Ron, Hermione and the Elves was Re: SHIP: Harry and Hermione

[greatelderone]

No: HPFGUIDX 92380

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:
> Ron seems to be much more interested than House Elf 
> liberation than Harry does. At least he's willing to discuss it. 

Except he seems to be more interested in maintaining the status quo 
than trying to break or destroy it like Hermione. Of course thats 
just my opinion.

> She's been trying for two books now to convince him  that 
> they would get used to freedom if they had it. Muggle thinking, of 
> course.  

Which in the five books is proving to be more advanced than the 
wizard's unless slavery, institutionalized torture, lack of due 
process and legalized discrimination is your cup of tea. :)

>  Fred, in GoF,  advises Hermione not to go upsetting the Elves 
> because it will put them off their cooking. Ron predicts later that 
> they will send substandard food to the Gryffindor table if they are 
> insulted.  It sounds like they're just being  pigs, but we learn in 
> OOP that Elves can and do refuse to work if they're offended. 

And we also learn that they have to obey the words of their masters 
as if it was law and like any law there are loop holes as in the case 
with Kreacher and Sirus. No doubt Dumbledore gives the elves in 
Hogwarts more leeway since he does seem interest in the rights of the 
lesser beings.

> Does that sound like slavery as we know it?

But it's still slavery. The elves are being treated as nothing more 
or less as property of the wizarding houses or Hogwarts. They can't 
leave the services of the masters by their own free will and don't 
seem to have the rights that the wizards have. Just because they 
actually like or have adapted to their servitude doesn't mean it's 
not or that it's right.