[HPforGrownups] Flesh-eating slug repellent

[shane dunphy]

No: HPFGUIDX 47406

redandgoldlion wrote:
>an excellent question which had been niggling at me and never rose to the 
>surface, about why flesh-eating slugs would be eating cabbage (giving rise 
>to the inevitable, "*was* that why Hagrid was there...?"

I have to admit, that this post gave me great cause for thought.  Just like 
GulPlum, I had always thought of the slug repellant itself as being 
flesh-eating, not the slugs themselves.  On further consideration, however, 
it occurred to me that Hagrid would be unlikely to use such a violent and 
unpleasant creation on any living thing.  As we all know, it doesn't matter 
to Hagrid how slimy/scaly/dangerous/irritating an animal is, it is still 
something that merits affection.  I daresay that a slug would ellicit the 
same reaction from him.  This being the case, we must accept that the 
*slugs" are the flesh-eating part of the statement!  These creatures would 
of course be even more attractive to Hagrid (as far as he's concerned, as we 
all know, the more monstrous the better).

Now, as to the question of why a marauding bunch of flesh-eating slugs would 
be attacking the school cabbages...perhaps the slugs in question are 
omnivorous, and were eating the cabbages after having polished off some 
unfortunate creature from the Forbidden Forest?  Perhaps the cabbages were 
some magical hybrid that Hagrid and Professor Sprout had concocted (fleshy 
cabbages - I don't really think so either) or more likely, Hagrid was lying.

Now why would Hagrid be lying about his activities in the most unsavoury 
part of Diagon Alley we have yet encountered?  Well, we know that Hagrid 
does seem to be drawn to unsavoury characters.  In PS, we hear of him 
getting in to a card game with a strange hooded man (who we know turned out 
to be Quirrell).  We know that he likes a drink (I think all of the four 
novels in the canon refer to Hagrid imbibing at some point or other).  We 
also know that he has a trusting nature (sending Harry and Ron into the 
Forest in CoS after Aragog is a typical example of this).  We also know that 
Hagrid is not beyond bending the rules of civilised wizarding society when 
it suits him (his wand being hidden in his umbrella while being banned from 
using magic - his experience with Norbert).  It's very possible that Hagrid 
was down there arranging to purchase some new, bizarre animal for his Care 
of Magical Creatures class.  It seems to me that he was in just the right 
place to find someone who would know how to lay hands on a baby manticore or 
something of that ilk.

It is also possible that Hagrid has friends or maybe even relatives there.  
Do people live in Diagon Alley?  If so, Knockturn Alley would probably be 
the slum area, wouldn't it?  Can't you just see Hagrid finding such a place 
fascinating, wandering down there as a young wizard, chatting to people, not 
having to be concerned about being mugged because of his size.  He's the 
type that would befriend a homeless wizard, or maybe an elderly wizard lving 
in a squat who is in ill-health, and would return when in the area to visit 
them and make sure they were okay.  Maybe Hagrid has an uncle or cousin who 
has fallen on hard times and is living there or even working there, selling 
potions or illegal spells on the WW black market?

Alternatively, Hagrid could have been there to buy illegally brewed wizard 
Hooch.  He seems the type!

Shane.

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