If it wasn't even enough, he found out that his house elf, Dobby, was straining his bond to try to betray him in some misguided attempt at saving Neville Longbottom. It was something utterly inconceivable. House elves were bound by magic. They were utterly loyal, even if their masters tortured them. Dobby had been conditioned for two centuries to obey the Head of the Malfoy family. He always took his punishments too far, which was maddening because he injured himself so much that he couldn't complete his assigned tasks anymore. The elf was probably mad, and it was probably a mercy that Lucius killed him. It was quick and painless, but he had no choice. An unreliable elf was a useless elf, and one that held a lot of family secrets was bound to cause problems in the future. Still, house elves were expensive, and ones that were so familiar to a family's magic were practically indispensable.
Enchanting Melodies (HP SI)
Book&Literature · athass_prkr
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