"Dobby is free, Dobby is free!" The cry burst from his tiny body like a proclamation, then echoed within the magical barrier.
Clutching the glove, Dobby did not spare Lucius in the haystack so much as a glance. He snapped his fingers, his body became a distorted apparition, and he vanished.
His heart pounding, Brian hurried out of the corner and levitated Lucius's body upright. The wizard who prided himself on his noble blood now had his eyes tightly shut, a sunken patch on the bridge of his nose, and a mouth skewed to the right, with drool dripping from its corner. He looked as though he had suffered a severe stroke, though fortunately his breathing was fairly steady.
"Phew..." Brian sighed in relief. This was the result of the House-elf attack spell Dobby had unleashed just now without any windup. It really had been an astonishingly powerful attack. Could Dobby, like a certain historical figure from the East, also be fond of killing in dreams?
This House-elf really was rather strange. If Brian had not been watching him all along and promptly cast a Shield Charm to protect Lucius when the surge of magic appeared, this kidnapping would have escalated into murder, and Brian himself would have become an accomplice to Dobby the murderer.
Brian examined the unconscious Lucius carefully, then remarked, "Lucky fellow. If you were a Muggle, your life could fast-forward straight to the grave."
It was no exaggeration to say that, had Lucius Malfoy been taken to a Muggle hospital in his current condition, the attending physician would certainly have delivered the classic verdict, "He'd still drool even if we cured him." They might even have refused to admit him. But this was the Wizarding World, so this counted as a minor injury at most.
Brian