"Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backward."
-- Draco Malfoy to Goyle (CS12)
"How thick can you get?"
-- Ron Weasley, watching Goyle gulp down a cake he found just lying around (CS12).
Gregory Goyle is one of Draco Malfoy’s thuggish cronies. Goyle has short, bristly hair that extends down onto his forehead. His eyes are small, dull, and deep set, and he speaks with a low, raspy voice. He’s a mean bully who enjoys whatever chance he gets to boss people around, whether as a member of Umbridge’s Inquisitorial Squad in his fifth year or using the Cruciatus Curse on other students in his seventh. Polyjuice Potion to turn someone into Goyle is the khaki color of a booger (CS12). His intelligence is far below average – the Trio maintained a fervent hope he would fail end-of-year exams (PS17), and he failed at least his D.A.D.A. O.W.L., having to retake it in his sixth year (HBP15).
He joined the Slytherin Quidditch Team in his fifth year as a Beater, though it’s not clear if it’s because he wanted to or because Draco wanted his henchmen on the team (OP). Goyle appears to be a born follower, spending much of his sixth year Polyjuiced into a first-year girl at Draco’s behest (HBP21), and (unlike Crabbe) remains loyal to Draco even throughout their seventh year. He is saved from Crabbe’s Fiendfyre by Ron and Hermione (DH31). Goyle’s interests include chuckling trollishly, smirking, laughing sycophantically, cracking his knuckles, flexing his muscles, sniggering stupidly, and rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way. He doesn’t like writing. Why is that not surprising? (OP10). Goyle’s father is a Death Eater (OP).
Skills
Chuckling trollishly, smirking, laughing sycophantically, cracking his knuckles, flexing his muscles, sniggering stupidly, and rubbing his knuckles in a menacing way
Commentary
Etymology
Goyle = from "gargoyle" stone demons carved into the exterior of Gothic buildings as rain spouts.
Notes
Goyle's ancestry is never mentioned in the books, however, in 2001 Rowling flashed a notebook during a BBC interview that showed her notes on the students in Harry Potter's year and Gregory is noted as being a Pureblood. This information cannot be considered canon, however, because the notes conflict in too many places with the stories as they were actually published. But it's almost certain Goyle is a pureblood, since his father is a Death Eater, and would therefore marry a pureblood witch.
Pensieve (Comments)
Tags: bogies bullying Crabbe remembrall gross