Why didn't Voldemort steal the sword of Gryffindor when he killed Griphook in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? He could have prevented his death.
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To get hold of the sword, you have to be a valiant Gryffindor which Voldy wasn't.– user68762Nov 3, 2016 at 14:27
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when does Voldemort even meet Griphook?– user13267Nov 3, 2016 at 14:48
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@Himarm scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/143568/…– Au101Nov 3, 2016 at 14:48
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1@Au101 i blanked most of those trash films out of my memory– HimarmNov 3, 2016 at 14:48
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Dont mind the book-purist snobbery. The films are good enough, visual media spposed 2b different from books and there are quite a lot brilliant scenes that sum up JKR's ideas as presented in the books.– user68762Nov 3, 2016 at 15:15
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2 Answers
According to wikia, "The sword vanished from Griphook's hand. " after Voldemort killed him.
Also, the sword "must be taken under conditions of need and valor", so I don't think Voldemort qualifies. Gryphook may be an exeption as he is a gobelin, and may be immune to the enchantements of the sword.
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It vanished in the film. In the books, it simply re-materialised when a Gryffindor needed it, presumably from wherever Griphook had stashed it.– ValorumNov 3, 2016 at 14:57
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While it is true that the films can not always be considered canon, and that Griphook would be very stupid to take the sword to a confrontation with big V, in this instance the film interpretation of the events is as good as any other, until JKR says otherwise.– NygaelNov 3, 2016 at 15:31
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It's the only canon of information about his fate. That doesn't mean that it can't be undone with the flick of JKR's pen...– ValorumNov 3, 2016 at 15:38
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I did some scratching and it is true that as Griphook no longer works for Gringgots at the time, it is more than likely that it was another Gobelin that was killed by Voldemort. So much for my earlier point...– NygaelNov 3, 2016 at 15:40
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The wiki does mention the sword vanishing from Griphook's hand and also shows a gif of this, but who knows about the canon of this? I don't have a book with me now, but my guess is that even if the sword did not vanish, it would've been too hard for Voldemort to get it. Firstly, he killed Griphook with a curse, so he wasn't necessarily near Griphook. Secondly, the sword can only be wielded by a true Gryffindor, or presumably by a goblin since it is goblin-made. In addition, the sword would probably have disappeared from Voldy so it could later appear to Neville through the Sorting Hat.
There's no mention of Griphook at all after he takes the sword in the book. The wiki says he is one of the goblins who Voldy kills after he finds out about the break-in to Gringotts, but the book doesn't mention that it's him. And if it is, the book doesn't mention the sword there at all. We must assume that Voldy never had any way to access the sword, much less to take it in the right condition (namely, as a Gryffindor and in conditions of need and valor).
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In the film, Voldemort is walking among the dead - as indeed he does in the books of course. But in the film, Griphook's there, slain by Voldemort, with the sword in his hand and then it dematerialises. Definitely a film thing, though– Au101Nov 3, 2016 at 14:49
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Absolutely agreed, I was just seeking to clear up where I believe the question came from :)– Au101Nov 3, 2016 at 15:01
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1This is a case where the movies walked the dog over the books. If the goblin bearing the bad news to Voldemort had been a goblin Harry recognized, the narrative would have said so. Nov 4, 2016 at 2:58