Rubeus Hagrid

"I would trust Hagrid with my life."

- Albus Dumbledore describing his trust of Hagrid in 1981

Professor Rubeus Hagrid (b. 6 December, 1928), familiarly known by only his surname, "Hagrid," was a Half-giant wizard, son of Mr. Hagrid and the giantess Fridwulfa, and elder half-brother of the giant Grawp. He attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1940 and was sorted into Gryffindor house. In Hagrid's third year, he was framed by Tom Riddle for the crime of opening the Chamber of Secrets and using his pet Acromantula to attack several Muggle-born students, and eventually kill one of them. Though Hagrid's wand was snapped and he was expelled, he was trained as gamekeeper of Hogwarts and allowed to live on the school grounds at the request of Albus Dumbledore. In 1991, Hagrid was given the task of reintroducing Harry Potter to the Wizarding world.

As a member of both the original and re-instated Order of the Phoenix, Hagrid fought in several battles of the First and the Second Wizarding Wars, including the Battle of Hogwarts. By 2017, he was still living, and presumably teaching, at Hogwarts.

Early life
"My dad was broken-hearted when she wen'. Tiny little bloke, my dad was. By the time I was six I could lift him up an' put him on top o' the dresser if he annoyed me. Used ter make him laugh..."

- Hagrid tells Olympe Maxime about his father

Hagrid was born on 6 December, 1928 to Mr. Hagrid, a wizard, and Fridwulfa, a giantess, and grew up in the West Country of England, near the Forest of Dean, where he acquired his distinctive accent. When Hagrid was about three, his mother returned to her Giant colony, leaving his father to raise him alone. Hagrid said he had very few memories of his mother from his childhood, but remembered his father fondly; as a Half-giant, he overtook his father in size by the age of six, and amused the "tiny" wizard by picking him up and setting him on top of a dresser when Hagrid was annoyed with him.

Years at Hogwarts
"Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me scraps from the table..."

- Aragog the Acromantula speaking to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in 1993

Hagrid's father was thrilled when his son was accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Hagrid began his education in 1940, and was sorted into Gryffindor House. During his third year, Hagrid acquired one in what would be a long line of dangerous pets: a young Acromantula, which he named Aragog. That same year, Tom Marvolo Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets and unleashed a far more dangerous monster, which Riddle used to attack and petrify a number of Muggle-born students, until he finally caused the death of a girl named Myrtle. When the school was threatened with closing, a consequence unforeseen and highly undesired by Riddle, the boy found out about Aragog, and turned Hagrid in as the culprit; he even further slandered Hagrid with accusations of raising werewolf cubs under his bed. Hagrid protected Aragog and helped him flee to the Forbidden Forest; however, he was shortly thereafter expelled from Hogwarts, a fate he was relieved his father never new of, having died during Hagrid's second year.

Following his expulsion, the Ministry of Magic forbade Hagrid from practising magic and destroyed his wand. Albus Dumbledore nonetheless convinced then Headmaster, Armando Dippet, to give Hagrid the job of Gamekeeper and allow him to remain a resident of the school. Hagrid continued to do magic using his pink umbrella, which most likely contained the broken fragments of his wand, or perhaps even his entire wand intact, reconstructed for him by Dumbledore using the Elder Wand.

First Wizarding War
"No, sir - house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."

- Hagrid to Dumbledore on rescuing young Harry Potter in 1981

Sometime after being expelled from Hogwarts, Hagrid joined the Order of the Phoenix. At the abrupt end of the First Wizarding War, Albus Dumbledore sent Hagrid to rescue a one-year-old Harry Potter from Godric's Hollow, after Lord Voldemort killed both James and Lily Potter in 1981. Using Sirius Black's motorcycle, he brought Harry Potter to Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall, who were waiting to deliver the boy to his only remaining family - Lily's Muggle elder sister, Petunia, and her husband Vernon Dursley.

Meeting Harry Potter
After Harry was accepted to Hogwarts in 1991, Hagrid was given the task of actually locating Harry, as Harry's uncle Vernon was doing everything in his power to prevent his nephew from receiving his Hogwarts acceptance letter. On Harry's eleventh birthday, Hagrid found the Dursleys and Harry in an extremely isolated hut, and forced his way in, much to Vernon and Petunia's intense displeasure. Not only did Hagrid show Harry some of the first real kindness he'd ever known, bringing him a birthday cake and generally caring about Harry's comfort and happiness in a way the Dursley's would never have even considered, but he also revealed to Harry that he was a Wizard. Hagrid also attempted to turn Harry's spoiled, bully of a cousin, Dudley, into a pig, but only mangaged to give the boy a pig's tail.

Once it was confirmed that Harry would be attending Hogwarts, after Hagrid decidedly ignored the Dursleys' protests, he helped Harry find his bearings in the magical world by taking him to Diagon Alley, through the Leaky Cauldron, to buy his school necessities. While in Diagon Alley, Hagrid took Harry to Gringotts Wizarding Bank in order to withdraw some funds from the Potter's vault, as well as to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone from high-security Vault 713, to be transported to Hogwarts for even safer keeping. Hagrid also purchased Hedwig, a snowy white owl, for Harry's eleventh birthday.

Protecting the Philosopher's Stone
When news got out that Vault 713 had been broken into (shortly after it had been emptied by Hagrid and Harry), Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger quickly realised that whatever Hagrid had moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts was being hidden in the off-limits Third Floor Corridor and guarded by a massive, three-headed dog. Though Hagrid refused to disclose what the vault had contained, he mentioned that the secret was "between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel." In the spring of 1992, Hagrid met a hooded man (Quirinus Quirrell in disguise) at the Hog's Head, and was enticed to play a game of cards when the mysterious person bet a dragon egg. Assuming the man was a Dragon dealer and fellow dangerous Creature enthusiast, and under the influence of a fair amount of mead, Hagrid was convinced to divulge details about Fluffy, the three-headed dog Hagrid had lent to Dumbledore to help guard the Philosopher's Stone. Knowing that Hagrid had always wanted a dragon and thinking it far too much a coincidence that a man just happened to bring a rare dragon egg to the local pub, Harry, Ron, and Hermione questioned Hagrid about exactly what had happened during the card game; this time, Hagrid let slip to the trio what he had told the hooded man: the secret to calming Fluffy was that one simply had to play music and Fluffy would fall asleep. This allowed the trio to pursue the potential thief. Once the dragon egg hatched, Hagrid lovingly named the hatchling Norbert. Harry, Ron, and Hermione convinced him to allow Norbert to be taken to a dragon sanctuary by friends of Ron's brother, Charlie, who worked with dragons.

Imprisonment in Azkaban
In 1993 Hagrid was sent to the wizarding prison, Azkaban, when the Chamber of Secrets was re-opened. It was assumed he was the one who reopened the Chamber because his expulsion from Hogwarts was for the same occurrence. Even with Dumbledore backing Hagrid, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge insisted on taking Hagrid anyway. However, he was able to help Harry and Ron solve the mystery surrounding the Chamber, by telling them to "follow the spiders." This led the boys to Aragog, the Acromantula believed to have attacked students during the 1942-1943 school year, and his family. Though Harry and Ron just barely escaped the encounter with their lives, they managed to obtain some valuable information in the course of their conversation with Aragog: the monster within the Chamber had nothing to do with Hagrid, and the girl it had killed in the 1940s had died in a bathroom. Harry was thus able to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, kill the Basilisk within, and destroy Tom Riddle's Diary. As it turned out the actual perpetrator had been the very person who had turned Hagrid in, in 1943, Hagrid was exonerated and released from Azkaban. He returned to Hogwarts at 3 o'clock in the morning, and joined in the ongoing celebration of the closure of what had been a terrifying incident. .

Protecting Buckbeak
"S'all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em...."

- Hagrid lamenting over his defence at Buckbeak's trial

In the 1993–1994 school year, Hagrid became a professor of the Care of Magical Creatures. For his first lesson, Hagrid taught his third year students about Hippogriffs. After explaining the proper way to greet a Hippogriff and choosing Harry to demonstrate, Draco Malfoy caused trouble by insulting the Hippogriff Buckbeak, even though Hagrid had warned the class to treat the creatures with respect. Buckbeak attacked Draco, and the Ministry of Magic issued an order for Buckbeak's execution after a hearing in which Lucius Malfoy's pull at the Ministry was demonstrated. An appeal took place on 6 June, 1994, but this was to no avail, and Buckbeak was to be executed at sunset that night. Before the execution, Harry, Ron, and Hermione visited Hagrid to console him, and they left just prior to the arrival of the executioner. Knowing Buckbeak's position, and the exact timing of the start of the execution, Harry and Hermione were able to save Buckbeak by going back in time with Hermione's Time-Turner.

Triwizard Tournament
"'Ow dare you! I 'ave nevair been more insulted in my life! 'Alf-giant? Moi? I 'ave - I 'ave big bones!"

- Madame Maxime's words leaving Hagrid heartbroken

During the 1994–1995 school year, the Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts. Students from the Durmstrang Institute and the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic attended Hogwarts starting in October, and Hagrid was tasked with taking care of the Beauxbatons' Abraxans, which drank only single malt whiskey and required forceful handling. Over the course of the year, he performed various tasks essential to the workings of the tournament: in November, he helped Charlie Weasley take care of the Dragons used in the First task of the tournament, which he showed Harry at the suggestion of Professor Moody (who was really Barty Crouch Jr.); he also bred Blast-Ended Skrewts as a project for his Fourth years, which were to be used in the Third task of the tournament.

Throughout the year, Hagrid and Olympe Maxime, the half-giantess headmistress of Beauxbatons, had a budding romantic relationship, which included dancing during the Yule Ball. Hagrid confided in her his life story, revealing to her that he is a half-giant, assuming her to be one as well because of her massive size. She was offended by the insinuations that she was part giant, and left him heartbroken.

Rita Skeeter, in her Animagus beetle form, overheard Hagrid's confession and reported it in the Daily Prophet. After receiving a fair amount of hate mail, Hagrid hid in the seclusion of his hut, while Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank temporarily took over Care of Magical Creatures, and attempted to resign from his position as Professor. Dumbledore refused to accept Hagrid's resignation, and he was eventually convinced to come back and teach by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

Travelling to the Giant colonies of Minsk
When Albus Dumbledore learned of Voldemort's rebirth, he sent Hagrid and Madame Maxime as envoys to the giant colonies of northeastern Minsk, in the hopes of dissuading the giants from joining Lord Voldemort's side in the coming war. Bearing gifts of Gubraithian Fire and and a Goblin-made battle helmet, they eventually won over the Gurg, Karkus. However, the Death Eaters Voldemort had sent on the same mission engineered an uprising, led by the giant Golgomath, who beheaded Karkus, usurped his position, and ordered his subordinates to attack Hagrid and Maxime, forcing them to flee. At some point, Hagrid found his half-brother Grawp, who was having a hard time within his colony for being considerably smaller than most giants. Hagrid insisted on bringing Grawp back to Hogwarts, but as Grawp was highly resistant to the idea and had a general tendency to be violent, he and Grawp made the journey back to Scotland separately from Madam Maxine.

Living with Grawp
"Hermione, I couldn't leave him. See -- he's my brother!"

- Hagrid explaining his decision to bring an undersized giant back to Hogwarts

About halfway through the school year, Hagrid returned from his mission for Dumbledore with his half-brother, Grawp. In 1995, Dolores Umbridge was brought in as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, and later became the first and only Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

Hagrid resumed his teaching post, beginning with a lesson about Thestrals. Despite their rather off-putting appearance and the inability of most of the class to see them, Hermione found these lessons far more useful than Hagrid's typical classes. Regardless, early in 1996, Professor Umbridge put Hagrid on probation after supposedly finding his lessons unsatisfactory by her standards, despite Hermione's every effort to make sure Hagrid's curriculum was geared toward preparing students for the upcoming O.W.L.s. Umbridge's harsh judgment was due largely to her distaste for "Half-breeds," and it was only the resistance she met from Headmaster Dumbledore that kept her from firing Hagrid altogether. However, once Dumbledore was forced to leave in order to shield Harry from punishment for establishing Dumbledore's Army, Hagrid feared that he would be driven out by the new Headmistress Umbridge. In preparation for this, he introduced Harry and Hermione to Grawp. Grawp took an immediate liking to Hermione, whom he called "Hermy," and Hagrid asked the two of them, along with Ron, to take care of Grawp in his absence. Upon Dumbledore's departure, general chaos reigned within the school, as the students became determined to make Umbridge's job as hard for her as possible; Lee Jordan even released a couple of Nifflers into her office, for which she blamed Hagrid. Umbridge finally attempted to have Hagrid forcibly removed from the premises, and possibly arrested, when she brought several Ministry officials to his hut in the middle of the night. Hagrid took on the officials, and as he was largely impervious to their attacks due to his giant half, he was able to escape and go the run, though not before Professor Minerva McGonagall came to his defence and was seriously injured after being hit by four simultaneous Stunning Spells without warning. Once Dumbledore was reinstated as the Headmaster of Hogwarts and Umbridge permanently removed from the school, Hagrid was welcomed back to his post. .

Aragog's funeral
"It's... Aragog... I think he's dyin'... he got ill over the summer an' he's not gettin' better..."

- Hagrid on a dying Aragog.

When Hagrid found out that none of his sixth-year Gryffindor students chose to continue past their O.W.L. level of Care of Magical Creatures, he initially misinterpreted this as a reflection of his students not liking him, as opposed to his questionable teaching. Hagrid eventually came to forgive Harry, Ron, and Hermione, understanding that their N.E.W.T. classes were difficult with massive work loads (and after Hermione confirmed there was no way even to have fit his class in with Time-Turners, as they had all been smashed during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries); his anger abated completely when he was overcome with worry about the failing health of Aragog. When Aragog died in 1996, he asked Harry, Ron and Hermione to help him bury the dead Acromantula's body, though the heightened security around the castle with Voldemort's confirmed return made that difficult. Ultimately, spurred on by Felix Felicis, Harry went to Hagrid's anyway, and met Professor Horace Slughorn en route. Hagrid, along with Harry and Professor Slughorn, buried Aragog near the pumpkin patch, and then gave his pet a tearful salute involving a good deal of mead. Harry used the situation to his advantage in retrieving a memory of Tom Riddle asking about Horcruxes from a very inebriated Slughorn.

Battle of the Astronomy Tower
During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, Albus Dumbledore was killed by Severus Snape (on Dumbledore's orders). Near the end of the battle, Death Eater Thorfinn Rowle set Hagrid's hut on fire while the Death Eaters were fleeing the school grounds. Hagrid and Harry Potter, who had chased Snape out of the castle, put it out before the hut burned down. Hagrid was grief-stricken about Dumbledore's death, having been his strongest supporter. Hagrid carried Dumbledore's body to be interred at his funeral, and later, Hagrid and Madame Maxime were seen comforting one another.

Battle over Little Whinging
Hagrid was among the thirteen members of the Order of the Phoenix, led by Alastor Moody, that made up the Advance Guard. The Advance Guard was in charge of moving Harry Potter out of the Dursley home before his seventeenth birthday; the plan to do so included having five of Harry's friends (Ron, Hermione, Fleur Delacour, and Fred and George Weasley), as well as Mundungus Fletcher, impersonate Harry to act as decoys, with an Order of the Phoenix member protecting each of them, and fly to six different safe houses before taking portkeys to the Burrow. Knowing that any Death Eaters watching out for them would assume the most skilled Auror would be moving with the real Harry, Alastor Moody took Mundungus Fletcher, while Hagrid was given the important task of protecting the real Harry in the sidecar of Sirius Black's old motorcycle. Arthur Weasley had helped Hagrid make several adjustments to the bike, including adding a button that produced dragon's fire, one that produced a net, and another that produced a solid wall, all of which materialised behind the bike by expanding out of its exhaust pipe. As it turned out, the Death Eaters had found out about the plan to move Harry earlier than rumored (as the Order had purposely released false information about moving him at a later date) and the seven Harrys, with their Order protectors, were ambushed. Hagrid was able to keep the Death Eaters at bay with the help of the modifications on his bike and Harry's wandwork, but when Harry discovered one of the attacking Death Eaters was an imperiused Stanley Shunpike, he made the unusual move of using the Disarming Charm. As he had done the same unexpected thing in Little Hangleton Graveyard in 1995, Harry was identified as the real deal, and Voldemort came after him personally. In the struggle that followed, the motorcycle was torn apart and Hagrid dove of the bike at a Death Eater, falling a great distance to the ground. He survived, however, as did Harry, when it turned out they had fallen into the protection surrounding the Tonks house. Nymphadora Tonks's parents, Ted and Andromeda Tonks, healed their injuries, as Hagrid comforted Harry over the death of his beloved pet owl Hedwig, saying she had lived a "good old life." Since Hagrid had a history of having trouble keeping secrets, Fleur Delacour suspected Hagrid was the one who had unintentionally leaked the date of the intended move, although Harry refused to blame anyone even before that was revealed not to be the case. That same night, Hagrid and all the other members of the Order mourned the death of Alastor Moody, who had been targeted immediately by Voldemort, exactly as Moody anticipated.

During the summer of 1997, Hagrid was present at Harry's seventeenth birthday party. He gave him a mokeskin bag which held objects retrievable only by the owner. Hagrid also attended Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's wedding, accidentally sitting in the wrong spot (and destroying a number of chairs) before finding the correct place to sit.

Hiding
Once back at Hogwarts, Hagrid continued his jobs of gamekeeper and teacher. He narrowly escaped arrest for holding a "Support Harry Potter" party in his hut by fleeing into the nearby mountains and going into hiding.

Battle of Hogwarts
Hagrid returned to Hogwarts with Grawp for the final battle. He rushed out on to the grounds to prevent injury being done to the Acromantula who had swarmed out of the Forbidden Forest and were climbing up the walls of the school. He was taken captive by the Death Eaters, and after Harry's apparent death at the Dark Lord's hands, Hagrid was forced to carry Harry back to the castle. As the supposed "victory party" approached the castle, Hagrid rebuked the Centaurs for refusing to involve themselves in the fight, but later was reduced to sobbed over the loss of Harry. When fighting resumed at the arrival of reinforcements, which included Buckbeak and Hagrid's herd of tame Thestrals, as well as the Centaurs, Hagrid threw Walden Macnair against the wall of the Great Hall, possibly recognising him as Buckbeak's intended executioner. Hagrid was among the first to approach and congratulate Harry after Voldemort's ulimate defeat.

Later life
"Don't forget Hagrid's invited you to tea next Friday."

- Harry reminding Albus on his appointment with Hagrid.

Hagrid was still working at Hogwarts by 2017, at 88 years old, although it is unknown whether this was as a professor, gamekeeper, or another unknown position. He invited Harry and Ginny's youngest son Albus to his hut for tea once he arrived at Hogwarts, just as he had done during Harry's first year. He never married.

Physical description
Hagrid was born to a wizard father and a giant mother, making him a half-giant. As a half-giant, Hagrid possessed great physical strength and endurance, including a resilience against some spells, though his ability to withstand spells was not as great as that of full giants. He was about twice as tall as an average man (too big for an ordinary-sized broomstick) and five times as wide, with a long mane of shaggy black hair and a beard that covered most of his face. Hagrid's hands were as big as dustbin lids and his feet in their boots were like baby dolphins. He had light skin and dark eyes that glinted like black beetles.

He often wore an exceptionally large moleskin overcoat with several pockets that held many things, though that sometimes caused him to spend a lot of time searching for what he wanted to find. Objects within the pockets have included any number of things things, such as moldy dog biscuits, the key to Harry Potter's Gringotts vault, peppermint humbugs, a squashy package of sausages, a copper kettle, a fire poker, wizard money, a birthday cake, birthday presents, a dirty spotted handkerchief, slug pellets, and a living owl.

Personality and traits
"Never... insult... Albus Dumbledore... in front of me!"

- Rubeus Hagrid to Vernon Dursley

Hagrid was very friendly, and would often forget his exceptional size and strength when patting people on the back. Another of Hagrid's greatest traits was his courage and Harry Potter claimed that he was one of the bravest people he knew. He was also very loyal to his friends and was ready to defend them or fight for them if necessary.

Hagrid had a great love of magical creatures, including cross-breeds such as the Blast-Ended Skrewt, and had a better relationship with most of the inhabitants of the Forbidden Forest than most people, including the centaurs, though he had little interest in tame magical creatures due to the lack of a challenge they offered. Despite this, he did show a good understanding of such creatures when he returned to his post as Care of Magical Creatures teacher, continuing lessons on unicorns after Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank. Unfortunately he tended to overlook the dangers behind certain magical creatures, such as his dragon Norbert, and his pet Acromantula Aragog, which was alleged by Tom Riddle to be the monster of Slytherin in 1943 , resulting in Hagrid's expulsion from the school. Hagrid never spoke about why he was expelled and would ignore any enquiries about it.

Hagrid had a fondness for drinks and was sometimes known to be aggressive, especially when people insulted those he cared about. He threatened Vernon Dursley after he called Albus Dumbledore a "crackpot old fool" and, when Igor Karkaroff accused Dumbledore of treachery and spat at his feet, Hagrid actually lifted the Durmstrang Highmaster off the ground and slammed him against a tree. Despite this, Hagrid was very sensitive person, and was known to burst into tears when someone close to him was harmed or killed, or when he felt responsible for something that put his friends in peril, such as telling Quirinus Quirrell how to get past his giant three headed dog, Fluffy. Hagrid was also a good and caring brother to Grawp, insisting on bringing the under-sized giant back to Hogwarts when he found out he was being picked on for his "small" stature by the other giants in his colony, and hiding in the forest, despite the frequent injuries and the trouble doing so caused him.

Magical abilities and skills
Hagrid is not a great spellcaster, though he does have some magical ability, and may have even been able to produce the complex Patronus charm.


 * Magical skills: Just before Harry Potter's first year at Hogwarts, he reached the Hut-on-the-Rock, with no physical means stated in the book; it could be that he flew there. It is, however, highly possible that he was using Sirius Black´s flying motorcycle. While there, he successfully cast Incendio to create fire (apparently using his umbrella in lieu of a wand), and also attempted to transfigure Dudley Dursley into a pig that resulted in Dudley sprouting a pig's tail. Afterwards, Hagrid confided in Harry that, technically, he is not allowed to do magic . Harry later learned that this was because Hagrid had been expelled from Hogwarts and his wand destroyed some years earlier . It is unknown whether Hagrid's lack of spellcaster ability is because he was never properly trained (because he was expelled) or if he just was not very good at magic to begin with.


 * Magical resistance: Hagrid also is resistant to stunning spells because of his giant blood.


 * Crossbowman: Hagrid also seems to be a skilled crossbowman, this weapon being his primary means of defense.


 * Physical combat skills: Hagrid is also skilled in fighting physically. This is shown in 1996 when Hagrid is attacked by Dolores Umbridge along with some aurors who attempt to sack and arrest him, he manages to physically defeat all the aurors which enables him to escape from Umbridge. Also in 1998 during the Battle of Hogwarts, Hagrid physically defeats Walden Macnair by throwing him across the Great Hall.

Hagrid's pets
As early as in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and possibly earlier than that, Hagrid managed to gain possession of numerous magical creatures, many of them dangerous, including Aragog, Fang, Fluffy, Buckbeak, and Norbert (later Norberta). Hagrid's love for animals and his talent for taming and training them, won him the post of Care of Magical Creatures Professor at Hogwarts.

In their fourth year, Harry and his classmates were expected to help take care of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts, one of which (grown to an enormous size) was placed in the hedge maze for the final task of the Triwizard Tournament.

Family
"She wasn' really the maternal sort. Well ... it's not in their natures, is it?"

- Hagrid discussing his mother

Rubeus Hagrid was born to Mr. Hagrid, a wizard, and the giantess Fridwulfa. Fridwulfa left the family because her son was "too small" for her liking, though Hagrid never seemed to resent her for abandoning him. His father, on the other hand, seemed to be a very caring man who was heartbroken when his wife left, and was amused by the fact that, at the age of six, Hagrid was large enough to be able to set him on top of a dresser. Mr. Hagrid died when his son was twelve years old, and by the time Hagrid tried to find his mother in 1995, she too had died.

During his travels to the Northern giant colonies that same year, Hagrid found his maternal half-brother: an undersized giant called Grawp. As Grawp's size made it difficult for him to function within his colony, Hagrid brought him back to Hogwarts and hid him within the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid's attempts to raise and socialise Grawp initially appeared completely pointless; Grawp's progress in picking up English, or in curbing his violence, which often left Hagrid with a number of painful looking injuries, seemed almost non-existent.

However, over the course of the year, Grawp grew increasingly attached to his brother, and was distressed by Hagrid's disappearance after Dolores Umbridge attempted to have Hagrid arrested in 1996. By Albus Dumbledore's funeral, Grawp was relatively calm and presentable, and he even attempted to comfort Hagrid by patting him (though a bit too hard) on the head. Grawp spent the first part of the Battle of Hogwarts stumbling around, yelling for "Hagger," but eventually jumped in to the fray, fighting the giants brought to the battle by Voldemort.

Albus Dumbledore
"Great man, Dumbledore. 'S long as we've got him, I'm not too worried."

- Hagrid discussing his trust in Dumbledore.

Albus Dumbledore placed incredible trust in Hagrid, which Hagrid returned with fierce loyalty and unwavering admiration. Dumbledore believed in Hagrid's innocence when he was accused of opening the Chamber of Secrets, and convinced then Headmaster, Armando Dippet, to train Hagrid as the Gamekeeper and allow him to remain at Hogwarts. Hagrid went on to join Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix, and he was the one tasked with bringing Harry Potter to Dumbledore after James and Lily Potter were killed in 1981. Dumbledore also trusted him to move the Philosopher's Stone from Gringotts Wizarding Bank to the school, and believed Hagrid could offer Harry as much protection as "a bunch" of Ministry Aurors could while shopping in Diagon Alley, in 1996. In 1995, Dumbledore gave Hagrid the difficult task of approaching the giant colonies of the North and dissuading them joining forces with Lord Voldemort, knowing Hagrid was fully capable of the delicate handling required to court the Gurg.

After Albus Dumbledore's death, Hagrid was inconsolable, despite the best efforts of Olympe Maxime and even his half-brother Grawp.

Harry Potter
"Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh -- took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even -- but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry."

- Hagrid explaining why Harry Potter is famous.

Harry Potter and Hagrid shared a special relationship. Hagrid was one of the first people (if not the first) Harry could remember showing him genuine kindness and appearing to truly care for him. Hagrid was the one who introduced Harry back into the wizarding world, and he empathised with Harry's situation, as they were both a bit different from wizarding norm and were orphans who had been more or less left to fend for themselves. Hagrid was Harry's first true friend, and the two helped each other get through many difficult situations and constantly looked out for one another. Though Harry often took issue with Hagrid's penchant for collecting dangerous pets, as well as the fact Hagrid had decided to bring his Giant half-brother to Hogwarts, he never failed to support Hagrid in his efforts to protect and care for all of them.

Hagrid also met Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley through Harry, and he presumably remained in touch with all three of them well after their time at Hogwarts, as in 2017, Harry reminded his son, Albus, that he had been invited to Hagrid's hut for tea upon his arrival at Hogwarts.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley


Like Harry, both Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley had a close relationship with the half-giant. Though Ron was openly outraged by some of Hagrid's more dangerous pets, particularly Aragog, Hermione was more reserved with her comments and tended to be more proactive than either Ron or Harry when it came to helping Hagrid protect his creatures. She tried desperately to help him appeal Buckbeak's death sentence in 1994, and in her fifth year, she made every effort to ensure sure Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures curriculum would give Dolores Umbridge no excuse to sack him.

When Rita Skeeter revealed that Hagrid's was half-giant in the Daily Prophet, both Ron and Hermione stood by him and convinced him that despite all the prejudice he faced, there were still people who loved him and wanted him to stay at the school. Hagrid was on the point of resigning, but with their encouragement, remained at Hogwarts and continued teaching.

Hagrid came to Hermione's defence during her third year when she was in conflict with the boys (as Ron believed her cat had eaten his rat Scabbers, and Harry was angry that she had gotten his Firebolt confiscated). Hagrid was able to convince Harry and Ron of how poorly they were treating their friend, and eventually, he succeeded in getting the two to reconcile with Hermione.

It is possible that Hagrid was close with Ron and Hermione's daughter, Rose Weasley and their son Hugo Weasley, as he was planning to have tea with Harry's son, Albus, in 2017.

Madame Olympe Maxime


During the Triwizard Tournament, Hagrid began a romantic relationship with Madame Olympe Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy. They were often seen together, talking and walking around the grounds, and they danced together at the Yule Ball. Though the two had a minor falling-out when Hagrid implied (correctly) that Maxime, like him, was part Giant, they eventually reconciled and travelled together to appeal to the Giants of the Northern colonies and dissuade them from joining forces with Voldemort. Maxime was also seen comforting Hagrid during Albus Dumbledore's funeral. The current status of their relationship is unknown, but as Hagrid never got married, it can be assumed that their relationship did not work out.

Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort
"Monsters don’t make good pets, Hagrid."

- Riddle before he turned Hagrid in

Hagrid was two years below Tom Riddle at Hogwarts, and in Hagrid's third year, Riddle opened the Chamber of Secrets, unleashing a Basilisk on Muggle-born students. After the death of Myrtle, Hogwarts was in danger of closing, and to prevent that happening, Riddle framed Hagrid and his pet Acromantula, Aragog, for the crime. As a result, Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts and had his wand snapped in half by the Ministry of Magic. As Riddle went on to become Lord Voldemort, Hagrid joined the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. In 1981, Hagrid was devastated by the murder of his friends James and Lily Potter, but was relieved when the Dark Lord disappeared after failing to kill young Harry Potter. Although many thought that Voldemort was dead, Hagrid, agreeing with Dumbledore, believed that he would return one day. As with most of the wizarding community, he refused to speak Voldemort's name, and generally referred to him as "You-Know-Who."

In 1998, Hagrid fought in the Battle of Hogwarts and was captured by the Death Eaters. After Harry sacrificed himself to be killed, Voldemort ordered a grieving Hagrid to carry his friend’s “dead” body in his arms, where it would be clearly visible to Harry's supporters. On the way back to the school, Hagrid expressed his fury with the Centaurs for staying out of the fight, prompting them to join in soon after.

Weasley family
"Another Weasley, eh?... I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the Forest!"

- Hagrid to Ron when they first met.

Hagrid was good friends with Molly and Arthur Weasley, having most likely met them during the First Wizarding War, as the Arthur was a member of the original Order of the Phoenix with Hagrid. He met them again in 1992, at Flourish and Blotts, when the Arthur got into a fist fight with Lucius Malfoy. Hagrid broke up the fight and told Arthur that he should have ignored Malfoy, though he clearly sympathised with Arthur on acting the feelings Malfoy went out of his way to inspire.

Twins Fred and George Weasley were friends of Hagrid since their time at Hogwarts. Hagrid seemed to be one of their favourite members of the staff, as he had a sense of humor and wasn't anywhere near as strict as many of the professors, though he mentioned that he spent "half his life" chasing the twins away from the Forbidden Forest.

Hagrid also knew Charlie Weasley quite well; Charlie had been one of the best Care of Magical Creatures students in his time as Hogwarts, and Hagrid described him as being "great with animals." He went on to study Dragons in Romania, and Hagrid helped him with the Dragons imported to Scotland for the Triwizard Tournament in 1994. Two years earlier, Hagrid had sent his pet dragon, "Norbert" to Charlie in Romania, and Charlie later informed Hagrid that "Norbert" was, in fact, actually "Norberta."

Bill Weasley also attended Hogwarts prior to working in Egypt with Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and Hagrid encountered him numerous times when he moved back to England. Bill arrived with the Order of the Phoenix at Hogwarts during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, where he was attacked by Fenrir Greyback. Hagrid was invited to Bill's wedding to Fleur Delacour, in which Ginny, the youngest child and only daughter of the Weasley family, was a bridesmaid. Hagrid was quite fond of Ginny throughout her time at Hogwarts, and she was among the students who never even considered turning her back on Hagrid when she found out he was half giant. Hagrid also knew she had a crush on Harry Potter, and playfully teased Harry about the fact in 1992.

Hagrid didn't appear to have much of a relationship with Percy Weasley, though it's unlikely they would have been very close prior to the Battle of Hogwarts even if they had had more contact. Though neither Ron, nor Harry nor Hermione were likely to inform Hagrid of this, Percy wrote to his younger brother, Ron, upon finding out that Ron had been made a Prefect, and advised him against associating with Hagrid, as he was a half-giant. He also tried to persuade Ron to support the Ministry of Magic, in favor of Dumbledore, to whom Hagrid was fiercely loyal. However, Percy abandoned the Ministry once it fell to Lord Voldemort, apologised to his family, and fought again the Death Eaters at the Battle of Hogwarts, after which Hagrid would have undoubtedly though better of him.

James and Lily Potter
"How could a car crash kill Lily and James Potter? It’s an outrage! A scandal!"

- Hagrid defending Lily and James

Hagrid had been a good friend of Harry Potter's parents, Lily and James, since the time they attended Hogwarts; like many who knew them, he admired them for being among the best wizards and witches of their time. Hagrid became a member of the Order of the Phoenix around the same time as James and Lily, and they fought together throughout the First Wizarding War. Hagrid was beside himself when Lily and James were killed in 1981; Albus Dumbledore sent him to rescue their infant child, Harry, from the wreckage of their home in Godric's Hollow, and Hagrid later reintroduced Harry to the Wizarding world in 1991.

Sirius Black
"Look ... I knew Sirius longer 'n yeh did ... he died in battle, an' tha's the way he'd've wanted ter go -"

- Rubeus Hagrid to Harry Potter on Sirius Black

Though Hagrid described Sirius Black as having been a "trouble-maker" in his youth, Hagrid had clearly been fond of him, as well as his best friend, James Potter, when they were students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After graduating, Sirius, along with James, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, joined the Order of the Phoenix around the same time as Hagrid. When James and Lily discovered they were Voldemort's next targets, they went into to hiding with the use of the Fidelius Charm; Peter Pettigrew had been made their Secret-Keeper, unbeknownst to anyone else, and betrayed the Potters to Voldemort, framing Sirius for the crime. For many years, everybody, including Hagrid, believed Sirius was the betrayer. The night James and Lily died, Hagrid met Sirius in Godric's Hollow, where Hagrid had been sent to rescue the infant Harry Potter from the wreckage of the Potter's destroyed home, and Sirius lent Hagrid his flying motorback to deliver Harry to Albus Dumbledore. By 1993, Hagrid was horrified to think that he comforted the "murdering traitor" that very night.

Hagrid learned the truth in 1994, after Sirius escaped from Azkaban and exposed Pettigrew as having been in hiding as Ron Weasley's pet rat, Scabbers. When Harry and Hermione Granger helped Sirius avoid the fate of receiving the Dementor's Kiss, they also saved Buckbeak, who was poised for execution as ordered by the Ministry of Magic, and in doing so, provided Sirius with transportation to make his escape. Dumbledore re-instated the Order of the Phoenix in 1995, and following Sirius's tragic death during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries in 1996, Harry inherited Buckbeak, who he sent back into Hagrid's care at Hogwarts.

Hogwarts staff
Hagrid would have known Remus Lupin for about as long as he knew the Potters and Sirius Black, though they didn't appear to be particularly close until 1993, when Lupin was appointed Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, and they became co-workers. Both Hagrid and Lupin knew what it was like to be within the wizarding community, yet still considered outsiders and face its prejudices, as Lupin was a werewolf and Hagrid was a half-giant. In 1995, they both joined the re-instated Order of the Phoenix, and worked together throughout the Second Wizarding War to protect Harry Potter and bring about the end of Lord Voldemort.

Hagrid greatly respected Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor and Head of Gryffindor House. They attended Hogwarts at the same time, and they later became members of the Hogwarts staff. As one of the most strict professors at Hogwarts, McGonagall sometimes disapproved of Hagrid's unrefined behaviour, especially during the Sorting ceremony. However, they were close friends, and fellow members of the Order of the Phoenix in both wars. In 1995, when Dolores Umbridge brought several Ministry officials to either have Hagrid forcibly removed from the school grounds, arrested, or both, McGonagall immediately came to Hagrid's defence; she took four simultaneous stunners straight to her chest as she rushed to Hagrid's aid, and was incapacitated for some time at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. After Albus Dumbledore's death, McGonagall stated that she appreciated Hagrid's opinion very much, as Dumbledore had, and took it into consideration when determining the best time time to close the school. McGonagall later becom Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Hagrid was still living by 2017.

Hagrid always stoutly defended Severus Snape against Harry's doubts and allegations, on the basis that Albus Dumbledore trusted Snape completely. When Snape killed Dumbledore, Hagrid initially disbelieved the fact, and told Harry he must be mistaken. Though Hagrid was furious to learn that Snape had indeed murdered the late Headmaster, he learned of Snape's true loyalties during the final confrontation of the Battle of Hogwarts.

Hagrid and Argus Filch regularly found themselves at odds; Filch thought that Hagrid was "an oaf," and even told Mrs. Norris, his cat, to keep an eye on the Gameskeeper. Filch didn't seem to care or even really acknowledge when Hagrid became a professor, possibly because he was a half-giant, and Hagrid, for his part, called Filch a "filthy Squib", when the latter insulted him.

Hagrid had been very familiar with Divination Professor Firenze, long before he began working at Hogwarts, and when the Centaur's herd turned on him for entering into "the servitude of a human" by accepting the position at Hogwarts as a favor to Headmaster Dumbledore, it was Hagrid who saved him. Of all the Centaurs, Firenze seemed to be the most active in working against Lord Voldemort, and was not above allowing Harry Potter to ride on his back in the process of saving Harry's life-- both of which elicited great respect and gratitude from both Harry and Hagrid.

Hagrid also seemed to be on good terms with Horace Slughorn, the Potions master in 1996. It is possible that Slughorn was one of Hagrid's teachers at Hogwarts, but they later became co-workers. Slughorn attended Aragog's funeral and comforted Hagrid, and while this was mostly because he wanted to extract some of Aragog's valuable venom, Hagrid was touched nonetheless, and the two enjoyed a drunken salute to the late Acromantula. Hagrid disliked Gilderoy Lockhart, as did the other teachers, due to his being an obnoxious and annoyingly incompetent teacher. Hagrid did not read any of Lockhart's books, rejected his ideas of Harry trying to hog the spotlight, and openly criticised him, something that he would not normally do to a teacher. The professor with whom Hagrid had the most difficult and antagonistic relationship was, by far, Dolores Umbridge, who was a pure-blood supremacist with a particular dislike for what she called "Half-breeds. Throughout the 1995–1996 school year, she made Hagrid's life miserable with her disruptive evaluations of his teaching, during which she was unabashedly condescending and critical. When a student released two nifflers in her office, following Headmaster Dumbledore's departure from the school, she blamed Hagrid, despite his having a rock solid alibi. She later brought Ministry officials to Hagrid's hut in the middle of the night, either to arrest or forcibly remove him from the premises, though Hagrid was able to resist and go on the run. Umbridge was eventually kicked out of Hogwarts in 1996, and was imprisoned in Azkaban two years later, for her crimes against Muggle-Borns.

Malfoy family
"What're you doin' here? Get outta my house!"

- Rubeus Hagrid to Lucius Malfoy.



Hagrid was was disgusted the Malfoy family's pure blood supremacist values, their open ill-treatment of Muggle-borns and "Blood traitors," their allegiance to Lord Voldemort and their disrespect to Albus Dumbledore. In turn, the Malfoys disliked Hagrid, regularly mocking him and doing nearly everything in their collective power to get him sacked from his post at Hogwarts.

In 1992, broke up a fight between Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy in Flourish and Blotts, though Hagrid was quite understanding of what Arthur had felt the need to do. During the 1992–1993 school year, Lucius was indirectly responsible for reopening of the Chamber of Secrets, as he had used the earlier scuffle with Arthur Weasley to slip Tom Riddle's diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron full of book. Hagrid was blamed for the attacks, just as he had been fifty years earlier, when he was framed by Tom Riddle for the Chamber's first opening. Hagrid was arrested as a precautionary measure by Cornelius Fudge, where Hagrid reacted angrily to Lucius's unnecessary presence and ordered him to get out his house. Lucius mocked Hagrid by wondering how his small hut could be considered a “house,” and claimed he was only there to inform Dumbledore that he and the other governors had voted on his suspension. Hagrid saw through Lucius and accused him of threatening the other governors, which later proved to have been exactly the case.

Hagrid did not get along any better with Lucius’ son Draco. Hagrid first met Draco in 1991 when he was sorted in Slytherin. During that year, Draco was put in detention with Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom. Hagrid called Draco an "idiot", when he scared Neville, and in 1992, was outraged when he heard Draco called Hermione a mudblood. Draco was in Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures class in 1993, and ignored Hagrid’s advice on how to handle Hagrid’s hippogriff Buckbeak. Draco insulted Buckbeak, causing the Hippogriff to lash out and and cut Draco’s arm. Hagrid took Draco to the hospital wing, but Draco swore revenge, and deliberately exaggerated his injury to get Hagrid into trouble. Lucius was furious when he found out and took legal action against Hagrid and Buckbeak. Hagrid tried hard to defend Buckbeak, but the court ruled in favour of Lucius, largely due to his influence at the Ministry, and Buckbeak was sentenced to death.

Order of the Phoenix members
Hagrid was friendly with most members of the Order of the Phoenix. Some of them were Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, the Weasley family, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James and Lily Potter, Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall.

Hagrid also knew and greatly admired Alastor Moody, and Moody's protege, Nymphadora Tonks. They fought together in several battles, including the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle over Little Whinging, where Hagrid was devastated by Moody's death. Tonks later married Remus Lupin, and they're son, Teddy, would attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after both his parents were killed at the Battle of Hogwarts.

Hagrid was also familiar with Dedalus Diggle, whom he introduced to Harry Potter at the Leaky Cauldron in 1991.

Behind the scenes

 * Hagrid is portrayed by Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane in the film adaptations of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Part 2 and so is one of the 12 characters to appear in all 8 film adaptations.
 * In the the film version of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid seems to have poor spelling, as seen when he shows Harry his birthday cake.
 * Martin Bayfield played Hagrid as a teenager during the film version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and was dubbed by Robbie Coltrane.
 * Throughout the series, it is implied that Hagrid had been the Hogwarts gamekeeper since he was expelled from school in 1943. But at one point in Goblet of Fire, Molly Weasley, who attended Hogwarts between 1961 and 1968, reminisces about Hagrid's predecessor, Ogg, in contradiction to this implication. However, it is possible that Hagrid did not become a gamekeeper immediately after being expelled, but rather started out as Ogg's assistant.
 * J. K. Rowling states on her website that Hagrid is allergic to cats, which could explain why he dislikes Mrs. Norris so much.
 * Hagrid's LEGO minifigure incarnations consists almost entirely of pieces exclusive only to Hagrid, specifically the body and beard pieces. His head in and of itself is not an exclusive piece, but his face pattern is.
 * Hagrid is a playable character in Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4. In the game, he can fly on a broomstick in the game in spite of the fact that he claims in the books to be too large to ride broomsticks.
 * According to film makers, Hagrid is 8 feet 6 inches tall.
 * Fans of the series raised an immediate outcry upon learning that Hagrid never married. J.K. Rowling responded to the criticism by simply saying, "At least I didn't kill him."
 * In Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4, Hagrid is the first playable character, at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. As Hagrid was expelled, he only has one spell on his Spell-Wheel, which is Wingardium Levisosa. However, after the player makes it to Hogwarts, he obtains his crossbow. Hagrid is unlocked in "The Forbidden Forest" level, by using Reducto on a silver chest in the third area.
 * In the video game adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, it was rumoured that Hagrid had an evil twin brother named Dirgah.
 * Hagrid can be compared to Star Wars character Chewbacca, as both are enormous hairy giants who are softer than they appear. They also are both extremely loyal. (Hagrid strangled Igor Karkaroff for spitting at Dumbledore; Chewbacca strangled Lando Calrissian for betraying Han Solo.)

Etymology

 * Rubeus, possibly from the Latin rubinus, "red." Also possibly from Hagrid Rubes, "Giant of the Jewels," who was a kind giant in ancient Greek mythology (Hagrid was a nice, generous man) framed for murder by Zeus, chief of the gods (as Hagrid and Aragog were framed for the death of a Hogwarts student). Zeus banished him from Mount Olympus, home of the gods, but allowed him to take care of the animals (similarly, Headmaster Dippet expelled him from Hogwarts, but Dumbledore convinced him to keep Hagrid on as head gamekeeper).


 * Hagrid also may mean "hung over," as from alcohol.


 * Hagride is a verb that means "to torment."

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
 * Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (video game)
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
 * Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4
 * Harry Potter's copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
 * Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
 * Flight of the Hippogriff