Dobby

To say that for 5 minutes, he had enjoyed being in this school of lunatics. However, as soon as he set foot on the ground, he was hit with a deluge of lectures about the importance of safety rules from Madam Hooch, then from his head of house, then from Cedric (what did it matter to him? He wasn't his mother). What's the point of teaching us to fly if we're never allowed to do it?

Okay, he might have gone a little too fast and a little too high. And it's true that the hallways might not be the best place for a broom race. But that was no reason to be so harsh.

Fortunately, there had been Jenny and Lucas to support him and rage with him against this injustice (and to secretly have fun with him on the Quidditch field when it was empty). The other first-year Hufflepuffs, those traitors, had clearly sided with Cedric. And to think that Hufflepuff loyalty was praised.

Honestly, what a joke. If safety was really that important to them, they would also limit the use of wands and teach the stairs to stay in place. Somewhere, he knew he was being disingenuous and that he could indeed have broken his neck.

However, he would have to wait until he had finished what he hoped would be his last detention of his entire schooling before considering admitting it. Detention he had to serve once again under the supervision of a Filch who had hated him since their last conversation.

Yet, he didn't give a damn that he was a Squib. Before that fateful day, he didn't even know it existed. But that socially awkward, uptight janitor didn't want to hear anything about it. On the other hand, it's true that it wasn't very smart of him to say that given the size of the castle, only a person with magical powers could manage it.clean and that it was therefore stupid of Dumbledore to entrust him with the position.

Afterwards, he thought that there couldn't be many jobs a Squib could do in the wizarding society. And not many places to live. The few places he had seen in the wizarding world required a wand to get there. Filch must have had no choice but to accept this job or exile himself to the Muggle world. And of course, Filch had understood that Harry wanted to get him fired.

He really needed to learn to shut his mouth. Or at least to think before speaking. In any case, as long as he was in the wizarding world. In the Muggle world, people are much less sensitive. It must be said that Muggle England is not emerging from a civil war, actively fights against racism, and tries to integrate disabled people.

In short, Harry was content to brood over his thoughts while silently scrubbing the classroom floor that Filch had assigned him, so as not to give the caretaker a reason to reprimand him.

After an hour of scrubbing the floor on all fours, his back was hurting. He mentally complained that in Muggle England, this kind of archaic punishment had long been abolished. However, he continued his task when an unexpected obstacle blocked the brush that Filch had given him.

Harry held back a scream, but it was a close call. A creature had just appeared in front of him and was staring at him with its bulging eyes.

The little creature had large ears similar to those of a bat, and bulging green eyes the size of a tennis ball.

Uh... Hello, said Harry, not very comfortably.

Harry Potter, said the creature in a small high-pitched voice. Oh, sir, Dobby has dreamed of meeting you for so long... It is such a great honor...

... thank you, replied Harry

He would have liked to ask, "What exactly are you?" but he was afraid of being rude and instead asked:

Who are you?

Dobby, sir. Dobby, nothing more. Dobby the house-elf, replied the creature.

I am delighted to make your acquaintance, believe me, Harry hastened to add, but I wonder... what is the... reason for your presence?

Well, here it is, Sir, replied the elf gravely. Dobby has come to tell you... Ah, it's very difficult, Sir... Dobby wonders where to start...

"Sit down then," said Harry politely, pointing to a chair that had been unused for ages in this abandoned classroom.

Horrified, he then saw the elf burst into tears. Particularly sobsNoisy.

Sit down! moaned the creature. Never... never ever...

Harry was afraid that the creature's cries would bring Filch.

I'm sorry, he murmured, I didn't mean to offend you...

Offended Dobby! sobbed the elf. Never before had a wizard asked Dobby to sit down... like an equal...

Harry tried to hush him while attempting to comfort him. He stayed there, hiccupping. He looked like a large, repulsive ugly doll. Finally, the elf managed to calm down and stared at Harry with his large, moist eyes with an expression of adoration.

The wizards you associate with must not be very kind, joked Harry, hoping to cheer her up.

Dobby raised his head. Then, without warning, he jumped up and banged his head violently against the wall, shouting: "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Stop! What are you doing? Harry whispered as he hurried to get Dobby back on the chair.

Dobby had to punish himself, sir, said the elf who had begun to squint slightly. Dobby almost spoke ill of his family...

Your family?

Dobby is in the service of a family of wizards, sir... Dobby is a house-elf who must serve the same house and the same family forever.

And do they know you are here? Asked Harry with curiosity. Dobby shivered.

Oh, no, sir, no... Dobby will have to punish himself very severely for coming to see you, sir. Dobby will have to slam his ears in the oven door for having done such a thing. If they found out, sir...

But they will notice if you pinch your ears in the oven door, won't they?

Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby must always punish himself for something, sir. They leave it to Dobby to take care of it. Sometimes they simply remind him that he must inflict some extra punishments on himself...

But why don't you try to escape?

To regain his freedom, a house-elf must be freed by his masters, sir. And his family will never allow Dobby to be free... Dobby will have to serve them until his death.

Sir...

Harry looked at him with wide eyes.

Do you mean that you are a slave?

Not a slave, sir. A house elf.

Yes, that changes everything. Harry replied sarcastically. And you can't use magic to esca(..). Then Harry sadly lowered his eyes. Since you are under spells that force you to punish yourself when you disobey, I suppose if you run away, youDie?

Ah Mr. Harry Potter, the magic that binds us to our masters means that we cannot disobey their direct order. There is no punishment planned for an elf who would run away from their family, because that is completely impossible for us.

Yet, you are here?

My masters did not explicitly forbid me from coming to Hogwarts. Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby! Cried the creature, hitting its head against the wall again.

Okay, I understand, you are not a bad elf, but a very obedient elf. Harry declared hastily, hoping it would calm the magic affecting the creature. Is there nothing I can do to free you? Is there no counter-spell or an elf liberation association I could contact?

Harry Potter asks if he can help Dobby... Dobby had heard of your greatness, sir, but he knew nothing of your generosity...

Everything you've been told about my greatness is just a bunch of nonsense, said Harry, feeling his cheeks burn.

Harry Potter is humble and modest, said Dobby reverently, his large bulging eyes shining with emotion. Harry Potter does not speak of his triumphant victory over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Voldemort? Said Harry.

Dobby pressed his hands against his ears.

Ah, sir, do not speak that name! He groaned. Do not speak that name!

Sorry, said Harry hastily so that the creature wouldn't make too much noise. I know that many people don't like to hear it.

A wicked sorcerer told his master that Harry Potter had once again faced the Dark Lord a few months ago... and that he had managed to escape him once more. His master does not want to believe it, but Dobby does. Said the elf in a hoarse voice.

Harry nodded in approval and tears suddenly shone in Dobby's eyes.

Ah, sir, he sobbed, wiping his face with a corner of the grimy pillowcase that served as his clothing. Harry Potter is brave and bold! He has already faced so many dangers! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, he has come to warn him, even if he has to slam his ears in the oven door to punish himself... Harry Potter must not stay at Hogwarts.

There was a long silence.

Listen, I would like to, but I can't do that.

No, no, no, squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard that his ears flapped like wings. He is too great, too generous, to risk losing him. And if Harry Potter stays at Hogwarts, he will be in mortal danger.

Why? Harry wondered.

There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot that will causeTerrifying events at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year, murmured Dobby, suddenly starting to tremble all over. Dobby has known for months now. Harry Potter must not put his life in danger. He is too important, sir!

And what are these terrifying events? Harry immediately asked. Who is behind this plot?

A strange noise escaped from Dobby's throat as he frantically banged his head against the wall.

"Alright, alright!" exclaimed Harry, grabbing the elf by the arm to pull him away from the wall.

You cannot tell me, I understand very well. But why do you bother to warn me?

An unpleasant thought then came to his mind.

Wait... Does it have something to do with Vol... sorry, with You-Know-Who? Just nod, he hastened to add, seeing that Dobby was approaching the wall again.

Slowly, Dobby shook his head.

No... This does not concern He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Sir.

But Dobby's eyes were wide open as if he were trying to suggest something to Harry. However, he had absolutely no idea what he was getting at.

Am I the target of the conspiracy? Is it a plot by Voldemort's supporters? Asked Harry

The creature wanted to respond, but no sound came out of its throat and it began banging its head against one of the desks harder than ever, until it broke it.

The noise ended up alerting Filch, who burst into the classroom just as the creature disappeared with a snap of its fingers, to find Harry alone in the middle of the table's debris doing something other than cleaning the classroom floor. Harry gulped.