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Rubeus Hagrid
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Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. The character is usually addressed only by his surname. Hagrid is the half-giant Keeper of Keys and Grounds, gamekeeper and, starting in Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Later in the series, it is revealed that Hagrid is also a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Hagrid", according to Rowling in an interview with The Boston Globe, comes from the word "hagridden", meaning to have a nightmarish night, particularly when hung over.
id was among the characters that Rowling says she created "the very first day".
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Encyclopedia
Rubeus Hagrid is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J. K. Rowling. The character is usually addressed only by his surname. Hagrid is the half-giant Keeper of Keys and Grounds, gamekeeper and, starting in Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. Later in the series, it is revealed that Hagrid is also a member of the Order of the Phoenix.
"Hagrid", according to Rowling in an interview with The Boston Globe, comes from the word "hagridden", meaning to have a nightmarish night, particularly when hung over.
Character development
Hagrid was among the characters that Rowling says she created "the very first day". In her article Harry's Fame, Rosemary Goring notes the Forest of Dean is an influence to Rowling's work, and Hagrid is the only character that is "directly drawn from the Forest of Dean". According to Goring, Hagrid's "dropped word-endings are a Chepstow speciality." She also notes that Hagrid is physically "modelled on the Welsh chapter of Hells Angels who'd swoop down on the town and hog the bar, 'huge mountains of leather and hair'."
The character of Hagrid and conversations between him and Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger in his hut are expository through the series, due to the fact that the trio frequently discover things about Dumbledore and Hogwarts by talking with Hagrid, as he has a habit of letting slip bits of information. Since he introduced Harry to the Wizarding world, Hagrid has been one of Harry's closest friends. Hagrid constantly watches over him, and is rather protective, seeing him as a fellow orphan and outsider. Harry in turn, apart from the dangerous animal fixation, views Hagrid as one of the most important people in his life. Rowling commented in an interview that the scene in the final book in which Hagrid is seen carrying Harry's apparently dead body is very significant as “Hagrid brings Harry from the Dursleys. He takes him into the wizarding world … He was sort of his guardian and his guide ... And now I wanted Hagrid to be the one to lead Harry out of the forest.” He was also one of the first characters to imply that the idea of thinking of wizards as "pure-bloods" and "half-bloods" is a dated concept.
Rowling has stated in an interview that Hagrid was in Gryffindor house during his time as student. When he comes into possession of an acromantula, he is expelled from Hogwarts as his pet is supposed to be the "monster of Slytherin". However, persuaded by Albus Dumbledore (who at the time was Transfiguration teacher), Headmaster Armando Dippet agrees to train Hagrid as gamekeeper, allowing the boy to remain at Hogwarts. By the time Harry attends Hogwarts, Hagrid is also the Keeper of Keys and Grounds: the former, according to Rowling, means "that he will let you in and out of Hogwarts." Part of his job includes leading the first years across the lake in boats, upon their initial arrival at Hogwarts.
Appearances
First three books
Rubeus Hagrid is introduced in the opening chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Following the death of James and Lily Potter, Dumbledore entrusts Hagrid with rescuing the infant Harry from his parents' house after their murder by Lord Voldemort. When Minerva McGonagall expresses her concern about the fact that it was Hagrid who would carry Harry to the Dursleys', Dumbledore says that he would trust Hagrid with his life, a fact that is demonstrated several times during the series when Dumbledore frequently asks him to carry out secret tasks. Years later, he is tasked to bring the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and assigned the three-headed dog Fluffy to take care of it. Dumbledore also gives him the task of locating Harry, helping him to find his bearings in the wizarding world and to buy his school things. Hagrid is the first member of the Hogwarts staff to be introduced to Harry before he began attending the school. Hagrid later becomes friends with Ron and Hermione as well. Later in the book, a hooded person (Professor Quirrell in disguise) gives him a dragon egg to elicit details about Fluffy. Hagrid lets slip to Harry, Ron, and Hermione that the way to get past Fluffy is to play music, for which they use the flute Hagrid himself carved for Harry, which allows them to pursue the potential thief. The three also assist Hagrid after the dragon egg hatches, by helping to remove the baby dragon Norbert, who is taken to live in a dragon sanctuary in Romania where Ron's older brother, Charlie Weasley, works.
Readers first know why Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It is revealed that Hagrid was a student at Hogwarts at the same time as Tom Marvolo Riddle, the wizard that later became Voldemort. Hagrid was expelled during his third year, after being caught in possession of Aragog, a dangerous acromantula: this already grave crime was worsened due to the belief that it was "The Monster of Slytherin," and that Hagrid had released it from the Chamber of Secrets and, either intentionally or unintentionally, allowed it to attack and petrify (and in one case, kill) other students. This inaccurate belief was encouraged by Tom Riddle, the actual criminal, who had been using the true monster (a basilisk) to attack students, and who had framed Hagrid to avoid the school being closed. During the events of the book, the Basilisk is unleashed once again and Hagrid is sent to Azkaban prison, as he is believed again to be the responsible for the attacks. However, before being arrested, Hagrid tells Harry and Ron to "follow the spiders", so that they can meet Aragog and discover the identity of the true monster. After Harry defeats the Basilisk, it is revealed that Ginny Weasley is acting under the influence of Tom Riddle's diary, thus Hagrid is freed from prison.
Following the resignation of Silvanus Kettleburn, the former Care of Magical Creatures professor, Hagrid is assigned to teach the subject in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. He is also allowed to perform magic again since his name is cleared after the events of the previous book. During his first class, in which he introduces the hippogriffs to third-years, one of the beasts, Buckbeak, attacks Draco Malfoy after the boy insults it. Although Dumbledore manages to prove that Hagrid is innocent, the Ministry of Magic sentences Buckbeak to death. Thus, Hagrid's classes become extremely boring, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend some time in getting information that would help Hagrid in Buckbeak's defence. Towards the end of the book, in a plot twist, Hermione uses her Timeturner and, along with Harry, saves both Buckbeak and Sirius Black from unjust fates.
Fourth to sixth books
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire it is revealed that Hagrid is of mixed wizard and giant parentage, his mother having been the giantess Fridwulfa, who left his wizard father when Hagrid was a baby. Since giants have a reputation for being horribly brutal, and were once allies of Voldemort, Hagrid keeps his parentage a secret and allows people to imagine other reasons for his great size (drinking a bottle of Skele-Gro when he did not need it). Hagrid's parentage is exposed in the Daily Prophet by Rita Skeeter, who portrays him as dangerous (because of his like of aggressive creatures) and incompetent. Hagrid is gravely affected by this and attempts to resign from his post as teacher, though Dumbledore does not accept his resignation. During the novel, Hagrid develops a romantic interest with Olympe Maxime – another half-giant witch and Headmistress of the French magic school Beauxbatons. Hagrid is also one of the very few people that, since the beginning, believes in Harry's word that he did not apply to enter the Triwizard Tournament. Later in the book, Alastor Moody (impersonated by Barty Crouch Jr) suggests Hagrid should show Harry that the first task of the Tournament would involve dragons. He also provides Blast-Ended Skrewts for the third task.
Hagrid is absent during the first part of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The character later reveals to Harry, Ron and Hermione that he and Madame Maxime travelled across Europe together on a mission from the Order, planning to find giants and convince them to ally themselves with the good side and with Dumbledore; however, Death Eaters also find the giants and managed to get them to Voldemort's side. Hagrid is attacked by giants during the mission, and saved by Maxime. Hagrid and Maxime eventually part on the journey home because of Maxime's exasperation with Grawp, Hagrid's half-brother who he had found and was attempting to bring home with them. Grawp, who wanted to stay with the giants, seriously hurt Hagrid. Hagrid introduces his half-brother to Harry and Hermione, and asks them to take care of him after he leaves Hogwarts. High Inquisitor of Hogwarts Dolores Umbridge supervises the classes of all the members of the Hogwarts staff, including Hagrid's, and she looks for an excuse to fire him, as Hagrid is close to Dumbledore. Towards the end of the book, Umbridge and other Ministry officials attempt to arrest Hagrid. The latter manages to escape, but Professor McGonagall is injured whilst trying to defend him. Finally, with Dumbledore's post as Headmaster restored, Hagrid returns to Hogwarts.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer students of Care of Magical Creatures, and Hagrid gets both angry and disappointed with them during the first part of the book, but he soon realises that it is not because they do not like him. Later in the novel, Aragog dies, and Hagrid risks his life to recover the acromantula's body to give it a "proper" funeral. After the funeral, he and Horace Slughorn drink excessive fire whiskey, and Harry takes advantage of this situation to retrieve Slughorn's memory. Towards the end of the book, Death Eaters attack Hogwarts and, while trying to fight them, Hagrid's hut is set on fire. During Dumbledore's funeral, Hagrid is seen carrying the Headmaster's body.
Final book
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hagrid is part of the Order of the Phoenix delegation assigned to remove Harry from the Dursleys' home to the magic-protected Burrow. Hagrid takes Harry on the flying motorcycle he inherited from Sirius Black but the plan goes awry when the Order delegation is ambushed by Death Eaters. The pair narrowly make it to the Burrow after being attacked by Voldemort himself. After Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding reception, which is invaded by personnel from the Voldemort-controlled Ministry of Magic, Hagrid presumably returns to his job at Hogwarts. Hagrid is next seen near the beginning of the Battle of Hogwarts, after having been driven into hiding in the mountains with Grawp and Fang to escape the new Death Eater-controlled regime at the school due to Hagrid hosting a "Support Harry Potter" party in his hut.
During the battle, Hagrid attempts to come to the defence of Aragog's carnivorous children, who have been driven out of the Forbidden Forest by the Death Eaters and are now attacking both Hogwarts defenders and Death Eaters indiscriminately, but is carried off by a swarm of them. He later turns up, captive in the Death Eaters' camp, when Harry sacrifices himself to Voldemort. Hagrid is forced to carry Harry back to the school, not realising that Harry has survived again, and en route accuses the watching Centaurs of not doing enough to help. The Centaurs soon afterward join the fray and Hagrid takes part in the second half of the Battle, felling his main nemesis among the Death Eaters, the magical-creature executioner Walden Macnair, and ultimately being one of the first to congratulate Harry after he defeated Voldemort. According to Rowling, Hagrid was never in danger of dying, as she "always had that picture in my head of the huge gigantic Hagrid walking through the forest crying with Harry in his arms".
Epilogue
Nineteen years after Voldemort's defeat, Hagrid is still at Hogwarts, though it is not clear in what capacity, and invites Harry's young son Albus to his hut for tea, just as he had once done for Harry himself. During an interview in 2007, when asked if Hagrid did marry, Rowling answered that Hagrid developed a relationship with a giantess but it did not work out. When the audience complained about the fact that Hagrid never married, Rowling replied, "At least I didn't kill him."
Film portrayal
Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane portrayed Hagrid in all of the film adaptations of the Harry Potter novels to date, including the upcoming sixth film. Rowling has said that when writing the first Harry Potter book, she imagined Coltrane portraying the character. Coltrane has commented that to be part of the Harry Potter films is "a fantastic thing to be involved in." Rowling gave Coltrane some background on Hagrid prior to the completion of the series.
English rugby union footballer Martin Bayfield has portrayed Hagrid as a stunt performer in longer shots due to his large size to emphasise Hagrid's height. Bayfield also appeared as a young Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Attributes
Outward appearance
In Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid is mentioned as being twice as tall as the average man and nearly five times as wide but in the movie his height is mentioned as 8 foot 6 (roughly 2.6 metres), and in later books he is said to be three times as wide. Hagrid is known for his thick West Country accent. Being a half-giant, he is less vulnerable to jinxes and spells than full-humans. In Order of the Phoenix, when Umbridge and some other wizards come to remove him from Hogwarts he fights back. They try to jinx and stun him, but the spells just bounce off him because of giant-inherited resistance to magic. Hagrid also shows this resilience at the end of Half-Blood Prince, during the chapter Flight of the Prince, withstanding a Death Eater's powerful curses. Some potions are also ineffective with him, such as Polyjuice Potion, which is designed for human-only use.
Personality
Hagrid has a friendly, softhearted personality and is easily driven to tears, as seen in his very first scene, when he drops Harry off at the Dursleys' in Philosopher's Stone. He is very loyal to his peers, especially Dumbledore, to whom he refers as the greatest wizard in the world multiple times. As first seen in Philosopher's Stone, he becomes extremely angry whenever anyone insults Dumbledore around him (a mistake made by Vernon Dursley, who called Dumbledore a "crackpot old fool"). Hagrid is also very loyal to Harry, suffered several times during the series because of this loyalty, and had to go into hiding twice to avoid prison. Rowling says of Hagrid, "Hagrid was always supposed to be this almost elemental force. He's like the king of the forest, or the Green Man. He's this semi-wild person who lives on the edge of the forest".
Magical abilities
Following his expulsion from Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic broke Hagrid's oak wand and forbade him from performing magic. Hagrid keeps the pieces of his wand in a pink umbrella, and performs small spells from time to time; however, he was technically forbidden to do magic until the third book, and since he is not a fully qualified wizard, he "will always be a bit inept" as compared to other adult wizards, but "occasionally surprises everyone himself included by pulling off more impressive bits of magic".
Family
Grawp
Grawp is the giant half-brother of Hagrid. Grawp and Hagrid were born of the same mother, the giantess Fridwulfa; Hagrid's father was a wizard, whereas Grawp's father was a giant. Grawp is about 16 feet (4.9 metres) tall, which Hagrid claims is small for a giant. His knuckles are the size of a cricket ball (~225 mm in circumference). The other giants were bullying Grawp, and this is a factor in Hagrid's decision to bring him to the Forbidden Forest. Big and dim, he only knows a few words in English and his manners are wild and unpredictable.
At first, Grawp seems indifferent to his brother's attempts to civilise him, preferring to spend his time tearing down trees. After Hagrid leaves Hogwarts to avoid being imprisoned, he leaves Grawp in the care of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Much to their surprise, when they find themselves trapped in the forest during a confrontation with the local centaur population, Grawp inadvertently manages to divert the centaurs' attention from Harry and Hermione while looking for Hagrid, whom he calls 'Hagger'.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Grawp is moved to the mountains, where he is apparently progressing much better. He also attends Dumbledore's funeral with Hagrid, much more civil and calm than before, and dressed formally. He also appears to understand emotions, at least to some extent, as he pats Hagrid's head to comfort him. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Grawp, Hagrid, and Fang go into hiding after Hagrid throws a "Support Harry Potter" party and it is implied that Grawp helped them all escape. He is the only giant fighting against the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts, probably in an attempt to protect Hagrid, as he frequently calls his name while fighting the Death Eaters. Grawp participates in the victory celebration over Voldemort's defeat (albeit from a window, since he is too big to fit into the hall), and the Hogwarts students show their appreciation by tossing food into his laughing mouth.
In the film adaptation of the fifth book Grawp is completely computer-generated using a new "soul capturing" process from Image Metrics. Andrew Whitehead spent 18 months working on the giant Grawp for the film. The voice of Grawp is performed by Tony Maudsley.
Parents
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the truth about Hagrid's parents is revealed: his father, who is never named in the stories, married a giantess, Fridwulfa. Fridwulfa left Rubeus to his father's care after his birth; according to Hagrid, she was not very maternal. Later she gave birth to Grawp, a pure-giant. She died long before Hagrid returned to the giants in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Hagrid describes his father as "a tiny little man". Hagrid clearly felt great affection for him; in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, he says that his father's death when Hagrid was in second year at Hogwarts was one of his saddest memories.
Hagrid's pets
Hagrid keeps and has kept a variety of pets, including some which the Wizarding community considers impossible to domesticate. They are not always wrong. Rowling has said that Hagrid has little interest in tamer magical creatures because of the lack of a challenge, although he has a cowardly, albeit large dog (boarhound) named Fang. Hagrid's love of dangerous magical creatures is relatively central to the plot of several books of the series.
Aragog
Aragog is an Acromantula - an enormous, sentient, talking spider that made a unique clicking noise as he moved in search of prey. Hagrid raises him from an egg as a Hogwarts student, keeping him inside a cupboard. In his third year at Hogwarts, Hagrid is caught talking to Aragog in the dungeons by Tom Riddle. Riddle then alleges that the creature is the "Monster of Slytherin," and that Hagrid, by extension, has opened the Chamber and released it. In fact, the "Monster" is a basilisk which Riddle, the real Heir of Slytherin, has released.
After Hagrid's expulsion, Aragog lives in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid even finds him a mate, Mosag, with whom Aragog has many offspring and becomes the patriarch of an entire colony of Acromantulas. He remains grateful to Hagrid and keeps his carnivorous children from attacking him when he comes to visit, but this does not extend to anyone else, as Harry, Ron, and Fang found out in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Hagrid has told them to simply "follow the spiders." Doing as he wishes, they find Aragog, who reveals clues to the true identity of the Monster of Slytherin. Next, Aragog and his children try to eat Harry, Ron, and Fang, who are only saved at the last minute by Mr Weasley's flying car that has been lost in the forest a few months prior. Aragog remains in the forest for the rest of his life, eventually dying in Half-Blood Prince of old age. Hagrid retrieves Aragog's body from the forest, fearing that his children would devour his body.
Later in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Aragog's offspring return during the Battle at Hogwarts; having been driven from the Forbidden Forest, they begin to attack Death Eaters and Hogwarts' inhabitants indiscriminately. Hagrid endangers himself and, potentially, other Hogwarts' inhabitants by attempting to protect Aragog's offspring from harm, in fact being captured by them and taken to Voldemort.
Aragog was voiced by Julian Glover in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Buckbeak
Buckbeak along with eleven other hippogriffs, is introduced during one of Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures classes. Hagrid explains that hippogriffs are very calm, powerful giants, but are sensitive creatures and demand respect. Harry successfully approaches Buckbeak, who allows him to ride him around the paddock.
Draco Malfoy, in an arrogant attempt to show up his school nemesis, endeavours to approach Buckbeak as well. It becomes obvious that Draco neither listens to nor cares about Hagrid's warnings about the hippogriffs' sensitivity, as he makes contemptuous remarks about Buckbeak. Quickly angered, Buckbeak slashes Draco's arm with his claws. Pretending to be injured much more severely than he truly is, Draco persuades his father, Lucius Malfoy, to use his political power to sentence Buckbeak to death. Hagrid's numerous appeals fail, and members of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures come to Hogwarts to execute Buckbeak. With the use of a time-turner, Hermione and Harry free Buckbeak and rescue Sirius Black from the tower in which he is being held before being handed over to the Dementors. Sirius escapes with Buckbeak and flies to safety. During most of Harry's fourth year, Sirius and Buckbeak hide in a cave in the mountains above Hogsmeade. After this, they move to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, whereupon Buckbeak stays in Sirius' mother's former room.
In Half-Blood Prince, Harry inherits Buckbeak, and allows Hagrid to look after him again. To avoid suspicion from the Ministry of Magic, he is given the alias "Witherwings". A fiercely loyal creature, Buckbeak chases Snape away from Harry by slashing his claws at the end of that book. Buckbeak also features in the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows leading the Hogwarts' Thestrals against Voldemort's giants.
Fang
Fang is a large boarhound that, aside from his enormous size, appears to be an entirely ordinary dog. While Fang's appearance is intimidating, he is, in Hagrid's words, "a bloody coward." Boisterous and loving with people he knows, he seems to enjoy licking Harry, Ron, or Hermione around the face or ears.
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone he accompanies Harry, Hagrid, Draco, Hermione and Neville into the Forbidden Forest to look for an injured unicorn. In the following book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron take Fang into the forest where he is scared stiff of both the gigantic acromantula and Mr Weasley's flying car. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, an escaping Death Eater set fire to Hagrid's hut while Fang is inside; Hagrid enters the flaming hut, slings Fang over his shoulder, and carries him to safety. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Fang and Hagrid participate in the Battle of Hogwarts; though Fang's exact involvement is not clear. He is last seen running away after a shattered vase frightens him.
Fang is said in the books to be a boarhound; however, in the films, Fang is portrayed by a Neapolitan Mastiff.
Fluffy
Fluffy is a giant three-headed dog used by Hagrid to guard the trapdoor leading to the underground chamber where the Philosopher's Stone is hidden in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The only way to get past Fluffy is to lull him to sleep by playing music. Fluffy is based on Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Greek Mythology that guards the gates to the underworld. As with Fluffy, Cerberus was lulled to sleep with music by Orpheus.
In the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione accidentally run into Fluffy after running from caretaker Argus Filch. At Halloween, Harry and Ron witness Snape entering the door to Fluffy's chamber, and for the next few days he has a pronounced limp and is overheard saying "How are you meant to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" However, it is later revealed that he followed Professor Quirrell into the chamber. Later, Professor Quirrell gets past Fluffy by playing a harp, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione use a flute that had been given to Harry by Hagrid because Fluffy falls asleep to music. Rowling was asked in an interview what happened to Fluffy after he was no longer needed to protect the Stone. She said Fluffy was released into the Forbidden Forest.
Norbert (Norberta)
Norbert, later renamed Norberta, is a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon that Hagrid had acquired as an egg from a mysterious, hooded stranger, who turned out to be Professor Quirrell. Hagrid helps the dragon hatch from the egg. Norbert becomes very dangerous and much bigger in the weeks following, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally persuade Hagrid to give her to Ron's older brother Charlie, who is studying dragons in Romania. Harry and Hermione take Norbert up in a crate under Harry's invisibility cloak. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Charlie Weasley revealed to Hagrid that Norbert was actually female, and had been renamed Norberta. Charlie notes that female dragons are more vicious than the males.
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