Hagrid and spiders

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 175059

---  "va32h" <va32h at ...> wrote:
>
> Irene Mikhlin wrote:
> >  
> > > I was just so incredibly annoyed by the 
> > > spiders moment. Here they are, killing
> > > children, and all Hagrid cares about
> > > is "don't hurt them"?! 
> 
> Then Egglplant wrote: 
> > I was under the impression Hagrid was telling the
> > spiders not to hurt the kids not the other way 
> > around.
> 
> Now me:
> 
> Oh I totally agree with Irene. Hagrid didn't want 
> anyone killing his precious little spiders. 
> 
> Sadly, I think JKR intends us to see this as an 
> amusing foible of Hagrid's; that he can't help but 
>love all sorts of vicious, dangerous  animals. ...
> 
> ...
> 
> I think JKR expected the reader to feel comic relief 
> at that moment in DH  - "Oh that Hagrid! Still 
> worried about his spiders!" ...
> 
> va32h
>


bboyminn:

As long as the subject has come up, let's have a look
at those spiders. Do you think they were voluntarily
working with Voldemort? Do you think a couple DE's
showed up at the spiders lair, sat down for tea
with them, and talked them into joining Voldemort's
side? 

The Spider never struck me as creatures prone to
logical discussion and being swayed to any opinion.
I think despite the fact that they are capable of
what seems to be intelligent human speech, they
are at their core, animals driven by survival
instinct. They eat, they stay warm, and they mate,
but little else. 

So, while we have no canon on how the Spiders came
to be working with Voldemort, I do have speculation
on the matter. I suspect a group of Death Eaters
invaded their lair and drove them out toward the 
castle. In a sense, it was more like cattle stampede.
The Spiders weren't specifically attacking the 
castle, they we just doing what spiders do, but
also being driven in a certain direction by the
Death Eaters. 

So, when Hagrid confronts the spider in the Entrance
Hall, we have to wonder why the spiders grabbed Hagrid
and turned and ran off with him. Why didn't they kill
him and continue to charge forward? My guess is that
they saw Hagrid as a friendly human, rather than a 
hearty lunch; a human who would and could explain to
them why they were being treated so viciously.

So, they dragged Hagrid back to their lair to get some
kind of explanation. Unfortunately, that just happens
to be where Voldemort was hanging out. When they
arrived, the DE's drove them back out; dropping 
Hagrid in the process.

Now of course, the real reason is that JKR needed
Hagrid to be in the forest with Voldemort so he 
could carry Harry's lifeless body back out. But,
what was the in-story mechanism behind that? I think
I have made a fair explanation. 

As to whether Hagrid was asking the spiders not to 
harm the students or the students not to harm the
spiders is anyone's guess. I suspect Hagrid didn't 
really know himself.

Just a thought.
Steve/bboyminn