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Chapter 73: A Chat Under the Stars
The cool night air wrapped around Harry as he stood at the top of the Astronomy Tower, leaning against the stone railing. The vast sky stretched endlessly above him, scattered with shimmering stars, while the moon cast a silver glow over the castle grounds below. The Forbidden Forest swayed gently in the distance, its treetops rippling like waves in the ocean.
Beside him, Hedwig sat perched on the railing, eagerly devouring the bacon bits he had brought her.
"You know, you should slow down," Harry teased, watching her greedily snatch another piece. "You're putting on some weight."
Hedwig froze mid-bite, her sharp amber eyes narrowing as she turned to glare at him.
Before Harry could react, she pecked his hand—hard—and then flapped her wing against his head, making his hair even messier than usual.
"Alright, alright! I was just joking!" Harry laughed, raising his hands in surrender.
Hedwig let out an annoyed hoot, fluffing up her feathers in indignation.
"To make up for it, I'll tell you the truth," Harry said, smirking. "You're the most beautiful owl in the world. In fact, you should be the Queen of all owls."
Hedwig preened at the praise, puffing up her chest proudly.
Harry shook his head in amusement. She actually believes it.
Just as he was about to offer her more bacon, a familiar pop echoed through the air, and a small figure appeared before him.
Dobby.
The excitable house-elf looked up at Harry, his large green eyes reflecting the moonlight. His ears twitched anxiously, and his tiny hands fidgeted with the edge of his pillowcase tunic.
"Great Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby blurted, his voice urgent.
Harry immediately straightened, his playful mood vanishing in an instant. "Dobby? What's wrong?"
Dobby wrung his hands together. "Dobby was questioned, sir! The Aurors came!"
Harry's expression darkened. "Who?"
Dobby hesitated for a moment before describing them. From his words, Harry quickly pieced together their identities—Alastor Moody and Amelia Bones.
"They questioned you about Lucius, didn't they?"
Dobby nodded quickly. "Yes, sir! About Master Lucius and the night he disappeared."
Harry studied the elf carefully, his green eyes sharp. "Did you tell them anything… about me?"
Dobby gasped and shook his head so vigorously that his ears flapped. "Never, Harry Potter, sir! Dobby would never betray the great and kind Harry Potter!"
Harry exhaled slowly, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. "Alright. What did you tell them?"
Dobby shifted uneasily on his feet. "Dobby… mostly told the truth, sir. But not about Harry Potter."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Mostly?"
Dobby nodded enthusiastically. "Dobby told them that Master Lucius freed Dobby by giving him a sock, and after that, Dobby left! Which is true, sir!"
Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I suppose it is. Thank you, Dobby."
Dobby's ears perked up. "Great Harry Potter does not need to thank Dobby! It is Dobby who must thank him for freeing Dobby from bad Master Lucius!"
Harry smiled, but he was still thinking about the investigation. Amelia and Moody were thorough. They wouldn't stop looking for answers, but with no body and no physical evidence, the case would likely go cold soon.
Dobby's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Dobby works at Hogwarts now, sir! Dobby is a free elf, and he even gets paid!"
Harry grinned at that. "That's great, Dobby. I'm glad."
Dobby beamed. "Dobby is happy too, sir! Hogwarts is a good home!"
Then, as if remembering something, Dobby's expression turned more serious. "Winky has found a home too, sir."
Harry's brow furrowed. "Where?"
Dobby hesitated before answering. "Mistress Narcissa was looking for a new house-elf, sir. Now Winky works for the Malfoys."
Harry frowned slightly. "Is she alright with that?"
Dobby nodded. "Winky is… happier now. Mistress Narcissa and young Draco Malfoy are good masters, sir. They never punished Dobby before, and Winky… Winky was very sad after being fired by bad Crouch. She wants to serve a family again."
Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I suppose it's the best outcome for her."
Dobby nodded. "Yes, sir! Winky will be alright."
A silence settled between them, only broken by the occasional rustle of wind through the tower. Harry looked out over the castle grounds, deep in thought.
Lucius Malfoy's disappearance was still being investigated, but the truth would never come to light. The Ministry would eventually move on, happy to take credit for the deaths of five escaped Death Eaters while ignoring the reality of what had happened.
And now, five of Voldemort's most dangerous followers were dead.
One step closer.
One step closer to putting Voldemort behind him and living his life.
Hedwig let out a soft hoot, and Harry reached out to gently stroke her feathers.
Dobby glanced up at Harry hesitantly. "Dobby must ask, sir… is Harry Potter safe?"
Harry blinked in surprise before offering the elf a reassuring smile. "Yeah, Dobby. I'm safe."
Dobby nodded, though his large eyes were filled with concern. "Dobby will always watch over Harry Potter, sir."
With a final nod, the elf disappeared with a pop, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.
He turned his gaze back to the sky, watching the stars shimmer like distant fireflies. As the wind swept through the Astronomy Tower, Harry simply stood there, lost in thought.