S.P.E.W.: Veganism in Harry Potter
"Always the innocent are the first victims."
-J.K. Rowling,
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare
If the wizarding world were coexisting alongside the Muggle one, I'd like to believe that there'd be witches and wizards campaigning for magical creature rights, just as vegans are for nonhuman animals. Either way, my veganism still extends to these magical creatures, so we're going to explore one small aspect of veganism in Harry Potter: S.P.E.W., the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Though house-elves aren't technically classified as magical creatures like hippogriffs or grindylows, they are beings endowed with magical abilities living and working in the wizarding world. Therefore, I will refer to them as magical creatures at times, which is not meant to be a slight (though that's what house-elves have come to expect from humans), but a compliment of the highest nature; I am in utter reverence of magical creatures.
House-Elf Liberation Front
Hermione Granger, after learning of Hogwarts' "employment" of house-elves, formed S.P.E.W. in her fourth year at Hogwarts as a means to grant basic rights to house-elves and protect them from wizards' hostility. Like all activists, Hermione immediately began the first of her attempts to recruit members, students and faculty alike, to join the movement. Her friends, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, like all wizards, had no interest. After halfhearted responses to her handmade S.P.E.W. badges, she began considering taking "direct action" by breaking into the Hogwarts kitchens to liberate the elves. While that plan may not have succeeded, she took it upon herself to free house-elves the true way: by providing them with clothes. It was her personal mission that year to free the elves! She knitted them socks and hats, but alas, they would not take them. (Except Dobby, of course, who had already been freed and adored clothes, socks in particular.)
The elves, it turns out, were insulted by her attempt at a kind gesture and ultimately refused to enter and clean the Gryffindor common room because of it. But why would they feel this way? Well, let's look at their name: house-elves. Their creation was by witches and wizards to serve in their households as unpaid servants. In other words, as slaves. And because of wizards' magical capabilities, they were able to create a desire, a biological need, in house-elves to work incessantly for their masters and follow their every order. When an elf does not, they hurt themselves: bashing their heads against walls, breaking their fingers, crushing their feet, anything to cause pain as payment for disobeying orders.
"[H]ouse-elves has [sic] no right to be unhappy when there is work to be done and masters to be served."
-Unnamed Hogwarts House-Elf
An Example: Winky
Ah, Winky, such a sweet, misguided little elf. After being fired by her master Bartemius Crouch Sr., she was driven mad with grief. Ultimately, though she found employment at Hogwarts, she was next-to-useless because of her newfound addiction to butterbeer; she often spent her time wallowing in despair from missing Mr. Crouch, a man who couldn't care less for her. Though he had freed her from her slavery, she—by design—desired that. She enjoyed being a slave and had no clue how to go on without him. Winky's story is one of heartbreak, but it can teach us a valuable lesson about how we influence those around us, whether they be human (magical or otherwise) or creature (magical or otherwise).
Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status
Many of the rights infringements committed upon house-elves are because witches and wizards are speaking for them. As Nearly Headless Nick said, "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!" They project their own opinions on house-elves, deciding what they do or don't want and how they should or shouldn't be treated. Let's take a look at Kreacher's story, one of misunderstanding and murder.
Kreacher Feacher
Sirius Black, the owner of Kreacher, treated the house-elf quite poorly, which, in return, led to Kreacher treating Sirius poorly. (Kreacher was loyal to Sirius' family, the lot of which disliked Sirius, but after they all passed away, the two were stuck together. The family's distaste for the Gryffindor son rubbed off on Kreacher, and the two were at odds until the end.) Because of this animosity, when presented with the opportunity to help allies of the Black family (Voldemort and his Death Eaters), Kreacher jumped at the opportunity. As we know, this ultimately led to Sirius' demise.
After being passed down to Harry Potter like another piece of moldy furniture out of Grimmauld Place, it seemed that he and Harry were similarly destined to be at odds. But once Harry realized that he need only show Kreacher some kindness, the two formed an incredible bond, with the elf aiding the fight against Voldemort in the Battle of Hogwarts. Sirius once said to Harry, "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." What Sirius failed to realize was that his belief that house-elves were inferior to wizards was precisely what led to his death.
Protego!
So what can you do to aid the fight for magical creatures? Check out the Protego Foundation, a vegan organization dedicated to aiding both magical and nonmagical animals and furthering veganism in the wizarding community. Spread the word about house-elf rights. Join S.P.E.W. Do whatever you can to speak up for the rights of others! Now, I'll leave you with the wise words of one of the world's greatest wizards and certainly one of the most astounding Hogwarts headmasters. If we want to end this cycle of abuse, we must speak out against injustice and speak up for what is right.
"We wizards have mistreated and abused our fellows for too long, and we are now reaping our reward."
-Albus Dumbledore
be conscious, be kind, be vegan
"To S.P.E.W. or not to S.P.E.W.: Hermione Granger and the pitfalls of activism"