a sandwich

[montavilla47]

No: HPFGUIDX 178884

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, CreativesMuse at ... wrote:
> ~CreativesMuse:
> Actually, I think Rowling addressed this at the  ending of the book where the 
> House Elves came to join the battle. I think the  picture Rowling was 
> painting was the inner emergence of the House Elves. For  generations they did not 
> stand up for themselves, they did nothing in the  wizarding world except serve 
> their masters orders. The House Elves at Hogwarts  had been under Dumbledore's 
> care until his demise. When DD offered Dobby  sanctuary there, he was willing 
> to recognize his freedom and pay him for  the work he did, showing DDs   
> willingness to follow the example set  by Hermoine and Harry and open that door for 
> any elf wishing to be afforded the  same freedoms. The House Elves were 
> watching Dobby and his relationships with  Harry and DD. They said they found it 
> dishonorable but I think that when day was  done, they decided Dobby, a free 
> elf, had chosen his path wisely. Voldemort was  on their doorstep and they 
> weren't going to take it any more. 
>  
> Kreacher sang out a battle cry that he was fighting for  his master, 
> "defender of house-elves". Prior to this the house-elves had nothing  to do with the 
> inter-battles among the wizards unless ordered by their  masters. This, IMHO, 
> is their beginning of self-realization.  Whenever addressed, house elves always 
> had their own belittlement/self-loathing  persona going on (I'm sure as a 
> result of centuries of being treated as such by  the wizards). 
>  
> When the castle was taken over the Carrows I  am quite sure they did not 
> issue an order to the elves to stand against  Voldemort. The House Elves were 
> beginning to think independently and they  chose which side they openly supported. 
> I guess I just saw that scene as a  beginning for them, and the ongoing 
> battle for them a story not yet written  (unless there is one out there in FanFic 
> land I haven't yet seen, lol)

Montavilla47:

That's a very creative idea.  You live up to your name!

However, you forget that the Carrows weren't in charge of the castle--
or the elves.  The person in charge of them would be Headmaster Snape,
wouldn't it?  Perhaps he *did* give them orders. :)

On a more serious note, while I can see this possibly being a sign that
the elves are standing up for themselves, it's one of those things, like
Draco's positiveness, that one has to squint to see.  

The meaning I took from the charge of the House Elves was that 
Kreacher was still slavishly devoted to his dead master Regulus.  This 
was touching and funny, but it didn't signal anything to me other than
that the kindness of Harry's gift had redeemed Kreacher from his 
earlier disobedience, surliness, and lack of hygene.

Which is a nice little moral when you think about it.  That gift really
costs Harry little in the scheme of things.  He kept the locket around
as a reminder of what he'd lost in Dumbledore, but it was the other
locket he valued.  We don't often think how little things we take for
granted can be valuable to other people.

I had an odd thought today about the Hermione part of this story
arc.  Do you suppose that JKR simply forgot what Ron's position 
had been on elf rights previously?  Like she forgot that Draco never
got the Hand of Glory in book 2?

Montavilla47