Chapter 311: The Card
"Huh?"
Dudley stared at the pile of junk on his bed and fell into deep self-doubt.
Had he not explained himself clearly before? Or was Dobby's understanding just that far off?
What he needed were Voldemort's Horcruxes, not random old things that had once belonged to Voldemort.
And what was all this supposed to be? A quill so bald it had lost almost all its feathers, a tattered set of wizard robes, a single boot missing its pair, and even a soup spoon...
"Mr Dursley, these are all things I found in Malfoy Manor. I heard they were used there when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named rose to power. Please see if there is anything you need," Dobby said, his large yellow eyes fixed on Dudley with hopeful anticipation.
It was obvious he desperately wanted Dudley's praise. He had painstakingly scoured every corner of Malfoy Manor for these items, making sure each had genuinely been used by Voldemort before he collected it. Bringing everything out at once now was Dobby's way of proving he had been working hard all this time and had not disappointed Mr Dursley's expectations.
"Er... Dobby, thank you for the effort. But what I need are items Voldemort used that still carry magical effects. I do not need just anything he ever touched," Dudley said.
He genuinely wanted to comfort Dobby, but felt he should make things clear. Otherwise, next time Dobby would probably bring him another heap of rubbish.
"So none of these are what you need?" Dobby's ears drooped, and he looked completely dejected.
"I do need them as well," Dudley said quickly, "but what I'm really looking for are things with magical effects. Do you understand what I mean?"
At that, Dobby's eyes brightened again.
"Dobby understands. I will do my best to look for items like that," he said seriously.
"Dobby, you do not have to force it. If there is nothing, that's fine too," Dudley added.
Horcruxes were not the sort of thing one could just stumble upon in a few days. Malfoy Manor already held one diary. The chances of there being another Horcrux there were slim, unless Voldemort had some strange habit of hiding two anchors in one place. Otherwise, it was almost impossible for Dobby to find anything truly useful. Dudley had sent him only for peace of mind.
"Dobby knows. Mr Dursley is thinking of Dobby's safety. Oh, Mr Dursley is the kindest, most polite wizard Dobby has ever met," Dobby said, moved.
Dudley's lips twitched slightly. For a moment, he wondered if using this slightly silly house-elf like this made him a bit of a villain.
"Dobby, aside from these things, have you heard any useful news at Malfoy Manor lately?" Dudley changed the subject.
"Yes," Dobby nodded at once. "Lately, Master Malfoy has not been in a very good mood. Since... the night I went to find you and was caught by you..."
Dobby spoke earnestly.
"That night, when Master returned home, he flew into a rage and smashed many things. I thought I had been discovered. I thought he knew I had gone to Hogwarts."
"Thankfully, I was not on duty for him that night, so I was not punished. But the other house-elves were not so lucky," Dobby said, anger flashing across his face.
"There are other house-elves at Malfoy Manor?" Dudley asked, surprised.
"Yes. Pure-blood families like the Malfoys usually have several house-elves, each in charge of different work," Dobby explained.
Dudley nodded. "And after that?"
"After that, I often heard him curse Headmaster Dumbledore and you," Dobby said hesitantly.
"At that time, Dobby even wanted to teach him a lesson... but I could not. I still had to stay and gather information for you. Please forgive me for not doing anything," Dobby said, guilt-stricken.
"This is not your fault. You did the right thing," Dudley said.
Dobby went on and on about many things, but not much of it was actually useful. Dudley could tell that Dobby's way of looking at events was quite different from that of wizards, and he struggled to grasp what was important. Otherwise, he would never have thought sending Harry to the hospital with serious injuries was a good way to protect him.
"Oh, right. Recently, Master Malfoy has not cursed you as much. His attention seems to be drawn to a card," Dobby added.
"A card?" Dudley frowned.
"Yes, I think it was a card. Last night, when I went to bring tea to Master Malfoy in his study, I saw it by accident. It was definitely a card. Or perhaps... a bookmark," Dobby said, suddenly uncertain.
"What kind of card? Can you describe it?" Dudley asked.
When it came to cards, he was instinctively cautious. The Tarot had shaped nearly his entire journey in the other world.
"Let me think," Dobby said, propping his head on one hand.
"There was a man on it, wearing a crown. His clothes were very splendid..." Dobby said slowly.
"A man wearing a crown?" Dudley's expression changed at once.
That description sounded a lot like the Black Emperor card of the Tarot.
"What else? Any other details? For example, were there numbers or words at the bottom of the card?" Dudley pressed.
Dobby shook his head. "I am sorry, Mr Dursley. I did not see the lower half. When I entered, the Master was holding the card. I only caught a glimpse before he put it away and scolded me."
He looked a bit aggrieved as he finished.
"I see... It is all right, Dobby. You have done wonderfully," Dudley said quickly.
From Dobby's description, the card sounded very much like the Black Emperor of the Tarot. But there was another possibility: it might simply have been a normal playing card. Dobby had not seen it clearly, after all. Perhaps Dudley was being overly sensitive about cards.
"If you get the chance, Dobby, could you try to take another look at that card?" Dudley asked.
"Yes, I will do my best," Dobby said at once.
After chatting a little longer, Dobby left.
Sleep, however, had completely fled Dudley. An uneasy feeling lingered at the back of his mind.
"What is special about that card? If it can hold Lucius's attention, it probably is not ordinary. But still..." Dudley frowned, his thoughts a tangled knot.