Dobby tried to focus on Harry’s face but his vision was going dark, soon he could see nothing at all. He felt himself falling as the darkness engulfed him. After what may have been a few moments or all eternity, Dobby noticed a dim light. He seemed to be in a cave near a river partially shrouded in mist. At least, Dobby thought it was a river but the water’s surface was as smooth as glass.

He was so captivated by the perfectly still water that it was a few minutes before he realized that his chest no longer hurt. He looked down; to his amazement there was no wound where the small silver knife should have been. Dobby carefully patted his chest searching for the hurt that wasn’t there. As he did so, he realized that the old burns from ironing his hands were gone too. He checked his back, discovering that he no longer bore the scars of his many floggings and he felt his ears; the hole from shutting them in the oven door was also missing.

Before Dobby could wonder at how he had been healed, he heard footsteps. Dobby turned to see who it was and screamed in terror. Purposefully striding towards him was Lucius Malfoy, his old master. Lucius was terrifying to behold. He wore black dress robes and held a silver cane shaped like a serpent. His long hair was tied with a black ribbon and the dim light of the cave cast a ghostly pall upon his handsome features. His gray eyes, always cold, were hard as stone and had a certain darkness that Dobby had never seen before.

Lucius looked at Dobby with a mixture of contempt and glee. “Come, Dobby,” he commanded, pointing his cane at the trembling elf.

Before Dobby could act a loud and terrible voice echoed throughout the cave causing the stone to tremble and making waves upon the previously still water. “Begone! Dobby is no longer your slave, he has been freed!”

Dobby’s hands were over his face, but he watched through his fingers as Lucius Malfoy hissed in anger. Then to Dobby’s horror Lucius transformed into a scaly creature, seemingly made of darkness. The creature’s eyes never left Dobby as it continued to hiss but obediently retreated into the darkness of the cave, blending with the shadow until Dobby could see it no more.

Dobby wept in terror upon the stone floor of the cave. He could faintly hear music over his crying. The music slowly filled his heart with hope and then another familiar voice gently spoke his name.

“Dobby, I’ve been sent to bring you home.”

Dobby looked up. An old and intricately carved wooden boat had appeared out of the mist and docked at the shoreline. In it was a man with long flowing auburn hair and blue twinkling eyes, although the half-moon spectacles were gone and his nose was no longer crooked. A fiery bird was sitting on the man’s shoulder singing the song that had lifted Dobby’s heart. A light seemed to shine from within both the man and the phoenix. Dobby stared at the man for several seconds before recognizing Albus Dumbledore. He looked far younger than Dobby had ever seen him but there was something else that was different about him too. Dobby wasn’t quite sure what it was but thought perhaps it was that he had never seen Professor Dumbledore look so… peaceful. It was as though all the worry had left him a long time ago.

“Professor Dumbledore! Dobby is so glad to be seeing you, Sir!” squealed Dobby in delight.

Dumbledore hugged Dobby tightly, saying, “I am very glad to be seeing you too, Dobby. But please, just call me Albus.”

Next to Albus in the boat, was a hooded creature cloaked in gray. The creature seemed neither frightening nor appealing, it hardly seemed to have any identifying traits at all and Dobby had the oddest impression that he would forget the creature’s existence as soon as he stopped looking at it.

The creature nodded to Albus and seemed to be waiting for him to do something. Albus turned to see what Dobby was looking at and gave a bit of a start.

“Goodness! I had forgotten it was there. It wants paying…” he exclaimed as he dug through his pockets. After a few moments Albus pulled two brilliant gold coins from a small pouch. He handed them to Dobby and told him to give them to the creature.

Dobby tried to thank Albus for the beautiful coins, but Albus would hear none of it. “Don’t thank me Dobby, I was just sent to collect you. Our master paid the price for you.”

Dobby didn’t quite understand what this meant but was distracted from asking as the creature indicated that it wanted the coins. Dobby handed the beautifully made coins over to the creature who then allowed him to sit in the boat as they left the shoreline.

Shortly after they set off, Dobby looked over the side of the boat and was amazed at what he saw. Scenes of his life were playing on the water’s still surface. Dobby reached out a long finger to touch them but something caused him to change his mind and quickly pull it back.

“Very wise,” commented Albus as Fawkes chirped.

Dobby looked up at him for further explanation. Albus continued, “Some people cannot bear to leave their past behind them. Others are too afraid of the boatman and try to swim across. They then return as ghosts. Death must ferry us across the entire river for us to reach the other side.”

“Dobby is dead?” squeaked the elf in alarm.

Albus smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Well Dobby, the people you left behind would say that you are dead. I however, would say that you are about to begin to truly live.”

As Dobby let these words sink in, Albus began searching his pockets again. “Would you care for a sherbet lemon, Dobby? I’m sure one wouldn’t spoil your appetite.”

Dobby had never been offered any sort of sweet before. He happily accepted the one that Albus offered. Fawkes let out a low cry and flew off in a burst of flame.

“Phoenixes are the only creatures that can journey back and forth between the shadow world and the real world. Once the shadow world ends, they will be able to stay in the real world forever,” explained Albus, “Fawkes has gone on ahead to let everyone know we have nearly arrived.”

“Where is we going?” asked Dobby.

“To a feast,” answered Albus, eyes twinkling. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a very odd watch. After glancing at it, he informed Dobby, “And I’m glad to say you’re right on time. Not that time works the same way here, of course.”

Dobby thought it quite odd that they were going to a feast. He didn’t even bother to try to puzzle out what Albus meant about time and worlds. After all he had just been informed that he was dead and obviously had bigger things to worry about. Just then the boat broke through the mist and upon seeing the shore all thoughts and worries left Dobby’s head. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life.

Gates made from the same remarkable gold as the coins were opening wide. There were beautiful trees, flowing streams, birds singing songs more beautiful than any he had ever heard. Light seemed to glow from every blade of grass, every rock, even the butterflies and flowers.

Just as he was thinking that he could stand there and happily gaze at it forever he noticed the people. There was an enormous crowd; humans, centaurs, house-elves, giants, goblins and creatures that Dobby didn’t even recognize. There were merpeople splashing in the rivers. Dobby was amazed at the multitude and at how the light shone from them and their beautiful clothing. For the first time, Dobby realized that he wasn’t wearing clothes. He tried to hide himself so that the beautiful people wouldn’t see him.

“Dobby, what are you doing?” asked Albus softly.

“Dobby is ugly and naked. Dobby is ashamed!” cried the elf.

“You don’t have to feel ashamed here, Dobby. You are not ugly and look, you have been most wonderfully clothed,” replied Albus.

Dobby looked down in wonder. He was clothed! He was wearing an intricately knit jumper that went well past his knees and beautifully knit socks. The clothes gave off a glowing radiance. Dobby didn’t realize it but light was shining from him as well. Anyone who looked at him would have thought him breathtaking. Dobby was still gazing in amazement at the marvelous socks.

“I do enjoy knitting patterns,” commented Albus, “This is a very lovely one. And now, there are quite a few people who want to meet you.”

Dobby stepped through the gates with Albus. They were barely inside when people hurried over to see them.

There was a beautiful woman with lovely red hair and very familiar eyes. She was with a man who Dobby also felt he should recognize. With a start, Dobby exclaimed, “Harry Potter! Is Harry Potter alright?”

The woman smiled at him and hugged him saying, “Yes! Thank you so much, Dobby, you saved my son. If you hadn’t given your life for him, Harry wouldn’t have been able to complete the task set before him.”

James Potter shook Dobby’s hand thanking him too. Then a man with a bark-like laugh and long black hair thanked Dobby as well.

To Dobby’s amazement there were more people. A woman with blonde hair and silvery eyes thanked him for rescuing her daughter. Two goblins rushed over to thank him for saving their son. A woman with bushy hair hugged him for liberating her granddaughter. Another woman introduced herself as Daphne Ollivander and thanked him for saving her husband. A tall black man hugged him, expressing his gratitude to Dobby for rescuing his son. There were more and more people. Dobby could hardly believe it. When Dobby had been alive it had been quite rare for anyone to take notice of him, let alone appreciate him. He was completely overwhelmed at this huge show of gratitude.

Finally, two men who introduced themselves as Gideon and Fabian hoisted him on their shoulders, thanking him for saving their youngest nephew and insisted on carrying him to the feast.

Dobby looked over his shoulder to Albus, who was walking with a girl whom Dobby recognized from a painting. “Why is Dobby going to a feast?” he asked.

“Didn’t I tell you?” called Albus. “It’s a feast in your honour, being hosted by the master himself!”

Dobby didn’t understand but they were already approaching an elaborate table laid out with food that looked and smelled better than anything Dobby had ever imagined. Dobby saw more and more people he knew. He saw his parents, beaming proudly at him and his cousin Hokey was waving excitedly from across the table. Then Dobby looked to the head of the table and saw the face that he had wanted to see all of his life.

This time he recognized the voice, and it was no longer terrifying or making stones tremble. Dobby’s master joyfully announced, “Well done, my good and faithful servant! Welcome home!”