The Devil's In The Details

Chapter Six

Mrs. Weasley snapped too, clapping her hands in front of her. "Right! Come along now. If we don't start now, we'll be eating at midnight!" Everyone began to move down the hallway, but Hermione held back Kaerim and Ron outside the door.

"Harry! What was that?" she whispered furiously.

"Yeah, mate. What the hell was that?"

Harry brushed them off. "It was the right thing to do."

"But what about S.P.E.W? I thought you wanted rights for the elves!" said Hermione, who was visibly upset.

"Hermione, they have rights. They are needed by their families and they need their families. It's a symbiotic relationship. To forcefully try to free them would be like taking away a witches' wand for their 'betterment'. Taking your wand would be more of an insult than a help, right?"

"But what about Dobby?! You saw how the Malfoys treated him! You freed him! But you're okay to tell Kreacher to serve you?!" yelled Hermione.

"It is a bit hypocritical, mate."

"There are safeguards in the magical contracts between a wizard and a house-elf that prevent exploitation and abuse. But they're old, Dobby is a young elf and wouldn't have known about them, but he should have been taught by the Elders of the home. The caveat of being able to be 'freed' in that way was added as a last resort safeguard."

"But Kreacher, Harry!"

"As a guest in a Noble and Ancient House, it would have been a snub of grand proportions not to respect Kreacher's work for the home and family. Of course I would be honoured for him to look after me while I'm here!"

Ron leaned forward incredulously. "Have you seen the state of this place? The nutter hasn't cleaned a thing since his Mistress died!"

"Because the house is Sirius' and he doesn't respect Kreacher's work! Kreacher's magic is limited by the trust and respect placed on him! He couldn't clean!"

"All the more reason to free the elves, Harry!"

"Their magic would still be limited! Did you see Dobby? He was set free, now where is he? He's working at Hogwarts!"

"But he's paid now!"

"They have always been paid, Hermione! Just not monetarily like you humans prize so much!"

"But he's happier now that he's free!"

"He just likes having socks! Have you talked to Winky lately? She's absolutely miserable! Why do you think none of the elves take the clothes you leave out? They don't need you to free them because they aren't trapped! Saying you want to free them from their way of life is like you spitting on their lives' work and the work of their ancestors! It sounds blasphemous!"

"They only think like that because they don't know any better! That's why we need to educate them on what a basic human right is! Just because something's tradition doesn't mean it's good!"

"Are you implying that they aren't aware of what they're doing? They choose this! You can't define a magical creature by human standards! And some traditions are traditions for a reason! It's not helpful if the help isn't needed."

"Harry. You're not saying creatures are below us, are you?" said Hermione dangerously.

Kaerim heaves a deep sigh and rubs a hand over his face. "Hermione. Just because I'm acknowledging our cultures are different and that you have different worldviews does not mean I think one creature is superior to the other."