Q's about house-elves

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 98054

snipping along the way....

Franzi wrote:  
> 2. Who is the master of Hogwarts's house-elves? I always assumed 
it to be Dumbledore because Dobby and Winky came to work for DD in 
GoF. In OoP however, is seems Umbridge is giving orders to the elves 
too. So maybe all theachers are regarded as masters over the elves? 
But what about students? According to Dobby in CoS only an elf's 
master can set it free. Well, in OoP Hermione obviously believes or 
knows (something mentioned in "Hogwarts: a History" perhaps?) to 
have the authority to set elves free when she knits all the elf 
closes. However, I found it hard to believe that students would be 
given that kind of power. I'm just picturing a scene where a house-
elf is bond to answer to the trio's questions about Snape's dirty 
laundry (or his twins) ;-)


Potioncat;
I think the appointed Headmaster is the master of the House Elves.  
They would of course, follow the instructions of the teachers, as 
long as it was a "legal" request within the Headmaster's rules and I 
think they would obey requests of students, again as long it was an 
appropriate request.  I cannot see how Hermione could "free" an elf, 
but this is magic and magic is not logical. So I'm not sure of this 
one. Obviously, if she can, they know how to avoid being freed.

This has them in a role somewhat similar to a housekeeper or nanny 
but of course on a much lower standing. (How did it work in the 
Edwardian days when every proper house had servants?) 


Franzi:  
> 3. Something that made me feel uneasy since I finished OoP is 
what's going to happen to Kreacher now that Sirius is dead? I could 
think of three scenarios:
> a) Who ever inherit Grimmauld Place gets Kreacher as part of the 
property.

>>snip<<<

Potioncat:
We'll find out that Snape is a Black after all and he'll give 
Kreacher to the twins. ;-)

Potioncat