Griphook

[davewitley]

On the first reading I was somewhat dissatisfied with the way the Griphook plot just seems to 
fizzle. Harry is basically planning a double-cross and there is so little payoff?

In a sense, though, the way Neville gets the sword at the end closes that off.  Harry's bad 
faith causes the 'rightful' ownership of the sword to pass from him to Neville, while 
Griphook's greed (or legalistic anger) is rewarded by the force majeure of the Sorting Hat.  
Though no doubt he sees it as a typical wizarding trick played by the hat's owner, perfidious 
Gryffindor, like attaching the sword to the hat with a piece of invisible elastic.

Suggests that JKR supports the wizard (ie everyday in our society), not the Goblin, concept of 
property rights.

FWIW

David