======House-Elves======
=====Introduction=====
House-elves are small, humanoid magical creatures who are immensely devoted and loyal to the [[wizard]] or witch they serve. They are bound by a powerful form of enslavement magic that forces them to serve a single wizarding family for life, passing down through generations. A [[house-elf]] can only be freed when its master presents it with an item of clothing. They possess a unique and powerful brand of magic that does not require a [[wand]] and is not subject to many of the limitations that affect [[wizard]] magic. The plight and ethical treatment of house-elves is a significant moral theme in the series, championed primarily by [[Hermione Granger]] through her organization, [[S.P.E.W.]].
=====Physiology and Appearance=====
House-elves are short, typically standing between two and three feet tall, with spindly arms and legs. Their heads are large for their bodies, and they possess long, bat-like ears and enormous, expressive eyes, often the size of tennis balls. Their skin tone and eye color vary. Their voices are generally high and squeaky.
The attire of a [[house-elf]] is a direct symbol of their servitude. They are forbidden from owning proper clothes and typically wear discarded items like pillowcases, tea towels, or filthy rags. [[Dobby]], for instance, initially wore an old pillowcase, while [[Kreacher]] wore a grimy loincloth.
=====Magical Abilities=====
House-elf magic is potent and operates under different principles from wizarding magic. It does not require a [[wand]] and is performed through gestures like snapping their fingers.
  * **[[Apparition]] and [[Disapparition]]:** House-elves can apparate and disapparate at will, even within areas protected by powerful anti-Apparition charms, such as [[Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry]] and the enchanted cellar of [[Malfoy Manor]]. This ability proved crucial on several occasions, most notably when [[Dobby]] rescued [[Harry Potter]] and his companions.
  * **Powerful Trans-location:** They can transport humans along with them when they disapparate, as demonstrated by [[Dobby]] and [[Kreacher]].
  * **Telekinesis:** They can move objects with their minds with considerable force. [[Dobby]] famously levitated Aunt Petunia's pudding, and later used his magic to disarm [[Narcissa Malfoy]] of her [[wand]] and throw [[Lucius Malfoy]] down a flight of stairs.
  * **Enchantment and Tampering:** A [[house-elf]] can override or tamper with powerful magical objects. [[Dobby]] admitted to bewitching a [[Bludger]] to chase [[Harry Potter]] during a [[Quidditch]] match in an attempt to injure him and send him home.
  * **Self-Punishment Magic:** When a [[house-elf]] disobeys or speaks ill of their masters, they are magically compelled to punish themselves, often through physically violent means like ironing their hands or banging their heads against walls.
=====Culture and Enslavement=====
The entire [[house-elf]] culture is centered on the concept of servitude. They are bound to the family they serve and its home, unable to leave without permission.
  * **Bond of Servitude:** This magical bond prevents a [[house-elf]] from disobeying a direct order. If they act against their family's interests, even without a direct order, their ingrained loyalty compels them to perform acts of self-punishment.
  * **View on Freedom:** The vast majority of house-elves view freedom as the ultimate disgrace and a failure of duty. When [[Hermione Granger]] began leaving clothes around the [[Gryffindor Tower]] to free them, the [[Hogwarts]] house-elves became insulted and refused to clean the [[common room]]. [[Winky]] fell into a deep depression and alcoholism after being freed by [[Barty Crouch Sr.]].
  * **[[S.P.E.W.]]:** The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare was founded by [[Hermione Granger]] to advocate for [[house-elf]] rights. The initiative was met with apathy from most wizards and disdain from the house-elves themselves, who considered her efforts offensive.
  * **Loyalty and Betrayal:** Loyalty is a [[house-elf]]'s defining trait. [[Kreacher]]'s loyalty to the [[House of Black]] and its pure-blood ideals led him to indirectly cause the death of [[Sirius Black]]. However, this loyalty can be transferred. After [[Harry Potter]] treated him with kindness and gave him [[Regulus Black]]'s locket, [[Kreacher]]'s allegiance shifted completely, and he proudly led the [[Hogwarts]] house-elves against the [[Death Eaters]] in the [[Battle of Hogwarts]].
=====Known House-Elves=====
  * **[[Dobby]]:** Formerly of the [[Malfoy family]]. He was freed by [[Harry Potter]] and became his fiercely loyal friend. He died a free elf while rescuing Harry and his friends from [[Malfoy Manor]].
  * **[[Kreacher]]:** The aged [[house-elf]] of the [[House of Black]]. He was inherited by [[Harry Potter]] upon the death of [[Sirius Black]]. He underwent a significant transformation from a bitter servant to a loyal ally.
  * **[[Winky]]:** The former [[house-elf]] of the [[Crouch family]]. She was dismissed by [[Barty Crouch Sr.]] after the [[Quidditch World Cup]] and later worked at [[Hogwarts]], though she remained deeply shamed by her freedom.
  * **[[Hokey]]:** The [[house-elf]] of [[Hepzibah Smith]]. [[Lord Voldemort]] modified her memory to make her confess to poisoning her mistress, a crime he committed himself to steal [[Hufflepuff's Cup]] and [[Slytherin's Locket]].
=====Behind the Scenes=====
  * J.K. Rowling has stated that the enslavement of house-elves is a metaphor for real-world forms of slavery and oppression, and characters' attitudes towards them reveal their moral standing. (J.K. Rowling interview)
  * The film adaptations of the books significantly reduced the role of house-elves. The S.P.E.W. subplot involving [[Hermione Granger]] is almost entirely omitted, as is [[Winky]]'s storyline. (film)
  * In the film adaptation of //Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2//, [[Kreacher]] is shown leading the charge of the [[Hogwarts]] house-elves during the [[Battle of Hogwarts]], wearing [[Regulus Black]]'s locket, a detail that is faithful to the novel. (film)