[Note: Read up to Chapter - 151 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Mr. Malfoy, about the compensation for the manor gate..."
Upon hearing Aris' words, Lucius' legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Mr. Shafiq, please, let's not bring this up again..."
Lucius' voice was full of earnestness as he knelt before him.
"It was my fault for being so ignorant and lacking in hospitality. I should've welcomed you at the door from the start. The state of the gate is entirely my responsibility, and it has nothing to do with you!"
Lucius looked utterly sincere, with no hint of forced submission. It was as though the earlier incident—asking for compensation for the manor gate—had never even occurred.
If anything, Lucius was feeling a strange sense of relief at this moment.
Fortunately, Lucius had the foresight to hold back earlier, and when Iris unleashed her roar, he wisely retreated behind Aris, narrowly escaping danger.
Now, he was the only pure-blood wizard still standing in the entire living room, aside from Aris and his companions.
Trying to prove his sincerity, and before Aris could respond, Lucius hurriedly added, "The Malfoy family is willing to surrender all of its wealth, in the hope that Mr. Shafiq might give us a chance for redemption. We're prepared to manage your property, even without compensation."
At this point, Lucius was acutely aware that this might be his only chance to survive. Given Aris's explosive actions tonight, it was clear he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Aris had killed without hesitation, and though Lucius understood the reasons behind it, it reminded him of the Dark Lord's ruthless methods.
As for the compensation for the gate...
Even if Aris had offered him 50,000 gold galleons as compensation, would Lucius really dare to take it?
Even if he did accept it, he'd be forced to return it in the end. After all, the Barton family would never let them off the hook that easily.
No one dared to go against Aris's orders. Especially after witnessing Iris's overwhelming power.
Thinking back to that dragon...
At this point, Lucius's fear of Aris was no less than that of Voldemort himself.
"As for compensation," Aris said, his tone calm, "I, Aris Shafiq, will keep my word. You won't lose a single galleon, but I won't let you get away with what's rightfully mine either."
"You wanted to unite and annex my Shafiq family. I've defeated you, and now I want all of your property. Is that acceptable?"
Aris fixed Lucius with a steady, unfazed gaze.
"No problem, no problem at all!" Lucius shook his head vigorously, his words coming out in a rush.
Although the boy's eyes remained calm, Lucius felt as though he was facing a massive beast, one that could swallow him whole at any moment.
The weight of that pressure—it was coming from an eleven-year-old!
Lucius couldn't quite bring himself to believe it, but the facts were undeniable. He couldn't deny the overwhelming truth staring him in the face.
"You can ask Uncle Henry about this," he muttered, the words escaping him almost involuntarily.
Aris gave him one last, measured glance before turning away. His attention was now drawn to a small figure lurking in the corner of the room, observing the chaos unfold.
It wasn't until that very moment that Aris finally saw who it was.
"Dobby?" Aris was taken aback.
The figure before him was unmistakably a house-elf. The only elf Aris could think of in the Malfoy household was Dobby.
Could it be him?
"Come out!" Aris's voice was calm, but there was a certain weight to it that caught everyone's attention.
His gaze landed on a small figure with its head down, hovering at the edge of the room.
Lucius, who had also turned, immediately spotted the elf.
"Come here, Dobby!" Lucius called out, anxiety lacing his tone. He was worried that Aris might grow irritated with Dobby's appearance, especially after everything that had just unfolded.
Dobby shuffled forward hesitantly, moving cautiously, each step small and measured.
Clearly, the house-elf was terrified of Aris.
He had witnessed everything that had transpired in the living room. Dobby had never seen a boy, barely older than Master Draco, wield such cruelty and power.
In fact, Dobby was so shaken that he forgot his usual rule of not appearing in the living room without the master's permission.
Especially with so many people gathered in the living room, the tension was palpable.
"Your name is Dobby?" Aris asked, his gaze fixed on the small, skinny elf in front of him, dressed in a tattered rag.
"Yes... yes, sir, I am Dobby... the house-elf of the Malfoy family!" Dobby replied timidly, his voice barely above a whisper. Though he kept his head lowered, his eyes couldn't help but glance up at Aris every so often.
Aris raised an eyebrow, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Because of Snoopy, I actually have a rather good impression of house-elves."
He studied Dobby carefully, then asked, his tone turning serious, "If I asked you to leave the Malfoy family and come to Shafiq Castle, would you be willing?"
Aris paused for a moment, considering Dobby's unique situation. From what he knew of the elf, he had an intense desire for freedom, one that set him apart from other house-elves, as seen in the original tales.
At the same time, however, Dobby also displayed an unwavering loyalty to those wizards—or friends—whom he truly identified with.
In other words, while most house-elves are bound by the strict agreements between them and the wizarding world, once they become a part of a wizarding family, they see serving that family as the highest honour. They would never consider betraying them. In fact, any perceived transgression would be met with self-inflicted punishment.
Take Dobby, for example. Even though he wasn't technically Harry's master, his unwavering loyalty to Harry, borne out of their friendship, was clear. Dobby went as far as to risk his life to save Harry and his friends, without hesitation.
Aris truly appreciated this quality. Unlike other elves, who often carried a certain stubbornness, Dobby stood out as an extremely rare and intriguing soul among house-elves. He wasn't just a servant—he was a being capable of love and self-sacrifice.
Therefore, Aris decided to bring Dobby to his side, perhaps to spare him from the tragedy that seemed destined to unfold in the future.
"Sir... Dobby is the elf of the Malfoy family. I cannot betray Master Malfoy..." Dobby stammered, clearly conflicted.
As Aris had suspected, Dobby longed for freedom, mainly because of the maltreatment he had suffered under the Malfoys. Yet, standing in front of Lucius, he could not bring himself to utter the words aloud. Despite his desire to leave, Dobby feared the consequences of voicing such thoughts. His sense of loyalty, although tinged with a desire for freedom, held him back, and he knew that any hint of rebellion would lead to severe punishment.
"It's alright, I'll speak with your master directly." Aris said, turning his gaze to Lucius with a calm but resolute look.
"Of course, if you wish!" Lucius replied without hesitation, a faint hint of relief in his voice. "I can accompany you anytime. Not that the Malfoy family only has Dobby—there are other house-elves too. Even if it were just Dobby, I wouldn't mind."
After all, compared to the idea of offending Aris, losing a house-elf seemed insignificant to Lucius.
"Thank you very much!" Aris said, turning his gaze back to Dobby.
In truth, Aris didn't just want to keep Dobby by his side because of any personal attachment. More importantly, he was impressed by the magical abilities of house-elves—abilities that far surpassed what one would expect from mere servants. These creatures were as powerful as, if not more so than, any average adult wizard.
Take Snoopy, for example. Under Aris's command, Snoopy had effortlessly broken through the protective wards of Malfoy Manor's dungeon. He then appeared in the dungeon, rescued Luna and Xenophilius, and successfully brought Iris back, all feats that were beyond the reach of most wizards.
Such feats of magic were something only house-elves could pull off, and Aris knew the value of having them on his side.
Even the elite Aurors from the Ministry of Magic wouldn't be able to achieve what the house-elves could do. That, right there, is the difference between wizards and elves.
Aris had often thought about it: if he could form an army of house-elves, just imagine the sheer power it would hold. At the very least, they'd be far more formidable than the ragtag group of Death Eaters Voldemort had managed to assemble.
"Dobby, your former master has agreed to let you come with me!" Aris said, his smile warm as he looked at the elf.
"But... but..." Dobby seemed unsure, still struggling with his loyalty.
"What? You want to defy my orders?" Lucius panicked, blurting out before Aris could respond.
The idea that Dobby might hesitate made Lucius uneasy. If Dobby angered Aris, the Malfoy family would be finished, and Lucius knew it.
At this point, Lucius could hardly think about anything else. He was desperate, so he issued another command: "I'm giving you your final order. From now on, you will serve Mr. Shafiq for the rest of your life, and you will obey his every command without question!"
"Maybe he just wants you to give him a piece of clothing," Aris said casually.
With a wave of his wand, Aris expertly sliced the finest fabric from the curtains and fashioned a beautiful little dress for Dobby to wear.
"This... this is..." Lucius hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "But if we give Dobby the clothes, he'll be free! Which means that if he doesn't want to serve you, he can simply run away."
Aris replied with a grin. "It's fine." Shaking his head, he added, "If Dobby wants to be free, I won't stop him from leaving."
"Of course, I can also offer him a salaried position, so he can support himself with his own skills!"
"What do you think, Dobby?" Aris quipped, his tone light but teasing.
"Really... is that alright?" Dobby's voice trembled with excitement as he saw Lucius reluctantly pick up the clothes Aris had tailored for him. He stared at the beautiful garment, his eyes flickering toward Aris, tears welling up in his eyes.
Dobby was visibly overwhelmed, so excited that tears almost spilled over.
"Of course, Dobby, as long as you accept this dress!" Aris said, his voice softening with unexpected emotion.
As he watched Dobby's reaction, Aris couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy. He had often wondered how such a powerful elf, with immense magical abilities, could have been brought low by a human wizard and bound into such an unequal contract.
The loyalty ingrained in elves, bound so deeply in their very bones, has often led them to suffer great injustices. Their unwavering devotion to wizards, never questioning or betraying them, has been used against them time and time again.
No wonder Hermione had always sought to improve their plight. Coming from the Muggle world, much like Aris, she couldn't bear to witness the cruelty that some wizards directed towards house-elves. The treatment they endured was nothing short of abuse.
"Thank you, Master, and thank you, Mr. Shafiq!" Dobby said, his voice trembling with gratitude.
He took the small clothes, bowing with a mix of emotion and respect to Lucius before turning to Aris and doing the same.
Then, without a moment's hesitation, he discarded the ragged clothing he'd been wearing and donned the new, finely crafted attire. The design was elegant—black and white, like a fusion of a shirt and a suit—fitting him perfectly.
The outfit had been designed by Aris, inspired by the clothes worn by pets in his original world. It even featured a neat little bow tie, giving the whole look a charmingly gentlemanly vibe, making it appear lively and full of energy.
"This dress is beautiful!" Dobby exclaimed, spinning around in sheer delight. A huge grin spread across his face as he admired his new attire.
He looked up at Aris with a hopeful expression.
"Mr. Shafiq, are you really willing to give me a paid job?" Dobby asked, his voice filled with excitement.
Before Aris could respond, he quickly added, "The pay doesn't need to be much, just one silver Sickle a month will be enough!"
He paused, then added eagerly, "Then I could use the money to buy some little gifts for my friends!"
Lucius's face darkened immediately upon hearing Dobby's request. It was clear that he wasn't used to such defiance from a house-elf. For him, and most other pure-blood wizards, house-elves were born to serve, and the idea of one asking for a wage from a human wizard was utterly preposterous.
Lucius, in his past mindset, would've undoubtedly struck Dobby with his cane for such insolence.
But now, with Aris standing there, Lucius wisely kept his silence.
Aris, sensing Dobby's disappointment, shook his head lightly, his voice calm but firm. "That won't do."
Seeing the slight letdown on Dobby's face, Aris's lips curved into a smile. "What could you possibly buy with a single silver Sickle? How about I give you a gold Galleon instead?"
"Really?" Dobby's disappointment instantly shifted to joy, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Then, I'll gladly go with Mr. Shafiq!"
"Alright!" Aris let out a quiet sigh of relief. He had expected some resistance, especially since he had just taken two lives right here. Most house-elves would never even think of following someone after such an event; they'd probably consider him a cold-blooded monster, not a master worth serving.
But not Dobby.
"Right, enough wasting time," Aris said, brushing aside any lingering thoughts. "I wonder if Luna and Xeno are getting bored at home..."
With that, Aris turned and headed toward the gate of Malfoy Manor. Behind him, Dobby, without any hesitation or regret, left the family he had served for so long and followed Aris closely.
Snoopy, on the other hand, shot a disdainful glance at Dobby, clearly unimpressed by the elf's eagerness.
Perhaps, in Snoopy's mind, Dobby wasn't quite worthy of joining the Shafiq family. Even more outrageous was the fact that the little elf had the audacity to ask for gold galleons from the master himself!
If Aris hadn't been around, Snoopy would've surely taken it upon himself to teach Dobby a lesson.
Henry, however, remained quiet throughout, watching the events unfold in silence. The more he observed, the more he found himself respecting Aris. He could sense a unique charm in his young master—a kind of magnetism that could persuade a house-elf to break free from its original master and follow him willingly.
With a deep breath, Henry thought to himself, Such charisma…
At that moment, he was certain of one thing: Aris was destined for greatness, his life would be legendary. And in truth, he was no less remarkable than the most revered wizard in the world today—Dumbledore, the esteemed Headmaster of Hogwarts!
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Drop power Powerstonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 151 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]