I really find it funny that the ministry is like “oh no we can’t do anything suspicious around muggles and then also sends owls with letters / howlers in front of muggles 😂
All I can think of now is Dobby just straight up tackling owls screaming “Give Dobby the Lettah! Dobby must protect Harry Pottah! GIVE DOBBY THE LETTAH!” 😂😂😂
I imagine he befriended Hedwig. In book 5, Dobby brings Hedwig back after Prof. Grubbly-Plank heals her. My head canon is that he convinced Hedwig to cooperate and reroute the letters because it was in Harry's best interest.
Does anyone else find it really entertaining watching them work out these theories in real time when the corresponding video has already been posted? lol
It's a delight, especially since I do that same thing all the time for Undertale and the occasional other universe. It feels like I'm at home, in a strange way :D
I always thought the reason Dobby was intentionally vague about the plot was that while he did overhear it, he was somehow caught doing so by Lucius, who gave him an order specifically forbading him from telling anyone the plot, therefore preventing dobby from actively telling Harry WHAT is going to happen, Lucius never forbade him from telling anyone there IS a plot, hes just under order to not tell anyone specifically what Lucius said about the plot?
I always thought this cause he was like “not about he who must not be named….” But later says it was about Voldemort before he was Voldemort so he’s telling Harry but being very cryptic
@@heylolp9 idk if you're joking or not but that's always the vague idea I had in mind, because it was the only way I could retroactively explain how he always gets so close to telling Harry, but can't ever exactly say what he wants to
@@Halfbloodprincesss8 yeah, almost as tho he intentionally tried to say the opposite because it wasn't breaking the rules, but trying to say it in a way that doubles it back into giving away that it was him
I always assumed that the magic Dobby uses can be hidden from the Ministry but he specifically chooses to let the levitation spell be detected so that Harry would have to stay at the Dursleys... to be "safe"
I think the "no magic outside of school" makes more sense if it is a "no magic without adult wizarding supervision" rule. Because if they did it wrong, they could be in a dangerous situation, without an adult to reverse it. And it would also explain the Trace: so they can come and possibly undo the results of a botched spell, or even accidental magic, like they actually did with Marge in PoA. It would also make sense for kids that have wizarding parents, like it might be unfair for muggleborn kids but like... the Ministry being like "don't teach your kid anything magic during summer breaks" seems weirdly invasive? besides there's parents that homeschool their kids
I’ve always imagined it like a driver’s licence: at first you’re only allowed to operate a vehicle with another licensed driver with you, until you become fully licensed. It’s for the kid’s/driver’s own safety, and that of others, until they’ve learned and experienced enough to be able to perform magic/drive safely on their own.
The problem with this podcast is that it's so cozy that I keep listening to it in bed and then I fall asleep halfway through. So then I have to go back and figure out what I remember hearing so I can listen to the rest of it
The way I see Dobby breaking the rules to help Harry is him showing off how house elves can interpret their orders. I see it as Dobby having had to prepare for and serve during Lucius' meeting with other Death Eater with Lucius specifying that what any of them say in the meetings can't be repeated. That would include names and would explain why Dobby has to be careful with his words. As for the owls, my head canon is that is that one day when getting the mail, Dobby asked Narcissa if he had to collect all the owl mail too. After Narcissa told Dobby that yes he had to collect all the owl mail too and punished him for asking a dumb question Dobby took that as permission to collect Harry's owl mail.
A believe so. In Hogwarts Legacy it is revealed to the player that ancient magic is what binds a wand to the wizard. As such, it most likely choose Harry because of the prophesy.
It's so adorable and kinda innocent I guess to watch people who had really good lives and a healthy loving childhood be somewhat clueless (in a kind of wholesome way) about the cruelties of the world. Listening to Ben & J talk about slavery, poverty, child abuse and other disparities in a whimsical manner is a little like "aww bless their innocent little hearts" (But it's kind of cute, not dismissive so I still love them)
The thought of Dobby continually using short-range apparition (which we know to be detection-proof) to charge at owls flying mid-air and steal their letters is now in my head. Thank you.
After listening to the entire series each night for 3 yrs, my theory is that Dobby dies in book 7 due to the promise (words are magic themselves) that Dobby made Harry not to save his life again at the end of Book 2. Since he saved Harry's life the promise was broken and he died as a result. Similarly to how Snape could have died because Draco got punched in the face by Ron or it could be the emotional distress (constituting as harm) Snape says he'll protect Draco from harm. It was never specified in what harm he was to be protected from.
When J said that Dobey must have been stopping the owls non magically. the first image that came to my mind was Dobey out side of Number 4 with a tennis racket...POW!!!
Dobby starts at Hogwarts a week before Hermione finds him in the kitchen. Dobby goes and finds Winky (somewhere) and he decides that they should go find work together. Also at the World Cup Winky tells Harry that she’s heard that Dobby has been up to things unbecoming of a House Elf. So there must be some network.
@@peterpeterpumpkineater9451 well, if I heard the Malfoys talking bad about someone I'd know that person is a good person and the more they hate them, the better the person
I started wondering how house elves could be done in a way that isn't slavery. It could be that house elves are creatures that clean and like to make the home nice and cozy and will do it in any home they live in, but if you want it to respect your wishes on how it's done, you'd have to cultivate a good relationship with it. It would be possible to have a house elf infestation, where the elf just cleans away all your things into the wrong places. Some people cultivate that relationship and get a lot of help and some see it as an issue, if an elf takes a liking to their home.
@@sonjaimmonen6610 I had a similar idea that im incorporating into my own story, but one that the more people try to get rid of them the harder they are to get rid of.
House elves can do laundry. The caveat is that their owners cannot physically hand them the clothing themselves. And else has to go and collect it without receiving it personally from their owner. Basically no wizard that has a house elf would be undressing and then having their elf take the clothes from them like a valet.
@@melissagastorf3664 This honestly doesn't even make sense based on the rules we know. Hermoine is not the owner of the house elves. By the logic presented in GOF Harry could have given Dobby some cloths and freed him at anytime. What I'm curious of is what happens if a house elf is given clothes but the owner tells them they can just stay and keep working. Winky was devastated when Crouch gave her clothes. If I had a house elf and told them to do laundry but that I wasn't setting them free, what would happen?
@@melissagastorf3664 Yeah, but that was her planting clothes where clothes were not meant to be. One thing to have them in the laundry basket or in a noticeable pile on the floor, another to have lumpy socks lurking with intent in the among the couch cushions. Though I think in that case, it was more of the 'intent' on Hermione's part rather than that actually working that upset the elves the most.
@@robertgronewold3326 The intent thing seems the logical conclusion until you realise Lucius set Dobby free without intending it. In my mind the answer is that Hermione's clothes in the common room would have simply not worked but she does not know this. Perhaps the house elfes just found her intent to free them insulting whether it would have worked or not. It is strange, though, that apparently they have enouh autonomy to simply stop doing part of their work just because they feel insulted. Edit: I misread your comment. You already said exactly what I said lol. Sorry.
Dobby/House Elves are fairly prevalent in German folk tails. The best known is The Cobbler, a kind old man who gets the aid from elves who finish his work while he slept unaware. More generally, House Elves are among "The Little People," historically including Sprites,Pixies, Forest Gnomes, Leprechauns etc; the lowest rung of the Fae Courts. A good modern depiction of relationships with the Little People comes from The Dresden Files, from the personal interactions with Toot to the cleaning service given by the Summer Court
Since I pictured the German Heinzelmännchen always more like tiny dwarfs it took me years to connect them with house elves. I was so thrilled when I finally noticed the connections and understood why it is completely logic why house elves leave if you give them cloths. Also in the tale with The Show Maker and his wive they are not offended by the cloths but think they are too good enough to work any longer (German and English version I know).
I love how you talk through the “what if’s” but because of timing we’ve already seen the full video you create regarding this topic 😊 honestly it makes me so happy for some reason!
You guys made a great point about how would Dobby know about how great and powerful Dumbledore is. My guess is that Voldemort and at least the inner circle of death eaters privately acknowledge that Dumbledore is a great wizard but they would never say it publicly.
Honestly, this what-if at the end reminded me of a really cool fanfic I read once, where Vernon and Petunia die in a car crash, and Lily and James attend their funeral via polyjuice potion, and the night that Voldemort attacks Sirius is watching Harry. Voldemort gives him the same choice as Lily in canon because of his family, and Sirius (obviously) refuses, so it's HIS sacrifice that protects Harry, and both Harry and Dudley are raised by Lily and James, and it is known that Peter betrayed them. I wouldn't mind your take on that premise simply because it changes a lot of stuff about later books, *especially* Prisoner of Azkaban, since the entire thing is predicated on the Secret Keeper Switch.
I feel like the line "Most wizards don't have an ounce of logic" from the first book was a handwave for so many odd choices when writing how the wizarding world works.
Heck yeah! Sundays go from a blah day to a good day when i get to sit down and watch/listen to a new Through The Griffin Door as well as Mr.Ballen! Keep up the awesome work guys and gal!
That scenario with James and the invisibility cloak you discussed at the end (which I guess became that video), made me wonder... If Harry or anyone was able to deflect or block a killing curse with the sword, would it take that curse in, to make it stronger? And if so, if you slashed or stabbed someone with it, would they die instantly? I know the killing curse is unblockable magically (well, other than sacrificial love), but it is blockable by objects. Such as the tombstones at the graveyard, or the statues in the Ministry atrium. So, blocking a killing curse should technically be possible with a sword.
Tuning in from Wisconsin, my house is Slytherin. I'd like to say that Dobby and Winky knew each other prior to working at Hogwarts. Winky says she knows Dobby when Harry confuses her with Dobby at the Quidditch World Cup.
I started wondering how you could make the house elves work better. They could be creatures that clean, cook and make the house nice, but they will do it in any house they live in and if the people living in the house want to have a say in how the house is cleaned and where the laundry is folded etc, they will need to cultivate a relationship with the house elf. You could either try to lure a house elf into your home and start cultivating a relationshio or basically be stuck with a house elf infestation where all your things are being cleaned away to places you don't know. It would of course change the plot, but could also create interesting new plot lines.
And this is why I love Ron. When everyone told him to leave it alone, Harry's fine. He didn't. Once again he saved Harry from loneliness and emptiness. Ron is the first real ray of light in Harry's life. He willingly opened his home and family to Harry without a second thought. To show him that he is valued and loved even if his biological family doesn't. Ron is an amazing friend.
I think clothes and "uniforms" or "work attire" are different, since Hogwarts elfs use their tea-towels and Kreacher uses an appron without being freed.
However likely or unlikely it is, I love the idea that Dobby gets all of his positive information about Harry from Draco and that whether directly or indirectly Draco tells Dobby to keep Harry from Hogwarts, like I can imagine Draco overhearing or just being told his father’s plan and since he’s an only child the only person he has to vent his feelings to is Dobby and because to Draco he’s just this nonentity it doesn’t even occur to him that Dobby has the power to do anything about it and he’s just like “I wish there was a way to keep Potter away from school this year” and Dobby’s just like “Bro I got you!”
My headcanon for how Muggle-Borns' Parents explain to their friends is that they are given a slip of paper that shows a fake institution, much like Dumbledore does to the headmistress of the Orphanage when he tells him that he's a wizard.
I just love seeing you two coming up with theories on the fly. 💖 It´s just so much fun.🤩 I´m still hoping you´ll pick up my "what if" idea of...what if Ron and Ginny were twins. I think it would give the story a lot of interesting twists....anyway love to watch and listen to anything you guys do, keep it up!
So, this does bring up the question of how long Dobby has been working for the Malfoys. Could Dobby have witnessed the Dark Lord giving Lucius the diary in the first place and overheard how the diary was supposed to have been planted there? And maybe Lucius pulling it out from wherever he had it stashed away could have alerted Dobby to the plan moving forward? I feel like Draco's failure to win over Harry might have sparked this as a possibility.
Oh no - I’m all caught up! I was delighted to find a whole book’s review that I could revel in. I started first listening to the chapter as it’s been a hot minute since I last read the books. Good fun. Look at you guys getting older and now with wives and children but still harry pottering. Thank you. You can’t help but succeed. Note: I’m in Australia and we seem to have a lot of the same sweets/desserts as the British but I do chuckle as you struggle to understand humbugs and sugared flowers.
I always found it odd that Hermione didn't try some muggle ways of contacting Harry. For one thing I don't think Hermione has an owl (does she rent one from somewhere? I don't think we get an address for her so maybe she lives in London and regularly pops over to diagon alley), and with Hedwig not being able to fly and fetch mail (I always thought she had a sixth sense for when letters for Harry are being written) I would have thought it might be easier to try muggle mail, or a phone call. Even if the Dursleys tried to get in the way of that I think they would still ask Harry why a dentist office somewhere wanted him to book an appointment or something.
Hermione didn't have Harry's phonenummer or adress at that point. There must be a lot of Harry Potters and Dursleys all over Great Brittain. Even if she did Dobby could have intercepted her muggle mail as well.
This is wonderful y’all, I found the podcast last week. I have long boring nights at work and I love this. Please do the whole thing I’m here for it for sure for real for real can’t wait for the later books XD
It's always been something that bugs me is that if you're a wizard wouldn't you have your wand with you at all times I mean not necessarily in your pocket but just like laying out on a coffee table or end table at a moment's notice to grab especially when you're being hunted?
With the what if James had the cloak you could also still argue that Lilly and Harry would be protected by the sacrificial love spell. If James had the option to hide himself but instead cloaked Lilly in Harry that would technically fit the conditions for that spell. It would be interesting to see how having Lilly and Harry living through the story and potentially both of them being protected by the charm. Plus Sirius wouldn’t go to Azkaban since Lilly could tell people that their actual secret keeper was Peter. So Harry would be able to live with both his mother and God father in his life.
Winky says "I knows Dobby" at the quidditch world cup when talking to harry Also I forget where, 6th book maybe, where Dumbledore suggests that before big V's downfall, he and lucius made plans to open the chamber with the diary but it never came through. If Lucius ever wrote in the diary and realized he had direct access to voldemort, there's no chance in hell he'd be getting rid of it, IMO
21:05- at least back to the days of Queen Elizabeth (the first) the single best espionage technique was either to get one of your agents as a servant to the royal household, or to pay a servant of the royal household to be your agent because royals/nobility treated their servants like furniture and freely discussed sensitive matters in front of them.
Not only is Hedwig locked in a small cage for weeks, there is nothing in that cage for stimulus! No toys, just presumably the one perch, no treats, no owl food. She only gets treats when Harry is with Ron.
OK Now I'm just imagining Dobby jumping off of the roof to catch owls mid flight, punching the owls in the face, and screaming, "Dobby must save Harry potter! Give Dobby the letter!"🤣
31:17 as a fellow slytherin, i love how 2 slytherin men’s question is why didn’t Harry just do the obvious thing that is to lie to dobby when they’re literally talking about Harry Potter, the embodiment of honour and bravery, the beacon of righteousness, the epitome of gryffindor values and the antithesis of slytherin cunning lol Also, I look forward to these episodes every week, it’s been so fun to revisit this collective childhood we shared chapter by chapter :)
I think that part of the reason that Dobby is able to go interfere with Harry so much and not have it break the House Elf Rules is that he is making Harry miserable and that is something that Draco would like. Over the summer making Harry feel so isolated and that he has no friends and then getting him expelled would make Draco ecstatic. Likewise physically preventing him from getting back to school would make Draco’s school experience better. Same goes for Quidditch, interfering with the match makes it more likely for Draco to catch the snitch, thus improving his favor with the other Slytherins. Thoughts?
Yeah, Dobby say at the end that the "clue" was that before Tom Riddle was publicly known as Lord Voldemort he wasn't "He-who-must-not-be-named", but could be named freely, which is a rubbish clue.
Doring, one of the trivia events during Covid. I posed that exact same question about a house doing laundry! I think they could still do it. You just have to command them too like you can’t give them a shirt to wash but I believe you can tell them pick up that shirt and clean it for me. That way you’re not precepting it to them but it is a command.
Oooh, thought I had while you were discussing how Dobby "protects" Harry: Dobby could represent the Ego. He honestly believes it's better for Harry to be kept away from the both worlds, (Wizarding and Muggle), locked up at the Dursley's then to enjoy his life and possibly get harmed or killed. Our ego's will do anything to "keep us safe"; anxiety (worrying constantly about what other people think of you), depression (to keep you from failing anything. How can you fail if you don't try?) Over-worrying (you'll be prepared for every worst case scenario if you've already run through them a million times in your mind), etc. Our ego would have us lock ourselves in our bedrooms rather then enjoy our lives doing anything we love to keep us safe from potential pain, emotional or physical.
Winky knows who Dobby is before the Quidditch World Cup, so Dobby meets Winky while Winky is employed but he is free, so the implication might be that he tried to get Crouch to hire him (and failed)
Theory that may or may not make sense I haven’t read chamber of secrets in a long time: what if Lucius was intentionally sending Dolby to spy on Harry because Harry was originally supposed to be the recipient of the diary? Either to push Harry towards the dark side or kill Harry in the hopes of it bringing back Voldemort. Intercepting the letters may have also been part of the original plan so Harry would feel isolated enough to start confiding the diary. However after the fight in the bookshop, Lucius gave it to Ginny instead to get back at Arthur.
My head cannon for Dobby's involvement here is that he was sent by Draco. It’s an early hint at the redemption arc. That’s why he can do all those things, but can't get.into the details.
I don't think Draco's redemption starts this early. Just a few weeks before Harry "stole" the House Cup from Slytherin. Draco doesn't know the details of the plot, I don't even think he knows of his father's involvement, and J and Ben pointed out that Dobby has known of the plot for months. I believe Draco's redemption is seeded by the events at the Quidditch World Cup.
I thought something similar, maybe Draco orders Doddy to make Harry´s summer miserable and this is how Dobby interprets the order. He´s technically doing what he was told.
Wouldn't casting the Killing Curse on the Sword of Gryffindor make it a one-shot kill weapon? Since it absorbs substances it touches, what if it absorb the Killing Curse into itself and people just drop dead at receiving just a little tap on the shoulder from the blade?
I'd always had the thought that house elves were actually a kind of poltergeist, ones that form specifically in old well-lived in homes. If Peeves is a poltergeist of chaos (And Filch is a poltergeist of rule following), house elves could be poltergeists of servitude.
Hey! Brother! I just gotta say, I find myself watching these episodes multiple times throughout the week, I love that you guys love this series so, so, much. I had been meaning to re read the series for a few years now, this Podcast has given me the perfect opportunity to do so. This Summer I turn 30 and seeing the story as an adult has greatly shifted how I feel as I journey though, I am here, along for the ride and enjoying every minute, Multiple times, each week. Gives me a good anchor for the start of my week, been a helpful thing to structure my routine around, something I deeply struggle with. I don't have a complicated question, but I was wondering what your favorite Harry Potter (the character) moment in the series. Because I've found that Harry is responsible for some of my own Goodness, always curious at your thoughts.
Maybe Lucious and Narcissa read Draco’s letters aloud to each other at the table and discuss ways to take Harry down with each other not paying attention to their slave except to forbid him from sharing anything. Maybe Draco said something that Dobby took as permission to steal the letters.
I actually never interpreted Dobby's self-flagellation as magically or contractually induced, but that he does it because the idea of a house-elf's duty is so deeply ingrained in him that punishing himself is the only way he can reconcile betraying his household to protect Harry.
I remember doing the pb&j sandwich thing. The other people in my group thought I was crazy for writing over a page of instructions. But I got that sandwich made.
I think Dobby is too tricky to fall for a lie of Harry had tried to lie about not going back to Hogwarts. He would probably use some kind of elf magic to hold Harry to his promise
Just want to throw out there that if Dobby or Vernon did succeed and Harry didn’t show up I’m more than certain Dumbledore would just show up at the Dursley’s front door…
An option with the "What if James still had the cloak" discussion; perhaps Lilly and Harry were safe under the cloak long enough for Sirius (and others?) to arrive and defeat the now very frustrated Tom... Or again perhaps Sirius arrives, a fight ensues, Lilly leaps out to protect Harry, the normal set of events takes place, with the exception that Sirius is given credit for defeating Tom!...
Dobby could show up far enough away so it didn't reflect on Harry. Also his getting the letters from the same place and never be in close proximity to cause Harry problems.
J & Ben I have always assumed house elves could do laundry BUT you just cannot hand them your clothes & instead have to tell them to “go clean my clothes”.
I feel like years ago SCB did a theory about the diary. Part of the video included Ben acting as Lucius and it was hilarious (Narcissa yelled at me again). I wish I could remember the theory, but that part was definitely worth the watch.
"The Weasleys are rich in the ways that count" is a quote to be framed.
I really find it funny that the ministry is like “oh no we can’t do anything suspicious around muggles and then also sends owls with letters / howlers in front of muggles 😂
All I can think of now is Dobby just straight up tackling owls screaming “Give Dobby the Lettah! Dobby must protect Harry Pottah! GIVE DOBBY THE LETTAH!” 😂😂😂
Haha that’s awesome!
Underrated comment.
I imagine he befriended Hedwig. In book 5, Dobby brings Hedwig back after Prof. Grubbly-Plank heals her. My head canon is that he convinced Hedwig to cooperate and reroute the letters because it was in Harry's best interest.
@@SlyLashes But Hedwig was not outside all summer.
@@fionarodgers4806 frfr
Does anyone else find it really entertaining watching them work out these theories in real time when the corresponding video has already been posted? lol
It's a delight, especially since I do that same thing all the time for Undertale and the occasional other universe. It feels like I'm at home, in a strange way :D
That’s exactly what I was thinking.
Yes! I am loving it
Yes!!!
It’s the best!
I always thought the reason Dobby was intentionally vague about the plot was that while he did overhear it, he was somehow caught doing so by Lucius, who gave him an order specifically forbading him from telling anyone the plot, therefore preventing dobby from actively telling Harry WHAT is going to happen, Lucius never forbade him from telling anyone there IS a plot, hes just under order to not tell anyone specifically what Lucius said about the plot?
"I am legally not allowed to say what they are planning"
'So they're planning something?'
I always thought this cause he was like “not about he who must not be named….” But later says it was about Voldemort before he was Voldemort so he’s telling Harry but being very cryptic
@@heylolp9 idk if you're joking or not but that's always the vague idea I had in mind, because it was the only way I could retroactively explain how he always gets so close to telling Harry, but can't ever exactly say what he wants to
@@Halfbloodprincesss8 yeah, almost as tho he intentionally tried to say the opposite because it wasn't breaking the rules, but trying to say it in a way that doubles it back into giving away that it was him
Ditto
Mr. Mason: "is this your idea of a joke?"
Vernon: "If it is, sir, it's not being played on you."
I always assumed that the magic Dobby uses can be hidden from the Ministry but he specifically chooses to let the levitation spell be detected so that Harry would have to stay at the Dursleys... to be "safe"
Yeah I figured Donny would actively try to frame Harry
Good explanation
I think the "no magic outside of school" makes more sense if it is a "no magic without adult wizarding supervision" rule. Because if they did it wrong, they could be in a dangerous situation, without an adult to reverse it. And it would also explain the Trace: so they can come and possibly undo the results of a botched spell, or even accidental magic, like they actually did with Marge in PoA.
It would also make sense for kids that have wizarding parents, like it might be unfair for muggleborn kids but like... the Ministry being like "don't teach your kid anything magic during summer breaks" seems weirdly invasive? besides there's parents that homeschool their kids
I’ve always imagined it like a driver’s licence: at first you’re only allowed to operate a vehicle with another licensed driver with you, until you become fully licensed. It’s for the kid’s/driver’s own safety, and that of others, until they’ve learned and experienced enough to be able to perform magic/drive safely on their own.
The problem with this podcast is that it's so cozy that I keep listening to it in bed and then I fall asleep halfway through. So then I have to go back and figure out what I remember hearing so I can listen to the rest of it
Lmao same, I end up cycling back multiple episodes in my sleep
Same
Harry's kinda treated as a house elf at the Dursleys. That's a fun parallel I've drawn.
The way I see Dobby breaking the rules to help Harry is him showing off how house elves can interpret their orders.
I see it as Dobby having had to prepare for and serve during Lucius' meeting with other Death Eater with Lucius specifying that what any of them say in the meetings can't be repeated. That would include names and would explain why Dobby has to be careful with his words.
As for the owls, my head canon is that is that one day when getting the mail, Dobby asked Narcissa if he had to collect all the owl mail too. After Narcissa told Dobby that yes he had to collect all the owl mail too and punished him for asking a dumb question Dobby took that as permission to collect Harry's owl mail.
When they do the Harry Potter series, I want to see a montage of Dobby stealing Harry's mail and constantly getting hurt doing so.
The whole James keeping the cloak thing NEEDS to be a whole series! It’s got to expand, because the whole timeline would be so awesome!
“dobby can harm harry however dobby sees fit” is sending me 😂 the humor in this show is so incredible
Re: your ending hypothesizing - Would Harry get his same twin core wand if he doesn’t have a piece of Voldemort’s soul inside him?
A believe so. In Hogwarts Legacy it is revealed to the player that ancient magic is what binds a wand to the wizard. As such, it most likely choose Harry because of the prophesy.
It's so adorable and kinda innocent I guess to watch people who had really good lives and a healthy loving childhood be somewhat clueless (in a kind of wholesome way) about the cruelties of the world.
Listening to Ben & J talk about slavery, poverty, child abuse and other disparities in a whimsical manner is a little like "aww bless their innocent little hearts"
(But it's kind of cute, not dismissive so I still love them)
The thought of Dobby continually using short-range apparition (which we know to be detection-proof) to charge at owls flying mid-air and steal their letters is now in my head. Thank you.
38:32 herminone would probably tell her parents to tell others that she was accepted to a boarding school near Scotland
After listening to the entire series each night for 3 yrs, my theory is that Dobby dies in book 7 due to the promise (words are magic themselves) that Dobby made Harry not to save his life again at the end of Book 2. Since he saved Harry's life the promise was broken and he died as a result.
Similarly to how Snape could have died because Draco got punched in the face by Ron or it could be the emotional distress (constituting as harm) Snape says he'll protect Draco from harm. It was never specified in what harm he was to be protected from.
When J said that Dobey must have been stopping the owls non magically. the first image that came to my mind was Dobey out side of Number 4 with a tennis racket...POW!!!
Dobby starts at Hogwarts a week before Hermione finds him in the kitchen. Dobby goes and finds Winky (somewhere) and he decides that they should go find work together. Also at the World Cup Winky tells Harry that she’s heard that Dobby has been up to things unbecoming of a House Elf. So there must be some network.
Exactly. Same when Dobby mentions Dumbledore… how would he hear such praise while at the Malfoys?
@@peterpeterpumpkineater9451 well, if I heard the Malfoys talking bad about someone I'd know that person is a good person and the more they hate them, the better the person
I started wondering how house elves could be done in a way that isn't slavery. It could be that house elves are creatures that clean and like to make the home nice and cozy and will do it in any home they live in, but if you want it to respect your wishes on how it's done, you'd have to cultivate a good relationship with it. It would be possible to have a house elf infestation, where the elf just cleans away all your things into the wrong places. Some people cultivate that relationship and get a lot of help and some see it as an issue, if an elf takes a liking to their home.
@@sonjaimmonen6610 oh. I like this!
@@sonjaimmonen6610 I had a similar idea that im incorporating into my own story, but one that the more people try to get rid of them the harder they are to get rid of.
House elves can do laundry. The caveat is that their owners cannot physically hand them the clothing themselves. And else has to go and collect it without receiving it personally from their owner. Basically no wizard that has a house elf would be undressing and then having their elf take the clothes from them like a valet.
This seems plenty reasonable, but you say it as if it's a known fact. Is there a source on this that I'm not aware of? I'd love to read it for myself.
Except when you read Goblet of Fire, the house elves stop cleaning the Gryffindor common room because Hermoine has left clothing items all over.
@@melissagastorf3664 This honestly doesn't even make sense based on the rules we know. Hermoine is not the owner of the house elves. By the logic presented in GOF Harry could have given Dobby some cloths and freed him at anytime. What I'm curious of is what happens if a house elf is given clothes but the owner tells them they can just stay and keep working. Winky was devastated when Crouch gave her clothes. If I had a house elf and told them to do laundry but that I wasn't setting them free, what would happen?
@@melissagastorf3664 Yeah, but that was her planting clothes where clothes were not meant to be. One thing to have them in the laundry basket or in a noticeable pile on the floor, another to have lumpy socks lurking with intent in the among the couch cushions. Though I think in that case, it was more of the 'intent' on Hermione's part rather than that actually working that upset the elves the most.
@@robertgronewold3326 The intent thing seems the logical conclusion until you realise Lucius set Dobby free without intending it. In my mind the answer is that Hermione's clothes in the common room would have simply not worked but she does not know this. Perhaps the house elfes just found her intent to free them insulting whether it would have worked or not. It is strange, though, that apparently they have enouh autonomy to simply stop doing part of their work just because they feel insulted.
Edit: I misread your comment. You already said exactly what I said lol. Sorry.
Dobby/House Elves are fairly prevalent in German folk tails. The best known is The Cobbler, a kind old man who gets the aid from elves who finish his work while he slept unaware.
More generally, House Elves are among "The Little People," historically including Sprites,Pixies, Forest Gnomes, Leprechauns etc; the lowest rung of the Fae Courts. A good modern depiction of relationships with the Little People comes from The Dresden Files, from the personal interactions with Toot to the cleaning service given by the Summer Court
Since I pictured the German Heinzelmännchen always more like tiny dwarfs it took me years to connect them with house elves. I was so thrilled when I finally noticed the connections and understood why it is completely logic why house elves leave if you give them cloths. Also in the tale with The Show Maker and his wive they are not offended by the cloths but think they are too good enough to work any longer (German and English version I know).
Dobby having clothes could be a foreshadowing of his future. In the depthes of his identity, Dobby is a free elf.
Oooh!! Good point! 😃
I accept this. I like that theory
Waffling. It's just plain bad art :D
I love how you talk through the “what if’s” but because of timing we’ve already seen the full video you create regarding this topic 😊 honestly it makes me so happy for some reason!
You guys made a great point about how would Dobby know about how great and powerful Dumbledore is. My guess is that Voldemort and at least the inner circle of death eaters privately acknowledge that Dumbledore is a great wizard but they would never say it publicly.
I would love a story about a world where Harry was raised by either James or Lily.
Having already watched the full FIVE-part What If James Had the Invisibility Cloak, seeing it born here is absolutely WILD.
Honestly, this what-if at the end reminded me of a really cool fanfic I read once, where Vernon and Petunia die in a car crash, and Lily and James attend their funeral via polyjuice potion, and the night that Voldemort attacks Sirius is watching Harry. Voldemort gives him the same choice as Lily in canon because of his family, and Sirius (obviously) refuses, so it's HIS sacrifice that protects Harry, and both Harry and Dudley are raised by Lily and James, and it is known that Peter betrayed them. I wouldn't mind your take on that premise simply because it changes a lot of stuff about later books, *especially* Prisoner of Azkaban, since the entire thing is predicated on the Secret Keeper Switch.
Dobby would have heard their reasons for not liking Dumbledore, and he would have seen them as reasons Dumbledore was awesome haha
I’m re-reading along with you guys on this book lol, I love this series!
I feel like the line "Most wizards don't have an ounce of logic" from the first book was a handwave for so many odd choices when writing how the wizarding world works.
Heck yeah! Sundays go from a blah day to a good day when i get to sit down and watch/listen to a new Through The Griffin Door as well as Mr.Ballen! Keep up the awesome work guys and gal!
Well I love writing HP fanfic so idea for fanfic now - Bob Riddle, Tom Riddles brother 😂
That scenario with James and the invisibility cloak you discussed at the end (which I guess became that video), made me wonder... If Harry or anyone was able to deflect or block a killing curse with the sword, would it take that curse in, to make it stronger? And if so, if you slashed or stabbed someone with it, would they die instantly? I know the killing curse is unblockable magically (well, other than sacrificial love), but it is blockable by objects. Such as the tombstones at the graveyard, or the statues in the Ministry atrium. So, blocking a killing curse should technically be possible with a sword.
Given that Mason is her married name Mrs Mason's sibling could easily be a magical person we are familiar with. She could even be a squib.
Tuning in from Wisconsin, my house is Slytherin.
I'd like to say that Dobby and Winky knew each other prior to working at Hogwarts. Winky says she knows Dobby when Harry confuses her with Dobby at the Quidditch World Cup.
My dog is named Dobby… she’s really paying attention to you two!
I started wondering how you could make the house elves work better. They could be creatures that clean, cook and make the house nice, but they will do it in any house they live in and if the people living in the house want to have a say in how the house is cleaned and where the laundry is folded etc, they will need to cultivate a relationship with the house elf. You could either try to lure a house elf into your home and start cultivating a relationshio or basically be stuck with a house elf infestation where all your things are being cleaned away to places you don't know. It would of course change the plot, but could also create interesting new plot lines.
And this is why I love Ron. When everyone told him to leave it alone, Harry's fine. He didn't. Once again he saved Harry from loneliness and emptiness. Ron is the first real ray of light in Harry's life. He willingly opened his home and family to Harry without a second thought. To show him that he is valued and loved even if his biological family doesn't. Ron is an amazing friend.
I think clothes and "uniforms" or "work attire" are different, since Hogwarts elfs use their tea-towels and Kreacher uses an appron without being freed.
However likely or unlikely it is, I love the idea that Dobby gets all of his positive information about Harry from Draco and that whether directly or indirectly Draco tells Dobby to keep Harry from Hogwarts, like I can imagine Draco overhearing or just being told his father’s plan and since he’s an only child the only person he has to vent his feelings to is Dobby and because to Draco he’s just this nonentity it doesn’t even occur to him that Dobby has the power to do anything about it and he’s just like “I wish there was a way to keep Potter away from school this year” and Dobby’s just like “Bro I got you!”
My headcanon for how Muggle-Borns' Parents explain to their friends is that they are given a slip of paper that shows a fake institution, much like Dumbledore does to the headmistress of the Orphanage when he tells him that he's a wizard.
Harry's dream at the end of the chapter--kinda a call back to the zoo visit in Philosopher's Stone.
I just love seeing you two coming up with theories on the fly. 💖 It´s just so much fun.🤩 I´m still hoping you´ll pick up my "what if" idea of...what if Ron and Ginny were twins. I think it would give the story a lot of interesting twists....anyway love to watch and listen to anything you guys do, keep it up!
So, this does bring up the question of how long Dobby has been working for the Malfoys.
Could Dobby have witnessed the Dark Lord giving Lucius the diary in the first place and overheard how the diary was supposed to have been planted there? And maybe Lucius pulling it out from wherever he had it stashed away could have alerted Dobby to the plan moving forward? I feel like Draco's failure to win over Harry might have sparked this as a possibility.
Oh no - I’m all caught up! I was delighted to find a whole book’s review that I could revel in. I started first listening to the chapter as it’s been a hot minute since I last read the books. Good fun. Look at you guys getting older and now with wives and children but still harry pottering. Thank you. You can’t help but succeed. Note: I’m in Australia and we seem to have a lot of the same sweets/desserts as the British but I do chuckle as you struggle to understand humbugs and sugared flowers.
I always found it odd that Hermione didn't try some muggle ways of contacting Harry. For one thing I don't think Hermione has an owl (does she rent one from somewhere? I don't think we get an address for her so maybe she lives in London and regularly pops over to diagon alley), and with Hedwig not being able to fly and fetch mail (I always thought she had a sixth sense for when letters for Harry are being written) I would have thought it might be easier to try muggle mail, or a phone call. Even if the Dursleys tried to get in the way of that I think they would still ask Harry why a dentist office somewhere wanted him to book an appointment or something.
Hermione didn't have Harry's phonenummer or adress at that point. There must be a lot of Harry Potters and Dursleys all over Great Brittain. Even if she did Dobby could have intercepted her muggle mail as well.
Second chapter! Let's go! Love this podcast guys🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Hope you gave the fan question at the end some good merch for the video idea! Keep up the good work as always
Can’t tell you how happy I get listening to these videos as I get my work week started. Thanks, brothers ❤
This is wonderful y’all, I found the podcast last week. I have long boring nights at work and I love this. Please do the whole thing I’m here for it for sure for real for real can’t wait for the later books XD
It's always been something that bugs me is that if you're a wizard wouldn't you have your wand with you at all times I mean not necessarily in your pocket but just like laying out on a coffee table or end table at a moment's notice to grab especially when you're being hunted?
I’m absolutely dying at J’s Voldemort impression when they’re talking about the invisibility cloak! “Where are they?!” “Wormtail!” 💀💀💀
With the what if James had the cloak you could also still argue that Lilly and Harry would be protected by the sacrificial love spell. If James had the option to hide himself but instead cloaked Lilly in Harry that would technically fit the conditions for that spell. It would be interesting to see how having Lilly and Harry living through the story and potentially both of them being protected by the charm.
Plus Sirius wouldn’t go to Azkaban since Lilly could tell people that their actual secret keeper was Peter. So Harry would be able to live with both his mother and God father in his life.
Winky says "I knows Dobby" at the quidditch world cup when talking to harry
Also I forget where, 6th book maybe, where Dumbledore suggests that before big V's downfall, he and lucius made plans to open the chamber with the diary but it never came through. If Lucius ever wrote in the diary and realized he had direct access to voldemort, there's no chance in hell he'd be getting rid of it, IMO
Heeeeyy brotherrrr!
That tangent at the end was amazing! And you guys are amazing, keep up the excellent work you do!
21:05- at least back to the days of Queen Elizabeth (the first) the single best espionage technique was either to get one of your agents as a servant to the royal household, or to pay a servant of the royal household to be your agent because royals/nobility treated their servants like furniture and freely discussed sensitive matters in front of them.
Not only is Hedwig locked in a small cage for weeks, there is nothing in that cage for stimulus! No toys, just presumably the one perch, no treats, no owl food. She only gets treats when Harry is with Ron.
I mean I imagine Harry feeds her otherwise she would die of starvation in that time period lol owls have to eat several times a day
I think Dobby may have a morningly order of "get the mail" which he's interpreting quite liberally
OK Now I'm just imagining Dobby jumping off of the roof to catch owls mid flight, punching the owls in the face, and screaming, "Dobby must save Harry potter! Give Dobby the letter!"🤣
31:17 as a fellow slytherin, i love how 2 slytherin men’s question is why didn’t Harry just do the obvious thing that is to lie to dobby when they’re literally talking about Harry Potter, the embodiment of honour and bravery, the beacon of righteousness, the epitome of gryffindor values and the antithesis of slytherin cunning lol
Also, I look forward to these episodes every week, it’s been so fun to revisit this collective childhood we shared chapter by chapter :)
The description you found of a dobby is also the description of a brownie...at least the ones patterned in Girl Scouts.
Great episode, thank you!
I think that part of the reason that Dobby is able to go interfere with Harry so much and not have it break the House Elf Rules is that he is making Harry miserable and that is something that Draco would like. Over the summer making Harry feel so isolated and that he has no friends and then getting him expelled would make Draco ecstatic. Likewise physically preventing him from getting back to school would make Draco’s school experience better. Same goes for Quidditch, interfering with the match makes it more likely for Draco to catch the snitch, thus improving his favor with the other Slytherins. Thoughts?
Lets goooo. I seen the audio verson came out a few hours ago and have been refreshing youtube waiting for this. Best way to start a sunday.
Or in my case end Sunday
Yeah, Dobby say at the end that the "clue" was that before Tom Riddle was publicly known as Lord Voldemort he wasn't "He-who-must-not-be-named", but could be named freely, which is a rubbish clue.
Doring, one of the trivia events during Covid. I posed that exact same question about a house doing laundry! I think they could still do it. You just have to command them too like you can’t give them a shirt to wash but I believe you can tell them pick up that shirt and clean it for me. That way you’re not precepting it to them but it is a command.
Love the set you have.
Oooh, thought I had while you were discussing how Dobby "protects" Harry: Dobby could represent the Ego.
He honestly believes it's better for Harry to be kept away from the both worlds, (Wizarding and Muggle), locked up at the Dursley's then to enjoy his life and possibly get harmed or killed.
Our ego's will do anything to "keep us safe"; anxiety (worrying constantly about what other people think of you), depression (to keep you from failing anything. How can you fail if you don't try?) Over-worrying (you'll be prepared for every worst case scenario if you've already run through them a million times in your mind), etc. Our ego would have us lock ourselves in our bedrooms rather then enjoy our lives doing anything we love to keep us safe from potential pain, emotional or physical.
Winky knows who Dobby is before the Quidditch World Cup, so Dobby meets Winky while Winky is employed but he is free, so the implication might be that he tried to get Crouch to hire him (and failed)
So glad this landed Today, exactly after re-listen of the first Book and first Chapter of the second Book, love your coverage ❤
It's every Sunday
Theory that may or may not make sense I haven’t read chamber of secrets in a long time: what if Lucius was intentionally sending Dolby to spy on Harry because Harry was originally supposed to be the recipient of the diary? Either to push Harry towards the dark side or kill Harry in the hopes of it bringing back Voldemort. Intercepting the letters may have also been part of the original plan so Harry would feel isolated enough to start confiding the diary. However after the fight in the bookshop, Lucius gave it to Ginny instead to get back at Arthur.
My head cannon for Dobby's involvement here is that he was sent by Draco. It’s an early hint at the redemption arc. That’s why he can do all those things, but can't get.into the details.
I don't think Draco's redemption starts this early. Just a few weeks before Harry "stole" the House Cup from Slytherin.
Draco doesn't know the details of the plot, I don't even think he knows of his father's involvement, and J and Ben pointed out that Dobby has known of the plot for months.
I believe Draco's redemption is seeded by the events at the Quidditch World Cup.
I thought something similar, maybe Draco orders Doddy to make Harry´s summer miserable and this is how Dobby interprets the order. He´s technically doing what he was told.
The amount of the word "like" per second is amazing...
On the topic of Chapter Art, I’m reading along with the Illustration Edition of Chamber of Secrets and the art for Dobby is spot on, if I must admit.
I know someone who's big into both Harry Potter and fanfic. I'm 100% tasking them with writing one about Bob Riddle.
Wouldn't casting the Killing Curse on the Sword of Gryffindor make it a one-shot kill weapon? Since it absorbs substances it touches, what if it absorb the Killing Curse into itself and people just drop dead at receiving just a little tap on the shoulder from the blade?
You had me at treasures. Also bear with me…the goblet of fire…but it’s a Stanley cup.
Goblet is a Stanley
I'd always had the thought that house elves were actually a kind of poltergeist, ones that form specifically in old well-lived in homes. If Peeves is a poltergeist of chaos (And Filch is a poltergeist of rule following), house elves could be poltergeists of servitude.
Lily covers Harold with the cloak, but Voldemort can see the wrackspurts in baby Harold's head.
A very Good Podcast 👍🏻
Hey! Brother!
I just gotta say, I find myself watching these episodes multiple times throughout the week, I love that you guys love this series so, so, much.
I had been meaning to re read the series for a few years now, this Podcast has given me the perfect opportunity to do so.
This Summer I turn 30 and seeing the story as an adult has greatly shifted how I feel as I journey though, I am here, along for the ride and enjoying every minute, Multiple times, each week.
Gives me a good anchor for the start of my week, been a helpful thing to structure my routine around, something I deeply struggle with.
I don't have a complicated question, but I was wondering what your favorite Harry Potter (the character) moment in the series.
Because I've found that Harry is responsible for some of my own Goodness, always curious at your thoughts.
Well done, such a great episode ❤❤❤
I do believe they the Granger's tell their friends that she goes to boarding school in Switzerland.
Maybe Lucious and Narcissa read Draco’s letters aloud to each other at the table and discuss ways to take Harry down with each other not paying attention to their slave except to forbid him from sharing anything. Maybe Draco said something that Dobby took as permission to steal the letters.
I actually never interpreted Dobby's self-flagellation as magically or contractually induced, but that he does it because the idea of a house-elf's duty is so deeply ingrained in him that punishing himself is the only way he can reconcile betraying his household to protect Harry.
I doubt Lucius wrote in the diary because Tom in the diary found out about Voldemort's fall from Ginny
I remember doing the pb&j sandwich thing. The other people in my group thought I was crazy for writing over a page of instructions. But I got that sandwich made.
lol just googled Vernon’s Japanese Golfer Joke.. Too funny 😂
I would love for you to do a tour of the set!
I think Dobby is too tricky to fall for a lie of Harry had tried to lie about not going back to Hogwarts. He would probably use some kind of elf magic to hold Harry to his promise
Just want to throw out there that if Dobby or Vernon did succeed and Harry didn’t show up I’m more than certain Dumbledore would just show up at the Dursley’s front door…
An option with the "What if James still had the cloak" discussion; perhaps Lilly and Harry were safe under the cloak long enough for Sirius (and others?) to arrive and defeat the now very frustrated Tom...
Or again perhaps Sirius arrives, a fight ensues, Lilly leaps out to protect Harry, the normal set of events takes place, with the exception that Sirius is given credit for defeating Tom!...
Jon solo has a video of house elves and fairy folk in general.
Where elves and the fae sneak into your house to help clean and repair/make things
Dobby could show up far enough away so it didn't reflect on Harry. Also his getting the letters from the same place and never be in close proximity to cause Harry problems.
need an animated short of dobby's owl hunting escapades
J & Ben I have always assumed house elves could do laundry BUT you just cannot hand them your clothes & instead have to tell them to “go clean my clothes”.
I feel like years ago SCB did a theory about the diary. Part of the video included Ben acting as Lucius and it was hilarious (Narcissa yelled at me again). I wish I could remember the theory, but that part was definitely worth the watch.
I feel like the person putting bars on his window should be a little suspicious