Dobby the house-elf made his first appearance in The Chamber of Secrets and instantly became one of the most loved characters in Harry Potter. Though he is initially trying to stop Harry from returning to Hogwarts, it soon becomes clear that Dobby cares deeply for Harry and is such a sweetheart. Following him throughout the books, we get to see him become a free elf finally and really become everything that he wanted.
Dobby was always there for Harry, protecting him and doing everything he could for him. This is what makes Dobby such a wonderful character, and you can tell that he would give everything for Harry. He showed that even a house-elf can do incredible things, and his death was one of the most tragic parts of the series— in fact, we're still not sure anyone has fully recovered. To help you remember the house-elf with a love of socks, here are ten facts that you didn't know about Dobby.
Dobby's Familiar Voice Actor
Harry Potter is known for its amazing cast, but one member that often gets overlooked is Dobby's voice actor. You can't see him directly on the screen, but Dobby's voice should be incredibly familiar. Toby Jones plays the role of Dobby, who you might recognize from Captain America: The Winter Soldier where he plays Arnim Zola. He also has major roles in The Hunger Games and Sherlock. His voice definitely played a major part in making Dobby the lovable character that we all adore.
He Negotiated His Own Wages
Once Dobby became a free elf, he took a well-deserved break, but then he wanted to get back to work. Dobby loved being free and wasn't going to go back to being an unpaid slave. He accepted a job at Hogwarts, with Dumbledore offering him ten galleons a week with weekends off. Though Dobby wanted to be paid, it was never about the money, so he declined Dumbledore's offer and asked for only a galleon a week.
Dobby's Sock Collection
Dobby earned his freedom by getting a sock, and they always held a special place in his heart. During his time as a free elf, Dobby took up collecting socks, trying to find all the interesting pairs that he could. He even shared his love with Harry, knitting him a personalized set of socks for Christmas.
Leaving Socks For Dobby
Dobby is one of many characters to leave a lasting impact on the fans. His death was especially heartbreaking and one of the most impactful moments of the entire seven-part story. Dobby has a statue at Warner Brothers Studio that is incredibly lifelike, and visiting fans have been moved to leave a tribute. Visitors have begun leaving socks at the statue, which Dobby would absolutely love. Some fans go so far as to take the socks off their own feet to leave them in remembrance.
Emma Watson's Reaction
The Deathly Hallows is full of emotional moments. It's hard to believe that any fan could make it through the book without shedding a few tears. Dobby's death was one of the moments that hit the hardest, and it seems that was true for Emma Watson, as well. Watson said in an interview that Dobby's death made her completely break down.
Dobby's Friend Winky
Though the movies don't show this wonderful relationship, the friendship between Dobby and Winky really shows Dobby's heart. Winky was the house-elf of Barty Crouch. When he freed her, she couldn't take it.
Dobby found her a job at Hogwarts, but she still didn't know what to do with herself. Winky became a heavy drinker of Butterbeer, which, for humans, wouldn't have any effect. On a house-elf, however, it was very potent, and she became a heavy drinker. Dobby was always there for her and took care of her through the drinking.
Dobby's Illustration
With the new edition of Harry Potter came all-new illustrations. Jim Kay was the illustrator for the series and was given the task of giving Dobby a new illustration. Kay claimed that Dobby was one of the hardest characters to illustrate because he didn't want to let the fans down and knew that they had high expectations. He based his illustration on the descriptions in the novels and did an amazing job.
Dobby's Birthday
While we don't know exactly how old Dobby is, we do know his birthday. Dobby was born on June 28th. While this may seem like just any other date, its actually the same birthday as J.K. Rowling's sister, Dianne. Dianne loves Dobby, so Rowling gave them the same birthday. Its a nice little detail for Rowling to throw in, and also shows how loved Dobby is.
Finding The Gillyweed
In the movies, Neville Longbottom gives Harry the Gillyweed that makes sure he can complete the task for the Triwizard tournament. In the books, it goes a little bit differently. Dobby is the one who finds the Gillyweed for Harry. They probably changed it in the movie so that they wouldn't have to spend the money on the CGI for Dobby. It's understandable, but it's also a little sad that we don't get to see how Dobby was always looking out for Harry.
Dobby's Last Words
Dobby's death is incredibly tragic, but this small detail might make it even more so. When Harry first meets Dobby, the house elf's first words are "Harry Potter." When he is dying in the books, the last words that he manages to get out are "Harry Potter." That means the first and last words that Dobby said in the books are Harry Potter. This shows how much Dobby cared for the boy who lived.