Comments | the_snarkery: Let’s go hunt some snark …Chapter 20 “Hagrid’s Tale”

samaranth in the_snarkery

Let’s go hunt some snark …Chapter 20 “Hagrid’s Tale”

Jan 23, 2005 00:38

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 )

Comments 15

peri_peteia January 22 2005, 14:49:25 UTC

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?

I think this, like many similar things throughout the books, is just a situation of JKR not giving it any thought. It comes off to me like, "Magical world, magical people, normal steak = mundane. Uh...dragon steak. Ok then, moving on."

Not that that means it makes sense, because it doesn't. That's just probably why it's there. Just like the various dragonhide articles of clothing as opposed to leather.

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?I have always, always wondered and always, always been too scared to actually consider the possibilities. Or impossibilities as the case may be ( ... )

mirabellawotr January 22 2005, 19:06:11 UTC

I have always, always wondered and always, always been too scared to actually consider the possibilities.

Oh, man, me too. I don't even want to think about the sheer practicalities of the thing. Maybe Hagrid was a test-tube baby.

samaranth January 23 2005, 13:16:21 UTC

...is just a situation of JKR not giving it any thought. That does make sense, and the fact that you can't keep a dragon as a pet doesn't mean that they aren't commercially farmed somewhere, or the stuff is imported. I did get the sense that dragon's hide for clothing was a quite expensive material - possibly due to the fact it has protective qualities, and may be in short supply. (Don't the twins also turn up in dragonskin jackets at some point, and boast about it to Ron?)

Maybe Hagrid's father was a researcher of some sort.

"By some foul craft he is crossing Giants with men". I can actually see a wizarding research lab doing just this, somehow. And Hagrid is the prototype that went terribly wrong.

peri_peteia January 23 2005, 14:51:45 UTC

(Don't the twins also turn up in dragonskin jackets at some point, and boast about it to Ron?)

Yes, they show up in the end of OotP with garish dragonhide suits, IIRC.

Hagrid is the prototype that went terribly wrong.

That would almost be...interesting.

mirabellawotr January 22 2005, 19:07:57 UTC

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.

Word. Super huge word. Whole oceans of word. Putting him in charge of a class where kids could actually get hurt if they don't have a competent professor was, I'm sorry, criminal stupidity on Dumbledore's part, and I will never, ever, ever understand why we're supposed to think badly of Lucius Malfoy for being pissed off about it.

samaranth January 23 2005, 13:23:21 UTC

And why is it just Lucius who says something about this situation? Why aren't other parents making complaints? Also, Hogwarts has a board of 12 governers who play a part in suspending Dumbledore in CoS...where are they for the rest of the time? I don't think they feature at all in OotP.

Damn right it's negligent, even in an environment where broken bones can be fixed in a flash (depending on who does it) and cuts heal over in no time at all.

merrymelody January 24 2005, 11:00:18 UTC

Only Evil Parents care.
The rest, like the Weasleys, would entrust Dumbledore, and by extension, any of his staff (even the Sekrit Death Eaters ;) with their children's lives, and feel no need to apportion blame that for instance, their child got threatened with a knife and broke his leg in the same year.
And I presume the Muggleborn parents didn't know, since they weren't informed of Cedric's death, or apparently of say, Hermione being hospitalised twice in her second year, the latter time for months.

aasaylva September 14 2006, 21:14:10 UTC

That's easy: in the WW, it's hardly ever about the actual thing under discussion (i.e.IS Hagrid a good teacher, yes or no) but about allegiances. Lucius and Dumbledore remind me of chess players trying to knock out each other's pawns. And as much as I agree with the fact that Hagrid is an awful teacher, I doubt very much that this was really the reason behind Lucius' efforts to get him fired. We never hear him complaining about Lockhart (although I admit, his son wasn't actually injured in his class. He just didn't learn anything).

merrymelody January 22 2005, 20:39:14 UTC

Ooh, more posters! *dances* Yay!

Hagrid is a stupid, self-absorbed person. Er, giant.

Embrace The Hagrid Hate! ;)

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?

Yeah, that's what fascinates me about Hagrid. He's like the perfect parallel for The Vegetarian Who Wears Leather Shoes. Lots and lots of consideration from him and Hermione about animal welfare, but they still eat it, wear it, and approve of the killer instincts of the animals they go to such lengths to defend (Norbert, Aragog, Buckbeak).

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.No. I don't know whether to take that line as a misstep, or a sign that Harry's consciously able to manipulate Hagrid (which after all, he could do even in PS. How sad, Hagrid's ( ... )

samaranth January 23 2005, 13:33:37 UTC

Feel the lurve. Hate. Whatever...those are a fine collection of thoughts on the subject. Thanks!

While it probably was not intentional, and probably happened out of carelessness, it still gives the impression of a character who says one thing while cheerfully doing another.

I'm not sure if Hagrid was actually swayed by the innocence, or he was just too tired to resist the determination. I found it somewhat annoying that a 14-going-on-15 year old would try that kind of childish thing.

merrymelody January 24 2005, 10:56:25 UTC

It still gives the impression of a character who says one thing while cheerfully doing another.

Heh. So does much of this book, I think, with many characters.

sistermagpie January 22 2005, 21:41:50 UTC

Yay! More posters! I love not tacked-on comments on chapters!

Just how big is Hermione (and her head) again?

LOL! Especially with the hair. You'd think she would own a hat, wouldn't you? Is she like Mrs. Jellyby in Bleak House, only caring about needs of house elves?

Somehow that word ‘innocent’ doesn’t sit quite right there.

You know, this exact line jumped out at me too. It just really struck a wrong chord with me, like Harry trying to look innocent, which I assume was supposed to be endearing, was slimy. It's something that would have been cute and funny in first year Harry, and Ron and the twins could both pull it off now, but here...it's like Lucius Malfoy trying to look innocent.

They have no apparent concept of operating strategically, and their natural inclination seems to be just to kill each other.

Exactly. Um, Cirith Ungol anyone?

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.)You raised it when I was trying to ( ... )

tekalynn January 22 2005, 23:43:11 UTC

Any...err...marital relations must have been damn scary for his father and damn unsatisfying for his mother.

Could be why Mrs H took off so soon.

samaranth January 23 2005, 13:50:15 UTC

I'd forgotten about Mrs Jellyby, but that's exactly it! Pity the partners in Hermione's future, whichever ship you ship...

As for Hagrid's parents, I went back to GoF to see if I could find anything about them, and noticed in the Daily Prophet article (in Ch24) the implication that Hagrid's mother Fridwulfa was on Voldemort's side, along with the other remaining giants. (I'd forgotten about that too.)

Which makes the sequence of Mr and Mrs getting together, having baby Hagrid, and then somehow having Dumbledore become so protective of him potentially an interesting story...if you don't think about the ...er...marital stuff.

shilohmm February 11 2005, 02:55:07 UTC

"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.

I read that "innocent" as being, "Who, me? Black mail you to get information? Perish the thought." So to me, that "innocent" meant "not innocent at all," because Harry knows full well that Hagrid's information is supposed to be Big Dark Secret, and what Harry's offering in trade is comparatively common knowledge.

Oh, and, Hi, Sam!

Sheryl