Hagrid Flew?

[bboy_mn]

No: HPFGUIDX 43832

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., "Alina" <alina at d...> wrote:

Jeff (doffy99)wrote:
> > >
> > > > How did Hagrid fly over to the island to get Harry? 
> > > > Hagrid isn't a fully trained wizard. He couldn't use 
> > > > a spell to fly? He obviously couldn't apparate. So how 
> > > > did he get there? If he KEPT the bike, then he could 
> > > > have flown that, but where did it go?
> > >

> ALINA:
> What if Hagrid's umbrella doubles as a broom? What if he had a
> broom with him that got magically diminished in size and tucked 
> into one of his pockets? I wouldn't be surprised if many of his 
> pockets have a diminishing charm on them.
> 
> Alina of Distant Place
> http://www.distantplace.net/

OK, Alina, this is a theory I like. When Hagrid said he flew, the most
obvious image of a wizard flying is on a broom, and I thought of that
before. The thing that always shot it down was 'Where's the broom?'.
What did he do with it after he was done flying? Could the broom be
sent back on it's own? Just point your wand and say 'go home broom'? 

Well, we have nothing to support that, but of course, we have a lot of
support for enlargement and reduction charms, as well as enchanted
wizard space (as in storage space) like the trunk of the Weasley car.
So an enlargement charm to the broom so he could ride it comfortably,
and a reduction charm on the broom so he could store it comfortably.
That's very simple, and straight forward. I don't see those particular
charms as extremely advanced, so I have to say, this simple theory is
one of the best I've heard so far.

On the subject in general-
One small problem occurs to me, although it doesn't in any way
discredit Alina's theory. When Hagrid takes Harry to the train station
and puts him on the train that will take him back to Surrey and the
Dursley's, Harry looks out the window to watch Hagrid as the train
pulls away, and "...he blinked and Hargrid was gone."

So what happened here? Apparate? Portkey? I don't think we should
discount Hagrid's magical abilities. He isn't locked in time at age 13
when he was expelled. He's been at the school for over 50 years, and
certainly has learn a substantial amount of magic in that time. I
think it's pretty obvious that Hogwarts staff looks the other way with
regard to Hagrid's magic. While I doubt that he has a license to
apparate, I don't discount the possibility that he can. Although, I
will admit, Hagrid apparating is a pretty weak theory; apparating is
pretty advanced magic. On the other hand, he could have had a portkey
who's sole purpose was to take Hagrid back to Hogwarts when his
mission was accomplished. 

An extention of that possiblity is portkey to Diagon Alley, broom to
Harry, & portkey back to Hogwarts; fast and efficient.

Just some additional thought I had on the subject.

The broom reduction charm is so simple and staight forward, and well
within Hagrid's magical abilities, that it seems a very likely
possibility.

bboy_mn