3 unrelated OOP questions

[antoshachekhonte]

No: HPFGUIDX 96548

Antosha:
Don't know about #1, but..
> 
> 2.  In ch 17 when Harry takes the injured Hedwig to the staffroom to
> find Professor Grubbly-Plank one of the gargoyles calls him 
> "sunny Jim".  Is this just some type of british phrase that I'm
> unaware of or is it an allusion to his father James and the fact that
> they look so much alike?
> 
"Sunny Jim" is an expression (somewhat endearing/somewhat condescending) used about 
a young man, more or less synonymous with "Boyo" or "Laddy-buck." I have a memory of 
some British army officer in one of the old 30s movies--"Gunga Din" or something like 
that--using the expression. But the double entendre is really interesting...

> 3.  When Dobby has warned the DA that Umbridge is on her way and the
> members are all scattering while Dobby is "punishing" 
> himself for warning them, Harry grabs him up and says, "Dobby -- this
> is an order -- get back down to the kitchen with the other elves, 
> and if she asks you whether you warned me, lie and say no!" said
> Harry.  "And I forbid you to hurt yourself!" he added, dropping the
> elf as he made it over the threshold at last and slamming the door
> behind him.  "Thank you Harry Potter!" squeaked Dobby, and he 
> streaked off. (ch 27).  Now, I am of the opinion that Dobby at one
> time was the Potter house elf before he was relocated to the Malfoys 
> after James & Lily died.  Am I way off base and trying to read too
> much into this scene or is Dobby taking a direct order from Harry as 
> if Harry were Dobby's master?  I've read this book countless times
> now and this bit just really jumped out at me this time.  

Wow. That's really interesting; I hadn't thought of whether the Potters mightn't have had a 
house elf... Though Dobby is very clear that his position IMPROVED after Voldy's initial 
defeat. Does make one wonder, though: what happens to a house elf when the house has 
been destroyed? Is that Winkie's ailment?

I think Dobby was extending the mantle of mastership to Harry because a) Harry is a 
denizen of Hogwarts--that is, a wizard and b) he (Dobby) feels so beholden to Harry. But I 
could be totally wrong...