Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets introduced Dobby as a complicated ally. But why did he decide to help Harry Potter in the first place?

The Harry Potter franchise has had massive success, partly thanks to its heavy emphasis on friendship and family and the importance of maintaining those relationships. Aside from the main trio, no other character understood this concept better than Dobby the House Elf. In fact, when he met Harry Potter, he knew he would one day be an important addition to the Wizarding World. However, even though their relationship was crucial to the films and even stronger in the books, there's still the mystery of why Dobby wanted to help Harry.

Harry first met Dobby in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while Harry was living with the Dursleys. Even though he was back to his militant lifestyle, Harry never stopped longing for the life he had with his friends while learning magic. But just when those days seemed like a dream, Harry met Dobby, bouncing on his bed. At first, Harry was confused, but Dobby was quick to explain himself and the reasoning as to why he didn't want Harry to return to Hogwarts.

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Being a house Elf to the Malfoy family, Dobby was privy to the happenings at the manor. He could overhear conversations and likely even saw important documents regarding Lucius' business. Since no one cared for House Elves in his family, it was as if he were invisible all along. Nevertheless, Dobby learned that Lucius had planned to open the Chamber of Secrets per the wishes of Lord Voldemort, which would've led to catastrophic events at Hogwarts. Knowing that Harry would be going this year, Dobby decided to protect the one person that meant the most to him by trying to make him feel unwanted by his friends and ultimately disillusioned from going back to school.

Harry was a legend in the Wizarding World because he managed to stop Lord Voldemort as a baby. And this inspired the House Elves, especially as their treatment during his reign was far below sub-par. But once Harry defeated him, things got much better for them. As a result, Dobby felt incredibly grateful for what Harry did, even if he was too young to remember it. Therefore, compelled to return the favor, Dobby did what he could to keep Harry safe, even if it meant he couldn't continue his education at Hogwarts for another year. But while his methods seemed harsh, Harry eventually understood it was born from a good place.

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Since then, Harry and Dobby have fostered a powerful friendship where Harry eventually freed Dobby from Malfoy's servitude. Years later, Dobby returned the favor by saving Harry from the Malfoys and other Death Eaters. However, this action sadly cost him his life. Nevertheless, Harry and Dobby had a unique bond born from a legend. But that friendship was stronger than any of the stories Dobby had heard about Harry beforehand.

In the end, Dobby was a hero who would've taken any chance to ensure the safety of Harry Potter. But what made him unique compared to all of Harry's other friends was that he did so without knowing Harry. That said, the young wizard's actions inspired powerful gratitude in the House Elf, eventually leading him to act against the Malfoys when he learned of the Chamber of Secrets. As a result, Dobby became an unlikely but irreplaceable friend to Harry.

Nicholas Brooks has been writing professionally for over a decade, covering many aspects of pop culture from film and video games to comics and anime. Writing has remained his passion in that time and loves to theorize and pick apart unique connections in franchises like Marvel, Jurassic Park and much more. In his spare time, he could be found working on his bookstagram, collecting figures, reading comics or watching movies with his girlfriend.

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