Let’s go hunt some snark …Chapter 20 “Hagrid’s Tale”
Yes! to whatever sistermagpie said in her post. *pours sisterM a glass of bourbon*
I wasn’t sure whether to tack this on as a comment to that post, or do a new one. I opted for a new one, even though I’m not adding much more.
I should also note at the outset that I hate this chapter. And Hagrid. And giants, or, at least, the way they are depicted, and the role they play, in this story. This may colour my response a little. ;-)
Hermione hurried back down from the girls’ dormitories, wearing scarf, gloves and one of her own knobbly elf hats’.
Just how big is Hermione (and her head) again?
Hagrid’s hair was matted with congealed blood…He picked up the steak and slapped it over the left side of his face. Green blood trickled down into his beard…
Gross. Plus, doesn’t Hagrid love dragons? Where did he get this bit of dragon meat? Aren’t dragons prohibited in Britain? Doesn’t he have any scruples about killing such animals for eating or even for slightly dodgy medicinal purposes?
Hagrid glared at him with one eye. Harry looked right back, a look of innocent determination on his face.
Somehow that word ‘innocent’ doesn’t sit quite right there. Not with this older, louder, demanding Harry. Not in this context. He’s not innocent, and I can’t see any purpose in him pretending that his curiosity about this has any innocent ‘oh, I’m just interested in your well-being, Hagrid’ motivation.
Wizards killed a few, o’ course, but mostly they killed each other…’
As sistermagpie said - why on earth does Dumbledore actually want the Giants on his side? They sound like they’d be more a liability than a help. They have no apparent concept of operating strategically, and their natural inclination seems to be just to kill each other. Hagrid says there are 80 or so at this encampment and that these are the last of them. Lots of brute strength, very hard to control And not resistant to magic, which would be the primary weapon, I would imagine, in any wizard wars. I would say the effort of getting them and *cough* training them would be more than they’re actually worth.
Of course this gives Hagrid the opportunity to go and tidy up that loose end of his mother. Which raises the question - if the giants are so…uncivilised….how did Mr Hagrid and Mrs Hagrid meet and, er, match? (Maybe don’t answer that.)
And if Dumbledore knew so much about giants, and he provided advice on the best approach, he didn’t seem to provide Hagrid and Olympe with any real contingency plans.
‘Everlasting fire, said Hermione irritably, ‘you sought to know that by now. Professor Flitwick’s mentioned at least twice in class!’.
That Hermione, she never misses a trick, does she.
‘But tha’s not very interestin’, Hermione,’ said Hagrid. ‘The stuff I’ve got’s much more impressive. I’ve bin bringin’ ‘em on for years…’
Hagrid is a stupid, self-absorbed person. Er, giant. He cannot see how to handle a situation, even though the answer is being shouted at him from all sides. I might be able to understand Harry’s loyalty (first birthday cake, springing him from the Dursleys’ etc), but I’m stumped as to why Hermione feels so burningly protective of him, unless it’s just to spite Umbridge.
This chapter was saved from utter damnation by once sentence: ‘I had a sligh’ disagreement with a vampire in a pub in Minsk.’ I just like the sound of that.
I wasn’t sure whether to tack this on as a comment to that post, or do a new one. I opted for a new one, even though I’m not adding much more.
I should also note at the outset that I hate this chapter. And Hagrid. And giants, or, at least, the way they are depicted, and the role they play, in this story. This may colour my response a little. ;-)
Hermione hurried back down from the girls’ dormitories, wearing scarf, gloves and one of her own knobbly elf hats’.
Just how big is Hermione (and her head) again?
Hagrid’s hair was matted with congealed blood…He picked up the steak and slapped it over the left side of his face. Green blood trickled down into his beard…
Gross. Plus, doesn’t Hagrid love dragons? Where did he get this bit of dragon meat? Aren’t dragons prohibited in Britain? Doesn’t he have any scruples about killing such animals for eating or even for slightly dodgy medicinal purposes?
Hagrid glared at him with one eye. Harry looked right back, a look of innocent determination on his face.
Somehow that word ‘innocent’ doesn’t sit quite right there. Not with this older, louder, demanding Harry. Not in this context. He’s not innocent, and I can’t see any purpose in him pretending that his curiosity about this has any innocent ‘oh, I’m just interested in your well-being, Hagrid’ motivation.
Wizards killed a few, o’ course, but mostly they killed each other…’
As sistermagpie said - why on earth does Dumbledore actually want the Giants on his side? They sound like they’d be more a liability than a help. They have no apparent concept of operating strategically, and their natural inclination seems to be just to kill each other. Hagrid says there are 80 or so at this encampment and that these are the last of them. Lots of brute strength, very hard to control And not resistant to magic, which would be the primary weapon, I would imagine, in any wizard wars. I would say the effort of getting them and *cough* training them would be more than they’re actually worth.
Of course this gives Hagrid the opportunity to go and tidy up that loose end of his mother. Which raises the question - if the giants are so…uncivilised….how did Mr Hagrid and Mrs Hagrid meet and, er, match? (Maybe don’t answer that.)
And if Dumbledore knew so much about giants, and he provided advice on the best approach, he didn’t seem to provide Hagrid and Olympe with any real contingency plans.
‘Everlasting fire, said Hermione irritably, ‘you sought to know that by now. Professor Flitwick’s mentioned at least twice in class!’.
That Hermione, she never misses a trick, does she.
‘But tha’s not very interestin’, Hermione,’ said Hagrid. ‘The stuff I’ve got’s much more impressive. I’ve bin bringin’ ‘em on for years…’
Hagrid is a stupid, self-absorbed person. Er, giant. He cannot see how to handle a situation, even though the answer is being shouted at him from all sides. I might be able to understand Harry’s loyalty (first birthday cake, springing him from the Dursleys’ etc), but I’m stumped as to why Hermione feels so burningly protective of him, unless it’s just to spite Umbridge.
This chapter was saved from utter damnation by once sentence: ‘I had a sligh’ disagreement with a vampire in a pub in Minsk.’ I just like the sound of that.