Chapter 130

For perhaps the first time since arriving in this galaxy, Dobby found himself wondering what he truly wanted.

It was a strange question. For most of his life, his choices had been simple. First he had served the Malfoys. Then he had served Harry, even after gaining his freedom. Every day had been spent helping someone else, solving someone else's problems, or carrying someone else's burdens.

Dobby did not regret any of it.

Helping people made him happy.

Yet lately, a small voice inside his head kept asking a question he had never seriously considered before.

What would Dobby do if nobody needed him?

The thought followed him everywhere.

While repairing homes in the settlement.

While gathering ingredients for Winky.

Even while sharing meals with Harry and Winky.

The question refused to leave.

The answer finally came during one of Harry's discussions about magical plants.

For days, Harry had been researching the strange flora growing across Bogano. The discovery of several magical herbs had sparked new possibilities for potion-making, and the Nightsisters had become increasingly interested in exploring the wilderness beyond the settlement.

Someone needed to organize those expeditions.

Someone needed to lead them.

And for the first time in his life, Dobby found himself wanting that responsibility.

Not because someone asked him.

Because he wanted it.

The realization surprised him.

It also made him strangely nervous.

A few days later, Dobby found Harry sitting outside one of the greenhouses. Several books floated around him while potion ingredients sorted themselves into neat piles. Nearby, young Jedi and Nightsister children were practicing levitation spells under Harry's supervision.

Harry looked up when Dobby approached.

"Dobby?"

The elf stopped in front of him.

For a moment he struggled to find the right words.

Then he took a deep breath.

"Dobby has made a decision."

Harry immediately closed the book floating in front of him.

"Oh?"

Dobby sat down across from him.

"Dobby wishes to lead the expeditions."

Harry blinked.

"The plant expeditions?"

Dobby nodded firmly.

"Dobby wishes to explore Bogano. Dobby wishes to discover magical plants. Dobby wishes to help rebuild potion magic."

For several moments, Harry simply stared at him.

Then a huge smile spread across his face.

"Finally."

Dobby tilted his head.

"Finally?"

Harry laughed and leaned back in his chair.

"Dobby, do you know how long I've been waiting for this conversation?"

The elf looked genuinely confused.

Harry gestured toward him.

"You've spent years helping everyone around you. Every decision you've made has been about somebody else."

"That is not bad."

"No," Harry agreed. "It isn't."

His expression softened.

"But you've never really stopped to ask yourself what you wanted."

Dobby lowered his eyes.

Because Harry was right.

"You are free, Dobby."

"You've been free for years," Harry continued. "But sometimes I think part of you still lives like a servant."

Silence settled between them.

Dobby stared at his hands.

He had never thought about it that way before.

"So if you want to lead the expeditions..."

He shrugged casually.

"...go lead them."

Dobby looked up.

Just like that. No conditions.

Harry trusted him completely.

The realization filled him with warmth.

"Thanks Harry."

Harry snorted.

"Don't thank me. You will be the one doing all the hard work."

News spread surprisingly quickly.

Many of the younger Nightsisters were eager to explore the wilderness, while others wanted to help catalog magical plants and ingredients.

Some wanted adventure.

Others simply wanted an excuse to leave the settlement for a while.

Before long, nearly twenty volunteers had assembled.

The moment Winky learned that Dobby would be spending weeks in the wilderness, she apparently decided that starvation was the greatest threat facing the expedition.

For two straight days she cooked.

Relentlessly.

The food stores continued growing larger with every passing hour.

By the evening before departure, several Nightsisters were staring at the supplies in disbelief.

One finally whispered, "Are we planning to conquer a planet?"

Another shook her head.

"I think Winky packed enough food to feed the entire settlement."

Dobby wisely chose not to comment.

On the morning of departure, Winky personally inspected every supply crate.

Every blanket.

Every cooking pot.

Every medical kit.

Nothing escaped her attention.

"Dobby must be careful."

"I will."

"No unnecessary risks."

"I understand."

"No fighting giant monsters."

Several Nightsisters immediately looked away.

Because fighting giant monsters was usually half the reason they went into the wilderness.

Winky narrowed her eyes.

"I mean it."

"Dobby understands."

"You always say that."

Before Dobby could reply, Winky suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

For several seconds neither spoke.

Then she quietly said, "Come back safely."

Dobby smiled and returned the hug.

"I will."

Nearby, Harry approached carrying a small wooden box.

"Dobby."

The elf accepted it curiously.

Inside rested several enchanted stones.

Communication charms.

Emergency portkeys.

Protective wards.

Each one personally crafted by Harry.

"If something goes wrong, use these."

Dobby smiled.

"Dobby can take care of himself."

Harry nodded.

"I know."

Soon afterward, the expedition assembled at the settlement gates.

Twenty Nightsisters stood ready with packs and supplies. Some looked excited. Some nervous. Others were already debating which magical plants they hoped to discover first.

Ahead of them stretched the untamed wilderness of Bogano.

Ancient forests.

Rocky valleys.

Unexplored rivers.

Countless mysteries waiting to be uncovered.

Dobby stood at the front of the group and looked toward the distant tree line.

For the first time in his life, nobody was leading him.

Nobody was telling him where to go.

Nobody was giving him orders.

He was the one leading.

The realization made him smile.

One by one, the Nightsisters followed him into the wilderness.

From atop a nearby hill, Harry watched them disappear into the trees.

Luke stepped beside him and folded his arms.

"You think they'll be alright?"

Harry looked toward the distant forest.

Then chuckled softly.

"Dobby?"

Luke nodded.

Harry's grin widened.

"I'm more worried about whatever lives out there."

Dobby already knew that mapping the entire planet would be impossible for a single expedition.

Perhaps impossible for a generation.

Bogano was simply too vast.

Fortunately, that had never been the goal.

The purpose of this expedition was much simpler.

Everything within a thousand kilometers of the settlements would be explored, documented, and studied.

Yet even that objective quickly felt overwhelming.

Every single day brought new discoveries.

New plants.

New animals.

Dobby had prepared carefully before leaving the settlement. Several enchanted preservation trunks traveled with the expedition, each one expanded internally through magic. Every specimen they collected was carefully stored inside.

The future potion project would require years of experimentation. The more samples they gathered now, the easier that work would become later.

The Nightsisters adapted to expedition life far better than Dobby expected.

Within only a few days, everyone had naturally found their place.

No one assigned responsibilities.

No meetings were held.

The roles simply emerged.

One young Nightsister named Nira became the expedition historian almost immediately.

The girl carried a thick leather journal everywhere she went. Every plant was sketched. Every river was marked. Every creature was described in remarkable detail.

Dobby often woke during the night and found her still writing by firelight.

At one point he finally asked, "Does Nira ever sleep?"

The young witch looked genuinely confused.

"Of course."

"When?"

Nira glanced at the sky.

"Usually after midnight."

"Dobby thinks that is not enough sleep."

Nira immediately returned to writing.

"Dobby is not a historian."

Two other witches claimed responsibility for cooking.

After the third day they officially banned everyone else from helping.

Especially Dobby.

The argument became legendary within the expedition.

"Dobby can cook."

"No."

"Dobby absolutely can cook."

One witch pointed dramatically toward a blackened cooking pot.

"Dobby burned water."

"Dobby did not burn water."

"You somehow burned soup."

"Dobby was experimenting."

"You were making lunch."

"Same thing."

"It is absolutely not the same thing."

The argument continued for nearly an hour before everyone else started laughing too hard to take either side seriously.

The wilderness itself was magnificent.

Massive forests stretched endlessly beneath emerald skies. Crystal-clear rivers cut through valleys overflowing with flowers. Ancient trees towered hundreds of meters into the air, their branches creating entire ecosystems among the canopy.

Many times the expedition stopped simply to admire the scenery.

One afternoon they discovered a valley filled entirely with glowing blue flowers.

The blossoms remained closed until someone used the Force nearby.

The moment one of the Nightsisters reached out with the Force, thousands of flowers opened simultaneously.

The valley erupted into blue light.

Several witches simply stood there staring.

One quietly whispered, "Nobody is going to believe this."

"Then we'll have to bring samples."

Another day brought an entirely different discovery.

A swarm of tiny six-winged creatures appeared from a forest clearing and began circling the expedition. Their wings left trails of silver light in the air, creating beautiful glowing patterns behind them.

The creatures followed the expedition for nearly two hours before eventually vanishing into the trees.

Nira filled three entire pages describing them.

Several discoveries were clearly magical.

Dobby could sense it instinctively.

Years of working beside Harry had sharpened his ability to recognize unusual magical signatures.

Some creatures carried dense concentrations of Force energy.

Others possessed magical properties unlike anything he had encountered before.

Naturally, many of the dangerous ones attempted to eat them.

The first serious attack occurred during the fourth day.

The expedition had stopped near a stream when a massive six-legged predator burst from the undergrowth.

The beast stood nearly three meters tall and moved with frightening speed.

Several younger Nightsisters screamed.

The creature charged.

It never reached them.

Dobby casually pointed one finger.

A red curse flashed through the air.

The predator collapsed instantly.

Dead before it hit the ground.

The expedition stared.

Dobby blinked.

"What?"

One Nightsister slowly lowered her wand.

"You killed it."

Dobby looked confused.

"It was attacking."

The expedition continued walking.

After the fifth attack, nobody panicked anymore.

Instead they developed a new realization.

Dobby was terrifying.

Not frightening in personality. The elf remained cheerful.

But in combat?

The house-elf was horrifying.

Creatures capable of smashing trees apart died within seconds.

Predators larger than speeders became future research material.

Soon the preservation trunks began filling rapidly.

Scales.

Teeth.

Bones.

Claws.

Venom sacs.

Organs.

Everything was preserved.

Everything would eventually be studied.

Weeks passed.

The expedition slowly approached the outer edge of its planned exploration zone.

By then everyone had settled into a comfortable routine.

Then they found the river.

At first it seemed ordinary.

The water was crystal clear.

Smooth stones covered the riverbed.

Fish darted through the currents.

Several Nightsisters immediately entered the shallows to collect aquatic plants.

Others began gathering samples of fish and small river creatures.

Nothing seemed unusual.

Then Dobby stopped walking.

A strange sensation brushed against his senses.

It felt familiar.

Powerful.

Almost like standing beside a magical artifact.

The sensation came from beneath the water.

Dobby froze.

Then he slowly walked deeper into the river.

Several Nightsisters exchanged confused looks.

"Dobby?"

No answer.

"Dobby, what happened?"

The elf continued forward.

Something beneath the river was calling to him.

Finally he stopped in the center of the river and extended one hand.

The water responded instantly.

Thousands of liters surged upward into the air.

A gigantic sphere of suspended water floated above the riverbed.

The river beneath it became exposed.

Silence fell across the expedition.

The entire bottom of the river was glowing.

Precious stones covered the riverbed.

Each stone emitted a faint light.

Each stone radiated immense energy.

The entire river looked like a treasure vault.

One Nightsister dropped her notebook.

Another nearly stumbled backward into the water.

"What are those?"

"Those aren't normal rocks."

"No kidding."

Dobby carefully picked up one of the stones.

The moment it touched his hand, a surge of energy rushed through his senses.

Pure Force energy.

Compressed.

Contained within stone.

This was not merely valuable.

This was extraordinary.

His voice became unusually serious.

"Nobody touch anything."

The Nightsisters instantly froze.

Several exchanged nervous glances.

"Dangerous?"

"What is it?"

Dobby looked at the glowing crystal in his hand.

Then at the riverbed

"Something very valuable."

Nira immediately began writing so fast her quill nearly tore through the page.

Meanwhile Dobby pulled an enchanted communication mirror from his satchel.

A few seconds later Harry's face appeared.

The wizard looked mildly annoyed.

Mostly because several children were apparently climbing all over him.

"Dobby?"

"Harry."

Something in Dobby's tone immediately made Harry pay attention.

The children stopped climbing. The annoyance vanished.

"What happened?"

Without speaking, Dobby turned the mirror toward the exposed riverbed.

For several seconds Harry simply stared.

Then he stood up so fast that two children fell off his shoulders.

"What."

The single word echoed through the mirror.

Dobby smiled slightly.

That reaction confirmed everything.

Whatever these orange crystals were—

They were important.

And for the first time since the expedition began, Dobby suspected they had discovered something that might change the future of Bogano forever.

Author's Note:

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