Hogwarts house-elves

Warning!

At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Magic Awakened & Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.
As such, spoilers will be present within the article.

Ron Weasley: "Hang on a moment! We've forgotten someone! The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?"

Harry Potter: "You mean we ought to get them fighting?"

Ron Weasley: "No, I mean we should tell them to get out. We don’t want anymore Dobbies, do we? We can’t order them to die for us–"

— The house-elves during the Battle of Hogwarts^[src]

A veritable legion of house-elves were enlisted by Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They worked in the kitchens, preparing feasts for the entire school. They also moved trunks and baggage to and from rooms, cleaned dormitories, and presumably other areas of the castle as well. They wore togas made of tea-towels bearing the Hogwarts crest.^[1] When asked nicely, they would accommodate the dietary requests of vegetarian students.^[3]

History

Helga Hufflepuff

Helga Hufflepuff brought the house-elves to work in the Hogwarts kitchens as a way of ensuring they could work and not be abused.^[4]

1994

"At least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, bowing and curtseying as Dobby led Harry past them."

— The house-elves in 1994^[src]

The trio visiting house-elves in the Hogwarts kitchens

In 1994, Dobby, a house-elf, was hired by Albus Dumbledore to work in the kitchens for a Galleon a week. Another house-elf named Winky, took up work at Hogwarts as well, but during her time there she had turned into a heavy drinker. They soon became titled as Hogwarts house-elves although the other House Elves were disconcerted by them.^[1]

In the same year, Hermione Granger set up the organisation S.P.E.W., she started coming to the kitchens in order to persuade them to be set free. This did not earn her any popularity, as most believe that house-elves enjoy their work; indeed, even the house-elves did not like her campaigning. She started knitting hats and socks, which she left lying around Gryffindor Tower, hoping to free some unsuspecting elf who picked them up while cleaning the common room, so as to grant them freedom.

The house-elves did not appreciate this gesture; on the contrary, they took it for insult and refused to clean the Gryffindor Common Room, with the exception of Dobby. They became angry with Hermione Granger as she made these attempts to free them.^[1]

1998

"The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleaver, and at their head, the locker of Regulus Black bouncing on his chest, was Kreacher, his bullfrog's voice audible even above this din: "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

— Kreacher leading the house-elves during the Battle of Hogwarts^[src]

Hogwarts house-elves participate in the Battle of Hogwarts

They participated in the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998 in an unusually bold move for their kind, although this may have been a manifestation of their extreme loyalty to their "masters". Kreacher led the house-elves into the fray, shouting for the elves to fight in the name of Harry Potter and Regulus Black. They fought with knives and cleavers, hacking at the shins of Death Eaters.^[2]

The house-elves were also present for Harry's final defeat of Lord Voldemort, thus witnessing the end of the Second Wizarding War.

21st century

In the 21st century, there was a house-elf named Wigby that worked in the Hogwarts kitchens. He was known as the Dessert Master and would often prepare delicious desserts for students.^[5]

Appearances

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (First appearance)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Wonderbook: Book of Potions
Pottermore
Wizarding World
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Notes and references

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 ^1.7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21 (The House-Elf Liberation Front)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)
↑ 2000 Interview with JK Rowling
↑ J.K. Rowling PotterCast Interview - "Yeah, it's a complicated issue. I would say that Hufflepuff gave — Hufflepuff did what was the most moral thing to do at that time, and we are talking about over a thousand years ago. So that would be to give them good conditions of work."
↑ Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Hogwarts faculty
Founders	Godric Gryffindor \| Helga Hufflepuff \| Rowena Ravenclaw \| Salazar Slytherin
Headteachers	Eupraxia Mole \| Vulpus \| Phyllida Spore \| Dexter Fortescue \| Edessa Sakndenberg \| Amrose Swott \| Everard \| Vindictus Veridian \| Dilys Derwent \| Quintin Trimble \| Limebert \| Phineas Nigellus Black \| Walter Aragon \| Basil Fronsac \| Armando Dippet \| Albus Dumbledore \| Dolores Umbridge \| Severus Snape \| Minerva McGonagall \| Brian Gagwilde \| Elizabeth Burke
Deputy Heads	Minerva McGonagall \| Amycus Carrow \| Alecto Carrow
Heads of House	Filius Flitwick \| Neville Longbottom \| Minerva McGonagall \| Horace Slughorn \| Severus Snape \| Pomona Sprout
Teaching staff	Bartholomew \| Bathsheda Babbling \| Herbert Beery \| Cuthbert Binns \| Brindlemore \| Charity Burbage \| Camelia \| Alecto Carrow \| Amycus Carrow \| Bartemius Crouch Junior (disguised as Alastor Moody) \| Albus Dumbledore \| Eleazar Fig \| Firenze \| Filius Flitwick \| Fortinbras \| Jakub Gorski \| Olivia Green \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Rolanda Hooch \| Arsenius Jigger \| Silvanus Kettleburn \| Gilderoy Lockhart \| Neville Longbottom \| Remus Lupin \| Mazoni \| Minerva McGonagall \| Galatea Merrythought \| Prendergast \| Quirinus Quirrell \| Patricia Rakepick \| Concordia Rowle \| Arif Sikander \| Aurora Sinistra \| Horace Slughorn \| Severus Snape \| Pomona Sprout \| Swoopstikes \| Sybill Trelawney \| Dolores Umbridge \| Septima Vector \| Unidentified Potions professor (16th century) \| Unidentified Charms professor (19th century) \| Unidentified Herbology professor (19th century) \| Unidentified Potions professor (19th century) \| 19th-century DADA professor \| Unidentified DADA professor (1984–1985) \| Unidentified DADA professor (1985–1986) \| Unidentified DADA professor (1986–1987) \| Unidentified DADA professor (1987–1988) \| Unidentified DADA professor (1989–1990) \| Unidentified DADA professor (1990–1991) \| Unidentified Muggle Studies professor (1990s) \| Unidentified DADA professor (1998–?) \| Unidentified Potions professor (21st century) \| Unidentified Charms professor (?th century)
Hogwarts house-elves	Bilm \| Boil-ridden house-elf \| Deek \| Dobby \| Filk \| Gimkey \| Krafty \| Kreacher \| Pitts \| Retch \| Vekey \| Wigby \| Winky
Support staff	Rancorous Carpe \| Argus Filch \| Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Rolanda Hooch \| Hankerton Humble \| Ogg \| Irma Pince \| Poppy Pomfrey \| Apollyon Pringle \| Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus \| Wainscott \| Unidentified Healers \| Unidentified Flying Instructor (19th century)

Order of the Phoenix

Founder: Albus Dumbledore
Leaders: Albus Dumbledore \| Alastor Moody \| Kingsley Shacklebolt
Original Order of of the Phoenix: Aberforth Dumbledore \| Alastor Moody \| Alice Longbottom \| Arabella Figg \| Benjy Fenwick \| Caradoc Dearborn \| Dedalus Diggle \| Dorcas Meadowes \| Edgar Bones \| Elphias Doge \| Emmeline Vance \| Fabian Prewett \| Frank Longbottom \| Gideon Prewett \| James Potter \| Lily Potter \| Marlene McKinnon \| Mundungus Fletcher \| Peter Pettigrew (defected) \| Remus Lupin \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Severus Snape \| Sirius Black \| Sturgis Podmore
Reconstituted Order of the Phoenix: Aberforth Dumbledore \| Alastor Moody \| Arabella Figg \| Arthur Weasley \| Bill Weasley \| Charlie Weasley \| Dedalus Diggle \| Elphias Doge \| Emmeline Vance \| Fleur Delacour \| Fred Weasley \| George Weasley \| Harry Potter \| Hermione Granger \| Hestia Jones \| Kingsley Shacklebolt \| Minerva McGonagall \| Molly Weasley \| Mundungus Fletcher \| Nymphadora Tonks \| Remus Lupin \| Ron Weasley \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Severus Snape \| Sirius Black \| Sturgis Podmore
Order of the Phoenix allies: Andromeda Tonks \| Augusta Longbottom \| Buckbeak \| Dobby \| Fawkes \| Filius Flitwick \| Firenze \| Garrick Ollivander \| Ginny Weasley \| Grawp \| Helena Ravenclaw \| Horace Slughorn \| Karkus \| Karkus's wife \| Kreacher \| Lee Jordan \| Luna Lovegood \| McKinnon family \| Mr Westenberg \| Mrs Westenberg \| Muriel \| Nearly-Headless Nick \| Neville Longbottom \| Oliver Wood \| Olympe Maxime \| Rita Skeeter \| Peeves \| Percy Weasley \| Pomona Sprout \| Poppy Pomfrey \| Sybill Trelawney \| Ted Tonks \| The Fallen Fifty \| Westenberg family \| Winky \| Xenophilius Lovegood
Other affiliations: Dumbledore's Army \| Forbidden Forest Centaur colony \| Headless Hunt \| Hogwarts Hippogriff herd \| Hogwarts house-elves \| Hogwarts Ghosts \| Hogwarts Staff \| Hogwarts students \| Hogwarts Thestral herd \| Ministry of Magic \| Giant colony (Karkus's control)

[GOF21-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 ^1.7 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Chapter 21 (The House-Elf Liberation Front)

[DH36-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 36 (The Flaw in the Plan)

[accio-3] 2000 Interview with JK Rowling

[PC-4] J.K. Rowling PotterCast Interview - "Yeah, it's a complicated issue. I would say that Hufflepuff gave — Hufflepuff did what was the most moral thing to do at that time, and we are talking about over a thousand years ago. So that would be to give them good conditions of work."

[MA-5] Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

Order of the Phoenix

Founder: Albus Dumbledore
Leaders: Albus Dumbledore \| Alastor Moody \| Kingsley Shacklebolt
Original Order of of the Phoenix: Aberforth Dumbledore \| Alastor Moody \| Alice Longbottom \| Arabella Figg \| Benjy Fenwick \| Caradoc Dearborn \| Dedalus Diggle \| Dorcas Meadowes \| Edgar Bones \| Elphias Doge \| Emmeline Vance \| Fabian Prewett \| Frank Longbottom \| Gideon Prewett \| James Potter \| Lily Potter \| Marlene McKinnon \| Mundungus Fletcher \| Peter Pettigrew (defected) \| Remus Lupin \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Severus Snape \| Sirius Black \| Sturgis Podmore
Reconstituted Order of the Phoenix: Aberforth Dumbledore \| Alastor Moody \| Arabella Figg \| Arthur Weasley \| Bill Weasley \| Charlie Weasley \| Dedalus Diggle \| Elphias Doge \| Emmeline Vance \| Fleur Delacour \| Fred Weasley \| George Weasley \| Harry Potter \| Hermione Granger \| Hestia Jones \| Kingsley Shacklebolt \| Minerva McGonagall \| Molly Weasley \| Mundungus Fletcher \| Nymphadora Tonks \| Remus Lupin \| Ron Weasley \| Rubeus Hagrid \| Severus Snape \| Sirius Black \| Sturgis Podmore
Order of the Phoenix allies: Andromeda Tonks \| Augusta Longbottom \| Buckbeak \| Dobby \| Fawkes \| Filius Flitwick \| Firenze \| Garrick Ollivander \| Ginny Weasley \| Grawp \| Helena Ravenclaw \| Horace Slughorn \| Karkus \| Karkus's wife \| Kreacher \| Lee Jordan \| Luna Lovegood \| McKinnon family \| Mr Westenberg \| Mrs Westenberg \| Muriel \| Nearly-Headless Nick \| Neville Longbottom \| Oliver Wood \| Olympe Maxime \| Rita Skeeter \| Peeves \| Percy Weasley \| Pomona Sprout \| Poppy Pomfrey \| Sybill Trelawney \| Ted Tonks \| The Fallen Fifty \| Westenberg family \| Winky \| Xenophilius Lovegood
Other affiliations: Dumbledore's Army \| Forbidden Forest Centaur colony \| Headless Hunt \| Hogwarts Hippogriff herd \| Hogwarts house-elves \| Hogwarts Ghosts \| Hogwarts Staff \| Hogwarts students \| Hogwarts Thestral herd \| Ministry of Magic \| Giant colony (Karkus's control)