House-elves

I’ll admit that not much struck me in the re-reading of Chapter 19 of Half-Blood Prince, so I’ll have to leave much of the discussion to the pub.  Lots of humor, of course.  The Dumbledore/Snape argument is the most interesting part of this chapter, but having that answer now, there isn’t a lot to say about it.  It was well set-up, and it served its purpose in the narrative.

The point of contention we might find in this chapter is what is represented by its title, “Elf Tails.”  Dobby, the free elf, was more than willing to do whatever Harry asked.  But Harry called Kreacher and got Dobby only accidentally.  So, Harry uses his slave to do his business.

Probably the best answer to the dilemma is that Harry is still in need of understanding about the evils of house-elf slavery.  His wondering if Kreacher would make him a sandwich at the end of Deathly Hallows shows a little progress, since he seemed to have decided against it, and wasn’t inclined to command him.  One hopes that what he learned from Dobby’s freedom would have a lasting impact on him and cause him to work over time for their freedom.

Other thoughts and insights about this chapter?

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