Have you exchanged letters with the boy recently, Sirius? I assumed that it was from you he'd learned about his parents. I did wonder how much he knew of the story of his abduction. He heard quite a blunt version of it from the elf last night. And before you ask, I have no idea whether the boy believed all he heard--if any of it was truly new to him.

I agree with you both that an elf is a formidable enemy to ward against: their magic is so often beyond us, in those things it does. I've often wondered how it is that elves ended up in service to wizards and not, well--.