House Elves' Real Power

[catherine at cator-manor.demon.co.uk]

No: HPFGUIDX 15349

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., meckelburg at f... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., "crystal white" <jellycrys at h...> wrote:
> > Here's an interesting theory - I got into a discussion about who 
> will be on 
> > what side when (IMO) Voldemort really starts going again.  I 
think 
> Dobby 
> > especially will be on the side of HP.  Doubly so when one 
considers 
> how much 
> > Dobby disliked working for the Malfoys.  Winky, on the other 
hand, 
> poses a 
> > puzzle to me.  She is working for Hogwarts (w/o pay, as she likes 
> it) and 
> > yet she still refuses to say anything even slightly derogatory 
about 
> the 
> > Crouches.  I don't think these seemingly weak characters should 
be 
> > overlooked.  Remember at the end of CoS when Malfoy Sr. started 
to 
> go after 
> > HP for "losing him his house elf"......Dobby said "You will not 
harm 
> Harry 
> > Potter" and then flung Malfoy Sr. down the stairs.  This is 
definite 
> > forshadowing to me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Winky's main loyalty towards Barty 
Crouch Snr, not junior.  If I remember rightly, (and I know I should 
look it up but..) when she finds out the Barty jnr murdered his own 
father she is absolutely devastated.  I know she has been looking 
after BCjnr all this time, but doesn't this final piece have the 
effect of dividing her loyalties?  If indeed she is still loyal to 
jnr, as it was his actions that got her sacked.  (Mind you, it's 
probably irrelevant now there aren't any Crouchs left).  Anyway, I 
just wanted to point out that Winky seems slightly more ambivalent, 
rather than unswerving loyalty to the Crouch family as a whole.
Catherine

> I agree with you, that the House elves are not as weak as they 
look, 
> just because they serve wizards. In GoF ForG said they had their 
own 
> quite powerful magic, but cannot normally use them against their 
> masters. Well, Dobby has decided to do what he thought was right 
long 
> before he was freed. He punished himself for doing so, but went his 
> way nevertheless, so maybe he can convince other House-Elves who 
work 
> for evil wizards to turn on their masters too and support 
Dumbledore 
> or Harry.
> 
> mecki
> > 
> > 
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