Hogwarts: This professor is too Muggle.

Chapter 187 A complete show

Stepping out of the room and onto the corridor again, the surroundings were still gloomy and dimly lit, but Melvin had already gotten what he wanted and was no longer in such a hurry, so he slowed his pace slightly and looked at the decorations on both sides of the road.

The castle may still hold many secrets, but the heavy smell of decay and the rustling of the fox spirits in the darkness deterred him from further exploration, and Melvin slowly walked towards the stairs.

"Sir, I just saw other treasures in the cabinet. The silver dagger's blade was purplish-black, clearly coated with a potent poison. The viscous liquid in those boxes and bottles looked disgusting, but it must be valuable. And the fangs and claws on the tray—I don't know what kind of animal they came from, but since they're kept in the cabinet, they must be very valuable."

Dobby, carrying an oil lamp, came down the stairs ahead of Melvin, mindful of his duty. "Malfoy Manor also has such things. Every time the Ministry of Magic conducts a raid, they sell them to Borginborough, and then they buy them back once the commotion subsides."

"These are all vicious and cruel black magic artifacts. They haven't been maintained for years, so there's hardly any magic left inside. They're not worth much when you sell them."

"Melvin said casually, looking down at the gold key in his hand."

It bears the Lestrange family's raven emblem and the Gringotts symbol, all signs that this is the key to the underground vault.

Melvin carefully put away the gold key and turned his gaze to the foyer: "Sketch, we're leaving. Are you staying here?"

The old house-elf still stood in the foyer, its cloudy eyes staring straight at the oil painting portrait, tears streaming down its wrinkled cheeks, falling one by one onto the carpet, its face full of repentance and guilt.

Scripps was so engrossed in his own world that he didn't hear Melvin's question at all.

“Thank you very much for your help, Scripps. If you want to stay here and reminisce about the past, you can stay as long as you like. I will ask Headmaster Dumbledore for leave on your behalf.”

Melvin walked through the dimly lit hall to the foyer, following Scripps's gaze to examine the oil paintings on the wall. Dust and oxidized wax blurred the details, but the distinctive features were still clearly visible.

The painting at the very center of the main position depicts King Corvos IV, the father of the infant who died young.

Like other Lestrange descendants, he had dark brown curly hair, deep-set eyes with a faint blue tint, and a thick beard.

"You've been in the Hogwarts kitchens for too long and have completely forgotten your manners. As a house-elf, you've even ignored a wizard's question."

Dobby muttered under his breath, standing next to Scripps, almost right in his ear.

“Scrappy may have been reminded of his time living here, which shows his deep affection for the Lestrange family. Such loyalty is admirable. Let him stay here to remember his past.” Melvin withdrew his gaze. “Let’s go, Dobby. We have things to do.”

"Coming, sir."

"..."

As they left the mansion, a light drizzle continued to fall. The raindrops, carried by a gentle breeze, drifted toward the wizards and house-elves on their journey, but before they could get close, they were blocked by an invisible bubble and slid off their path to the ground.

Dobby walked beside the young professor, his short legs moving very quickly, though he wasn't actually looking where he was going and his gaze was unfocused.

He was still thinking about what Melvin had just said, unable to understand how to gain his freedom, unable to understand why it couldn't be valued. The answer was probably not something an uneducated elf could come up with. He might not have his freedom for a while.

Dobby was quite happy, though, considering it a change of owner.

Unlike Mr. Malfoy, Professor Levent wouldn't whip him or scald his hands and feet with boiling water. In the few hours they spent together, there was absolutely no sign of him being beaten or scolded to death. He would even take him along when using magic to shield him from the rain. As Harry Potter said, Professor Levent was clearly a gentle wizard.

"But……"

Dobby glanced at the young professor.

This professor had previously made a deal with Malfoy at Borginborough, where they conspired on a clandestine plan to incite unrest at the school, nearly endangering Harry Potter. Today, he broke into Lestrange's mansion and stole the vault key.

He doesn't seem to be a good wizard in the conventional sense.

“I went to the Lestrange family to find the golden key, not to steal their treasure, but to find something special.”

Melvin walked along the valley path and said to Dobby beside him, "Hufflepuff's Cup, I don't know if you've heard of it, it's a relic of the founder of Hogwarts, which for some reason ended up in the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange and was sealed in the vault."

"I understand!"

Dobby widened his eyes and said, "Harry Potter said that the professor is a good wizard and would never covet other people's property. You're just taking back what belongs to the school! This is called returning what belongs to its rightful owner!"

"..."

Melvin neither admitted nor refuted: "The Lestrange family's vault is located at the deepest part of the earth, and Gringotts' inspection procedures are quite strict, so I need your cooperation in doing some preparatory work."

"Dobby will obey your command!" the house-elf said firmly.

……

Once the young professor and the house-elf were gone, darkness enveloped the castle room once more. It took Scripps a long time to come to his senses before he lit the candlesticks left on the wall, illuminating a series of clear footprints on the carpet.

For reasons unknown, Skritch followed the footprints up the stairs to the second floor, and along the path they had just taken, arrived at the room at the end of the corridor.

The collection in the cabinet is basically intact, including various black magic items, raven statues, and family tree tapestries. Although these items are old, the raw materials are precious and the workmanship is exquisite. They may not fetch a high price if resold, but they can definitely make a profit.

Skrych's expression was complicated as he looked at the tray where the golden key was kept. Although it had been stored in the cabinet for many years and was covered in a thin layer of dust, the key had left a regularly shaped blank after it was taken, like some kind of mark, but not quite a key; it looked more like a strange ring.

Skripal got closer and saw clearly that it wasn't a ring, but an ouroboros.

……

13B Flip Lane, Boking-Bock Antique Shop.

The shop's decor and furnishings remained unchanged. The glass windows were still covered with grime of unknown composition. Behind the shop door hung rusty copper bells and hollow bird bones. On the shelves were black magic items that looked frightening but whose actual effect was only to frighten people.

Even though it was daytime, a wooden sign indicating that the shop was closed was hanging in the window.

The shop was dimly lit, with bright candlelight in the back room. The house-elf stretched out his slender fingers and moved them across the fabric on the table, cutting out the right size. Then he took out a needle and thread, sewed it together with a few quick strokes, and adjusted it according to his body size, making details for the cuffs and armpits.

By pinching the collar and giving it a shake, a rough little garment is made.

Malfoy Manor has almost no housework involving sewing, or perhaps Dobby isn't the elf in charge of that, so the clothes he makes are only passable in terms of appearance and style.

Bojin stood quietly to the side, a glint of light in his eyes, cunning and slick.

Melvin glanced at the items on the shipping container and casually asked, "Bogin, do you know anything about the Lestrange family back then? About that baby who died young."

"King Ecovacs V? This all started with his scumbag father, King Ecovacs IV..."

Borgin was hunched over, his hair slicked back. "Back then, he fell in love with Sir Karma's Muggle wife, Laurena. Under the cover of night, he broke into her house, kidnapped her with the Imperius Curse, and forced her to marry him. They had a daughter, Leta Lestrange."

"Rita, the one who used to be close to Scamander?" Melvin heard the familiar name.

“Yes, yes…” Bogin was slightly excited. “Laurina was a Muggle who died from excessive bleeding after giving birth. King Corvacs IV was only attracted to her beauty and felt no sadness or grief. He quickly found a new wife and had a son named Corvacs.”

"The premature death of Ecovacs V".

"Yes, shortly after the birth of young Kovacs, Sir Karma discovered the truth and, on his deathbed, made himself and Laurena's son, Yusuf, swear an oath to kill young Kovacs and avenge himself on Lestrange, because young Kovacs was the only person he had ever loved."

Mr. Bogin chuckled sarcastically. "To protect his son, King Corvacs IV had his servants escort his two children to America. The girl named Rita, annoyed by her younger brother's crying, switched him with the neighbor's child, and then... they encountered a shipwreck."

Melvin took a few minutes to piece together the whole story, and while he sorted out his thoughts, Dobby's clothes were finished.

"Put it on once it's ready."

"Is this... for me?"

Dobby held the cut-out clothes, her eyes filled with surprise.

“Or I can hand it to you myself,” Melvin said with a meaningful smile.

Dobby suddenly opened his eyes wide and stood there stunned. For house-elves, their master handing them clothes was a way of severing their master-servant relationship and setting them free.

"This...I...Sir..."

Dobby held the clothes, bewildered and panicked. He wanted freedom, to break free from all constraints—this had always been his desire. But when the choice was right in front of him, within reach, he felt timid and dared not easily agree.

He felt he shouldn't agree.

To save him, the professor paid a price to Malfoy. Although it was unclear what the price was or how expensive it was, Dobby felt he should repay the price and make up for the professor's loss before he could rightfully regain his freedom.

After some struggle, Dobby shook his head with difficulty, refusing the gift, or rather, the charity.

"Let's go then, we need to get down to business," Melvin said casually.

Half an hour later.

Dobby stood in front of the towering marble building, feeling apprehensive. He was about to go to Gringotts with the professor to commit fraud, and suddenly thought that Malfoy Manor wasn't so bad after all; at least it was safe and secure. He was starting to think about going back.

“Remember, no matter what happens, you are now a servant of Lestrange, the old elf Scripps, and I am Corvus V, understand?” Melvin looked down at Dobby.

"clear."

Dobby looked up with a pained expression, letting the smooth bronze door reflect their faces.

The young professor was no longer young; his white beard covered his mouth and nose, and his deep-set eyes held pale blue irises. His appearance had been significantly altered, and he bore a striking resemblance to the portrait in the old Lestrange mansion.

The house-elf next to him had withered, loose skin, a bald head, and two tufts of white hair growing from his ears—he looked exactly like Scripps.

(End of this chapter)