Category:Goblins

From UnknowableWiki

(Redirected from Goblin)

Creature profile

Goblin
Allegiance	neutral
Appearance	small humanoid body, long fingers and feet
Known specimens	Griphook, Bogrod, Gornuk, famous goblins
First appearance in canon	Diagon Alley (PS)

Goblins are magical creatures that have been granted being status by the Ministry of Magic (FBi). They have a small humanoid body^[1] and very long fingers and feet. Males grow beards (PS5). Their language is Gobbledegook (GF7), but most are able to speak human languages, too.

1 Trades and occupations
2 Goblins and wizards
3 Important events concerning goblins
4 Footnotes

Trades and occupations

Goblins control Gringotts, the wizard bank. Hundreds of them work there (PS5). They are also responsible for the casting of coins. Every Galleon has a serial number referring to the goblin who cast it (OP16).

Goblins are exceptional craftsmen, especially as smiths and silversmiths. "Goblin-made" implies the highest quality—and the highest price. A goblin-made armour can easily cost 500 Galleons (HBP20). They are able to make indestructible armour (OP20), and goblin's silver repels all substances except those which strengthen it (DH15).

Goblins can always tell if an item is goblin- or wizard-made, although it is possible to fool wizards with a very good copy (DH15, DH23).

Goblins also have a strong attachment to their works (HBP29, DH15). They believe that items of their craftmanship (i.e., the sword of Gryffindor or Great-Aunt Muriel's tiara) belong to the maker and his people by right. According to their understanding, it is impossible to buy them permanently; even if wizards have paid them for ownership, this is temporary. Passing goblin-made items on or inheriting them is therefore considered theft by many goblins (DH25).

Goblins and wizards

The relationship between goblins and wizards is notoriously strained. Goblins feel repressed and mistreated by wizards, who are in control of the government (especially the Being Division at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where the Goblin Liaison Office is located) and refuse them equal rights. For instance, goblins are forbidden to carry wands (DH24). The different cultural perceptions of ownership put a further strain on the relationship (DH25). The Ministry's low opinion of goblins is exemplified by the Fountain of Magical Brethren, which shows a goblin, a centaur and a house-elf looking up in admiration and deference at a witch and a wizard (OP7). The fountain is destroyed during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries (OP36).

It seems that even witches and wizards opposed to the Ministry's low opinion of non-human beings, such as Hermione Granger, see little reason to campaign for goblin rights, as they argue that goblins are able to fend for themselves (GF24). A notable exception is Oswald Beamish (1850 - 1932), a famous pioneer of goblin rights (FW).

The history of goblin resistance is a long one—half of Professor Binns' History of Magic classes seem to deal with goblin rebellions (PS15, GF15, GF22, GF31, OP31). Even during times of outward peace, goblins delight in thwarting wizard schemes. For example, in the 14th century goblins disrupted both of the Wizards' Council's attempts to design a beings category and hold a summit with all potential beings (FBi). The 17th and 18th century were the time of bloody goblin rebellions (W3). Goblins tried to attend the first meeting of the International Confederation of Wizards in France, but they were ousted (OP31). A goblin delegation attended the confederation's summit meeting of 1692, which dealt with the concealment of magical creatures from Muggles. They were the only group that did not agree to the final compromise (FBi). Today, the Brotherhood of Goblins fights for goblin rights (DP).

During the First War against Voldemort, many goblins were killed by Voldemort's followers. For instance, Voldemort murdered a goblin family near Nottingham (OP5). The goblins are therefore unwilling to join Voldemort in the Second War; however, they also do not want to fight him and choose to remain neutral (OP5, DH15).

Important events concerning goblins

Harry Potter meets goblins for the first time on July 31, 1991, on his first trip to Diagon Alley. He and Rubeus Hagrid go to Gringotts to get some money from Harry's vault and fetch the Philosopher's Stone. Hagrid talks to an unnamed goblin at the counter, who summons Griphook to bring them to their vaults (PS5). Later that same day, Quirinus Quirrell tries to steal the Philosopher's Stone for Voldemort (PS17). The Daily Prophet reports about the incident, but the Gringotts spokesgoblin refuses to say what the thieves tried to steal (PS8).

In 1994, Ludo Bagman gets into trouble with the goblins. He borrowed a large amount of gold from them that he cannot pay back, as he lost everything in gambling. After the final match of the Quidditch World Cup of 1994, they corner him and take all the money he has. However, the huge sack of gold (GF9) they take is not enough to cover his debts. The goblins therefore follow Ludo to Hogwarts, where he is supposed to judge the Triwizard Tournament (GF24). Ludo makes a bet with them that Harry Potter will win the Tournament. When the goblins do not accept Harry's victory since he was tied with Cedric Diggory, Ludo disappears (GF37). The incident further worsens the climate between goblins and wizards. The goblins suspect that the Ministry did a cover-up for Ludo (OP5).

After the return of Lord Voldemort in June 1995, Order of the Phoenix member and Gringotts employee Bill Weasley starts negotiations with Ragnok, a goblin leader, trying to bring him onto their side. However, the goblins, who are highly suspicious of wizards because of the Bagman affair, are unwilling to cooperate (OP5). That summer, The Quibbler posts a cartoon of Cornelius Fudge throttling a goblin. The magazine claims that Fudge tortures goblins for fun and wants to gain control of Gringotts (OP10).

To discredit Griselda Marchbanks after she publicly defends Albus Dumbledore, the Daily Prophet reports that she entertains links to subversive goblin groups in September 1995 (OP15).

After Voldemort's return is officially acknowledged in the summer of 1996, goblins tighten the security measures at Gringotts, using Probity Probes (HBP6).

After Voldemort takes over the Ministry on August 1, 1997, the goblins, who have decided to remain neutral, cannot keep full control of Gringotts. Griphook therefore leaves the bank and goes into hiding. He meets up with Dirk Cresswell, former Head of Goblin Liaison Office, and Gornuk, another goblin who fled because he was unwilling to obey an unknown request that he found undignified. They meet Ted Tonks and Dean Thomas on a riverbank one evening. Their conversation is overheard by Harry, Ron and Hermione. Griphook boasts that he did not tell Severus Snapethat the supposed sword of Gryffindor that Snape stored at Gringotts was a fake copy (DH15).

The little group does not survive much longer. Gornuk and Cresswell are killed, and Griphook is taken prisoner by the same group of Snatchers that capture the Trio. They are taken to Malfoy Manor (DH22, DH23). On Harry's orders, Dobby frees Griphook as well as the other prisoners, bringing him to Shell Cottage (DH23, DH24). The Trio convince him to help them break into Gringotts to steal one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, promising him Gryffindor's sword in return (DH25). Griphook helps the Trio to get inside the bank and overpower Bogrod, another goblin, but when they are discovered, he deserts them, keeping the sword. During their escape on a Gringotts watchdragon, the Trio destroy large parts of the bank (DH26). One of the goblins tells Voldemort that Hufflepuff's cup has been stolen and Voldemort tortures and kills him (DH27).