Tales of the Sword 2 Trivia Quiz

Answer:

The Sword of Gryffindor was commissioned in the tenth century by Godric Gryffindor, who was one of the founders of Hogwarts. It was made by the King of the goblins, the silversmith Ragnuk the First, who was king because he was the most skilled craftsman of the group. According to the legend, Ragnuk was so enthralled by the sword that he had created, that he began a rumor that Gryffindor had stolen it from him.

Even with their powers, wizards could not craft silver that equalled that which the goblins could make. The metal they used was pure silver that was enchanted with goblin magic. Goblin silver only took in what made it stronger; it did not need cleaning, and it never rusted. While highly prized, goblin silver was apparently not especially rare. Sirius Black's family owned ancient goblets made of the metal, and the silverware that was used at mealtime by the students at Hogwarts was made from it as well.

Rubies said to be the size of eggs decorated the Sword of Gryffindor. They symbolized courage and bravery, attributes which were prized by members of Gryffindor House. Rubies also were used when tallying the Gryffindor points for the annual Hogwarts awards. Kept in a sort of magical hourglass, they floated to the bottom when points were given, and back to the top when they were deducted.

Twice in the movies - in "Chamber of Secrets" and "Deathly Hallows 2" - the Sword of Gryffindor was drawn out of the Sorting Hat. This should not be surprising, if it is remembered that the Sorting Hat also belonged to Godric Gryffindor. He placed an enchantment on the sword that it would materialize in the hat, which would appear to any true, worthy Gryffindor who showed courage and needed a weapon.

In "Chamber of Secrets", the Sorting Hat with the Sword of Gryffindor was given to Harry by Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore's phoenix. He used the sword to kill the Basilisk, which meant that it became saturated with Basilisk venom - it only took on what made it stronger - and since the Basilisk fang was used to destroy Tom Riddle's diary, which was a Horcrux, the sword could also be used for the same purpose.

Neville Longbottom, another true Gryffindor in need of a weapon, pulled the sword from the Sorting Hat, which was lying on a pile of rubble in the courtyard, during the Battle of Hogwarts in "Deathly Hallows 2". He used it to kill Nagini, the last of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

After Professor Dumbledore died, the Minister For Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, brought his will to The Burrow, as Dumbledore had left some items for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. One of the items bequeathed to Harry was the Sword of Gryffindor, which the minister said was currently missing. Scrimgeour stated that the sword could not be possessed by any one person anyway, so it didn't matter. Although Hermione vehemently disagreed, she was dismissed. Was this an attempt by Dumbledore to convey to Harry that he needed the sword to destroy the Horcruxes? The group's inability to destroy the Slytherin Locket led to a lot of quarrelling and self-doubt. In the end, the Sword of Gryffindor was used to destroy three of the seven Horcruxes, although Dumbledore's use to destroy the ring was not shown in the movies.

Bellatrix Lestrange did NOT ever possess the real sword; Snape had given her a convincing fake to store in her vault at Gringotts in order to keep the real sword safe. That is why she freaked out in "Deathly Hallows 1" when she saw the Snatchers holding the sword. Had someone broken into her vault? Griphook, the goblin banker, knew that Bellatrix's sword was a fake, and that the one possessed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione was real; goblins could sense that sort of thing. And, like other goblins, Griphook believed that the sword belonged to them.

Within the goblin culture it was believed that anyone who paid a goblin craftsman to make an item, only "owned" it until their death. Then it was rightfully to be returned to the craftsman. In "Deathly Hallows 2", Griphook made the deal to help Harry, Ron, and Hermione break into Bellatrix's vault, but only if they returned the sword to him. This deal was not for personal gain; it was to right an old wrong. When Griphook was killed, Godric's enchantment spell on the sword returned it to the Sorting Hat.

The rest of the descriptors - gold, emeralds, and Deathly Hallow - that have not already been discussed, do not refer to the Sword of Gryffindor.