Slaveowner Harry (was:Re: JKR's dealing with emotions...)

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 147454

> >>Magpie:
> I must say I found it very funny that Harry is now a slaveowner   
> and Hermione says nothing about it that I remember, after two     
> books of non-stop SPEW.

Betsy Hp:
Yeah, Hermione dropped SPEW cold, didn't she?  The meta reason would 
be, I presume, that JKR didn't really plan on Hermione getting so 
caught up in SPEW in the first place, and now it's time to reel her 
character back in.  The non-meta (what's the word for that?) would 
be....  Well, I'm not sure there is one stated within the books.  I 
would guess that Kreacher's betrayal would effect Hermione in some 
way, but I can't find her reaction to it in the books.  (Does anyone 
recall her having one on page?)  Preparing for her NEWTS could be 
another reason.  And pretty true to character, I think.

Harry does purposefully keep that he's given Kreacher and Dobby a 
task from Hermione, but I couldn't find him telling her about out 
and out owning Kreacher now.  Though Hermione does react to Dobby 
saying he's gone without sleep, and she also makes sure to praise 
Kreacher for a job well done when he reports to Harry.  So there's 
still a hint of the former SPEW founder there.

> >>Magpie:
> Harry finds himself in the hospital wing, remembers Dobby, is     
> inspired to get elves to trail Malfoy and calls...his slave.  As   
> opposed to Dobby himself.
> I just find it fascinating.  You know Kreacher's going to try to   
> work against you.  You know you've got a self-proclaimed friend of 
> a House Elf who would love to do it for you.  You'd think it would 
> be weird ordering someone to do something as your slave.and that   
> asking Kreacher might be particularly hard given his past.  I     
> guess the main reason was so that JKR could have the two elves     
> fighting but still, who would have thought after everything we'd   
> seen that Harry would become a House Elf owner and actually 
> take advantage of it.  Did he just feel bad imposing on his friend 
> so thought he'd get his slave to do it against his will?

Betsy Hp:
Part of it was, I'm sure, to have Dobby avoid the drudge work 
involved in following Draco night and day.  Plus, Harry is aware (he 
anticipates Dobby's breakdown at one point) of Dobby's hang-ups when 
it comes to the Malfoys.  I'm not sure he'd have felt Dobby capable 
of spying on a member of the family.  

Also, Harry is fairly practical when it comes to the magical world.  
And he seems very comfortable with the idea of house-elves as 
slaves.  (SPEW seemed to strike him as either amusing or annoying 
depending on the circumstances.)  So, since he has this slave, 
annoying though he is, may as well use him.  And Harry did do his 
best (and succeeded it seems) to cut off any roads of rebellion for 
Kreacher. 

It *is* strange, however, that JKR seems to have okay'd this form of 
slavery by having Harry so comfortable with it.  It's an interesting 
direction for her to take.  I did enjoy Kreacher's ode to Draco's 
beauty and grace, but was that (and the fighting elves) the only 
reason she set this up?  Huh, here's an idea: Did Harry ever *stop* 
Kreacher and Dobby from following Draco?  Could those house-elves 
know where Draco is now?  Maybe they will be hold an important piece 
of information in book 7.

Betsy Hp