never forget that jkr looked at the real british mythology of brownies, dobbies, and other household fae, in which they will clean for you if you’re nice to them but don’t want to be paid because it wounds their pride (but you can leave out bread and milk cos that’s just like giving your bro a beer after he helped you move a couch) and said “i know how i’ll adapt them into my books! i’ll make them a slave race that’s horribly abused but doesn’t want to be free!”