Hokey

Hokey was the ancient, diminutive house-elf of the immensely wealthy and vain old witch Hepzibah Smith. She appears in a single, pivotal memory extracted by Albus Dumbledore, a memory that reveals Lord Voldemort's method of murder and theft during his early career at Borgin and Burkes. Her testimony, though she herself was an unwitting and condemned participant, forms a cornerstone of Dumbledore's investigation into Voldemort's past and the creation of his Horcruxes.

Identity and Appearance

Hokey was the smallest and oldest house-elf Harry Potter had ever seen. Her papery skin hung loosely off her frame, draped in a crisp linen sheet worn like a toga. She moved with difficulty, her tiny form barely reaching the seat of her mistress's chair as she laced Hepzibah's fleshy feet into tight satin slippers. Her primary function was to serve Hepzibah, a task she performed with a loyalty that compelled her to lie through her teeth when asked about her mistress's appearance, dutifully declaring her "lovely" despite the old woman's far-from-lovely visage.

Role in Hepzibah Smith's Household

Hokey lived in Hepzibah's cluttered sitting room, a space crammed with lacquered boxes, gold-embossed books, celestial globes, and flourishing potted plants that resembled a cross between a magical antique shop and a conservatory. She was entrusted with the safekeeping of Hepzibah's most treasured possessions, including two of the most significant artifacts in wizarding history: Helga Hufflepuff's golden cup and Salazar Slytherin's locket. On the day of Voldemort's visit, Hokey brought out both treasures in their leather boxes, holding them over her head as she navigated the obstacle course of furniture. She then obediently took the boxed cup away when Hepzibah dismissed her, leaving the locket for Voldemort to examine.

The Murder and Its Aftermath

Two days after Voldemort's visit, Hepzibah Smith died. Hokey was convicted by the Ministry of Magic of accidentally poisoning her mistress's evening cocoa. She confessed, remembering that she had put something in the drink that turned out to be a lethal and little-known poison. The Ministry, predisposed to suspect a house-elf, accepted her confession without further inquiry. Dumbledore, however, concluded that Voldemort had modified Hokey's memory, just as he had done with Morfin Gaunt, implanting a false recollection of the crime. By the time Dumbledore tracked Hokey down and managed to extract her true memory, her life was almost over. The memory itself, while proving Voldemort's knowledge of the cup and locket, could not prove his guilt in the eyes of the law.

Narrative Significance

Hokey's memory is a critical piece of evidence in Dumbledore's investigation. It confirms that Voldemort, after leaving Hogwarts, committed murder not for revenge but for gain, specifically to acquire powerful magical trophies. The memory shows Voldemort's covetous reaction to the locket, his eyes flashing scarlet, and his reluctance to let it go. It also demonstrates his method of framing an innocent party, a pattern he had established with the murder of his father and grandparents. Dumbledore uses this memory to illustrate Voldemort's magpie-like tendency to collect trophies and his preference for objects with a powerful magical history, which directly informs the search for the remaining Horcruxes. Hokey herself, a victim of both Voldemort's murder and the Ministry's prejudice, serves as a tragic example of the collateral damage in Voldemort's rise to power.