"Dobby! Did you steal my dessert again?!"
Hearing Hermione's shout from outside the door, Kai Adler set down the charm he had been working on with a sigh.
A week had passed since the start of the Hogwarts holiday. In that time, Kai hadn't left the house except for meals—he had spent every hour obsessively experimenting with ways to bind Black Magic to talismans, enabling non-magical users to wield them safely.
Like the Granger couple, for instance.
He opened the door and, sure enough, found the curly-haired girl with puffed cheeks storming through the grand corridors of the manor in pursuit of justice.
"Hermione, are you looking for Dobby?"
"Yes!" she huffed.
"There was a slice of that Black Forest cake you made for me yesterday. I left it on the dining table for breakfast, and this morning all that was left was an empty plate!"
She stomped off toward the dining room, muttering.
"It must have been Dobby! Last time he even stole my Fleur! Living in a place this big isn't always a good thing—you can't even find a mischievous house-elf properly. If we were still at our old house, he wouldn't be able to hide for ten minutes."
Kai chuckled quietly.
"Hermione. You're a witch."
She blinked, then facepalmed.
"Right. I forgot—we're protected here. You set up that anti-trace barrier so we can use magic freely."
Her eyes lit up, and she brandished her wand with theatrical flair.
"Let's see you run now."
She took a deep breath.
"Accio Dobby!"
There was a clatter from the kitchen—Mrs. Granger gasped, followed by Dobby's startled shriek. A moment later, a blur shot down the corridor and landed with a soft thud in front of them.
The house-elf was wearing a miniature white chef's coat, complete with a tall, slightly lopsided chef's hat perched on his oversized ears. He was still holding a whisk, and his arms and robes were dusted in flour and cream.
His enormous green eyes blinked in confusion.
"Dobby heard the call. What is it?"
Hermione pointed her wand at him, her stance dramatic.
"Confess! What happened to the cake I left on the table?"
Dobby tilted his head.
"What cake?"
"Don't play innocent!" she said, glaring.
"The Black Forest cake Kai made! Did you eat it?"
The elf flinched.
"Dobby didn't steal the cake… Dobby ate it… openly…"
"Aha! So you admit it!"
Kai raised a hand quickly to calm her.
"I think what Dobby means is that he didn't take it this morning—he ate it last night, along with everyone else. Right, Dobby?"
Dobby nodded so hard his ears flapped.
"Yes, sir! Dobby didn't steal it! Dobby was trying to learn to make another one for Miss Hermione!"
He held up his cream-covered whisk proudly.
"Mrs. Granger was teaching Dobby in the kitchen just now!"
Hermione froze. A moment later, Mrs. Granger herself hurried down the corridor.
"What happened? Dobby just shot off like a cannonball!"
Kai gave her a pleasant smile.
"It's alright. Hermione thought he'd stolen her cake, but it seems we've got a misunderstanding."
Hermione's cheeks flushed with guilt.
She knelt in front of Dobby, eyes wide with regret.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."
Dobby wrung his hands.
"No, no—it's Dobby's fault. Dobby took Miss Hermione's dessert last time without asking. So this time, Dobby wanted to learn to bake one for her instead!"
Hermione reached out and stroked the top of his head gently.
"You're a good elf, Dobby."
He giggled, wobbling on his toes.
Mrs. Granger watched with a soft smile. Though it had taken some adjustment to have a magical creature living in the house, she now saw Dobby as an earnest and lovable member of the family.
"However…" Hermione's brow furrowed.
"If it wasn't Dobby, then who did eat the cake this morning?"
Mrs. Granger blinked innocently, her smile widening as she looked toward Kai—who gave a theatrical shrug.
There was only one other suspect left.
Hermione's eyes narrowed like a detective zeroing in on the culprit.
"Dad!"
In the master bedroom, Mr. Granger was now being thoroughly scolded by his daughter, who looked every bit like a righteous prosecutor.
Mrs. Granger stood beside the door with her arms crossed and a delighted grin on her face, enjoying the performance.
Kai, ever the courteous future son-in-law, tactfully withdrew from the scene.
He stood with Dobby just outside the corridor and said,
"Did you finish setting up the wards I gave you?"
Dobby straightened up proudly.
"Yes, sir! Dobby followed your blueprint exactly. If any Dark Wizard comes within a hundred meters of the manor, Dobby will feel it immediately!"
"Excellent."
Kai produced a small pouch from his coat.
"Here's your bonus."
When he'd first brought Dobby in, Kai had made it clear—Dobby was not a servant, but a paid protector of the Grangers. And work deserved reward.
But Dobby waved the pouch away, shaking his head.
"Dobby doesn't want money. Mr. and Mrs. Granger are Dobby's family. Dobby protects his family for free."
Kai looked at him deeply.
"Are you certain?"
Dobby nodded earnestly.
"Dobby is sure."
Kai tucked the pouch away and smiled.
"My mistake. Family protects each other—that's how it should be."
Dobby beamed and bowed.
"Dobby will return to the kitchen!"
"Carry on."
Kai watched him disappear around the corner, then turned to gaze thoughtfully at his hand.
Suddenly, his vision blurred. His left pupil turned pale white.
The Old Man's half-functional prophecy magic had triggered again—out of nowhere.
A ghostly image formed before his eyes.
It was a room, abandoned and sunlit. Dust floated like mist through the golden beams. In a far corner, a small object gleamed silver in the light.
And… faintly, a wolf's howl echoed.
Just as abruptly as it began, the vision vanished.
Pain pierced his eye. His Obscurus shuddered violently in response.
Kai clutched his temple, stunned. The vision hadn't shown where the room was—but somehow, his body remembered.
Not his mind.
The body.
The Obscurus resonated with whatever that object was.
He stared at his palm, lost in thought, even as the magic behind the vision faded away.
Hermione exited the bedroom, still fuming.
"Really. A grown man, stealing his daughter's cake…"
Kai turned toward her with a smile.
"That just means your dad appreciates my baking."
Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I don't care. Make me another."
Kai placed a hand over his heart and bowed in mock submission.
"At once, my lady."
She shot him a look.
"Why are you pretending to be Sebastian now?"
But her heel lifted and a smile spread across her lips despite herself.
She was trying not to laugh. And failing.