A Mine Cart is used to transport customers between the vaults of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Only goblins employed at Gringotts bank can operate these and have special places for lanterns. They move on specially laid tracks at the bank and are magically operated.
History
1991
A goblin using a Gringotts cart.
Before entering Hogwarts School, Harry Potter and Rubeus Hagrid went to Gringotts to obtain some gold from the vault of Harry's parents and Hagrid got the Philosopher's Stone from vault 713. With the help of the Gringotts goblin Griphook, they used the Gringotts cart passing with the help of railway tracks to go to their desired vaults. The cart seemed to know its own way, because Griphook wasn’t steering. They plunged even deeper, passing an underground lake where huge stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor.[1]
1998
Infiltration at Gringotts
Harry Potter decided to infiltrate Gringotts to obtain the Horcruxes he believed that was in Bellatrix's vault. While in the Shell Cottage, Harry sought for the help of Griphook to assist them to break-in. Later Griphook agreed to help them but in exchange for Godric Gryffindor's Sword because he considered it a Goblin property, claiming that Godric Gryffindor had stolen it from goblin Ragnuk. To break-in, Harry Potter and Griphook hid themselves using Harry's Invisibility cloak, while Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger used Polyjuice Potion. Hermione disguised herself as Bellatrix Lestrange and Ron disguised himself as an unnamed person but was described as having long and wavy hair, a thick brown beard and moustache, no freckles, a short, broad nose, and heavy eyebrows. Later Hermione named him as "Dragomir Despard" when they encountered Travers, a Death Eater who also intended to go to his own vault in Gringotts. Harry had to use the Imperius Curse to goblin Bogrod to be able to control him and assist them. Bogrod escorted them using the Gringotts cart but they passed over the Thief's Downfall, a defence that conjures an enchanted waterfall that can wash away all enchantment and magical concealment. This revealed the disguised figure over Hermione and Ron, and returned them to their original state and the Gringotts cart they used was smashed into pieces.[2] Shortly later, when Harry, Hermione and Ron escaped on the Ukrainian Ironbelly at Gringotts dragon, a part of the mine track broke when the dragon climbed on it with its claws, causing a cart with several goblins and Gringotts guards to go flying off and plunging down into the darkness, killing them.
Appearances
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (First appearance)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game) (First identified as Mine Cart)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (video game)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
- Harry Potter for Kinect
- Harry Potter Trading Card Game
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Chapter 5
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 26