House Elves' Magic and Possible Involvement with LV

[Grey Wolf]

No: HPFGUIDX 83091

Granny Goodwitch wrote: 
> 1) Dobby, the first house elf we meet has sufficient magical powers 
> to apparate and alternate a spell.  He apparates to the Dursleys  and 
> has sufficient power to close the entrance to the Hogwart's Platform 
> to Harry(Book 2).

Just a nitpick: I think you mean *alter* a spell. If that is the case, 
IMO Dobby didn't change the spell - he either cancelled it or simply 
put one of his own just in front of it that would stop Harry and Ron 
from moving: an invisible wall, if you want - or rather, a version of 
the one used in Lucius at the end of CoS but just pushing back with 
enough force to stop them from crossing it (instead of throwing them 
back).
 
> <SNIP great analysis about House elves>
> Could this be a hint to some kind of house elf ethic?

I believe that most of our interactions with the house elves give away 
more than hints about their ethics. They work - regardless of what 
Hermione believes, Elves like to work and *need to work* and you would 
be kinder to them if you forced them to stop breathing than if you 
forced them to stop working.

> Question 1: What is the extent of house elves' magical ability--

I have no idea. So far, their powers seem limitless in raw potency, and 
are only kept in check by what the owner allows them (or they do "by 
accident" after which they have to punish themselves).

> how could a house elf bind a full grown wizard?

He would bind with his own magical powers, IMO. As you have pointed 
out, the powers of elves are very big - we have ample proof of it, like 
apparating inside Hogwarts. However, by their very nature they need to 
serve at a household and thus will bind themselves to a family to serve 
it for generations

<SNIP: Kreacher analysis>
> Question 2:  Could it be that there is a division in the ranks of 
> house elfdom--those on the side of LV and those against?  

It is not that simple. I think each house elf will naturally be on his 
family's side (I see Dobby as the great Elf exception, and Kreacher and 
Winky more typical house elves). Thus, if the family happens to be the 
sort that punishes house elves, the house elf will punish himself and 
if the family (like Hogwarts) happens to be of the good kind, they will 
wear proper house elf attires of good cloth and be properly taken care 
of (as far as they will allow to be taken care of, of course). But I 
think it is clear that the sides aren't LV and not-LV, but more 
"punishers" and "non-punishers", if there are factions at all - as I 
have said, I think it is more each elf defending his or her family's 
values.

> Could house 
> elves be serving some kind of penalty of servitude for crimes in the 
> past--no one seems very sympathetic to their plight.

I actually proposed something similar in my "Atan" theory of elf 
enslavement - only I suggested that the elves had too much power and 
had started to get out of control, and they decided to bond their magic 
to serving so they would survive. But I quite like the spin of this 
being some sort of penitence for crimes in the past (of course, if it 
is, they're quite cheerful about it).
 
> My personal theory is that they bear a "Mark of Cain", so to speak 
> that we will see in 6 or 7.  Anyone have more evidence based on canon 
> or interviews?
> 
> Granny

Unfortunately, not that I know of. We know very little about house 
elves, and no-one has asked about them in interviews (that I know of), 
So any big crimes or other reasons for enslavement will either be 
revealed in later books, or not at all. That said, I'm afraid that the 
reason will be more prosaic: they're traditionally like that. Just like 
trolls are big and smelly, house elves work until given clothes, after 
which they leave (see the shoemaker and the elves tale).

Hope that helps,

Grey Wolf