Chapter 417: Dobby and Shiny
Chapter 417: Dobby and Shiny
"Her name is Shiny? Who is her master? What happened to you?"
Tears rolled down Dobby's large eyes, and he trembled as he spoke, "Her name is Shiny. We've known each other for a long time, back when I belonged to the Malfoy Family..." He shuddered.
"Go on, Dobby."
"Her master is Mr. Crouch, Mr. Barty Crouch—" Dobby said, and Felix frowned. Dobby continued, "I went to Mr. Crouch's house. It was very dark, but Dobby had been there before and knew the way... I found Shiny, and she was afraid and told me to leave quickly. I didn't understand why, but our voices woke up the house's owner."
"You mean Barty Crouch?"
"Dobby isn't sure!" the house-elf trembled. "It was so dark, and there weren't even any magical lights! They were so outdated!"
Felix almost laughed, but Dobby soon got to the point.
"I heard a cold voice say, 'Something has intruded, a filthy house-elf. Kill them.'" Dobby's eyes widened. "Dobby has never heard such a cold voice, never! But the next moment, Mr. Crouch appeared and cast a spell, not just at me, but at Shiny too!"
"An evil curse?"
"No, not exactly... a brilliant green light, filled with the aura of death, it was that spell!"
"The Killing Curse?" Dobby closed his eyes and nodded vigorously, and Felix's eyebrows twitched.
"What happened next? Did you escape?"
"After that... the spell missed, and Dobby used the defensive item Mr. Heap gave me to block a powerful cutting spell. Then, Dobby took Shiny and ran, but she didn't want to go. She wanted to plead with Mr. Crouch... Dobby couldn't leave her behind! So, Dobby stunned her."
Dobby's thin chest heaved as he gasped for breath. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a dark yellow sock, from which he spilled a dull, cracked amulet. The surface was riddled with cracks, clearly no longer usable.
Felix crouched down, gently touching the spider-web-like cracks on the amulet, then pointed at the unconscious house-elf.
"Revive quickly."
Shiny's slender neck moved, and she blinked her large brown eyes, slowly sitting up. She looked around with a dazed expression, her mind still foggy. When she saw Dobby and Felix crouching beside her, her eyes widened, and she let out a loud scream—
"Shiny has to go back! Shiny must leave here!"
Her body suddenly became ethereal. Felix raised his finger slightly, and the house-elf flickered like a poor signal, but she couldn't escape the area.
Dobby looked at Felix with reverence and said in a high-pitched voice, "Shiny, we are safe now."
"No, Shiny must go back to her master!" she struggled desperately.
Dobby shouted, "You don't have a master anymore. He wanted to kill you, think about it!"
Shiny's slender body froze, her round nose twitching as she stubbornly said, "No, that's not true—"
"Master needs someone to take care of him. He is very ill!" she cried.
Dobby shouted even louder, "He didn't look sick when he attacked us!"
"Because Master had to take care of Master Barty. The young master was very ill, and he felt that he had done wrong by wrongfully accusing his own son..." Shiny trembled all over, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Shiny shouldn't have said that! Shiny is a bad house-elf!"
She screamed and rolled around in the dirt, startling a few students who had just come out of the Great Hall.
"Young master?" Felix said softly, lost in thought. "Do you mean Barty Crouch Jr.? He was imprisoned in Azkaban and, as far as I know, has been dead for many years..."
"Shiny!" He stopped the house-elf from punishing herself, speaking in an encouraging tone. "Listen to me, your master is in trouble, and only you can help him." He added, "And your Master Barty, but I need to know the truth."
Shiny stared at Felix with wide eyes, her gaze vacant as she repeated, "Master Barty is innocent. He was locked away in Azkaban by his master, but he couldn't forgive himself, so he chose to atone..."
Her state was truly frightening, like a soulless shell, endlessly repeating those words.
As she spoke, a strange light flickered in her eyes.
"What's wrong with Shiny?" Dobby asked, nervously rubbing his fingers. "Mr. Heap, Dobby did hear a cold voice, but didn't see anyone else..."
"She's been bewitched... It doesn't seem like an Imperius Curse. I suspect it's a Confundus Charm", Felix said.
Dobby was startled. "A Confundus Charm? Shiny was hit with a Confundus Charm?"
Felix pointed his wand at Shiny's chest and whispered, "Remove the enchantment." He shifted his perspective, and in a grayish-white scene, red threads of light rose from the house-elf's body.
He put away his wand, and Dobby looked at Shiny, worriedly asking, "The magic is gone? How is Shiny now?"
Felix sighed with relief. "Let's see."
Shiny seemed to have just woken up. She blinked a few times, then let out a desperate wail.
"Master Barty, you naughty boy!"
Felix had to hold Shiny's shoulders to keep her from shaking her head and thrashing her legs while wailing in sorrow. His eyes glowed silver, and he said in a deep voice, "Shiny, is there anything you want to say?"
Shiny's eyes widened like large bells, tears streaming down her face, but she refused to speak.
Reluctantly, Felix let her go.
He instructed, "Dobby, take Shiny to rest. She's been through a lot tonight." He pointed at Shiny, whose expression softened, and she quickly fell asleep, though her eyelids still twitched uneasily.
Felix conjured complex magical symbols in the air and imprinted them on Shiny. "Mr. Heap?"
"She can't leave for now. I've blocked her ability to use magic-like powers, Dobby. Take care of her for a while and try to meet her needs."
"Yes, Mr. Heap", Dobby replied. He picked up Shiny, hesitating as he prepared to leave. "What about you, sir? Do you need Dobby to find out Barty Crouch's secrets from Shiny?"
"No", Felix said. "I'll ask him myself..." He spoke with a complex tone. "I just saw something very interesting."
"What did you see?"
"A baby", Felix said with admiration.
(End of Chapter)
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