On June 28, before 1970, Dobby, a house elf, was born. Though he was born into the famous, wealthy family of pureblood wizards, his life was far from ideal. Absolute obedience was required of house elves, and strict rules prevailed at the Malfoy court. Dobby had to resort to painful corporal punishment for the slightest offense, but that did not stop him from breaking his loyalty to his master when he learned that Harry Potter was in grave danger.
We meet Dobby for the first time in the second part of the saga – the Chamber of Secrets– when he tried to stop the main character from returning to Hogwarts. He knew about Lucius Malfoy’s plan and wanted to save Harry at all costs from the danger that was to come in the coming months. From the very beginning, Dobby had great respect for the main character, almost reverence, due to the fact that it was his victory over Lord Voldemort that greatly improved the fate of the house elves, who were often treated worse than animals during the Dark Lord’s times. After all, it was Harry Potter who tricked Dobby into freedom by handing Lucius Malfoy a broken journal with a sock inside. He handed it over to his servant, at the same time relieving him of any obligations towards his family.
Since then, Dobby became the first free house elf in history to demand payment for his services while looking for a new home. Eventually he ended up at Hogwarts, where he worked with other house elves, but he was the only one to receive a salary. Other dwarfs did not support the hero’s behavior, claiming that he had lost his mind, because the house elves were destined to ruthlessly serve their masters from the very beginning. He also led Winky to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who collapsed after losing her position at the Crouch house.
Having regained his freedom, colorful socks, which he had never paired up, became Dobby’s favorite wardrobe. He experimented with the colors and patterns of his outfit, enjoying the freedom he obtained. Though never officially associated with Harry Potter, he remained loyal to him and his friends until the very end when he saved the heroes of the Malfoy court where they were held at the cost of his life. He was then killed by Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry, on his own, without the help of magic, buried Dobby, marking his tombstone with the most important words for the leprechaun – Dobby, free gnome .
