[HPforGrownups] Re: CHAPTER DISCUSSION Chamber of Secrets Ch. 2, Dobby's Warning

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 188746

Potioncat:
> Why do you think the House Elf was created by wizards? Is there something in canon that leads you to think so?
>
> IMO, House Elves were inspired by Brownies (the shoemaker kind, not the US Girl Scout or chocolate treat) and would have been existing magical creatures. Wizards somehow managed to take advantage of the House Elf nature over the course of centuries to the point that exists now.
>   

    Well, since JKR wrote it, it can be anything she wants. However, the 
psychological necessity to serve wizarding families, and the question as 
to why their powerful magic has not been put to evil use implies one of 
three things:

1) They were specifically created by wizards (albeit possibly from other 
species, possibly even humans).
2) They were enslaved by wizards, and the controls were magically placed 
into their minds. The reason why I doubt this is that, if this were the 
case, Hermione would have been right on it.
3) JKR didn't really think about how such a race could come to be. I 
HOPE that this isn't true, but I think it is the second most likely case.

    Bart