Hagrid in Knockturn Alley

[aja_1991]

No: HPFGUIDX 55388

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Jeremy Davis" <jmd at j...> wrote:
> JKR has said in the past (dunno where or when!!) that there are some
> significant happenings in COS. I'm just wondering what peoples 
views are on
> the reason why Hagrid was in Knockturn Alley when Harry miss-dialed 
with his
> floo power. Hagrid said he was looking for the "Flesh Eating Slug
> Repellant". Is he telling the whole truth?

My personal guess:  Hagrid is spying for Dumbledore.  If Knockturn 
Alley is where all the WW nasties hang out, and where they go to buy 
and sell things that "might be embarassing if the Ministry came to 
call".... it seems to me a good way to learn if there's news of V 
coming back is to have somebody waltz in and just listen to the 
chatter, observe if there are more visitors than usual, ask Mr. 
Borgin how business has been, etc.

Snape, of course, would be another good choice (and might still be 
doing so), but Snape is more likely to ask piercing questions and 
seem to be spying, whereas Hagrid probably has everybody convinced 
he's looking for a new pet to replace Fluffy and Norbert, and they 
just don't sell many three headed dogs in Diagon Alley...

So based on that assumption, Hagrid didn't expect to see Harry there, 
so had to think on his feet (not usually a strong point for Hagrid), 
and that was the best he could come up with quickly.  Harry was 
probably so relieved to see a familiar (friendly) face that he didn't 
question it.

aja_1991