Dwarves

Dwarves are a species of short, stocky magical beings that exist within the Wizarding World. They appear to be integrated into wizarding society to some extent, primarily known for being available for hire in the entertainment and service industries. Their most detailed appearance in the series involves a group hired to deliver singing valentines at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft andWizardry. They are distinct from other short magical races like Goblins or House-Elves.

The primary appearance of dwarves occurs during Harry Potter's second year. For Valentine's Day, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart hired a group of them to roam the corridors of Hogwarts delivering singing valentines. Lockhart described them as “card-carrying cupids” and they caused considerable disruption and embarrassment throughout the day. One particularly determined dwarf, instructed to deliver a valentine to Harry, pursued him relentlessly. The dwarf eventually cornered Harry in a corridor, tackling him to the ground and sitting on his ankles to prevent his escape. In front of a crowd of students including Draco Malfoy and Percy Weasley, the dwarf loudly sang a message from an admirer, later revealed to be Ginny Weasley. The incident resulted in Harry's bag splitting and his ink bottle soaking his belongings. Dwarves are mentioned again in Harry Potter's sixth year. While recounting his past Christmas parties, Professor Horace Slughorn mentions that someone once tried to gatecrash by sending him a dwarf dressed as Cupid, though Slughorn refused him entry. This reinforces their role as beings for hire for novelty purposes.

Dwarves are described as being short and are generally depicted as stocky. The group hired by Gilderoy Lockhart is specifically noted as “a band of surly-looking dwarves.” Their demeanor during their Valentine's Day duties was gruff and unenthusiastic; they appeared annoyed when students tried to impede their progress and were forceful in carrying out their task. The dwarf who accosted Harry Potter was physically strong enough to tackle and restrain a twelve-year-old boy. It is a common point of confusion to mistake other beings for dwarves. Professor Filius Flitwick, for instance, is a very short Wizard who is noted to have a “dash of goblin blood,” but he is not a dwarf.

While no explicit spell-casting magic is attributed to dwarves in the novels, they possess other notable skills and attributes.

• Physical Strength: Dwarves are shown to be very strong for their size. A single dwarf was able to wrestle Harry Potter to the floor and hold him down with ease.
• Service for Hire: Dwarves are integrated into the wizarding economy and can be hired to perform specific tasks, such as delivering messages or acting as entertainers for events like Valentine's Day.
• Musical Performance: The dwarves hired by Lockhart were tasked with delivering singing valentines, which involved carrying harps and singing (or shouting) a verse to the recipient.

The dwarves hired by Gilderoy Lockhart for his Valentine's Day event were equipped with specific items for their role:

• Golden Wings: They wore these as part of their Cupid costumes.
• Harps: They carried harps, presumably as part of their musical performance act.

The relationship between dwarves and Wizards appears to be primarily a professional one, with wizards acting as employers. Both Gilderoy Lockhart and the unnamed individual who sent a dwarf to Horace Slughorn's party hired them for a fee to perform a service. Their grumpy demeanor suggests this may be a transactional relationship rather than a friendly one. They are also clearly distinguished from Goblins, another short humanoid race with a very different role in wizarding society centered around finance and metalwork.

The word “dwarf” is not an invention of the Wizarding World but is drawn directly from Germanic and Norse mythology. In folklore, dwarves are beings associated with mountains, mining, and smithing. While J.K. Rowling uses the name and general physical stature, the role of dwarves in her stories as hired performers is a unique adaptation.

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the dwarves are portrayed as grumpy, winged figures, closely following the book's description.
• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the band The Weird Sisters includes a dwarf member. This is a film-only detail, as the book does not specify the race of the band's members. (film)
• Despite their presence in mythology, dwarves have a very minor and specific role in the Harry Potter series, used primarily for comedic effect and to illustrate the eccentricities of characters like Gilderoy Lockhart.