Sirius' Knowledge of House Elves

[msbeadsley]

No: HPFGUIDX 82275

grindieloe wrote:
> This is a trivial observation, but Sirius was under the impression 
> that house elves were bound to their masters' houses. <snip> What 
> do you guys think of this?
> 
> grindieloe

I think that it's less a case of needing to be "accompanied by their 
masters" and more a case of needing to be cued somehow; when Sirius 
yelled, "Get out," at Kreacher, the elf took it as a command, or at 
least permission. I can easily imagine, as often as Dobby said he 
needed disciplining, Lucius saying something similarly contemptuous 
of him now and then ("Get out of/remove yourself from my sight." and 
thereby giving him "leave" to go off and chat with Harry.

I *still* want to know (I posted this before, I think, and it sank 
without a trace) how Winky and Dobby got to know each other prior to 
the World Cup scene where Harry encounters Winky and ends up talking 
with her about Dobby. "But I knows Dobby, too, sir!" And Harry 
(again, confound him) never asks, "How? Why?" How do those two know 
each other, bound as they have been to different households? Other 
wizarding social events? Ministry affairs? I'm that curious.

Sandy