SPEW how do you do ? (was Re: SOCKS and other presents)

[snosageau]

No: HPFGUIDX 78386

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jesmck" <jesmck at y...> wrote:
 and now me (Jessica)
If Harry gave Dobby socks and Ron gave him a jumper, wouldn't 
Dobby be free?  

*****************************************************************

I guess it's because Dobby is already free - DD pays him a wage to 
serve at Hogwarts, so the clothes Ron and Harry present him are not 
going to change his arrangement for employment with DD. As for the 
hats, that confused me too. When Harry tricked Malfoy Snr into 
freeing Dobby, he gave the sock to M. Snr, who then threw it at 
Dobby. Harry didn't give it to him directly, so it seems that any 
bystander just can't come along and free any house elf he/she feels 
is being mistreated by it's master. So why does Hermione think she 
can free the house elves? Maybe because (as its already been stated I 
know), the house elves are in service to all who live at Hogwarts 
(see Kitchen scenes in Book Four - the way the elves rush to do HRH's 
bidding and see to their comfort)? I guess its just one of JKR's 
mysterys left for all of us to debate on and on and on, and lets face 
it, what would this list be like if JKR explained everything to 
finest detail?
Snos