June 28th is Dobby’s birthday! In honour of everyone’s favourite house-self, here’s a look back at the 5 best Dobby moments that made us fall in love with him.
Moment 5: When Dobby Stood Up for All House-Elves
In the Harry Potter series, house-elves were treated as slaves. They did not get paid for their hard work or get holidays or pensions, something that made Hermione create S.P.E.W., the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Unlike all other elves, Dobby asked for wages and collected clothes, something that Professor Albus Dumbledore gave him when Dobby went to work in the Hogwarts kitchens.
Moment 4: When Dobby Defied Lucius Malfoy’s Wishes
In The Chamber of Secrets, when Dobby was first introduced, it was revealed that he was doing everything he could to protect Harry Potter and prevent him from going back to or staying at Hogwarts. Even though he hurt Harry with a Bludger and got him into trouble with the Dursleys and the professors at Hogwarts, his actions had the best intentions and he was defying the orders of his masters to do so, something that resulted in him punishing himself by banging himself on the head with a lamp, shutting his ears in the oven door and ironing his fingers. All to protect The Boy Who Lived!
Moment 3: When Dobby Declared “Dobby is Free!”
After Harry killed the Basilisk, revealed that Tom Marvolo Riddle was actually Lord Voldemort and had been the one who had opened the Chamber of Secrets, not Hagrid, Lucius Malfoy returned to Hogwarts with Dobby in tow. Knowing that Dobby was being tortured by the Malfoys, Harry tricked Lucius Malfoy into giving Dobby his dirty, smelly, stinky sock, thus freeing Dobby from the torture that he was going through. When Lucius was about to attack Harry, Dobby used his own brand of magic against his former master, knocking him head over heels and proudly declaring the iconic line, “Dobby is free!”
Moment 2: When Dobby Gave Harry the GillyWeed
During the second task of the Triwizard Tournament in The Goblet of Fire, Harry was struggling to figure out a way to breathe underwater for an hour, long enough to save the hostages at the bottom of the lake. Fleur and Cedric both used the Bubble-Head charm and Krum trasnfigured himself – badly – into a shark. Although the idea was planted by Barty Crouch Jr., Dobby nonetheless gave Harry Gillyweed, something that enabled him to grow gills and breathe underwater, thus helping Harry save Ron and also Gabrielle, Fleur’s younger sister.
Moment 1: When Dobby Saved Harry and his Friends from Malfoy Manor
The most iconic moment for Dobby was when he Apparated to Malfoy Manor in The Deathly Hallows and rescued Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean, Luna, Griphook and Mr Ollivander from the Death Eaters. Thanks to house-elves being able to Apparate into places where wizards and witches could not, Aberforth Dumbledore was able to send Dobby to save Harry and his friends at Malfoy Manor. Dobby not only dropped a chandelier on Bellatrix Lestrange, but also disarmed Narcissa Malfoy and Disapparated with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Griphook, bringing them to Shell Cottage. It cost Dobby his life, for he took a knife to the chest, courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange. That iconic moment turned tragic and Harry, Ron and Dean physically dug a grave for Dobby despite being able to create a more perfect one with magic and they subsequently clothed him, before giving him one of the most touching and beautiful funerals in the Harry Potter book series.
Dobby’s grave bears the title “Here lies Dobby. A Free Elf.” It is so sad that Dobby went from endangering Harry’s life while trying to protect him, to actually sacrificing his life for him and saving the Wizarding World. While Dobby is gone, he is not forgotten and on this day, his birthday, we honour the house-elf who saved Harry’s life time and again, and who reminded us that the smallest of creatures can have the greatest impacts on the world.
Check out our other articles honouring Dobby here and stay tuned for more news about Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and the Wizarding World!