Griphook

Griphook was a Goblin who worked at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Diagon Alley. He would later go on the run during the Second Wizarding War from Lord Voldemort's new regime, and assist Harry Potter in his search for Helga Hufflepuff's Cup.

Work for Gringotts
Griphook worked for Gringotts Wizarding Bank. In 1991, he took Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid to vaults 687 and 713.

In 1997, Griphook went on the run after the fall of the Ministry of Magic to Lord Voldemort's Death Eaters, since Gringotts was not under the sole control of Goblins and he refused to acknowledge any Wizard 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.

On the Run
Griphook 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 eventually caught by a gang of Snatchers led by Fenrir Greyback. Ted, Dirk and Gornuk were killed, but Griphook and Dean were taken prisoner.

Shortly after, Greyback's team were alerted to the location of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley after they broke the Taboo on Lord Voldemort's name. Griphook was taken to Malfoy Manor, and imprisoned in the cellar. However, the trio were in possession of the real Godric Gryffindor's sword. Bellatrix, believing that the sword was in 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 persuaded Griphook to go along with her story.

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


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 Godric Gryffindor's Sword. Griphook considered it Goblin property, claiming that Godric Gryffindor had stolen it from Ragnuk. Harry reluctantly agreed.

However, Griphook's mistrust of wizards in general, and his feelings that Goblin-made artifacts 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 of them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione escaped with Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, flying out on a dragon used to guard high security vaults

Unfortunately for Griphook, Neville Longbottom was incredibly brave in defying Voldemort later, and the Sorting Hat gave him the sword. What happened to Griphook after he lost the sword is unknown. It is thought that he continued to hate wizards even more than before.

Behind the scenes

 * In the film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Griphook is played by 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.
 * It has has been confirmed that Verne Troyer will be replaced by Warwick Davis to portray the role of Griphook in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows films.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (film)