House elves and some spoilers for Swordspoint WAS: realistic solutions

[horridporrid03]

No: HPFGUIDX 180893

> >>Pippin:
> <snip>
> You could evade the law of course, just as I could hold a legally   
> free person captive, brainwash her, and convince her to  obey me,   
> or cut off her own foot for that matter. 
> <snip>

Betsy Hp:
At which point, you've convinced that free person that she is not 
free and that you are her owner.  It's just in Potterverse, it's easy 
and legal.  (No one is hunting Harry down for kidnapping Kreacher.  
No one hunted Sirius down for kidnapping Kreacher, come to think of 
it.  And Kreacher was very much being held against his will at the 
time he was owned by Sirius.)

> >>Pippin:
> <snip>
> I'm saying the fact that Harry still owns a slave at the end of the 
> series doesn't indicate that he is pro-slavery or that he thinks    
> the institution of slavery is a social good and intends it to       
> continue. 

Betsy Hp:
How is this not double-speak?  How can someone own a slave and still 
expect us to believe he's against slavery?

> >>Pippin:
> <snip>
> Of course there were hypocritical slave-owners who wrapped          
> themselves in the mantle of gradual abolitionism while continuing   
> to exploit their slaves as much as possible. But I don't see this   
> happening in the books.

Betsy Hp:
Sure you do.  Harry and Hermione are perfect examples.

> >>Pippin: 
> We don't even know if Harry thought of ordering Kreacher to bring   
> him a sandwich. He may only have been hoping that Kreacher would   
> think of him.

Betsy Hp:
And maybe Harry dreams of running off with Draco.  Per the books, 
Harry identified Kreacher as his property, treated Kreacher like his 
property, and never entertained thoughts of letting Kreacher go.

Looks like a slave-owner, acts like a slave-owner. I don't think it's 
going out on a limb to say Harry is a slave-owner.  It's just, he's 
the warm and fuzzy kind.

Betsy Hp