Harry Potter: Why Dobby’s Death Is The Most Heartbreaking
There are many to choose from. Harry potter is difficult to accept the deaths of loved ones. The wizard franchise shows us that not all characters have the hardest deaths. This is a very painful spot for many. Harry PotterFans, Dobby’s passing is undoubtedly one of the most tragic to witness.
Dobby appears only in two Harry Potter films. First, he is seen in The Chamber of Secrets. He tries to stop Harry from returning to Hogwarts. Dobby, fearing that he might get in trouble with his master, refuses to reveal the truth to Harry about his passionate feelings and takes extreme measures to prevent Harry from returning to Hogwarts. It’s not a surprise that Dobby’s attempts are unsuccessful and Harry returns to Hogwarts with some help from his Gryffindor friends. Although Dobby’s troubles are frustrating, Harry’s death is the most heartbreaking because it reflects some of the pivotal losses Harry suffered.
Harry’s story begins at an unusually young age. His parents, Lily Potter and James are murdered by Lord Voldemort shortly after Harry’s birth. It is often mentioned in Harry Potter films that Lily Potter sacrificed her life to save her son. James and Lily aren’t the only characters who gave their lives to save Harry. While some of these casualties aren’t directly related to Harry’s protection, others are. Dobby is one of them.
Dobby’s passing reflects the need Harry had to protect him, but also echos the death of Cedric Diggery in the Goblet of Fire. They became friends, or at the very least allies, despite Cedric and Harry being matched in the Triwizard Tournament. Dobby’s troubled attempts to stop Harry from returning to Hogwarts causes Harry and Dobby to have a similar start. Dobby and Cedric become close friends after their journey.
Cedric’s and Dobby’s innocence is what makes their deaths so tragic. Dobby and Cedric both died trying to save Harry from the Death Eater, just like James and Lily. Unlike the other characters (like Dobby) who died for Harry, Cedric did so unknowingly. Cedric didn’t know Harry had dreams about the graveyard where they were ported to. He also didn’t know that Harry and Peter Pettigrew were in fact Voldemort and Voldemort. Cedric might even seem more innocent than Dobby because he knew that he was fighting for his survival, but not the seriousness of the fight. Dobby, unlike the other wizards, is not trained in self-defence, which makes his bravery even more inspiring.
Dobby, a house-elf is also subject to severe mistreatment. Working for the Malfoy family of all families in the wizarding world, Dobby was subject to even worse treatment. Sirius Black, Harry’s godfather, was also subject to severe mistreatment during the Harry Potter series. After escaping from the wizard prison, Sirius is seen for the first time in The Prisoner of Azkaban. Sirius, who has been imprisoned after he killed twelve muggles and betrayed the Potters, appears to be on his way to Hogwarts. It is now known that Sirius is in prison for killing twelve muggles (and his betrayal of the Potters) and that Peter Pettigrew is what he seeks.
Sirius’ story is not believed by anyone. However, many still believe him to be the murderer. They believe him even more dangerous after the twelve years he spent in Azkaban. Sirius, who comes from a long lineage of Death Eaters is not welcome back by many and has to run. In a very short time, Sirius manages to win the hearts of many Potterheads despite his moral ambiguity. Sirius’ death in the Order of the Phoenix is especially bitter as Harry’s godfather. Also attempting to protect Harry from a group of Death Eaters, Sirius is killed by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, who also kills Dobby. Dobby and Sirius are not only linked because of their murderer, but also because of the mistreatment that they received.
Dobby’s tragic death is accentuated by the fact that his first film foreshadowed the circumstances. Harry hands Lucius Malfoy Tom Riddle’s journal with one of his socks in it and frees Dobby from the Chamber of Secrets. Lucius does not know about the socks, so he gives the diary to Dobby, who then finds the sock. Dobby then asks Harry how he can repay his kindness. Harry asked Dobby for a promise that he would never attempt to save his life again. It was reasonable, considering the danger Harry faced to return to Hogwarts due to Dobby’s excesses.
Of course, Dobby does die protecting Harry. Part 1 of Deathly Hallows is where Dobby assists Harry and the other members of Dumbledore’s Army to escape Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix Lestrange tries to stop Dobby & Harry during their escape by throwing her knife at the pair. They seem to have made it off with their escape, but it turns out that Dobby has her knife in his chest. Harry and Dobby are able to take Dobby’s life in their arms, and they purchase him at the cottage with a small gravestone.
Dobby dies breaking Harry’s promise. Dobby’s death, despite not being in the Battle of Hogwarts Part 2, isn’t the final one to fight for Harry. Dobby and Harry were close to escaping the Death Eaters, and if they had acted faster, Dobby might have survived. Dobby, with all the “what-if” possibilities and the importance of Dobby’s death, makes it difficult to let go.
