Table Of ContentF I L M VA U L T
Volume 9
I N T RO D U CT I O N
When Harry Potter learns he’s a wizard and that he might ultimately defeat the Dark
Lord, Voldemort, he meets witches and wizards who will help him and witches and
wizards who try to stop him. Harry also meets magical creatures that work with him or against
him in his efforts to stop Voldemort from gaining ultimate power over the wizarding community.
“There are creatures in the Harry Potter films you’ve never Creatures Harry encounters during his years at Hogwarts
seen before,” says producer David Heyman. “And these creatures sometimes become valuable allies, and years after their first
are obstacles that Harry needs to overcome to prove himself.” encounter, they remember Harry’s kindness and respect. These
The Basilisk that Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) fights in Harry are kind and loyal creatures who fight by Harry’s side, including
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a creature of lore, not seen the well-intentioned house-elf Dobby, who proves to be as fierce
for one thousand years, so Harry must fight both the legend a warrior as any wizard. Dobby, who is first seen in Chamber of
and the beast. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Secrets, is part of the working world, where house-elves serve
encounters Inferi: corpses resurrected by Voldemort that guard one family for their entire lifetime (unless they receive a gift of
one of his Horcruxes, which contains a piece of his splintered clothing, which frees them from their servitude). Dobby works
soul. The Inferi are both threatening and sympathetic, for they for the Malfoy family, and when he learns of plans to release the
did not choose to become Dark creatures. deadly Basilisk upon the non-pureblood students at Hogwarts,
Voldemort and his followers place other Dark creatures in he strives to keep Harry safe, although his efforts generally
his path, such as the Basilisk, a forty-foot-long snake, that can backfire or result in mischief. Harry’s sympathy for the house-
kill any living creature with just a look into its eyes, and the elf and his strong moral compass direct him to set Dobby free,
black-shrouded Dementors with their soul-sucking Dementor’s which makes Dobby even more loyal to Harry and his friends.
“kiss.” Harry learns how to defeat them all. Harry meets Griphook the goblin, who works at Gringotts
Not all creatures that are scary are Dark, some are just Wizarding Bank, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone when
big and stupid. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry the young wizard is still finding his place in a society that is
Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley must overcome a brand new to him. Many years later, when Harry finds a way to
mountain troll. But first they must overcome their fears. The stop Voldemort, he needs to employ Griphook’s help. Although
troll’s defeat gives them their first taste of victory. Other big goblins historically do not get along with humans, the esteem
creatures can be innocent and clumsy. In Harry Potter and the Harry has always afforded him (and a deal to have the goblin-
Order of the Phoenix, Harry, Hermione, and Ron meet the young made Sword of Gryffindor returned to its makers) persuades
giant Grawp, who is half-giant Hagrid’s half-brother. “Harry Griphook to assist him.
and Ron think he’s grubby and cumbersome,” says Emma “Scenes should be character defining,” says Alfonso Cuarón,
Watson (Hermione). “But Hermione thinks he’s just a big kid director of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, “even if
with puppy dog eyes. To her, there’s something so endearing those characters are creatures.” Although made from special
about him.” Grawp develops a sweet spot for her, too, and picks foam or special effects, the creatures encountered in the Harry
her up, but Hermione shows who’s in control and gets him to Potter films have fully realized personalities, whether they are
gently put her down. “He may be made up of special effects,” steadfast workers, mischief-makers, devoted friends, combat-
adds Watson, “but somehow he’s so real.” ants, or just slow on the uptake.
C H A P T E R ON E
G O B L I N S
A N D
H O U S E - E LV E S
In the wizarding world of the Harry Potter films, creatures of diverse
types and species are employed for various occupations. House-elves
serve wizarding families with unquestioning loyalty. For financial
needs, goblins run the wizarding bank Gringotts, in Diagon Alley.
Ho us e - e l f
A house-elf is bound to serve one wizarding family for his or her entire life. House-elves are dependable,
loyal, and many are even fanatical in their service to their masters. When called upon, they can
utilize incredibly powerful magic. House-elves can only be released from their servitude with the gift of
an article of clothing from their master. While we meet only two house-elves in the Harry Potter films,
the designers evoked very different personalities and looks in their realization of these creatures, and were
given the rare opportunity to physically age these characters.
“
Not to be rude or anything, but
this isn’t a great time for
me to have a house-elf in
my bedroom.”
—H P
arry otter
Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets film
Page 2. Concept art by Rob Bliss of
a Dementor for Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban; Page 4. Concept
art of a Gringotts goblin by Paul
Catling for Harry Potter and the
Socerer’s Stone; Page 6. Kreacher, the
irritable, irritating house-elf to the
House of Black in artwork by Rob
Bliss for Harry Potter and the Order of
the Phoenix; Figs 1.–5. Harry Potter
discovers the Black family’s curious
tradition of displaying the heads of
their house-elves after their service
ends when he visits number twelve,
Grimmauld Place in Harry Potter and
the Order of the Phoenix. Rob Bliss’s
concept artwork offers eerie and
enthralling possibilities of noses, ears,
teeth, and even skin textures.
Fig 1.
FILM VAULT, VOLUME 9
