Chapter 47 :
Harry was eating his sorrow away in the Kitchens, an obscenely tall tank of ice cream in front of him. He looked like a kicked puppy. Dobby was sitting by his side, all fidgety and upset for his The Great Harry Potter Sir, adding three ladles of the sweet treat for every spoon eaten.
The young Potter keenly remembered this painful sense of heartbreak from his two previous attempts at wooing. How he always ended up crushing on jerks was really worrying. Was there something wrong with him ? Did he just have a bad taste in boys ? Anyway, his « Being a common teenager » manual said he should just eat and forget that that happened. Apparently, Rejection was worse of a Bitch when you actually thought about it. So, time for a distraction it was !
"Hey, Dobby," He mused. "Do you know about the Deux Ex Machina ?"
"Yes, Dobby knows !" Answered the House Elf, happy to finally be of use. "That be's the Great Spell of Dobby the First, besn't it ?"
"Dobby the First... ?"
"Aye ! The Great Golden Elven God of the Elves that be's living in House Heaven !"
"Were you named after him ?" Asked the young Potter, curious to learn more about this unknown part of the Magical World.
"Every infant elves be's named after him, The Great Harry Potter Sir. It be's a good luck charm for the babes !"
"Eh !? But how do you differentiate between people ? And why are you the only House Elf named Dobby I know of ?"
Jumping up and down his sit, the young Elf started to explain House Elven culture.
In Elven Mythology, there was The Great Golden Elven God Dobby the First in House Heaven, and the No Name One in House Hell. To save children from the Evil Eye of the No Name One, every babe was given the Strong Name of Dobby. At least until the Coming of Age Ceremony, where children became adults and strong enough to bear their own name. When that time came, there was a big celebration and the child chose their New Name. It was only when a House Elf had their New Name -and therefore a new stronger self- that they were introduced to the People of Other Races.
However, sometimes things went wrong and the child needed the help even after becoming an adult. In such cases, to prevent them from ending in House Hell with the No Name One, they were given the Strong Name of Dobby again at the Coming of Age Ceremony. It was rare. And sad. You needed a really good reason to be honored with the Strong Name of Dobby for life.
"In Dobby's case," Explained Dobby. "Dobby be's given the Strong Name because Dobby be's already met a Other Race when the time for the Ceremony came's. Dobby's parents be's Malfoy's Elves but they died when Dobby be's young, so the Malfoy were the ones raising Dobby. To be raised by Other Races be a taboo and The House Elven High Council didn't want little Dobby to end in House Hell, no matter's that Dobby be's blasphemous enough to wish for his own's Freedom. Dobby be a bad Elf. But to be's such a bad Elves, Dobby must have been's raised by very bad's Humans, they said. That's why Dobby now be a Dobby."
"Wow." Sighed Harry in wonder, completely forgetting about his melting tank of ice cream.
The boy never expected that House Elven culture would be this deep.
"Would you-" He asked hesitantly. "Would you wish to have your Freedom back ?"
"Good Elves, no !" Immediately denied the young Elf. "Dobby be's loving Freedoms before, but Dobby be's loving The Great Harry Potter Sir even more now !"
Harry let out a relieved chuckle. It was great to have Dobby in his family, no matter how blasphemous the House Elven High Council seemed to find him.
It was barely evening and Malfoy had no choice but to prepare for bed early. He hadn't been able to flee in the end, caught by Snape a finger away from his freedom, so he tried to stay inconspicuous by being at odds with other students schedule. Which meant getting up at ungodly hours and going to sleep with the chickens. As for all the people he was supposed to tuck in every night ? They could go to Hell for all he cared. They were teenagers, it was high time they grew up !
So he put on his pajamas and climbed into his bed and-
"Malfoy." Called out an unholy deadpan voice from behind.
"HIIIIIII !" Shrieked out the poor blond haired boy.
It was Nott. Oh Merlin. Nott was with him in the room !
"Malfoy." Said the Devil again.
"Y-yes... ?" Squeaked Draco in terror.
"You made Harry sad."
"What !? No, I didn't !" He refuted vehemently.
"You rejected him as a date for the Yule Ball."
"You would have killed me if I had accepted !" He bitterly exclaimed, completely forgetting about Pansy already being his date anyway.
"Too little, too late, Malfoy." Answered Nott in a growl. "You have been a bad boy."
Draco shuddered when he felt a cold hand settling on his shoulder, not daring to turn around to face his executioner.
"And bad boys get punished." Finished the aforementioned with a smile.
"Wait ! Wait ! Lets talk calmly ! A-aren't we f-friends !? A-and what's the use of doing you a f-favor if I get killed either way !? No no no- ! D-don't come near m- ! Oh Gods ! Oh Gods ! Don't come ! Don- ! GYAAAAAAAAAAAAA !"
Without a word, Crabbe and Goyle stared at the closed door of their dormitory for a second and went the other way. The sofas in the Common Room were comfier than their beds anyway.
AN: So, the Elven Myth... Maybe, just "maybe", this story was crack from the beginning...? And I somehow never noticed -accepted- it...? TnT
Anyway, I'll leave you here for a while. See you again one day (hopefully soonish)!
