Together [HP]

For a while, neither of them spoke.Dumbledore then opened a drawer of Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.

"Harry, what you need now is something to eat and a good night's sleep. I suggest you go down to the banquet, and I'm here to write a letter to Azkaban. We should have our gamekeeper back. I'm also drafting a job ad for the Daily Prophet," he mused. "We're going to need a new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts again. Jesus, this one The teacher of the class burns out really fast, doesn't he?"

Harry stood up and walked towards the door.He had just grasped the doorknob when the door was suddenly slammed open and bounced against the wall behind.

Lucius Malfoy stood there, looking furious.It was Dobby who was pinched tremblingly under his arm, with bandages all over his body.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

Malfoy dashed into the room, nearly knocking Harry over his head.Dobby followed in panic, hunched over, staring at the back seam of his master's robes with a look of helpless terror on his face.

"Okay!" Lucius Malfoy stared at Dumbledore with cold eyes, and said, "You are back. The board of directors suspended your duties, but you still returned to Hogwarts on your own initiative."

"Oh, that's right, Lucius," Dumbledore said with a calm smile, "I got in touch with the other eleven directors today. To be honest, when the owls came one after another, it was It seems that there was a hailstorm. They heard that Arthur Weasley's daughter was killed, and they all wanted me to come here immediately. They seemed to think that after a long time, I was the most suitable for the job. They also told I have some weird stories. Some of them seem to think that you threatened to suspend me if they didn't agree. You're going to curse their family."

Mr. Malfoy's face was paler than usual, but his eyes were still burning with anger.

"So, did you prevent those attacks?" he asked sarcastically, "did you catch the killer?"

"We've got it," Dumbledore answered him, smiling.

"Oh," snapped Mr. Malfoy, "who?"

"It's the same man as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore, "but Voldemort works through another man this time. By means of his diary."

He held up the little black book with a big hole running through it, and watched Mr. Malfoy's reaction closely.Harry, on the other hand, looked at Dobby.

The house-elf was behaving very oddly.His light bulb-sized eyes stared thoughtfully at Harry, pointing at the diary, pointing at Mr. Malfoy, and hitting him hard with his fist.own head.

"So it is," said Mr Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"A clever plan," said Dumbledore evenly, still looking into Mr Malfoy's eyes, "if this Harry," Mr Malfoy gave Harry a quick stern look, "could My friend Ron didn't find the diary. Whoops, Ginny Weasley might be in the wrong. There's no way anyone can prove she didn't act of her own volition.."

Malfoy said nothing, his face suddenly covered with a mask.

"Imagine," continued Dumbledore, "what would have happened.. The Weasleys are one of the most prestigious pure-wizard families. Imagine if people found out that Arthur Weasley's biological Daughter attacking and murdering Muggle-borns, what would that do to Weasley and his Muggle protection laws. Thankfully the diary was found and Riddle's memory was wiped from it. Otherwise, Who knows what the consequences will be..."

Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak.

"It's a blessing," he said awkwardly.

Dobby, who was shrinking behind him, still pointed at the diary first and then Lucius Malfoy strangely, and then beat his head desperately.Harry suddenly understood.He nodded to Dobby, and Dobby flinched back into the corner, pulling his ear again as punishment.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of the diary, Mr Malfoy," said Harry.Lucius Malfoy turned to him.

"What do I know how that stupid little girl got it," he said.

"Because you gave it to her," Harry said, "at Lihen Bookstore, you picked up her Transfiguration textbook and secretly stuffed the diary in it, didn't you?"

He saw Malfoy's pale hands clenched into fists and then loosen again.

"Is there any proof?" he said hoarsely.

"Oh, no one can provide any evidence," said Dumbledore, looking at Harry with a smile, "Now Riddle has disappeared from the book. Besides, Lucius, I want to give you a piece of advice, don't Distributing old stuff from Voldemort's school days. If any more of these fall into innocent hands, at least Arthur Weasley will be sure to be able to ascertain that they came from you."

Lucius Malfoy stood still for a moment, and Harry clearly saw his right hand twitch, as if trying to reach for his wand.He restrained himself, however, and turning to his house-elf said, "Here we go, Dobby!"

He unlocked the door, and the house-elf hurried over, and Mr. Malfoy kicked him out the door.They could hear Dobby screaming in pain all the way down the corridor.Harry stood there, thinking hard for a moment.Then, he had an idea.

"Professor Dumbledore," he said hastily, "may I please return this diary to Mr Malfoy?"

"Of course, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "but hurry up. Don't forget there's a feast." Harry grabbed the diary and rushed out of the office.He heard Dobby's screams of pain round the corner, farther and farther away.Harry wondered if the plan would work, quickly took off a shoe, tore off the sticky smelly sock, and stuffed the diary into it.Then he sprinted down a dark corridor.

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

"Mr. Malfoy," he gasped, staggering and stopping, "I have something for you."

He forced the smelly sock into Lucius Malfoy's hand.

"What is this..." Mr. Malfoy tore off the socks from the diary, threw it aside, looked angrily at the destroyed diary, and then at Harry. "Harry Potter, one day, you will suffer the same fate as your parents," he said softly. "They were nosy fools back then."

He turned to go.

"Come on, Dobby. You hear me, come on!"

But Dobby didn't move.He held Harry's smelly slimy sock aloft and looked at it excitedly as if it were a priceless treasure.

"The master gave Dobby a sock," said the house-elf in amazement, "the master gave Dobby the sock."

"What?" said Mr. Malfoy angrily, "what did you say?"

"Dobby got a sock," said Dobby incredulously. "Master threw it, Dobby caught it, Dobby, Dobby is free."

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

"You've cost me my servant, boy!"

But Dobby yelled, "You are not allowed to hurt Harry Potter!"

There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy fell backwards.He staggered down the stairs three steps at a time, and finally collapsed in a mess on the platform below.He struggled to his feet, livid, and drew his wand, but Dobby held up a long, powerful finger.

"You can go," he said fiercely, pointing at Mr. Malfoy below. "You must never touch Harry Potter. You can go now."

Lucius Malfoy had no other choice.He gave them both a final furious look, wrapped himself in his cloak, and disappeared hastily.

"Harry Potter set Dobby free!" shrieked the elf, looking up at Harry, his round eyes caught in the moonlight from the nearest window, "Harry Potter made Dobby!" Be free!"

"I didn't do anything, Dobby," said Harry, grinning, "you promise me you won't try to protect me again."

A wide smile suddenly broke across the elf's ugly brown-red face, revealing a full mouthful of teeth.

"I just have one question, Dobby," said Harry, as Dobby pulled Harry's socks on with trembling hands, "you told me it had nothing to do with the man who can't even be named, remember But..."

"It's a hint, sir." Dobby's eyes widened, as if it was self-evident, "Dobby is giving you a hint. Before he changed his name and surname, the Dark Lord was You can mention his name, his name can be used casually, understand?"

"Got it," Harry said reluctantly, "well, I have to go. They're having a party, and my friend Hermione should wake up..."

Dobby put his arms around Harry's waist and hugged him tightly.

"Harry Potter is greater than ever known!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Harry Potter!"

There was another loud choke in Dobby's throat, and then it died away.