Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
by J. K. Rowling
A house-elf who works for the Malfoys. Dobby is abused by Lucius and Draco and has heard of Harry’s greatness, and so when he realizes that Lucius is plotting against Harry, Dobby goes to warn Harry that he should not return to Hogwarts this year. He also tries several schemes to prevent Harry from staying at the school: during the summer he stops Harry’s letters to make Harry think that he has no friends; he destroys Aunt Petunia’s pudding with a Hover Charm to try and get Harry expelled for using magic outside of school; he closes the barrier at platform nine and three quarters to prevent Harry and Ron from passing through it; and finally he enchants a Bludger to try and injure Harry enough to send him home. Even though these events cause Harry a great deal of trouble, Harry understands that Dobby is causing them to try to protect Harry. At the end of the book, Harry repays Dobby’s kindness by tricking Lucius into freeing Dobby.

Dobby Quotes in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets quotes below are all either spoken by Dobby or refer to Dobby. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Information, Rumors, and Fear Theme Icon
).

Chapter 1 Quotes

More than anything else at Hogwarts, more even than playing Quidditch, Harry missed his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They, however, didn’t seem to be missing him at all. Neither of them had written to him all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask Harry to come and stay.

Related Characters: Harry Potter, Dobby, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley
Page Number and Citation: 7
Explanation and Analysis:

Chapter 2 Quotes

“Offend Dobby!” choked the elf. “Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard — like an equal—”

Related Characters: Dobby (speaker), Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy
Page Number and Citation: 13
Explanation and Analysis:

“Harry Potter is valiant and bold! He has braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, even if he does have to shut his ears in the oven door later…Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts.”

Related Characters: Dobby (speaker), Harry Potter
Page Number and Citation: 16
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PDF

Dobby Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The timeline below shows where the character Dobby appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2: Dobby’s Warning
Prejudice vs. Respect Theme Icon
...in his room, a little creature with “large, bat-like ears and bulging green eyes” named Dobby is waiting for him. Dobby explains that he is a house-elf. When Harry politely asks... (full context)
Prejudice vs. Respect Theme Icon
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery Theme Icon
Dobby tries to explain to Harry why he is there, but he keeps beating his head... (full context)
Prejudice vs. Respect Theme Icon
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery Theme Icon
Dobby asks Harry if the rumors are true that he escaped Voldemort a second time. When... (full context)
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery Theme Icon
Harry asks if Dobby’s warning has anything to do with Voldemort, and Dobby slowly shakes his head, though he... (full context)
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery Theme Icon
Vernon, hearing this beating, starts to climb the stairs. Harry shuts Dobby in a closet. Vernon warns Harry not to make another sound. When Vernon leaves, Harry... (full context)
Rules, Rebellion, and Doing the Right Thing Theme Icon
Harry grabs for the thick stack of letters that Dobby presents, but Dobby runs out of the bedroom and down into the kitchen. Harry follows... (full context)
Chapter 3: The Burrow
Information, Rumors, and Fear Theme Icon
...the boys drive home, Ron asks what’s happened to Harry. Harry tells him all about Dobby’s warning, the letters, and the pudding fiasco. Fred and George wonder whether Dobby was lying,... (full context)
Chapter 10: The Rogue Bludger
Prejudice vs. Respect Theme Icon
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery Theme Icon
Still, Harry can’t help but feel sorry for Dobby, who starts to cry at Harry’s threats and blows his nose on the pillowcase he... (full context)
Prejudice vs. Respect Theme Icon
Dobby goes on to say that Harry has always represented hope for the house-elves, who were... (full context)
Chapter 11: The Dueling Club
Information, Rumors, and Fear Theme Icon
Harry also tells Ron and Hermione about the information that Dobby revealed about the Chamber of Secrets. Ron theorizes that Lucius opened the Chamber when he... (full context)
Chapter 18: Dobby’s Reward
Rules, Rebellion, and Doing the Right Thing Theme Icon
The door then opens violently—it is Lucius Malfoy, accompanied by Dobby. Lucius is furious that Dumbledore is back. Dumbledore says the other eleven governors contacted him... (full context)
Prejudice vs. Respect Theme Icon
...the diary from Lucius in Flourish and Blotts. Lucius says, “prove it,” and leaves with Dobby in tow. (full context)
Prejudice vs. Respect Theme Icon
Rules, Rebellion, and Doing the Right Thing Theme Icon
...He tells Harry that he’ll meet the same end as his parents, and then tells Dobby to come. But Dobby caught the sock after Lucius threw it: Dobby is free now... (full context)
Friendship, Loyalty, and Bravery Theme Icon
Lucius is furious at Harry for tricking him and lunges toward him. But Dobby shouts for Lucius not to hurt Harry and sends Lucius backward, crashing down the stairs.... (full context)