Rubeus Hagrid () is a fictional character in the ''
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
'' book series written by
J. K. Rowling
Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and Philanthropy, philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to ...
. He is introduced in ''
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' is a 1997 fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling. The first novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series and Rowling's debut novel, it follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers hi ...
'' as a
half-giant
Half-giants are fictional beings that have one parent that is a giant and another parent that is a different species.
Description
In most cases, a half-giant is the result of a union between a human and a giant. Often they are of normal size or sl ...
and half-human who is the
gamekeeper
A gamekeeper (often abbreviated to keeper), or in case of those dealing with deer (deer-)stalker, is a person who manages an area of countryside (e.g. areas of woodland, moorland, waterway or farmland) to make sure there is enough game for shoo ...
and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of
Hogwarts
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scotland, Scottish boarding school of Magic in Harry Potter, magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Pot ...
, the primary setting for the first six novels. In the third novel ''
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of W ...
'', Hagrid is promoted to
Care of Magical Creatures
In J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhibi ...
professor, and is later revealed to be a member of the
Order of the Phoenix. A loyal, friendly, softhearted personality who is easily brought to tears, he is also known for his thick
West Country accent
West Country English is a group of English language varieties and accents used by much of the native population of South West England, the area sometimes popularly known as the West Country.
The West Country is often defined as encompassi ...
.
Hagrid was portrayed by
Robbie Coltrane
Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. He ...
in all eight
''Harry Potter'' films, from ''
Philosopher's Stone
The philosopher's stone or more properly philosophers' stone (Arabic: حجر الفلاسفة, , la, lapis philosophorum), is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold (, from the Greek , "gold", a ...
'' in 2001 to ''
Deathly Hallows – Part 2'' in 2011.
Character development
Hagrid was among the characters that Rowling says she created on "the very first day". She has explained the source of his name as "another old English word, meaning – if you were hagrid – it’s a dialect word – you’d had a bad night. Hagrid is a big drinker – he has a lot of bad nights." His first name, Rubeus, was named after red in Latin to reflect
alchemy
Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...
and his paternal contrast to
Albus Dumbledore
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. As part of his backstory, it is revealed that he is ...
: his "passion" to Dumbledore's "asceticism". In her article "Harry’s Fame", Rosemary Goring notes the
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and northwest, Herefordshire to the n ...
is an influence on 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 claims that Hagrid is physically "modeled on the Welsh chapter of
Hells Angels
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is a worldwide outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporatio ...
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,
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
,
Ron Weasley
Ronald Bilius Weasley is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' fantasy novel series. His first appearance was in the first book of the series, ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', as the best friend of Harry Potter ...
and
Hermione Granger
Hermione Jean Granger ( ) is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. She first appears in the novel ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (1997), as a new student on her way to Hogwarts. After Harry and Ron ...
in his hut are
expository
Narrative exposition is the insertion of background information within a story or narrative. This information can be about the setting, characters' backstories, prior plot events, historical context, etc. In literature, exposition appears in t ...
through the series, due to the fact that the trio frequently discover things about Albus Dumbledore and Hogwarts by talking with Hagrid, as he has a habit of letting slip bits of information that were specifically confided to him. 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
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scottish boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series and serves as a maj ...
house during his time as a student. When he comes into possession of an
acromantula
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the '' Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends en ...
, he is expelled from Hogwarts as his pet is believed to be the "monster of
Slytherin
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scottish boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series and serves as a m ...
". However, persuaded by 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.
When discussing the killing off of characters in her books, Rowling said that she always knew she was "working towards the point where Hagrid carried Harry out alive – but supposedly dead – out of the forest". She said she had planned from very early on that Harry would walk to his death accompanied by the 'ghosts', and that "he would emerge in Hagrid's arms". In her own words, "that's what always kept Hagrid safe". She said "Hagrid would have been a natural to kill in some ways", but that the mental image of this moment – a big fatherly Hagrid carrying the limp Harry in his arms – was so strong it decided his fate. She also liked the circular notion of Hagrid both bringing Harry into the world, and then bringing him back from the dead.
Appearances
''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone''
Hagrid is introduced in the opening chapter of the first novel. Following the death of
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
and
Lily Potter
The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the ''Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to the ...
, Dumbledore entrusts Hagrid with rescuing the infant Harry from his parents' house after they have been murdered by
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort ( , in the films) is a sobriquet for Tom Marvolo Riddle, a character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of ''Harry Potter'' novels. The character first appeared in ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' ...
. When
Minerva McGonagall
Professor Minerva McGonagall is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. Professor McGonagall is a professor at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, the head of Gryffindor House, the professor of Transfiguratio ...
expresses her concern about the fact that it was Hagrid who would carry Harry to the
Dursleys
The following are supporting characters in the '' Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles ...
', Dumbledore says that he would trust Hagrid with his life, a fact that is demonstrated several times during the series, as Dumbledore frequently asks him to carry out secret tasks. Ten years later, he is tasked to bring the
Philosopher’s Stone
The philosopher's stone or more properly philosophers' stone (Arabic: حجر الفلاسفة, , la, lapis philosophorum), is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold (, from the Greek , "gold", a ...
from
Gringotts
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The We ...
to Hogwarts, and provides the three-headed dog
Fluffy to guard 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
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not ha ...
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 (
Quirinus Quirrell in disguise) gives him a
dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
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
Norbert is a Germanic given name, from ''north, nord'' "north" and ''berht'' "bright". Norbert is also occasionally found as a surname.
People with the given name
Academia
* Norbert Angermann (born 1936), German historian
* Norbert A’Campo (bor ...
, who is taken to live in a dragon sanctuary in Romania where Ron’s older brother,
Charlie Weasley
The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the ''Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to the ...
, works.
''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets''
Readers first discover why Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts in the second novel. It is revealed that Hagrid was a student at Hogwarts at the same time as Tom Marvolo Riddle, the wizard who later became
Lord Voldemort
Lord Voldemort ( , in the films) is a sobriquet for Tom Marvolo Riddle, a character and the main antagonist in J. K. Rowling's series of ''Harry Potter'' novels. The character first appeared in ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' ...
. Hagrid was expelled during his third year, after being caught in the company of Aragog, a dangerous
acromantula
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the '' Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends en ...
: this already serious crime seemed worse than it was, due to the belief that the acromantula was “The Monster of Slytherin”, and that Hagrid had released it from the
Chamber of Secrets
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry () is a fictional Scottish boarding school of magic for students aged eleven to eighteen, and is the primary setting for the first six books in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series and serves as a m ...
and allowed it to attack students. Aragog escapes into the dark forest and starts a colony of spiders. The belief of Hagrid's guilt was encouraged by Tom Riddle, the actual criminal, who had been using the true monster (a
basilisk
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is ...
) to attack students, and who had framed Hagrid to prevent the school from being closed, because he didn't want to return to the orphanage whence he had come. During the events of the second book, the
Basilisk
In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is ...
is unleashed once again and Hagrid is sent to the prison of
Azkaban
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The Wea ...
, as he is believed again to be 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 in the Chamber of Secrets and uncovers the truth, Hagrid is freed from prison.
''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban''
![The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012 (7527263992)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/The_Making_of_Harry_Potter_29-05-2012_%287527263992%29.jpg)
Following the resignation of
Silvanus Kettleburn
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not ha ...
, who, according to Dumbledore, wanted to spend time with his remaining limbs, Hagrid is assigned to teach the subject of
Care of Magical Creatures
In J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhibi ...
in the third novel. He is also allowed to perform
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
again since his name has been cleared after the events of the previous book. During his first class, in which he introduces the
hippogriff
The hippogriff, or sometimes spelled hippogryph ( el, Ἱππόγρυπας), is a legendary creature with the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse.
It was invented by Ludovico Ariosto in his ''Orlando Furioso'', at the beginning o ...
s to third-years, one of the beasts,
Buckbeak, attacks
Draco Malfoy
Draco Lucius Malfoy is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. He is a student in Harry Potter's year belonging in the Slytherin house. He is frequently accompanied by his two cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goy ...
after the boy insults it. Although Dumbledore manages to prove that Hagrid is innocent, the
Ministry of Magic
The Ministry of Magic is the government of the Magical community of Britain in J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, headed by an official entitled the Minister for Magic. The magical government in Britain is first mentioned in ''Harry Potter and t ...
sentences Buckbeak to death. Thus, Hagrid's classes become extremely boring, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend some time looking for information that would help Hagrid in Buckbeak’s defence. Near the end of the book Hermione and Harry use a
time-turner to save Buckbeak from death and
Sirius Black
Sirius Black is a character in J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series. Sirius was first mentioned briefly in ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a wizard who lent Rubeus Hagrid a flying motorbike shortly after Lord Voldemort killed ...
from the Dementor's Kiss.
''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''
In the fourth novel 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 brutal, and were once allies of Voldemort, Hagrid keeps his parentage a secret and allows people to imagine other reasons for his great size (such as drinking a bottle of Skele-Gro when he did not need it). Hagrid’s parentage is exposed in the ''
Daily Prophet
The fictional universe, fictional universe of British author J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series of Fantasy literature, fantasy novels comprises two distinct societies: the Wizarding World and the Muggle world. In the novels, the Muggle wor ...
'' by
Rita Skeeter
The following are supporting characters in the ''Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles. ...
, who portrays him as dangerous (because of his fascination for 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
The following are supporting characters in the ''Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles. ...
– another half-giant witch and Headmistress of the French magic school
Beauxbatons
J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe, ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, List of leading shopping streets and districts by city, shop ...
. Hagrid is also one of the very few people who, since the beginning, believes Harry’s word that he did not apply to enter the
Triwizard Tournament
''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fourth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and ...
. Later in the book,
Alastor Moody
The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the '' Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to th ...
(impersonated by
Barty Crouch Jr
The Death Eaters are characters featured in the ''Harry Potter'' series of novels and films. They are a radical group of wizards and witches, led by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who seek to purify the wizarding community by eliminating wiza ...
) suggests Hagrid should show Harry that the first task of the Tournament would involve dragons. Hagrid also provides
Blast-Ended Skrewts for the third task.
''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix''
Hagrid is absent during the first part of the fifth novel. 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 Eater
The Death Eaters are characters featured in the ''Harry Potter'' series of novels and films. They are a radical group of wizards and witches, led by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who seek to purify the wizarding community by eliminating wiza ...
s also found 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
Rubeus Hagrid () is a fictional character in the ''Harry Potter'' book series written by J. K. Rowling. He is introduced in ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' as a half-giant and half-human who is the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys ...
, Hagrid’s half-brother whom he had found and was attempting to bring home with them. Grawp, who wanted to stay with the giants, seriously injured 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
Dolores Jane Umbridge is a fictional character from the '' Harry Potter'' series created by J.K. Rowling. Umbridge is the primary antagonist of the fifth novel of '' Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' and has been stationed at Hogwar ...
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 and part giant, Umbridge being highly prejudiced against non-humans. 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.
''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince''
In the sixth novel, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer students of Care of Magical Creatures, and Hagrid is 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
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not ha ...
drink excessive amounts of
Firewhisky, and Harry takes advantage of this situation (under the influence of
Felix Felicis potion, otherwise known as "liquid luck") to retrieve a certain memory from Slughorn. Towards the end of the book, Death Eaters attack Hogwarts and Hagrid's hut is set on fire as he tries to fight them. During Dumbledore’s funeral, Hagrid is seen carrying the Headmaster’s body.
''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows''
In the seventh novel, Hagrid is part of the Order of the Phoenix delegation assigned to remove Harry from the Dursleys' home to the magic-protected
Burrow
An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of sh ...
. Hagrid takes Harry on the flying motorcycle he inherited from Sirius 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 attending
Bill Weasley
The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the '' Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to th ...
and
Fleur Delacour
The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the ''Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to the ...
's wedding reception, Hagrid does not appear again until near the end of the book when it is revealed he has been driven into hiding in the mountains by the new Death Eater regime at Hogwarts.
During the climactic 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 he 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
A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse.
Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as being ...
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
The Death Eaters are characters featured in the ''Harry Potter'' series of novels and films. They are a Radicalization, radical group of wizards and witches, led by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who seek to purify the wizarding community by ...
.
According to Rowling, 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." Rowling also commented that 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 and invites Harry and
Ginny Weasley
Ginevra Molly Weasley is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' novel series. Ginny is introduced in the first book ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', as the youngest sibling and only girl in the Weasley family. Sh ...
's second son
Albus Severus Potter
The following are supporting characters in the ''Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles.
...
to his hut for tea, just as he had once done for Harry himself, implying that he and Harry are still close. 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.
Film portrayal
Scottish actor
Robbie Coltrane
Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. He ...
has portrayed Hagrid in all of the film adaptations of the ''Harry Potter'' novels.
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
was interested for the role and approached Chris Columbus, the director of the first two films, about participating in the project but Columbus rejected him due to the "all-British and Irish cast" policy.
Rowling had wanted Coltrane for the role from the start,
responding "RobbieColtraneforHagrid" all in one quick breath when asked who was the top of her list of casting choices.
Coltrane was already a fan of the books
and has commented that being part of the ''Harry Potter'' franchise was "a fantastic thing". Rowling discussed Hagrid's past and future with Coltrane, assisting him in preparing for the role.
She also stated that "Robbie is just perfect for Hagrid because Hagrid is a very loveable character, quite likeable, quite comic
..but he had to have – you really do have to sense – a certain toughness underneath
..and I think Robbie does that perfectly."
Former English
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...
player
Martin Bayfield
Martin Christopher Bayfield (born 21 December 1966) is an English actor, broadcaster, and former rugby union player who played lock forward for Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues and England, gaining 31 England and 3 Lions caps.
Early life and ...
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
''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the second novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The plot follows Harry Potter (character), Harry's second year at Hogwarts School of W ...
''.
English actor Greg Draven portrayed Hagrid as an acting double in rollercoaster ''
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a multiple-launch steel motorbike roller coaster located at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade section of Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park. The attraction o ...
'' pre-show. Draven's performance was required due to Coltrane's poor health at the time of filming.
Characterisation
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 film
The Film is a 2005 Indian thriller film directed by Junaid Memon also produced along with Amitabh Bhattacharya. The film stars Mahima Chaudhry, Khalid Siddiqui, Ananya Khare, Chahat Khanna, Ravi Gossain, Vaibhav Jhalani and Vivek Madan in lea ...
, he is portrayed as being and in later books he is said to be three times as wide. Hagrid is known for his thick
West Country accent
West Country English is a group of English language varieties and accents used by much of the native population of South West England, the area sometimes popularly known as the West Country.
The West Country is often defined as encompassi ...
. 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
In J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhibi ...
, which is designed for human-only use.
Personality
He 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
The following are supporting characters in the '' Harry Potter'' series written by J. K. Rowling. For members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, Hogwarts staff, Ministry of Magic, or for Death Eaters, see the respective articles ...
, who called Dumbledore a "crackpot old fool"). He 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
The Green Man is a legendary being primarily interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, representing the cycle of new growth that occurs every spring. The Green Man is most commonly depicted in a sculpture, or other representation of a face which is ...
. He’s this semi-wild person who lives on the edge of the forest".
Magical abilities and skills
Following his expulsion from Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic broke Hagrid’s oak wand and forbade him to perform 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 bringing off more impressive bits of magic". However, he is unable to produce a Patronus. He also has magical abilities that stem from his giant blood. For example, in ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'', many of the stunning spells thrown at him by Ministry officials simply bounce off him. Also, being half-giant gives Hagrid some level of superhuman strength, which allowed him to bend the barrel of a shotgun with one hand.
Family
Grawp
Grawp is the
giant
In folklore, giants (from Ancient Greek: '' gigas'', cognate giga-) are beings of human-like appearance, but are at times prodigious in size and strength or bear an otherwise notable appearance. The word ''giant'' is first attested in 1297 fr ...
half-brother of Hagrid. Grawp and Hagrid were born of the same mother, the giantess Fridwulfa. Grawp is about tall, which Hagrid claims is small for a giant. His knuckles are the size of cricket balls (~ in circumference). The other giants were
bullying
Bullying is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively dominate or intimidate. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception (by the bully or by others) of an imba ...
Grawp because of his diminutive size, 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, but he is also a child in giant years. In the film, this is elaborated on more as he is visibly portrayed as a big, excitable child who simply doesn't know his own strength or developed proper social cues yet. He responds to Hermione, who approaches him like a strict but caring mother figure, scolding him when doing something wrong, but giving him praise and playing with him when he does something good.
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
A centaur ( ; grc, κένταυρος, kéntauros; ), or occasionally hippocentaur, is a creature from Greek mythology with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse.
Centaurs are thought of in many Greek myths as being ...
population, Grawp inadvertently manages to divert the centaurs' attention from Harry and Hermione while looking for Hagrid, whom he calls 'Hagger'.
In ''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
''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the seventh and final novel of the main ''Harry Potter'' series. It was released on 21 July 2007 in the United Kingdom by Bloomsbury Publi ...
'', 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 on the good wizards' side in the Battle of Hogwarts, probably in an attempt to protect Hagrid, as he frequently calls his name while fighting the giants on the Death Eaters' side. 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
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the fifth book Grawp is
computer-generated using a new "soul capturing" process from Image Metrics. Andrew Whitehead spent 18 months working on the giant Grawp for the film. Grawp is voiced and motion-captured by
Tony Maudsley
Tony Maudsley (born 30 January 1968) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of hairdresser Kenneth Du Beke in the hit ITV sitcom ''Benidorm'', a role he played from 2011 to 2018. His other notable credits include Martin in th ...
.
Parents
In ''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. She died long before Hagrid returned to the giants in ''the Order of the Phoenix''. Hagrid describes his father as "a tiny little man" whom he could pick up with one hand and place on the dresser at the age of six. Hagrid clearly felt great affection for him; in ''
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and is the third in the ''Harry Potter'' series. The book follows Harry Potter, a young wizard, in his third year at Hogwarts School of W ...
'', he says that his father’s death when Hagrid was in third 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 large but cowardly
boarhound
The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...
named Fang. Hagrid’s love of dangerous magical creatures is central to the plot of several books of the series.
Aragog
![The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012 (7528109394)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/The_Making_of_Harry_Potter_29-05-2012_%28Aragog%27s_torso%29.jpg)
Aragog was an Acromantula, an enormous, sentient
spider
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
capable of speech, who made a unique clicking noise as he moved in search of prey. Hagrid raised Aragog from an egg as a Hogwarts student, keeping him inside a cupboard. In his third year at Hogwarts, Hagrid was caught talking to Aragog in the dungeons by Tom Riddle, who alleged that Aragog was the "Monster of Slytherin", and that Hagrid had opened the Chamber of Secrets. In fact, it was Riddle who had opened the Chamber, and the monster was actually a basilisk.
After Hagrid's expulsion and assignment as gamekeeper, Aragog lived in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid found him a mate, Mosag, with whom Aragog bore an entire colony of giant spiders. He remained grateful to Hagrid for his entire life, and kept his carnivorous children from attacking him when he came to visit (to bring him and his family food). This courtesy was not extended to other creatures and people, even when they were friends of Hagrid's; he allowed his children to attack Harry, Ron, and Fang when they encountered him in ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets''. Hagrid led Harry and Ron to Aragog by giving them the cryptic advice, "follow the spiders". An aging Aragog reveals to Harry and Ron Hagrid's innocence and the discovery of a girl's corpse in the bathroom, before giving them a clue of the Chamber's resident monster; it was born in the castle, and his species never speak of the creature nor give its name, despite Hagrid's numerous inquiries, as they fear it above all others. Though Aragog allowed his children to attack Harry, Ron, and Fang, they were saved at the last minute by Ron's father
Arthur Weasley
The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organisation in the ''Harry Potter'' series of fiction books written by J. K. Rowling. Founded by Albus Dumbledore to fight Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, the Order lends its name to th ...
's flying
Ford Anglia
The Ford Anglia is a small family car that was designed and manufactured by Ford UK. It is related to the Ford Prefect and the later Ford Popular. The Anglia name was applied to various models between 1939 and 1967. In total, 1,594,486 Anglias ...
, which had been lost in the forest months before. Aragog remained in the Forbidden Forest for the rest of his life, but eventually died of old age in ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince''. Hagrid retrieved Aragog’s body from the forest so that he could give him a proper burial, fearing that his children would devour his body. From that point on, the spider colony was the only part of the Forbidden Forest that Hagrid could not enter safely.
Aragog’s children returned in ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' during the Battle at Hogwarts; having been driven from the forest, they began attacking Death Eaters and Hogwarts' inhabitants indiscriminately. Hagrid’s love of the spiders endangered him and others because he tried to protect them; the spiders thanked Hagrid by capturing him and taking him to Voldemort. It is unknown what happens to them afterwards.
Aragog was voiced by
Julian Glover
Julian Wyatt Glover (born 27 March 1935) is an English classical actor with many stage, television, and film roles since commencing his career in the 1950s. He is a recipient of the Laurence Olivier Award and has performed many times for th ...
in the film adaptation of ''the Chamber of Secrets''. In 2017, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of "Harry Potter" franchise,
arachnologists
Arachnology is the scientific study of arachnids, which comprise spiders and related invertebrates such as scorpions, pseudoscorpions, and harvestmen. Those who study spiders and other arachnids are arachnologists. More narrowly, the study of sp ...
Anton A. Nadolny and
Alireza Zamani
Alireza Zamani (born 11 January 1994) is an Iranian arachnologist and taxonomist.
Life and career
Zamani has been interested in spiders since childhood, when he spent most of his time collecting and rearing different species that he could collec ...
named a new species of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian wolf spiders (
Lycosidae
Wolf spiders are members of the family Lycosidae (). They are robust and agile hunters with excellent eyesight. They live mostly in solitude, hunt alone, and do not spin webs. Some are opportunistic hunters, pouncing upon prey as they find it or ...
) after Aragog, as ''
Lycosa aragogi
''Lycosa aragogi'' is a species of the Araneomorphae, araneomorph spider family Wolf spiders, Lycosidae Endemism, endemic to Kerman Province, Iran. The female holotype measured 26 mm, (excluding the legs), with two black and three white str ...
''. The single specimen was collected on 26 April 2016, just over 19 years after Aragog died (20 April 1997 in the world of the book).
Buckbeak
![The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012 (7528111594)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/The_Making_of_Harry_Potter_29-05-2012_%287528111594%29.jpg)
Buckbeak, along with eleven other
hippogriff
The hippogriff, or sometimes spelled hippogryph ( el, Ἱππόγρυπας), is a legendary creature with the front half of an eagle and the hind half of a horse.
It was invented by Ludovico Ariosto in his ''Orlando Furioso'', at the beginning o ...
s, is introduced during one of Hagrid’s
Care of Magical Creatures
In J. K. Rowling's '' Harry Potter'' series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhibi ...
classes. Hagrid explains that hippogriffs are very calm, powerful, proud creatures, but are sensitive and demand respect. Harry successfully approaches Buckbeak, who allows him to ride him around the paddock.
Draco, 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
The Death Eaters are characters featured in the '' Harry Potter'' series of novels and films. They are a radical group of wizards and witches, led by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who seek to purify the wizarding community by eliminating wi ...
, 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 (they believed him earlier to have been executed, but it was revealed the executioner only swung his axe into the fence in anger; in the film he does this to a pumpkin) and rescue Sirius 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
J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' universe contains numerous settings for the events in her fantasy novels. These locations are categorised as a dwelling, school, shopping district, or government-affiliated locale.
Dwellings
The Burrow
The We ...
. After this, they move to
Number 12 Grimmauld Place, whereupon Buckbeak stays in Sirius' mother’s former room. When
Kreacher
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the ''Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends en ...
wants to lure Sirius away briefly, he wounds Buckbeak.
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
Severus Snape
Severus Snape is a fictional character in J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series. He is an exceptionally skilled wizard whose sarcastic, controlled exterior conceals deep emotions and anguish. A Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft ...
away from Harry by slashing his claws at the end of the book. Buckbeak also features in the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of ''the Deathly Hallows'' leading the Hogwarts
Thestral
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the '' Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends en ...
s against Voldemort’s giants.
Fang
Fang is a large
boarhound
The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...
(portrayed in the films by a
Neapolitan Mastiff
The Neapolitan Mastiff or is an Italian breed of large dog of mastiff type. It descends from the traditional guard dogs of central Italy. It was recognised as a breed by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana in 1949, and accepted by the F ...
) 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 ''the Philosopher’s Stone'' he accompanies Harry, Hagrid, Draco, and Hermione into the Forbidden Forest to look for an injured unicorn. In the following book, ''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 sets 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. It's implied that Fang survives, as Hagrid is not seen mourning him at any time. It's unknown if Fang is still alive when Harry's children come to Hogwarts.
Fluffy
![Fluffy (Harry Potter)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Fluffy_%28Harry_Potter%29.jpg)
Fluffy is a giant three-headed dog provided by Hagrid to guard the
trapdoor
A trapdoor is a sliding or hinged door in a floor or ceiling. It is traditionally small in size. It was invented to facilitate the hoisting of grain up through mills, however, its list of uses has grown over time. The trapdoor has played a pivot ...
leading to the underground chamber where the
Philosopher's Stone
The philosopher's stone or more properly philosophers' stone (Arabic: حجر الفلاسفة, , la, lapis philosophorum), is a mythic alchemical substance capable of turning base metals such as mercury into gold (, from the Greek , "gold", a ...
was hidden until the end of ''Philosopher's Stone''. The only known way to get past Fluffy is to lull him to sleep by playing music. Fluffy is based on
Cerberus
In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the mo ...
, the three-headed dog from
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
that guards the gates to the
underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
. As with Fluffy, Cerberus was lulled to sleep with music by
Orpheus
Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with Jaso ...
.
In ''Philosopher's Stone'', Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville accidentally run into Fluffy whilst hiding from Peeves, who was attempting to give them away to caretaker
Argus Filch
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the ''Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not ha ...
, who was searching for them. On Halloween, Harry and Ron witness Snape entering the door to Fluffy's chamber, and for the next few days having a pronounced limp. Harry also overhears him saying "How are you meant to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" to Filch. However, it is later revealed that he followed then Hogwarts
Defence Against the Dark Arts
In J. K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' series, magic is depicted as a supernatural force that can be used to override the usual laws of nature. Many fictional magical creatures exist in the series, while ordinary creatures also sometimes exhib ...
professor
Quirinus Quirrell into the chamber. While Fluffy is guarding the Philosopher's Stone, Professor Quirrell penetrates Fluffy's defences by playing a
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
, in order to access the trapdoor, while Harry uses a
flute
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
that Hagrid had given to him.
J. K. Rowling later revealed that Dumbledore had repatriated Fluffy to Greece.
Norbert
Norbert is a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon that Hagrid had acquired as an egg from a mysterious, hooded stranger in the Hog's Head, who turned out to be
Professor Quirrell
The following fictional characters are staff members and denizens of Hogwarts in the '' Harry Potter'' books written by J. K. Rowling.
The staff and their positions
Teachers and staff members
The following teachers and staff members do not h ...
. Hagrid helps the dragon hatch from the egg. Norbert becomes very dangerous and much bigger in the weeks following. Norbert bit Ron’s hand, causing him to require medical treatment due to the venom in her fangs. Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally persuade Hagrid to send the dragon to Ron’s older brother
Charlie, who is studying dragons in Romania. In ''the Deathly Hallows'', Charlie reveals to Hagrid that "Norbert" is actually female and had been renamed ''Norberta''. Charlie adds that female Norwegian Ridgeback dragons "are more vicious..." which explained Norbert's biting and dangerous behaviour as a baby.
Reception
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
listed Hagrid as their thirteenth top ''Harry Potter'' character, saying that Hagrid had become a surrogate for the audience and that the short scene in the ''
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' is a fantasy novel written by British author J. K. Rowling and the fourth novel in the ''Harry Potter'' series. It follows Harry Potter, a wizard in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and W ...
'' film where he recollects memorable moments with Harry, Hermione and Ron gave them a "cherished memory". IGN’s Joe Utichi also listed Hagrid as his 7th favourite ''Harry Potter'' character.
In popular culture
Hagrid has appeared in various animated and non-animated
parodies of Harry Potter. He was featured in US skit comedy ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'', portrayed by
Horatio Sanz
Horacio Sanz (born June 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Horatio Sanz, is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006.
Early life
Sanz was born on June 4, 1969 in Santi ...
, in the same episode in which
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
played Hermione;
Bobby Moynihan
Bobby Moynihan (born January 31, 1977) is an American actor, comedian and writer who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 until 2017. He also voiced Louie Duck on Disney's ''DuckTales'' from 2017 to 2021, Panda in ''We Bare Be ...
later portrayed Hagrid in 2012, when
Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Jacob Radcliffe (born 23 July 1989) is an English actor. He rose to fame at age twelve, when he began portraying Harry Potter in the film series of the same name; and has held various other film and theatre roles. Over his career, Rad ...
hosted the show. In
Alistair McGowan
Alistair Charles McGowan (born 24 November 1964) is an English impressionist, comic, actor, singer and writer best known to British audiences for ''The Big Impression'' (formerly ''Alistair McGowan's Big Impression''), which was, for four years ...
's ''
Big Impression
''The Big Impression'', known as ''Alistair McGowan's Big Impression'' for the first three series, is a British comedy sketch show. It features Alistair McGowan and Ronni Ancona impersonating personalities from entertainment and sport. Four serie ...
'' show, Hagrid appeared in a sketch called "Louis Potter and the Philosopher’s Scone", in which he was portrayed by Robbie Coltrane himself. Hagrid is also parodied in ''Harry Potter and the Secret Chamberpot of Azerbaijan'', a story released by
Comic Relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.
Definition
Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
in 2003, and he was played by
Ronnie Corbett
Ronald Balfour Corbett (4 December 1930 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish actor, broadcaster, comedian and writer. He had a long association with Ronnie Barker in the BBC television comedy sketch show ''The Two Ronnies''. He achieved promine ...
. In the ''
Potter Puppet Pals
''Potter Puppet Pals'' is a puppet show web series parodying the ''Harry Potter'' novel series by J. K. Rowling, created by Neil Cicierega.
The first two episodes were animated, both released in 2003 on Newgrounds. On September 26, 2006, the ...
'' parodies by
Neil Cicierega
Neil Stephen Cicierega ( ; born August 23, 1986) is an American comedian, actor, filmmaker, singer, YouTuber, musician, songwriter, puppeteer, artist, and animator. He is known as the creator of a genre of Flash animation he termed "Animutation ...
, Hagrid appeared in the episode "Ron's Disease", and later in the episode "Neville's Birthday". Hagrid also appears in the parody stage production ''Harry Potter and the Obnoxious Voice'', interacting with Draco Malfoy and a
dementor
Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the ''Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends en ...
.
In one episode of the second series of ''
Tracey Ullman's State of the Union
''Tracey Ullman's State of the Union'' is an American sketch comedy series starring Tracey Ullman. The series was written by Ullman along with Hollywood satirist Bruce Wagner. Gail Parent and Craig DiGregorio acted as contributing writers to the ...
'',
Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman (born Trace Ullman, 30 December 1959) is a British-American actress, comedian, singer, writer, producer, and director. Her earliest mainstream appearances were on British television sketch comedy shows ''A Kick Up the Eighties'' (wi ...
parodies Rowling as bossy and very keen on keeping her creations copyrighted, believing a
hobo
A hobo is a migrant worker in the United States. Hoboes, tramps and bums are generally regarded as related, but distinct: a hobo travels and is willing to work; a tramp travels, but avoids work if possible; and a bum neither travels nor works.
E ...
is impersonating Hagrid.
Hagrid makes an appearance in the theme park attraction
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a motion-based dark ride located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter-themed areas of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida; Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, California; Universal St ...
at
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a chain of themed areas at Universal Parks & Resorts based on the ''Harry Potter'' media franchise, adapting elements from the Warner Bros.' film series and original novels by J. K. Rowling. The areas wer ...
in
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rele ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
. A new rollercoaster,
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure is a multiple-launch steel motorbike roller coaster located at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade section of Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park. The attraction o ...
, opened at
Universal Orlando
Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando or simply Universal, formerly Universal Studios Escape, is an American theme park and entertainment resort complex based in Orlando, Florida. The resort is operated by Universal Par ...
's
Islands of Adventure
Universal's Islands of Adventure (also known as Islands of Adventure or IOA), originally called Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida. It opened on May 28, 1999, along with CityWalk, as part of an ...
theme park on 13 June 2019, replacing the
Dragon Challenge
Dragon Challenge (known as Dueling Dragons from 1999 to 2010) was a pair of intertwined, inverted roller coasters in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, United States. The ri ...
dual roller coasters and is themed around Hagrid and his love for magical creatures.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Rubeus Hagridat Harry Potter Wiki
at
Harry Potter Lexicon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagrid, Rubeus
Harry Potter characters
Literary characters introduced in 1997
Fictional English people
Fictional horticulturists and gardeners
Fictional park rangers
Fictional half-giants
Fictional schoolteachers
Male characters in film
Male characters in literature
Fictional biologists