InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Its always beter the 2nd night"

weasley_now (weasley_now) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-30 10:35:00

Entry tags:

journal: hermione

Journal: Hermione Granger
Some of you know the story of Dobby and how he risked his own life to protect those he cared for. Others of you likely do not know him but you can recall the house elves that fought beside you at the Battle of Hogwarts. Most house elves have a story to tell if we were just to listen. There are house elves that have been honored to declare their service while others have hated every moment they have been beholden to their masters. For those of you that have the decency to treat your house elves with respect I salute you. Unfortunately, for every one of you there is another who is treating their house elf horribly. It is for those elves that I have chosen to take on this cause.

Most of you probably do not recall S.P.E.W. and while I may not have championed its cause out loud it has always been in the back of my mind. That said I have come up with some items that I feel confident about presenting to the Ministry as the outline of new legislation for how house elves are to be treated. This of course must be a two way street and with the help of Professor McGonagall I have secured a time to meet with the elves at Hogwarts, some of whom have been freed and many that are tied to the school through their former masters. I will be sharing with them my ideas for them to concur or deny. I do not want to take an item to the Ministry that will not benefit those I seek to assist.

Therefore, I need you, the public, to let me know what concerns you have for any legislation that may affect the master/elf bond and what may be required of either party should a compact come to fruition.

Harry
Speaking of house elves, I told Luna you would ask Kreacher to check on the Lovegoods once a week and assist with their needs. Luna is doing more than she ought to and Xenopilius is being stubborn and won't voluntarily ask for assistance.

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snitch_snatcher
2014-09-30 09:55 pm UTC (link)

I talk to Amiri a lot, and did before I agreed to take her on. She wanted the bond dreadfully, so I gave it to her, as you know. But she is comfortable in wearing what she wishes anymore. You would like her dresses, I think.

I would love to see what you have some time soon, and you are welcome to talk to Amiri anytime you want. I know she is from a different part of the world, but she's become much more eloquent, even if she still does not speak of her past very much.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-03 03:34 am UTC (link)
	I'm glad that the bond is mutual between you two. That is how it always should be. Perhaps there is a way to make it so that either part can break the bond if there is a viable reason such as abusive behavior from a master or blatant disobedience from an elf. We should have lunch soon. I can bring what I've worked on thus for you to review. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	snitch_snatcher 2014-10-03 11:02 pm UTC (link)
	That might be a good thing. I still do not know what broke her bond with her previous family, but she is happy here now, I think. We need to, yes. I have a game on Friday, but I'm relatively free aside from that. What would work for you? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-04 03:56 pm UTC (link)
	If she were unhappy you would know. I'm glad she found a family that would treat her well. Sunday afternoon works well. I can meet you at Finnigan's and we can go from there. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	snitch_snatcher 2014-10-04 11:46 pm UTC (link)
	I think I would, yes. She loves the children. I anticipate it greatly. I have missed your company. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	unspeakableness 2014-10-04 04:39 pm UTC (link)
	From what I've seen, house elves don't blatantly disobey; they find clever loopholes. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-04 04:42 pm UTC (link)
	Actively seeking loopholes is a form of blatant disobedience. It is just one that bends the actions to the favor of the disobedient while making the one who created the order look a fool. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unspeakableness
2014-10-04 05:03 pm UTC (link)

Not necessarily. It's why being clear and concise with an order is important. If I tell a house elf I want him to clean a room, but I don't specify when it must be cleaned or when it must be cleaned by, it isn't disobedience if he chooses to wait to do it until later. If there were clarity in my order, there'd be no room for interpretation, and any interpretation on the part of the elf could be seen as disobedience. I could also tell my elf to "get out" and unless I specify where I want him out of, he could leave the room, my presence, or the house. If I told him to get out of the room, and he left not just the room but the house, then that would be disobedience as I did not tell him to leave the house, just the room, and he thought to be clever by leaving the house as that would technically also be leaving the room since he disappeared from the room as far as I could see. True, it isn't a huge disobedience, but it would still be disobedience. Though the best way to get the elf out of the room but keep him in the house would be to tell him to go to his room until he's called for or for a set amount of time, and that he should go there immediately to avoid him deciding to go there later after he's done something else and disobeyed that way.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-06 12:31 pm UTC (link)
	Your argument has secured my point. You just stated that an elf who knows the intention of the request and still seeks to take it further than intended has blatantly disobeyed. While it may not be a major disobedience it is still such. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Harry/Hermione auror__potter 2014-10-01 12:37 am UTC (link)
	Oh, I should have thought of that myself. Kreacher will be happy to help...or well, not happy because he's Kreacher, but he'll like having something to do. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Harry/Hermione weasley_now 2014-10-03 03:41 am UTC (link)
	You really ought to be nicer to him. He has done everything you've asked of him and has even quit looking for loop holes, for the most part anyway. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Harry/Hermione auror__potter 2014-10-04 02:15 am UTC (link)
	Hey, I treat Kreacher fine. We get on well these days, have for years. I just meant, he's never going to be one to jump up and down in joy. That's not his personality. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Harry/Hermione weasley_now 2014-10-04 04:32 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, you have gotten better over the years. Not that we see him that often. I don't think he'd ever admit it but I feel he enjoys the sense of superiority he has been able to secure at Hogwarts. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	pans_parkinson_ 2014-10-01 12:42 am UTC (link)
	Stay away from my elf, Granger. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	goyle_g 2014-10-01 12:52 am UTC (link)
	And mine mum's ours (Reply to this) (Parent)

	weasley_now 2014-10-03 03:44 am UTC (link)
	Do tell Parkinson, what has you so afraid? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	pans_parkinson_ 2014-10-04 02:17 am UTC (link)
	I'm not afraid of anything, Granger. I just don't want you anywhere near my elf. ~~She's all the family I have~~ (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-04 04:35 pm UTC (link)
	That is fine. However, I never asked to be allowed to interview anyone's elves. My inquiry was what objections and concerns witches and wizards may have where expanding their rights are concerned. It seems you may have a few of those. Care to share? (Reply to this) (Parent)

	pandacharms 2014-10-01 06:01 am UTC (link)
	I'll be honest, I don't know what the laws are governing that. Our family elves were always treated well that I know of and seemed happy. I don't have any power to let you talk to them though. You'd have to take that up with my mother. My aunt's is a mean tempered one, but ~~they're well suited to each other~~ Ithink they work all right with each other. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-03 03:55 am UTC (link)
	What would you like to know about the laws? Do you have any concerns about the freedom of elves or how they interact with witches and wizards? I'd really like to carry some concerns to the contingency at Hogwarts when I go to speak with them. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	pandacharms 2014-10-03 11:22 pm UTC (link)
	Not much, to be honest. I never had reason to question it at home, or look into it. It might be nice to see if elves could have some option if abuse starts? Like with children, I suppose. Though we're not exactly great with all that at times either. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	unspeakableness 2014-10-03 11:35 pm UTC (link)
	~~Were~~ (Reply to this) (Parent)

	weasley_now 2014-10-04 04:30 pm UTC (link)
	So, what I'm hearing is I need to get the elves to let me know what requests and treatment are considered inappropriate and boarder line abusive. Do they have a moral code perhaps that they must break in order to follow orders? How can they keep their values while still serving their family? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	pandacharms 2014-10-04 11:53 pm UTC (link)
	Yes. Like filing a complaint, or putting in a request for something they need or want, like a better room or new things to wear or such. Plus it would be nice if some of them would wear more than tea towels. A moral code would be great. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-06 06:30 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you for your feedback. (Reply to this) (Parent)

unspeakableness
2014-10-01 08:43 pm UTC (link)

Perhaps something about living conditions and providing a house elf with a good place to call his or her own within the household. I have heard that some do not have as nice a place to sleep as others.

The guidelines that currently exist should be enforced more.

There also should be more education about house elves. Those who mistreat them likely don't see them as anything but property, which is anything but true. However, educating those still young enough to change (and those who aren't staunchly holding onto their own views and beliefs) could be really important. Not everyone understands house elves. They don't all understand that it may be insulting to pay or offer to pay a house elf for his or her work. They may not understand how much it can mentally affect a house elf who is let go or freed. They may also not understand that there can be consequences to mistreating a house elf that have nothing to do with the Ministry enforcing guidelines and rules but house elves being smart enough to find their own loopholes despite the bond they have to a family. Most house elves are happy to obey. There's absolutely no need to mistreat them.

Maybe think of something regarding house elves being allowed to bring their master(s) to some kind of trial should there be serious mistreatment. They should be allowed to file a complaint against their master(s) and to have that complaint taken seriously and properly and thoroughly investigated. And then action of some kind can be taken. I don't know what kind, other than first offense a fine, second offense see about rehoming the elf be it with another member of the family or a new family entirely. And somehow working with the magical bond that exists to exclude the person or persons mistreating the elf from having any ability to give orders to the elf.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	weasley_now 2014-10-03 03:56 am UTC (link)
	You make several good points. Which guidelines would you like to see more evenly enforced? (Reply to this) (Parent)

	pandacharms 2014-10-03 11:24 pm UTC (link)
	You're much more eloquent than I am on the matter, but I agree with this. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	unspeakableness 2014-10-03 11:36 pm UTC (link)
	I think it might be that I have a lot of thoughts, and I had some time to sort them out. I doubt I'd sound as eloquent in person about it. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	pandacharms 2014-10-03 11:51 pm UTC (link)
	I think I need more sleep to sort mine out, heh. But you sound well thought out so I'm sure you're underestimating yourself there. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	unspeakableness 2014-10-04 02:19 am UTC (link)
	Well, thank you. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	pandacharms 2014-10-04 03:43 am UTC (link)
	You're very welcome. (Reply to this) (Parent)