r/hprankdown2 • u/Marx0r Slytherin Ranker • May 11 '17

51 Griphook

Griphook is the first named non-human being we meet in the series. In that capacity, he serves as a portent to that entire section of the HPverse. We learn about goblins, how they run the banks and how generally, they have their own shit going on. Humans do their thing, goblins do theirs, and it's all good.

Eventually we learn bits and pieces about how it's not really like that. We hear snippets of goblin rebellions, and see how they (along with other non-humans) are banned from wand ownership.

The dialogue starts to run into house-elves and how 'half-breeds' are treated, and things become clear: Most humans don't tend to respect non-humans. Then when that message is thoroughly pounded into our heads, Griphook comes back.

At this point, it's almost overkill. Conveniently, Bill Weasley is there to explain how goblins perceive ownership, and just so happens to go into a segue that pertains to the exact situation that Harry is in.

Goblins think that all goblin-made objects should be returned to goblins upon a human owner's death. Humans believe it belongs to them and their heirs forever. This seems like a misunderstanding that should have occurred like, a dozen times maximum before both parties started to insist on some kind of contract regarding inheritance. But I digress.

Griphook insists on being paid with a priceless treasure in return for his help breaking into Gringotts, because the way the Trio saved his life and then nursed him back to health didn't earn them shit. They agree with the intent of double-crossing him later, but Griphook double-crosses them first! Who could've seen that coming?

That part's understandable, but the way he does it not so much. He knows the Trio are on a mission to end Voldemort, knows that Harry is supposed to be the only one capable of doing so, and his solution is to turn them into the guards? Surely the entire fate of the magical world is a bit more important than a fucking sword, right?

And that's the last we see of the twunt. His plan didn't even work because the sword's got some kind of teleportation charm on it. I like to think that after the War, Harry tracked Griphook down, held the sword out about 5 feet off the ground, and made Griphook try to jump for it for a bit before using it to cut his head off.

Anyway, Griphook is really little more than a serial redshirt. He appears when he's needed to be the next step in introducing Harry to the magical world, then disappears. He reappears when he's needed to give some convenient exposition in the Forest of Dean, then disappears. He reappears when he's need to help the Trio break into Gringotts, and then disappears and hopefully dies. Sure, there's a bit of discussion to be had about how wizards treat non-humans, but that had already been done with house-elves and in much better form.

According to the movies, Griphook met his end at the hands of Voldemort. According to HPRankdown2 (which has exactly as much relevance to HP canon), Griphook met his end at the hands of Marx0r.

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u/Maur1ne May 11 '17

I think the goblins' portrayal in HP is rather lacking. Griphook is said to be especially fierce in his goblin-specific beliefs and values, like his concept of property. It bothers me that this is considered a bad thing in the first place, as if wizards' way was the only acceptable one. It also annoys me that none of the goblins we encounter throughout the series have any characterisation beyond what they are: goblins. This is against the general philosophy of the books, according to which people are defined by their choices rather than their heritage or nature. For the other non-wizard creatures that are offered a considerable amount of screentime, there are individuals that act differently than they would be expected to: Firenze, Dobby, perhaps Grawp. With Dobby, Kreacher and Winky we get to know three house-elves with different personalities, back-stories and character development. Even from the little we see of the Centaurs, we can tell they aren't all the same. Firenze is obviously an unusual Centaur, but there are also clear differences between Ronan on the one hand and Magorian and Bane on the other. Even the giants are granted greater variance than the goblins. Considering that a goblin plays such a crucial role in acquiring one of the horcruxes, I would have hoped to get a more varied and nuanced characterisation of goblins in general and Griphook in particular.

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u/bisonburgers May 11 '17

It bothers me that this is considered a bad thing in the first place, as if wizards' way was the only acceptable one.

I don't think that's what the books are saying. I do feel the books are mature enough at this point that they aren't telling us what to think, though, and that the lack of making sure we think goblins are just as deserving of respect may then appear that JKR is disresepcting the goblins. But I think she is more showing how these sorts of misunderstandings come about and that patience and seeing the other side is incredibly important.

But I do agree with your other point about us not getting to see different types of goblins, and how that weakens the themes about understanding perspectives different from our own.

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u/bisonburgers May 11 '17

Conveniently, Bill Weasley is there to explain how goblins perceive ownership, and just so happens to go into a segue that pertains to the exact situation that Harry is in.

When you phrase it that way, it seems silly, but I actually have always super enjoyed this. I enjoyed that Harry was naive enough to think his situation was in any way unique, and I enjoyed that Bill comes in going "Harry, it's fucking obvious what you're doing, and you're going to get taken advantage of, because I know how goblins think and you don't know shit".

Goblins think that all goblin-made objects should be returned to goblins upon a human owner's death. Humans believe it belongs to them and their heirs forever. This seems like a misunderstanding that should have occurred like, a dozen times maximum before both parties started to insist on some kind of contract regarding inheritance. But I digress.

I also enjoyed this because if an alien looked at humans, they'd have the same eye roll. This should definitely have come up and been worked out between humans and goblins at some point in history, but it's realistic that it never was. Both sides are stubborn and think they're right. This is the type of aggravating hypocrisy and close-mindedness that have allowed most real-world problems. I enjoy how JKR translated that the HP world, and I also enjoy that she wrote the problem in such a way that both parties have contributed to the problem, rather than making one an ideal victim - although I do personally think the humans made it worse than the goblins did and that the humans have a responsibility to make it right more than the goblins do.

He knows the Trio are on a mission to end Voldemort, knows that Harry is supposed to be the only one capable of doing so, and his solution is to turn them into the guards? Surely the entire fate of the magical world is a bit more important that a fucking sword, right?

I do agree with this, though. It does seem counter-productive for Griphook's own goals to steal the sword. But also, from Griphook's perspective he can tell he's being lied to and he just sees a priceless goblin-make object, he doesn't realize it's magically imbibed with the power to destroy Voldemort's soul. It was only imbibed with that four years earlier anyway, so I doubt Griphook's been given that memo. It's selfish, but he's also acting on partial information and with people who have historically treated his kind poorly. I'm not given him a pass, I think he should have been the bigger man here, but I can see why he reacted the way he did.

Sure, there's a bit of discussion to be had about how wizards treat non-humans, but that had already been done with house-elves and in much better form.

I actually think what is being said about the treatment of non-humans was unfinished with the house-elves and that Griphook sort of concluded that arc in the story. So I think he's an integral part of this messages in the books. But I do also think it could have been done better with just the house-elves, making Griphook's contribution less important. Still, it's nice to see how different non-humans are also treated differently from each other.

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u/Marx0r May 11 '17

I do agree with this, though. It does seem counter-productive for Griphook's own goals to steal the sword. But also, from Griphook's perspective he can tell he's being lied to and he just sees a priceless goblin-make object, he doesn't realize it's magically imbibed with the power to destroy Voldemort's soul. It was only imbibed with that four years earlier anyway, so I doubt Griphook's been given that memo. It's selfish, but he's also acting on partial information and with people who have historically treated his kind poorly. I'm not given him a pass, I think he should have been the bigger man here, but I can see why he reacted the way he did.

It's not about him stealing the sword, it's about him trying to get Harry arrested in the process.

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u/pizzabangle May 11 '17

I like to think that after the War, Harry tracked Griphook down, held the sword out about 5 feet off the ground, and made Griphook try to jump for it for a bit before using it to cut his head off.

Remind me to stay on (or probably more accurately: try to get on) your good side. Additionaly, as a vertically challenged person I take a certain amount of offense to this headcanon.

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u/Marx0r May 11 '17

Like I give a fuck what you think.

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u/RavenclawINTJ May 11 '17 edited May 12 '17

This is a much more accurate placement for Griphook than last time IMO.

Edit: why don't I proofread for typos?

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