Hogwarts Daily News Issue #115
written by Jess Granger
In today's issue, read some short stories, learn about the smartest witches and wizards in Hogwarts, sort Disney princesses into houses and do some craft! Sorry for the late publishing! Published by Jess Granger.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
11
Reads
454
Why is There House-elf Enslavement? (Opinion)
Chapter 4
Why are house-elves enslaved?
House-elf enslavement, to begin with, is already extremely unjust. How can the Wizarding Community believe that they live in a just society, when we still practice the enslavement of house-elves, our equals? But maybe they’re more than our equals. Now considering it, house elves actually may have a stronger ability than wizards and witches. Here's why:
House-elves actually have their own form of magic that only they can practice, similar to other magical beings. We wizards actually do not know the limits to house-elf magic. Are there any limits at all? They seem exceedingly powerful, being able to apparate at will and perform magic that wizards and witches can, along with their own magic that we cannot. Sadly, there are cruel limitations on house-elf magic, and this has to do with wizards themselves. House-elves have been, for a long time, bound to their “owners”.
They are slaves to them, and need to physically harm themselves if they speak bad about their masters. Their masters can do anything to them, including physical harm. This is such a twisted and cruel concept. I’m not sure why this idea was invented in the first place, but it absolutely disgusts me that no one seemed to think this was a problem and then decided that it would be a normal practice. I wonder where this idea even became necessary. It wasn’t as though wizards and witches had loads of work that they simply couldn’t finish themselves. Where did they think that enslaving innocent creatures was a good way to solve that problem? They could have even hired other people to clean up after them or at least PAY the house elves.
I think this actually originates from a fear in the wizarding community. I think people were aware of the fact that house-elves were very magically advanced, and enslaved them for this sense of superiority in themselves, and so the elves were brainwashed into a sense of inferiority. They don’t even realize their own power and are happy as slaves because “that is simply how the world works”. That SHOULDN’T BE!
For all the superiority that some wizards or witches feel towards muggles, I feel that muggles definitely would have not tolerated this enslavement. Being muggle-born, I’ve grown up learning of how unjust slavery is, and it shocks me to think that it still exists.
The situation with house-elves is quite similar to zoos, which neither the wizarding community or the muggle community seem to have realized the error of. What do we get out of seeing animals trapped in glass cages for our pleasure? Just so we can view them? And we’re brought up thinking that this is completely fine! Why should the enslavement of our equals be a normal thing then? It's not as if house-elves are completely bound to their owners. African house-elves, known as the Yumboes, held fierce riots, causing extra security in the 1998 Quidditch World Cup. So house-elves are able to disobey their “owners”.
House-elves are actually much more capable of performing advanced magic, though without the use of a wand. Elves, though unfortunately and unjustly not allowed to, do have the capability to use and wield a wand. So, now I ask you. I know that most of us have grown up with this being a normal idea. House-elf enslavement may not sound too bad to some, and that’s understandable; most of the wizarding community has grown up seeing this everywhere. But I ask you to just consider this: Is this practice just? Join the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.) for any questions regarding this topic, and to read some updates on S.P.E.W. or join the Official S.P.E.W. at Hogwarts itself, with an entry fee of only two sickles.
-Hermione Jean Granger (「Hermione」), writer for the HDN
House-elf enslavement, to begin with, is already extremely unjust. How can the Wizarding Community believe that they live in a just society, when we still practice the enslavement of house-elves, our equals? But maybe they’re more than our equals. Now considering it, house elves actually may have a stronger ability than wizards and witches. Here's why:
House-elves actually have their own form of magic that only they can practice, similar to other magical beings. We wizards actually do not know the limits to house-elf magic. Are there any limits at all? They seem exceedingly powerful, being able to apparate at will and perform magic that wizards and witches can, along with their own magic that we cannot. Sadly, there are cruel limitations on house-elf magic, and this has to do with wizards themselves. House-elves have been, for a long time, bound to their “owners”.
They are slaves to them, and need to physically harm themselves if they speak bad about their masters. Their masters can do anything to them, including physical harm. This is such a twisted and cruel concept. I’m not sure why this idea was invented in the first place, but it absolutely disgusts me that no one seemed to think this was a problem and then decided that it would be a normal practice. I wonder where this idea even became necessary. It wasn’t as though wizards and witches had loads of work that they simply couldn’t finish themselves. Where did they think that enslaving innocent creatures was a good way to solve that problem? They could have even hired other people to clean up after them or at least PAY the house elves.
I think this actually originates from a fear in the wizarding community. I think people were aware of the fact that house-elves were very magically advanced, and enslaved them for this sense of superiority in themselves, and so the elves were brainwashed into a sense of inferiority. They don’t even realize their own power and are happy as slaves because “that is simply how the world works”. That SHOULDN’T BE!
For all the superiority that some wizards or witches feel towards muggles, I feel that muggles definitely would have not tolerated this enslavement. Being muggle-born, I’ve grown up learning of how unjust slavery is, and it shocks me to think that it still exists.
The situation with house-elves is quite similar to zoos, which neither the wizarding community or the muggle community seem to have realized the error of. What do we get out of seeing animals trapped in glass cages for our pleasure? Just so we can view them? And we’re brought up thinking that this is completely fine! Why should the enslavement of our equals be a normal thing then? It's not as if house-elves are completely bound to their owners. African house-elves, known as the Yumboes, held fierce riots, causing extra security in the 1998 Quidditch World Cup. So house-elves are able to disobey their “owners”.
House-elves are actually much more capable of performing advanced magic, though without the use of a wand. Elves, though unfortunately and unjustly not allowed to, do have the capability to use and wield a wand. So, now I ask you. I know that most of us have grown up with this being a normal idea. House-elf enslavement may not sound too bad to some, and that’s understandable; most of the wizarding community has grown up seeing this everywhere. But I ask you to just consider this: Is this practice just? Join the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare (S.P.E.W.) for any questions regarding this topic, and to read some updates on S.P.E.W. or join the Official S.P.E.W. at Hogwarts itself, with an entry fee of only two sickles.
-Hermione Jean Granger (「Hermione」), writer for the HDN
