Harry Potter: Charlie and the Candy Factory

After listening to Dobby's explanation, Charlie was speechless for a while.

Even though he has come into contact with thousands of different elves, this is the first time he has seen Dobby, whose brain circuit is particularly strange. Come to think of it, he is also a rare oddity in the elf world.

.

At this point in his thoughts, Charlie couldn't help but laugh. After shaking his head, he had no choice but to order the elves around him to loosen him.

It can be seen that Dobby's behavior really frightened his security guards at the beginning. Otherwise, they would not have been able to tie him up so tightly, without leaving any gaps between the ropes.

It would be difficult for even an elephant to break free from the entanglement, let alone a malnourished elf like him.

Listening to Charlie's words, Dobby's face showed an inexplicable joy and pride, as if it was a very honorable thing for Mr. Black to personally order them to untie him.

"Look! Dobby has already said it. Dobby is already a free elf. Dobby knows Mr. Black... You didn't believe it just now. Haha, what about now? Believe it!"

While the two security guards were untying the rope for him, Dobby was not very calm. With an almost arrogant tone, he proudly said to the two elves.

Fortunately, as elves who had received ideological education in the factory, the quality of the two security guards was obviously much better. When faced with Dobby's words, they did not make any response, but honestly untied him.

After grabbing the rope, they retreated to the side in an orderly manner.

Charlie was speechless for a while, simply ignored him and focused on the box on the ground.

"Is this the gift Lucius gave me?"

Slowly leaning down, he narrowed his eyes and looked at the old and ordinary wooden box in front of him with uncontrollable curiosity, and asked Dobby.

"Yes! Mr. Black." After hearing Charlie's question, Dobby didn't care about anything else. He nodded hurriedly, then jumped up from the sofa, flashed to his side with a "whoosh", and continued.

"Mr. Malfoy specifically told me before he left that he wanted me to hand it over to you personally."

Charlie didn't speak. After hesitating for a moment, he raised his hand and gently brushed it against the wooden box.

When his fingertips moved slightly, a layer of magical light arose. Following the movements of his hands, for a moment, the dust and dirt originally attached to the surface of the box seemed to have come to life.

, all dispersed and disappeared in mid-air without a trace.

It was only then that the old and ordinary box finally revealed its original appearance - a logo composed of a skull and a snake was clearly imprinted on the center of the box.

When that mark appeared, for a moment, the entire department fell into silence as if a silencing spell had been cast on it.

Even Charlie's heart couldn't help but beat hard. In his slightly narrowed eyes, his pupils unconsciously shrank to the size of a pinhole as he thought.

Drew, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa with his eyes closed since Charlie came in, seemed to be asleep, was finally willing to open his eyes. The originally cloudy eyes under his eyelids suddenly burst out with unprecedented excitement.

with waves.

"This is... Voldemort's thing."

The cane poking at the ground moved a few times as Du Lu moved. The seemingly subconscious movement left a faintly visible small hole on the granite floor.

Veins appeared on his forearm, which was even shriveled up compared to Dobby's, as if he had recalled some unpleasant memory.

After a long while, he finally shook his head and closed his eyes again, as if nothing happened just now, continuing his expression of neither joy nor sorrow.

"Russell..."

Suddenly, when everyone was still breathless in this terrible silence and atmosphere, Charlie suddenly stood up and called Russell next to him, breaking the quiet atmosphere at the same time.

"Here! Master Charlie."

Russell also quickly came to his senses, walked quickly to Charlie again, raised his head and responded.

"Send it to my office for me."

"Good master."

Although the mark of the dark devil on the box made him feel disgusted and repelled from the bottom of his heart, after hearing the owner's instructions, Russell did not hesitate. After nodding in agreement, he stepped forward without hesitation and grabbed it with both hands.

He stayed in the box and turned into a flash of light together with it, disappearing in front of everyone.

It wasn't until the box and Russell left together that the depressing atmosphere seemed to finally ease. Charlie could even hear several elves secretly heaving a deep sigh of relief.

He put the box matter aside for the time being, planning to study it alone after returning to the office. At this moment, Charlie's attention returned to Dobby again.

His expression immediately returned to its original softness, and he asked

"Thank you for helping me deliver such an important thing, Dobby."

"It doesn't matter, this is what I should do, Mr. Black!" Dobby proudly patted his chest, which was so thin that you could almost see the bones. Although he said so, his chest was as tall as two cattail fans.

The raised and flapping ears revealed its joy at being thanked by Charlie.

Charlie's smile remained unchanged, and he continued to ask, "Now that the things have been delivered, where are you going to go next?"

"Of course -"

Just when Dobby was about to answer without hesitation, the next second, he seemed to be stuck, and suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

Yes, it almost forgot that it was no longer an elf of the Malfoy family. Mr. Malfoy gave him freedom, which meant that he would never be able to return to the Malfoy mansion again.

For a moment, Dobby's eyes were filled with unprecedented confusion. Even the ears that were raised just now were drooped again due to confusion.

As an elf who has lived in the Malfoy Mansion since childhood, even though it has always longed for freedom, when freedom actually comes, it loses sight of the vast future ahead.

The joy of gaining freedom seemed to be diluted at this moment, but was replaced by a burst of fear and uneasiness about the unknown.

Just when Dobby faced this question blankly and didn't know how to answer for a moment, Charlie said softly.

"I can understand how you feel at the moment... but don't worry, you have just gained your freedom and have a lot of time to decide what you should do. If you are willing, you can stay in the factory temporarily and I will arrange for someone to do it.

Prepare a room for you. Until you actually plan everything, what do you think?"

(End of chapter)