You wake up early on a Sunday morning and tune in to Pogo to watch Harry Potter and the Sourcer’s Stone with Maggi and Rasna. By now, you have already watched the film about 100 times, but you sense the familiar jitters in the stomach as Hagrid announces, ‘You’re a wizard, Harry!’ Life is good.
But then, you grow up. And while you are stumbling on your path to make a career, you hear Robbie Coltrane, the actor who played Hagrid, has passed away, and you’re gripped with sorrow. All your childhood memories and the spellbinding magic of the films envelop you as you pay your respects to the actor who’ll stay with you forever.
Hagrid’s gonna live with you forever.
While all you Potterheads out there have loved and relished Hagrid in the movies, there are some things about him you may not know if you haven’t read the books or followed the movies closely. So, we’ve decided to celebrate our favourite half-giant today!
This is the story of Rubeus Hagrid, the finest gamekeeper at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft & Wizardry.
Rubeus Hagrid was born on 6 December 1928 to a short Mr. Hagrid and giantess Fridwulfa. His mother deserted the family to return to her giant colony when Hagrid was just three cos he was ‘too small in size.’ Apparently, giants are meant to produce large babies. She later bore another child, Grawp, Hagrid’s step-brother whom you saw in The Order of Pheonix. She passed before the second wizarding war on Lord Voldemort’s return to power.
Even by human standards, Mr. Hagrid was very small, while his half-giant son stood 11 feet 6 inches tall. He was in despair when his wife abandoned the family, and he was left to raise their son on his own. However, he died when Hagrid was just 12 and in his second year at Hogwarts. So you can conclude that our gamekeeper had a difficult childhood.
In his third year at Hogwarts in 1943, Hagrid was wrongfully expelled from the school on the pretext that he had unleashed the giant spider, Aragog, from the Chamber of Secrets which attacked muggle-borns. It was believed that the acromantula — and not a basilisk — was the real ‘Slytherin Monster.’ Hagrid was also blamed for the death of Myrtle (Moaning Myrtle) when, in fact, the real culprit was Tom Riddle (Voldemort) himself.
Tom Marvolo Riddle had framed Hagrid for his own crime because he didn’t want to return to the morbid muggle orphanage since Hogwarts was closing until the attacker was caught. Not a surprise, but Riddle absolutely abhorred muggles and, in extension, his orphanage. Hence, knowing Hagrid’s average aptitude and affiliation towards dangerous magical creatures, Riddle pinned the attacks and the death on Aragog and Hagrid.
As a result, Hagrid was expelled, and the ministry broke Hagrid’s wand. He was forbidden to use magic. While everybody believed Riddle, Dumbledore sided with Hagrid and requested then-Headmaster Armando Dippet to train him as gamekeeper.
This is why the Ministry arrested Hagrid when the Chamber of Secrets reopened during Harry Potter’s second year in Hogwarts (1992). Remember that scene when Hagrid asked Harry and Ron (hidden inside the invisibility cloak) to follow the spiders? If it wasn’t for Harry’s face-off with the basilisk, Hagrid would have forever remained guilty of a crime he never committed.
After Professor Silvanus Kettleburn resigned from teaching the subject of Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid became the new teacher. After the Buckbeak fiasco, when the Hippogriff attacked Draco Malfoy, the Ministry of Magic announced a death sentence for the creature. As a result, Hagrid’s class became exceedingly monotonous until Harry and Hermione used the time-turner to save “more than one innocent life.” (Sirius Black & Buckbeak)
Hagrid was the son of a giantess. He kept this detail about himself hidden since giants had a reputation for associating with the Dark Lord. But, remember that annoying gossip monging Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter? During Harry’s fourth year, she published a nasty piece about Hagrid’s parentage, and thereby, revealed to the world that he was a half-giant.
The half-giant spends majority of Harry’s fifth year traveling far and wide with Madam Maxime to convince other giants to join the Order and side with Dumbledore. And no, Hagrid & Maxime’s relationship does not work out.
Also read: 8 Of Rubeus Hagrid’s Famous Quotes That Shall Forever Remain Memorable
After the events of the Second Wizarding War, Hagrid continues teaching at Hogwarts and also invites Harry’s son, Albus Severus Potter, for a cup of tea at his hut. Are you crying already?
Trust me when I say this, you’re missing out on A LOT of the story if you haven’t read the seven novels. JUST READ THEM.
And as for Hagrid, he’ll always be with us. Even “when you’re 80 years old and sitting in your rocking chair, you’ll be reading Harry Potter. And your family will say to you, ‘After all this time?’ and you will say ‘Always.'”