Friday, July 15, 2016

House Elves: Films vs. Books Part 3



Faith of GeekyZooGirl and Micheline of Lunar Rainbow Reviews are hosting the Harry Potter Month in July!! Of course, Harry's birthday is in July so it's a celebration! I am competing for my House Cup as well for Ravenclaw. As most of you know, I adore Harry Potter so this month will be full of even more Potter goodness at JC's Book Haven.

If you haven't seen all the movies or read all the books - there are spoilers ahead.
YE BE WARNED.


Kreacher


Now while Kreacher was a part of the films in Sirius' home, there were certain aspects of his character that was left out. Kreacher is not a house elf we like when we first meet him. He talks bad about Hermione because she's a Mud Blood. He talks bad about the Weasleys because they are Blood Traitors. He talks bad about Harry for thwarting Voldemort. It's very hard to like him. He even had a part to play in Sirius' death though that part wasn't by design. Sirius told him to 'get out' which he took literally and went to Narcissa's house. There he fed them what was useless information, but they turned it into important information that would lure Harry to the Department of Mysteries. He then lied to Harry when he checked by Floo Network to see if Sirius was home safe before heading off to the Department of Mysteries. 

After these events, Harry despises Kreacher. However, Kreacher had become his house elf when Sirius passed. Harry ordered Kreacher to work in the kitchen at Hogwarts where he joined Dobby and Winky. Kreacher helped Dobby tail Draco their 6th year, but mostly he thought Draco would be a much better master than Harry which led to Kreacher fighting with Dobby who disagreed on that. This was such a funny scene! Dobby who adores Harry and Kreacher who loathes him were quite the match.

It's not until Deathly Hallows that Kreacher gets his redemption song. Harry forces Kreacher to tell them about Regulus Black. Kreacher tells them the story of Voldemort using him to test the cave where the locket was stored.

Here is that account according to http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Kreacher:

In 1979, when Lord Voldemort told Regulus Black that he needed a house-elf, Regulus volunteered Kreacher, saying it would be an honor to serve the Dark Lord. Voldemort took Kreacher to the Crystal Cave and forced him to drink the potion in the basin so that Voldemort could place Salazar Slytherin's Locket in the basin. The potion, (the same one Dumbledore drank) caused Kreacher to have nightmarish delusions, intense stomach pains and made him dehydrated. Voldemort then left, leaving Kreacher to drink from the lake (as any water conjured evaporates) and die at the hands of the Inferi. However, Voldemort did not remember (or did not realize or thought that the cave's magic was too strong for anyone or anything to disapparate out of) that house-elves have their own special type of magic and Kreacher was able to Disapparate from the cave as Regulus told him to come home when he finished his task.

Regulus later had Kreacher take him back to the Crystal Cave. Regulus drank the potion himself and ordered Kreacher to switch Slytherin's Locket with a fake locket and then go home and destroy the "real" locket, leaving Regulus to die in the cave. For the last few seconds Kreacher was there, he saw the Inferi's hands pulling Regulus into the water. Regulus also ordered Kreacher to never tell his family what had happened to him. Kreacher left as ordered but was unable to destroy the locket, despite his many attempts. This inability to complete an order of his master may have driven him to insanity, explaining his muttering and devotion to his mistress' painting.

Now after being told this story, the trio made a great effort to be more understanding towards Kreacher. They even let him wear the fake locket so he'd have a token of Regulus. Kreacher then starts being friendly towards them. He begins cooking them nice meals and cleaning himself and the home up more. Harry lets Kreacher catch Mundungus who is the one that stole the locket from the house. On the day that the trio go to the ministry to get the real locket, Kreacher promises them steak-and-kidney pie to come home to. However, Yaxley kept them from being able to return to Grimmauld Place and Hermione felt terrible that Kreacher was just home waiting for their return.

The Battle of Hogwarts saw Kreacher leading the house elves into the fighting. He leads them out of the kitchens saying, "Fight! Fight for my master, the defender of the house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus! Fight!"

Harry had gained his loyalty and Kreacher had become a hero.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love comments and read every one of them! Since they are an award in themselves, this is an award-free blog. Thank you though for the consideration!