Chapter 190: Arc 5: Chapter 33: Harry’s Personal Request

"So, you killed Voldemort with an Expelliarmus?"

Merlin sits on a chair in Ron's room while holding a can of beer, the other kids sat beside them while holding wine glasses, and since they're underaged and could not drink wine, they drank Butterbeer.

It was a wizarding beverage that contained no alcohol, but tasted like alcohol.

And despite it being three months since that frightening final battle, Harry still felt frightened as he recalled the events that occurred that day.

He tells Merlin:

"I thought I was dead when Voldemort cast the Killing Curse; Voldemort would not have died so easily if not for the characteristics of the Elder Wand. In fact, he didn't die by my hands, instead, he was abandoned by his own wand."

"Also, I heard you say that you too were one of Voldemort's Horcruxes?"

Merlin asks while frowning:

"I read about Horcruxes before, and I never knew that living beings could also be used as Horcruxes."

"That was an accident, Merlin."

Harry explains in detail:

"When Voldemort murdered my parents back then, the Killing Curse he had cast on my was deflected by the Sacrificial Protection left on me by my mother, and it almost killed him. He made 6 Horcruxes before, and his soul was already very unstable then, that Killing Curse split his soul again and some of his soul shards remained in my scar. So in theory, I'm not one of his Horcruxes, it's just a term."

"Is that so?"

Merlin nods understandingly, he sips on his beer and smiles at Harry:

"So Voldemort got what he had coming for him. Speaking of which, what of that Elder Wand?"

Merlin asks:

"I hear that you destroyed it?"

"Yes."

Harry nods, maturity and desolation appears on his young face as he takes a sip of the beer and tells Merlin:

"The Elder Wand can only bring about misfortune and death, Master Ollivander said that the Elder Wand is the most cold and cruel wand in the world. It only considers victory and ability."

Harry says sadly:

"Other wands are loyal to their masters and do not forsake their masters so easily. If their master is powerful, they will like their master even more. But the Elder Wand is only loyal toward power and only follows power. Yet it is one of the Deathly Hallows, so keeping it will only bring me and those whom I care for endless misfortune."

"After all, to conquer death is the ultimate dream of every wizard."

"Mmm."

Merlin nods and says:

"You did right, it's best to not keep whatever you can't control, and I'm speaking from experience."

"We have to thank you for your help too, Merlin."

Ron interrupts them:

"My brother Fred almost died in the final battle, it was agent Garrett who arrived on time to save him with a bullet. In fact, if not for the agents helping us protect Hogwarts, we would not have defeated the Death-Eaters so easily."

"Oh, did Garrett help?"

Merlin says with surprise:

"He never told me that, I just heard that he was injured during the wizarding war and is currently recuperating."

"Agent Garrett's been taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries."

Harry tells Merlin:

"His injuries are quite serious, he'd been struck by a Death-Eater using Crucio, and he himself had some age-long wounds. I heard that he lost some parts of his body in a war in earlier years, and had used metal to replace some of his organs...what a terrifying experience."

"Indeed."

Merlin says with a sigh:

"Garrett's a strong person who's crossed paths with death for more than once now. I know about his wounds but he rarely talks about it. It's hard for muggles to heal his wounds with their current technology, but now, there is hope for Garrett's recovery with the help of wizards."

"But it's not so optimistic."

Ron says again:

"When I visited some friends at St Mungo's Hospital before, I accidentally overheard healer Hippocrates conversation with his assistant, that powerful healer said that Garrett's condition was complex, he would have to receive a prolonged treatment, and had a slim chance of fully recovering."

"But tthat's better than no hope."

Merlin says:

"I'll go visit him in a few days, you can come with me then."

"Alright."

Harry says with a smile:

"You can call us then, Hogwarts is under reconstruction lately and we've got nothing to do. Oh right, speaking of Hogwarts, Merlin, can I ask you of something?"

As he spoke, Harry was somewhat embarrassed as he says softly:

"Something personal."

"Speak, child."

Merlin leans on his chair, drinks his beer, and says:

"You and Ron are my friends, and while I have very few friends, I'm generous to any friend I can help."

"Here's the thing, Merlin, do you remember that house elf you saved back then?"

Harry says:

"Dobby."

"Mmm, I remember. How could I forget?"

Merlin shrugs:

"It was my first surgical operation ever. How's the house elf? If I remember correctly, didn't it return to England with you? Did something happen to it?"

"Nothing's wrong with Dobby, but it's in big trouble, speaking of which, that house elf has got a bumpy life."

Ron who knew what had happened explains on Harry's behalf:

"For almost half of its life, it's been tortured by the Malfoys, and when Harry helped it escape, it's been trying to become Harry's house elf. But Harry was living with the Dursleys then and could not take it in, so Dumbledore arranged for it and another house elf who'd lost their work, Kreacher, to work in the Hogwarts kitchen together."

"Dobby did nicely in the kitchen, and the wizards at school are satisfied with it; but the problem is that the kitchen was destroyed during the wizarding war."

Harry continues:

"Because of your help, many Death-Eaters were punished by death, and Hogwarts has taken in too many house elves after the war ended; Professor McGonagall is a kind headmistress, but even she is unable to take in over 200 house elves at once, and there were already over 200 house elves working in Hogwarts kitchen already."

"Dobby's a self-respecting house elf."

Ron says:

"It's different from all the other house elves, it wishes to earn its wages through labor, and this is an unforgivable sin in the eyes of the other house elves. But then it doesn't want Hogwarts to take it in for free, so it resigned after recovering."

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"Oh, I understand."

Merlin looks at Harry's embarrassed expression and says:

"You want to find it a new home, but I'm curious to why you won't take it in since you have such a good relationship with it? Is there something wrong with this house elf?"

"No, that's not it."

Harry explains hurriedly:

"Dobby's a trustworthy friend, but the problem is that I didn't know that Dobby had quit its work. I met Dobby's friend, Kreacher, after the war and it asked for me to take it in, and so I did. It was already too late when I knew afterward, it's tradition and regulation that every wizarding family can only have one house elf."

"What about you?'

Merlin turns to Ron, the latter says awkwardly:

"The Weasleys family is a pure blood family, Merlin...we have our own house elf, and it's been serving the Weasleys for generations now, things would become troublesome if we took Dobby in."

"What about Hermione?"

Merlin asks, to which Ron shrugs and show him the ring on his finger, saying:

"Hermione will become a part of the Weasleys in the future, her parents are muggles who can't see house elves, and the Ministry of Magic forbids muggle families from owning house elves."

"Er..."

Merlin rubs his forehead, the situation now was clear.

Either he rejects Harry and lets Dobby off to live in the streets, or he keeps Dobby, but he's very unaccustomed to having another magical creature in his home.

He has too many secrets.

Any one of the documents in his basement would cause a social uproar if leaked.

After thinking for a few minutes, in Harry and Ron's nervous gazes, Merlin nods and says:

"I can take it in."

"But I have a few conditions! Firstly, Dobby isn't my house elf, that I'll make clear beforehand, I'll arrange for it to join my department as my assistant."

"Secondly, Dobby can live in my house, but it is forbidden from reading any documents without my permission."

Merlin looks at Harry and Ron, saying:

"You should be able to understand that as an agent, I have secrets."

"Mmm, we understand."

Harry nods, he seems to have solved something troublesome as he tells Merlin:

"Is there anything else?"

"Lastly would be in regards of its wages."

Merlin shakes his finger and tells Harry:

"Though it will be joining my department, it will only as working as a mystery events consultant, and not an official agent; thus, its wages will only be one-thirds of an agent's wages, that is 1500 dollars, including medical and dental insurance as well as annual leaves...you can go discuss with it, and if it accepts these harsh conditions, I'll welcome it with open arms."

"Wait, let me calculate."

Ron takes out a muggle calculator from his drawer and presses on it. He was calculating the conversion rate of USD and Gold Galleons, and moments later, Ron raises his head and says in surprise:

"1500 dollars? That would be around 200 Gold Galleons a month...Merlin, how is this harsh?"

"How is it not?"

Merlin asks back:

"If I use this much as a standard when paying my employees this month, do you know how many complaints my boss will receive from my employees at the end of the month?"

"But the problem is..."

Harry was in a daze, he raised his hands and said:

"Dobby worked in the Hogwarts kitchen before, and it's monthly wages was 4 Gold Galleons, even as the head of the house elves there...which is 25 dollars."

"25 dollars a month?"

Merlin accidentally spits out the beer in his mouth, he looks at Harry and Ron, saying:

"Are you wizards all such hateful vampires?"

"Dobby will definitely accept."

Ron tells Merlin:

"This wage is practically on par with those newbie Aurors, I think I can go work for you in the future too, so for Hermione's sake, you best give me 1000 Gold Galleons a month!"

"Sure thing."

Merlin glances at Ron, he takes out a piece of paper and pen from his pocket, then tells Harry and Ron:

"My boss is going mad trying to find some real wizards to fill the facade, he'll hire you even for 70 thousand a month. Here, Ron, sign this and you can come to work tomorrow."

"Err, forget it, i was just saying."

Ron scratches his hair like a wuss and tells Merlin:

"Hermione won't allow it."

"Heh."

Merlin laughs coldly and finishes his beer, telling Ron:

"I'm more relaxed seeing you like this. Young Hermione will definitely not get bullied after her marriage...though I pray that you'll suffer less."

"Harry, tell that house elf to come see me in the hotel I'm living in tomorrow."

Merlin writes an address on a piece of paper and hands it to Harry, saying:

"Since it's to hire a consultant for my department, I'll have to give him a good look. Tell that elf that tomorrow will be its interview, and for it to not be late."

"Mmm. I'll tell Dobby later, thank you, Mr. Merlin, you've done us a great deed!"

Merlin waves his hand at Harry's thanks, he then looks at Erik, who'd fallen asleep on the bed, and tells Ron:

"Then Erik will be staying here overnight, I'll head back to the hotel now, so call me if there's anything...don't let your loud owls come to annoy me in the middle of the night, okay?"

---

A few minutes later, Merlin returns to his hotel room through Apparition.

He senses for any monitoring devices in his surroundings, and when he doesn't, he sits by his desk, takes out his notebook, and begins to write down what he had learned today.

"The weaknesses of a Horcrux are as follows..."

"Voldemort's ending proves the effects of Horcruxes, this seemingly cruel and uncertain method, when necessary..."

"Can be used as a trump card! But, let's hope that there won't be a time when that is needed."

 

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