"Yes sir." Harry said, defeated. He hoped he would at least get to say goodbye to his friends before they expelled him. Not seeing them again would be the worst part, but he would manage. He'd survived 11 years without any friends, what was 11 more?
"You will be receiving an award for special services to the school, as Tom Riddle had those fifty odd years ago, and his will be silently removed. I believe Ms. Granger, Ms. Lovegood, Ms. Bones, Ms. Greengrass, and Ms. Patil should as well, for their contributions to research towards ending the threat." Dumbledore spoke. "Giving house points seems a paltry reward in comparison to what you've done, and would be unfair given that you are spread amongst the houses."
Harry was dumbfounded. He was certain he was going to be expelled.
"My boy, you've saved hundreds of lives, possibly mine own included, did you believe you were going to be expelled?" Dumbledore said with a chuckle. "While I do not wish for you to continue to perform these dangerous feats without the aid of the staff, I cannot deny that you have done great things Mr. Potter. A first year student taking down a fully grown mountain troll is already a major accomplishment, but only a year later, slaying a millenia old basilisk? That is something few adults could ever dream of matching. Let us hope you do not continue to one-up yourself Mr. Potter. There are few places left to go."
"I will attempt not to Headmaster." Harry said, his face red.
"I'm sure you will." Dumbedore said with a chuckle. At that moment, a wisp of smoke came from his fireplace and caught his attention. "Excuse me for a moment." Dumbledore walked over to his fireplace and acted like he was reading some kind of message. "Ah, pardon me Mr. Potter, but I'm afraid I must send you on your way. It appears as though Lucius Malfoy is on his way to my office for a meeting."
"I see. Pardon me Professor, but may I have that diary?" Harry asked, a plan formulating in his mind. If it worked, he could get some proof, although not definitive, that Lucius had given the diary to Susan.
"It's magic is long gone, so I don't see why not. Collecting trophies now are we?" Dumbledore said with a knowing smile.
"You could say so sir." Harry said, picking up the diary and making his way down the stairs, taking a moment to place his sock in it. "Here's hoping."
Walking down the hall, Harry was almost excited to see Lucius Malfoy walking towards him, Dobby, the excitable house elf that had warned Harry of his impending doom before the school year following dutifully behind him.
"Hello Mr. Malfoy, what brings you here?" Harry asked nonchalantly.
"Hello Mr. Potter." Lucius said, doing his best to hide agitation in his voice. Harry noticed it though. "I have a meeting with your headmaster. It seems as though some dangerous happenings have been going on in the school, and I must discuss them with him."
"I see, oh, I have something of yours I need to return, hold on a moment." Harry said as he pretended to fumble through his robes for something.
"What could you possibly.." Lucius started, but his eyes went wide at the diary in Harry's hands, and took in the hole that had been punched through the center of it. "Give me that!" Lucius almost snarled, and Harry handed it over gratefully.
Lucius took a brief moment to examine the hold in the diary from both sides, before handing it off to his house elf. Just as Harry had hoped. Harry mimed opening the book to Dobby, who did so, though with a confused look on his face. That look faded though, as inside Dobby found a sock.
Harry's earlier research had shown that house elves could be freed from their masters by having their masters provide them with clothes. Harry had devised this loophole with assistance from Hermione, who had found the idea of house elf slavery to be barbaric. Susan, Padma, and Daphne had told her that house elves typically do love to help out around the house, finding immense joy in their work, and only disliked working for masters who were mean or abusive. Malfoy seemed to qualify as both.
"Master has given Dobby clothes." Dobby said, almost as if he himself didn't believe it. "Dobby is a free elf."
"I've done no such-" Lucius Malfoy began to say, as he turned around to see the elf standing with the open book, and a sock in his hand. "You.. you freed my servant." Lucius said with venom towards Harry. Lucius had always been very good at concealing his emotions, and it was only through Harry's experience in reading and recognizing anger that he could determine when Lucius was angry in their other meetings. At this moment though, anyone could tell Lucius was furious.
"I cannot do that sir, only their owner can. I did not own this elf, and now I suppose, no one does, except perhaps Dobby himself." Harry said, in as neutral and cordial a tone as he could manage. The small Harry that lived inside his own head was jumping up and down in joy at his successful maneuver over the elder Malfoy, but Harry couldn't show that.
Malfoy's hand twitched toward his wand, and Harry was about to react in kind, when the gargoyle in front of the stairs to the headmaster's office moved, and out stepped Dumbledore himself.
"Ah, Lucius, I was wondering what was keeping you. I had hoped that you hadn't forgotten the password I had given you to my office." Dumbledore said, his words calming the situation, although if he had any idea there was an altercation about to happen, he showed no outward signs of it.
"Oh no, I had just happened to see Mr. Potter here, and was discussing his… impressive performance." Lucius said, regaining his composure.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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