Dobby is a house-elf, who, unlike most other house-elves, wanted to be freed. He has three fingers and one opposable thumb. Dobby was the abused and tormented slave of the Malfoys before the events of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. In his first appearance in the series in Chamber of Secrets, Dobby knew of Lucius Malfoy's plans to re-open the Chamber of Secrets using Tom Riddle's school diary for months before it happened. As an attempt to discourage Harry from returning to Hogwarts, Dobby begins to intercept the letters that Harry's friends sent him. Dobby then appears at Privet Drive to warn Harry and tell him of the danger of returning to Hogwarts, and attempts to