Chapter 48

“Wait! Harry, the Golden Snitch,” Skoll reminded him.

Harry nodded and placed the Snitch in his mouth.

Snape rested a hand on Harry’s shoulder, and in an instant, they Apparated away.

Skoll glanced at the rain outside, then checked the Order of Phoenix seal, no messages. That meant Ron and Hermione hadn’t found the diadem yet.

“Dobby!” Skoll called out.

With a pop, Dobby appeared in the headmaster’s office, cheerful as ever.

“Skoll? Headmaster? Another mission?”

“Yes. Have all the house-elves in the kitchens willing to leave, left?”

“Not a single one refused! Headmaster! We are all going to protect Hogwarts!” Dobby puffed out his chest proudly. “We’ve dug several shallow tunnels under the castle!”

“And toward the main gate?”

“Not finished yet. Almost! Two-thirds done already. The tunnels are shallow enough that a branch can reach the surface, and I’ve checked every entrance!” Dobby’s large ears flopped as he pulled out a small wooden plaque. “All dug exactly according to your map!”

“How could it be so fast?” Skoll asked in surprise.

“Dobby’s been at Hogwarts for thirty years! Headmaster, we know this castle better than anyone. Every corner, every wall, we know it!”

“You all are amazing. Thank you,” Skoll said sincerely.

“I’ll tell every house-elf your thanks!” Dobby said happily.

“Good. Take fifty elves to the battlefield. If anyone is injured or falls, have them Apparate that person to the Great Hall immediately.”

Dobby’s eyes went wide.

“Every single one? Mr. Skoll? But what about the invaders?”

“Disarm them and bring them to the Great Hall as well.”

“But they’re invaders!” Dobby shouted. “They want to destroy Hogwarts!”

“Dobby, understand this: not every one of them is willingly fighting. Many are forced, terrified, or under pressure. Everyone has something they fear. When fear drives you, you have no choice; advancing is death, retreating is death. Do you accept this mission?”

Dobby hesitated.

“You can choose not to save anyone. That’s okay, Dobby,” Skoll said. “If anyone threatens your life, you may defend yourself. That is the most basic rule. Tell every house-elf: saving others must be done without risking your own safety. I never ask anyone to sacrifice themselves, nor do I encourage it. You may refuse this order.”

“No! I accept it! But not many house-elves will agree!” Dobby said. “They don’t like invaders.”

“That’s fine. Just relay my words,” Skoll said. “Also, choose fifteen careful elves to go to the Great Hall to help Madame Pomfrey and the other Healers. Tell them it’s my order.”

Skoll waved his wand. A parchment floated out. He wrote down the command, signed it, and stamped it with the Order’s seal.

“Have the fifteen elves deliver this to any Healer in the Great Hall. Once the message is delivered, they come to find me immediately. Understand?”

Dobby nodded, took the parchment, and Apparated away.

Skoll stared out at the rain, his left eye slightly blurred, his vision unfocused.

Even with rare potions like the Tea, the damage from curses could not be fully healed. Why did the magical world even have “vacuum” if that’s the case?

Skoll toyed with the three-sided prism in his hand, eyes fixed on the storm.

Soon… more killing.

The enemy was the Dark Lord. The ultimate villain. Killing him was justice!

And yet… how old were you? Still believing in justice? It was a matter of factions. If you were on Voldemort’s side, you’d want to rule the world too.

Pop! Dobby appeared again, soaked from the rain. He wiped his face with a tiny hand and said cheerfully,

“Dobby has completed the task! Only three elves are willing to save invaders, but they refuse to take their wands. They said they’ll only save invaders without wands.”

“Good. Thank you,” Skoll said, glancing at the Order seal, still no messages. He waved his wand, drying Dobby’s soaked robes.

“Oh! Much better! Thank you, Mr. Skoll!” Dobby jumped.

“Dobby, take me to the Astronomy Tower,” Skoll said, extending a hand.

“Right!” Dobby took his hand, and together they Apparated to the tower.

Rain poured, lightning cracked, and explosions and screams echoed around the castle. The west side, Ravenclaw Tower, was shrouded in darkness, a group of Dementors, but the protective wards of the tower held, and several silvery Patronuses floated in the air.

Skoll raised his wand like an umbrella, shielding himself and Dobby from the rain.

At the edge of the Astronomy Tower, the battlefield below came into full view. Closing his left eye, Skoll could see that thanks to careful planning and various explosives, the defensive lines had successfully prevented the enemy from breaching the castle interior.

In the distance, he even glimpsed centaurs emerging from the forest to join the battle.