Synopsis

Not twenty years after Voldemort‘s second rise and fall, another war broke out. Long and gruesome was the war between the magical communities and the muggles, and it ended with the muggle side‘s victory. Most magicals died, some turned coat and only a few managed to hide. Instead of fighting a hopeless battle until his dying breath, Draco Malfoy escaped the final battle and hid between the muggles. Laying low, he watched the different muggle countries incorporate the magical knowledge they gained in the war into their science research. A magical arms race ensued between the countries that finally culminated in a world war three decades later. The only winners of that war were death and destruction. At the end, some scientists even managed to create a magical plague that turned half of the survivors into zombies. Wandering the apocalyptic earth, Draco gathered new and old magical knowledge. He learned and survived for years without a greater goal until he discovered a great pile of the Sand of Time hidden in Persia. Finally having some hope again, Draco researched and researched how to travel back in time. His end goal: Saving Wizarding Britain and the whole world.

Chapter 1

This morning, Flobby awoke even earlier than usual.

It was because his hands were hurting so good.

Master Luscious had ordered Flobby to put his hands into the fire yesterday.

Flobby hadn't anticipated Master Luscious headache, and Flobby had made too much noise when he had been called to appear.

That's why Flobby had had to be punished.

The Masters were always right to discipline Flobby, and Flobby took his punishment like a real house elf, with suffering and pleasure.

One of the Masters was awake at this early hour too, Flobby could feel it.

It was the Young Master of the house.

Maybe the Young Master wanted something, like a hot chocolate or a dreamless sleep potion, or the Young Master needed Flobby to change his sheets, again...

Eager to serve, Flobby popped into the heir wing of the manor.

Not to intrude too suddenly, Flobby popped into the hallway and listened at the door.

Flobby heard hearty laughter.

„Hahahahahahahahaa..."

The laughter didn't stop but turned into cackling after a while.

„Kakakakakakakkaa..."

Young Master Dicko seemed really happy this morning, even though normally the Young Master became grumpy if he didn't get enough sleep.

„I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, finally did it! I really did it! I am the greatest archmage of all time! Slytherin, Merlin and Dumbledore can go suck each other! Mwahawahahahahaa!"

There seemed to be something different about Young Master Dicko, today.

The exuberant laughter was Flobby's first clue, the second was the Young Master's magic.

Even through the door, Flobby could feel it, it felt like there was an old and powerful dragon on the other side.

The feel of this great and powerful magic only reminded Flobby very, very distantly of the Young Master Dicko of yesterday.

It scared Flobby.

If Flobby couldn't feel the little similarities, Flobby would have thought this wasn't Flobby's Young Master, at all.

Was the Young Master alright?

Was it a spell that had gone wrong?

Stolen novel; please report.

Flobby had heard from other house elves, that their masters sometimes had accidents with their magic, when they trained or experimented.

Not that Flobby's masters were prone to do such things, preferring to rely on their wealth...

Maybe the Young Master was beginning to lose his mind.

Just like his Aunt Mistress Black.

Flobby prayed his Young Master hadn't become as horrifying as that Mistress, her volatile temperament and her gruesome punishments were just too much, even for Flobby.

Softly, Flobby knocked on the door.

„Enter, Flobby."

How did Young Master know it was Flobby?

That surprised Flobby.

What surprised Flobby even more was that Young Master knew his name.

Normally, Young Master just called „Elf!" and one of them hurriedly came to him.

„Is Young Master Dic... Dragon alright? Flobby heard Young Master laughing creepily early in the morning. Flobby is worried. Can Flobby help? Does Young Master want a hot chocolate to calm down?"

Flobby reckoned that Flobby probably could actually do something for his Young Master right now, either the Young Master needed Flobby to serve him something and if that wasn't the case the Young Master could calm down by cursing Flobby for his presumptuousness.

The Young Master stared at Flobby silently.

Flobby already thought he had annoyed the Young Master and would get punished now.

Flobby's belly tingled with anticipation.

„I'm better than alright. Thank you, Flobby."

The Young Master smiled at Flobby.

Flobby was speechless.

And horrified.

Young Master had thanked Flobby.

Oh no, Young Master was really sick, most likely in the head.

But the longer the Young Master looked at Flobby, the more he lost his smile.

Thank Merlin, maybe Young Master's sickness wasn't too grave.

The Young Master held his hand aloft.

Would Flobby get struck today?

That would be a first, no master had ever touched him with their hand.

At most with their shoes, but even that rarely, most of the time the masters used their wands.

Suddenly, the Young Master's wand appeared in his hand.

With mixed feelings, Flobby kept his eyes on the wand.

The Young Master waved it in Flobby's direction.

Butterflies danced in Flobby's belly as the light from the wand reached him.

Flobby's already injured hands started to hurt even more.

How gruesome to further mutilate Flobby's injured hands.

Apparently, the Young Master was completely healthy after all...

The pain felt like a thousand ants were biting Flobby's skin.

Flobby groaned.

At some point, the pain stayed constant, and didn't get more intense.

Flobby made sure to hide his pleasure and suppress his desire to ask for more.

Every time Flobby made that mistake during Master Luscious punishments, it became awkward, so Flobby tried to savor his easing pain and kept his mouth shut.

But then the pain suddenly disappeared.

All the pain in his hands and even the pain in Flobby's floppy ear, that Master Luscious had injured with an especially painful cutting curse a week earlier, was just gone.

Flobby removed the bandages from his hands and found his burns completely healed.

Flobby didn't know how to feel about that.

Flobby kind of felt empty.

Was the Young Master being kind or cruel?

„Is this old and dirty pillow case the only thing you have to cover yourself?"

The Young Master's question pulled Flobby from his contemplation.

„Yes."

Flobby affirmed warily, not knowing where his Young Master was going with this.

Would Flobby get a proper punishment now or was there something else?

„That won't do. When business opens, go to Diagon Alley and buy some red and some gold fabric. Enough so that every elf working for the Malfoy Family can get two garments. Also, buy some leather to make little boots for everyone."

The Young Master's words frightened Flobby terribly, even more than everything that had happened until now.

„Young Master Dragon, please don't give Flobby clothes! Flobby is a good elf! Flobby can even get better. Flobby can even try to hate the punishments more!"

Flobby started wailing.

Clothes meant getting released and kicked out of house and family.

Getting kicked out and losing their work was worse than death for a house elf.

Flobby would rather die than be like that crazy Dobby...

Free.

A free elf, Flobby shuddered at the thought.

„Relax! I'm not giving you clothes. And even though you will make the fabrics into clothes for you elves, the clothes will remain Malfoy property."

„Why, Young Master?"

„If you really need a reason, just think of it that I'm tired of seeing the elves, that belong to House Malfoy, looking like they were homeless. Next, let's talk about your sleeping arrangements. You're still all sharing the cupboard in the cleaning supply storage room, right?"

The Young Master interrogated Flobby about everything in the Malfoy Family's elves' lives.

At the end, he ordered Flobby to make sure all the elves moved into the old and empty servant quarters close to the big kitchen.

Additionally, he ordered Flobby to make sure all the elves bathed regularly and that they were well fed.

Flobby was skeptical if it was good to pamper the house elves so much, but it was the Young Master's orders.

Of course, Flobby wanted to question the orders until the Young Master came to his senses again and reconsidered.

Or until the Young Master had enough and punished Flobby for his insolence.

Sadly, Young Master was smart and found a way to circumvent that.

„Flobby, go check on our potion inventory before you go shopping. Please make sure that there are enough nutrition potions and mild healing potions available every day in the future. Buy more if the stock runs out!"

„Yes, Young Master."

Sending Flobby away so he couldn't protest was the easiest way to handle that.