Hermione's Hats

[allies426]

No: HPFGUIDX 88902

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Robert Jones" 
<jones.r.h.j at w...> wrote:
> <<snip>>

 The clothes aren't 
> cleaned magically wherever they drop them and left there.
> 
> The House Elves are freed only if their master hands them some 
> clothing (like with Dobby at the end of COS).  Dobby treats Harry 
> like a master in the scene in OOTP 27 where he warns Harry that 
> Umbridge is coming to the Room of Requirement.  So presumably the 
> students count as "masters."  But they still must hand clothing to 
> the Elves to free them.  The Elves can pick up the dirty clothing 
of 
> the students and clean them without being freed.  It is only being 
> handed the clothing that counts.
> 

I do agree that it's probably only handing an elf clothes that will 
free him/her, but I don't think the elves necessarily have to pick up 
the clothing to clean it.  I think it would be pretty easy for them 
to levitate the clothing into a basket (or just into the air) and zip 
it on down the the laundry, clean it with magic bubbles, and zip it 
back into a basket.  So if it is indeed just picking up the clothing 
that frees them, there are ways to get around that in doing laundry.

On the other hand, if the hats that Hermione leaves around would not 
free the elves, why are the elves avoiding the Gryffindor common room?

Allie