[HPforGrownups] House-Elves and the Weasleys

[Sherry Garfio]

No: HPFGUIDX 47865

Carol wrote:
> I've wondered more about 
> why Dobby didn't go looking for work with the Weasley's.  He says that he 
> was looking for work for 2 years before coming to Hogwarts.  Were there no 
> house-elf-free families that would be happy to find a house elf?

Yes, but Dobby was wanting *paying* for his services.  Although he seems to be
willing to work for next to nothing, so the Weasleys could possibly afford him,
particularly if he freed up enough of Molly's time that she could make some
extra income.  I wonder if perhaps nobody would pay Dobby (even a pittance)
because it is well known that House Elves work for free, and nobody's willing
to pay for a service that should be free.  Of course, I'd hire him in a
heartbeat ;-).

Carol continued:
> I've wondered if each person in a family gets a house elf.  So Lucius lost 
> *his* elf.  Does Narcissa have one too?  Draco?  If one family has one 
> house elf that is passed down in the family and the family has several 
> children, who gets the elf?  Does the elf go with the oldest?  When?  Do 
> the children do without an elf until both parents die?  (Which would be 
> quite a while given that witches and wizards live a long time.)

Indeed.  I guess if both bride and groom each have a House Elf, then the family
starts out with 2.  Maybe there's some form of dowry, at least among wealthy
families, and a House Elf could be part of it?  Many of the WW's customs are
rather old-fashioned.

Later in her post, Carol said:
> I suspect that the HE at 
> Hogwarts will be the first to gain their freedom (since Dumbledore is 
> already willing to grant it) and that they will be instrumental is 
> enlisting the aid of the rest of the house elves.  JKR has Hermione working 
> hard with the elves for some reason and I no longer think it is just to 
> show us how oppressed the elves are or how terrible the attitudes towards 
> them are.

And I think that most wizards who have House Elves take them so for granted
that they would never consider them a threat.  A surreptitiously freed (or
rebellious, like Dobby) House Elf would make an outstanding spy.  Dobby and
Winky clearly knew a *lot* about what their masters were up to in the privacy
of their own homes, presumably because their masters never cared (or indeed
noticed) that they were around while certain conversations or activities were
taking place.  They are seen as objects, and therefore not seen at all.  All
Dumbledore needs to do is convince a few of the Death Eaters' House Elves to
take Dobby's philosophy.  Or, possibly, if House Elves can be given away, he
could plant a few of the Hogwarts Elves.  We really do need more information on
how one obtains a House Elf.

Sherry


=====
"The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers."

      -Dave Barry, "Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn"

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