>>134592191Well you remember how Dobby and Creature were just household slaves?
They're based on house spirits that do work around the home whilst you sleep and play tricks on you. They don't have to live in your house. They may follow you if you move. They may leave if you offend or hurt them, like any house spirit/elf/magical creature. You can give them food, sometimes in order to get them to do housework.
There is supposed to be something about giving them clothes but I can't find a reliable explanation/source.
They aren't all the same, it's just a common theme in English folklore. I wouldn't know if it's similar to the German Kobold (not a lizard, that's a modern invention, blame D&D or whatever).
Variant names are hobgoblin, brownie and dobby.
So yeah, not a slave race.