my own take on Hagrid (was: I *HATE* Hagrid! (kinda long))

[the firey chasm from whence it came...]

No: HPFGUIDX 69372

I just wanted to put in my own two Knuts regarding Hagrid, while we're
on the subject. I cut the rest of the stuff because I didn't want to
have to respond to it all. 

I just want to say that I started out loving Hagrid, but he really
irked me in OoTP. He seemed really out of it, even more reckless than
he usually is. He didn't seem to either know or care that Harry and
Hermione would have definitely gotten expelled if they had been caught
going into the Forbidden Forest to take care of Grawp. Also, making
them promise something before telling them what they're promising is
pretty low as well. It's just not fair. I thought something seemed
wierd about him in this book, he seemed even less on the ball than he
usually is. 

Let's face it: he's got a good heart but he's not the brightest bulb
in the bunch. Up till now that didn't bother me so much, but in the
last book it really did. I'm starting to think he could become a real
liability. 

I think he really is loyal to DD, and not just because DD has saved
his ass a lot of times. As for him getting his students injured, I
think that's been exaggerated a lot. None of students have ever been
*that* seriously injured, even with the Blast-Ended Skrewts. And
remember, Malfoy only got injured with Buckbeak because he was
taunting him, and he was *warned* not to taunt him. So I don't hold
him responsible for that injury because that was pretty clearly
Malfoy's own fault. Besides, injuries seem to be much more easily
fixed in the WW than in the Muggle world, and as far as I can remember
there hasn't been any injuries in COMC that hasn't been quite easily
fixed by a visit to Madam Pomfrey. 

He definitely could stand to follow a better curriculum though, I'm
not saying that he's a great teacher, because he's not. I'd probably
be terrified in his classes too (or disgusted, as with the case of the
Blast-Ended Skrewts). I myself would prefer Grubbly-Plank (what's up
with *that* name, anyway?). 

He seems to be a character that fits in much better with the earlier,
more innocent books. He seemed kind of out of place with the more
adult tone of OoTP, the kind of person you would love as a kid, but
grow to realize had some serious liabilities as an adult. He's sweet,
but not very bright, is reckless and doesn't really have much of a
sense of survival as far getting on in society goes. 

~dream