House-elf
A house-elf is a fictional magical creature in the Harry Potter series of books written by J. K. Rowling. They are small humanoids — though markedly different from humans – that spend their lives serving one family, institution, etc. Unless they are set free, their descendants will carry on their tasks. In contrast to human slaves, House-elves are perfectly happy in their bondage and most would consider being set free a great insult. The race has no real culture of its own and exists only to serve. Their usefulness makes them status symbols of a sort, while their subservience guarantees their status as second-class citizens in the wizarding world.
Characteristics
House-elves are small (about 2-3 feet tall), with spindly arms and legs and oversized heads and eyes. They have pointed, batlike ears and high, squeaky voices. They habitually refer to themselves in the third person and speak in a style reminiscent of young children. Their names are usually pet-like diminutives (Dobby, Winky, Hokey); they do not appear to have surnames.
House-elves are tied to particular houses or families; however it is not entirely clear whether they choose to inhabit certain houses and to serve whoever lives in them, or whether they are somehow bonded to the families themselves. Ron Weasley comments that he wished his family were rich enough to afford a house with a house-elf, implying that they come with the house (and suggesting that they are, in essence, the wizard equivalent of "mod-cons" (modern conveniences)). The beginning of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince also supports this as Harry's test to see if he is the rightful owner of Grimmauld Place is to determine if the House-Elf, Kreacher will answer to his command. The test is successful. This would show that Kreacher is tied to the house; however, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, a freed house-elf is asked to find a nice family, suggesting that it is the family, rather than the house, to which a house-elf is tied. Certainly, generations of house-elves have been shown to serve single families, but that may be due to the family living in the same house for all that time.
House-elves live what most people would consider miserable existences. Their pliant, obsequious natures lead to them being taken for granted, and often bullied, abused, or even tortured. Dark wizard families in particular seem to make a habit of bullying and maltreating house-elves; the Malfoys forced their house-elf, Dobby, to perform such actions as slamming his own ears in the oven door or ironing his hands if he attempted to disobey them, and the Black family put the heads of their deceased house-elves on their wall.
House-elves wear things like pillowcases and tea-towels, because they are not allowed clothes. If a house-elf's master were to give him any clothing, even a single sock, the elf would be free to leave his family forever. At the end of Chamber of Secrets, Harry tricks Lucius Malfoy into freeing Dobby by inciting him to throw a sock at him.
Most house-elves would be devastated if given clothes, for it would mean that they had failed to properly serve their masters (The Crouch family's house-elf, Winky, descended into depression and alcoholism as a result), 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 and a holiday of weekends off in favor of one Galleon per week and a day off every month, expressing pride that he had "beaten Dumbledore down" from the more generous offer).
House-elves are tied to their houses and families by a powerful magical bond. They must obey the master of the house, whatever their personal feelings towards the master may be. However, they can bend the rules slightly, usually by obeying a master's words to the letter, and thus giving themselves the freedom to act as they require. Kreacher used this trick to betray his master, Sirius Black, while Dobby used it to warn Harry Potter about the Malfoys' plot against him. Dobby was still forced by the power of the bond to punish himself grievously.
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. Among other things, this magic allows house-elves to instantly travel places, in a manner similar to apparition, but the house-elves are able to do this within Hogwarts, even though normal apparition is impossible there. Rowling has confirmed that the House-elves apparition is not alike to the way wizards and witches apparate, so house-elves can apparate freely in Hogwarts.
As a consequence of their small stature, house-elves can become intoxicated by drinking Butterbeer; human wizards (including children), by contrast, have not been shown to experience any intoxication further than 'warmth'.
The Office of House-Elf Relocation can be found in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
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.
House-elves in the narrative
Dobby
A house-elf belonging to Lucius Malfoy who tried to help Harry Potter, afterwards punishing himself so severely that he had his hands in bandages and then was freed by Harry by his sock.
Kreacher
A house-elf belonging to the Black family who shares the views of his late mistress that the only true wizards are those of pure-blood. Kreacher eventually becomes Harry's elf, but is assigned to work at Hogwarts.
Winky
Template:HP character Winky was the Crouch family's house-elf, who, unlike Dobby, didn't want to be freed. She viewed herself as a dutiful house-elf and guarded the family's many secrets; when Bartemius Crouch Jr was rescued from Azkaban by his father, Bartemius Crouch Sr, he was kept under control with the Imperius Curse and forced to hide under an Invisibility cloak at all times while being nursed back to health by Winky.
Out of pity, she urged Bartemius Crouch Sr to let his son attend the Quidditch World Cup. He agreed in the end, but neither he nor Winky knew that Crouch Jr was fighting the Imperius Curse. While attending the World Cup festivities, Crouch Jr stole Harry Potter's wand and used it to conjure the Dark Mark. Subsequently, Winky (Crouch Jr still under the Invisibility cloak) was found in possession of the guilty wand and freed (given clothes) by Crouch Sr (Crouch's real reason had been her inability to control his son and her apparent disobedience). The sacking absolutely disgusted Hermione Granger.
Winky was found by Dobby and gained work with him at Hogwarts. She was very distraught about her release, which she saw as her failure to the Crouch family and has begun to drink a lot; Dobby has frequently had to nurse her back to health from her bouts of drinking. She still refuses to give away her old master's secrets. When Crouch Jr was kissed by a Dementor, the Crouch bloodline ended, and Winky was left to linger in despair.
Hokey
Template:HP character Hokey worked for Hepzibah Smith. Lord Voldemort framed her for having poisoned Smith. She did not deny the accusation seeing as how Voldemort had tampered with her memories, and said that she might have mistakenly put a different substance than sugar in her drink due to her old age. Hokey died subsequently from old age. Hokey also was described as the smallest and oldest house elf Harry had ever seen and it looked like a tray of plates was hovering over the ground due to Hokey carrying it on her head.
House-elves at Hogwarts
Hogwarts has in its employ over a hundred house-elves, including Dobby, Winky, and later Kreacher (who is there on orders from Harry Potter after the elf's bond is transferred to him). They clean the castle, work in the kitchens and tend to the magical fires burning in the offices and common rooms. Unlike the poor treatment of other elves like Kreacher and Dobby (during his time with the Malfoys), Hogwarts house-elves are treated fairly and with respect by their employer. They wear clean, pressed tea-towels with the school's monogrammed label, and seem genuinely happy about their situation. Professor Dumbledore has even proved willing to pay house-elves for their services, but of course none but Dobby would dare ever accept such a shameful situation. They provide Fred and George Weasley, and Harry, Ron and Hermione with cakes and treats when they sneak into the kitchens with great enthusiasm. (Harry's father James Potter and his friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew did the same when they where in school as well.)
Like most house-elves, they feel it is a matter of pride to serve well without complaint and to work hard. They disapprove strongly of Dobby when he requests wages for his labour, and of Winky for her alcoholism. It is not yet known what they think of Kreacher, though since he is greatly unhappy about his position (and is notoriously vocal about it), he is probably disliked. They share with Winky (and presumably most other house-elves) a fear of freedom, and a taboo against its discussion.
S.P.E.W.
The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, simply known as S.P.E.W., is a small organisation for aiding house-elves. It was founded by Hermione Granger, who is the only active member.
