A World Where Only Ron Was Hurt

"Oh, young master Draco and young master have gone astray, how shameless they are." Kreacher only muttered a few words this time and then fell silent, turning his head away from Dobby as if to avoid some deadly infectious germ.

However, no one paid attention to what Kreacher said.

"Dobby, if I want to later—" This was Draco.

"Dobby is a free House-elf who can obey anyone he likes, including his little master." Dobby's round eyes widened, revealing two rows of teeth, and he stared straight at Draco with a smile.

"That's enough," Draco said hoarsely.

"Dobby, do you want to come to my house? My family needs a House-elf." Ron almost blurted it out, but he only dared to think it in his mind.

Even Ron understood that now was not the time to say such things.

He planned to wait a few minutes before speaking.

"Dobby, you can go to Hogwarts later. If there's any place that would accept a paid House-elf, it's Dumbledore," Draco said, having learned of Dobby's plans after gaining his freedom.

"Great! Wise little master! You truly live up to your reputation!"

"How could Dobby not have thought of that? Most wizards don't want a House-elf's just after wages; that's not the quality of a House-elf." ('Dobby knows that, shameful Dobby,' this is Kreacher.)

"That way I can keep an eye on that person at Hogwarts and protect my master, Harry Potter, and Weasley!" Dobby said cheerfully.

"I'm not called Weasley. Why can't you remember my name? My name is Ron Weasley," Ron complained.

"Okay, Wei Zai!" Dobby nodded, indicating that he had remembered.

"Dobby, I'm just worried that my dad will cause you trouble."

"If it's really as you say, Dobby, I order you to be careful at Hogwarts and stay away from that younger version of the You-Know-Who," Draco said worriedly.

"Dobby, I beg you not to do that either. According to you, 'I am the great Harry Potter,' the younger version, the Tom Riddle, how could he be a match for me?" Harry chimed in.

He also felt it was dangerous; although Dumbledore's schemes had prevented any young wizards from dying last school year.

But wouldn't the Troll and innocent Unicorn lose their lives because of this?

Next school year, that teenage version of Voldemort will probably be used as a consumable to suppress the curse again, and the young wizard should be out of danger.

But Dobby isn't a wizard. What if, in Dumbledore's eyes, he's just like that Unicorn who died unjustly?

That's hard to say.

"Dobby is free now. Dobby doesn't have to listen to you."

"Dobby's going to Hogwarts!" Before Harry and the others could stop him, Dobby disappeared.

"I still have something to say!" Ron muttered dejectedly.

This slightly resentful expression actually captured seven-tenths of Kreacher's skill.

Soon, the four of them were seated in the light green car. Harry sat next to Sirius, Ron and Draco sat together, and Draco sat next to Kreacher.

However, this time Kreacher no longer wore the honored expression he had when he first arrived, sitting next to Draco; instead, his expression turned one of honor mixed with a touch of disappointment.

Disappointment with his former master's Pure-blood grandnephew and his young master for going astray.

"Miss Cissy will be so heartbroken when she finds out," Kreacher muttered.

Harry paid no attention to anything in the back seat, not even the news of the teenage version of Voldemort worried Harry. The sense of freedom Harry Dobby him and the ease of leaving the Dursley family overwhelmed Harry.

Sirius had the car window open; he was familiar with the feeling. He looked at Harry, and for a moment, he felt as if he were back in his youth, riding motorcycles with James in the Muggle world.

"How wonderful!" Sirius said.

"Yeah." A warm breeze ruffled Harry's hair, and the rooftops of Privet Drive seemed to shrink below as he watched it all. "Whoosh! See you next summer!"

Harry leaned back in his chair, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let Hedwig out," he said to Ron. "Dobby probably hasn't let her fly Dobby these days. No wonder she's gotten so fat."

Draco handed the cage to Ron, and a moment later, Hedwig flew happily out of the car window, gliding around them like a ghost.

"Kreacher, don't talk in the car." Seeing that the atmosphere was good, Sirius cleverly gave the order first.

"Well done, Sirius. You have no idea how tired I am of hearing this." Ron leaned out the window (a dangerous habit, don't try it).

"Come on, I'm right next to Kreacher, and all his grumbling is about me," Draco retorted irritably.

"Fortunately, Kreacher and Dobby made me realize that not having House-elf in the house isn't all bad," Ron remarked.

"They are the exceptions," Draco commented professionally.

"By the way, Draco, will your father scold you?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Yeah, won't this affect your trip to my house and later to Sirius?" Ron was also worried, but his concerns were completely different.

Draco and Harry were used to Ron's occasional lapses in judgment.

Draco, ignoring Ron's words, said to Harry, "My father is a typical Malfoy, and there's more than one House-elf in my family."

"I just said that I couldn't bear to see Harry Potter dobby, and I went along with it and let Dobby go."

"Harry, in my dad's eyes, maintaining our friendship is far more important than a House-elf," Draco said with a wicked grin.

"I knew it, you must have already thought it through." Ron said knowingly. As Weasley, he knew Malfoy best—he would never suffer a loss.

"And them?" Harry said.

"They're not Dobby's relatives, and my father wouldn't hold a grudge against them." Draco instantly understood Harry's meaning, even though Harry was in front of him and couldn't see his face at all.

"I mean, won't this make Lucius misunderstand your relationship, 'friendship'?" Sirius added sarcastically.

"Relationship? What—" Draco, who understood what he meant, looked like he had smelled a pile of shit.

"What? Didn't we explain it clearly before?" Harry suddenly felt the world had turned gray.

"Damn Rita Skeeter!" Ron exclaimed indignantly. "She can't even remember my name!"

"What if he remembers your name?" Draco asked abruptly.

"That's great! Half the Wizarding World will know my name—hey, Draco, what do you take me for?"

"As shameless as Rita Skeeter?" Ron's ears turned red.

"I think so too," Harry said with a smile.

Then, everyone except Ron and Kreacher, who was probably having a good time, couldn't help but laugh.

A world was born only when Ron was injured.

Thank you to Xueka Rose for the monthly pass, and to all the other students for the recommendations and subscriptions!