Chapter 195: Voldemort and Dobby
Chapter 195: Voldemort and Dobby
Following a group of Slytherin students, Voldemort made his way downstairs.
He didn't know them well, but he recognized them as fourth-years.
"I can't believe Crabbe and Goyle managed to pull off something like this," said a girl. "I thought they couldn't even cast a Lumos spell!"
"Their practical skills aren't that bad, they both passed their exams last semester... at least they're better than Flint," replied a boy.
The group chuckled quietly at the mention of Marcus Flint, the tall and burly Quidditch team captain. While he excelled at Quidditch, he was terrible at every other subject.
During his O.W.L.s, Flint had barely scraped through with an acceptable grade in Charms, and that was the only subject he had managed to pass with a decent score.
Now, as a seventh-year student, Professor Flitwick had explicitly advised him that with his current lackluster performance, passing the N.E.W.T.s would be extremely difficult. The professor had suggested he devote more time to his studies.
However, the more pressured Marcus felt, the more he escaped into Quidditch, the only thing that gave him a sense of accomplishment. At this rate, repeating a year seemed inevitable.
In the past, when Slytherins wanted to call someone stupid, they would say, "You belong in Hufflepuff with that brain of yours."
But now, they would say, "Are you turning into Flint?"
This joke, however, didn't spread beyond the Slytherin common room.
After chatting and laughing for a while, they stopped in front of a damp, empty stone wall.
"Pure-blood," said the boy who seemed to be their leader.
A hidden stone door slowly opened, and they filed in one by one. The girl who was last glanced back as the door slowly closed behind her.
It seemed to her that the door was closing more slowly than usual today, but as she wasn't very sensitive to time, she couldn't be sure.
"Come and sit over here, Peggy!" her companions called out.
The girl walked over and sat on a sofa.
"What are your plans for the holidays?" asked the student next to her.
They started discussing homework, holidays, love triangles, and other such topics.
Maintaining his Disillusionment Charm, Voldemort surveyed his surroundings.
The Slytherin common room was located underground and hadn't been expanded with the Room-stretching Spell, so it felt narrow and low-ceilinged. The walls and ceiling were made of rough stone, giving it the feel of a dungeon rather than a common room.
The round chandelier emitted a green light that made the room even gloomier, and the students had to light candles to do their homework.
However, the fireplace, tables, and chairs in the common room were exquisite, adorned with intricate and delicate carvings that seemed out of place in such a dreary setting.
Through the narrow windows, one could vaguely make out the dark green waters of the lake outside. On a sunny day, one might even see the colorful creatures of the Black Lake, but today, only darkness lay beyond the windows.
Voldemort paused to observe for a moment, then followed a faint tugging sensation on his fingertip.
He walked in the direction of the pull and found himself in a dim, damp stone corridor, with tightly closed wooden doors on either side that made it resemble a prison.
Even Slytherin students wouldn't linger long in such a depressing environment, and the corridor was deserted and silent.
McKee, also in his invisible state, led Voldemort to a wooden door and stopped. "This is the dormitory. McKee is not allowed inside," he whispered.
"Is he still in there?" Voldemort asked.
"Yes," McKee replied.
Voldemort pointed his wand at the door lock, and after hearing a click, he pushed the door open and walked in.
Dobby, having finished cleaning the room, was huddled under the bed, enduring the gnawing hunger.
Dobby couldn't help but miss Crabbe and Goyle.
Although his young master now despised them, when those two were around, food was everywhere in the dormitory, and even if some went missing, they wouldn't have noticed at all.
Estimating the time, Dobby thought his young master would be returning soon, so he hid himself in accordance with the order, ['Don't let me see you.'](https://www.webnovel.com/book/harry_potter_and_the_dancing_tree_ftn1)
However, in such a tiny dormitory, there were very few places to hide. Dobby couldn't shrink himself and hide in a jar, so the underside of the bed was relatively spacious, at least he didn't have to fold himself up.
He counted the time, waiting for the torturous day to pass.
Suddenly, Dobby heard the sound of the door opening and thought it was his master. Then he heard footsteps and immediately realized something was amiss.
But he must not be seen, so he remained hidden under the bed, not daring to go out and investigate.
However, the intruder didn't seem to share the same sentiment.
The black shoes paused momentarily at the doorway before heading straight towards the bed he was hiding under and stopping.
Someone crouched down and lifted the bed curtain.
"Hello—Dobby?"
Dobby's eyes widened in surprise.
He wanted to jump up, but his head hit the underside of the bed with a "bang," causing him pain and bringing tears to his eyes.
"Sorry, sorry, I seem to have startled you."
The visitor took two steps back, making room, and said, "What are you doing hiding under the bed? Come out."
Dobby hesitated for a moment before crawling out from under the bed. He stood awkwardly by the bed, pressed against the green canopy hanging from the ceiling, as if that would give him a sense of security.
Of course, he recognized the student before him.
During the summer vacation, Dobby had wanted to get Harry expelled, causing him great trouble and resulting in his Muggle relatives confining him.
It was this student and another adult wizard who had taken Harry Potter away.
On several occasions when Dobby had sneaked into the school to find an opportunity to make Harry Potter leave, he had often seen them together.
Even earlier than that, he had actually heard his name from both his master and mistress.
Viktor Grey.
A young man with numerous inventions to his name, Alchemist Moore's favorite student, and one in whom Dumbledore also placed high hopes.
His young master, Draco Malfoy, didn't like him but still had to buy the Friendship Book he invented. He even secretly bought a dozen or so sets, collecting various limited-edition, precious versions.
He bought a whole set of Soft Light Badges and could change them daily according to his mood.
His master and mistress did the same, even buying more.
For wizards and witches who valued appearance and status, not wearing a badge befitting their identity when going out was as embarrassing as going out without clothes on.
The difference was that they wouldn't use them secretly while cursing the inventor.
Dobby wondered anxiously how Viktor Grey had sneaked into this dormitory.
"I've heard about you from Harry, Dobby," Viktor said gently. "So, you're the Malfoy family's house-elf? Were your previous actions done at the behest of your master?"
"Of course not!"
At this question, Dobby became agitated.
"Dobby wants to protect Harry Potter! There's a conspiracy at Hogwarts, and before anything happens, Harry Potter must not stay here! Harry Potter must go home! Viktor Grey shouldn't stop Dobby!"
(To be continued)
(End of Chapter)
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