Hagrid: Allowed to use Wands and Magic...?

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 53089

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Juliet <lilpurplealdy at n...>"
<lilpurplealdy at n...> wrote:

> 
> "Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he 
> said. "I'm--er--not supposed to do magic, strictly speakin'.  
> ...edited...
> 
> Huh.  So, it seems Hagrid, upon being expelled, was not allowed to
> do magic OR to use a wand.  We know Underaged Wizards can't do 
> magic, so I'm guessing that might go to Unqualified Wizards, as
> well(but then why doesn't Hagrid get letters ....)
> ...edited...
> 
> ~Aldrea, 

bboy_mn:

When Hagrid was accused of a 'crime' (first opening of the CoS) he
wasn't convicted of that crime because the Ministry wanted to keep it
quiet, but he was sanctioned. His sanction, was to be expelled from
Hogwarts which I believe was both a school and a governmental
punishment; sort of a plea bargain. Being expelled meant he couldn't
become a fully qualified wizard.

However, having stayed on as gamekeeper, he was generally away from
the wizarding population in the somewhat private confines of Hogwarts
where a very benevolent Dumbledore had no problem looking the other
way, or granting Hagrid special permission to use magic in specific
cases. Now, today, Hagrid has been at Hogwarts for over 50 years, and
has become literally become a part of the school. Because his presents
is so taken for granted, I think the staff convienently ignore any
magic he does. He enchants the pumpkins to the size of a small sheds,
he grows 20 foot high hedges in no time. ...and other similar examples
of his continued and obvious use of magic.

The general wizard population, at least everyone under 70, has grown
up knowing Hagrid by seening him in school, and those over 70 have
gotten to know him at Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and they know him to
be a good guy who would never intentionally harm anyone. So, by mutual
unofficial agreement, they ignore Hagrid's restriction from doing
magic. I think this even includes the Ministry. Officially, they have
to say he shouldn't, but behind the scenes, they know Hagrid and don't
care.

Hagrid doesn't get letters because most of the time he is on the
grounds of Hogwarts which to some extent is a private, closed, and
supervised environment. It's not like he is running amok through the
country side doing magic. And most important of all, he is no longer
underage. The letter Harry got was for violation of the Restiction for
UNDERAGE Wizardry. So there would be no reason for Hagrid to get one
of those.

Had Hagrid simply quit school and was now of-age, there wouldn't be
anything restricting him from doing magic; he simple would not be a
train quaified wizard. For example, you can still weld metal or build
houses without being a trained qualified welder or carpenter.
Certainly, his job opportunites and his social status would suffer
greatly, and for the most part, while he would know very little magic,
there would be nothing to truly stop him. 

In Hagrid's actual case, however, his restriction from doing magic was
probably part of the sanction against him. But again, knowing Hargid,
the general wizard population knows he's a good guy, and have no
problem looking the other way, and in fact, in many cases, even asking
him to do magic for them. Of course, there are also the special cases
where Dumbledore has actually given him permission to do something.

So part of the reason he gets away with it, is that most of it occurs
at Hogwarts; a closed, private, supervised environment. The other
reason is that people like Hagrid and they know he is an OK guy, so
they convienently look the other way.

After CoS, I think it was assumed that unofficially the sanction was
no longer in effect. Now people don't even bother to look the other
way, they just accept it. Although I most definitely want it to be, I
do not think the sanction has been officially lifted and Hagrid hasn't
been officially allowed to work toward his GOED (General Owl
Equivalancy Diploma). I am most definitely looking forward to Hagrid
getting a new wand which will be the first sign that he is back on the
road to becoming a fully qualified wizard. I don't think this will
happen in the background, when it does happen it will be a big deal
and we all definitely know about it.

Just a few thoughts.

boy_mn