Rubeus Hagrid

Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant gamekeeper of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, fulfills his lifelong dream of becoming a teacher in his third year, but his first lesson with Hippogriffs nearly destroys his career when Draco Malfoy provokes an attack, leading to a death sentence for his beloved Buckbeak and plunging Hagrid into a crisis of confidence that reveals the deep wounds of his own past imprisonment in Azkaban.

Identity and Background

Hagrid is not a fully qualified wizard; he was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for a crime he did not commit, a stain that was only cleared by Harry, Ron, and Hermione the previous year. He lives in a small cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, accompanied by his boarhound, Fang, and a menagerie of creatures that most wizards consider terrifying. His view of what is dangerous is famously abnormal: he has befriended giant spiders, bought vicious three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneaked illegal dragon eggs into his cabin. When he sends Harry a birthday present, it is a copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which snaps its jaws and scuttles across the room like a crab, and Hagrid's accompanying note says only that he thinks it might be useful for next year.

Appointment as Teacher and the First Lesson

At the start-of-term feast, Professor Dumbledore announces that Professor Kettleburn, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher, has retired "in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs," and that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are stunned, then burst into applause; Hagrid is ruby red in the face, staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard. He later tells them, overcome with emotion, "Can' believe it… great man, Dumbledore… came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough… It's what I always wanted…"

For his first lesson, Hagrid leads the class to a paddock and introduces Hippogriffs, magnificent creatures with the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses but the front legs, wings, and heads of giant eagles. He explains that they are proud and easily offended, and that one must wait for the Hippogriff to make the first move by bowing. Harry volunteers to go first, successfully bows to Buckbeak, and is allowed to ride him, soaring around the paddock. The class is emboldened, but Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle take over Buckbeak, and Malfoy insults the creature, calling it a "great ugly brute." In a flash of steely talons, Buckbeak slashes Malfoy's arm, and Hagrid, white-faced, carries the bleeding boy up to the castle.

Crisis and the Threat of Azkaban

The attack triggers an official complaint from Lucius Malfoy, and Hagrid receives a letter from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures scheduling a hearing. He is devastated, convinced that the Committee is in Lucius Malfoy's pocket and that Buckbeak will be executed. He tells Harry, Ron, and Hermione that he has been drinking heavily and that he thought he was going mad in Azkaban, reliving the day he was expelled, the day his father died, and the day he had to let Norbert the dragon go. "Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while," he says. "An' yeh can' really see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hope I'd jus' die in me sleep." He admits he thought of letting Buckbeak go, but is scared of breaking the law: "I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."

The Execution and Aftermath

The appeal is lost, and the execution is set for sunset. Hagrid sends a note telling Harry, Ron, and Hermione not to come down, but they do, wearing the Invisibility Cloak. They find Hagrid pale and trembling, his hands shaking so violently that he drops a milk jug. He tells them Dumbledore has done all he can, but the Committee is scared of Lucius Malfoy, and the executioner, Walden Macnair, is an old friend of Malfoy's. As the execution party approaches, Hagrid forces them to leave through the back door. They hear the knock, the voices, and then the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe. Later, Hagrid tells them that Buckbeak escaped, that he must not have tied him up properly, and that he has been celebrating all night. He is unaware that Harry and Hermione used a Time-Turner to rescue the Hippogriff and Sirius Black.

Resignation of Lupin and Hagrid's Continued Role

When Professor Lupin resigns after his lycanthropy is revealed, Hagrid is the one who tells Harry, expressing surprise that Harry had not heard. He says Lupin is packing now, and that he resigned first thing in the morning because he says he can't risk it happening again. At the end-of-term feast, Gryffindor wins the House championship for the third year running, and Hagrid is present, beaming. On the train home, Harry receives a letter from Sirius Black, who reveals that he sent the Firebolt and that Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for him. The letter also includes a note giving Harry permission to visit Hogsmeade, signed by his godfather. Hagrid's role as gamekeeper and teacher continues, his bond with Harry, Ron, and Hermione deepened by the shared ordeal of Buckbeak's near-execution and the revelation of Sirius Black's innocence.