Q's about house-elves - Honor & Obligation

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 98126

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Amanda Geist" <editor at t...> wrote:
> Franzi:
> 
> > 1. In OoP after Dobby warned the DA members that Umbridge is on 
> > her way hestarts to punish himself. But since he is a freed
house-elf there should be
> no need to do so. Is it just the old habit? 


> Amanda"
(Sounds more like Winky to me.)
> 
> But he isn't free. He's taken a job at Hogwarts. Even if he's paid,
> he's bound now, presumably to the "family" ... that owns the "house"
> .... Umbridge is a member of the family--.... Even if he's paid, I 
> presume the ground rules would stay the same.
> 
> ~Oldest!Amanda


bboy_mn:

I beg to differ, Dobby is still a free elf and is not truly bound to
Hogwart's school or to Dumbledore, but he does have an elf's
historical and genetically ingrained sense of honor, loyalty, and
obligation to those he is currently working for. 

In addition, since Dobby is a free elf, there is nothing to prevent
him from also having that same sense of honor, loyalty, and obligation
toward Harry; he is free to make that choice.

My guess is that his highest chosen loyalties are to Dumbledore
personally, then to Harry, and finally to the school for which he
works. Umbridge is actively working against both Dumbledore and Harry,
and in the view of many, against the school. From those actions, Dobby
accesses his priorities, and finds that Umbridge as a representative
of the school falls farther down on the list. While Umbridge as a
representative of the school is lower on Dobby's list of priorities,
she is not off the list entirely, and he does realize he is acting
counter to his obligation to the school administration. When Harry
tells Dobby not to punish himself, he is, in a sense, absolved of his
trangressions by someone to whom he feels the highest or at least a
higher obligation.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn