What if Dobby hadn't been trying to save Harry in CoS?

[Lizzy Bennet]

If Dobby hadn't tried to save Harry, so many things would have happened differently...

Harry would have gotten letters from his friends, so perhaps he might not have been 'rescued' from the Weasleys (though, he might have anyway!). He certainly wouldn't have gotten in trouble with the Ministry over 'underage sorcery' (even though that was Dobby's work, and not Harry's). He and Ron would have ridden the train like normal, and they wouldn't have had detention, and Ron's wand wouldn't have broken...

Skipping to the end of the Chamber of Secrets book, had Ron's wand NOT been broken, Harry (at least) would have had his mind successfully wiped out by Lockhart's memory charm ('obliviate', I believe)...Ron probably would have gotten his mind wiped next. No one would have saved Ginny, so she would have died, and the monster would still be on the loose, out trying to kill 'mudbloods' (how Lockhart would have gotten out of where he was is a question, too )...

So, as near-fatal as Dobby seemed at times (i.e. the 'rogue bludger' [is that what it's called? ]), in reality, he DID save Harry's life, as well as Ron's and Ginny's (indirectly of course) because Ron's wand NEEDED to be broken (course, Harry could have been near Lockhart, and it wouldn't have mattered about Ron's wand, cause Lockhart could have swiped Harry's)...there are a LOT of possibilities with this one!!!

What do you think?


~ Lizzy

[Ju-DedoH]

well ... now that's a connection I hadn't made ... but well done. Anyways I seem to have been "oblivited" on why dobby tried to stop harry to go to hogwart's in the first place... could someone refresh my memory please ?

[Lizzy Bennet]

If Dobby hadn't tried to save Harry, so many things would have happened differently...

Harry would have gotten letters from his friends, so perhaps he might not have been 'rescued' from the Weasleys (though, he might have anyway!). He certainly wouldn't have gotten in trouble with the Ministry over 'underage sorcery' (even though that was Dobby's work, and not Harry's). He and Ron would have ridden the train like normal, and they wouldn't have had detention, and Ron's wand wouldn't have broken...

Skipping to the end of the Chamber of Secrets book, had Ron's wand NOT been broken, Harry (at least) would have had his mind successfully wiped out by Lockhart's memory charm ('obliviate', I believe)...Ron probably would have gotten his mind wiped next. No one would have saved Ginny, so she would have died, and the monster would still be on the loose, out trying to kill 'mudbloods' (how Lockhart would have gotten out of where he was is a question, too )...

So, as near-fatal as Dobby seemed at times (i.e. the 'rogue bludger' [is that what it's called? ]), in reality, he DID save Harry's life, as well as Ron's and Ginny's (indirectly of course) because Ron's wand NEEDED to be broken (course, Harry could have been near Lockhart, and it wouldn't have mattered about Ron's wand, cause Lockhart could have swiped Harry's)...there are a LOT of possibilities with this one!!!

What do you think?


~ Lizzy

At the point at which I 'skipped to the end of CoS', I left out a lot of things that would have been affected by Dobby not trying to save Harry...for instance, Malfoy would have had to eat slugs because Ron's wand wouldn't have been broken, therefore, the spell wouldn't have backfired! Harry also wouldn't have had to re-grow his bones as Lockhart never would have had the opportunity to try to 'help' Harry (no rogue bludger). What others can you think of from CoS?

I 'skipped to the end' because the most pivotal one is the fact that Lockhart would have wiped out both Harry and Ron's memories...and that would have meant the so many horrible things would have occurred (Ginny's death, the basilisk still being at large, Voldemort back to life by the end of book 2! )...it would totally change books 3 and beyond! So, I guess, in a very strange way, Harry owes Dobby...because Harry was able to be the hero, he was later able to 'free' Dobby from the Malfoys who was helpful to him in book 4 during the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry might not have been involved in if Voldemort came back to life at the end of book 2.

Thoughts?


~ Lizzy

[Ju-DedoH]

well that would meen that episodes 3 to 7 would all happen in a ward at st mungos and wouldn't be such as interesting ...

[AccioNiffler]

If Dobby was never involved in any of that, the rest of the books would have been different as well. Like the TWT. Who would have helped Harry with the 2nd task ? Harry would have stood in the cold water looking like an idiot, and Ron would probably be even more mad with him because he would have left him at the bottem of the lake!

Also, Hermione would have never started SPEW. (I do find that mini plotline a little annoying though, so I could have done without it... )

[Ju-DedoH]

I hope the spew does something important in the future, because it would be so useless if not ...

[Marcus Baker]

You know what, Doby didnt do anything but hurt him. Harry would be aware that the chamber of secrets was open, and would go and investagate, so it wouldnt make a difference if doby didnt warn him, however, if he didnt, he wouldnt be such an impact on the 4th book, where the house elf liberation and when the elves didnt like him.

[Gwared]

I hope the spew does something important in the future, because it would be so useless if not ...

I'm imagining SPEW to be a big reason for the elves joining the forces against LV (or maybe a little, ickle reason, but a reason nonetheless!).

[Ju-DedoH]

yeah that's the sort of thing I meant, they seem to have quite powerful magic that they don't use because they are "only" house elves ... they could be very usefull in a battle (i hope)

[Gwared]

yeah that's the sort of thing I meant, they seem to have quite powerful magic that they don't use because they are "only" house elves ... they could be very usefull in a battle (i hope)

Exactly, I mean look what effect Dobby had on Lucius in CoS!

[Ju-DedoH]

exactly, so much untapped power, just because they are bound to houses and masters who don't need the power they really have (and knowledge too... something you find out in book 5, that algi that harry uses in GOF ...)

<careful Ju....> ~Z
sorry to all ~Ju
its all good ~Z

[Lizzy Bennet]

If Dobby hadn't been trying to save Harry, he would be loyal to his masters (the Malfoys) rather than Harry...that could have big implications. First of all, we've seen how powerful Dobby, a "mere house elf" by Lucius's reckoning, is when he protected Harry from Lucius at the end of book #2. If Dobby hadn't been trying to save Harry, Dobby wouldn't be freed by Harry...he would still belong to the Malfoys, and assuming that he wouldn't be trying to protect Harry because he was loyal to the Malfoys (like Winky was to the Crouches), like Winky, think of the kinds of things Dobby could cover up and/or help the evil Malfoys with. So, Dobby, instead of being one of the 'good guys' could have been one of the 'bad guys' instead.

Additionally, as someone mentioned, I believe, Dobby wouldn't have assisted Harry with the second task in book 4 for two reasons: (1) he would still be living at Malfoy Manor and (2) he wouldn't have any loyalty to Harry (in fact, possibly, quite the opposite). Additionally, what would have become of Winky had Dobby not been around to take care of her? Gosh, it's so hard not to get into book 5 stuff...I wish this forum were in the book 5 areas so we could talk more freely!


~ Lizzy

[gecko]

If Dobby hadn't taken interest in Harry, and had stayed at the Malfoy Manor, he wouldn't have been set free by Lucius. That means, he wouldn't be able to go and work at Hogwarts, and that means he wouldn't go and persuade Winky to go and work there too, after she's been set free. I think she wouldn't know what to do. Maybe Hermione could have taken care of her somehow? It seems like a thing she'd do!

Let's not forget the beautiful cake Dobby ruined, and the deal Vernon was about to close. His biggest drilling-deal ever! The Dursley would have had a nice house on a tropical island if it hadn't been for Dobby.
Gooooo Dobby! Those rotten Dursleys don't deserve a house on such a island :Þ!