Order Only: Private message to Draco

[alt_sally_anne]

This is probably a stupid question, but I was wondering just now -- who controls the Buckingham house elves?

I mean, it was the Lord Protector, but Harry was his heir, and you were Harry's heir, and that's how we got control of the Treasury. Do you command the Buckingham elves? Or is it Bellatrix, since she actually controls Buckingham?

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

I was talking to Ron about Ginny yesterday and today I started thinking whether there was a way to send her something.

I mean, I could give it to a post owl but I might as well address it to Bellatrix.

[alt_draco]

I hadn't even thought of that.

See, in all the many, many times I went to Buckingham, I really never saw an elf. You knew they were there and doing impeccable work, but his Lordship definitely forbade them from showing themselves to wizards and witches. Presumably Bellatrix runs the same kind of show.

Harry never had his own elf, either. He had Mrs Baylock, and then he had Dennis, and then he had Hermione.

If I knew any of the names of the Buckingham elves, I could try summoning one and see what happened, but unfortunately I don't know a single one.

[alt_sally_anne]

I went and looked at all of Dennis's old entries but although he talked about the Buckingham elves pretty regularly he never mentioned any of their names, either.

I wonder if they ever go on errands? If you could talk to one face to face, maybe you could give it an order and see if it worked?

How do house-elves even know who their master is? Kreacher loathes Sirius but obeys him. Sort of. Mostly.

[alt_draco]

How would I know it was a Buckingham elf, though? I don't think they walk out the front door.

I'll come up with a list of places the Palace elves might feasibly be sent to and keep them in mind. Once I'm on my next assignment I might actually be in a position to find out more.

I really don't know anything about how house elves work. But I suppose I could ask Heddy, Gibby, or Shilly. Those are the Malfoy elves that are still at the Manor.

[alt_sally_anne]

Maybe they dress in livery? The Hogwarts elves dress in tea-towels with the Hogwarts crest. livery. And they must get the food from somewhere.

I don't ever remember seeing them come round the Strettons but that was before the Order controlled Dover. They can't be as picky now as they were.

I don't know if there's anyone in the Order who knows much about house elves. Hermione, maybe. (Because she knows things about everything, if there's a book about it.)

[alt_draco]

Well, a lot of the posh shops don't just let the elves wander around. They have to pick up the merchandise in a separate area.

And yeah, Hermione knows a lot about everything, but it stands to reason that house elves know the most about house elves.

[alt_sally_anne]

Yeah, that's a good point.

Anyway if the Buckingham elves do answer to you, and you can figure out a way to talk to them, that would be useful for way more than sending something to Ginny.

[alt_draco]

Not to diminish Ginny or her family's situation, but we could do more than just send her something.

Daphne was able to get a horcrux because of house elves. With the right plan they might even be able to get us into Buckingham.

[alt_sally_anne]

Right. Exactly.