House-elf

The **house-elf** is a species in the *Harry Potter book series*.

They are very loyal to their designated owner. They serve their owner in unpaid employment and take residence in their house or establishment. They do everything they are ordered and because of that, many wizards treat them unkindly and take advantage.

They are freed from their owners if they are given a piece of clothing. However, house-elves consider it shameful to be unemployed, get paid for their work, go against their owner's demands or speak ill of them. Dobby was an exception, having served a family who abused him and were involved in illegal business, but other house-elves look at Dobby in disdain. House-elves have their own branch of wandless magic.

## About

House-elves are humanoid creatures that are short in height, have large heads, huge eyes and bat-like ears. They do not wear proper clothing because a piece of clothing given to them will set them free. They instead create clothes out of objects including tea-towels. They speak in third-person.

House-elves have their own branch of powerful wandless magic. They will apparate in and out of places which have an Anti-Apparition spell on it. They don't need to use a wand because their function is simply domestic duties. The extent of their powers is limited.

They are often owned by powerful and rich wizarding families, serving in old, wizarding houses. If they serve a family, they are loyal to both the owner and the whole family. It is not easy to tell the difference between a male and female elf, but females tend to have higher-pitched voices.

House-elves prefer a life of servitude and consider it an honour to work for their owner. They obey their owner even if they get treated unkindly or ordered to do anything that will cause them harm. They might not want to do what they are told, but they very rarely fail to do so. If they even think about going against their owner's wishes, and speak ill of their owner, they will punish themselves. However, they can search for loopholes in what their owners say. For example, Kreacher was once simply demanded by Sirius Black to "get out". Sirius meant the kitchen but he chose to interpret it to mean that he had to "get out" of the house even though he knew that was not the intention. They try to do that when they feel that they are not treated kindly.

Due to their obedience, house-elves are often treated brutally during their service and some consider house-elves to have little worth, no rights of their own and are viewed like servants with no personal feelings. The best way to secure a house-elf's complete loyalty and service is to simply treat them nicely. Kreacher searched for loopholes in his orders and complained whenever Sirius or Harry were unkind to him. Howevee, when Hermione advised Harry to be nicer, Kreacher responded much better to him.

## History

During the First Wizarding War, the life of a House-elf was lower than ever. They were thought to be "vermin" but when Harry Potter won the war, the average life of a House-elf improved. For Dobby, it was a beacon of hope that House-elf life would continue to improve.

## Notes and sources

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 2
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 10
3. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets*, Chapter 8
4. ↑ *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*, Chapter 8