Harry and Hagrid (re: Two Crazy Theories)

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 106537

Iris:
<snipping of some excellent thoughts!>
> Hagrid is the one who owns the secret to enter the magical world. 
He 
> is the one who makes the new students enter the castle. He also 
owns 
> the keys of Hogwarts. Better: he keeps them. Just like a baron 
keeps 
> a fief for his king. Even if he doesn't seem to realize himself, 
> even if the others consider him as a servant, a simple gamekeeper, 
> Hagrid is in a sort of way the lord of Hogwarts, his protector.
> One last thing, but it may be consistent if it's true that JKR 
> writes referring to Alchemy: `Hagrid's first name is `Rubeus'. If 
we 
> believe what John Granger wrote in his article `The alchemist 
them: 
> Harry Potter and Alchemy' (sorry, I don't remember when it was 
> published, but there's a message in the HPfGU archives that gives 
> the link to reach it), `Rubeus' comes from `Rubedo', the Red Work, 
> the third and most important phase of the Great Work, that leads 
to 
> the achievement of the Stone. 

Jen: After reading your post, Iris, I decided to re-read the Granger 
article. Here's a link for anyone interested:

http://www.touchstonemag.com/docs/issues/16.9docs/16-9pg34.html

Last summer when I first read it, I found it interesting and could 
see the alchemy symbolism present in the series. This time...whew! 
Once you start thinking about it and looking for it, the evidence is 
everywhere! 

I was particulary fascinated by the idea that Book 5 was the Nigredo 
phase, or dissolution, symbolized by Sirius Black. As he dies, and 
will most likely be reborn in a new form, so does the Nigredo stage 
give way to the next stage Albedo, or purification, and finally the 
last stage you talk about Iris, the Rubedo.

Granger particularly postulates that Luna will symbolize the Albedo 
stage in Book 6, but it seems to me the next stage for Harry will be 
resolving his relationship with Albus, the master alchemist, in 
order to reunite with Rubeus in the final stage/book. And then Harry 
will be back where he started, with the Keeper of the Keys. Reminds 
me of T.S. Eliot: 

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring 
Will be to arrive where we started 
And know the place for the first time." (Four Quartets)

Hans has postulated in post #104372 that Harry will die (pass 
through the Gate of Saturn/veil), and return to take over Hagrid's 
job, thus fulfilling the alchemical process. I couldn't think of an 
alternative that fits better than this, Hans! And we don't really 
know Hagrid's true "work" as Iris points out, in his position as 
Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. 

Iris:
> Another evidence of Hagrid's connection to the Rubedo phase? Well, 
> he's the one who brings to Stone to Hogwarts. He declares in the 
> Leaky Cauldron (in PS/SS) that he has come to Diagon Alley because 
> he is `on Hogwarts business'. He has come to help the Stone and 
> Harry find their way to Hogwarts. In that single little sentence, 
> apparently so anodyne, JKR gives us an amazing summarise of what a 
> true Alchemist is: he's the servant of the Stone, and the 
protector 
> of the one who starts his initiatory journey, the Apprentice. And 
> it's `Hogwarts business', because the school is the alchemical 
cell 
> where the Stone and the Apprentice have to meet.  

Jen: I still like the idea that Harry is the living embodiment of 
the Philosopher's Stone, and Hagrid would still be a servant to the 
stone. But like you said Irs, then we wouldn't have an apprentice.

All this alchemical wondeirng has me thinking even more that Albus 
will play a very important role in Book 6, possibly as the half 
blood prince or prince of half-bloods. Because Albus did not move on 
to the last or Rubedo stage; Albus instead chose to be purified, but 
not reunified, and his work is to die to the one who will advance to 
the last stage. Rubeus Hagrid will be the one left to serve Harry in 
his final stage. Granger says: "As the heat of the fire is 
increased, the divine red tincture flushes the white stone with its 
rich, red colour. . . . The reddening of the white matter is also 
frequently likened to staining with blood."

Any thoughts on that part Iris, Hans or anyone else following this 
thread?

Very curious. 

Jen Reese