"Dobby. What're you doing here?" I ask the elf, kneeling towards the ground.
"Dobby has come to rescue Harry Potter, of course." We all stare at Harry, not sure how Dobby knew we were in trouble.
"Do you mean to say you can Apparate in and out of here? And take us with you?" Harry asks him in disbelief.
"Of course. I'm an elf." Dobby says as though it is the most obvious thing on the planet.
"Works for me." Ron nods. Harry looks around the room. There were too many people to apperate at one time.
"Right. Dobby, I want you to take Luna and Mr. Ollivander to..." Harry hesitates for a second.
"Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth." We look at Ron, confused but he just nods. "Trust me." Harry turns to Luna.
"You'll see to Mr. Ollivander?" Luna nods and turns to Dobby.
"Whenever you're ready, sir." Dobby blinks at Luna's use of 'sir' and grins.
"Like her very much." He turns to the rest of us. "Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten seconds." Luna takes Ollivander's withered hand in hers and Dobby reaches out. CRACK! They vanish. Harry and I stand next to the side of the gate, Ron standing on the other side, waiting. Peter Pettigrew walks towards the cellar, peering inside. When he sees no one, he unlocks the cellar door. I see a spark of light and then Pettigrew falls forward, stiff as a board. Moving out from the shadows, I smile up at Dobby. "Who gets his wand?" Dobby asks. Ron grabs Pettigrew's wand as we quickly and cautiously pad towards the main room. Dobby slips off in another direction. We pass by a snatcher and Harry quickly grabs something from him before joining me and Ron. From the corner of the dark hallway, I see Bellatrix towering over the goblin, who holds the sword, studying it. Hermione lies at Bellatrix's feet. Ron starts to move towards her, but I pull him back, shaking my head.
"Well?" Bellatrix asks, waiting very impatiently.
"I left Gringotts employ many weeks ago, but when I was last in your vault, the sword was there." I look back at Bellatrix, hoping that she was done with Hermione. "There is no place safer than Gringotts, Madam LeStrange." The goblin looks down at Hermione.
"Liar! You can't deceive me!" Bellatrix shouts at him, the crazy going back to her eyes. Bellatrix slashes the dagger across Griphook's cheek and a deep gash opens. "Consider yourself lucky, Goblin. The same won't be said for this one." Bellatrix posies the dagger over to Hermione.
"No!" I shout, making myself seen as Ron and I charge out of the hidden hallway.
"Expelliarmus!"Bellatrix's dangling wand shoots free, tumbles end over end right into Harry's hand.
"Stupefy!" Harry shouts. Lucius Malfoy drops instantly, his wine glass shattering in a burgundy bloom on the hearth. Narcissa and Draco draw their wands. Jets of light spray across the room.
"Stop or she dies!" We all freeze, seeing Hermione leaning limply against Bellatrix, a dagger against her throat. "Drop your wands." Ron stands rigidly, staring balefully at Bellatrix. "I said drop them!" Ron flings away Wormtail's wand. Harry drops Bellatrix's. "Pick them up, Draco. Now! Well, well, look what we have here. Harry Potter. All bright, shiny and new again. Just in time for the Dark Lord." Harry glances in the mirror opposite, and sees that the Stinging Jinx is wearing off. I pout as I watch as Draco grabs the wands, barely looking me in the eye as he moves away. "Call him, Draco." Draco hesitates, looking at me for a brief second. I shake my head, hoping that he won't call him. But Lucius doesn't, pulling up his sleeve and touching his finger to the dark mark on his forearm. Harry grimaces in agony. Bellatrix cackles maniacally, her knife still pressed against Hermione's neck. Before I have a chance to do anything, we all hear a grinding noise. We glance up, seeing the chandelier begin to tremble. Just as Bellatrix looks up, the chandelier bursts free of the ceiling and plummets. Bellatrix bolts and Hermione staggers clear, falling into my arms. The goblin grabs the sword and as glass explodes in razor-sharp slivers, Draco screams and covers his bloody face. Harry snatches the blood-soaked
wands from his hands and, wheeling, points all three at Lucius.
"Stupefy!" Lucius flies off his feet and drops in a heap.
"You dirty little monkey! You could have killed me!" Bellatrix screams at Dobby, seeing him appear. The elf stands fearlessly across from her, defiant.
"Dobby meant only to maim or seriously injure, not kill." We all ran towards Dobby.
"For God's sake, Cissy, you've got a wand! Use it!" Bellatrix screams at her sister. Before she gets a chance to use it, Dobby waves his little fist and Narcissa's wand flies from her hand. "How dare you take a witch's wand. How dare you defy your masters." Standing next to Dobby, we all connect hands. I am still holding Hermione close to me, her tears soaking my shirt.
"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!" Harry gives Ron a wand and grabs Hermione's beaded bag.
"Give the Dark Lord our regards." I salute them with my middle fingers raised. Dobby snaps his fingers and the world goes back.
I hear a whoosh as we all tumble onto solid earth. The first thing I hear is the crash of waves. I smell the ocean and can feel the sand between my fingertips. As I stagger to my feet, along with the rest of the group, Hermione finds comfort in Ron's arms, tears stinging her eyes.
"It's all right, Hermione. You're safe. We're all safe." She doesn't respond, nor Ron. Then Harry realizes they are looking past him, even the goblin, the sword hanging limply in his hand. Harry turns. I look past all of them, seeing Dobby standing alone, a queer smile on his face, hand over his heart, the hilt of Bellatrix's dagger protruding between his fingers. My heart breaks as Harry and I rush over to Dobby. The elf crumples into Harry's arms, eyes looking up to the sky. "It's okay... Here... Just hold on, Dobby... I'll fix you -- Hermione -- your bag -- you must have something -- Essence of Dittany -- something... Hermione! Help me!" She merely stands, tears streaking her cheeks. She has nothing for this type of injury. I can see the look on her face. I put my hand on Harry's shoulder and shook my head.
"Such a beautiful time... to be with friends. Dobby is happy... to be with his friend... Harry Potter..." Dobby gives a little shudder, then goes still. We all stare, mute, listening to the waves and the wind. Footfalls sound. I look up, seeing Bill and Luna approaching from the cottage in the distance.
"Fleur's seeing to Ollivander. Anyone else need tending..." Bill eyes Harry curiously, crouched, his back turned. Then sees Dobby's limp little legs dangling lifelessly. As the others watch, Harry reaches out and, gently as he can, pulls the dagger from Dobby's chest, then shrugs off his jacket and enwraps the elf's body. Slowly, his shoulders begin to shake. Only Luna dares to step forward. Kneeling, she sees Harry is silently crying.
"We should close his eyes. Don't you think?" Luna suggests to the both of us. Luna reaches out and tenderly places her fingers upon Dobby's eyelids and closes them. "There. Now he could be sleeping." I look at Luna.
"Thank you."
"I want to bury him properly. Without magic." Harry says, tears making his voice hoarse. So, he does. Bill gets him a spade and Harry buries Dobby. Bill leads the rest of us back to the cottage, looking back at me for a moment.
"What is it Bill?" I ask him, my body tired from all the running and the camping and the anxiety. He doesn't say anything, looking at the cottage long enough for me to see exactly what he wanted me to. "George?!" My body breaks done, tears falling down my eyes as I break out into a sprint. George runs towards me, letting me jump into his arms as the tears fall down. He holds me tightly, not wanting to let go.
YOU ARE READING
Daughter of Black
FanfictionShe was named after both her parents. On her father's side of the family, it was tradition that they were named after stars - Mira. Her mother's name was Arabella so her father gave her part of her mother's name as well. He wanted part of both of th...
