The Other Castellan

Dobby

Chapter 14: Dobby

Lucas read the letter for what seemed like the hundredth time. The note, which had been rolled up tightly when it arrived this morning, had now been read so many times, it had become completely flat. It had said:

Dear Lucas,

  How are you? Is your quest going well? I heard from Annabeth that you're at Hogwarts. How exciting! Of course, she didn't actually tell me the name, seeing as you didn't tell her, but it was kind of obvious. After all, there's only one school in Scotland that's a castle.

  How was your first year at Hogwarts? I hope you haven't been expelled yet. Although it would be incredibly hard to get yourself expelled. The castle is reinforced by magic so it stays up, not to mention the layers of wards surrounding the grounds.

  Guess what? I'm coming to Hogwarts! I just got my Acceptance Letter yesterday! Lady Hecate personally delivered it to me, actually. She said that I was joining you on the quest. It seems unlikely, but I'm hoping to get into Gryffindor. That way, I can keep an eye on Harry. If he decides to befriend me. Dad runs the Quibbler, which is utter rubbish. I mean, he's clear-sighted, but he's a tad bit insane. I'll probably get picked on.

  You should come to Camp soon. Annabeth misses you. As a matter of fact, I do, too. I think Luke does, as well, but he's been super cranky and secretive lately. It's hard to tell what he's thinking, anyway. But you know all about that, being his brother.

  See you soon!

  Luna

  To say that Lucas was surprised was an understatement. He was beyond surprised. When the realization that Luna was a witch had settled in, his surprise had turned into excitement and relief. He no longer had to do the quest by himself. Luna Lovegood, one of his friends, was coming to Hogwarts. When he first finished reading it, he had done a happy little dance that he most certainly wouldn't have done as Draco Malfoy and he would have only done it as Lucas Castellan if he was certain he was alone.

  There was a sudden crack, not unlike a whip, making Lucas drop the piece of parchment in shock.

  "Holy-"

  A little creature with large bat-like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls had just appeared in front of him. It wore something that resembled a very dirty pillowcase, with holes for its arms and legs.

  Lucas took a deep breath, calming himself down.

  "Sorry." He felt mildly embarrassed. "You just scared me."

  "It is no problem, sir, none at all." The creature bowed down lowly, its long, pointy nose brushing the ground. His high pitched voice was much higher than any voice he had heard before. "Dobby has come to clean the room, sir. Dobby did not mean to startle you, sir."

  "It's fine." Lucas brushed off the apology. He shifted uncomfortably, deciding to pick up the letter. "I don't mean to be rude or to offend you, but what are you?"

  "Dobby is a house-elf, sir, bound to serve one house and one family forever."

  "And it's this family," he guessed. "The Malfoys."

  Dobby nodded, his large eyes staring at him unwaveringly. "Sir refers to his family as the Malfoys. Dobby wonders why. Dobby knows sir is a demigod but is sir not related to the Malfoys?"

  "No." Lucas figured it'd be best, to tell the truth. Dobby already knew that he was a demigod. What was the harm in revealing that he wasn't actually a Malfoy? "My name is Lucas Castellan. My mum was a Muggle-Born. I doubt there's any relation between the Castellans and the Malfoys."