Classification[]
I am aware that my edits removing thier classification were undone. I do not currently have a copy of Fantastic beasts, but the Lexicon gives no classification, so are you sure that it is mentioned in the book? I did have a copy, and I remember no article on house-elfs, and if they are in Fantastic beasts, then I'm sorry.Harry Potter Fantic 1 20:06, 23 December 2007 (UTC)Harry Potter Fantic 1
Origin[]
Did the concept of magical elves who served one family and could be released with clothes come from The Shoemaker and the Elves? OneWeirdDude 19:56, February 4, 2010 (UTC)
cost of a house elf[]
in the books it says that only the rich wizards can afford a house elf why is that you dont pay them or clothe them. do the wizarding family have to buy the house elf —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Shephard123 (talk • contribs).
House-Elves in Overlord?[]
House-Elves (H-E) are in many ways similar to the Minions from Overlord.
- They have a desire to serve their masters.
- The H-E hurt themselves for their masters, mostly as punishment for their actions. I can imagine Dobby or Kreacher jumping into a pit of lava to make a weapon.
- They look similar. I admit, H-E do look a bit more animated while Minions look drawn, but they have the same basic body types.
- They are happy to help, although the H-E don't shriek in glee as they do their jobs.
There are more similarities, but those are the main ones. I would appreciate having a proper comparison (like H-E punish themselves, Minions sacrifice themselves) of the differences and similarities of the two races.
Am I the first one to notice this, or have others seen it before me?
88.89.253.123 22:39, June 16, 2010 (UTC) Sukebei ~ Jump-starting your brains
Move[]
This should be moved to its plural term, in accordance with wizards, merpeople, etc. Butterfly the rabbit 19:14, October 27, 2010 (UTC)
Beheading[]
Is it actually legal to behead house elves? 75.27.36.231 14:12, December 10, 2010 (UTC)
Probably not, but as the Ministry used to be somewhat corrupt, it was probably something the old and powerful families like the Blacks and Malfoys could get away with. Squall L. 07:48, April 22, 2012 (UTC)Squall L.
How powerful is House-Elf magic?[]
I think it may be worth adding this in. There seems to be some confusion on House-Elf magic in the fandom. People seem to think House-Elves are more powerful than wizards. I don't think this is quite the case. A HE can bypass anti-apparition spells because the jinx targets Apparition, which is wizards' teleportation. HE teleportation is not Apparition and therefore it's not targeted by the jinx. This isn't to say that wizards can't target HE teleportation. In Hogwarts this is probably because the HEs need to get around fast in order to do their chores. This is also probably the case for families with a HE. But when the Burrow was protected against Apparition in DH they probably blocked out HE teleportation too.
Okay sorry for that long rant, but I see that that's a big example of how people say that HEs are more powerful. The other thing is wands. The biggest advantage HEs have is that they don't need wands. But overall I think HEs are roughly equal in power to wizards. Squall L. 07:56, April 22, 2012 (UTC)Squall L.
House-elfs vs. House-elves[]
Which is correct? That is to say, which one is used in the books? We seem to be using both on our pages here, sometimes even on the same page. ProfessorTofty (talk) 19:23, November 28, 2012 (UTC)
- A brief sampling of text (checking a quick passage from Goblet of Fire when S.P.E.W. is first introduced and some of the questions from the page on the W.O.M.B.A.T. I happened to have open), house-elves seems to be correct. I admit I had thought it was house-elfs for a while, however, and I haven't thoroughly checked to see if that plural is used at all. -- 1337star (Drop me a line!) 19:47, November 28, 2012 (UTC)
- I don't recall ever having read the term "House-elfs" in the Harry Potter series. I'd say "elves" is the correct plural. -- Seth Cooper owl post! 21:12, November 28, 2012 (UTC)
Baldness?[]
Does anyone know if it is mentioned that house-elves have hair? As I'v understod they do not, but I'm not sure. VegaGullberg (talk) 12:27, September 3, 2014 (UTC)
- That's correct. Kreacher is described in Order of the Phoenix as "bald like all house-elves". Edited infobox accordingly. -- 1337star (Drop me a line!) 00:48, September 4, 2014 (UTC)
- Thank you! :D VegaGullberg (talk) 18:03, October 10, 2014 (UTC)
Move[]
Should we move this article to just elf? House-elf seems to be used for those in slavery and, in rare cases, employed by wizards, whilw elf is the general term for the species.
A few examples:
- Hermione's society is for Elfish Welfare, not house-elfish.
- Amos Diggory refers to Winky as "elf".
"Dobby is called a "free elf" in DH.
We should move this article, as it covers all elves, enslaved and free.
— This comment is unsigned.
- Agreed! Scrooge MacDuck (talk) 16:36, January 20, 2018 (UTC)
- Just briefly checking and at least in Goblet of Fire Dobby still refers to himself as a house-elf. So "house-elf" is the full and correct name for the species, not just a title for those in service. -- 1337star (Drop me a line!) 16:39, January 22, 2018 (UTC)
Reason for freeign Winky[]
Barth Crouch Senior did not believe Winkie cast the dark mark. He set her free because she let his son acquire a wand.