Chapter 264: Teacher and Student, Master and Servant
Narcissa acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing, offering no reply.
At that moment, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out from nearby:
“Lucius! Long time no see—when did you get here?”
Their steps toward the school’s exit paused slightly. They turned to see a group of Ministry of Magic officials emerging from the castle, accompanied by Professor McGonagall.
Lucius Malfoy adjusted his expression and walked over.
“I came just now to discuss some school matters with Dumbledore,” he said.
The man laughed heartily. “Strange—just before you arrived, the Headmaster suddenly left. You should’ve come sooner, Lucius! You’ve got to see that magical Mirror!”
Lucius Malfoy: ……
—Thanks for the invite, but I’ve already seen it. The image was too clear. The experience was… unpleasant.
But of course, no one could understand what he was truly feeling.
Someone else immediately raised their voice, sharp and demanding:
“Machionni! You greedy fox—when are you finally going to start selling your Streaming Mirror?”
Machionni kept smiling.
“Please just wait a little longer. Our Mirror still needs a few more rounds of testing. But I promise you—once it meets the quality standards, I’ll personally deliver one to each of you.”
“Remember that!” another voice declared. “I want to be one of the first to get it!”
“Of course, of course,” Machionni assured them, nodding repeatedly.
Lucius, however, didn’t bother making small talk with the officials as he usually did. He simply followed the group in silence.
Narcissa seemed almost invisible, moving along the edge of the crowd, her eyes fixed on Machionni—centered in the attention of all, glowing like a beacon.
—That was the merchant who’d been collaborating with Wade Gray all along.
The Book of Friends produced by his magical workshop had already sold worldwide…
Magical Pets, Gentle Light Necklaces—each one a sensation, bringing him untold wealth.
But nothing compared to the Book of Friends—its invention had truly changed people’s lives.
And all of it had been made possible by that one man—Wade Gray.
Now, there was this Streaming Mirror.
Suddenly, Narcissa felt a gaze.
She turned—and locked eyes with Professor McGonagall.
She, too, had once been a student at Hogwarts, studying Transfiguration under Professor McGonagall for seven long years.
Even as the Dark Lord’s influence grew stronger, the school had remained a sanctuary—a haven of light and learning.
But after graduation, their paths had diverged, inevitably placing them on opposite sides.
A heartbeat passed. Then they both calmly looked away, as if the brief exchange had been nothing more than chance.
Outside the protective charm of the castle, the group dispersed via Apparition.
Lucius was about to do the same—when he suddenly remembered something. His face twisted slightly. After a moment, he turned to his wife.
“You go home first. I need to stop by Gringotts Wizarding Bank.”
“Gringotts Wizarding Bank?” Narcissa nodded. “Yes. The compensation for the Crabbe family should indeed be sent as soon as possible.”
“No,” Lucius said. “There’s more. I also need to pay Wade Gray 6,000 Galleons—I’ve bought the entire set of Mirrors from him.”
Narcissa froze for a moment, then understood. She gave a slow nod.
“You’re thinking ahead… That footage mustn’t be allowed to spread.”
“Exactly,” Lucius agreed. “For Draco’s future reputation—6,000 Galleons is a small price.”
They each vanished in separate Apparitions.
Lucius arrived at Gringotts, found his assigned goblin, signed the transfer forms, and withdrew two payments.
As he stepped out, he felt a heavy weight in his chest.
He went to an inn, downed two drinks, and let the alcohol dull the edge of his frustration—only then did he return to the Malfoy manor.
The sky had begun to deepen into a rich indigo.
The refined garden surrounded the castle. A white peacock by the fountain, elegant and regal, caught sight of its master. It gave a slight tremble of its tail, then slowly spread its feathers in a dazzling display.
Lucius passed by, entered the door—two house-elves immediately rushed forward to take his hat, wand, and coat.
Near the wall stood another house-elf, battered and bandaged, his body wrapped in layers of gauze. He crouched against the corner, balancing on his toes as he wiped a golden mirrored panel.
When he saw Lucius, the small creature flinched—hesitated for a breath, then ran over to pour tea.
Lucius noticed the elf’s ears were still red, as if recently burned. He immediately knew the punishment had just been inflicted. His expression darkened. He frowned coldly.
“Dobby. What have you done now?”
The other two house-elves instantly bowed their heads, clutching their master’s belongings, and vanished in a flash.
Dobby trembled, his voice barely a whisper:
“Dobby… Dobby accidentally spilled wax oil on the carpet… but Dobby cleaned it up.”
Lucius had no patience for excuses.
He was already seething—today’s bottled-up anger needed an outlet.
He raised his hand. The whip on the wall shot through the air and landed in his palm.
He flicked it once—then swung it hard.
Crack!
The whip struck.
A scream echoed through the house.
Narcissa, reading her newspaper, sighed and shook her head in weary resignation.
Dobby was, undeniably, capable—more capable than any other house-elf in the household.
But his mind was filled with strange, erratic thoughts—unusual, even dangerous.
He’d even spoken to the other elves about The Savior, Harry Potter, and shared his dreams of freedom.
Narcissa had never seen another house-elf like him.
Even Kreacher, who had despised Sirius Black with every fiber of his being, had never once dreamed of “freedom.”
Fortunately, the other elves hadn’t been corrupted.
They’d reported Dobby’s treasonous words promptly:
“This little sprite is broken. He’s a disgrace to our kind. Please, Master, banish him!”
Such a valuable servant couldn’t be simply cast out.
But ever since that day, Dobby had been beaten more often.
After injuries, he sometimes made mistakes—then punished himself with cruel methods.
To the Malfoys, Dobby was nothing but a fool who brought suffering upon himself.
Seeing the other house-elves in the room trembling in fear, Narcissa gently reassured them:
“Don’t worry. You haven’t done anything wrong. Lucius won’t hurt you.”
The house-elf brightened instantly.
“You’re so kind, Master! Dobby’s a bad sprite—he deserves to be punished!”
He beamed at his mistress, eyes full of gratitude and joy.
Downstairs, after what felt like an eternity, Lucius finally stopped. He felt the weight in his pocket, reached in—and pulled out the Streaming Mirror box he’d completely forgotten about.
The video of his son’s reckless blunder—his own humiliating loss of 26,000 Galleons—was something he had no desire to relive.
He tossed the box aside like trash, handing it to Dobby with a curt command:
“Put it away! Store it somewhere I’ll never see it again!”
Dobby caught the box, cradled it in both hands, and turned toward the basement—then his face twisted into disbelief.
Something invisible, something he’d never felt before, had just… broken.
Lucius didn’t notice. He gave orders for dinner, then retreated to his study to rest.
Only then did Dobby, trembling, slowly open the box.
Inside were two palm-sized mirrors, stacked on top of each other.
Dobby frowned. He reached in with his long, thin fingers, prying beneath the black velvet at the base.
The fabric shifted—revealing what was hidden beneath.
A yellow baby sock.
(End of Chapter)
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