Things better for House Elves? - How? and Why?

[Hannah]

No: HPFGUIDX 126887


> Lindsay:
> 
> Steve beat me to it, but yes, that was something I
> wondered about before I also came to that conclusion. 
> I also imagine a lot of Death
> Eater owners were thrown in Azkaban as well, and the
> rest of the family they then served were not so cruel,
> or at least, on their best
> behavior.
> 
> Tyler:
> But according to OotP,  only 10 DEs were in Azkaban
> and there were at least 30 present when Voldemort was
> rejuvenated.  Surely that wouldn't have made much of a
> difference?  But then...do we know what the House Elf
> population of Britain is?  Hogwarts supposedly has the
> most of any private dwelling at 100.  If the HE pop.
> for the whole country is a thousand or less,  maybe it
> would have had a huge impact.
>

Hannah:  I would add that only ten Death Eaters *escaped* Azkaban.  
It's likely that there are others in there, perhaps less senior 
members who weren't important enough to get busted out in the first 
lot.  Also I would imagaine that a number died in the prison/ served 
shorter sentences for more minor crimes if they were clever enough 
to avoid being outed as actual DEs.  

When was the House-Elf relocation department or whatever it is set 
up?  Perhaps that was a development that occurred after VW1 and 
improved the lot of house elves generally.  Maybe that contributed 
to the improvements for elves, along with the removal of some of the 
more vicious elf owners.  

Hannah