letter to Dumbledore if the elf chose to take a job at the school. Harry thanked her, and they prepared to say goodbye.

"I suppose I'll see you for Christmas?" Harry asked as he escorted Mrs. Zabini toward the main entrance of the castle.

Mrs. Zabini shook her head, "With everything happening at Hogwarts this year, I expected you and Blaise would want to stay over the holiday."
Harry wasn't sure what she meant. He reminded her that the second task wasn't scheduled until February, and he had plenty of time to solve the riddle of his egg before then. Surely he could still come visit her?

Mrs. Zabini lifted her brows and replied, "I'm surprised you haven't heard yet! You'll have better things to do over the holiday than attend my Christmas party."

Harry highly doubted that, but Mrs. Zabini was determined to keep her information vague. She told him not to worry, and instructed him to go off and celebrate the day's victory with his friends. After saying goodbye, Harry made his way back to the common room in accordance with her recommendation.

Harry knew that Blaise and Millie were preparing a celebration for him, but he expected something small between the three friends. What he did not expect was a party already in full swing.

The common room was packed, and when the door swung open to reveal Harry, still grasping his golden egg, the entire room burst into applause. Harry found himself being lifted onto the broad shoulders of Derrick and Bole. Warrington accepted the egg from Harry's outstretched hands and lifted it above his head while the crowd continued to cheer. Some students had gotten ahold of an old victrola and were playing music from a group Harry didn't recognize. There was a table piled high with food and drink as well, and he wondered where it all came from.

He was trotted around the room by the two Beaters twice before they finally settled him down near the fireplace. Blaise and Millie were waiting there for him, proud smiles on their faces.

"Hope you don't mind," Blaise said, gesturing vaguely to the entire room, "We borrowed your cloak and the map. Made a run to Hogsmeade for the butterbeer."

"Did you use the passage under the Willow?" Harry asked.

"Yup," confirmed Millie.

"Brilliant."

Colin Creevy approached them then, his camera in hand. He was snapping photos of everyone at the party, not just Harry, though he wanted a picture of the Slytherin champion with his egg. Harry glanced around the room. Warrington had the egg last, but it was now being passed from hand to hand as each Slytherin had a look at it. Finally, it returned to Harry's possession, though a crowd had gathered around the fireplace to watch as Colin snapped his photo.

"So what's the deal?" Colin said, asking the question that was now on everyone's mind, "Is the egg a clue for the next task or something?"

"Open it, Harry!" called another voice from the crowd. It was joined by several others, all clamoring to know what was inside the strange contraption.

For once, Harry didn't mind all the attention. All around him were the smiling faces of his fellow classmates. Harry glanced at the egg, noting a groove that ran along the widest part of the oblong surface. He pressed the mechanism to open, and at once the egg split apart along the seam.

It was hollow and completely empty, but the moment it split apart, a horrible noise filled the room. It sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard, fighting cats, and a violin being played very poorly all at once. Harry had never heard anything like it before, and he didn't care to listen a moment longer. He slammed the two halves of the egg closed, silencing the horrible wail, then looked up into the faces of his classmates. They were no longer smiling. Most had placed their hands over their ears.

"What in Galadriel's name was that?" asked Blaise into the stunned silence.

"It sounded like a banshee," suggested Daphne Greengrass.

"Not even a banshee sounds that bad!" cried another voice.

Harry stared down at the egg while his classmates debated over what the sound had been. He didn't know what this clue was supposed to tell him, but he had until February to figure it out.