Harry Potter and the Room of Things no one Knows About

What if Harry freed Dobby another way?

Chapter 20

By

Jason Richard

So Fawkes healed Harry's wound with his tears, and that made Harry scream out in pain due to the amount of salt in those tears. Dumbledore then brought Him, Ginny, Ron, and an amnesiac Lockhart out of the chamber of secrets. Soon Harry and Ron found themselves face to face with Dumbledore in his office.

Dumbledore: "Over the past year you have broken over fifty school rules! There is sufficient evidence to have both of you expelled! Fortunately you do qualify for a pardon under the defeating evil magical artifact, dark lord, and/or monster clause, thereby rendering all previous offenses null and void."

Harry and Ron looked at each other and said, "Sweet!"

"Now," said Dumbledore. "I want you, Ron, to send a message to secure Hagrid's release from Azkaban."

"Sure thing!" said Ron, leaving. As he opened the door, he was passed by Lucius Malfoy and, hiding behind the man's robes, Dobby the house elf.

"Dobby!" said Harry. "You're Malfoy's house elf!"

"How do you know this elf's name?" demanded Lucius as Dobby cowered nervously.

Dobby: "Oh it's nothing, I'm sure Master Draco mentioned me or something completely non-incriminating like that."

Harry: "He warned me of danger at Hogwarts!"

Dobby: "No I didn't!"

Harry: "You were talking about the chamber of secrets the whole time!"

Dobby: "No I wasn't!"

Lucius: "I'd hope not. Not that a respectable family like my own would be involved in something like that, but if my house elf had given away family secrets, I'd have to have him whip himself with a foot long centipede."

"Oh…" said Harry awkwardly. "Um…sorry Dobby."

And Dobby just glowered at him.

"Lucius Malfoy," said Dumbledore in with an exaggeratedly friendly smile. "How nice to see you."

"How are you back in charge of Hogwarts?" demanded Lucius.

"Well," said Dumbledore. "The moment I left a student got kidnapped. Seems the ministry agreed firing me was a mistake."

"You never actually left," said Lucius. "You stayed at Hogwarts anyway."

Dumbledore shrugged and said, "Details. Also, ministry members seemed under the impression that you'd curse their families if they didn't do as you wanted. I wonder who gave them that idea?"

Lucius: "Time to go!"

Harry watched Lucius kick Dobby as they left, and despite the elf messing with him over the year Harry really felt sorry for him. Suddenly he understood why complimenting someone without throwing up was a challenge. If it was Draco Malfoy…he shuddered. He also wondered which was worse. Being forced to compliment Draco, or being forced to whip yourself with a foot long centipede.

Complimenting Draco Malfoy. Definitely complimenting Draco Malfoy was worse.

So Harry got an idea.

"Dumbledore," said Harry. "Can I have that diary?"

…

"I swear," said Lavender Brown as she went down the hallway. "When will I ever need that spell? And Professor McGonagall thought it would be the best spell to end this year on? When am I ever going to use a spell like that?

Yeah, thought Harry as he chased after Lucius. That had been a weird lesson. Still, he had other priorities at the moment.

"Mr. Malfoy!" cried Harry, running up to him and presenting Riddle's diary. "I think this belongs to you. I think you slipped it into Ginny's cauldron back in Diagon Alley."

"I think I don't know what you're talking about," said Malfoy, throwing the diary into a nearby trash bin.

Drat, thought Harry, I was hoping he'd hand it to Dobby to dispose of it, then Dobby would find the sock inside and be free, as house elves are freed if their master gives them clothing. Anyway, time for plan B. Maybe that weird spell from professor McGonagall will actually come in useful right now.

"Hey!" called Harry. "Dobby did warn me about danger this year!"

Dobby: "No I didn't!"

Lucius snarled and said, "Dobby!"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Said he couldn't say who was plotting things. Sounds like his family gave him order not to talk doesn't' tit?"

Dobby: "No I didn't!"

Lucius: "Dobby!"

Harry: "And he even tried to save my life by telling me to stay away from Hogwarts!"

Dobby: "Oh dear."

Lucius grabbed Dobby by the pillowcase the little elf wore and screamed, "You treacherous piece of trash! Go where you belong!"

And Lucius pulled his arm back to throw Dobby into the trash can, just as Harry had hoped. Now as the time for that weird spell he learned from McGonagall. He pulled out his wand and said, "Laundrius, freshius!"

And as Dobby sailed through the air, the garbage bin transformed so that Dobby landed in a laundry hamper.

Lucius looked at it with wide eyes, wondering what had just happened. And then…

Dobby: "Master has thrown Dobby into a laundry hamper."

Lucius: "Well…yes…I suppose I…"

Dobby: "Master has given Dobby all the clothes in this hamper."

Lucius: "No I haven't!"

Dobby: "Yes you have!"

Lucius: "No I…you know what? Fine. I gave you all of those clothes. I don't care. You were never a good servant anyway!"

And the elder Malfoy stormed off in a rage.

Harry sighed in relief. Who would have thought that a spell to turn a can full of garbage into a hamper full of fresh laundry would actually be useful? He walked over to the laundry hamper and said, "So you're free from the Malfoy's huh? I feel like a hero."

Dobby popped up out of the hamper wearing a small black robe and landed on the floor, saying, "You're definitely my hero Harry Potter! Is there any way Dobby can replay you?"

"There is one thing," said Harry. "Never try to save my life again."

Dobby: "Yes sir! The next time you're in mortal peril, I won't lift a finger!"

Harry: "Um…Dobby…I was joking…"

Dobby: "You could be trapped in the jaws of a dragon about to go up in flames and I wouldn't budge an inch!"

Harry: "Well let's not go that far…"

Dobby: "An army of giants could be stomping right towards you, and I'd let them go their way!"

Harry: "Dobby, please stop talking."

Dobby: "You could even be a prisoner inside Malfoy Manor as they await the arrival of he who must not be named going there to kill you once and for all, and I'd leave you to rot!"

For some reason, Harry couldn't fathom that last scenario sent chills down his spine.

"Well, see you!" said Dobby, disappearing and leaving a distraught Harry behind to stare around at the Hogwarts hallways with a frighteningly nervous expression on his face.

...

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From the Author,

Thanks for all the positive feedback. It really keeps me going :)

Jason.