What Kreacher knows

[snapesmate]

No: HPFGUIDX 74742

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Wanda Sherratt" 
<wsherratt3338 at r...> wrote:
><snip>> I guess one can debate this a bit, because the word "house" 
has two 
> meanings.  A building, like 12 Grimmauld Place, and also a family.  
> I was always taking "house" in that sense, that a house elf served 
a 
> house in the sense of the family members.  Like "the House of 
> Windsor"; Sirius is the last surviving member of "The Noble and 
Most 
> Ancient House of Black".  If the family dies off, then the House is 
> extinct, so what happens then?  There are more distant relatives, 
> but I'm not so clear if the house elf's servitude is transferrable, 
> the way a piece of property would be.
> 
> Wanda

The house elves are treated as property, as a slave, but most house 
elves we have been introduced to WANT to belong to a family.  Dobby 
was a bit of a one of, because he wanted to be free and paid for his 
work.  I took house elf to mean an elf that belonged to a family, 
that served around the family home.  As far as Ron's comment about 
elves being found in manors, etc., I took that to mean it was usually 
wealthy families who owned house elves.  As far as Sirius' relatives, 
we know Dobby is devoted to Bellatrix and the other "cousins".  I am 
curious as to how Hogwarts' house elves came to be there.  Dobby 
was "hired" to work there, and he got Winky a job there, but all the 
others?  There must be hundreds that work at Hogwarts...  Anyway, 
back to Kreacher...  I was thinking he has probably done all the 
damage he can do, unless he IS kept at Grimmauld Place AND the OoTP 
continue to use the house.  WHat about you all?
Lynne... or Lynnette...  or, according to DS, "yo Mom, what's up?"