In my latest re read of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets this question just hit me: Is lexicon.org/character/dobby/">Dobby really necessary to the end result of book 2? To be clear this is a different question than asking if he is essential to the plot. I do believe that Dobby is essential to the plot. Obviously, it would be a very uneventful story up until Halloween if Dobby hadn’t made his appearance on Privet Drive. But, wouldn’t we have the same end result of the book, even if Dobby hadn’t shown up? Ginny would have still received the lexicon.org/thing/diary-of-tom-riddle/">diary, the Chamber still would have been opened, Harry would have still heard the basilisk, and the trio would still have gotten involved. I don’t think Dobby should be taken out of the story, not at all, he’s such an important character in so many other points of the series: Who would have given Harry the lexicon.org/thing/gillyweed/">gillyweed before the second task? Who would have told Harry where they could hold DA meetings? And most importantly, who would have been able to save everyone from Malfoy Manor? In conclusion, I don’t think that Dobby needed to be in Chamber of Secrets. But, I recognize he is necessary to the rest of the series, and that Chamber of Secrets is his debut. If Dobby wasn’t around Harry would have been in a load of hurt, and the series as a whole would have ended very differently.