[HPforGrownups] Re: Kreacher the Plot Device Elf (was: Potter...wealth - ...Nature of Elves)

[k12listmomma]

No: HPFGUIDX 161897

I just had a thought about Kreacher's odd behavior. Consider his past. He 
served in a house that was given to Sirius, and then Sirius went to prison. 
We don't know what kind of relationship they had before the prison event, 
but all during the time that Sirius was in prison, Kreacher was alone. Sort 
of. Who did he have to talk to? Only that batty picture of Sirius's mom. 
Now, we have seen Enchanted things "go wrong" before. Usually one of the 
Weasley enchanted creations that the spells start to fade off of, so that 
they don't act quite like they should. (The twins cast an enlargement charm 
on the Quibbler Magazine cover, so that Harry's huge face says "The Ministry 
are morons" and "Eat dung, Umbridge". Eventually, it starts spitting out 
only single works, like "dung". (OOTP, Chapter 26) Even Luna's lion hat 
starts to wear down (OOTF, Chapter 19).

So, what if this dear old portrait of "mum" is starting to "go bad", or it's 
spell is wearing off, so that she doesn't hold an intelligent conversation 
anymore- all she can do is yell and scream certain phrases? Now poor 
Kreacher, all he has for company is the distorted vision of his old master 
that he loved-- and he isn't going to dare suggest that she's flawed, even 
if the enchantment on that portrait is flawed or old or going bad or losing 
it's power. So he starts to see that sort of insanity, if that woman were 
real, as normal. And, pleasing that portrait becomes his "only" means of 
serving his family. That batty old portrait cares nothing for the dust, or 
the doxies in the curtains, as she only sees her hallway. Thus Kreacher 
isn't really negligent, although he would be if he had real people living in 
that house all that time- people who would be using every room. Kreacher 
would be worthless if he was put into a normal situation, and indeed once he 
is suddenly thrown back into a world of serving LOTS of people who all 
expect normal elf behavior from him. It would take a while to reform 
Kreacher, since it took a while for Kreacher to become a little nutters.

DD seems to say something to that effect, that if Sirius had taken the time 
with him, that even Kreacher wasn't beyond redemption. Instead, Sirius 
didn't want to reform a reminder of his family's Dark heritage, and thus 
doesn't see Kreacher as an individual who has feelings. Hermione, for all 
her elf-rights mantra, still doesn't see Kreacher for who he is- and that it 
will take more than just a few words of kindness to set him right.

Shelley