[Ding, ding, ding! Mission: [Save the Well-Intentioned Disaster Servant]]
[The most loyal servant is calling for the Savior Lord's forgiveness. Free him from the Pointy-Faced Finance Minister and receive 10 experience points and Silver Talent ×1.]
"I forgive you," Harry said gently.
"Oh! Dobby heard of your greatness long ago, sir, but Dobby never knew of your kindness! Dobby—Dobby must jump straight into a pot of boiling oil! Dobby must cut off his own nose! Dobby..." Dobby grew even more frantic.
At Harry's pointed glance, Draco hurriedly ordered, "Stop!"
"Dobby doesn't want to obey his young master's order. Dobby will burn his ears with a hot frying pan later," Dobby muttered, quieting down.
"His freedom?" Harry took the opportunity to remove the magic. He was still smiling gently, as if only curious.
"You're free from now on!" Draco immediately took off his coat and tossed it to Dobby.
"The young master gave Dobby clothes!" The House-elf's eyes widened. He jumped about and apparated from place to place, the sharp cracks ringing out without pause. "Dobby—Dobby is free. Dobby is free!"
"Dobby."
Harry's voice was like a Calming Draught. Dobby, who had seemed almost crazed just a moment ago, instantly fell silent, as if hit by Petrificus Totalus.
"There's something I want you to promise me, but right now you..."
"Dobby will do anything Harry Potter asks! This is what Dobby wants! If Harry Potter asks Dobby to die, Dobby will agree!"
"Go find Dumbledore and ask him for a job," Harry said. "He's the only person in the Wizarding World willing to pay House-elves a salary."
Harry could take Dobby in himself, but it was wiser to make Dumbledore pay for a House-elf who would obey him even more.
That was how you got someone else to foot the bill for your own plans.
"Dobby trusts Harry Potter's wisdom! Dobby can serve Harry Potter better at Hogwarts, too! Harry Potter can call Dobby's name anytime! Dobby will appear at once!"
With a crisp crack, the free elf vanished.
"He didn't take my clothes." Draco stood and picked them up, then put them straight back on. He noticed Harry's gaze. "That's because your common room is so clean, Harry. You could use the floor as a plate."
"Yes, the common room is very clean." Harry smiled.
Instinctive actions couldn't lie.
Draco Malfoy was no longer the bastard who judged people by their blood and upbringing.
"Yeah, yeah!" x2
Crabbe and Goyle sat right down on the floor and started eating the cake there.
"You two—" Draco remembered how quickly they had disowned him just moments ago.
"That was Harry Potter." "This is Slytherin's wisdom," Crabbe and Goyle hurriedly explained.
Draco eventually made up with them.
After realizing that he really did need two big bodyguards to make an impression.
And October 30 arrived.
There was only one day left until the Halloween Feast.
"What are you going as? I'm going as a vampire!"
"Then I'll be a Werewolf."
"What about you?"
"A Troll, obviously! It's the easiest and most popular!"
"A Troll? Your makeup magic..."
"Of course I can do it! I personally asked Hermione Granger for advice. She's the best at makeup magic out of all Harry Potter's friends!"
The most popular topic at Hogwarts was now the makeup magic Harry Potter had posted on the Gryffindor Bulletin Board, along with the Halloween Feast.
It was an extremely simple spell that required only some cotton, paint, and cloth.
Although it couldn't be used to disguise yourself as someone else, it worked very well for creating exaggerated, elaborate costumes and makeup.
Whoever came up with the best Halloween costume would win a daylong date with Harry Potter. The date could take place anywhere, and Lord Black would cover the travel expenses.
Everyone was eager to try.
It was Harry Potter, after all. Even getting beaten up by him would be worth it!
Harry, the center of all the attention, was still quietly reading in the library.
Well, perhaps not quite so quietly.
He himself made not a sound, even when standing at a ninety-degree angle to the wall, but the pages whipping around him at high speed created a rather discordant melody.
"Harry, Harry."
As Harry's friend, Ron was allowed to talk in the library, too.
"What do you think I should dress up as?"
"A member of the Chudley Cannons?"
"Or... a handsome Gnome with red hair."
"Gnome." Harry, who had accepted the [Red-Haired Retainer's Consultation] quest, left the wall and appeared beside Ron.
Ron was already used to Harry appearing and disappearing like that. "A Gnome... But..."
"Ha! Do you even know what dressing up means? You're supposed to dress as a monster!" Draco scoffed. "And I, Draco Malfoy, will go to the feast as a Dragonman!"
"There's no such thing as a Dragonman in the Wizarding World!"
"No, Weasley. That's exactly what makes my idea brilliant. A mere Gnome won't win first place."
"You want to go on a date with Harry?"
"No, I want to enjoy the privilege! The professors have all agreed. The winner can leave school with Harry. Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, London, even the other side of the world!"
Draco stood up, his right hand clenched as if he had already grasped victory.
Ron gave him a contemptuous smile. "You? Haven't you noticed Hermione isn't here today? She's been preparing for this feast for a whole week!"
"I've been preparing for the Halloween Feast for a whole week!"
In the Slytherin dormitory, Marcus pumped his fist. "I swear, I'll ruin this event! For the injustice I've suffered, for the wrongs done to me!"
"Well said! Bole, you're worthy of being our team's star Beater!"
Bole, who had only sneezed, looked confused. What had he said?
"I want to thank Harry Potter. His stupid costume event has finally given me an opportunity!"
"An opportunity! Harry Potter and his stupid costume ball have given me an opportunity!"
Someone else was in the Defense Against the Dark Arts Classroom...
To be precise, a mass of dark mist was worked up into a frenzy over the feast, roaring.
"But, Master, wouldn't it be better to let the feast go ahead, let Harry Potter leave the school, and find a chance to kill him?"
"No. Once I'm resurrected, killing the likes of Harry Potter will be child's play! The Philosopher's Stone is what matters! That dragon egg hasn't been given to Rubeus Hagrid yet, has it?"
"No." Quirrell was almost on his knees.
"Good, good. The Acromantula's sacrifice will make it hatch early. A new species, an unprecedented 5x-class creature, will rampage through the feast and buy us an opportunity!"
"I see."
Late at night, Harry leaned against the transparent glass wall, deep in thought.
Dobby's surveillance had paid off.
Wearing mismatched clothes, he excitedly hopped around Harry. "Let Dobby handle it! Dobby will never let an evil little Troll ruin Harry Potter's feast!"
"No need. It's only a Troll."
Harry's expression was strange.
He hadn't expected Flint's plan to be to disguise a Troll as himself and sneak it into the feast.
Well, Flint did have a perfectly ordinary Troll's face.
But a Troll...
Harry, who possessed the only Golden-Grade Troll Magic in the world and was undoubtedly the Troll King, had no reason to fear one. No Troll would disobey his orders.
Besides, he spoke Troll Language.
Now...
The only problem was Quirrell.
The Two-Face whom the Dogskin Book had shown Harry how to knock out with a single punch.
Before you continue