Chapter 8

Huge hiccuping sobs broke out of Hermione as she cried in the Ministry bathrooms. Her boss had called her a dunderhead. A dunderhead! He was the one who had ordered her to send the elves to the Ministry holding cells. The same holding cells which Crabbe and Goyle could crack with a bungle! She knew better. She had sent them to Lyria. To the most fortified prison in the world. And Lyria had released them without a nary!

She still remembered Lyria's simpering letter, "Oh, he was so charming. He was so kind. You said I had to protect them from a Dark Lord. He was anything but. He didn't even attack once. He just asked politely!"

She gnashed her teeth in fury.

There was a tentative knock outside. Arthur Weasley poked his head in.

"Unspeakable Granger!" he said. "What's the matter, dear?"

Hermione broke down again.

As Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick gathered around the Dark Mark, a pulsing green glow emanated from the serpent, before it opened its maw and let loose a plethora of hisses. Snape shuddered.

Behind him, the doors of the Great Hall clanged open, and a contingent of house elves led by a singular wizard approached the dais.

"Hello professors!" Harry Potter said.

"Lord Potter," McGonagall hissed, "What did you do to Albus?"

"Oh, I engaged him with some lemon drops."

Her lips thinned. "I won't let you capture Hogwarts, Mr. Potter! We three are more than capable of taking you!"

Harry nodded. "I won't start a fight where there's none needed. If you would only accept to join my Death Eaters, I will let you continue on as professors."

"Never!" Snape hissed. "You are just like your evil spawn of a father! You Potters..."

He never got to finish what he was saying, because, at that moment, Dobby, enraged beyond belief, clicked his fingers and shouted, "YOU WILL NOT DISRESPECT GOOD MASTER!" His devilish elf magic threw Snape on his rear, and he fell down groaning.

Harry was grinning madly. "Sorry, Professor Snape! By the way, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick, Dobby will be your Headmaster from now on."

The resulting chaos from that was sweet.