Chapter 448: Gift
It took Wade much longer than expected to settle Mabel back home, and when he finally pushed open the front door, he found the Gray family already in their pajamas, sitting together on the living room sofa, waiting for him.
The creak of the door made both of them turn in unison. Seeing Wade enter, their faces instantly relaxed into relieved smiles.
“Dad, Mom, I’m back,” Wade said, stepping forward to hug them one by one.
“Mm.” Ferdinand gave his son a light pat on the shoulder, as if he hadn’t been worried at all, speaking calmly. “Good to have you home.”
Fiona yawned, rubbing her eyes. “The bathtub’s filled with hot water. Take a bath and go straight to bed. No more reading tonight—get proper rest!”
“Alright, you two sleep well too,” Wade smiled.
…
After washing up and tidying himself, Wade poured himself a glass of water and walked toward his bedroom, sipping slowly. Just as he reached for the doorknob, his hand paused.
Inside… someone was there.
A subtle sensation, like magic whispering to him—something familiar, yet unmistakably present, just beyond the door. The closet space and other vital alchemical artifacts were kept in this room, but even when he’d taken a shower at home, Wade never left his wand behind.
He set the glass down gently, gripped his wand in one hand, and pressed the doorknob with the other. With a swift, forceful push, he swung the door open and immediately ducked to the side of the wall.
Screeeech—
The door slid open quietly, revealing an unexpected guest standing in the center of the room. Large, tennis-ball-sized eyes sparkled with anticipation, ears twitching slightly, fingers nervously twisting a corner of his ragged clothing.
“Dobby?” Wade blinked, then lowered his wand, smiling. “I’ve already heard from my parents. I know you helped look for me—thank you, Dobby. Please, come in and sit down.”
“M-Mr. Gray…” Dobby didn’t sit. The tiny house-elf stood on tiptoe, gazing up at him with trembling voice. “Dobby… Dobby wants to ask you something.”
“What is it?” Wade crouched down to meet his eyes. “You’re my friend. Just say it.”
Dobby took a deep breath, summoning all his courage. “Mr. Gray… can you hire Dobby? Dobby can do many things… Dobby can roast bread, clean, tend the garden… Dobby can even care for peacocks…”
Wade stared, then smiled warmly. “I’d be honored to have you join our home, Dobby. But I’ll be at school most of the time. You’d have to stay with my parents—would that be alright?”
“Of course!” Dobby’s face lit up instantly. “Dobby likes Mr. Gray and Mrs. Gray so much…”
But then his expression wavered. He tugged at his clothes nervously. “But Dobby… Dobby was banished by his master… Sir… Sir won’t mind, will he?”
“I admire your longing for freedom,” Wade said seriously. “Because I feel the same way.” He paused. “But I do have a few conditions. Hope you’ll accept them.”
Dobby swallowed hard, his voice trembling. “Y-yes… yes, Dobby will do anything… what are they?”
“First,” Wade raised one finger. “If you make a mistake—say, burn the dinner—no punishment for yourself! Mistakes are meant to be corrected, not punished by headbutting walls. Can you promise that?”
Dobby’s enormous eyes filled with tears at once. He stared at Wade’s solemn expression, his heart a storm of emotions. After a long silence, he nodded fiercely. “Yes!”
“Good.” Wade continued. “Second, since you’re now my hired sprite, your dignity is my dignity. Your respect is my respect. The Gray household will continue to allow you to wear clothing. This isn’t a punishment. It’s not exile. It’s family care and mutual respect. Can you accept that?”
Dobby stood frozen, eyes wide, lips trembling. Slowly, he nodded.
“Then third,” Wade said with a soft smile, “Dobby, my friend—though you’re hired, your body and soul remain free. If you ever feel someone in the home has made a wrong decision, or if something makes you uncomfortable—you may speak up. And if one day you wish to leave… you may leave. But please, say goodbye properly. Will you do that?”
Dobby shook his head violently, tears streaming. “Dobby can’t leave! Dobby loves Wade Gray… loves the Gray home! Dobby can’t abandon family like that!”
“Then welcome to our home, Dobby,” Wade said, extending his hand.
Dobby, eyes glistening, slowly reached out and grasped it.
The moment their hands met, the house-elf could no longer hold back. He broke into loud, wracking sobs.
In an instant, Wade flicked his wand toward the door, casting a silent charm to keep the noise from disturbing his parents downstairs.
“I’m sorry, sir…” Dobby choked between sobs. “No one… no one has ever treated a house-elf like this before… no punishment… clothes… no one wanted me… I was cast out… Dobby… Dobby didn’t mean to cry… I’m just so happy…”
Wade gently stroked the tiny creature’s head, letting him cry. He silently handed him a handkerchief and waited patiently until Dobby’s tears subsided, while simultaneously drafting a magical covenant.
After a long while, Dobby hiccuped, composed himself, and began apologizing softly, wiping his face.
“Don’t feel guilty,” Wade said, shaking his head. “I know how cruel the Malfoy household was to you.” He pushed the parchment forward. “Read this. If you have no objections, sign your name.”
“Y-yes, sir…” Dobby took the parchment, heart pounding. He was ready to sign anything—no matter the conditions. But when he actually read the terms, his eyes widened in shock.
Not only did it include all three promises Wade had made—no self-punishment, the right to clothing, and freedom of choice—but it also listed his weekly wage: ten Galleons. Weekend rest. And the possibility of future increases.
Dobby trembled, nearly dropping the parchment. “No… too much… Dobby doesn’t need so much money… or so much freedom… Dobby likes freedom, but not too much…”
“Silly Dobby,” Wade chuckled, ruffling his hair. “If you don’t know how to spend it, save it. One day, it’ll be useful.”
“And rest days,” he added, “you can still work if you want—but you must keep the right to rest. Don’t argue. This isn’t a negotiation. If I offered you less, I’d look like a miser—like a skinflint.”
Dobby didn’t know who a “skinflint” was, but he fell silent, overwhelmed with gratitude and fear. With a final encouraging glance from Wade, he signed his name.
“That’s better,” Wade said, dividing the parchment into two copies—one for Dobby, one for himself.
Dobby clutched the parchment as if it were a sacred relic, unsure where to put it.
“Come with me,” Wade said, pulling him gently by the hand. “You’ll stay in the small bedroom. I’ll formally introduce you to my parents tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, sir,” Dobby murmured, dazed. His mind was a fog—too much had happened. He could only follow Wade’s lead.
…
The small bedroom was simple: a modest bed, basic furniture. Thanks to regular cleaning by the magic puppets, it remained tidy.
Dobby touched the soft mattress, the green-checkered bedsheet, then the down-filled pillow, pressing it gently. He ran his fingers over the desk and cabinet.
He knew this would be his room now—but still, he couldn’t believe his luck.
He wanted to lie down, to feel the joy of sleeping in his own bed, but seeing the clean sheets and then his own filthy feet, he hesitated and pulled his hands back.
Remembering where the bathroom was, he nodded to himself and walked over, washing thoroughly.
Afterward, he removed his old, stinking clothes—soiled and reeking—and washed them. With a snap of his fingers, the damp garments dried instantly.
He dressed, then looked at the damp spot near his horn, hesitated for only a moment, and grabbed a cloth to clean it.
After cleaning the bathroom, he realized he was too excited to sleep. So he swept the floor again, polished the stairs until they gleamed, wiped down the banisters, rearranged the books on the shelf, cleaned the windows, wiped the tables and cabinets, and added fresh flames to the fireplace.
By the time he finished, dawn was breaking. Dobby rushed to the kitchen, eager to prepare breakfast—only to be met with three pairs of suspicious, pouting eyes.
Three magic puppets sat in a row beside the sink, arms crossed, watching him. Then, in hushed whispers:
“Strange new housemate.”
“Come to steal our jobs!”
“Is he trying to get us fired?”
Dobby: “…”.
An unexpected rival had appeared!
…
After settling Dobby in, Wade returned to his own bedroom. He picked up the water cup left on the floor by the door, shook his head, and waved his hand. The cup floated into his grasp.
He placed it on the desk, then flopped onto his bed, letting out a long, weary sigh.
Originally, he’d planned to open his Christmas gifts—especially the surprise Dumbledore mentioned—but after such a long, exhausting day, all he wanted was sleep.
No dreams.
Until sunlight filtered across his eyelids, rousing him from sleep. He lay there for a few more minutes, then finally rolled out of bed.
As he descended the stairs, he heard quiet voices from the kitchen:
“Blueberry muffins—watch the ratio of yogurt to flour. Wade likes them crisp. And don’t overdo the dragon tongue syrup…” Fiona said.
“Dobby remembers.”
“Was the bacon and egg dish really made by Dobby?” Ferdinand asked, surprised. “Your cooking’s incredible!”
“Yes, Dobby likes cooking!”
“Coco helped too!” the puppet declared proudly.
“Yes, Coco helped a lot. Ari and Rena too,” Dobby added quickly.
“I know,” Fiona grinned. “Our big home is amazing.”
“Add grilled mushrooms and fried fish cakes?” Ferdinand suggested. “Since we’ve got a new member, we should celebrate.”
“Good idea! I’ll squeeze another orange!” Fiona beamed.
“Oh no—Ari spilled flour on her nose!” Rena giggled.
Whatever they’d done, everyone burst into laughter.
Wade leaned against the stair railing, breathing in the warm scent of baking muffins, and smiled quietly.
Suddenly, a shadow flickered outside the window. Wade turned sharply—there, standing on the sill, was Kreacher, bowing deeply, then vanishing.
With Dobby now a member of the Gray household, the safety of the Gray family was no longer a concern. Kreacher could return to the Black home, to maintain the old estate and care for his troublesome master.
…
The celebratory breakfast was lively and joyful. The Gray parents welcomed the new member without hesitation.
Later that afternoon, Wade finally found time to sort through the mountain of Christmas gifts piled up in his room. Books, toys, clothes, candies—all neatly categorized. Special presents were set aside.
Professor Mor had given him a stone engraved with ancient runes. Inside the package was a note:
> The Wagadu Magic School in Africa contacted the Dream Messenger to admit a student. The Dream Messenger left behind a stone inscribed with runes. This was a child’s abandoned admission token. Perhaps it interests you.
Wade turned the stone in his hands, but detected no magic. He set it aside for now.
Dumbledore’s gift was a book: Advanced Spell Decryption. It covered advanced methods to resist dark magic—essentially an upgraded version of the Defense Against the Dark Arts course.
The alchemy notebook puppets from Wovilet had already been delivered. What surprised Wade was that Gellert Grindelwald had later sent a second gift.
It was an old, hand-bound book. Flipping through its stained, yellowed parchment, Wade found detailed accounts of myths: Death and the Three Brothers, The Sphinx, God of Thunder, Medusa, The Three Fates, and more.
It was clear that Grindelwald had once deeply studied these legends, constantly pursuing traces of divine and demonic artifacts across the world.
Finally, Wade reached the surprise Dumbledore had promised.
A tiny parcel. Inside—a single handwritten letter.
Or rather—an invitation.
From Nicolas Flamel.
(End of Chapter)
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