House-elf

House-elves are fiction magical creatures in the Harry Potter series of books written by J. K. Rowling. House-elves are small humanoid (though their appearance differs markedly from that of humans) that are used by wizards as unpaid servants. Most house-elves spend their whole lives serving one family or institution; unless they are freed (which most house-elves view as shameful), their descendants will carry on their tasks. Though their condition shares similarities to that of human slaves, house-elves take great pride in their hard work and fear being set free; some appear to be happy in their bondage, though their subservience guarantees their status as second-class citizen in the wizarding world. House-elves are 2-3 feet tall, with spindly arms and legs and oversized heads and eyes. They have pointed, bat-like ears and high, squeaky voices. Their names are usually pet-like diminutives (Dobby, Winky, Hokey); they do not appear to have surnames. They habitually refer to... full article at wikipedia