IN MEMORIAM
John Coltrane is no more and his death has hit the HP fans hard. However, Hagrid will always live on in the hearts of all of us who are Potterheads. With his pink umbrella and gigantic proportions, the gentle giant won our hearts. He was the knight who rescued Harry from the clutches of the Dursleys with whom he had left Harry after his parents were murdered by You-Know-Who. He was a friend to Harry, Ron and Hermione - and was loved by them and us – the loyal HP fans.
Coltrane appeared in the documentary Return to Hogwarts – in which, for the first time since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 was released in 2011, the whole cast came together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first film’s release. In this documentary Hagrid said: “The legacy of the movies is that my children’s generation will show them to their children. So you could be watching it in 50 years’ time. I’ll not be here, sadly, but Hagrid will, yes.”
There is no Hogwarts without Hagrid and Harry summed it up succinctly in the ending scene from “Harry Potter & The Chambers of Secrets” in which Hagrid returns to Hogwarts and is greeted by the students in the great hall. Harry Potter rises from his chair, hugs the gatekeeper and says, “There is no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid.”
Here are some facts you might not know about Hagrid.
Hagrid is allergic to cats
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Hagrid tells Harry that he ‘don’ like cats’ because they make him sneeze, which is why he chose to buy Harry an owl, Hedwig, for his birthday present.
J.K. Rowling based the character of Hagrid on a real biker
According to Robbie Coltrane, the character was modelled on a real biker. Coltrane said that J.K. Rowling told him that Hagrid was ‘based on a Hell’s Angel she knew in the West Country’. ‘He was just huge and terrifying,’ Coltrane recalled Rowling telling him. ‘And then he would sit down and talk about his garden and how his petunias had been very bad that year.’
His wand was 16 inches
Given Hagrid’s immense size (he is half-giant, after all), it’s no wonder that his wand would follow suit. Sitting at an awe-inspiring 16 inches, the wand, which was made of oak, has also been described as rather bendy. According to Mr Ollivander’s notes on Wand Woods, oak makes sense for Hagrid - as wizards who use oak wands usually have an ‘affinity with the magic of the natural world’ - which Hagrid definitely does.
Unfortunately, after his expulsion from Hogwarts in his third year, Hagrid’s wand was broken.
He was a Gryffindor
Hagrid’s Hogwarts house is never mentioned in the books, but, given his kindness, noble nature and bravery, it might not come as that much of a surprise that Hagrid was in Gryffindor.
He can’t cast a Patronus
In a Q&A with Harry Potter fans on Twitter, J.K. Rowling was quizzed what Hagrid’s Patronus would be. In reply, she wrote, ‘Hagrid couldn’t produce a Patronus. It’s a very difficult spell.’
Hagrid had a hard childhood
When he was three years old, his mother, the giantess Fridwulfa, returned to her giant colony, leaving him alone to be raised by his father. Despite their size differences, he had a strong bond with his wizard father – Hagrid even used to put his father on the top of his dresser when he was annoyed with him. However, his father, sadly, passed away when Hagrid was in his second year of Hogwarts.
Hagrid is resistant to stunning spells
Most likely owing to his huge size, and his status as a half-giant, Hagrid is pretty resistant to stunning spells. As Herminone explains in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, ‘It’s very hard to Stun a giant, they’re like trolls, really tough.’
Hagrid is loyal
Hagrid stands by those he cares about, no matter the cost.
‘May I just add that while we here at Potterwatch applaud Hagrid’s spirit, we would urge even the most devoted of Harry’s supporters against following Hagrid’s lead. “Support Harry Potter” parties are unwise in the present climate.’
Remus Lupin, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow.
He was in the original Order of the Phoenix
Dumbledore always trusted Hagrid and was actually a part of the original Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore even trusted Hagrid to go and pick up Harry from Godric’s Hollow following Voldemort’s downfall and the death of his parents.
J.K. Rowling always planned for Hagrid to carry Harry out of the Forbidden Forest at the end of Deathly Hallows
Speaking in an interview with Daniel Radcliffe, J.K. Rowling revealed that she had always planned for Hagrid to carry Harry’s seemingly lifeless body out of the Forbidden Forest during the Battle of Hogwarts. She explained that Hagrid carrying Harry at the end was symbolic, because he carried baby Harry when he delivered him to the Dursley’s at Privet Drive in the Philosopher’s Stone. I
The official Twitter account for the Harry Potter films wrote that the team was “hugely saddened to hear of the passing of the magnificent Robbie Coltrane who played Hagrid with such kindness, heart and humour … He was a wonderful actor, a friend to all and he will be deeply missed.”