Hagrid in Knockturn Alley

[dungrollin]

No: HPFGUIDX 111974

Dungrollin:
> When Hagrid was acting suspiciously in Knockturn
> alley he said Flesh-
> eating slugs were ruining the school cabbages.

bamf:
The 'flesh' part could also refer to part of a plant.
'Fleshy leaves' is a commonly used to describe leaves
that hold a lot of water. (More so plants like Jade
or Aloe.) But I can also see the term applied if the
slugs just eat the 'fleshy' part of the plant - the
part between the veination, not the flesh of humans."

DuffyPoo:
See, now I thought the Flesh-Eating was part of the purpose of 
the 'repellant'.  Eats the flesh off the slugs! I never put it 
together as Flesh-Eating Slugs.

I just thought, this is in the book and in the movie. In fact, 
Hagrid mentions Flesh Eating Slug Repellant twice in the movie. 
Wonder if that's a clue? ;-)

Now Dungrollin again:

Flesh-eating slugs are also mentioned in PoA; in The Boggart in the 
Wardrobe, Lupin says: "It's always best to have company when
you're 
dealing with a Boggart.  He becomes confused.  Which should he 
become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug?"

Why would a flesh-eating slug inspire fear, if it is vegetarian?

Not only was Hagrid mentioning the slug-repellent in the film, but 
later on, when Harry's seen Riddle's diary, someone says
(something 
along the lines of) `Didn't you see Hagrid in Knockturn
alley?' and 
Harry replies quickly that he was buying Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent.

I suspect that it was in both the book and the film so that there 
was the potential for doubt about Hagrid when Riddle tells Harry 
that it was him opening the chamber of secrets, so that we don't 
immediately dismiss Heir-of-Slytherin!Hagrid as impossible.

However, having said that, what was he _really_ doing in Knockturn 
Alley?  I remain convinced that flesh-eating slugs would have no 
interest at all in the school cabbages.

Dungrollin
(who watched a program about Jung's personality types last night, 
was surprised (but not shocked) to discover herself to be 
an `idealist', and is now wondering what on earth she is
doing in 
science
)