Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.

Hi all,

Here's the next chapter. Sorry for not posting last week. There will be a second chapter coming this week to make up for it.

Chapter 55

12th July

Lucius Malfoy swirled a glass of fire whisky in his hands, contemplating the course of action he had been debating for the past few weeks. Typically, he didn't enjoy drinking this type of alcohol, but he felt compelled to seek solace in something strong to calm his frayed nerves.

The past year didn't go as he had expected. The solid foundation he had painstakingly built over the previous decade was starting to crumble. Since Charlus Potter and Sirius Black returned, his influence within the ministry has been steadily dwindling. Despite having allies among the darker families and some of the departments, his most important ally, Fudge, had begun to distance himself.

He should have known better than to put so much trust in the minister, given how fickle the man's loyalties could be. Still, it bothered him that Fudge dared to betray him after so much time together, even if the relationship had been more advantageous to him. He was tempted to expose all of the man's dirty secrets to the world in retaliation, but he knew it wouldn't serve him well. During their dealings, Fudge had discovered some of his secrets, which, if made public, would lead to his imprisonment in Azkaban. No, he would have to be patient.

Perhaps he should eliminate the man and select a new puppet minister. However, after a quick thought, he rejected the notion. He couldn't ensure his victory with the votes he could amass. Although he could gain some additional votes through coercion and bribery, it would not be enough, and the opposition would end up appointing their own minister.

Lucius swallowed the fire whisky and hissed as it burned his throat.

To make matters worse, his position on the Board of Governors was almost completely useless. Apart from a few administrative tasks at the ministry, they no longer had any influence over Hogwarts' operations. He became enraged whenever he recalled McGonagall and that half-breed getting the better of him.

Now that his power was dwindling, he was starting to feel pretty vindictive. There were a few people on his target list, and the Potters were at the top. They were to blame for so many of his problems, and he was determined to exact his revenge. He couldn't go after Charlus Potter directly, but there was always Harry Potter. He grinned, imagining the man's despair upon discovering his grandson had died.

He set the glass down on the table and noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

"What are you just standing there for?" Lucius demanded.

Dobby shuffled into the office, twisting his ears nervously. He stood in front of the desk and bowed so low that his head touched the floor. "Dobby be wondering if the Master is needing anything?"

Irritated, Lucius picked up the glass and threw it at Dobby, which smashed against his head.

Dobby cried out in pain, clutching his head as blood started to seep through his fingers.

The elf had been getting on his nerves for weeks. Several times, he caught the elf staring at him. Despite the elf's loyalty, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was spying on him. He needed to exercise caution in case others discovered the plan he had devised. Dobby was different from the other house elves. His odd behaviour hinted that he was either crazy or more independent than he appeared.

Should he dispose of the elf? It wasn't like he would miss him, as he had other house elves who were more obedient and didn't cause him any trouble.

Lucius picked up his cane and gave Dobby a twisted look. "Get over here!"

"Master?" Dobby didn't immediately obey him; instead, he collapsed to the floor, sniffling and grovelling.

Lucius growled in anger. "Don't make me repeat myself!"

Dobby crawled over to Lucius, who pulled his wand from the cane. He smirked, feeling a sense of satisfaction for having control over the useless creature. Is this how the Dark Lord felt when he had his servants kneel at his feet, kissing his robes?

Lucius raised his wand, preparing to end the elf's life.

"What are you doing?"

Lucius looked at his wife, who had entered the room. "Did I say you could interrupt me?"

Narcissa seemed to glide gracefully across the room, her hips swaying seductively. Her presence captivated Lucius. She had a natural grace in all her movements, whether practised or innate. He couldn't resist her, and she knew it, as evidenced by the smirk on her lips.

Dobby darted away from him and hid behind his wife's skirt. Lucius was enraged after witnessing the act of subordination. The bloody elf had always been more attentive to his wife than to himself, which fueled his desire to dispose of him even further.

"Why were you trying to hurt Dobby?" Narcissa demanded.

Lucius frowned, his voice harsh and authoritative. "The elf is too disrespectful. He has to learn his place."

Narcissa's expression hardened as she confronted her husband. "You weren't just trying to teach him a lesson. You will not hurt any of our house elves to fulfil your twisted desires."

Lucius' grip on his wand tightened, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Watch your words, wife, or you may regret it."

"I fear nothing from you."

She turned to Dobby, a conflicted expression on her face. After a moment's thought, she took off a glove and tossed it to the elf, who caught it with wide eyes. Dobby's face lit up with happiness.

"Dobby has clothes! Dobby is free!"

"Dobby, the Malfoy family releases you from service," Narcissa declared firmly. "You have ten seconds to depart our manor or face the consequences."

Without hesitation, Dobby bowed gratefully before disappearing with a crack.

"I didn't say you could release him," Lucius growled, advancing menacingly towards his wife. He grabbed her throat and slammed her up against the wall.

His wife had been disobeying him for a long time. He had foolishly assumed that the woman was in love with him and thus easily controlled, but then he discovered her secret. He wanted to get rid of her, but he knew it would place suspicion on him, so he kept up appearances. Since that wasn't so important anymore, he didn't feel so restrained.

"Do it," Narcissa hissed, her eyes gleaming. "I dare you."

Lucius' hands tightened around his wife's throat, and he kept applying pressure until her eyes bulged and she scratched at his hands, attempting to remove them.

"Mother?" Draco's voice in the hallway distracted him, and he relaxed his grip.

Narcissa took advantage of the distraction, slipping away and making her escape. Before leaving, she glanced back at Lucius, her eyes blazing with defiance.

Lucius clenched his teeth, feeling the desire to destroy something. He settled back into his seat, pouring himself a drink to steady his nerves. He would deal with his wife later. He opened the drawer and pulled out a diary, a wicked grin on his face.

With a quill in hand, he penned a message.

My name is Lucius Malfoy.

Awaiting a response, he was met with words appearing on the page.

Hello, Lucius. My name is Tom. How did you come into possession of my diary?

The idea of using the diary as a weapon against his enemies, including his treacherous wife, filled him with a dark satisfaction. She had crossed a line, and he would make sure she paid the consequences.

21st July

Harry etched the final rune on the blade and held it up to the light to inspect his work. Seeing there were no obvious mistakes, he nodded in satisfaction and placed the tool on the table.

He wiped the sweat off his face before taking a bottle of water and drinking it in a few gulps. He had been working on the knife for the better part of the morning and had not realised how warm it was. The south of France was much hotter in the summer than where he had previously lived, and he had yet to adjust. He had been thinking about installing some sort of air conditioner in his workshop, whether mechanical or magical.

The kitchen knife itself took little time to make, but the arrays took much longer. His client had requested several enchantments, and it took him some time to figure out the best configuration to fit them all onto the blade.

It was his third commission in two weeks, and it brought him more guild points and galleons. The latter did not matter as much, but if he wanted to improve his ranking, he would need the points. Even though none of the commissions were classified as artifacts, they remained valuable tools that were in high demand.

He declared the project completed and retrieved the Source to see the results of his efforts.

The host has created a Magically Enhanced Kitchen Knife.

General Experience: + 4000

Skill Experience: [Blacksmithing, Dexterity, Elder Futhark] + 2000

Dexterity has levelled up to Level 5!

Dexterity has been mastered: General Experience + 20000

The host has unlocked the ambidextrous trait for the Dexterity skill.

Renown has increased + 5

The host's artisan rank has increased to the 996th position.

The host has completed two workshop tasks:

Complete a commission for the Artisan's Guild: Workshop Points: + 200

Master a skill for the first time: Workshop Points + 500

"This is unexpected," Harry muttered.

He knew he was getting close to mastering the dexterity skill, but he wasn't expecting the added bonus. While he had been dual wielding his wand and spell cards, his proficiency with both hands was still lacking. Now that he was truly ambidextrous, his combat prowess can be significantly improved.

"Let's put it to the test." Harry strode towards the exit.

Harry felt a surge of satisfaction as he passed the Vanishing Cabinet acquired from Borgin and Burkes. He had painstakingly replicated the entire array schematic and was now preparing to repair the one at Hogwarts when he returned for his second year. The prospect of travelling between Hogwarts and home instantly excited him, especially since he had the artisan's privilege of leaving the school on the weekends, albeit under his grandparents' watchful eyes. He didn't even need their permission. If he wanted something from home, he could get it in a matter of minutes, and no one would notice he was gone.

There were still some obstacles in the way. He couldn't risk using the cabinets until he ensured their safety. What if there was a maximum distance limit, or a fault that would potentially trap him in a dimensional space during transit? His plan involved testing with inanimate objects before attempting personal travel.

Nagini was basking on a boulder he had placed near the entrance. After spending so much time trapped inside Voldemort's prison, she disliked spending too much time indoors.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Harry asked.

Nagini lazily opened her eyes, her tongue flicking the air. "I was until you disturbed me."

Harry snorted. "You've been lounging all day. Why don't you make yourself useful?"

Nagini, unimpressed, shut her eyes once more.

Harry, curious about something, asked another question before she fell asleep again. "Have you identified Ginny Weasley's magical ability yet? It has been some time since the Weasleys left."

"Not yet. Get some more books on obscure magical abilities, and I might be able to figure out which one she possesses. But there is a chance it is something completely new."

Nagini noticed something unusual about Ginny when they first met. She could detect magical irregularities based solely on the scent of a witch or wizard, and she concluded that Ginny possessed an unknown magical ability, but she didn't recognise it. Nagini claimed that each magical ability had a unique signature, and she had encountered many of them on her travels. Because she was unable to recognise the ability, it must be uncommon.

This mystery might explain why Dumbledore had an eye on the girl, despite her not showing any indications of having a magical ability. As far as he was concerned, she was just a regular witch who excelled at Quidditch.

It was possible that the Weasleys already knew something, as he didn't have access to all of the details. He was curious, but that was the extent of it. He was too preoccupied with his own problems and should leave it to the adults to resolve.

Harry headed for the area behind his workshop, where he summoned his wand and a spell card. He discovered that he could wield his wand with both hands, even though he had been casting spells primarily with his left hand since first receiving it. The same was true for his spell cards, which he could throw with his left hand with relative accuracy. He still needed some practice to reach his usual level, but he could see how it would improve his combat adaptability.

As he summoned another spell card and aimed it ahead, a sudden interruption startled him.

"Dobby greets the Great Master Harry Potter, sir!"

Harry's reflexes kicked in, preventing him from accidentally launching a fireball at the dishevelled house elf in front of him. The creature appeared pitiful, wearing a torn pillowcase with visible injuries on his body, as if he had fought ten rounds with a troll. The open wound on his head seemed particularly severe, still bleeding slightly.

"Who are you?" Harry asked.

The elf tilted his head. "Dobby is being Dobby. Who else would I be?"

"That isn't... how did you get here?"

"Dobby apparated here. Dobby wanted to meet the Great Master Harry Potter, sir. You are a great wizard, Dobby be hearing."

Harry felt a headache coming on. Dobby was overly enthusiastic in his admiration for him. "Just call me Harry. What happened to you?"

Dobby bounced up and down with excitement, which seemed to be too much for him, as he swayed around like he was drunk. Still, his voice didn't lack volume or enthusiasm. "Dobby was given clothes! Dobby is being a free elf!"

That was not the reaction he expected from a house elf who had been given clothes. "Wait a minute—did your owner give you those wounds?"

"Former master!"

Harry frowned. Who would do something like that to a house elf? They had to be the worst kind of scum to mistreat one of the nicest sentient magical creatures around.

"Someone needs to take a look at your wound," Harry said. "Come up to the house, and I will introduce you to my grandparents."

Dobby didn't object; he followed Harry up to the house. Besides treating his injury, Harry wanted Dobby to help him figure out how he arrived. Were the wards unable to stop house-elves from entering? How did the elf find him? Someone may have sent him to harm the Potters.

Harry looked down at the bouncing elf, who was smiling broadly, and shook his head. It was difficult to imagine Dobby posing a threat to anyone.

As he entered the house, he called out to his grandparents. "Can you come here? We have a guest that apparated into the property."

That was a bad choice of words. His grandparents ran into the entranceway with their wands raised, expecting an intruder.

Minerva paused as she noticed Dobby standing behind him, and she lowered her wand. "Harry, who is this?"

Charlus didn't lower his wand, but he relaxed slightly. "Is he a friend of yours?"

"No," Harry said, which caused Dobby's ears to drop. Harry hurried to explain. "At least not yet. He just appeared in front of me, saying he wanted to meet me."

Minerva shared a look with her husband. "Let's take care of that head wound before we question him."

They went into the kitchen, and Minerva told Dobby to sit on a chair. She cleaned out his wound before performing a basic healing spell to knit it together.

"It's not the best job, but your magic should do the rest," Minerva said, straightening.

"Thank you, Great Master Harry Potter's granny," Dobby said, bowing his head.

Minerva grimaced. "I hope you didn't ask him to call you that."

"I didn't do anything," Harry protested. "That is how he first addressed me."

Charlus crouched down and looked Dobby in the eye, who appeared nervous in front of him. "Now, you are going to explain why you came here. Did someone send you here?"

Dobby shook his head. "Dobby is a free elf."

"When did you become a free elf?"

"Five minutes ago!"

"Who was your former owner?"

"The Malfoy family," Dobby answered, shuddering.

"Well, that explains the abuse," Harry muttered.

"Did they not treat you well?" Minerva asked.

"The mistress and boy be nice enough," Dobby said, biting his finger. "She was the one who gave me clothes. The master, though, be a…bad wizard!"

Dobby gasped and jumped out of his chair. He dashed over to the cabinetry and appeared to be about to slam his head into it, but Harry grabbed him before he could cause any harm to himself and led him back to the chair.

"No hurting yourself," Harry said, squeezing his shoulder. "Now that you are a free elf, feel free to speak badly about your master."

Dobby nodded frantically. "Dobby forgot. Dobby is used to punishing himself."

That single sentence revealed how unhappy the house elf must have been. The most heartbreaking aspect was the matter-of-factness with which he delivered the sentence, as if it were a given.

"Well, you don't have to do that anymore," Charlus said mildly. "Why did you want to meet my grandson?"

"Master Harry Potter is a great wizard!"

Minerva covered her mouth, concealing a smile. Charlus sighed, looking up at his grandson as if asking why he had brought this problem to him. Harry wanted to protest that he had nothing to do with the house elf's appearance here.

"But how did you know where he lives?" Charlus asked. "Did someone tell you?"

"No. Dobby be seeing Master Harry Potter in Diagon Alley one time. Dobby remembered his magical signature, and followed it here."

"Okay, if we are going to be friends," Harry said, "then you need to call me Harry. No exceptions."

"You want to be friends with Dobby?" The elf looked up at him in awe before considering Harry's proposal. "Dobby will call you Master Harry."

Harry stared at the elf, noticing the stubborn tilt of his chin. Dobby appeared unwilling to make any further concessions on the subject. "Alright. What are you going to do now that you are a free elf?"

"Dobby be looking for work. Dobby wants to be paid."

"An unusual elf, but not surprising given your circumstances," Charlus murmured, rising to his feet. "I would appreciate it if you could seek permission before appearing on our property in the future. We have many enemies, so we are very security-conscious."

Dobby nodded.

"You need something better than that filthy pillowcase," Minerva stated. "Come with me, and we'll see what we can find for you. You can have a bath while you are at it."

Dobby followed his grandmother from the kitchen. Harry sat across the table from his grandfather, who had returned to his meal.

"Aren't there wards to stop Dobby from apparating on our property?" Harry asked curiously. "The wards that were functioning during the lockdown at Hogwarts did the same."

"There are, but no one bothers to use them because house elves pose no threat to wizards," Charlus explained. "They are benevolent creatures by nature, and you cannot force them to harm others, even if the order conflicts with their master's orders. You could try to trick them into hurting someone indirectly, but their magic is highly intuitive, so the chance that it will work is unlikely."

"So they can't even defend themselves?"

Charlus finished his food and wiped his mouth. "I believe it is easier to explain the history of house elves first. They used to be known as brownies, creatures who would clean people's homes in exchange for food and lodging. At one point, a wizard devised a ritual to enslave their entire race and descendants. The ritual caused the brownies' magic to become erratic and dangerous if they weren't bonded to a wizard. It worked for the most part, but some things, such as forcing them to hurt others, didn't stick. Although successful, the wizard was ridiculed because the final outcome did not justify the cost of the ritual. There were two specific reasons for this."

Charlus paused to take a sip of water. "First of all, the brownies welcomed their enslavement as it provided protection from the perils of the outside world. Additionally, they enjoyed serving and cleaning houses because it was in their nature. The wizard thought he had successfully outwitted them, but all it accomplished was to formalise a transaction that had been ongoing for decades."

Harry furrowed his brow, confused over one point. "Why did they require protection? They can apparate wherever they want, so escaping danger should have been easy."

"That's because they didn't know how to apparate back then," Charlus said. "They learned it by watching wizards do it, so they had to rely on their legs to escape danger in the past. Now, for the second reason: Where do you think the name 'house elf' comes from?"

Harry shrugged.

"Well, the elf part of the name remains a mystery," Charlus admitted. "However, the house part originates from the fact that their magic primarily focuses on household magic, particularly charms, with a touch of transfiguration. They have trouble performing any type of offensive or defensive magic. They were intended to be used as weapons, but they could only be servants in the end."

Harry's mouth dropped open. He never imagined that house elves had such limitations. If they couldn't defend themselves, it is no surprise they sought refuge in other people's homes for protection. He remembered how, early in his first year, the headmaster assigned a house elf to watch over him. He had assumed that Wobny would have protected him with defensive magic, but now that he knew better, it was more likely that he would have apparated him away.

"So they are unable to defend themselves at all?"

Charlus shook his head. "They can use their magic to protect their bonded families in extreme cases, but this will cause them significant harm. House elves are unfortunate that their magic leans towards household magic, as they have large magical reserves. This explains why house elves were widely hunted in the past, as some creatures found their magic enticing and considered them easy prey. Just imagine how powerful they would be if they could use magic like humans."

Harry agreed. They would now be able to compete with the goblins in terms of their ability to defend themselves and establish their own society. Wizards learned the hard way that they should not mess with goblins.

A few minutes later, Dobby appeared with his grandmother. After washing, he donned navy blue shorts, a shirt, and a white tea cosy on his head.

Harry laughed as Dobby performed a little twirl to show off his new outfit. He looked like a sailor. There were no clothes of that size in the house, so his grandmother must have transfigured them.

Dobby climbed onto the chair, and Minerva prepared a bowl of fruit for the elf. "Don't use your fingers."

Dobby picked up the spoon and began eating the fruit, his ears twirling happily. As Harry watched him eat, a sudden thought occurred to him.

"Hey, Dobby. How about you come to work for me?" Harry suggested. "I will pay you a good salary and provide you with ample vacation time."

"Dobby would like to work for Master Potter." The elf squeaked excitedly.

"Well, not me directly," Harry clarified. "I want you to work with my employee, Remus. He has a lot of responsibilities and could use some help."

"Dobby accepts!"

"Great," Harry said. "Now let's get down to negotiating your salary."

Little did he know that this process would take hours as Dobby tried to reduce his salary to a pittance. They eventually arrived at a number that they could both agree on.

23rd July

"Harry!" Susan rushed over and engulfed him in a big hug. She then gave him a lingering kiss on the lips, which he eagerly returned.

"Ahem."

Harry released Susan, only to find her aunt standing there, having exited the floo after her.

"Hi, Amelia," Harry said, grinning. "Have you caught any bad guys lately?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "I am closing in on one right now. He is a thief who dared to steal my niece's heart. What do you think is a suitable punishment for his transgressions?"

"Auntie!" Susan gasped.

Harry pretended to think about it. "You can lock me up and throw away the key, as long as Susan is with me. I'm sure we will find a good way to occupy our time."

Susan giggled, and Amelia shook her head. "I find my niece's tastes in boyfriends highly questionable. Perhaps she has been confounded."

Minerva entered the room and greeted them, bringing an end to their banter. "Amelia, it's good to see you again. Do you have time for a cup of tea and a chat?"

"Sure, but I need to discuss something with Charlus first," Amelia replied. "Is he around?"

"He's in his office."

Amelia thanked her and left the parlour. Minerva shifted her focus to the two of them.

"Susan, we'll start your lesson as soon as your aunt leaves. Harry, you are free to tour her, but I better not see you engaging in any illicit activities behind closed doors."

"That is fine," Harry whispered to her as they left the room. "That leaves us with plenty of options."

Susan smiled and grabbed her boyfriend's hand. Harry led her outside and into his workshop.

"I am glad we are having some alone time together," Susan said.

"Yeah, there isn't much privacy at Hogwarts."

"I can't believe that Daphne doesn't want to participate in the lessons. Doesn't she want to be an animagus? I can understand why Gabrielle can't due to her Veela heritage, but Daphne doesn't have an excuse."

"Daphne said that she finds the process overly complicated and messy," Harry said, smiling. "Not everyone wants to be an animagus, and not everyone has the gift for it."

'Well, fortunately, I do," Susan said, smiling.

Nagini discovered her dormant ability, prompting Susan to seek lessons from his grandmother. There was an easier option, which was to ask Sirius to make the potion that would reveal her inner animal, but she preferred the longer path. There were more risks associated with taking shortcuts, and she was in no hurry to become one, especially since she had only recently turned fourteen. Harry had also taken a shortcut, but he couldn't complain when he turned out to be a magical animagus.

"What animal do you think you will become?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Susan admitted. "I wouldn't mind something akin to a lioness. They are really fierce. What do you think I will become?"

"Let me think," Harry said, his gaze sweeping across her body. "Since you are compact, cuddly, and fierce when provoked, I believe the badger is the most likely outcome."

Susan slapped his arm. "Please put some more thought into it. Just because I am in Hufflepuff, it doesn't mean I will become my house mascot."

"I would love it if you were," Harry confessed. "Then at least you will be around the same size as me."

Minerva found them an hour later and began teaching Susan while Harry looked on. Susan would begin with meditation to discover her inner animal, which was a lengthy process. Since she was also learning occlumency, the step would take less time, but it could still take months. While they were occupied, Harry discretely took out the Source and turned to the magical emporium page.

He had enough points to get an item he had been considering purchasing for a while. The problem was that it was volatile, and could land him in serious trouble, depending on his luck. The Fae Stone enabled him to communicate with a random individual from the Fae Realm.

If his luck was bad, he could end up speaking to a deity like Modor. Having the attention of a deity focused on him wasn't something that he wanted. Still, the possibility that he could find out more about the fae realm wasn't something that he wanted to pass up. Before he could think any further, he spent the points, and the stone appeared in his inventory.

He was determined to see where the stone would take him.

So, what do you think? Harry is going to speak with someone from the fae realm in the next chapter.

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