House-elf pay - Susan's filk - Mrs. Norris - Lockhart Flint

[Amy Z]

No: HPFGUIDX 26883

I wrote:

> > How would he buy wool and knitting
> > needles if he didn't get 
> > paid?

Rowena wrote:
 
>    He could ask his human hosts for it. 

Hosts?  

Rowena continued:

>It was
> customary to put out gifts for Brownies yarn, if it
> were made clear it would be welcome, wouldn't be a
> problem.
>    According to my 'Encylopedia of Fairies,
> Hobgoblins, Brownies Bogies and other Supernatural
> Creatures' (yes, it is a real book) Brownies avoided
> the appearance of payment because it would put them
> under obligation to their Humans. Food or other items
> 'left out' didn't count as 'pay' and so were
> acceptable. 
>    This of course is the behavior of free Brownies.
> Dobby, coming from a long line of magically bound
> House elves, is presumably unaware of these
> traditional practices and values.  

Or maybe he is a lot more like a human being than that.  I can just 
imagine my reaction if my employers tried to pay me in goods instead 
of in money.  No matter how generous they might be, I like to choose 
my own wool, clothes, place to live, etc., thank you very much.

We really don't know whether house-elves are more like brownies or 
like slaves.  All we can do is go by the descriptions we have so 
far.  Winky (sacked simply because she couldn't restrain Jr. and 
because Sr. thought she wouldn't stand up to interrogation by the MOM) 
and Dobby both seem very unhappy to me.

Susan Hall wrote:  

<The Last Waltz (filk)>

Brava!  Very, very clever, with the same air of mystery as the 
original.  (And with a nod to The Band too?--yay!)

I won't stoop to comment on John's philistine assertion that Joan Baez 
sings better than Dylan.  But I'm weird that way--I don't think 
*anyone* sings better than Dylan.

Kelly wrote:

>As much as I love this theory, you've not taken into account two
>things:

>1.  Squibs can't do magic at all.

>2.  Mandrake Juice restores those who are transformed.

All we really know about Squibs is Ron's definition:  "Someone who was 
born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers."  I 
think that sounds quick-and-dirty enough to leave some wiggle room; 
maybe Squibs can have a smidgen of magic.  One reason I think so is 
the Kwikspell course.  Surely Muggles can't learn magic from a course? 
 Isn't it geared toward people who are just very bad at magic but not 
completely without powers?

Mandrake juice is a restorative for people who have been transfigured 
or cursed (CoS 6), but there still might be transformations that are 
irreversible even with a mandrake potion.

Elizabeth C wrote:

> Also, if you check CoS, the names of Lockharts books change from 
'Wanderings 
> with Werewolves' and 'Year with the Yeti' (chapter four, on the 
booklist) to 
> 'Weekend with a Werewolf' and 'Year with a Yeti' (chaper six, 
Lockharts 
> class), respectivley.

Wow, another good catch.  "Weekend with a Werewolf" sounds a bit 
risque, don't you think?

Amy Zurgatroyd
who wouldn't mind spending a weekend with a certain werewolf

--------------------------------------------------------
 "I'm =not= going to be murdered," Harry said out loud.
 "That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.
                       -HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban
--------------------------------------------------------