Elf Magic

From UnknowableWiki

Elf magic is the special form of wandless magic that house-elves are capable of. It is distinctly different from that of wizards, and several restrictions that affect wizards do not count for elves. For example, they can Apparate to and from places wizards cannot (DH10). However, their powers are restricted inasmuch as they cannot act against the direct will of their masters and are not allowed to use a wand according to clause three of the Code of Wand Use (CS3, GF9, GF21).^[1] Elf magic is mostly, maybe even completely, non-verbal; canon provides no mention of a verbal incantation.

Examples of elf magic

House-elves command a wide range of magical powers, some of them quite impressive. When not restricted by their masters' orders, they can overpower a wizard, as demonstrated by Dobby, who faces down his former masters Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy (CS18, DH23), and Kreacher, who tracks down Mundungus Fletcher and brings him to Grimmauld Place (DH11). We know house-elves to be capable of the following:

• Apparition: House-elf Apparition resembles that of wizards—they can take others with them and disappear with the same loud cracking noise (CS2, OP1, DH23). However, devices designed to disable Apparition or Disapparition for wizards do not work for house-elves and humans they take along (DH10). We do not know whether it is at all possible to block house-elves; but even if it is, most wizards obviously neglect this.
• Hover Charms: Dobby levitates Petunia's pudding in an attempt to prevent Harry Potter from returning to Hogwarts (CS2).
• Sealing magical passageways: Dobby temporarily blocks the magical entrance to platform nine and three-quarters to stop Harry from boarding the Hogwarts Express (CS5).
• Bewitching magical objects: Dobby bewitches a Bludger to follow and injure Harry (CS10).
• Banishing humans: When Lucius Malfoy tries to attack Harry, Dobby uses elf magic to throw him backwards down a flight of stairs with a loud bang (CS18).
• Binding humans to them: Winky uses elf magic to bind Barty Crouch, Jr. to her after the Quidditch World Cup and drags him with her into the forest. The bond is only broken when they are both Stunned (GF9, GF35).
• Shrinking items: Ron gives Dobby his maroon jumper for Christmas without shrinking it; the elf is later seen wearing a shrunk version, so we can assume that he performed the necessary charm (GF23, GF26).
• Making items reappear at another place: The Hogwarts house-elves send the food from the kitchens to the tables in the Great Hall (GF21).
• Household Charms: For a time, Dobby cleans all of Gryffindor Tower by himself every night; it is unlikely that he does this without magic (OP18). Typical house-elf jobs include cleaning, cooking, and generally looking after the household; they are presumably able to perform magic that aids them in their tasks.
• Receiving summons: House-elves always hear when their masters call them and instantly Apparate to their side. This is both an ability and a restriction, because, as Kreacher's anger at Harry's summons indicates, they have no choice in the matter (HBP19, DH10).
• Unfastening items: At Malfoy Manor, Dobby drops a chandelier (DH23).
• Disarming: Dobby disarms Narcissa at Malfoy Manor. Unlike the usual Disarming Charm, his action is accompanied by a loud crack (DH23).

It seems that house-elves cannot perform an equivalent to Reparo; Kreacher uses Spellotape to mend the glass of the frame of Bellatrix' photograph (OP23).

Underestimation of elf magic

In line with the deep-rooted prejudice against house-elves, many wizards tend to underestimate the powers of elf magic. The most prominent example is Voldemort, whose careless neglect allows the elf Kreacher to Disapparate from the cave where he has hidden one of his Horcruxes (DH10). Kreacher thus escapes easily from an almost certain death trap for wizards and tells his master Regulus about the event. On Regulus' orders, he is able to Apparate both of them back to the cave and steal the Horcrux—Slytherin's locket. This ultimately leads to the locket's destruction (DH19) and Voldemort's fall (DH36).

Footnotes

1. ↑ It is possible that this changes after Hermione Granger joins the Ministry of Magic, as one of the goals of S.P.E.W., the elf rights society she founds in 1994, is to change this law.