Lessons from Hogwarts #2

Another character in the Harry Potter series who demonstrates the truth of the beatitudes (blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek) is Dobby the house-elf. House-elves are subservient little creatures who like nothing better than to wait on their masters and mistresses hand and foot. They are bound by strong magic, normally unable to disobey the families they serve, or even leave the house without permission - although Dobby does manage to disobey the cruel Malfoy family because of his strong desire to protect Harry, whom he hero-worships. Most wizards think of house-elves as being beneath them, if they think of them at all (Hermione is terribly morally indignant about this).

The powerful wizard Voldemort certainly never condescends to think of house-elves as anything like a threat to his power, but here he makes a mistake. House elves may be humble, dutiful and enslaved to their families, but they have magic which he does not understand and which in many ways is even more powerful than his own. A house-elf's highest duty is his master's bidding, which means that he can do things which should be impossible, because his master tells him to. Like escaping from the secret hiding place of one of Voldemort's horcruxes, as Kreacher does, bringing the horcrux with him. Or apparating into a dungeon protected by powerful enchantments, as Dobby does, to save Harry and his friends. It never occurs to the Death Eaters that house-elves would have magic worth their notice, and they pay the price for their arrogance. Blessed are the house-elves, for they shall inherit the earth.

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