In fairness, he only promises he'll give him the sword. If others then confiscate it, he can't help that. But yes, it's sneaky, even if Rowling avoids any morally dubious acts on Harry's part in the end by having Griphook act as he does.

Yes, that's rather interesting, isn't it? And with Bogrod he doesn't even have the excuse of his victim being a Death Eater. I take it Bellatrix' "you've got to mean it, boy!" only really referred to the Crucio and AK. Or else it was his sense of urgency that got the job done.

In fairness, he has his reasons and they are good (though there would've been something to be said for sending one of the three away with the cup). I'm more concerned about how awfully convenient it is that he has the visions again, and that they tell him so much.

Griphook isn't a very sympathetic fellow at the best of times. Why should she like having to convey his messages and being treated as a servant in her own house? Bad enough that he has to stay there for so long without anyone even telling her why.

I don't really find her contradictory so much as too little fleshed out. Her turning into an imitation of Molly is kind of lame, and seems unrealistic and, if I dare say so, a bit sexist as well. She's supposed to be a highly capable and brave witch, after all.

Not to me, really. Especially since, as Bill makes clear, the wizards' treatment of goblins does have its reasons.

Indeed. The point has been made with the centaurs too, but there you could justify most, if perhaps not all, of their behaviour by pointing at the insults that usually precede it. Not so much here.

Yeah, it's funny when Rowling does that. Hermione is Jane too, isn't she? And then little Teddy, such a prosaic name for a kid whose parents have names like that.

True. I think mostly Rowling just wanted to go for the extremely spectacular and give her screenwriters an opportunity to go to town on the CGI, though.

Hard to say, really... if they're not complete nitwits, they should suspect that he has Horcruxes by now, and then I guess the connection is easily made. But then Bellatrix isn't exactly the brightest crayon in the box, and Lucius is no fool but somewhat of an amateur when it comes to the Dark Arts, one might be forgiven for thinking.