SPEW

[Lupus]

She is doing it all wrong. Her motives are noble, but she can't force the issue so much. She needs to start with less radical approach first, and then work her way up. Maybe she should start some kind of educational program for house elves where their owners would encourage them to attend. They first need to be educated about how they became to be enslaved, and then maybe some of them would lead the others in wanting their freedom. Right now Dobby is the pioneer, but others look at him as somebody without "master" and "taking money" for work, like it's wrong.
Personally, I think it's sad that they're unaware of their position. I admire Hermione for at least trying, but she shouldn't push it so hard, otw things could get even worse.

[spirit]

I think that Hermione should try to make the owners treat their elves better, instead of trying to set the elves free.
They're called house elves so they exist to do chores and they enjoy it.

[Nobby]

I reckon i should set up SPDW

Society for the Protection of Dragonish Welfare

[paintballdecoy]

She is just too stubborn to admit that the elves are happy in Dumbledores care, and hiding hats is wrong, why make them miserable releasing them, when they are happy where they are

[Celeone]

I don't support, like most of the people, Hermione with the SPEW. Somewhere in her heart she knows - I think - that the House Elfs don't except it. She was right about Kreacher, but still...

[Athena Appleton]

I wonder what would happen if Harry did mention to Hermione about Dobby taking all the hats, and the other house-elves refusing to clean the Gryffindor common room? hmmm...

I think she's going about it all wrong, too... it's a noble idea, but the fact is, they love it, and they really dislike what she's trying to do... then again, when women were fighting for suffrage (sp?) many women were appalled at the idea of women voting, and now we take it for granted that we have that right...

The kind of cool thing, though, is that I get the idea that Dumbledore would pay any of the elves who wanted it... I mean, I don't think he's making an exception for Dobby...

okay, now I have to start a new topic, cuz I have some house-elf questions...

[Alice I]

The kitchen was working full steam. Breakfast was only two hours away and there was a lot of work that needed to be done to prepare the school for a busy day. Hermione just stood quietly against the wall watching the flow of activity all around. There were at least ten elves to each house table setting up silverware and place settings cups, juice jugs and all sorts of the little things that even she had to admit she took for granted. There were elves popping in and out near the large fire at the end of the hall. The smells coming from the stoves that were just out of her line of vision were wonderful. Elves were running along in every direction but they never seemed to collide with each other. It was fascinating to watch. One elf carrying a large stack of plates came literally running along, the stack swayed precariously like they were about to fall but never did. Another elf looking down at the four pecks of apples he was running along with was on a direct collision course with the elf carrying the plates but at the last second each veered around each other. Neither elf looked at the other or gave any indication that they had just nearly collided with each other. Hermione stood watching them for awhile not moving at all so as not to draw attention to herself. There were at least fifty busy elves in her line of sight and every single one of them was smiling. They were speaking to each other in light tones and were laughing; although quietly. All of these house elves were happy. For the first time Hermione began to see them a little differently than she had. She had always looked at house elves with her set of values and social beliefs. Maybe she should learn more about these creatures and their lives, find out what their values are what their social beliefs are. Hermione was pondering this and watching the elves working at the far table when a small voice at her side said “Good morning young mistress. Can I get you something from the kitchen miss?”

Mabe Hermione should check out the kitchens

[Athena Appleton]

what was that?

[Alice I]

what was that?

It was just a excerpt from something I'm writing.
The point is:
If Hermione were to get a first hand look at the house elves and their lives she may realize that she should ease up a little on all this SPEW stuff.
She has always looked at the plight of house elves with her set of values, and I thought that maybe if she were to look at life from their perspective she might gain new perspective.

[Nobby]

i thought it was good alice!

[Alice I]

i thought it was good alice!

Thanks Nobby

[sea-plunder]

nice work alice, you said it was an excerpt from something you were writing...weres the rest???

[fierce]

Alice, that was really good. The story caught my interest, where's the rest?

[Alice I]

The name of the story is:
Harry Potter and the Hand of Gryffindor
It is being posted in chapters in the Fan Fiction area under a thread called:

Excerpt from MY Harry Potter book six.
Now that I am actually posting the whole story you can sort of skip the excerpt parts and go right to the chapters.

Thanks for the thumbs up on the writing
You folks on this forum are just wonderful for my ego.

[Nobby]

'fame is a fickle friend alice, celebrity is as celebrity does'