"Flying" Hagrid and "Home Stretch" reread

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 164619

---  Dave Hardenbrook <DaveH47 at ...> wrote:
>
> ... I am re-reading/listening to the
> entire series, one chapter per day, ....
> 
> Today is Day 5 in my reread, and in PS/SS Ch. 5, 
> "Diagon Alley", I found something odd -- As they leave
> for London, Hagrid explains to Harry that he "flew" to
> the Rock.  But how??  There's no sign of Buckbeak, and
> I'm sure somewhere Hagrid says he's too big to mount a
> broom.  So what does he mean??  Is it possible that 
> there's a Thestral there that Harry of course doesn't 
> see?  Or did Hagrid simply apparate to the Rock (since
> he seems to disapparate at the end of the chapter)?
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> 
> Dave
>


bboyminn:

Note that there are other occassions when Hagrid travels
by magic. For example, after Hagrid gave Harry his ticket
to return to the Dursleys, Harry peeks out the train
window, blinks, and Hagrid is gone. Where did he go in
the blink of an eye? The only reasonable explanations 
are he either apparated or took a Portkey. We see that
Portkeys are very tightly controlled, so I have trouble
with it being that. On the other hand, Dumbledore seems
pretty fast and loose with his Portkeys so maybe on
occassion he creates them for Hagrid.

As the Hagrid's comment as the return from the Hut on 
the Rock, there is something odd about the way Hagrid
says he 'flew' that makes me think that when he said 
it there were indeed quote marks around the word 'flew'.
Hagrid seem to have come to the realization that Harry
doesn't really know that much about the magical world, 
and Hagrid doesn't know exactly how much he is allowed
to say. So, when Harry asks how Hagrid go there, and
Hagrid replies 'he flew', I think it was just a short-
cut way for Hagrid to answer the question without 
getting into a long detailed explanation of /exactly/
how he got there.

Consequently, I don't think we can take 'flew' as 
being absolutely literal. Yet, I do think we can be
certain that he arrived on the Hut on the Rock by 
some magical means. Many people assume he traveled
using Sirius's motorbike, but can't quite explain
what then happened to the motorbike. Some suspect he
arrived by broom, but again what happened to the 
broom when Hagrid returned by boat with Harry? Some 
assume he arrived by Thestral or by hippogriff, but 
they seem like normal sized creatures and Hagrid is 
anything but normal sized. He could have arrived by
Abraxan Flying Horse. They are certainly big enough,
but that seems unlikely as there don't really seem 
to be any (or many) in Britian.

So, I based on this and based on Hagrid's rapid
disappearance at the train station, I have to 
conclude that Hagrid can Apparate. 

Though it is possible that Hargid traveled by a 
team of Thestrals and a covered wagon or carriage of
some type. That would certainly solve the size problem.
Still the island doesn't quite seem big enough to land
a team of Thestrals. 

Or, somehow Dumbledore knew where Harry was and created
a Portkey for Hagrid to get to the Island, and to later
get back to Hogwarts castle..

These are the only possibilities that seem even remotely
likely.

Just one man's opinion.

Steve/bboyminn