Rubeus Hagrid's pets

Hogwarts' Keeper of Keys and Grounds, Rubeus Hagrid, is commonly known for owning dangerous pets. Hagrid has been a caretaker to the following animals:

Fang

Fang the Boarhound is introduced during Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Like Hagrid himself, Fang is not nearly as fierce as he looks. Fang has been referred to as a "coward."

Fang accompanied Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy into the Forbidden Forest, along with Hagrid, during a detention in their first year.

Fang also accompanied Harry Potter and Ron Weasley in their second year, who were following Hagrid's words to "follow the spiders" to Aragog's lair.

In 1996, Fang was stunned by Ministry of Magic workers as he protected Hagrid from being abducted by Dolores Umbridge and her companions, including Dawlish.

Fang was also trapped in Hagrid's burning cabin during the Death Eaters' assault on Hogwarts in 1997. After Hagrid went on the run, Fang went with him.

Fluffy

Fluffy

A giant three-headed dog. Purchased from a "Greek chappie" in a pub, Hagrid lent Fluffy to Professor Dumbledore in 1991 to help protect the Philosopher's Stone. Hagrid reveals that Fluffy can be calmed and put to sleep by music. It is this slip of the lip that allows Professor Quirrell, Harry, Hermione and Ron to all get past Fluffy and into the hall where the Philospher's Stone is hidden.

Norbert

Norbert(a)

A Norwegian Ridgeback dragon. Hagrid won Norbert's egg from a hooded man (Professor Quirrell/Lord Voldemort) at the Hog's Head during a card game. As dragon breeding was outlawed by the Warlocks' Convention of 1709, Hagrid could not legally keep Norbert. Draco Malfoy spotted Norbert, and tattled on Hagrid, who was forced to send him to Romania.

Norwegian Ridgebacks breathe fire. Nesting mothers breathe on them to keep them warm, explaining why Hagrid kept the egg in a pot over the fireplace in his home, even in warm weather. A pet dragon such as this one, once it hatches, should be fed brandy mixed with chicken's blood.

After Norbert is taken into Charlie Weasley's care, the dragon is mentioned only in passing. In 1997, Charlie reveals to Hagrid that Norbert is actually a female, and has been renamed "Norberta."

Aragog

Aragog

An enormous talking Acromantula with a taste for human flesh. Aragog's egg came into Hagrid's posession when Hagrid was a student at Hogwarts. The spider hatched and was hidden at the school; he never saw any other part of the castle. Hagrid was eventually forced to set Aragog free when his presence in the school became worrisome. Even then, Hagrid was expelled, and Aragog made a den deep in the Forbidden Forest. He lived there with a large community of Acromantulas until his death.

Aragog met Harry and Ron in 1992, when Hagrid was briefly taken into custody at Azkaban for allegedly opening the Chamber of Secrets. It was through Aragog's explanation of events that Harry and Ron learned Hagrid was innocent of those charges.

Aragog died in the spring of 1997 of old age. The Acromantulas living in Aragog's den tried to prevent Hagrid from removing the body from the Forbidden Forest; Hagrid managed to escape, intent upon giving the Acromantula a proper burial. Professor Horace Slughorn attended the funeral for the sole purpose of procuring some of Aragog's venom. It was because of these events leading up to Aragog's funeral that Harry, under the influence of Felix Felicis, managed to secure Slughorn's memory regarding Voldemort and Horcruxes.

Buckbeak (Witherwings)

Buckbeak laying in Hagrid's yard waiting for his execution.^[HP3]

A steel-grey colored Hippogriff. Buckbeak is introduced to the Hogwarts community for the first time in 1993, in Hagrid's first Care of Magical Creatures teaching assignment.

It is during this class that Buckbeak injures Draco Malfoy. Through the influence of Lucius Malfoy, Buckbeak is sentenced to death by the Ministry of Magic, to be carried out in the coming Spring. However, he is rescued by Harry and Hermione, through the use of the Time Turner.

Buckbeak then joined Sirius Black, aiding his escape from custody at Hogwarts. The two of them relocated to an unknown country.

When Sirius returned in 1994, during the events surrounding the Goblet of Fire, he brought Buckbeak with him. Buckbeak stayed with Sirius in a cave in the mountains around Hogsmeade.

Buckbeak appeared again at Number 12, Grimmauld Place in the spring of 1995. At some point, Buckbeak was injured by Sirius' house-elf Kreacher; when Harry attempted to contact Sirius through the Floo Network, Sirius was tending to Buckbeak's injuries.

After Sirius' death, Harry inherited Buckbeak's companionship, along with Sirius' material possessions. Harry, in turn, returned Buckbeak (rechristened "Witherwings" to protect his identity; Buckbeak was supposed to be a fugitive of the law) to Hagrid's care. During the First Battle of Hogwarts, Buckbeak saved Harry from the harm of Snape.

During the second Battle, Buckbeak and a congregation of Thestrals attacked Voldemort's giants, pecking at their eyes.

Behind the scenes

• This notion of a three-headed dog guarding the doorway to unknown doom is most likely a play off Cerberus, the hellhound that guards the door to Hades in classical literature.