Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.


Chapter 22 – Dobby's Reward


He could hear the arguing before the gargoyle had wound its way fully to the top, and the topic of the argument didn't surprise him one bit.

"He is dead, Dumbledore!" Cornelius shouted. "I agree that while a student here he placed some dark magic in that diary to lead another to open the Chamber of Secrets, and had this plan succeeded he may have returned as a teenage boy, but the dark lord as we knew him is gone!"

"Have some sense, Cornelius!" Dumbledore replied, sounding more in control of his emotions than the Minister, though there was still a strain to be heard. "This is the second time in less than two years that Voldemort has nearly been resurrected! It is time to accept that he is not as gone as you might want to believe!" Harry chose that moment to knock and enter the office. Cornelius' red face changed the moment he saw his ward and for the second time in recent months, Harry found himself pulled into a hug with Cornelius.

"You gave us quite the scare, Harry." He said when they pulled apart a few moments later. "Madam Pomfrey has cleared you?" Harry nodded. "Good. Though I daresay you will be coming home for the Christmas holidays early once Aldora hears about all this, and you'll have to deal with her mothering. A small price to pay though, I think, to reassure her. What you accomplished today, Harry, was quite extraordinary, and we all owe you a debt for ridding us of that monster." Harry wasn't sure if he meant the basilisk, or Tom Riddle.

"It wasn't that extraordinary." He blushed. "I didn't really have a choice, after all."

"Cornelius is right, Harry." Dumbledore said. "Your actions today were nothing short of remarkable, and heroic. So, it is fitting, I think, that you be given a special award for services to the school." Harry blushed again, but Cornelius practically beamed.

"More than just to the school, Harry, you helped all of wizarding Britain and I shall see to it that the Ministry also recognizes your bravery." In other words, the Daily Prophet was about to get an owl, and Cornelius would do everything he could to ensure that Harry's achievement reflected well on him. The Cornelius Fudge Harry knew was back. "For now though, I must return to the Ministry, and of course inform Aldora of what has happened." He moved to a nearby chair and grabbed his cloak and hat before moving to the fireplace. "I shall see you soon, Harry. Dumbledore." The floo flared to life and Cornelius was gone.

"Harry." He turned and faced Dumbledore, who had stood from his chair and come around to stand before Harry, leaning on his desk. "First, I want to thank you, Harry. You showed this school great loyalty tonight, whether you recognize it or not. Nothing but that could have called the Sorting Hat to you."

"But Fawkes brought that hat."

"Yes, but how did he know to bring it?" Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again. "Fawkes is a very intelligent creature, Harry, it is true, but he does not know the intricacies of the ancient magic that governs our school. Many believe that the Sorting Hat is merely that: a hat enchanted to sort students into their houses. However, in reality it is much more than that. The hat was filled with the magic of all four founders and its primary purpose is to serve Hogwarts in any way it can." Harry nodded, not fully understanding, but grasping enough to know that the Sorting Hat had known he was in danger and needed help. "Now secondly, I sense there is something troubling you. Is there something you wish to tell me, Harry?"

"Yes, sir." He signed. "It's just…I couldn't help but notice certain things, certain similarities between Tom Riddle and me." It had been playing on him. Especially since learning that Voldemort was the heir of Slytherin.

"I see. You can speak Parseltongue, Harry, why?" Harry shrugged, not having an answer. "Because Lord Voldemort can speak Parseltongue. If I'm not mistaken, Harry, he transferred some of his powers to you the night he gave you that scar."

"That's what I was afraid of." Harry murmured. "It wasn't intentional though, I take it."

"No, I daresay not." Dumbledore said with a chuckle and returned to his seat behind his desk.

"Then the Sorting Hat was right. He said I would have done well in Slytherin."

"Yes. It is true, Harry, that you possess many of the qualities that both Voldemort and Slytherin himself prize. Determination, resourcefulness, and, perhaps, a certain disregard for the rules. Why then, did the Sorting Hat place you in Gryffindor?"

"Because I asked it to."

"Exactly, Harry, exactly! Which makes you different from Voldemort. It is not our abilities that show us what we truly are. It is our choices. If you want further proof, I suggest you take a closer look at this." He motioned to the sword, the one Harry had pulled out of the Sorting Hat in the Chamber, that was currently lying on his desk. Harry lifted the sword by the hilt and, for the first, time, really looked at it. The giant ruby at the tip of the handle first drew his eye, but the writing on the blade is what drew his attention.

"Godric Gryffindor."

"It would take a true Gryffindor to pull that out of the hat." Harry couldn't help but smile slightly. Suddenly the door banged open, and Lucius Malfoy came barging into the Headmaster's office. But he wasn't the only one.

"Dobby!" Harry gasped. "So this is your master, the family you serve is the Malfoys." Lucius glared menacingly down at his elf and Harry knew he'd made a big mistake by publicly recognizing Dobby.

"I'll deal with you later." He growled before approaching Dumbledore's desk. "So, it's true then? This incident with the Chamber of Secrets has been dealt with?"

"Yes."

"The culprit has been identified, I presume?"

"Oh, yes." Dumbledore was clearly having fun drawing this out.

"And?"

"Voldemort." Lucius recoiled a bit at the name.

"Ah." Harry's eyes narrowed. Malfoy didn't seem nearly as surprised as he should have.

"Only this time he chose to act through somebody else. By means of this." He held up the diary and Lucius tried to maintain his composure.

"I see." Dobby pulled on Harry's robe and motioned to the diary and then to Malfoy. Harry's eyes narrowed further.

"Fortunately, our young Mr. Potter was able to stop him, and defeat the monster in the Chamber as well." Lucius sneered. "One should hope that no more of Lord Voldemort's old school things should find their way into innocent hands. The consequences for the one responsible would be…severe." Dumbledore clearly thought the same thing as Harry, though neither had any proof.

"Well, let us hope that Mr. Potter shall always be around to save the day." Lucius turned his sneer on Harry, who stared back, not breaking eye contact.

"Don't worry. I will be." They stared each other down for a moment longer before Lucius broke eye contact and bid Dumbledore farewell. As he left Harry could see him hitting Dobby with his walking stick and knew he had to do something.

"Sir, I wonder if I might have that?" He motioned to the diary. Dumbledore nodded and sent Harry on his way with a smile. Harry rushed to catch up with Lucius.

"Mr. Malfoy!" He called when the gargoyle released him. Lucius was halfway down the corridor and Harry ran to his side. "I have something of yours." He shoved the diary into Lucius' hands, giving him no choice but to take it.

"Mine? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh I think you do, sir. I think you slipped the diary into Ginny's cauldron. That day in Diagon Alley."

"You do, do you?" Lucius' haughty sneer was on a full blast. "Why don't you prove it?" He handed the diary to Dobby and turned, walking away from Harry without so much as a goodbye.

"Open it." Harry whispered to the elf. Dobby did as instructed and his eyes went wide at what he saw.

"Master has given Dobby a sock!" He exclaimed. Lucius spun back around.

"What? I didn't give-" He cut off as he saw Dobby indeed holding a sock.

"Master has presented Dobby with clothes! Dobby is free!" The elf looked happier than anyone Harry had ever seen, and he couldn't help but smirk at Malfoy.

"You! You cost me my servant!" Lucius went for his wand, but Harry beat him to it, casting a disarming charm and deftly catching the wand as it flew towards him.

"Come now, Mr. Malfoy, I know you didn't mean to pull your wand on an innocent child, did you? And the Minister's ward at that."

"This is your doing, Potter!"

"Why don't you prove it?" Harry used Lucius' own words against him and with another smirk he threw the older man's wand back to him. Lucius was looking at him with so much hatred that Harry wondered for a moment if he'd returned his wand too early. However, the man proved he had at least some sense left and returned his wand to its place in his walking stick.

"Your parents were meddlesome fools too." He growled. "Mark my words, Potter, one day soon you are going to meet the same sticky end!" It was the first time that any of the Malfoys had been, not only openly hostile to him, but also threatened him, showing their loyalty to be to Voldemort. Even if it wasn't in so many words. Still, Harry couldn't find it in him to be scared, though that might be because he'd just faced a thousand-year-old basilisk. He said nothing as Lucius left but kept his eyes on his retreating form, and so wasn't prepared for the tiny projectile. He managed to catch Dobby and keep his feet, but only barely.

"Harry Potter saved Dobby!"

"Well, I couldn't let you stay with him." The elf wasn't letting him go. "Especially not after I outed you like that."

"Dobby would have been ok, sir. Harry Potter didn't have to save Dobby."

"I wasn't going to let you stay there." Harry said more forcefully.

"Harry Potter cares for Dobby!"

"Well…yeah, I mean…" Harry wasn't really sure what to say.

"Now that Dobby is free, he must find a new family." Of course Harry knew this. House elves needed to be bonded to a witch or wizard for their survival.

"There are lots of nice families out there, Dobby. I'm sure you'll find one." He replied, trying once again to unhook the elf from around him.

"None nicer than Harry Potter!" The elf looked up at him with big round eyes and Harry shook his head.

"I don't need an elf, Dobby."

"Does Harry Potter not like Dobby?" Now he looked like he was going to cry.

"Of course I like you Dobby!"

"Does Harry Potter not think Dobby is a good elf?"

"Of course you're a good elf!"

"Does Harry Potter not think Dobby would protect his secrets and care for Harry Potter as his master?"

"No, Dobby, I'm sure you'd be very loyal and caring, I just-"

"Then Harry Potter must think that Dobby is unworthy to serve the Potter family! That Harry Potter would be dishonoured to have Dobby as his elf!"

"I'm sure you are more than worthy, Dobby, and I'd be honoured to have you as my elf, it's just-"

"Good. Then Dobby swears to serve Harry Potter and the Potter family forever!" Harry felt the magic well inside him and a connection form with the elf, who finally released him to stand triumphantly in front of him. Harry realized then what Dobby had done. To bond an elf to a new family the witch or wizard had to swear they knew the elf was good and true and worthy to be a part of the family and that they wanted to bind the elf to them. In a roundabout way he'd gotten Harry to say all of that, even getting him to say he'd be honoured to have Dobby as his elf, which could be construed as wanting him to be his elf.

"You sneaky little elf." He growled, but found that he wasn't actually mad, more upset that he hadn't realized what the elf was doing. Dobby managed to look a bit sheepish, but it was dwarfed by his giant smile. "Alright, fine, nothing I can do now anyways, except give you clothes." The panicked look on Dobby's face was enough to eb away at Harry's annoyance. "Which I won't do, unless you want me to." He found himself reassuring the elf, who's bright smile returned. "Now I've just got to find a way to break it to Hermione."


A/N - And here's the second chapter as promised! And the end of Chamber of Secrets! Well, more or less. Got a few chapters before we dive into Prisoner of Azkaban.

Review please!