Dobby felt as though a blazing fire were burning in his chest, fierce and full of strength, causing his frail body to tremble uncontrollably.
He wanted nothing more than to shout to the world—Dobby is free! Dobby is no longer a slave to the Malfoy family!
"Dobby?"
A soft voice sounded behind him.
Dobby turned around to see another house-elf, Lucy.
She too bore injuries, though compared to Dobby's wretched state, she looked much better.
In a small voice, Lucy asked, "Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?"
Dobby's large, bright eyes sparkled with joy. He desperately wanted to share his happiness with Lucy. But…
The house-elf bit his lip, hid the sock away, and said, "Dobby is fine… Dobby needs to carry out the master's task."
Without waiting for Lucy to respond, he disappeared with a loud pop.
The next moment, Dobby appeared in the attic of Malfoy Manor. It was dark and cramped, with corners filled with piled-up junk.
Dobby casually sat on a dusty box, and used his long, thin fingers to fish something out of his ear—a tiny scroll of parchment.
Unrolling the scroll, he took out a slender pencil and wrote a line:
[Dobby: Dobby got the sock. Dobby is free!]
Moments later, elegant handwriting appeared on the parchment:
[Wade: That's wonderful! Congratulations, Dobby!]
[Dobby: Thank you for your help, Mr. Wade Grey. Dobby doesn't know how to repay you…]
Large teardrops fell onto the parchment, and Dobby quickly wiped them away with his hands.
[Wade: I want you to live the life you've always dreamed of. That would be the best thanks you could give me.]
At that moment, the cold words seemed to radiate warmth that touched Dobby's heart.
He nearly broke into uncontrollable sobs.
Clutching his mouth with his hands, Dobby curled up on the attic floor, sobbing quietly. He looked both lonely and heartbroken.
Lucy had originally planned to call Dobby to apply medicine, but when she heard his muffled cries through the ceiling, she paused. Standing silently for a moment, she quietly turned and went back to the kitchen.
The other house-elves were busy preparing a lavish dinner. Someone asked, "Lucy, how's Dobby?"
"He's crying," Lucy said sympathetically.
The other house-elves fell silent.
After a while, an older elf finally said, "Dobby might need some time alone… Don't disturb him until tomorrow morning."
"Understood."
…
In truth, Dobby didn't let himself remain consumed by emotion for long.
The winds of freedom swirled in his heart, and his tears weren't of sadness—they were of joy and gratitude.
But Malfoy Manor wasn't a place where he could freely express his emotions.
After crying for a while, Dobby quickly got up, wiped his nose and tears, cleaned his hands, and carefully took out the sock. Then, he pushed the remaining box and the Streaming Mirror into a corner of the attic.
The command from his master—former master—had been:
"Put it away! Put it somewhere I'll never see it again!"
Dobby's interpretation was: "Put (the sock) away! Put (the box) somewhere I'll never see it again!"
—Of course, even if he hadn't reinterpreted the command so liberally, the moment he received the sock, Dobby had already won his freedom.
Fueled by resentment toward his master, rebellion against orders, and a yearning for liberty, the blood-bound contract tethering him had already become as fragile as spider silk.
The slightest opportunity to break it had allowed him to shatter his bonds and embrace freedom.
However, Dobby didn't immediately declare his freedom to the Malfoys or flaunt it to the other house-elves.
On one hand, through his exchanges with Wade in the Book of Friends, Dobby had gradually come to understand a few important truths.
For instance, if he revealed the truth right away, the Malfoys would realize it was Wade who had helped him gain freedom, potentially bringing trouble to the one who had aided him.
Additionally, the other house-elves in Malfoy Manor were different from him. While they suffered under their master's punishments, they had no desire to leave the Malfoy family.
They remained loyal to their masters and regarded Dobby, with his longing for freedom, as an outcast.
—Wait a little longer.
Dobby told himself.
—Just endure for a few more days.
The Malfoys frequently hosted various parties and gatherings. If he seized the opportunity to leave during a large gathering, his former master would suspect the guests rather than linking his disappearance to Wade from days prior.
Dobby trembled with excitement over his cleverness. He knew that staying at Malfoy Manor meant he might still be beaten, but enduring such pain to protect his benefactor filled him with a strange sense of happiness.
—Just a few more days.
The parchment in his pocket grew warm again.
[Wade: Freedom without a penny to your name isn't freedom—it's just wandering. I've prepared some money and clean clothes for you; they're at Remus's house. Make sure to take them.]
Dobby couldn't contain himself. With a loud pop, he vanished from where he stood and reappeared in a quiet forest. He fell to the ground and cried uncontrollably.
…
The book remained silent with no new messages, but Wade didn't mind.
House-elves are inherently sensitive and easily excitable creatures. Wade figured Dobby was probably hiding somewhere at the moment, crying his heart out.
However, Wade didn't use this as an opportunity to impose on Dobby or suggest that he work for him.
Dobby was a creature who longed for freedom, and he had already suffered greatly in pursuit of it.
If he left the Malfoy family only to end up working for the Grey family, it would simply be a transition from one cage to another.
—Even if the latter cage is more spacious and luxurious, it still isn't what Dobby desired at this moment.
So…
Even though Wade genuinely hoped Dobby could one day become an ally, he refrained from making such a proposal now. Even if he knew Dobby wouldn't refuse and might even happily accept, Wade chose not to act on that.
Dobby longed for freedom, so freedom he would have.
But freedom comes at a price.
In the current wizarding world, while everyone wanted diligent, loyal, and capable house-elves, few could accept the concept of a "free house-elf."
House-elves often possessed more magical power than wizards, and without the binding assurance of a magic contract, wizards feared that a house-elf might turn against them at any moment.
How could any employer feel secure under such circumstances?
Thus, Dobby was destined to face rejection and challenges wherever he went. But this was his dream.
Wade hoped that with his support, Dobby could at least experience genuine happiness during the initial stages of his newfound freedom.
One day, two days, three days…
Finally, ten days later, on a weekend, Wade met Dobby at Lupin's house.
Dobby had left the Malfoy family, and was now dressed in the clothes Wade had given him. Though still bandaged, he was in high spirits and hadn't touched the money Wade provided.
"Dobby wants to live by his own strength!"
The elf declared joyfully, "Dobby will travel to different places and find a job that pays a salary."
Wade smiled wryly. "Alright… If you ever need help, you're always welcome to come to me. I can offer you a job here too."
"So great! So noble! Wade Grey not only gave Dobby his freedom but is also willing to continue helping him!"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Dobby burst into tears again, bowing so deeply that his nose almost touched the floor. Wade had lost count of how many times Dobby had done this.
Everyone around them laughed.
Wade said, "We're friends, aren't we, Dobby?"
"Of course, of course—" Dobby sobbed, "—friends."
Why House-elves weren't hidden in the Malfoys Manor
In the original story:
Dobby mentioned he hears at least five death threats a day—though this might be an exaggeration, it's unlikely anyone would threaten a servant they never see.
During the diary incident, when Malfoy went to confront Dumbledore, he had Dobby under his arm (as per the original books). During this confrontation, Malfoy didn't command Dobby to do anything but instead inadvertently gave Harry the opportunity to free Dobby. So, why bring Dobby along at all?
It seems the Malfoy family have a unique custom: they liked to keep their house-elves constantly in sight and even brought them along when going out, as a display of wealth.
Additionally, Kreacher in the Black household was often seen wandering around the house.
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