House-elves are some of the most fascinating creatures in the Harry Potter series.
And if there’s 1 name that many fans remember…
Dobby takes center stage.
In fact, his life’s one hell of a ride too.
And it’s time we learn about the elf who saved the wizarding world.
Continue reading to discover:
- 31 amazing facts you didn’t know about Dobby.
- How the mistreated house-elf finally became free.
- Why fans loved Dobby so much and cried over his death.
- What made him so different from all the other house-elves.
- And so much more…
About Dobby
Born | June 28 (Year unknown) |
Purity | House-elf |
House | N/A |
Character Traits | Brave, Loyal, Hard-working |
Patronus | N/A |
Wand | N/A |
Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
Dobby background
Dobby’s a house-elf.
An ancient magical being that worked under wizarding families for as long as time.
He was born on June 28.
And he served the Malfoys. A family of Dark Wizards whodidn’t treat him well.
For example, they gave Dobby death threats every single day.
In fact, it didn’t happen just once…
He received them 5 times a day and just learned to live with them.
Plus, a study proves that harsh words can have long-term consequences.
Not to mention, Dobby was always exposed to the Malfoys’ evil ways too.
And I can only imagine how painful that kind of life was to endure.
But did Dobby ever let these things get to him?
No, he remained as kind and brave as he could be.
In fact, when he learned about the plan to reopen the Chamber of Secrets.
Which is a hidden dungeon that became home to a Basilisk. Or the Serpent of Slytherin that even Aragog, a giant spider, feared…
Dobby went out of his way to warn Harry Potter.
An act that certainly would’ve gotten him into a lot of trouble.
But he decided to follow through anyway because it was the right thing to do.
So as far as courage goes, Dobby’s an even greater Gryffindor at heart.
Dobby occupation
Dobby spent most of his life working as a servant.
As I’ve mentioned, he was the house-elf of the Malfoys.
A job he grew to hate over time…
Especially for the Malfoys’ cruel ways and bad treatment of him.
“That sucks. Did Dobby ever manage to escape?”
Luckily, Harry Potter came to help.
You see, the only way for an elf to earn their freedom is through a gift.
But this couldn’t be just any present.
The elf’s master had to give them clothes.
So how’d Harry Potter trick the Malfoys, you ask?
Well, Harry placed Tom Riddle’s diary in a sock.
And then he gave it away to Lucius Malfoy.
Who ripped off the sock and threw it away…
Only for Dobby to catch it.
And while it may have been a cheap trick…
It was more than enough for Dobby to become a free elf.
Plus, research shows freedom’s very important for a happy life.
Since you’re no longer bound to do anybody’s wishes.
As a result, I can only imagine Dobby’s joy when he caught the sock.
Finding work at Hogwarts
The house-elf spent a lot of time looking for a job.
In fact, it took him about 2 years before working at Hogwarts.
Since wizards and witches didn’t agree with Dobby’s idea of getting a salary.
On the bright side, he enjoyed helping around at the kitchens of the wizarding school.
Plus, Dobby thought the tasks were also very easy. Which meant he could come and go anytime he wanted to…
As long as he got the job done.
On top of that, Dobby got another friend, Winky. Who used to be Barty Crouch Sr‘s house-elf.
But when her master passed away…
Winky was freed and sent to work at Hogwarts.
Sadly, she wasn’t as hopeful as Dobby about freedom.
As a result, Dobby went out of his way to cheer her up whenever he could.
Dobby character
Much like other house-elves…
Dobby was pretty short.
In fact, he’s only 3 ½ ft (1.06 m) tall.
He also has bright green eyes, a long nose, and very pointed ears.
When Dobby still served the Malfoys, he wore a pillowcase to cover his body.
But after he gained his freedom…
You’d find the happy house-elf wearing anything he liked.
However, his most important trait was his bravery.
You see, Dobby was willing to go to the moon and back to help his friends.
And no matter how impossible things seemed…
Nothing was too big for Dobby.
For example, upon finding out that Harry and his friends were trapped in Malfoy Manor…
He stormed the place with the intent of saving everybody.
And even almost dropping a chandelier on Bellatrix Lestrange to slow her down.
Sadly, while he managed to help everybody escape…
Dobby couldn’t save himself.
The knife Bellatrix threw at them managed to strike Dobby in the chest.
It followed them all the way to Shell Cottage, home of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour.
And while Harry and his friends were thankfully out of harm’s way.
There was no saving the brave house-elf that came to save them.
In fact, it’s 1 of the most gut-wrenching scenes in the film. And I strongly recommend watching it again:
3 most famous Dobby quotes
#1: “Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they reminds me to do extra punishments…”
When Dobby went out of his way to warn Harry Potter about the Chamber of Secrets…
Harry worried about the house-elf.
The young Potter even asked what the Malfoys would do if they found out.
But to Harry’s surprise…
Dobby didn’t actually wait for his masters to do the scolding.
He gave himself punishments.
And sometimes even extra for good measure.
Plus, the Malfoys hardly ever noticed Dobby.
So he wasn’t too worried about getting caught.
#2: “Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and he wants to be paid, Harry Potter…. Dobby likes being free!”
Like most house-elves, Dobby did enjoy work.
However, what made him different was his equal love of freedom.
He didn’t want to do work just for the sake of it.
Dobby wanted to give his job a purpose.
And by sheer poetic justice…
The house-elf fell in love with wearing clothes.
But were these just any pieces of clothing he could get his hands on?
No. Dobby wanted to wear stuff he worked for…
And that meant buying them himself with hard-earned money.
#3: “Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!”
Dobby followed Dumbledore’s orders to save Harry and his friends.
But when he got there…
Bellatrix Lestrange just ridiculed Dobby.
She even said:
“How dare you take a witch’s wand! How dare you defy your masters!”
And yet did Dobby take these harsh words lying down?
No, the house-elf stood up for himself.
He wanted to let the Dark Wizards know they didn’t want to mess with him.
And that’s how we got this iconic quote…
1 that sent many fans into an uproar to see Dobby’s bravery.
More facts about Dobby
#1: Really good at magical duels
Dobby might look weak.
But did you know he’s actually pretty decent at fighting?
You see, elves have a natural ability for magic.
In fact, they don’t even need to use wands as wizards and witches do.
So how do we know Dobby’s good at duels, you ask?
Well, the house-elf actually faced off with some very scary Death Eaters.
And none of the Dark Lord’s loyal followers were bad at fighting.
For example, Dobby let out a powerful magical blast…
By simply clicking his fingers!
As a result, it sent Lucius Malfoy flying away.
And he wasn’t getting up anytime soon.
Sure, he’s not as powerful as Harry Potter.
But Dobby can stand his ground in any magic fight.
#2: Has a lot of tricks under his sleeve
On top of magical blasts…
Dobby’s got a host of other skills too.
And you’d be careful not to underestimate him.
Because elves were known to have many magical abilities.
For example, Dobby could use Apparition.
An instant teleportation spell that would take its user wherever they pleased.
“Can’t other wizards and witches teleport too? What makes Dobby’s so special?”
Well, the elf could use the spell where it wasn’t allowed.
Like Hogwarts and Malfoy Manor.
On top of that, Dobby can also use Expelliarmus.
A disarming charm that would take away a target’s weapon.
But what made Dobby’s a lot scarier, you ask?
Well, he could take away your wand by simply snapping his fingers.
A feat no average wizard or witch could achieve in their lifetime.
#3: A very weird thinking process
We know Dobby’s a good elf.
And while he messes up sometimes…
He does mean well.
But did you know Dobby’s got quite a weird thinking process?
For example, when he warned Harry Potter about the Chamber of Secrets.
He did a lot more than simply tell him about it.
Dobby went to extreme measures to injure Harry so he wouldn’t have to stay at Hogwarts.
Like in 1 Quidditch match, the house-elf planned on forcing a player to attack Harry Potter.
On the bright side, Dobby did confess everything he did to sabotage the young Potter.
And even if it made Harry angry…
It was the only way the elf knew how to help.
#4: Refused a lot of money
Although Dobby needed cash to buy clothes…
Did you know he actually turned down a big salary?
You see, Dumbledore offered him 10 Galleons a week. Which is the most expensive currency in the wizarding world.
Plus, Dobby would also get weekends off. Which was a large sum of cash and great work agreements.
But did the free house-elf accept?
Surprisingly, Dobby declined.
In fact, he insisted on getting paid less…
Down to only 1 Galleon a week and 1 day off every month.
Even Hermione Granger was pretty shocked to learn about how much Dobby earned.
She thought Dumbledore was cheating Dobby out of an honest day’s work.
However, this was what Dobby had to say:
“Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week, and weekends off, but Dobby beat him down, miss… Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn’t wanting too much, miss, he likes work better.”
#5: An unrivaled fashion sense
Dobby made a huge jump in his choice of clothes after freedom.
In fact, you might not even find anyone with a better fashion sense than the free elf.
For example, Dobby never wore matching socks.
He thought it looked a lot better.
So the house-elf always chose brightly colored ones. Or those with very interesting patterns.
Dobby’s also a big fan of hats and scarves.
And most of the ones he found were actually Hermione’s.
You see, the young witch left it around Gryffindor’s common room to free the house-elves.
Unfortunately, it just stopped them from cleaning up the place.
But not for Dobby…
He enjoyed finding freebies.
#6: Helped Dumbledore’s Army
I know it doesn’t sound possible.
But Dobby actually played a huge part in starting Dumbledore’s Army.
Sure, he didn’t teach any of the lessons to Harry’s secret organization.
And yet, he’s the one who suggested the Room of Requirement as a secret meeting place. A magic room that would only show up when you really needed it.
“Wait, how’d Dobby learn about the Room of Requirement?”
Well, do you remember his friend, Winky?
She developed a bad addiction to butterbeer.
And it’s where Dobby hid her when she got drunk.
So when Harry Potter jokingly asked Dobby for help…
This was what he had to say:
“Dobby knows the perfect place, sir! Dobby heard tell of it from the other house-elves when he came to Hogwarts, sir. It is known by us as the Come and Go Room, sir, or else as the Room of Requirement!”
#7: You can actually visit his grave
Dobby’s a fictional character from the Harry Potter universe.
But did you know his grave actually exists in the real world?
It’s in Freshwater West Beach in Pembrokeshire. A famous beach in Wales.
However, you’ll find plenty of other trinkets too. Because other Harry Potter fans have made a habit of leaving tokens behind.
On the bright side, the local government put a stop to leaving tributes.
So you don’t have to worry about going through a lot of stuff before getting a good picture.
And if you’ve got the chance to visit…
It’s a must-go-to-place for any Harry Potter fan.