Griphook wasn’t your ordinary goblin.
He had a strong heart.
And his bravery was steadfast…
Even in the face of death.
So it’s time we gave him his much-deserved spotlight.
Continue reading to discover:
- How Griphook escaped the Snatchers.
- Why the goblin decided to help Harry and his friends.
- What happened to the brave Griphook during the 2nd wizarding war.
- And so much more…
About Griphook
| Born | Before 1990 |
| Purity | Goblin |
| Association | Gringotts Wizarding Bank |
| Character Traits | Doubtful, Cunning, Brave |
| Patronus | N/A |
| Wand | N/A |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus (Likely, but not proven) |
Griphook background
Griphook was a goblin.
A humanoid magical being that lived alongside wizards.
And while they were short, with an average height of 122 cm (48 in.)…
Don’t let their looks fool you.
Because what they lacked in height…
Goblins made up for brains.
Not to mention naturally gifted with magic as well.
Furthermore, Griphook was born sometime before 1990.
Griphook occupation
Griphook worked at Gringotts.
The only wizarding bank in Great Britain.
He transported owners to their bank vaults.
And he also managed some of the more high-priority bank vaults too.
It was a stressful job.
In fact, research shows that type of stress can be dangerous.
Because it can impact your health too.
Fortunately, Griphook enjoyed the job.
So there’s not much to worry about there.
Griphook character
Griphook was of average height for a goblin.
And he had scruff grey hair that started to recede at his forehead.
He also wore a dark grey vest on top of his button-up polo…
Which matched his pale complexion.
But as for Griphook’s personality…
He wasn’t the type to trust people.
And that goes double for wizards and witches.
3 most famous Griphook quotes
#1: “Stand back. If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they’d be sucked through the door and trapped in there.”
When Griphook, Harry, and Hagrid got to vault 713.
A top-security vault owned by Albus Dumbledore.
Griphook warned them that only a Gringotts goblin could open such a vault.
And anyone unlucky enough to try…
Well, they’d end up trapped inside.
#2: “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 held a grudge against wizards.
And he hated how they kept the magic of wands to themselves.
In fact, even research agrees with him too.
Because discrimination can have negative effects on someone’s health as well.
Like increasing the risk of disease.
#3: “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?”
Although the wizarding world was in chaos…
Griphook was still mad at wizards.
Because even then…
Wizards and witches had it better than goblins and house-elves.
Not to mention, nobody spoke out and tried to protect them too.
More facts about Griphook
#1: Showed Harry Potter to his bank vault
Although Griphook’s most memorable moments were in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows…
We actually saw him in the 1st movie too.
Do you remember when Rubeus Hagrid took Harry Potter to Gringotts?
Well, it was Griphook that showed them to the Potter family vault.
And while the goblin was pretty smug at the time…
At least Griphook was very helpful too.
In fact, getting to see the fortunes Harry’s parents left was 1 of the best scenes.
And it’s a must-watch for any fan craving a nostalgia trip:
#2: Discovered a fake Sword of Gryffindor
When the evil Lord Voldemort took control over the Ministry.
His dark forces also managed to take over Gringotts as well.
And what did that mean for Griphook?
Well, he had to work for these evil wizards.
Something that didn’t sit right with him.
But did you know he actually got the last laugh?
You see, the dark wizards put Griphook in charge of Bellatrix Lestrange’s bank vault.
Specifically, putting the Sword of Gryffindor inside. A 1000-year-old magical sword owned by Godric Gryffindor.
So what’s the catch, then?
Well, Griphook discovered it was fake.
The sword was nothing more than a cheap replica.
But did Griphook bother telling the dark wizards?
Of course not.
That was for them to find out.
And that’s why I love Harry Potter so much.
The story’s filled with awesome moments like this one.
#3: Almost escaped from Snatchers
Of course, like any true goblin, Griphook hated the idea of working under wizards.
So the second he saw the chance to escape from Gringotts…
He took it.
And the best part?
Well, he managed to stay on the run from Snatchers for months too.
Voldemort’s elite force of hired bounty hunters.
In fact, Griphook met up with other escapees and worked with them.
And they were Dirk Cresswell, Gornuk, Ted Tonks, and Dean Thomas.
Unfortunately, the group eventually ran out of luck.
How so, you ask?
Well, this time the dangerous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, was after them.
And when he caught up…
Fenrir killed Ted, Dirk, and Gornuk.
As a result, Griphook and Dean were taken away as prisoners.
#4: Saved Hermione Granger from torture
I know it sounds far-fetched.
Hermione Granger’s 1 of the smartest witches alive.
Not to mention, she also ranked pretty high among the most powerful wizards in Harry Potter.
So why would she ever need help, right?
Well, after Griphook was taken prisoner by Fenrir…
The werewolf also managed to snatch up Harry Potter and his friends too.
And all of them were taken back to Bellatrix Lestrange.
However, the golden trio actually had the real Sword of Gryffindor with them.
So when Bellatrix saw the magical sword…
She got mad.
Worse, Bellatrix assumed Harry and his friends had managed to break into her bank vault.
And in an effort to get the truth out of the trio…
Bellatrix used Crucio on Hermione Granger. The unforgivable torture curse.
But Hermione wasn’t the type to back down from a fight.
Even if it meant putting her life in danger.
As a result, she said the sword was a fake.
And that’s when Griphook stepped in to back her up too.
Yet why would that be so important, you ask?
Well, the Sword of Gryffindor was made by a goblin.
And only a goblin like Griphook could tell the difference.
So he managed to convince Bellatrix Lestrange too.
In fact, it worked to Griphook’s advantage as well.
Because when Dobby the house-elf came to save Harry Potter and his friends…
They let the goblin tag along too.
#5: Helped Harry Potter break into Gringotts
On Harry Potter’s quest to destroy all the Horcruxes…
1 of the powerful artifacts that kept Voldemort immortal was inside Gringotts.
And knowing that Griphook used to work there…
Harry begged the goblin for his help breaking into the wizarding bank.
So did Griphook agree?
Well, he said he would do it but on 1 condition: Griphook gets the Sword of Gryffindor.
“Why did he want the sword?”
You see, goblins believe that anything of goblin property should return to its owner.
And Griphook felt responsible for returning the sword to goblinkind.
As a result, Harry Potter had no choice but to agree.
However, once they got inside…
Griphook understood that Harry had no intentions of keeping his end of the bargain.
So when the goblin got a hold of the sword…
He took the opportunity to tell on Harry and his friends.
On the bright side, the trio did manage to escape at the very last minute.
And with the Horcrux in hand too.
But it sucks things had to end that way.
Because a lot of fans wanted to see Griphook and Harry working together until the very end.
In fact, it’s 1 of the reasons why people think Harry Potter’s bad literature.
You see, the goblins were already a problematic figure in the wizarding world.
How so, you ask?
Well, because of their hooked noses and their association with hoarding wealth.
2 prevalent anti-Semitic tropes. Prejudice held against Jewish people.
As a result, it could’ve been the perfect chance to break the stigma.
And for goblins and wizards to make up.
Yet J.K. Rowling didn’t go that route.
Bonus: Murdered by the Dark Lord
Say what you will about Griphook.
He was only doing what he thought best for goblinkind.
In fact, it’s also justified in a way too.
Because Harry didn’t want to give the Sword of Gryffindor anyway.
But did Griphook get a happy ending?
Not in the slightest.
You see, when Voldemort learned about the break-in…
He called all the goblins to him, including Griphook.
And when they told the Dark Lord what had happened…
Voldemort got mad.
And in a fit of rage…
He murdered every goblin in sight.
Not to mention stepping on Griphook’s lifeless body too.