Dobby the house-elf describes creatures of his kind in
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
as “’[…]the lowly, the enslaved, […] dregs of the magical world!’”[1] In the magical world house-elves belong to a
wizard family and serve them until they die. They have to follow every command
and depend on the mercy of their master. As a sign of their belonging house-elves
have to wear tea-towels or other rags. Thus, they have to wear the same piece
of clothing from the moment of their birth until the moment they die. This
leads to their rather sordid appearance.
In the third novel Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Draco Malfoy makes a snide remark about their new Defence against the Dark Arts
teacher: “’He dresses like our old house-elf.’”[2] The
comparison ‘being dressed like an elf’ refers to a shabby appearance of a
wizard or witch. Professor Lupin’s robes are described as frayed and patched
and can, thus, be compared to house-elf clothing.
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