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Chapter 335: Newt, the Nonconformist
Chapter 335: Newt, the Nonconformist
In a lush forest in Dorset, a beautiful wooden house sat in solitude, nestled in the heart of the woodland. It belonged to the renowned Magizoologist of the wizarding world, Newt Scamander.
The tranquil morning in the forest was abruptly interrupted by a loud boom.
Perched on a tree nearby, a Shrewdley peered out, while several peculiar beetles crawled out of crevices in the tree, forming a line as they marched into another hole.
Dobby, feeling anxious, warily surveyed his surroundings. Ever since he had arrived at this place, he had sensed an inexplicable danger, an instinctual urge to flee as far away as possible.
Fortunately, that feeling had quickly dissipated, as if it had never existed.
Kyle, accompanied by Dobby, strolled along a pebbled path, knocking on the door before entering the wooden house.
Newt and Tina had been expecting them and were already waiting inside.
"Dear, is this the house-elf you mentioned in your letter?" Tina asked, looking at the pair.
"Greetings, esteemed lady. I am Dobby, a free house-elf," Dobby bowed respectfully.
"Hello, Dobby. It's nice to meet you," Tina replied with a warm smile.
Dobby was thrilled by her words and immediately bowed again, his long nose nearly touching the floor.
Regarding Kyle's decision to bring a house-elf, Tina did not object.
As he had mentioned in his letter, Newt was indeed getting on in years, and an extra pair of hands could be useful.
However, Newt himself did not share this sentiment. He believed he was more than capable of tending to his magical creatures without any assistance.
Unfortunately, his opinion held no weight in this household, as Tina had made the decision without consulting him at all.
Even now, he stood sulking in the corner... though it made little difference.
The first meeting proceeded amicably. Tina rose from her seat and approached Dobby.
"I agree to hire you, with the task of caring for some of the more challenging magical creatures," she stated.
"No problem. Dobby has experience caring for Crups and Peacocks," Dobby replied confidently.
Crups? Peacocks?
Tina raised an eyebrow, glancing at Kyle. "Didn't you tell him anything beforehand?"
"I did, but he was too excited and didn't listen," Kyle shrugged.
"Never mind..." Tina waved her hand dismissively.
Newt, without hesitation, opened the large case and placed it on the ground.
"Follow me, and I'll give you a tour first," she said to Dobby. "This job might not be what you expect, so feel free to decide afterward if you still want to stay."
Tina stepped into the case.
Initially, Dobby didn't seem too concerned and even felt a bit belittled.
Caring for magical creatures was nothing new to him, and with his vast experience, he was certain he could handle whatever was inside this relatively small case—probably just a few cats and dogs.
After all, he had successfully fed, bathed, and groomed the Crup at his previous master's house, despite it biting him constantly.
Dobby couldn't imagine any creature being more vicious than that Crup.
With such kind and respectful owners, their magical creatures were bound to be gentle as well...
"Oh!"
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Dobby followed Tina into the case.
In less than a second, he was startled and jumped back, landing heavily on the ground. His short legs scrambled as he scurried into a corner, rolling and crawling to put distance between himself and the case.
That dreadful feeling from earlier at the door had returned, stronger than before!
Dobby's eyes widened at the sight of countless magical creatures within the case, and he felt faint, his vision darkening.
Right now, he didn't seem so keen on becoming the best house-elf he could be.
"It's just as you see," Tina said. "Your job will be to assist Newt and care for these magical creatures, and this is just a small portion of them."
"So, what do you say?" she asked.
Dobby's ears perked up as he heard something intriguing.
Assistant to a wizard, not a servant? Dobby scrambled to his feet, his legs no longer shaking.
"Honorable lady, Dobby is willing to be of assistance," he declared.
"Make sure you've thought this through," Tina said, giving him a once-over.
"And this is just a fraction of what we have. There are also Fire Dragons, Venomous Leopards, and Hippocampi further away..."
At the mention of Fire Dragons, Dobby shuddered involuntarily but stood his ground.
"Dobby can do it! Dobby is not afraid of Fire Dragons!" he asserted.
Tina smiled at his enthusiasm.
In truth, with Newt around, there was little danger, and the work mostly consisted of odd jobs.
Even Jacob, a Muggle, had been able to come and go freely, so it would be no issue for a house-elf.
Of course, the prerequisite was that he had to get past his own mental block and not faint at the sight of a Fire Dragon.
"Now, let's discuss your wages," Tina continued.
Dobby's eyes lit up at the mention of payment.
"How does twenty Galleons per week sound...?" Tina suggested after a moment's thought.
Dobby plopped back down to the ground, overwhelmed by the mention of such a substantial sum, which seemed scarier to him than a Fire Dragon.
"No, no, that's too much!" Dobby shook his head vigorously, insisting that he only needed one Sickle per week.
This time, it was Tina's turn to frown.
"One Sickle is out of the question. The minimum is ten Galleons!" she countered.
Dobby, who had just gotten back up, fell to the ground again. As he opened his mouth to speak, he saw Tina's stern expression.
And so, the matter was settled, and Dobby didn't utter another word.
Kyle silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Indeed, Tina had once been an Auror who captured the "Calamity of the Wizarding World" and held him captive for over seventy years. With just one look, she had made the poor house-elf shut up and accept the weekly wage of ten Galleons.
However, there was something odd about the way she phrased it, as if the Sickle were the largest currency in the wizarding world.
The rest were minor details.
For instance, Tina only allowed Dobby to work within the case and not venture outside of it.
Especially in the kitchen, she strictly forbade him from going near the machines that made cookies and bread, not even one step closer.
Dobby agreed... of course, he was in no position to refuse.
Throughout the entire process, Newt stood by silently, his eyes fixed on Kyle.
"Ahem... I'm just looking out for you," Kyle said, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. "Nicodemus has a house-elf butler named Tata, and Professor Dumbledore has over a hundred elves helping him with his tea.
You're friends with them, so it's only natural to keep up, isn't it?"
...
(End of Chapter)
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