"Vanessa, that's a very well thought argument you got there," Diane complimented her for no reason at all. She looked happy, and was indeed very impressed with her schoolmates. "Let me see if I can respond to you. You said something about house-elves being happy free does not mean they are not happy with what they are already doing. I would like to respond to you, and I think this can count as a response to Fyodor."

"I'll begin by saying," she said laughing, "By free, I didn't mean, 'living in the wild'. Poor dears, no, just having communities of their own and feel free to come and go as they please - and especially removing the need to punish themselves. In our world, that would more or less constitute our idea of freedom."

She made a mock thinking gesture by putting her fingers together before her.

"I guess another way to look at freedom is to say, by law, we are all equally in our right to act according to what is in our best interest and seek such thing as education and shelter. But the relationship master-house elf is not a relationship of equals. Thus, they are not, by definition, free.

"This has not raised so big an issue because their non-freedom status has, alledgedly, always been what they want. Now, Satine has brought many of my intended points, which will allow us to question where do we trace the origin of this 'willing servitude', and if it is indeed a house-elf idea," she went on, considering a bit of house-elf history she learned. "Or if it is brainwash and fear."

She mmh-ed pensively. "I don't know for certain, to tell you the truth. The history is obscure. Maybe the question should be, can we tell for certain it was not us who brought up this ever so convenient rule?" she considered out loud. "Mmh... Her guess is a likely possibility."

"However," she went on pacing at the front like an old man during a lecture, "Disregarding where and from whom that concept of house-elves valus came to be, you may say it's now part of their culture. And it is true: to tamper with their customs would be a disrespect to their and any culture!

"The question is, should wizards abide by these laws? After all, as we said, these are not -our- laws. Should our respect for their culture so easily transm into acceptance?"

"If we are indeed looking after their best interest, we wouldn't indulge them, no. If we were responsible, we would not allow it, to use an allegory, the same we won't let a child eat so much candy they will end up with a stomachache.

"With a society so closely interlaced with ours, our actions are critical to define theirs - should we continue to accept it, is to say it's right. A common ground has to be reached but our values should not be compromised either. After all, you are worried about the house-elves happiness, right?"

There was a pause where Diane just stood there, raising a hand to scratch her head. "That's not what the house-elves want, they would not be happy being free... Well, can't the house-elves be free AND happy?" she shrugged aloofly.

"I heard the story myself," Diane recalled. "I heard the house-elf Dobby walked around wearing layers and layers of clothes even during summer, rather flamboyantly, even around other house-elves. I think that speaks volumes too."

Her eyes, lit with a smile, lied on the head boy names after the astrologer. Wonders if this constitutes as a response too. (ooc: ?)

"So to the question whether house-elves can be happy being free, the answer would be: yes."

"'Cause, you talk about Dobby the house-elf, but the importance of Dobby's story is not setting a norm but provide an alternative. And the alternative is possible, remember this," she said, again in lecture mode. "His is the biggest of examples because, why, Dobby was free and Dobby wasn't miserable. A culture of free, happy elves is possible-- No, it's favorable."


ooc: ...and it continues... and good thing Satine is backing me up, otherwise this post would be twice as long. Scary, I know.