Redeeming Hagrid was Rewriting OotP

[heiditandy]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "pippin_999" <foxmoth at q...> 
wrote:

> Er, wait. You're supposing that Hagrid, on a mission for the 
> Order, somehow managed to smuggle a  twelve foot Giant out of 
> Europe, over the Channel and into a Scottish forest without  
> Dumbledore's knowledge, much less his help? 

Yes, I am. I am *sure* that Dumbledore had previously given Hagrid 
instructions on where to travel (i.e. a map) if he did return with 
any giants, and I'm also quite sure that Madame Maxime assisted 
Hagrid in getting his trip back started, as shown here in Chapter 30:

'Did Madame Maxime want to bring him back?' asked Harry.

'She - well, she could see it was right importan' ter me,' said 
Hagrid, twisting his enormous hands. 'Bu' - bu' she got a bit tired 
o' him after a while, I must admit
 so we split up on the journey 
home
 she promised not ter tell anyone, though
"

'How on earth did you get him back without anyone noticing?' said 
Harry.

'Well, tha's why it took so long, see,' said Hagrid. 'Could on'y 
travel by nigh' an' through wild country an' stuff. Course, he covers 
the ground pretty well when he wants ter, but he kep' wantin' ter go 
back.'

************

Clearly, from what Hagrid said, she stayed with them in the initial 
stage of their return trip - perhaps a week or two? - and that help, 
rather than any help from Dumbledore, is what assisted Hagrid. 

> 
> I'm sure that Dumbledore and McGonagall knew all about Grawp 
> and supported what Hagrid was trying to do.  IMO, Firenze 
> resorted to using Harry as a conduit because he knew Hagrid 
> would listen only to Harry or Dumbledore, and Dumbledore 
> wasn't cooperating.

IMO, Minerva didn't know anything about it - if she had, or at least 
if Hagrid had thought she had, he would've gone to her to ask for 
help, rather than to Harry and Hermione (and Ron in absentia). And 
while I think that once Hagrid returned Dumbledore may've known about 
it because of Hagrid's injuries, he knew about it in the way that 
he's demonstrated knowing things about Harry from time to time - and 
not getting in the way of what the person is trying to do. 

> 
>  Hagrid turned to Harry as a last resort when Dumbledore was 
> not available and McGonagall was in no position to help without 
> arousing Umbridge.  In choosing Harry to provide for Grawp, 
> Hagrid put Harry into a position very similar to the one Petunia 
> found herself in when Harry showed up on her doorstep. Which, I 
> think, is  *the* reason JKR put Grawp in the forest and is one  of 
> the most significant developments in OOP.

Oh, I just think she put him there because she'll need him, somehow, 
in a later book - and am I the only one who thought Hermione was 
leading Umbridge to Grawp when they went into the forrest a few 
chapters later? I was thinking a very Sondheim-esque fairy tale 
combination involving feeding the wicked witch to the giant.