Gregory Goyle might’ve been a loyal friend to Draco Malfoy.
But as for everyone else…
He was just a big bully.
Yet despite his unpleasant popularity in the Harry Potter series…
Gregory went through a lot of character development.
And some points in his story will even leave you speechless…
Continue reading to discover:
- Why Gregory Goyle’s a better wizard than fans realize.
- What happened to Gregory after the Battle of Hogwarts.
- A movie mix-up that left readers questioning the sudden change.
- And so much more…
About Gregory Goyle
Born | Between September 1979 and August 1980 |
Purity | Pure-blood |
House | Slytherin |
Character Traits | Arrogant, Lazy, Stupid, Sadistic |
Patronus | N/A |
Wand | Unknown |
Zodiac Sign | Taurus (Likely, but not proven) |
Gregory Goyle background
Gregory Goyle was born sometime around September 1979 and August 1980.
And he was the only son of the Goyles.
A Pure-blood wizarding family with nothing but magic in its roots.
We don’t know much about Gregory’s life growing up.
But he seemed to be good friends with Vincent Crabbe and Draco Malfoy…
Even before the boys went off to study at Hogwarts.
So they must’ve been close through their fathers…
Who were all Death Eaters. Dark wizards who served Lord Voldemort.
And when 1991 came, Gregory was on his way to Hogwarts…
The very same year as the-boy-who-lived.
Plus, when Gregory’s name was called for sorting…
He was assigned to Slytherin House.
In fact, Gregory became a shining example of Slytherin’s worst traits…
Like being extremely arrogant and judgemental toward others.
Gregory Goyle occupation
Unfortunately, we don’t get to see what career Gregory chose later down the line.
And given his low test scores in Hogwarts…
He’s not going to have that many options either.
However, Gregory was a member of the Inquisitorial Squad in 1996.
A group of hand-picked students by Dolores Umbridge…
That would enforce her rules and give out punishments.
So if push comes to shove…
Gregory could’ve gotten a job very similar to his role here.
On top of that, Goyle was pretty decent at Quidditch. The famous broomstick-flying sport in Hogwarts.
And if he brushed up his skills later in life…
He could also try going professional like Ludo Bagman.
The famous player from the Wimbourne Wasps.
Gregory Goyle character
Gregory Goyle looked like Draco’s big bodyguard.
He had large shoulders and long arms.
Not to mention a big build…
And fuzzy hair to top everything off.
In fact, even his looks comically reflected Goyle’s attitude…
Because he was your classic big brute that loved to bully others.
On top of that, he’s also slow on the uptake in the intelligence department.
In fact, Goyle ended up repeating his 5th year…
Because he failed 1 of his classes.
But despite all of that…
At least he’s loyal to Draco Malfoy.
And that’s why you’ll see him tag along with Vincent Crabbe wherever Malfoy goes.
3 most famous Gregory Goyle quotes
#1: “We was hiding in the corridor outside, we can do Diss-lusion Charms now! And then, you turned up right in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum! What’s a die-dum?”
Although Gregory Goyle can’t make heads or tails of what Harry and his friends were looking for…
It doesn’t take away from the fact that he can now use the Disillusionment Charm.
A difficult spell that will make the user invisible…
Because they’ll blend in with their surroundings.
And that’s how Gregory got the jump on Harry and his friends.
#2: “Go on, Draco! Don’t be a prat! Do him!”
While Draco Malfoy’s usually the one taking the lead…
He hesitated in attacking Harry Potter even when he had his guard down.
As a result, Gregory Goyle got a bit too annoyed with waiting.
And that’s how we got this magnificent and ironic scene…
Where Goyle’s the one telling Malfoy what to do.
#3: “Avada Kedavra!”
It might be a short line.
But it’s a powerful quote.
Because these are the words to the killing curse.
And Gregory aimed with the intent to kill Hermione Granger.
Lukcily, she managed to dodge the shot.
But it shows that even Gregory’s not someone you want to mess with…
More facts about Gregory Goyle
#1: Ron and Hermione saved his life
I know it sounds unlikely…
Especially after all the bullying Gregory’s done to them.
But it’s actually true.
Ron and Hermione did save Goyle’s life.
Do you recall when Vincent Crabbe used Fiendfyre?
Well, Crabbe lost control of the dangerous spell.
And it burned everything in its path.
Harry and his friends had no trouble escaping because they had their brooms.
But Draco and Gregory on the other hand…
They had no way out.
Luckily, Harry and his friends had no plans of leaving the 2 Slytherins behind.
And despite their trouble past together…
Harry let Draco Malfoy onto his broom.
Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron went to save Gregory Goyle.
In fact, it’s 1 of my favorite scenes from the film.
Because it’s such a great way to finish up the arc between the 2 groups who were always at odds.
And it’s a must-watch for any fan itching to see some wizard action:
#2: A pretty good student during his 7th year
Gregory Goyle wasn’t the brightest wizard.
And his best friend, Vincent Crabbe, didn’t have much to show off in the brain department too.
But as far-fetched as it sounds…
Did you know things took a turn for the better in their 7th year?
You see, during this time, the evil Lord Voldemort had full control of Hogwarts.
So things didn’t follow the typical lesson plans…
Not to mention Amycus and Alecto Carrow became professors as well.
But how exactly does this help Gregory, you ask?
Well, for the first time ever…
He actually enjoyed the lessons.
The Carrows taught them all about dark magic and dangerous spells…
And he was pretty good at casting curses too.
In fact, Gregory would even take up extra credit…
By helping the Carrows discipline other students.
However, this wasn’t your ordinary detention…
Because Gregory would use Cruciatus Curse on others.
A dangerous spell that would torture its poor victim.
Of course, I’m not saying what Gregory did was right.
A study shows that torture can have long-term negative effects.
Like scarring a person emotionally.
Or permanently hurting their mental health.
And doing that to other students was cruel.
But in a weird and messed-up way…
It’s cool to see that Gregory found something he was good at.
#3: Got into Quidditch for his size
Although Gregory was 1 of the better Beaters that played for Slytherin…
He didn’t get the role because he was particularly good at protecting the team.
Instead, he was chosen for his size.
And since Gregory was a pretty big and buff kid for his age.
It was pretty difficult getting in his way when trying to play Quidditch.
Plus, research shows muscle size has at least some connection to strength.
So if you subtract the extra chubby layers Gregory had going…
He was actually pretty strong too.
Sure, he might’ve not been the most skillful…
But he had the physique to be the best Beater.
#4: He’s a pretty decent magical duelist
Gregory might not be able to stand with the most powerful wizards in Harry Potter.
But as far as dueling went…
He was pretty capable on the battlefield.
For example, he held his own against Harry Potter.
Sure, he didn’t win a full 1-on-1 fight…
But fending him off still counts for something.
On top of that, do you remember the Battle at the Room of Requirement?
Well, Gregory faced off with Harry and his friends inside the magical room.
Not to mention, he managed to use multiple different curses while fighting.
So Gregory’s a lot more skillful than he looks.
And that’s why I love Harry Potter so much.
Because even the flawed characters get a chance to shine.
#5: Nobody knows what happened to him
After the Battle of Hogwarts…
We don’t actually hear from Gregory Goyle ever again.
And it’s pretty sad nobody knows what happened to him.
In fact, even Draco Malfoy didn’t keep in touch with Gregory.
Some fans believe he went on to have a family of his own.
But still kept the pure-blood supremacist ideals.
Which would make for a fitting ending to his character arc.
However, if you remember all the things he did during his 7th year…
It’s a lot more likely that Gregory’s looking at jail time.
You see, nobody simply gets away after using Cruciatius Curse on a lot of people.
It’s 1 of the Unforgivable Cruses for a reason.
And Gregory might’ve been sent to Azkaban because of it…
Serving a long sentence inside the top-security prison for dark wizards and witches.
Plus, if we follow what research says….
Gregory Goyle might not be in the best position right now.
Because jail time can have a negative impact on someone’s health.
Like the increased risk of depression and anxiety.
Bonus: A movie mix-up
If you go through all the films again…
You’ll probably notice that Gregory’s best buddy Vincent went through a lot of changes.
And not in the character development sense…
But the actual actor type of mix-up.
You see, Vincent Crabbe’s actor got into some trouble off-screen…
Which eventually cost him the role.
So if you’re wondering why you remember Gregory using the Fiendfyre spell instead.
It’s not because you have a bad memory.
It’s a movie mix-up that had to make some last-minute tweaks.
In fact, you can watch all the Harry Potter films on Netflix again.
And you’ll clearly see Gregory’s friend missing in the last film…
Not to mention Goyle setting an entire room on fire.