Post by ChickenOrder on Jul 5, 2015 12:18:20 GMT -5
I'm split about Hagrid. I don't think he is bad, but there are so many instances where he is acting morally dubious, irresponsible, bigoted, i.e. You get my drift. Hagrid is not someone I would want to be friends with or someone I would trust.
1.In the first chapter he kidnapped Harry, despite Sirius being Harry's guardian. DD seemingly has the right to circumvent law and order in Hagrid's mind. Hagrid saw to it that Harry was placed with Muggles (on their doorstep to be precise) which in his eyes was a bad thing, because Muggles-like most in the WW world he views non-wizards with unkind eyes.
2. He's rude.
Because when the proprietor denies one entrance into his home, breaking in the front door is what normal people do.
He just invited himself into their abode and insulted Dudleys. This is his first interaction with the Dursleys.
Yeah, don't mention that Harry is sitting on the ground with only a measly blanket to keep him warm. Just ignore it completely.
He insults Vernon who in this instance has every right to demand he leave and then he proceeds to intimidate him by destroying his rifle.
And then proceeds to ignore the Muggles existence whose abode he has just invaded and whom he has just insulted (repeatedly) and cowed into submission. (Admittedly it was very nice of him to give Harry a birthday cake.)
He insults Dudley again by making fun of his weight. It is the first time he has met him and so far Dudley has done nothing to offend him.
He doesn't even deem it worthy to address the Dursleys directly instead he is talking about them (similarly to how the Dursleys treat Harry). Seemingly their only fault and the reason for his rudeness from the very beginning is because Harry didn't get his letter. Just, wow.
I understand that Hagrid is mad at the Dursleys, but he is mad if he thinks that leaving a baby on a doorstep without so much as by your leave and a LETTER is acceptable.
The Dursleys are deplorable, but so is Hagrid's behaviour and outlook on nonmagic folk.
Hagrid heard that and got mad. I would have wanted to hex Vernon, too. That's not the problem. The problem is that Hagrid heard that and did nothing about it. Again he is ignoring Harry's abuse.
Hagrid like most of the WW is stupid enough to believe a toddler offed Voldemort. Head->Desk
Again he's being derogatory about Muggles. But what annoys me the most is that Hagrid thinks insulting DD is worse than Harry being abused. Hagrid looses his temper when DD is insulted, but not when Vernon is talking about abusing Harry?
He just cursed a kid that has done nothing wrong as far as Hagrid knows. Cursing Vernon or Petunia I would understand, but directing his ire towards their kid? Even if Dudley had done something wrong, turning him into a pig is too much. Add to that the fact that Transfiguration is dangerous and Hagrid has only three years of schooling. I'm so mad it leaves me fuming!
Again he thinks that DD is above the law (and himself by extension). We later find out that he's not allowed to cast any magic at all, and using magic against Muggles is forbidden and frowned upon.
It is nice of him to give Harry his coat. Obviously he did notice that Harry was sleeping on the ground with only a measly blanket to keep him warm. Wonder is why he doesn't do anything about Harry's abuse. Now why Harry is the one sleeping on the ground and why he can't just transfigure a bed or at least a very big cushion I don't know.
It seems to me that DD trusts Hagrid because he will follow his orders blindly. Having mindless followers is surely very handy.
We know the reason the WW hides from muggles is because of the Witch Burnings, but it seems to me that Hagrid believes what he says. This is not a matter of intelligence, but wilful ignorance. Unfortunately this seems to be true for most of the WW population. They turn the Witch Burnings into a tasteless joke in their history lessons.
Again he is being very patronizing and condescending towards Muggles. This attitude is unfortunately very widespread amongst wizards, but this doesn't excuse his own behaviour.
He has no tact at all. Parading Harry around like he is some kind of trophy was really tasteless. He seems to think that he was doing Harry a favour or something. If he was Ron, then yes, but Harry doesn't care for his fame.
Again Hagrid thinks himself above the law and seems to think that "we" has any right to "keep Harry's money safe for him". (I'm very sure he's talking about the Order.) Harry never gets his key back from Hagrid and a few years later the Weasleys access his vault to draw money for him. But again, just because it is a crime committed by many doesn't make him less guilty.
I'm not sure what exactly Hagrid thinks about Hufflepuffs since he was interrupted, but it can't be that good if all he has to say is that being in Hufflepuff is better than Slytherin, considering that he views them as evil. He is also lying to Harry. Sirius is not a Slytherin. In either case he is manipulating Harry to view Hufflepuff and Slytherin negatively. He is throwing about a quarter of school children into the same boat as murderers, just because they were placed in Slytherin.
Hagrid is seriously irresponsible. Never mind that he forgot to tell Harry how to go to the Platform, he didn't accompany Harry back to the Dursleys. Now, I wouldn't be so mad if he was a normal boy, but Harry is being targeted by Death Eaters and Voldemort. Hagrid
had the god-damned responsibility to accompany him to his house door.
These are just some instances where Hagrid fucks up. I specifically chose these scenes (especially his interaction with the Dursleys) because they are never mentioned by other fans. I just started rereading the books and it blew my mind. I never noticed it earlier because I loathe the Dursleys and thought it served them right, but Hagrid's behaviour was deplorable. It struck me how deeply my dislike of the Dursleys had blinded me to other characters faults.
Back then I felt gleeful that the Dursleys were getting their just desserts and felt happy for Harry. Just like Harry I came to like Hagrid. Reading through those chapters years later turned my love of Hagrid into dislike. What JK Rowling doesn't want us to notice (and doesn't notice herself) is that Hagrid is hardly any better than the Dursleys. Yes, he is nice to Harry, but his behaviour towards Vernon and Petunia a (at the beginning) and specifically towards Dudley was unacceptable and morally deplorable.
1.In the first chapter he kidnapped Harry, despite Sirius being Harry's guardian. DD seemingly has the right to circumvent law and order in Hagrid's mind. Hagrid saw to it that Harry was placed with Muggles (on their doorstep to be precise) which in his eyes was a bad thing, because Muggles-like most in the WW world he views non-wizards with unkind eyes.
"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it — Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles —"
2. He's rude.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!"
There was a pause. Then —
SMASH!
The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its ‘ hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
There was a pause. Then —
SMASH!
The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its ‘ hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.
"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy
journey. . . ."
He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy
journey. . . ."
He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.
Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.
"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer moms eyes."
Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.
"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer moms eyes."
Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.
"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.
"Anyway — Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."
Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."
The giant chuckled darkly. "Yer great puddin' of a son don need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."
The giant chuckled darkly. "Yer great puddin' of a son don need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."
"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"
"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"
I understand that Hagrid is mad at the Dursleys, but he is mad if he thinks that leaving a baby on a doorstep without so much as by your leave and a LETTER is acceptable.
"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.
"A what?" said Harry, interested.
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest
Muggles I ever laid eyes on."
"A what?" said Harry, interested.
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest
Muggles I ever laid eyes on."
"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured — and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion — asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come o a sticky end —"
But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word . . ."
But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word . . ."
"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. ‘Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — I dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."
Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes
[...]
Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes
[...]
"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbledore —"
"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, " — INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!"
"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, " — INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT — OF — ME!"
He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.
Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.
Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.
"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."
Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.
Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.
"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."
"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job — "
Again he thinks that DD is above the law (and himself by extension). We later find out that he's not allowed to cast any magic at all, and using magic against Muggles is forbidden and frowned upon.
He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.
"You can kip under that," he said. "Don mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."
"You can kip under that," he said. "Don mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."
It is nice of him to give Harry his coat. Obviously he did notice that Harry was sleeping on the ground with only a measly blanket to keep him warm. Wonder is why he doesn't do anything about Harry's abuse. Now why Harry is the one sleeping on the ground and why he can't just transfigure a bed or at least a very big cushion I don't know.
As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyway. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid drew himself up proudly. "He usually gets me ter do important stuff fer him. Fetchin' you gettin things from Gringotts — knows he can trust me, see.
"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country."
"Why?"
"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."
"Why?"
"Why? Blimey, Harry, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."
We know the reason the WW hides from muggles is because of the Witch Burnings, but it seems to me that Hagrid believes what he says. This is not a matter of intelligence, but wilful ignorance. Unfortunately this seems to be true for most of the WW population. They turn the Witch Burnings into a tasteless joke in their history lessons.
Passersby stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little town to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as tall as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"
Again he is being very patronizing and condescending towards Muggles. This attitude is unfortunately very widespread amongst wizards, but this doesn't excuse his own behaviour.
"The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.
…..
Hagrid grinned at Harry.
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.
…..
Hagrid grinned at Harry.
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh — mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
"The gold ones are Galleons," he explained. "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. Right, that should be enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh."
"School houses. There's four. Everyone says Hufflepuff are a lot o' duffers, but —"
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."
"I bet I'm in Hufflepuff," said Harry gloomily.
"Better Hufflepuff than Slytherin," said Hagrid darkly. "There's not a single witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin. You-Know-Who was one."
Hagrid helped Harry on to the train that would take him back to the Dursleys, then handed him an envelope.
"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me. . . . See yeh soon, Harry."
"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," he said. "First o' September — King's Cross — it's all on yer ticket. Any problems with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me. . . . See yeh soon, Harry."
had the god-damned responsibility to accompany him to his house door.
These are just some instances where Hagrid fucks up. I specifically chose these scenes (especially his interaction with the Dursleys) because they are never mentioned by other fans. I just started rereading the books and it blew my mind. I never noticed it earlier because I loathe the Dursleys and thought it served them right, but Hagrid's behaviour was deplorable. It struck me how deeply my dislike of the Dursleys had blinded me to other characters faults.
Back then I felt gleeful that the Dursleys were getting their just desserts and felt happy for Harry. Just like Harry I came to like Hagrid. Reading through those chapters years later turned my love of Hagrid into dislike. What JK Rowling doesn't want us to notice (and doesn't notice herself) is that Hagrid is hardly any better than the Dursleys. Yes, he is nice to Harry, but his behaviour towards Vernon and Petunia a (at the beginning) and specifically towards Dudley was unacceptable and morally deplorable.