When Harry, Ron, and Hermione are hiding from Voldemort's supporters in Deathly Hallows, they keep complaining that they have no food, and that Hermione sucks at cooking. Harry even bemoans the fact that, on the night they go on the run, Kreacher was making shepherd's pie that night for dinner. Why didn't Harry simply call Kreacher, as it's shown throughout the books that house elves can instantly Apparate to their masters wherever they are? Seems a waste to leave your house elf all alone when he could just travel with you.
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2You might find your answers at scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/80689/… which discusses a later incident, but is relevant.– FuzzyBootsCommented Jan 8, 2016 at 19:55
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2Why do you think they're called house elves? ;-)– Rand al'Thor ♦Commented Jan 8, 2016 at 20:06
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1@randal'thor dobby was a house elf, but frequently apparated around to visit harry well outside of the malfoy house. not sure what your point is.– user428517Commented Jan 8, 2016 at 21:30
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4@sgroves "Why do you think they're called house elves? WINKY-FACE" (emphasis mine)– Digital ChrisCommented Jan 8, 2016 at 21:51
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2@DigitalChris winky face can also mean smugness. ahh the internet– user428517Commented Jan 8, 2016 at 22:15
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2 Answers
This is answered in chapter 14 of HP and the Deathly Hallows, shortly after they've realised Grimmauld Place is now out of bounds (emphasis mine):
Harry wanted to believe that Kreacher had changed toward him in the past month, that he would be loyal now, but who knew what would happen? What if the Death Eaters tortured the elf? Sick images swarmed into Harry’s head and he tried to push these away too, for there was nothing he could do for Kreacher. He and Hermione had already decided against trying to summon him; what if someone from the Ministry came too? They could not count on elfish Apparition being free from the same flaw that had taken Yaxley to Grimmauld Place on the hem of Hermione's sleeve.
HP and the Deathly Hallows, chpater 14, The Thief
answered Jan 8, 2016 at 20:04
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@Himarm Not sure what version; I found it on the internet. See here: wattpad.com/55595354-lel-2-chapter-14/page/5 I'll check my hardcopy in a minute.– Rand al'Thor ♦Commented Jan 8, 2016 at 20:08
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2@VanjaVasiljevic no the UK, and US hard copys are different, the US Scholastic version has more lines then the UK versions, their are a few added paragraphs in each book.– HimarmCommented Jan 8, 2016 at 20:17
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1oh its in scholastic's US version, i literally skipped over this page while reading. Im reading it at work on my pc, and on my phone during lunch, so i went to the wrong page after lunch haha.– HimarmCommented Jan 8, 2016 at 20:22
This is answered in the Deathly Hallows when Harry and Hermione agree calling him from a Death-Eater-infested Grimmauld Place is too dangerous - they don't know if the magic of the house-elves would prevent them from holding on and being dragged to their hiding place.