Chapter 441: The Elf Who Comes and Goes Freely

“Harry, happy Easter.”

Wizard Sean said.

He handed Harry a mirror-like object, and Harry carefully took it.

“What is this?”

He asked.

“A magical hand mirror. You can use it like a telephone.”

Wizard Sean said slowly, then looked up ahead—Harry realized Lucius was already walking far away.

“Thank you, Wizard Sean, I’ll return the favor.”

Harry noted Wizard Sean’s words and hurried off after him.

He clutched the diary, hearing Dobby’s pained screams echo around the corner, growing fainter.

Doubting whether his plan would work, he quickly kicked off one shoe and yanked off the sticky, stinking sock, shoving the diary inside.

Then he sprinted down the dark corridor.

Just as the two men were about to descend the stairs, he caught up to them.

“Mr. Malfoy,” he gasped, stumbling to a halt, “I have something for you.”

He shoved the stinking sock into Lucius Malfoy’s hand.

“What is this—”

Mr. Malfoy tore the sock off the diary and tossed it aside, glaring angrily at the ruined diary, then at Harry.

“Harry Potter, one day you will meet the same fate as your parents,”

he whispered,

“they were foolish meddlers.”

Harry said nothing, but unexpectedly thought of another meddlesome wizard.

A quiet wizard who had resolved every danger at Hogwarts.

Lucius turned to leave.

“Come on, Dobby. Did you hear me? Hurry up!”

But Dobby didn’t move. He held Harry’s sticky, stinking sock high above his head, staring at it in awe, as if it were a priceless treasure.

“Master gave Dobby a sock,”

the house-elf said in astonishment,

“Master gave Dobby the sock.”

“What?”

Mr. Malfoy snapped,

“What did you say?”

“Dobby got a sock,”

Dobby said disbelievingly,

“Master threw it, Dobby caught it—Dobby—Dobby is free.”

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the house-elf. Then he suddenly lunged at Harry.

“You’ve cost me my servant, boy!”

There was a loud thud as Mr. Malfoy fell backward.

He stumbled down the stairs, three steps at a time, and collapsed in a heap on the platform below.

He struggled to his feet, face ashen, drawing his wand—but Dobby raised a long, intimidating finger.

“You may go,”

Dobby pointed at the fallen Lucius, snarling, “never lay a hand on Harry Potter again. You may go now.”

Lucius Malfoy had no choice.

He glared at them one last time, wrapped his cloak around himself, and vanished in a flash.

“Harry Potter freed Dobby!” the elf shrieked in a shrill voice, looking up at Harry as moonlight streamed through the nearest window, glinting off his bulging eyes. “Harry Potter gave Dobby freedom!”

“I didn’t do anything, Dobby—it was mostly Wizard Sean’s doing,” Harry grinned. “But you promise me you won’t try to protect me anymore.”

The elf’s ugly brown-red face broke into a brilliant smile, revealing a full set of teeth.

He threw his arms around Harry’s waist and hugged him tightly.

“Harry Potter is greater than Dobby ever knew!”

"Harry Potter is greater than Dobby ever knew!"

“Goodbye, Harry Potter!”

Dobby let out another loud, choked sob, then vanished.

Harry stared at the spot where it had been, feeling that the elf’s magic seemed stronger than a wizard’s.

They appeared and disappeared without trace in Hogwarts, as if anti-Apparition charms had no effect on them.

He turned to the corner—Wizard Sean was using his fingers to summon books flying out.

He turned his head to look at the corner, where Wizard Sean was using his fingers to direct books flying out.

Harry wondered.

“No… Wizard Sean?!”

he exclaimed.

Wizard Sean had already retrieved the book he wanted: “Pure-Blood: Wizarding Lineages.” He directed the book to fly into the Wizarding Book, where it vanished from Harry’s sight.

Wizard Sean had already obtained the book he wanted: *Born Noble: Wizarding Genealogies*; he then directed the book back into the Wizarding Books, making it vanish in Harry’s eyes.

he asked softly.

“What’s this… where’s your wand?”

Harry’s mind turned to mush.

“Wizard magic doesn’t come from wands, Harry.”

Wizard Sean said, then walked away.

In the minds of most aware wizards, elf magic seemed stronger than many wizards’.

They needed no wands and moved freely within Hogwarts Castle.

But to Wizard Sean, this was a misconception.

Elves were not more powerful than wizards—unwandled magic was simply more destructive by nature.

Yet one truth remained: elves, including goblins, could move freely within Hogwarts or even within Voldemort’s cave.

Voldemort despised elf magic; Hogwarts tolerated it for convenience.

Yes, only for convenience.

Think of it: elves handled all wizard meals, carried luggage on the train, cleaned rooms…

Without Apparition, it would be terribly inconvenient.

When Hufflepuff provided a home for house-elves and permitted them to live and work there, Ravenclaw left this “loophole” in Hogwarts.

For over a thousand years, no restless wizard had ever exploited this loophole.

But Wizard Sean knew this “loophole” could be sealed.

Owl Master could do it.

Yet after observing Hogwarts for over a thousand years, Owl Master proudly believed Hogwarts should retain elves who came and went freely.

But according to Owl Sir’s observations over countless centuries, he proudly believed Hogwarts should have house-elves who could come and go as they pleased.

Wizard Sean called.

“Yes, respected Mr. Green.”

Will emerged from the hidden darkness.

“Did you find it?”

Wizard Sean asked.

“I have not failed you, sir.”

Will stood tall, his short arms lifting—a coffin-shaped box appeared.

It loomed large, black as midnight under the moonlight.

Inside lay quietly a wizard remembered only by house-elves: when he chose to resist, he had not a single worthy ally.

Inside lay quietly a wizard remembered only by house-elves, and when he resolved to resist, he had not even one decent ally beside him.

A wizard existing only in Kreacher’s memory, a final letter, scattered fragments, and a frozen portrait in the Black family manor.

A wizard who existed almost solely in Kreacher’s memories, a final letter, fragments of words, and the forever motionless frame in the Black family mansion.

Wizard Sean whispered gently.

“For your will, I would give my life!”

Will murmured low.

Will whispered.