10 Reasons Why Hogwarts Would Be A Terrible Place To Live
5. Slaves Cook Your Meals And Clean Your Dormitory
Hermione was the only student who showed any consideration for the Hogwarts house-elves. Her attempt to recruit members for S.P.E.W. (The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) was met with scepticism by everybody, including Harry and Ron.
Yet her concern for the Hogwarts house-elves was perfectly legitimate. They are essentially slaves who cook meals and clean the castle without any payment. Dobby was the exception to this rule, but even he was only paid a Galleon a week.
What’s more, given Hogwarts is a school of magic, the use of slaves in any capacity seems a rather pointless exercise. It would be far more ethical to use spells to produce food and clean the castle. At the very least, the house-elves should be paid for their efforts.
In fairness, they are perfectly willing to offer their services, but this doesn’t make the practice of slavery much easier to live with.