Griphook

Griphook
Biographical information
Born	Pre-1990
Died	1 May 1998 Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England
Nationality	British
Physical information
Species	Goblin
Gender	Male
Eye colour	Black
Skin colour	Sallow
Magical characteristics
Boggart	Lord Voldemort
Affiliation
Occupation	Employee at Gringotts Wizarding Bank
Loyalty	Gringotts Wizarding Bank

Griphook: "The right to carry a wand has long been contested between wizards and goblins."

Ronald Weasley: "Well, goblins can do magic without wands."

Griphook: "That is immaterial! Wizards refuse to share the secrets of wandlore with other magical beings, they deny us the possibility of extending our powers!"

— Griphook's opinion on how wizards and witches have treated goblins unfairly

Griphook (d. 1 May 1998) was a goblin who worked at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Diagon Alley. He would later go on the run during the height of the Second Wizarding War following the fall of the Ministry of Magic and the rise of Lord Voldemort's new regime. He would later assist Harry Potter in his break-in of Gringotts in order to obtain Helga Hufflepuff's Cup.

However, despite being rescued by them, Griphook's general mistrust of wizardkind resulted in him betraying Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. He betrayed them because he believed they would not hand him the Sword of Gryffindor, after destroying the Cup and other Horcruxes.

This act of betrayal eventually resulted in his own downfall. The goblins reported the Cup's theft to Voldemort, who subsequently slaughtered all of them with the Killing Curse in a fit of rage.

Biography

Work for Gringotts

Griphook: "Stand back. If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there."

Harry Potter: "How often do you check to see if anyone’s inside?"

Griphook: "About once every ten years."

— Griphook to Harry Potter about Gringotts defence mechanisms

Griphook worked for Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

During the 1989–1990 school year, Griphook tasked his subordinate, the Curse-Breaker Bill Weasley with retrieving a golden dragon egg forged by the infamous goblin blacksmith Urgruff the Unwary, as it was residing with a mother dragon who had purloined it from him after she mistook it for one of her own eggs.

After the Curse-Breaker managed to successfully procure it with help from his brother and friends, Griphook requested that they regale him with the story of their adventure. After learning that one of Bill's accomplices (Jacob's sibling) had single-handedly subdued a Hungarian Horntail, proposed that they join Gringotts as a Curse-Breaker after graduating from Hogwarts.

Griphook being interviewed by Jacob's sibling, Nymphadora Tonks and Merula Snyde at Gringotts

During the 1990–1991 school year, Griphook spoke to Jacob's sibling, Merula Snyde and Nymphadora Tonks about the attempted break-in of the vault of Sir Elric Parpidum in Gringotts while they were learning how to become Aurors. However, he refused to diverge what was contained inside the vault, citing client confidentiality. After the thief was exposed as the Dark wizard Burke who was apprehended and taken to Azkaban, Griphook thanked them for their assistance in capturing the bank for the bank, and left with Bill to tell the rest of staff the good news.

On 31 July 1991, he took Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid to vaults 687 and 713. Griphook informed a young Harry of the defence mechanisms in place at Gringotts, specifically how if anyone but a goblin attempted to open a vault door, they would be sucked through and trapped inside.

Second Wizarding War

In 1997, Griphook went on the run after the fall of the Ministry of Magic to Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, because the Ministry of Magic placed wizards in control of the goblins and he refused to acknowledge any wizard as his master. However, he had a last laugh when he was assigned to put Godric Gryffindor's Sword in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. He noticed that the sword was a fake, but decided not to reveal that information to Bellatrix, as not to help the Death Eaters.

On the run

Dean Thomas and Griphook on the run from Snatchers

Griphook soon met up with Dirk Cresswell and Gornuk, and finally Ted Tonks and Dean Thomas, and they spent several months on the run. The group was then eventually caught by a gang of Snatchers led by the dangerously fierce werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. Ted, Dirk and Gornuk were killed, but Griphook and Dean were taken prisoner.

Shortly after, Greyback's team was alerted to the true location of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley after they broke the Taboo on Lord Voldemort's name. Griphook, together with the others captured, was taken to Malfoy Manor and then imprisoned in the cellar. However, the trio were in possession of the real Sword of Gryffindor. Bellatrix, believing that the sword was taken from her vault, tortured Hermione with the Cruciatus Curse to find out how the trio came into possession of it. She came up with a lie that it was a fake, and Harry then persuaded Griphook to go along with her story.

Dobby rescuing the trio and Griphook from Malfoy Manor

The house-elf Dobby rescued all the prisoners from the Manor, and they took refuge at Shell Cottage. Griphook's legs were injured during the escape, thus Fleur Delacour administered Skele-Gro to heal him. He watched from the bedroom window as Harry buried Dobby's body, surprised by the great respect Harry paid Dobby and by Hermione Granger's later revelation that she wanted house-elves to be freed, as few wizards treat house-elves and other non-human beings with respect.

Breaking into Gringotts

Griphook: "As the Dark Lord becomes ever more powerful, your race is set still more firmly above mine! Gringotts falls under Wizarding rule, house-elves are slaughtered, and who amongst the wand-carriers protests?"

Hermione Granger: "We do! We protest! And I'm hunted quite as much as any goblin or elf, Griphook! I'm a Mudblood!... Did you know that it was Harry who set Dobby free? Did you know that we've wanted elves to be freed for years? You can't want You-Know-Who defeated more than we do, Griphook!"

— Conversation in Shell Cottage

Griphook talking with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at Shell Cottage

Harry soon came to Griphook to ask him to assist them in breaking into Gringotts to steal the Horcrux that was in Bellatrix's vault. Because of his favourable impression of Harry, and Hermione pointing out that all magical beings were united in resisting Voldemort, Griphook agreed to help them — in exchange for the Sword of Gryffindor. Griphook considered it goblin property, claiming that Godric Gryffindor had stolen it from Ragnuk, the maker of the sword. Harry reluctantly agreed.

Griphook and the trio breaking into Gringotts

However, Griphook's mistrust of wizards in general, and his feelings that goblin-made artefacts should be returned to Goblins once the original purchaser had died, led him to suspect that Harry would not keep his word and relinquish the sword. During the break-in, he managed to get hold of the sword, then fled into the caves calling for help to deal with thieves. Despite his betrayal, Harry, Ron, and Hermione escaped with Helga Hufflepuff's Cup (now a Horcrux), flying out on a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon used to guard high security vaults.

Massacre at Malfoy Manor

Griphook lying dead at Malfoy Manor

When Lord Voldemort found out about the break-in, he summoned several goblins to Malfoy Manor, including Griphook, who arrived clutching the Sword of Gryffindor. When another goblin revealed what had transpired, Voldemort flew into a rage. He slaughtered all within the room, including Griphook, who fell to the ground holding the Sword. Moments later, Voldemort stepped over his corpse, and the Sword faded away to return to the Sorting Hat.

Legacy

During the Calamity in the late 2010s or early 2020s, a Calamity Investigator working for the Statute of Secrecy Task Force read through a 1,162 page document written by Griphook during his time at Gringotts meticulously detailing the bank's handling strategies for various deadly magical artefacts, giving the investigator a better appreciation for the potential lethality of magical artefacts.

Personality and traits

"The longer they spent time together, the more Harry realised that he did not much like the goblin. Griphook was unexpectedly bloodthirsty, laughed at the idea of pain in lesser creatures, and seemed to relish the possibility that they might have to hurt other wizards to reach the Lestranges' vault."

— Griphook personality, as described by Harry

Being a goblin, Griphook severely distrusted wizardkind and hated wizarding arrogance, stemming from the fact that goblins had been treated brutally by wizards in the past. Griphook had a somewhat barbaric and savage personality as he enjoyed the idea of pain in lesser creatures, was eager to harm wizards and showed pleasure at the idea of checking once every ten years if anyone was trapped inside Vault 713. Like most goblins, Griphook also believed that any goblin-made artefacts should be returned to goblins once the original purchaser had died. Due to this, he stated that goblins were the only true owners of such artefacts and that any non-goblin purchasing or possessing them was little more than renting or thieving rather than owning them.

Because of the prejudice Griphook had witnessed, he was amazed by the respect Harry Potter had shown to creatures such as elves and goblins. This was most apparent when Griphook observed that Harry buried Dobby, a house-elf, after he was killed by Bellatrix Lestrange, in a grave dug by hand. Despite this, Griphook was unable to fully overcome his distrust and hatred for wizardkind, which resulted in him betraying Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger when they intended to use the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy Helga Hufflepuff's Cup and the other Horcruxes.

This betrayal ultimately proved to be Griphook's own undoing, as he was murdered by Voldemort alongside the other Goblins who reported the Cup's theft to him and Griphook's death caused the Sword to vanish back into the Sorting Hat.

Behind the scenes

Griphook as a LEGO mini-figure (first edition)

Griphook as a LEGO mini-figure (2020 edition)

• In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Griphook is played by the late American actor Verne Troyer, famous for playing Dr Evil's "Mini-Me" in the Austin Powers films. However, Griphook was voiced by Warwick Davis, who plays Professor Flitwick, as well as the first Gringotts goblin. Because the producers wanted a completely British cast, Troyer was replaced by Davis to portray the role of Griphook in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
• Griphook's death is not elaborated on in the book at all.
• In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Griphook is an unlockable and playable character. Out of 167 characters, he is the only goblin in the game. Therefore, he is the only one who can open up Goblin Chests, revealing special items like Studs or Character Tokens. He is also required to play the bonus levels in the lower vaults of Gringotts. He is unlocked in the first level," The Magic Begins", by using Reducto on the chest near the first vault in the Gringotts Basement. The player can then turn into Griphook whenever they want, using Polyjuice Potion or in Free Play mode. He is wearing a blue suit though his lego figure has a red suit.
• Also in LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, Griphook accidentally opens Vault 712 instead of Vault 713, revealing a goblin dance party.
• In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, Griphook takes Hufflepuff's cup and uses it as a bargaining chip for the Sword of Gryffindor when Harry and his friends are trapped by the cursed goblets in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault. Later he is killed by Voldemort after the Dark Lord learns of the break-in at Gringotts. He is last seen dead at Malfoy Manor with the Sword of Gryffindor; as the camera lingers on his body, the Sword vanishes from under his hand.
• Dave Wilcox, the actor part of the Swings in the Hamburg production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, also portrayed Griphook, voicing him when the cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child read aloud Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chapter 5 (Diagon Alley) together, organised by Bloomsbury Publishing for the 2021 Harry Potter Book Night.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game) (GBC and GBA versions only)
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film) (Possible appearance)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Mentioned only)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Harry Potter Trading Card Game
• Harry Potter: The Creature Vault
• LEGO Harry Potter
• LEGO Harry Potter: Building the Magical World
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
• LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
• Harry Potter for Kinect
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Non-canonical appearance)