House-elf

House-elves are fictional creatures in the Harry Potter series. They're small humanoids - though markedly different from humans - that spend their lives serving one family, institution, etc. Unless they're set free their descendants will carry on their tasks. The race has no real culture of its own and exists to serve. Their usefulness makes them status symbols of a sort, while their subservience guarantees their status of second-class citizens in the wizarding world.

Related Topics:
Fiction - Harry Potter - Humanoid - Status symbol - Wizarding world

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House-elves wear things like pillow cases and tea cozies, because they are not allowed clothes. If a house-elf's master were to give them any clothing, even a sock, the elf would be free to leave their family forever. At the end of Chamber of Secrets, Harry tricks Lucius Malfoy into freeing his house-elf, Dobby. Most house-elves would be offended if given clothes, for it would mean that they had failed to properly serve their master, but some (like Dobby) enjoy being free. However, Dobby still doesn't want to be paid too much (in Goblet of Fire Dobby says he turned down the salary of ten Galleons per week in favor of one Galleon per week).

Related Topics:
Chamber of Secrets - Lucius Malfoy - Dobby - Goblet of Fire

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House-elves possess their own form of powerful magic, distinct from that used by wizards and witches, which they generally use to serve their masters. Dobby, however, often uses this magic for his own purposes, such as closing Platform 9¾ to try to protect Harry Potter. Among other things, this magic allows house-elves to instantly travel places, in a manner similar to Apparating, but the house-elves are able to do this within Hogwarts, even though Apparation is impossible there.

Related Topics:
Platform 9¾ - Harry Potter - Apparating - Hogwarts

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J. K. Rowling's characterisation of a house-elf owes a lot to the legends of brownies, and also to the traditional figure of a hobgoblin, a half-tamed, amusing but tricksy goblin of the hearth (the "hob"), often euphemistically called "Robin Goodfellow" or Puck.

Related Topics:
J. K. Rowling - Brownies - Hobgoblin - Robin Goodfellow - Puck

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