"Heartbound Secrets | Hermione Granger x Reader (GXG)

|| 33. Dobby Is Free

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "I see. You both can speak Parseltongue, am I correct?"

Y/N and Harry nodded, uncertain about where this conversation was leading.

"That is because Lord Voldemort can also speak Parseltongue," Dumbledore explained calmly. "If I am not mistaken, he transferred some of his powers to you on the night he gave you that scar."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. "Voldemort transferred his powers to me?"

Dumbledore confirmed Harry's question with a nod. "Indeed. And Y/N, your family's connection to the Gaunts is no secret. Tom Riddle, Voldemort's true name, had a Gaunt for a mother."

Y/N nodded in understanding. "And a Muggle for a father."

"In a way, you are related to Voldemort, but you are not him," Dumbledore reassured them, sitting back in his chair.

"So, does that mean the Sorting Hat was right about us potentially belonging to Slytherin?" Harry asked.

Y/N looked puzzled. "Wait, when did the Sorting Hat say anything about me being in Slytherin?"

Harry stumbled over his words, "I, uh, talked to it a long time ago, but it doesn't really matter."

Dumbledore smiled warmly. "It's true that both of you possess many qualities prized by Voldemort himself—determination, resourcefulness, and, dare I say, a certain disregard for the rules," he added with a chuckle. "But these traits may well be due to your parents' influences."

Harry then questioned, "So why did the Sorting Hat place us in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw?"

"Because you are not Voldemort," Dumbledore replied simply. "It's not our abilities that define us, but our choices."

Y/N and Harry exchanged relieved smiles, their faith in their respective houses reaffirmed. As Dumbledore reached for the sword and handed it to Harry, their eyes widened in surprise at the inscription on the blade: "Godric Gryffindor."

"It would take a true Gryffindor to pull that out of the hat," Dumbledore said with a knowing smile, causing Harry to nod in agreement.

Their moment was interrupted by the sudden entrance of Lucius Malfoy, accompanied by a timid house-elf named Dobby. Y/N and Harry turned to face the unexpected visitor, their expressions a mixture of surprise and wariness.

"Dobby," Y/N whispered under her breath, recognizing the house-elf from her previous encounters.

Lucius Malfoy, however, wasted no time in addressing Dumbledore, brushing Harry and Y/N aside with his staff. His tone was condescending as he declared, "I'll deal with you later," causing Dobby to whimper in fear.

Lucius then turned his attention to Dumbledore and spoke loudly, acknowledging the Headmaster's return. Dumbledore responded with a smug smile, explaining that the governors had summoned him back when they learned about Arthur Weasley's daughter being taken into the Chamber. He hinted that some of the governors believed Lucius had influenced their decisions by spreading false information.

"Curiously," Dumbledore continued, "Several of them were under the impression that you would curse their family if they did not agree to suspend me in the first place. And, that you have submitted a false report to Auror Caspian, spreading a false lie that his daughter, Agil Crimson, was not in fact petrified, when she very much was."

Lucius Malfoy's jaw clenched at Dumbledore's words, and the tension in the room grew palpable as they awaited his response.

Lucius Malfoy's anger was palpable as he confronted Dumbledore. "How dare you!" he growled.