A/N: One of the unresolved questions was how could Dobby have been at Hogwarts last year, when he told Harry Potter he had started this year. This is the shorter version of the two versions I wrote. I finally decided on the third version where Malcolm receives the letter about Nob, because the first two versions kept taking the story in the wrong direction. Nob is supposed to be the comic relief, but this version, and particularly the next version kept shoving him onto the center stage.





Chapter Twenty Two: Arguments and the Law

"Good Morning, Malcolm," Hermione said, frostily.

"Are you still mad at me about the house elf?" Malcolm said as he looked up from his breakfast. "I told you it wasn't my fault."

"We have nothing to talk about," Hermione said, as she walked past."

"What would you like me to do?" Malcolm yelled after her, "Do you want me to adopt him. Will that make you happy."

"I don't know why she's upset," Ginny said, "He looked cute in the picture they sent."

"Yeah," Malcolm admitted, "but things are getting weird at my house. According to my Mom, Francis taught the house elf to lie."

"Is Francis home, now," Neville asked.

"No, apparently he gave lessons over the phone. Mom's furious about the phone bill."

"Could we talk about something else other than Malcolm's house elf," EJ asked, "I hear this argument every morning."

"Malcolm," Professor McGonagall said as she walked up to the table, "I have no idea what you have done, but Professor Dumbledore wants to see you in his office, immediately."

[But I haven't had a chance to do anything yet. I'm still in the planning stage.]

"Excuse me, Professor, I'm in the middle of breakfast. Can I finish first?"

"No, you can not, because you are in the middle of running to the Headmaster's office, Malcolm," McGonagall said with surprising sterness, "Now GO."

Malcolm ran all the way to Dumbledore's office, and stopped by the stone gargoyle, but the door was open. He walked in warily, and stopped when he heard someone call his name.

"Francis? What the hell are you doing here?"

"You payed me a visit, Malcolm. I'm returning the favor."

[I'm officially confused. This doesn't happen.]

"No, I'm sorry, Francis. I don't buy it," Malcolm said, angrily "Nobody in my family has ever come here to visit me. Dewey always comes to visit that stupid poltergeist. Reese comes by and hangs out with Draco Malfoy. Now you show up. What's going on?"

Francis smiled wryly at Malcolm's outburst, and said, "You're right. I need something, and it's important, and it's too involved to put into a letter, and you are the last person I know to ask."

[Not only am I confused, I'm getting scared.]

"What is it?"

"This may sound stupid," Francis said, "but I need you to find a house elf who will tell a lie."

"Uh, Francis," Malcolm said carefully, "Mom said that you taught Nob to lie."

"Yeah, I did," Francis admitted, "and now I'm trying to fix it. Can you do it?"

"I guess," Malcolm said, "there are tons of house elves here. One of them must have lied or known an elf to lie. How soon do you need the elf."

"Let's see," Francis said, "It's 8:30 here, and the hearing is in Washington at 10:00, their time, figure two hours to travel there by floo and portkey and local transportation . . . "

"Three Hours?" Malcolm asked, "To find a house elf that lies? Francis, that is stupid. I can do that in two minutes. Watch me." Malcolm turned to Dumbledore and said, "Excuse me, Sir. Could you tell me please if we have any house elves that have ever lied?"

"I asked him, already," Francis said.

Albus Dumbledore cleared his throat to get Malcolm's attention, and said, "I told your brother that I could not help him. A House Elf does not lie. It isn't allowed. He may not tell the entire truth, if his master wishes it, but no House Elf will tell a deliberate falsehood."

"Wait a minute," Malcolm said, "That can't be true, because Nob did. If one house elf can do it, then another one has to be able to do it." Malcolm turned to Francis and asked, "What is this hearing about, that you need a lying elf?"

Francis sat down heavily in a chair, and said, "After I got Nob to tell a lie, I told him he was practically part of the family. Then I said, exact words, 'All you have to do now is . . . '"

[Oh My God. Mom and Dad are going to ADOPT the house elf. On the other hand, Hermione will be happy.]

"It's a custody hearing," Malcolm said to himself. "Why is Mom doing it?"

"Dad talked her into it."

"Dad can't talk her into letting him make up his own mind."

"Malcolm, Dad was standing there when Mom caught Nob lying. Then Nob, thinking I was telling the truth, called her, 'Mommy.' Dad could have talked her into a divorce if he wanted to."

"Okay, Francis," Malcolm said, "It's starting to make sense. Nobs only a little kid, despite the fact that he's an elf, and Mom and Dad got sentimental over the whole thing, Let me guess. The hearing is in Washington, because it's at the Bureau of Interspecies Affairs."

"Close," Francis said, "The Bureau, and the Department of Health and Human Services's Wizard Family Welfare Office both have offices there. It's a matter of convenience."

"Why do you need another elf who lies?" Malcolm asked.

"Because Elves don't lie," Francis said, "When the Welfare Office found out, they took Nob and declared him to be divergent. It means . . . "

"I know," Malcolm said, "We had a hippogryph here last year. They used the same word at one point."

Malcolm turned around and ran out of the office. "Why did he do that?" Francis asked.

"You told him he had a new brother, and now he is going to lose him," Albus explained. "A friend of Malcolm's recently went through the same thing."

"I wish I had known," Francis said, "I guess I screwed things up good, this time. Even I hate myself for what I did."

"Francis, you gave a helping hand," Albus said, "and you did it out of love. In the world of magic that is the greatest power there is. Never give up hope when there is still a chance."

Francis looked at the old wizard and asked, "Do you believe there is still a chance?"

"Let me tell you about your brother. As a joke, he was picked to play in a game that he was terrible at. His friend told me that Malcolm would probably win. I asked how, and he said, 'I don't know how, but I know Malcolm. If there is a way, he'll find it. Malcolm ended up winning the game for his team. He did it in a way that no one had ever thought of. And Francis, that was not the first time or the last time he did something like that. It was only the most impressive."

Francis nodded and asked, "Then you won't be surprised if Malcolm pulls this off."

Albus said, "No, I won't be surprised if he succeeds, but I will probably be surprised at how he succeeds.

*

Malcolm walked into the Great Hall for lunch, and was grabbed and forced into a chair. The ringleader, Hermione Granger, demanded to know what happened.

"It's like this," Malcolm said. "It turns out that Nob is only five years old. My parents contacted Family Welfare, and applied for custody. The Department of Magic stepped in, and took Nob away because he was acting strange. The Hearing is at this morning at ten."

"Wait a minute," Ginny said, "What did Nob do?"

"That's the funny part," Malcolm said, with a bitter laugh, "He ate some ice cream, and then he lied about it. Since house elves don't lie, there must be something wrong with Nob."

Malcolm picked up his plate and threw it against the wall. "IT'S NOT FAIR," he cried, "I have a brother for five minutes, and they take him away." He stormed out of the Great Hall.

"I didn't understand that at all," Hermione said.

"I did," Ginny admitted, and pushed her plate away. She was no longer hungry.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, EJ asked, "How much time do we have?"

"What do you mean?" Neville asked.

"Until the hearing," EJ explained. "It half past noon our time. The Americans are from five to eight hours behind us. At the worst, we still have two an a half hours to come up with a solution."

"Why us?" Ginny asked.

"Because we're all Malcolm has," EJ said, "And we have the smartest student in the school on our team."

Everyone looked at Hermione. "Malcolm knows more than I do," She admitted.

"But you're better at using what you know," Neville said, "The three of you get started, I'm going to find out how much time we have."

Hermione watched as Neville left to find Dumbledore. "I don't know where to start, " she said, then started laughing. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "but if anyone could teach a house elf to lie, it would be Malcolm's family."

Ginny and EJ laughed as well, then EJ asked, "Could we teach a house elf to lie? Then we could show them that it isn't that strange."

"We could try," Hermione said, but we only have a few hours, and Malcolm's family had over three months. But I think we're on the right track. We can try asking the house elves if they know of any cases of an elf lying. Although, you two had better ask them."

"They're mad at you because of S.P.E.W., aren't they?" Ginny asked, and she and EJ laughed as Hermione blushed.

"I'll wait here for Neville," Hermione said, "Oh, and be sure to talk to Dobby, I know he's only started here, but he knows about the Malfoys as well. If any elf had cause to lie, it would be one working for them."

"How long has Dobby been working here," EJ asked, "You make it sound like he only started recently."

"Oh, he's been here since there beginning of the school year," Hermione said. "I meant that he was new, compared to the other house elves."

Ginny stopped and her eyes grew wide, "That's not true," she said, "Last year, Dobby was sneaking muffins out to Buckbeak the hippogryph, as a favor to Malcolm. That's why Hagrid was always complaining that Buckbeak wouldn't eat."

"But Dobby told Harry that he had started at the beginning of this school year. Ron and I were standing there when he said it," Hermione told her.

All three faces lit up in joy. Three voices, in unison, said, "Dobby lied."

*

"You are already late for classes," Dumbledore said, as he walked into the Great Hall, with Neville in tow. "I have some bad news for you, anyway. The hearing is taking place in the American Capitol. You would only have two hours, and you would still have to get there." They he added softly, "Please, forget this, and go to your classes. I will see that you are excused for your lateness."

"But Professor, we found the answer," Hermione said, "we know how to prove that Nob is normal."

Dumbledore smiled, and asked, "How."

"We need Dobby," Ginny said, "We think we can prove that he lied."

"Do you see, Professor, Nob is free and he lied. Dobby is free and he also lied."

Albus cast a spell with his wand, and said, "Marvelous thinking Miss Granger. Something happening once is an aberration. If it happens twice, it is merely unusual."

"Dobby is here," Dobby said, "Dobby heard you call him."

"Thank you Dobby," Dumbledore said, "I need to ask you three questions, if you don't mind."

"Dobby will answer a thousand question," Dobby said happily.

"Very well, I must first ask you if you have ever lied about anything, or if you know of any house elf that has ever lied?"

"No, Professor Dumbledore Sir," Dobby said, "A house elf does not lie. A house elf can not lie. Dobby has told Dumbledore that."

"Yes. you have, Dobby. My second question is this. Do you remember when it was that you came to Hogwarts."

"Yes, Sir, Mr. Dumbledore, Sir. It was after Friend Harry Potter tricked my master into freeing me."

"My last question is this," Albus said, pointing at Hermione, "when did you tell Miss Granger that you started working here?"

Dobby looked at Hermione, who had her arms crossed, and froze in his tracks. After a long silence, Hermione said, "We already know the answer to that question. Why don't you tell us why you lied, Dobby."

Dobby looked from face to face. A look from Dumbledore told him there was no use in running. Finally, he said, "Dobby was ashamed. Dobby is free. Dobby can do whatever Dobby wants, and Dobby runs to Friend Harry like Dobby is still owned."

Albus pulled out his watch and said, "I had already made arrangements, just in case. It will be close thing, but I trust to all governments and I expect they will be late, as usual."

"May Dobby leave," Dobby asked.

"Dobby may leave but he must get ready for a trip," Albus said. "We have to travel to America. And don't worry, we will be coming back. Miss Granger, you will have to come as a witness to the incident." Turning to the entrance of the Hall he called to Francis, "We have what we need, young man. We will be going shortly."

"Francis?" Ginny said, "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Hi Ginny," Francis said, "I guess I need to thank all of you."

"Good Luck," Ginny said, then she said, "Malcolm!"

"I'll run to the common room and get him," EJ said, "where should he meet you?"

"At Hogsmeade Station," Dumbledore said, "If he flies fast enough he may even beat us there."

"I'll check the owlery," Ginny said, "He might be there sulking."

Neville watched his two housmates run out of the Great Hall and said, "It's a long shot, but I'll check his classroom, just in case."

"By the way," Hermione said to the Headmaster, "If you ever ask anyone if they lied, they always say no."

"That girl has a wonderful mind," Albus told Francis, "And she is finally developing a sense of humor. Have you ever lied to anyone, Francis?"

"Of course not."

"Just checking."