Hermione and House-Elves - another non-spoilery reflection

[pharnabazus]

Another thing that intrigues me is... is Hermione ever going to be reminded that all of the actual reasons that pushed her into the cause of House-Elf liberation were actually misconceptions of one kind or another? For instance, when Winky talked about obeying orders and being afraid of heights (up in the top box at the Quidditch World Cup) she was

Comments

[pharnabazus]

And of course, Winky knew enough to land Crouch (and his son) in Azkaban for life! He was in a nightmare situation. Every day that went by his ability to control his son got weaker, and one day the tables would be turned, and the boy would be free, to bring back his old master. And if his father tried to forestall this, the house-elf would probably have helped the boy escape, rather than risk him being sent back to the Dementors.

What on earth was he to do? To do nothing, as he grew older, would be to one day risk disaster, and the return of Voldemort. He could kill the boy, but the house-elf wouldn't allow it, and there was his wife's dying wish to consider - and it seems that that's the one thing he'd never been willing to consider. Perhaps he "did" care for the boy. To confess to the Ministry would not only land him in Azkaban himself for his pains, but quite possibly cause his son's death, unless Winky helped young Barty to escape, if she suspected his impending capture.

I think it was growing in Barty's mind that he would have to go to Dumbledore for advice, as the one person who really might be able to fashion a merciful solution. That's why he was walking to Hogwarts, when his mind (in part) came back to him.

[sonetka]

Makes as much sense to me as anything. What solution Dumbledore could have thought of, God knows, but then, he's Dumbledore and I'm not :).

Am I the only one who thinks that having a House-Elf around would get insanely irritating after a while? But I guess it's different if you grew up with them.

[pharnabazus]

Well, some people "would" react to this irritating servility with cruelty!