23 Haily Crum – Hagrid’s Hogwarts History: An Examination of his Transition from Forbidden Wizard to the Hero’s Mentor  

Haily Crum is a third-year student majoring in English and Mathematics. She grew up in Valparaiso, Indiana. This paper was the final piece she completed for her Harry Potter course in the spring of 2023. Professor Alisa Clapp-Itnyre notes, “Haily’s was a fabulous revision to a full analysis of Hagrid from 3 different perspectives. Your new ‘Hagrid’s life’ is so good! I like how you added the importance of Hagrid’s love of animals well to Part 2.”

Hagrid’s Hogwarts History: An Examination of his Transition from Forbidden Wizard to the Hero’s Mentor  

A loving, driven, and compassionate half-giant journeys through all possibilities at Hogwarts, providing a story of struggle, strength, and growth. Hagrid travels through the wizarding world having faced hardships as a student, forbidden wizard, hero’s mentor, accomplished professor, and Dumbledore’s side kick. I will argue that Hagrid had a great impact on Hogwarts throughout the series, specifically the impact of his love of animals and his aiding in the development of the main characters.

Hagrid’s Life at Hogwarts

Hagrid’s Hogwarts story begins in 1940 when he was sorted into the Gryffindor house. As he was starting his storyline here, Tom Riddle was also attending his third year. Hagrid faced a lot of loss as a child, ultimately abandoned by his mother at a young age and later orphaned by the death of his father. All of his trauma makes it shocking that he turned out as compassionate towards people and animals as he is. (J.K. Rowling planned Hagrid to be that way though. Her specific use of dialect given to Hagrid was used to show that “people from West Country are very simple and humble” (Santika 35).) It is this compassion that leads him to take in Aragog, a spider with a healthy appetite for humans, as just an egg, ultimately leading to Hagrid’s expulsion due to Tom Riddle’s antics. Tom frames Hagrid as the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets and released a monster who killed Myrtle, accusing Aragog in the process. After Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts, Dumbledore was able to convince Headmaster Dippet to let Hagrid stay at Hogwarts but as the Gamekeeper. If it were not for Dumbledore’s trust in Hagrid, he would not have been able to make as big of an impact on the students and animals that inhabited Hogwarts. One of the largest and most influential roles he was able to play while at Hogwarts was as a mentor, specifically in the life of Harry. He moved Harry from the Potters’ house to the Dursleys’ and kept a close watch on him growing up, especially after he first welcomes Harry to the wizarding world. He serves as a guide to the new world that Harry is embarking on, bringing joy, laughter, and unpredictability along the way.

As time goes on and Hagrid’s name is cleared from ever having opened the Chamber, he is able to secure a job as the professor for Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid brought a uniqueness to the job by bringing in dangerous creatures and allowing the students to work with them even on the first day. As much as he tried having a personal and collegiate relationship with his students, it was often too high of a standard to hold them to. His students used it as an opportunity to mock him, like when Draco Malfoy mocked him for crying over Buckbeak’s death sentence (PA 293). Even Ron, Hermione, and Harry did not appreciate the way that Hagrid taught his lessons for class. However, in that same manner, it was clear that the three of them did have clear respect for him outside of the lectures. J.K. Rowling likely includes Hagrid as a character to learn from, rather than him being included as a supporting role. As much as he has a great personality and life advice, making him personable, his teaching style is not the most fitting and students do not appreciate that aspect of it. Just like the trio and Dumbledore do not see Hagrid as a destructive half-giant, but rather as a compassionate being, the students are able to separate Hagrid’s advanced lessons with dangerous creatures from the life lessons and guidance he gives them outside of class.

At this point in Hagrid’s life, he has had a glimpse of what life as a wizard holds. Instead of just being the Gamekeeper, he is also a professor ,which helps him become more proud of himself. This is especially important when he meets his love interest and fellow half-giant, Olympe Maxime. Maxime, as a part of the giant community, which was treated with hostility, always claimed to have “big bones” (GoF 429). The fear of prejudice causing her to hide her true heritage leads to tension between her and Hagrid because of his own acceptance of being half-giant. Maxime, offended by Hagrid’s acknowledgement of her heritage, yells “ow dare you,” and states she “‘[has] nevair been more insulted in [her] life” (GoF 429). Where Maxime hides who she is and does not accept it, Hagrid advertises that he is a part of the giant community and does not let it hold him back.

The relationship with Maxime, and Hagrid’s confidence in his identity as half-giant and half-human, helps him when it comes to uniting with his half-brother Grawp. When Hagrid found his half-brother at the giant camp, he recognized all of the troubles that he had been through with the other giants and knew that Voldemort would likely enslave him if found. It was with that knowledge that Hagrid brought Grawp back with him, keeping him in the Forbidden Forest, with the centaurs. Hagrid did his best to teach his half-brother manners, pieces of English, and just ways to live like he had, rather than as a giant at the camp. As much as the centaurs did not believe that his efforts were worth it, due to the known futileness of giants, Hagrid never let up understanding what it felt like to not be understood or accepted (OoP 686). In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione referred to Grawp as a “violent giant who doesn’t even want to be here” (692). Hagrid was even facing pressure from Hermione and Harry to return Grawp to the giant camp, or at least take him somewhere he wanted to be and would not risk being a danger to them or the school.

Hagrid’s Love of Animals and the Impact

Like Hagrid’s undeniable love for giants in his life like Maxime and Grawp, he possessed that same love for dangerous creatures. “Harry, Ron, and Hermione had always known that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures” (CS 249). “…The novels detail the ways in which wizards’ assertion of dominion over other species mirrors the domination of others seen in Voldemort and the Death Eaters” specifically through Hagrid’s character (Dawson 74). Hagrid had a great amount of knowledge about magical creatures, but was quick-tempered and brought danger to his lectures. This is not unlike that of other professors though. In Herbology, the students had to practice handling Mandrakes, whose cry, when mature, will kill those who hear it (CS 92). Though they are only seedlings, they still have the ability to knock one out for several hours when proper precautions are not taken (CS 93). Other dangerous instances were students having to confront a creature that formed as their worst fears and the practicing of brewing potions, which if wrongly prepared could be poisonous and even if prepared correctly could have disastrous effects if spilled (PA 133). Like the precautions that other professors take in teaching their risky lessons, Hagrid is open and honest with his students, treating them like colleagues rather than children.

During Hagrid’s lecture with Hippogriffs, he warns the students to treat the creatures with respect and not to approach without bowing, expressing that “yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs’ move..” (PA 115). Draco Malfoy did not obey Hagrid’s instructions and insulted Buckbeak, one of the Hippogriffs. As a result, Buckbeak was put on trial (PA 218). The unfortunate event leads to Buckbeak receiving a death sentence, which breaks Hagrid’s heart to come to terms with, leading him to teach in a more conservative manner and turn to crying and drinking to cope. His deep love for animals did not go unnoticed by his students, and especially the students with whom he befriended. Harry and Hermione found a way to time-travel and end up finding a solution to save Buckbeak. After rescuing Sirius Black, Sirius rode Buckbeak to an unknown location to hide and remain safe, saving Buckbeak in the process (PA 415).

Dragons also play quite the role throughout the series and leave a large impact on many characters showing just how far Hagrid’s love of magical creatures could go. Norbert (later renamed Norberta), the baby dragon that Hagrid won, hatched, and kept for several weeks, is the best example of this. Per the Warlocks’ Convention of 1709, breeding dragons was made illegal and therefore keeping them was extremely dangerous. As cute as Hagrid finds Norberta as a baby, even after attempting to set Hagrid’s beard on fire after hatching, Norberta grows bigger emitting bigger flames. She becomes more recognizable, due to the amount of fires she starts, leading to Malfoy spotting her and reporting the presence of a dragon to the school (SS 235).

One of the most terrifying creatures that Hagrid worked with was Aragog, a gigantic spider from the Acromantula breed. The Acromantula breed was a breed that hungered for human flesh and had the ability to communicate with humans. Aragog came into Hagrid’s possession as just an egg and was raised by Hagrid up until Tom Riddle framed Hagrid for opening the Chamber of Secrets and Aragog as the monster that was released (CS 311). Tom came to capture Aragog after realizing that he could use the creature to explain the monster from the Chamber’s rampage. Hagrid, wanting to protect this creature that he raised, leads Aragog to the Forbidden Forest, finding him a mate as well, Mosag (CS 278). It is Hagrid’s generosity in not only raising Aragog but protecting Aragog when his future as a wizard was just taken away from him that leads Aragog to spare Harry’s and Ron’s lives. When Harry explains their relationship with Hagrid, Aragog grants them a pass, but explains that his children do not have that same level of control (CS 276-279).

As the series continues and Hagrid becomes the Professor of Magical Creatures, a whole new world of wizardry is opened to the students. Dumbledore relies on Hagrid, especially during the second wizarding war when the school needs help summoning the giants. Although Dumbledore never failed to believe in Hagrid, the students certainly did not believe in the wildness of the lessons. Parvati Patil, one of the students present during Grubbly-Plank’s first lesson went so far as to say that they were expecting “proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters…” like Hagrid taught with (GoF 441). The students clearly believe that Hagrid had a disregard for the students’ safety and the usefulness of his lessons. He brought in creatures that were so violent and unique that they would likely never see them again in their lifetime and certainly did not know how to handle them (OoP 447). Hagrid had a more interactive learning style where he would teach about the animal and in the same lecture have them handle it. This style would often “induce fear for those students whose bodies have been secure…much of their lives…” (M’Balia). On the other hand, Grubbly-Plank took a safer and more realistic approach to teaching the students. She used safer animals, creatures that the students were more likely to have contact with, and properly explained how to interact with them before having any contact. It is Hagrid’s unique flare to education that paints him as “a figure who is perpetually on ‘the boundary, a messenger, a mediator between species’ as well as ‘between culture and nature…” making him “one of the great heroes in the series…” (Dawson 76). Hagrid’s love of animals grants connections needed for characters to survive, thrive, and prosper throughout the series.

Hagrid’s Impact on Harry, Hermione, and Ron

From the beginning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Hagrid plays a significant role as a character impacting student’s lives directly and indirectly. Throughout the series, he takes on a few different roles: groundskeeper, gamekeeper, and professor. Hagrid was often the reasoning source in Ron’s life while at Hogwarts. He would bicker with Hermione over interpretations of the rules and how things are not always black and white. Hagrid would explain to Ron and Harry that they should make up with Hermione, helping mend their friendship on multiple occasions. In terms of Ron’s relationship with magical creatures, he had a rocky start accepting the importance of spiders in the wizarding community. As scared as he was of the spiders throughout the entire series, he did learn to accept them to a degree. When he first meets Aragog in the Forbidden Forest, he faces his fear of spiders (CS 272). Then in the Battle of Hogwarts, Ron learns to accept the spiders in order to win the battle against Voldemort (DH 639). The fact that Ron is willing to try to accept spiders at all, considering his traumatic childhood event in relation to them, shows how large of an impact Hagrid has had on Ron’s persona.

Hermione is the most empathetic of the main three characters towards magical creatures. This is a characteristic that does not go unnoticed because of Hagrid’s clear influence in her life and his deep compassion and love for magical creatures. Though there is not a direct correlation between the SPEW club, Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, that Hermione starts at Hogwarts and Hagrid’s influence on her, it does certainly exhibit her own compassion towards magical creatures. The clearest instance of Hagrid’s character having set an example for Hermione in some way would be her disgust towards the Gringotts’s dragon being held captive and used the way it was. Furthermore, her expressed concerns about the future of the freed dragon to Ron was a direct similarity to Hagrid. Hermione wondering “what’ll happen to it…” and if “…it [will] be alright” (DH 548). Ron even expresses this by saying “you sound like Hagrid” (DH 548).

After Harry lost his parents, Hagrid was instructed to take him to the Dursleys’ house, an act that was no easy task. Hagrid quickly grew attached to Harry and burst into tears, filled with worry, leaving him with the mundane, anti-magic relatives (SS 16). When Hagrid was given the opportunity to play a more integral role in Harry’s life, after Harry received his invitation to Hogwarts, he jumped at the opportunity serving as Harry’s guide to the wizarding world. While out with Harry in Diagon Alley, preparing him for his first year at Hogwarts, Hagrid served as a father figure to him. Hagrid took Harry to buy textbooks, his first wand, his owl Hedwig, and an ice cream, giving them a chance to sit and talk (SS 81,86). Hagrid had an open hut policy in that Harry was invited to come by whenever, whether it be a listening ear he needed or advice for an unprecedented event. Hagrid, like a father figure, supported Harry when it made sense to and chastised him when he was heading down the wrong path (PA 122). Hagrid made sure to be in the stands for Harry’s Quidditch matches and fully supported Harry in finding an end to Voldemort’s games (OoP 685). Harry, like any teenager, made mistakes and Hagrid made sure that he knew that was the case. Daragh Downes further supports Hagrid’s supportiveness by saying how the “lovably uncouth half-giant… will still be inviting the nicer children… for tea” (Downes 164). Hagrid’s connection to Harry was undoubtedly the strongest and most planned dynamic throughout the series. Rowling expressed how much she “wanted Hagrid to carry Harry out of the woods” because of their history as “’…Hagrid who took him into the world…would bring him back’” (Guinness). Since the very first book, Rowling had planned for Hagrid to be the one to carry Harry’s body out of the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Hagrid’s presence in the book was preeminent and this greatly impacted the role that he played throughout the series. He has vital parts that he plays in many of the characters’ lives, especially Harry’s, having been present since the Potter’s deaths. Dumbledore even finds Hagrid to be a great asset to the Hogwarts team, especially in relation to his love for magical creatures.

Works Cited

Dawson, Melanie. “Sugared Violets and Conscious Wands: Deep Ecology in the Harry Potter Series.” in Environmentalism in the Realm of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature. Ed. Chris Baratta.Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK: Cambridge Scholars, 2012. Pp. 69-89

Downes, Daragh. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollowness: A Narratological and Ideological Critique of J. K. Rowling’s Magical System.” International Research in Children’s Literature. 3.2 (2010): 162-175.

Guinness, Emma. “J.K. Rowling explained why she could never kill off Hagrid in Harry Potter”  LAD Bible, 14 October 2022, www.ladbible.com/entertainment/jk–rowlingrobbiecoltrane–hagrid–harry–potter–20221014 

Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter Series, 1997-2007.

Santika, Rika. “An Analysis of West Country Dialect Used by Hagrid in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter.” NOBEL: Journal of Literature and Language Teaching, vol. 7, no. 1, 2016, pp. 25–35., doi:10.15642/nobel.2016.7.1.25-35. https://doaj.org/article/ef7c3acab6554bd8b3fb46c1892f2392

Thomas, M’Balia, et al. “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Pedagogy in Harry Potter: An Inquiry into the Personal Practical Knowledge of Remus Lupin, Rubeus Hagrid, and Severus Snape.” The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas,   vol. 91, no. 4-5, 2018, pp. 186–192., doi:10.1080/00098655.2018.1483152.