Newer UK Edition of CoS Has Three Changes From Original Edition

[doffy99]

No: HPFGUIDX 43697

erisedstraeh2002 wrote: 
> (3) In Chapter 18 of the original edition, when Lucius Malfoy and 
> Dobby appear in Professor McGonagall's office, it reads:  "The elf 
> was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish 
> cleaning Mr. Malfoy's shoes.  Apparently Mr. Malfoy had set out in 
a 
> great hurry, for not only were his shoes half-polished, but his 
> usually sleek hair was disheveled.  Ignoring the elf bobbing 
> apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon 
> Dumbledore.
> 
> 'So!' he said 'You've come back.  The governors suspended you, but 
> you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts.'"
> 
> The newer edition completely eliminates the paragraph about Dobby 
> polishing Mr. Malfoy's shoes and when Mr. Malfoy speaks, it 
> reads: "'So!' said Lucius Malfoy, his cold eyes fixed on 
> Dumbledore.  'You've come back.  The governors suspended you, but 
you 
> still saw fit to return to Hogwarts.'"
> 
> This change has me baffled - why would Dobby be with Lucius if 
Dobby 
> wasn't in the middle of performing a menial task such as shoe-
> polishing?  Why leave this out?
> 
> In addition, the newer edition also has Dumbledore telling Harry 
that 
> Voldemort is the last remaining *descendant* of Slytherin (Ch. 18), 
> but since we all know that JKR has already owned up to that error, 
> I'm just mentioning it as an aside.
> 
> I'll keep you posted as I make my way through PoA!
> 
> ~Phyllis

ME, MYself And I

There is one other explanation why this might have been edited. 
Perhaps it's because there's a flaw in the idea. DOBBY has a RAG! Do 
you see it? IF a Sock can set a house elf free and normally a house 
elf would wear a tea towel or an old pillowcase. Wouldn't/couldn't 
giving Dobby a rag to polish shoes with, couldn't that be seen as 
giving him a piece of clothing? Wouldn't just about ANY piece of 
fabric serve this purpose? It says "CLOTHES," does that mean it has 
to be HUMAN clothes? A house elf wears a tea towel or a pillowcase as 
clothing, wouldn't a rag or cloth fit the bill? I'm just guessing. 
personally, I like the paragraph in there. I think it makes the story 
flow better. Like others have said, it explains why Dobby is there. 
It's something that really should be explained. 

-Jeff