CHAPDISC: DH25, Shell Cottage

[janelekus]

No: HPFGUIDX 184024





> Jen:
<BIG SNIP>
> I don't see evidence for a magically binding contract in the
> handshake though, Carol.  The end point of the Harry/Griphook
> relationship is Harry realizing Griphook never did trust him to
hand
> over the sword.  Griphook taking possession of the sword made it
> clear both of them had hidden clauses in the bargain they struck
> rather than a magical moment causing possession to change hands.
>


Hello all,

This is Jane, a new group member, adding her two cents to the
conversation for the first time.

I have a slightly different take on Griphook's motives in demanding
the sword. I think he was trying to extract the highest price
possible for his participation in the "caper". Short of blood, Harry
had nothing of greater value to offer him.

Although Harry does not specifically tell him what the trio is after
in the Lestrange's vault, Griphook has been assured that they are
not after gold or treasure to enrich themselves. So he must reason
that it is something with a different kind of value, and he may
surmise that is is also goblin-made. By agreeing to assist them, he
does not stipulate that they may not take anything made by goblins.
And when they are in the vault, and he sees what it is they have
come for, he does not indicate that he is surprised at what it is.
Of course by that point he might believe that the trio will be
entombed in the vault, and that it doesn't matter what it is they
wanted.

For me, this leads to the further question: Did Griphook expect the
trio to die in the vault, and was he using this expectation to steal
back the sword? Or was he willing to "trade" whatever else they were
after for the sword? I put the word trade in quotes, since at the
time the deal was made, he didn't know specifically what they were
after, but he would have had a good idea of what the Lestranges had
in their vault.

Finally, I took the handshake to be Griphook's understanding of the
human concept of the gesture, and he was impressing upon Harry the
seriousness of what he expected out of Harry. He was not making a
similar commitment in return.


Jane