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Chapter 433: Dobby's Journey
Chapter 433: Dobby's Journey
With only one day left before school started, Michael had already packed his bags, eagerly anticipating his return to HOGWARTS and the chance to speak with the Headmaster about the progress of Vold's rescue.
These days, he wrote several letters each day, but he never received the responses he desired, causing the owl to peck at his hand harshly on more than one occasion.
At the Weasley residence, they were almost entirely in the dark about the news. Mr. Weasley was rarely home, leaving early and returning late, and Mrs. Weasley, when asked, would only say, "You're all still children" and "This isn't something you should be involved in."
Even the Daily Prophet in the living room had been charmed by Mrs. Weasley to prevent anyone from opening it. If it weren't for the small piece Michael had, he would have had no access to any outside information, and he felt like he was going crazy.
To be fair, Mrs. Weasley was incredibly warm-hearted and considerate, taking great care of the two guests, treating them even better than her own children. However, her overprotective nature, treating them like infants, was something Michael couldn't bear.
Harry felt that this was how a mother should be, and he always behaved obediently under Mrs. Weasley's discipline. Of course, behind her back, he would secretly break the rules as well.
Michael's own parents were deeply in love and had always been quite permissive with him. He was used to managing himself and disliked being controlled by others.
After dinner, Harry and the Weasley children quickly helped clear the table, using the excuse of doing homework in their bedrooms, but in reality, they just wanted to hide and read the Prophet.
They wanted to know as much as possible about what was happening outside.
However, for the first time, Michael didn't join them. He said, "You guys go ahead, I'd like to take a walk around the neighborhood."
Harry was a bit surprised but understood that Michael hadn't been in the best mood lately and needed some time to clear his head. So, he didn't insist.
The group went upstairs, chatting excitedly, while Percy looked at them in confusion, wondering why his younger brothers had suddenly become so fond of studying.
But today, he had a letter to write to Penelope, so he didn't think much of it and quickly returned to his room as well.
Ever since Ron had moved back to his own bedroom to rest, Percy felt like he could breathe easier. The once-cramped bedroom now felt precious to him.
As long as those troublemakers didn't disturb him, he didn't care what they were up to.
Sigh... He just hoped that Ginny wouldn't be influenced by them...
...
As Michael prepared to leave, wearing his cloak, Mrs. Weasley pulled him back.
A few minutes later, he was released, wrapped in a thick scarf, wearing gloves, with a bottle of warming flames in his pocket, and his boots charmed to be waterproof and moisture-proof.
Michael stepped out, holding the bottle of magical fire and walking on the snow-covered hillside. He was the only moving object on the hill, while down in the village, smoke rose from chimneys, and a few people could be seen walking on the road.
Michael slowly made his way along the forest path.
Today, he didn't feel like checking the Prophet, as it only occasionally featured short videos of Wizengamot activities, repeatedly emphasizing how despicable Muggles were and that the Wizengamot's attacks were for the protection of the Magic World. However, there was no trace of Vold.
The Ministry of Magic had sent people to search the attacked areas, but they were mainly there to clean up after the Wizengamot, unable to track down those responsible.
The young man was extremely annoyed, yet he didn't know what else he could do. He wandered aimlessly for a while, and as he rounded a large tree, he suddenly felt something was amiss.
Michael quickly turned around and spotted a strangely dressed house-elf standing under a tree not far away, a reindeer hat on its head that seemed out of place with its shabby appearance.
Michael almost cried out, but as he backed away in surprise, the house-elf bowed deeply, a gesture that temporarily stopped him from running.
"You... who do you belong to?" Michael asked cautiously, holding his wand: "What are you doing here?"
"Dobby, sir, I am the free house-elf, Dobby," Dobby said, clutching his hat and mustering his courage.
"Dobby?" Michael relaxed a little and said, "I've heard of you... After leaving the Malfoy family, didn't you find a new master?"
He noticed the word "free," a term rarely used to describe house-elves.
"No, no one wants to hire a house-elf who asks for pay," Dobby replied.
"But that's not important now. Dobby finally found Mr. Conner because he knew he was Mr. Gray's best friend. Dobby wants to ask, where can I find Mr. Gray?"
"Good question," Michael smiled bitterly. "I'd like to know the answer to that as well.
The house-elf, not surprisingly, tilted its head and sighed, "Dobby understands. Dobby will ask the others."
Just as he was about to Disapparate, Michael suddenly called out, "Wait!"
Dobby stopped and looked up at him.
Michael felt like he had an epiphany. He paced back and forth on the ground, almost trampling the snow around him, then turned to Dobby with a glint in his eyes.
"Although I don't know where Vold is, I can give you some directions to find him."
As Michael spoke, he quickly organized his thoughts.
"The one who kidnapped Vold must be Grindelwald. They need Vold to help them cut off Stream Media Company's signal and broadcast their own videos to wizards worldwide."
"But the Wizengamot would hardly trust a student favored by Dumbledore. To coerce Vold into cooperating or even joining them, they might resort to some despicable tactics—like holding his parents hostage, forcing Vold to agree."
"So first, you can go to Vold's parents' house and check if there are any suspicious individuals secretly surveilling them!"
Michael raised one finger and then a second.
"Second, the Wizengamot's base is likely in a very cold and sparsely populated area."
"Have you seen their videos? Although their faces are hidden, those wizards are always heavily dressed, tall, and slender, indicating they probably come from cold regions. There aren't many Muggles where hundreds of wizards can operate freely."
"Third, there are at least two or three hundred wizards in the videos. What are so many wizards doing when they're not attacking Muggles? They need to eat, drink, rest, and have someone to help them wash clothes and clean rooms."
Michael looked at Dobby and asked, "So do you understand? The place they gather must have many house-elves, maybe even more than at Hogwarts!"
"And you, Dobby, are a house-elf in need of a job. You can ask around to find out which place has recently gathered a large number of house-elves; it'll be much easier than finding wizards!"
The more Michael spoke, the more ideas flowed from him. "Also, there are injured wizards in the videos, so they must need a lot of healing potions!"
"Even if they can brew the potions themselves, where will they get the raw materials?"
"Healing potions require unicorn tail hair, wormwood, and white fungus. Blood-replenishing potions need unicorn horns and mandrake."
"White fungus must be less than a year old, and mandrake can't be stored in large quantities... Tracking who recently purchased these potion ingredients in bulk might reveal their whereabouts!"
"Ah... Track... track?" Dobby's eyes almost swirled with the effort, and he shook his head, clenching his fists to encourage himself. "Dobby... Dobby will definitely try to find out!"
Michael smiled at this.
"No... You probably can't do this. I'll write to Professor Dumbledore... Of course, they might have already thought of it, but what if they haven't?"
"Dobby, just investigate from the first three directions I mentioned!"
Dobby secretly heaved a sigh of relief and said excitedly, "I understand!"
Since leaving Hogwarts, he had been searching aimlessly, unsure if his efforts would bear any fruit. This was the first time he knew exactly what to do.
Michael, on the other hand, couldn't wait to return to write a letter. He gave Dobby the address of the Gray family and hurried off to the Weasley residence.
On the hillside, there was a crisp "snap," and Dobby disappeared.
...
The small town still had some Christmas decorations hanging, but the weather was getting colder. As night fell, the streets quickly emptied.
Dobby held a note and stuck it in the corner, searching along the way.
"Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen... Is this the place?"
He peered through the gap in the fence and saw someone walking past the window in the light. Before he could get a clear look, a small figure suddenly appeared before him.
Dobby didn't have time to react before he was grabbed by the neck and slammed against the wall with a "thud."
His eyes widened in terror as he saw an elderly house-elf, almost fossilized, standing before him. The elf's fingers, as thin as twigs, tightly gripped his neck.
"Hmm, what has Kreacher caught? A pesky little brat, spying on the master of this house!"
The aged house-elf muttered in a deep voice, "What mischief is he up to? Kreacher will bring him to the master, and the master will empty his head, digging out all his wicked thoughts..."
"Wait... Wait..."
Dobby struggled to pry open the elf's hand, but to no avail. In his panic, he grabbed his hat, flipped up the brim, and pulled out a small greeting card to show the other elf.
【To my dear Dobby:
Merry Christmas!
Your friend, Weid Gray】
Kreacher glanced at the familiar handwriting, and his fingers loosened slightly, his fierce gaze softening.
"This... this strange creature is a friend of Weid Gray?" he asked quietly.
"Dobby... Dobby is Mr. Gray's friend," Dobby coughed and said, "Dobby wants to find the missing Weid Gray, so I came here to see if there are any mysterious people around."
Kreacher released him but said, "The most mysterious person here is you!"
Dobby looked at the powerful house-elf with a hint of fear and asked timidly, "Dobby doesn't know who you are..."
"Kreacher, the house-elf of the Black family, has served the great and pure Black family for generations! My master ordered me to protect Weid Gray's parents here!" Kreacher said with pride, looking down at Dobby's tattered clothes.
—Not even a scarf with the family crest, it was clear he had been kicked out.
In fact, Kreacher once only had a dirty rag, but now he was wearing a decent little suit, with the Black family's crest pinned to his chest.
Although house-elves couldn't get clothes from their masters, there was no harm in accepting a set of clothes as a gift from others.
This set of clothes was a gift from Weid, and the crest was something Kreacher had found in the attic. Sirius actually disliked having the crest in front of him all the time, but he allowed Kreacher to keep it on.
Upon hearing this, Dobby looked at Kreacher with a mix of envy and sympathy, clutching his own tattered clothes nervously, just as he was about to say something, he suddenly heard the sound of the door opening inside.
Both house-elves fell silent and quickly hid.
Through the fence and the snow-covered bushes, Dobby saw a middle-aged Muggle man in pajamas and a jacket walking out of the door, holding a very bright lantern that illuminated most of the yard.
"What's wrong, Ferdie?" a woman's voice called from inside the house.
"I just heard a noise..." The Muggle man turned and said, "Probably a squirrel foraging."
"Oh... I'm going back to my room. Don't work too late. Oh... I wonder if Weid will come home before school starts."
The light in the upstairs bedroom turned on and off, and the Muggle man at the door was already freezing, his cheeks turning red, but he hadn't gone back yet.
He walked around the yard with the lantern, specifically checking the roof and walls, and even bent down to look under the bushes. After searching for a while, he reluctantly prepared to return.
Dobby, hiding by the bushes outside the wall, let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, a sparrow hopped over from the dead branches, seemingly mistaking Dobby's finger for food and pecking at it.
Dobby flinched in pain, and the bushes beside him rustled, shaking off some snow.
The Muggle man quickly turned around and took a few hurried steps, calling out, "Weid? Is that you?"
The lantern illuminated a pair of eyes the size of tennis balls in the bushes, and Ferdinand gasped, almost fainting.
He took two steps back, pressing his hand to his chest, fighting the urge to run away or scream. Ferdinand trembled as he reluctantly handed the lantern forward and asked, "You... what are you?"
Unlike most house-elves, Dobby didn't hide all day, even at the Malfoy's.
Seeing that he had been discovered, Dobby gathered his courage, following the etiquette expected of humans visiting friends' homes, and stepped forward, surprising Kreacher.
"Good evening, sir," Dobby said, removing his reindeer hat and placing it on his chest. "I am a house-elf, a friend of Weid Gray, and I have come to find him."
To prove his words, he once again took out the small greeting card.
Ferdinand was stunned, looking at the strangely-featured little creature.
Then he noticed that Dobby's terrifying eyes were actually clear and sincere, and aside from the hat, he was wearing ragged clothes and was even barefoot.
Ferdinand fell silent for a moment before saying, "Weid isn't home. But... since you're his friend, please come in!"
(End of Chapter)
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