Hagrid and Harry after the Hut-on-the-Rock...

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 144300

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at t...> wrote:
>
> Geoff:
> 
> After replying to the post on Hagrid at the Hut-on-the-Rock,
> my thoughts went back to various questions which have crossed
> my mind about this scene. ... edited...., to satisfy my 
> curiosity, have any of the group got their own ideas?
> 
> 1. When Hagrid and Harry leave the island, they take the boat.
> So, how do the Dursleys get back to the mainland? Harry was 
> only with Hagrid for one day and I presume that, when he got 
> back after his train journey, they had returned to Privet Drive.
> 

bboyminn:

We can take one of two approaches; the first is to assume it is a
mistake, the other is to assume it is correct and look for a logical
off-page explanation.

Since Hagrid moved the boat across the water with magic, could we not
assume that the magic continued and the boat returned to the Hut on
the Rock and waited for the Dursleys. Once they took possession of the
boat, the magic ended.

Alternately, the owner of the boat saw it, and took it out to the
island to check on the Dursleys. Afteral, the storm the night before
had been pretty severe, he may have been concerned about them.

So, answers are there off-page if you are willing to look for them.

> 2. On the subject of the train journey, how did Hagrid know that 
> Harry was going home on the train from Paddington? He is not very au 
> fait with Muggle matters. 
> 

bboyminn:

Of course, the answer is Dumbledore. I'm sure Dumbledore gave Hagrid
precise instructions on how to transport Harry to and from Diagon Alley.


> 3. In addition, where did Harry get the money for his ticket?
> I think he will only have got a pittance for pocket money (if
> any) and that wouldn't buy a rail ticket.
> 

bboyminn: 

Again that answer is Dumbledore. Dumbledore made sure Hagrid had
everything he needed to get Harry, make sure Harry got all his school
supplies, and even had a bit of pocket change to take to school with him.

Certainly, in preparing Hagrid, he would have made sure Hagrid had a
supplie of muggle money.


> 4. ... So where did "Harry's huge, heavy trunk" (PS "The Journey 
> from Platform Nine and Three- Quarters" p.68 UK edition) come 
> from? He wouldn't need a trunk because he never been anywhere 
> and had had nothing to pack in the past.
> 
> ...edited...
> 
> Any bids to deal with my inquisitiveness?
>

bboyminn:

Note that all the student have a trunk, and likely all have similar
trunks, so I suspect it was amoung his school supplies even though the
books don't really say that. Consider how difficult it was for Harry
to lug all his many packages as well as a trunk from the train when he
arrived in Little Whinging.

Now that bring up another critical question. How did Harry get from
the train station at or near Little Whinging to the Dursley's house?
Did he call them and ask for a ride? Given all that had happened,
would Vernon be in a benevolent enough spirit to do that? Did Harry
lug his packages and trunk across several blocks, if not miles, of
Little Whinging until he arrived at the Dursley's home? Did he call a
cab/taxi and expect Vernon to pay? Did he haul all this packages and
truck aboard the local bus? Did he even have money for the local bus? 

That's a much tuffer question to resolve with a made-up off-page
explanation.

On another subject, can Hagrid Apparate? We know he said he 'flew' to
the Hut on the Rock, and while there has been much speculation about
how he 'flew', I think a greater question is how he returned to
Hogwarts. After Hagrid puts Harry on the train back to Little
Whinging, Harry is watching Hagrid, blinks his eyes, and Hagrid is
gone. /How/ did Hagrid /go/?

Either Hagrid can Apparate (unofficially, of course) or he had a
Portkey, and it doesn't seem as if the Minstry gives out a lot of
Portkeys. They seem to be very tightly restricted. So that leaves
Apparation. While Hagrid is no great shakes at magic, I think most
people underestimate him. He has spent his whole life at the school
with the finest teachers and wizards in the world. I'm sure they
taught him a thing or two in the course of 50 years.

Enquiring minds want to know.

STeve/bboyminn