Why he's so miserable: It may have been largely excised from the filmed versions, but in the Harry Potter universe house elves like Dobby are essentially slaves, in that they work without pay and without possibility of release except by their master's say-so. That may be alright if you work somewhere fairly cuddly, like the Hogwarts kitchens (where the elves are largely bemused by Hermione and her Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare), but if you work for the Malfoys you can count on regular beatings, semi-starvation, verbal abuse and having to cater to dark wizards.

Why he's inspiring: Dobby's best efforts quite often bring disaster on their intended beneficiary (usually Harry Potter), but you can't fault him for doing everything he can to protect The Boy Who Lived from a clear and present danger - and he does it at considerable risk to himself. Dobby continues to play a heroic role throughout the series, always putting the welfare of others before his own, and plays a role out of all proportion to his size.