House Elf And Horcrux

Word of Sal's battle with the basilisk and his discovery of the Chamber of Secrets spread like wildfire through Hogwarts and beyond. At breakfast, when the morning owls arrived, the Daily Prophet's headline drew immediate attention.

"Hogwarts' Youngest Duelist Slays Basilisk – The Chamber of Secrets Revealed!"

Students gasped, whispering excitedly as the article detailed how Salazar Cross, heir to all four Hogwarts houses, had ventured into the long-lost Chamber, slain the legendary beast, and saved the school.

However, Sal immediately noticed something was missing.

Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody's involvement in defeating Tom Riddle's memory was completely omitted.

Sal frowned as he set the paper down. That was deliberate.

After finishing his meal, he decided to speak with the Headmaster.

As Sal approached the Headmaster's office, he heard a commotion inside.

"You miserable little creature—!"

With a loud crash, the door flew open and Lucius Malfoy stumbled out, looking absolutely furious, his fine robes disheveled and his cane raised in anger.

A small figure clung to his leg, grinning wildly.

"Dobby is free! Dobby is free!" the house-elf cheered, dodging Malfoy's furious attempts to kick him away.

Sal raised a brow. "What did I miss?"

Harry, who was standing nearby, grinned. "I tricked Malfoy into freeing Dobby."

Sal smirked. "Nice work, Potter."

Lucius, breathing heavily, turned his cold gray eyes on Sal.

"Ah, the heir to Hogwarts, how fortunate that you still have a school to return to," Malfoy sneered. "I expect this little stunt of yours will be all over the Prophet for months."

Sal tilted his head, unbothered. "It already is."

Lucius gritted his teeth, but before he could say anything else, Dobby suddenly turned on him.

"Master Malfoy will leave now!" the little elf declared, snapping his fingers. A forceful shove of magic sent Malfoy stumbling backward down the corridor.

Lucius glared at both of them before storming away.

Dobby turned to Harry and Sal, beaming.

"Dobby is forever grateful to Harry Potter and Young Master Cross!" He gave them a deep bow before disappearing with a pop.

Sal chuckled, looking at Harry. "That was satisfying."

Harry grinned. "Definitely."

Sal glanced toward the Headmaster's office. "I need to talk to Dumbledore. Mind waiting for me? I want to speak to you afterward."

"Sure, I'll be in the courtyard," Harry said, nodding.

With that, Sal pushed open the oak doors to face Dumbledore.

Albus was already expecting him, sitting behind his desk. Fawkes the phoenix trilled softly from his perch.

"Ah, Sal, come in. I imagine you have some thoughts about the Prophet's coverage?"

Sal took a seat, crossing his arms. "You left out the part about Riddle."

Dumbledore nodded. "I did."

"Why?" Sal asked.

"Because I felt it unwise to let the public know that a memory of Lord Voldemort had nearly succeeded in killing Hogwarts students," Albus explained calmly. "The truth would only create panic, and we must be mindful of what knowledge we release."

Sal sighed but understood. "Alright, fair point. But that's not actually why I came here."

Dumbledore leaned forward slightly. "Oh?"

Sal reached into his satchel and pulled out a small, ancient box. He placed it on the Headmaster's desk.

"I found this in Ravenclaw's hidden vault last year," Sal said. "At the time, I didn't know what it was. But after dealing with Riddle's diary, I think it's the same kind of magic."

Dumbledore's blue eyes darkened as he unlatched the box, revealing a tarnished silver diadem—its once radiant sapphire now murky with dark energy.

The Headmaster's expression was grave. He gently ran a finger over the metal, sensing the corruption within.

"Sal… do you know what this is?"

Sal shook his head. "Only that it feels… wrong."

Dumbledore sighed. "This is a Horcrux."

Sal frowned. "And that is…?"

"A Horcrux is a vessel that contains a piece of a person's soul," Albus explained. "It is dark magic of the foulest kind—for to create one, a wizard must commit murder."

Sal's stomach twisted. He had suspected the diadem was powerful, but this? A piece of someone's soul?

"And you think this belongs to Voldemort."

"I do," Dumbledore confirmed. "Which means he has split his soul into multiple parts."

Sal clenched his jaw. "How do we destroy it?"

Dumbledore's eyes flickered toward the Sword of Gryffindor, which still rested on Sal's hip.

"The sword."

Sal blinked. "Wait, why?"

Dumbledore's gaze sharpened. "The sword of Gryffindor is no ordinary blade. When you slew the basilisk, it absorbed its venom. And basilisk venom is one of the few substances that can destroy a Horcrux."

Sal stared at the blade, realization dawning on him.

"…So the sword is now venomous?" he muttered.

"Indeed."

Sal took a steadying breath before drawing the sword from its scabbard.

"Alright then," he said, gripping the hilt tightly. "Let's destroy this thing."

Dumbledore stepped back, watching carefully as Sal lifted the glimmering silver blade over the dark artifact.

With a single powerful slash, Sal drove the sword through the diadem.

A piercing scream erupted from the object, an unearthly wail that seemed to shake the very foundations of the room. A dark mist burst forth, writhing in agony before vanishing into nothingness.

The diadem cracked and crumbled into dust.

Silence fell.

Sal let out a slow exhale, lowering the sword.

Dumbledore regarded him thoughtfully.

"Well done, my boy," he said softly. "One less fragment of Voldemort's soul in this world."

Sal sheathed the sword, feeling an eerie sense of finality.

But deep down, he knew.

This wasn't over.

When Sal exited the office, he found Harry waiting in the courtyard, flipping a gold coin between his fingers.

"Hey," Sal called.

Harry looked up. "So, what was that about?"

Sal hesitated before joining him on the stone bench.

"…I found something dangerous," he admitted. "And I destroyed it."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "That sounds… dramatic."

Sal chuckled dryly. "You have no idea."

They sat in companionable silence for a moment before Harry spoke again.

"Thanks for saving Ginny," he said. "And for dealing with all this insanity."

Sal smirked. "No problem. It's what I do."

But as he looked out across the Hogwarts grounds, his mind was racing.

One Horcrux was gone. But how many more remained?

And more importantly…

Was he willing to keep wielding the sword to destroy them all?

One thing was certain—this war had only just begun

As Sal was preparing to leave, he turned to Harry.

"Before I go, what are you planning to do about Dobby?"

Harry blinked. "What do you mean? He's free."

Sal sighed, rubbing his temples. "Harry, house-elves need magic to survive. They get their magic from the witch or wizard they're bonded to."

Harry's expression shifted from triumph to concern. "Wait—you mean he can't just… live on his own?"

Sal nodded. "Exactly. Don't get me wrong, he's much better off than being under Malfoy, but without a bond, his magic will slowly fade."

Harry frowned. "But isn't that just another form of servitude?"

Sal retorted, "Only if you treat him like Malfoy did. You'd be his guardian, not his master."

Harry hesitated, clearly uneasy. "What can I do for him, then?"

Sal clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Take him in. Let him bond with you."

Harry looked down, thinking.

"…Would he even want that?"

Sal chuckled. "Harry, you literally saved his life. I don't think he's going to mind."

Taking a deep breath, Harry called out. "Dobby, can you hear me?"

With a sudden pop, the little elf appeared, his large, round eyes filled with excitement.

"Master Harry called for Dobby?" he asked eagerly.

Harry shifted on his feet. "Yeah, um… I wanted to ask you something."

Dobby nodded enthusiastically, practically bouncing on his feet.

"Would you… want to come live with me? As my house-elf?"

For a moment, Dobby was completely still. His wide eyes shimmered with unrestrained joy. Then, with a loud, choked sob, he threw himself at Harry's feet, grasping his robes.

"Master Harry wants Dobby? Truly?"

Harry winced at the term but nodded. "Yeah. But only if you want to."

Dobby sniffled, tears dripping down his small face.

"Dobby would be honored! Dobby swears to protect and serve Master Harry Potter, sir!"

Harry smiled awkwardly. "Just… Harry is fine."

Sal watched the exchange with satisfaction, folding his arms.

"Well, now that that's settled, I should be on my way."

Harry looked up, still a little dazed. "Where are you off to?"

Sal winked. "Let's just say… I've got some research to do."

With a last nod to Harry and Dobby, Sal turned on his heel and strode away, his mind already racing with what came next.