How did the house elves' lives go on after the final battle? Since Hermione was employed with the Ministry of Magic, and she fought for better lives for the elves, did they welcome it? Was life better for them, or did it remain the same? Did they like how their lives changed? Did they accept payments for their work, now? Did they feel better now that they had rights just like other creatures?

Discuss away

*Credit goes to Ginerva_P for the idea*

I would think that first they had not accepted their rights, but when Dobby had left such an impression on most of the house-elves, they were bound to change their minds.

I think that life for them would have been wonderful, not to be looked down at anymore, they must have been really happy.

It was probably hard for them to accept at first, but I'm sure they grew to love having their freedom. A lot of them found jobs at places like Hogwarts and the Ministry where they were paid for their labors, and I'm sure that was a nice change for them. At least they could receive some reward for the hard work they did.

Interesting.

I think that a *few* ones attached to their families or to the belief that they should only serve that family were the ones that could've stayed a bit behind in this matter, like they probably didn't like the changes so much...but accepted them eventually...

But, I like to believe that it all worked out in the end...and that House-elves ended up as happy free elves

*as they are now *

Interesting discussion idea, See, as much as I'd want to agree with you all that the house elves' would have enjoyed their new freedom, I'm not fully convinced of that. At least not right away; House elves have been indebted to a life of slavery for thousands of years . . . one simple change for better lives would probably of been shunned at first. Like said about Dobby, there's always one... Really, Dobby was a unique case among house elves.

Though that's not say that I don't think House Elves would have eventually welcomed this new, better life. As with humans, elves have feelings too.... So eventually they might have realized the benefits of accepting payments for their work and the wrongs of slavery... And come to embrace it even. I could even see them wanting more active roles in society too, like maybe voting rights and higher positions... *nods*

I think that there MUST be a statue of Dobby SOMEWHERE. Maybe in the Potter's garden.

I dooooo hafta agree with Jess. With his Dark Voldyness and his cronies dead/ locked up for all eternity, a general attitude toward elves and all creatures probably shifted, but not too much, as these types of prejudices (and magic, in some cases), are centuries old, and predate Voldy. He just picked up the Hatred and Intolerance Torch for awhile While things might have changed around the elves, I don't reckon they changed themselves.