Why do we love Hagrid so much?
1. He is the first magical person that Harry properly meets
After a miserable time with the Dursleys, Hagrid is the perfect person to come and rescue him. And as a big man with ‘hands the size of dustbin lids’ and a grand bushy beard, he definitely knows how to make an impression! After the Dursleys try and run away from Harry’s Hogwarts letters, heading to the miserable Hut-on-the-Rock, we will always be grateful that Hagrid found Harry (on his birthday, no less!) and gave him cake and sausages, alongside his Hogwarts letter, finally. What a wonderful way to find out you’re a wizard!
2. He loves magical creatures
Is there anyone in the wizarding world that loves magical creatures as much as Hagrid? Even when he first meets Harry, he casually mentions that he’d love to own a dragon. A dragon, Hagrid? Not a cute little kitten? Alright then... But that’s another thing we love about Hagrid: he adores creatures great and small and finds even the most scary and scaly of animals positively adorable. As you continue to read the first book, you’ll meet a few more of Hagrid’s animal friends... and they all come with their own surprises.
3. He bought Harry his owl, Hedwig
Speaking of animals, it was because of Hagrid that Harry got his beautiful snowy owl, Hedwig. Hagrid bought him for Harry as a birthday present in Diagon Alley, which is helpful, as wizards and witches need owls to send and receive their letters. Plus, we couldn’t imagine Harry Potter without Hedwig, so we’ll always be grateful to Hagrid for picking such a cool pet for Harry – and for not getting him a dragon...
4. He has a flying motorbike!
Look, anyone who has a flying motorbike is alright in our book. Indeed, when we first meet Hagrid in the very first chapter of the first book, carrying a baby Harry Potter, it is this amazing vehicle that he arrives in. No wonder Harry has dreams about flying motorbikes many years later! Did you spot that?
5. He is always the kindest person in the room
It is always important to lead with kindness, and despite being a larger-than-life man, with a love of scary creatures, Hagrid’s best trait is how thoughtful and compassionate he is. The only times Hagrid seems to get angry is when he’s outraged about something unjustified – like how mean the Dursleys had been to Harry! But that’s Hagrid all over – a big man with a big heart. And we could all do with being a bit more like him.
