Chapter Twenty Three
Narcissa and Lucius knocked softly on the wall next to Dobby's closed off bed in the hospital wing. It had been five days and Madam Pomfrey had assured them he would be just fine. It was only taking a while for him to heal because house elf magic often interfered with healing charms so it was safer to use mostly muggle means, which, while slower, could be just as affective.
"Come in." Petal called, she jumped up and gave them a low bow, "Lady, Master, I is very sorrys I hasn't been doing my work. I can'ts leave him."
"Don't worry Petal. We completely understand." Lucius said kindly.
Petal sat back down on her little stool and held onto Dobby's hand. He was awake in the bed, looking very sheepish.
Lucius drew two chairs and Narcissa and he sat down.
"Dobby are you feeling better?" Narcissa asked.
Dobby nodded, "Much betterer. I...I is sorry. The voices ordered me to!"
Lucius held up his hand, "It is quite all right. We think we have worked out why it was happening and a solution."
Dobby looked at them eagerly.
"Dobby we want you and Petal to know that this isn't a punishment." Narcissa said softly, "We've done a lot of research and we think that because Petal was pregnant when she was promised to Lucius it… confused your allegiance."
Petal looked very worried, "He's broken?!"
"No not broken just… it means that someone else can tell him what to do and that's why he has been hurting himself. We want to stop that at any cost." Narcissa explained, she looked to her husband who smiled kindly at Dobby.
"As Cissy said, this is not a punishment." He handed over a small wrapped parcel to Dobby who looked at it confused, "It's for you."
Dobby carefully, and slowly with his heavily bandaged hands unwrapped the parcel. He looked inside and squealed.
"For me? Really for me?" he asked.
Narcissa and Lucius nodded.
Dobby proudly held up the pair of thick knitted socks, "Dobby has clothes! Dobby is free! It's all Dobby ever wanted! Thanks you!"
"Petal please don't look so sad." Narcissa asked her, "He can come and visit whenever he wants."
Petal nodded, "I shalls miss him is alls. And wheres will he go? He is a lost elf!"
"I have spoken to Professor Dumbledore who tells me there is a paid position in the Hogwarts kitchens should Dobby want it." Lucius told her, Petal looked very relieved, "Or he is welcome to stay at Malfoy manor. As we said, this is not a punishment. It is simply the case that if Dobby is free, no one can control him."
"I woulds love to work at Hogwarts!" Dobby said excitedly, "And comes home for holidays?"
"Of course Dobby." Narcissa smiled.
Dobby settled back down in his bed looking over his socks happily. Petal smiled, filled with joy and peace knowing her son would no longer hurt himself or be tormented by unseen voices.
A week and a half later Harry, Pansy, Daphne, Draco, Hermione and Neville walked down the long train looking for a carriage. Now that Harry was not the devil incarnate, and was once again a hero, it was far more difficult to find a seat. They reached an empty carriage nearly at the end of the train and sat down before anyone else could take it.
"Plans for the summer?" Harry asked opening up the bag of sweets and offering them around.
"France again." Hermione smiled, "My parents think I could do with some rest and sunshine."
"Have fun." Draco told her, "I've just got my birthday party."
"Which Danica is already designing a new dress for." Harry smirked, "We're going to see Hagrid a lot I think. Mum was really worried about he when he got out of Azkaban."
"Can't blame her. I've never seen him look so… off." Neville remarked.
"Ooo I just remembered!" Daphne said pulling out a copy of the Daily Prophet, "Look what this has!" She showed them a page with the unmistakeable picture of Rita Skeeter on the front.
"Another one about us?" Harry asked grinned.
Daphne nodded and cleared her throat dramatically, and began to read.
This edition is dedicated to the poor Muggle borns and their families who have been effected by the TERROR that occurred at Hogwarts this year.
This year has been the most terrifying in the whole of Hogwarts history- a basilisk in a hidden chamber underneath the school!
How do we know if the school is safe any more? How?! Those poor muggle borns being targeted by this giant snake, which we can safely say is the pet of You-Know-who. My inside source tells me that Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson were seen dragging poor Gilderoy Lockhart, teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts and well known hero, down into the Chamber Of Secrets against his will. Who knows what they were planning? As we all know from earlier this year, Harry Potter can speak Parseltongue to snakes. Maybe he's been in on it all along?
But, this is not the worse part. This year saw the Youngest Weasley child sorted into Gryffindor. Her parents must have been so proud, all seven children sorted into Gryffindor like their parents before them.
However, my inside source has shakinly told me that Ginny Weasley was a victim of this horrid crime. Ginny Weasley was found by Potter and his friends in the Chamber of Secrets, with a figure standing over her. It has now been confirmed that Ginny Weasley, only aged ten, was possessed by the Ghost of You-Know-Who! How did this happen? How could the staff not have noticed? More importantly, it has been brought now to everyone's attention that Hogwarts school is not safe! Especially for Muggle Borns.
Many have questions for Dumbledore- how could he have let this happen? How did he not even know about the chamber? Albus Dumledore has been headmaster at Hogwarts for a decade, surely he must have known about this. And why did he not do anything at the start of the year when the horrors started happening?
My dear readers, I am invested in bringing you the truth of everything, going as deep as I can to bring you an authentic report. I, my dear readers, have managed to secure an interview with Molly Weasley, poor Ginny's mother.
When I met with Mrs. Weasley, she was distraught with worry, and who could blame her? Such a terrible thing to happen to her only daughter. Mrs. Weasley had this to say;
"I have always enjoyed sending my children away for their education at Hogwarts, both myself and their father had a first-class education and experience there. But now, now I am too scared to let them go. I don't know what to do. How could Dumbledore allow this to happen to my sweet, innocent girl? Has he been apart of all of this? I demand justice, not only for my girl but the other students, the Muggle Borns, targeted by the tragedy all because Albus Dumbledore is playing favourites."
Molly Weasley went on to ask why the Ministry Of Magic hasn't done anything yet to help protect our children. Why haven't they? And, is what Mrs. Weasley said true? Is Albus Dumbledore playing favourites in the form of allowing Harry Potter, a mere 12-year-old boy, to go running into danger? And where was his supposed Step-Father in all of this? Why did Snape not do anything to protect him?
I have tried to talk to the Minister Of Magic about this matter, but he refused to talk to me. Now, I'm not trying to be paranoid, but this seemed like he is trying to avoid the subject. Obviously, our children being petrified is not enough to cause the Minister to even turn his head.
Dear readers it is time to take action! We need protection for our beloved school, we need to know we are sending our children into a safe place. Write in, readers, we must demand action!
I think, and this is my opinion, that the Ministry needs to place Aurors at the school, more protection must put in place for the new school year. It appears to me that the Ministry and Dumbledore do not seem to realise that if things do not change, then we shall have to take our children to different schools, even shipping them abroad to protect them from the dangers that lie at our doorstep.
Until next time, my dear and faithful readers,
Rita Skeeter.
The six of them burst out laughing.
"She always gets everything wrong!" Hermione laughed looking over the paper.
Daphne nodded, slipping out the page and handing it to Harry.
"I collect them." Harry explained to a confused looking Hermione, "Kills the sting a bit I guess and gives me something stupid to laugh at. I have quite a lot at home."
"Seems reasonable." Hermione grinned, "Poor Weasleys though, there mother actually giving an interview to this terrible woman."
"Yeah. Especially her elder boys wont be happy." Draco said shaking his head, "They're quite down to earth from what I've heard."
"There is some stuff she got right though," Harry said looking over the page again, "Like why Dumbledore was so complacent and-"
There was a loud knock on the door, stopping Harry mid-sentence.
"We're full." Pansy called.
There was another knock and the door slid open to show a nervous looking Ronald Weasley, Ginny peering from behind him.
"Umm I..." Ron started, playing with his fingers.
"Can we help you?" Harry asked crisply.
"I wanted to say I was sorry." Ron said.
"Are you being serious?" Draco asked, "After everything, we get a 'sorry'?"
"I mean it." Ron said desperately, "I was… I can't thank you enough for saving Ginny. And well I don't mind you talking to her now."
Neville rolled his eyes, "How will we ever live with the honour?"
Ron's shoulders fell, "Look I… I fucked up. I was so convinced before I even met you that we would be friends, that I was jealous when you already had friends. I messed up. I am truly sorry for everything I did and I'm going to try better next year."
The annoying good heartedness Harry had inherited from his mother sprung to the front of his mind.
"It's OK. All is forgiven." He said earning him horrified looks from the others in the carriage, "Next year is a whole new year so we'll try again then."
Ron gave a half smile, "Yeah. I'll see you then."
He gave them a small wave and walked away. Ginny blushed and also waved goodbye before following her brother.
"What did you do that for?" Daphne hissed.
"I couldn't bare him so upset." Harry shrugged, "Dad didn't get on with James or Sirius or Lupin and now he's best friends with two of them and he missed out all those years of friendship in school all over some stupid bad meeting, it's worth a try." he explained to the faces looking at him ranging from blank confusion to annoyance.
"Well fine but if he's an ass next year I'm turning him into a ferret." Draco smirked, dipping his hand into the sweet bag and popping one into his mouth.
Harry grinned and looked out the window. All in all he was quite pleased he'd even survived this year.