Summary
Rubeus Hagrid is one of the most beloved characters in theHarry Pottersaga. He is essentially Harry’s first friend, and the one who introduced him to the wizarding world. Besides his friendship with the Boy Who Lived, Hagrid is also known for his love for animals. He is the one who gives Harry his owl, Hedwig, as a birthday present before his first year at Hogwarts. Throughout the series, Hagrid bonds with multiple magical creatures, some more dangerous than others. From giant spiders and three-headed dogs, to dragons and hippogriffs, how did Hagrid manage to get his hands on such exotic and dangerous creatures?
Perhaps when someHarry Potterfans think about a wizard who spends his life caring for magical creatures, Newt Scamander comes to mind, but he is far from the only one. Other fans may think about Hagrid, the big-hearted half-giant wizard, who loved and cared for all kinds of magical creatures just as much, only without writing books about it. He befriends nearly every animal he encounters, and he always treats them kindly. According to J.K. Rowling, the only furry creatures Hagrid won’t be friends with are cats. It is revealed onThe Philosopher’s Stonethat Hagrid is allergic to cats and they make him sneeze, which is why he tells Harry he doesn’t like them.
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What Is Hagrid’s Role at Hogwarts?
Before working at Hogwarts, in 1940, Hagrid attended the school as a student and was sorted into Gryffindor. During his third year, Tom Riddle, who was in his fifth year,opened the Chamber of Secretsand released the Basilisk, Hagrid was blamed, since he was known to have Aragog, his pet Acromantula.He was expelled from Hogwartsand banned from practicing magic. At Dumbledore’s request, who believed in Hagrid’s innocence, he started residing and working at the wizarding school in 1943 as a Gamekeeper in training. In 1945, he was named Hogwarts’ Keeper of the Keys, a role he still kept when Harry began attending the school.
Some of his duties included looking after all the school keys, opening the gates for visitors, escorting first-year students to the castle, and doing official Hogwarts business tasks for Dumbledore. He also helped take care of the gardens, took care of magical creatures, anddealt with matters in the Forbidden Forest. In 1993, during Harry’s third year at Hogwarts, Hagrid became a Care of Magical Creatures professor. He taught the third-year students about hippogriffs and introduced them to Buckbeak. After the Second Wizarding War, Hagrid continued to perform his duties at Hogwarts.
How Did Hagrid Get His Pets?
Hagrid’s love for magical creatures is evident in the many pets he takes care of. Many of them were either given to him, purchased, or adopted. For example, he purchased Fluffy, the giant three-headed dog, from a Greek man in a pub. He then lent Fluffy to Dumbledore to protect the Philosopher’s stone when it reached the Hogwarts castle. Hagrid obtainedNorbert, later renamed Norberta, the Norwegian Ridgeback dragon, after winning the egg during a card game against a stranger at the Hog’s Head.
During the course of the series, Hagrid’s most loyal companion isFang, his large boarhound dog. Fang was born sometime in 1984 and was adopted by Hagrid when he was a puppy. Although he was often described as a coward, Fang was incredibly loyal to his owner and always stayed by Hagrid’s side. They lived together in his hut for ever since, and continued to do so after the Battle of Hogwarts, which both survived.
One of Hagrid’s best-known pets isAragog, his loyal Acromantula. When he was still attending Hogwarts, a mysterious traveler gave him the egg. After it hatched, Hagrid kept Aragog hidden, but later set the spider free after people began suspecting Hagrid and his pet were responsible for Moaning Myrtle’s death. Some time later, Hagrid found Mosag, a female Acromantula, and brought it to Aragog. The two began a colony of spiders in the Forbidden Forest.
Buckbeak the hippogriff lived with Hagrid in 1993. When Hagrid became a professor for Care of Magical Creatures, he brought the class to meet and study Buckbeak. After being unfairly sentenced to death, Harry and Hermione set the hippogriff free, who later escaped alongside Sirius Black. In the books, however, Buckbeak was not alone, andHagrid took care of thirteen other hippogriffs. Besides hippogriffs, Hagrid also raised and took care of several Thestrals, trained to pull the Hogwarts carriages.
Some of Hagrid’s pets featured in the books but not in the movies include a Blast-Ended Skrewt which he bred, and multiple Flobberworms, which he obtained for his lessons after the hippogriff incident.What is and isn’tHarry Pottercanonremains a controversial topic amongst fans of the series. However, it is worth mentioning that in someHarry Pottervideogames, Hagrid takes care of other pets. TheHarry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stonegame reveals that Hagrid owned multiple Flitterby Moths. InHarry Potter: Magic Awakened, Hagrid is shown to have a pet Occamy with an unknown origin. In the mobile gameHarry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, it is mentioned that Hagrid adopted a litter of Crup puppies in the 1980s.
Hagrid has proven to be an incredibly loyal and friendly wizard, not just to Harry, but to animals as well. His love and care for magical creatures is unquestionable, and many lives in theHarry Potteruniverse were saved thanks to his kindness and hard work.
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