Rubeus Hagrid Character Analysis in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Hogwarts groundskeeper. He's almost twice the size of a normal man and as a third-year Hogwarts student, he was expelled from school for a crime he didn't commit. Because Harry and Ron were able to clear his name last year, Hagrid is promoted to the Care of Magical Creatures professor this year. Hagrid himself is thrilled at this turn of events, though his thoughts on animals make his curriculum trying for his students: he assigns a textbook that bites, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione know that Hagrid's idea of which animals are cute or cuddly is skewed (in previous years he befriended giant spiders and adopted a baby dragon). His first lesson concerns hippogriffs and though the lesson starts out well, a hippogriff named Buckbeak hurts Malfoy when Malfoy doesn't follow directions. This damages Hagrid's confidence and the class spends most of the rest of the year learning to care for flobberworms, boring creatures that don't need much attention. Despite this lack of confidence, Hagrid is extremely protective of Harry and insists that the trio not break rules to come visit him like they've made a habit of doing in years past. Hermione spends a lot of time with Hagrid as she helps him prepare for Buckbeak's trials, which go poorly for Hagrid--in addition to being a poor public speaker to begin with, the system is rigged and, as he tells the trio, the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures "has it in for interesting creatures." However, Hermione's visits do prompt Hagrid to sit Harry and Ron down to talk to them about how they treat her and to suggest that friends should matter more than objects or pets.

Rubeus Hagrid Quotes in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban quotes below are all either spoken by Rubeus Hagrid or refer to Rubeus Hagrid. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

"We're witnesses," said Harry. "You said hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."

"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.

Related Characters: Harry Potter (speaker), Ron Weasley (speaker), Rubeus Hagrid, Draco Malfoy, Buckbeak

Page Number and Citation: 121

Explanation and Analysis:

"But you were innocent!" said Hermione.

Hagrid snorted.

"Think that matters to them? They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Rubeus Hagrid (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley

Related Symbols: Dementors

Page Number and Citation: 221

Explanation and Analysis:

"I'm not blamin' yeh!" said Hagrid, waving Harry's apology aside. "Gawd knows yeh've had enough ter be gettin' on with. I've seen yeh practicin' Quidditch ev'ry hour o' the day an' night--but I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two'd value yer friend more'n broomsticks or rats. Tha's all."

Related Characters: Rubeus Hagrid (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew

Page Number and Citation: 274

Explanation and Analysis:

"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it," said Hermione, wiping her eyes. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope....Nothing will have changed."

Related Characters: Hermione Granger (speaker), Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Rubeus Hagrid, Buckbeak, Lucius Malfoy

Page Number and Citation: 292

Explanation and Analysis:

Rubeus Hagrid Character Timeline in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The timeline below shows where the character Rubeus Hagrid appears in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...it on his Nimbus Two Thousand. Then, Harry picks up the final parcel. It's from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. Before Harry can get it unwrapped all the way, the object snaps... (full context)

...stalks the book and finally manages to tie a belt around it. He then opens Hagrid's card, which ominously says that the book will be useful for the school year. Harry... (full context)

...land him in Azkaban. All Harry knows about the prison is what he heard from Hagrid, who spent two months there last year. (full context)

At the Hogsmeade train station, Harry, Ron, and Hermione hear Hagrid calling for the first-years. They follow the older students to coaches drawn by invisible horses... (full context)

...school applauds for Lupin, Professor Snape looks at Lupin with loathing. Dumbledore also announces that Hagrid will take over for the recently retired Care of Magical Creatures professor. (full context)

...the tables fill with food. After the feast is over, Harry, Ron, and Hermione congratulate Hagrid, who seems overcome with emotion. The Gryffindors all climb up to Gryffindor tower and, at... (full context)

Responsibility, Morality, and Time Theme Icon

...schedule isn't right—she's taking three subjects at the same time—but Hermione just snaps at him. Hagrid passes the Gryffindor table, excitedly says that they'll be in his first lesson, and then... (full context)

After lunch, Harry walks down to Hagrid's with Ron and Hermione for Care of Magical Creatures. Ron and Hermione aren't speaking, and... (full context)

Hagrid seems less confident after this and walks away to fetch the creatures for the lesson.... (full context)

Hagrid unties a hippogriff named Buckbeak and coaches Harry through bowing. To Harry's surprise, Buckbeak bows... (full context)

Hagrid carries Malfoy towards the castle as the rest of the class disbands. Harry assures Hermione... (full context)

Miserably, Hagrid says that the school governors know about the attack and says it's all his fault.... (full context)

...opportunity to smirk, feel superior, and tell them that his father is going to get Hagrid fired. (full context)

...to cry every time she sees him. Nobody enjoys Care of Magical Creatures much, as Hagrid decides to teach the class to care for boring flobberworms. Fortunately, in October, Quidditch practice... (full context)

...to a Christmas tree. Just as Ron returns with the butterbeer, they see McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, and Fudge walk through the door. Hermione and Ron shove Harry under the table, while... (full context)

At this, Hagrid begins to shout and says that he was the last person to see Sirius, at... (full context)

...go to bed. He digs in his cabinet until he finds the photo album that Hagrid made him. Harry finds a photo of Lily and James's wedding and notices Black as... (full context)

Ron tries to change the subject by suggesting they go visit Hagrid and Harry jumps at the idea, as he can ask Hagrid why he never mentioned... (full context)

Hermione says that they should be able to put up a good defense, but Hagrid cries that the Committee members are Lucius Malfoy's cronies and Dumbledore is too busy to... (full context)

After their visit, Harry, Ron, and Hermione devote themselves to helping Hagrid prepare for the hearing. They work almost nonstop until Christmas, when Harry and Ron wake... (full context)

The next day, Hagrid teaches an enjoyable lesson on salamanders that love fire, while Trelawney introduces palmistry and tells... (full context)

...run away with the Howler, Hedwig nips him so he'll take her letter. It's from Hagrid inviting him and Ron to come for tea in the evening. Ron is excited to... (full context)

Hagrid looks uncharacteristically serious as he says that they need to talk about Hermione. He says... (full context)

...towards them. Ron meanly asks if she told on them, but she shakily says that Hagrid lost and Buckbeak will be executed. (full context)

Hermione offers Harry the note from Hagrid. It's spotted with tears and reads that Buckbeak's execution date hasn't been decided yet. Hermione... (full context)

Harry, Ron, and Hermione can only talk to Hagrid during Care of Magical Creatures, as security measures don't allow them out of the castle... (full context)

...won't say. She looks up as Hedwig flies through the window with a note from Hagrid. It says that Buckbeak's appeal will be on the last day of exams, at Hogwarts,... (full context)

...third-years take their Transfiguration and Charms exams, then Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy. Hagrid's exam involves keeping flobberworms alive for an hour, which is easy and gives Harry, Ron,... (full context)

...room, he finds Ron and Hermione to tell them but stops when they give him Hagrid's note—Buckbeak lost, and he tells them not to visit. Harry laments that they could go... (full context)

After dinner, Harry, Ron, and Hermione don the Invisibility Cloak and walk down to Hagrid's. He lets them in and tells them they shouldn't have come. As Hagrid makes tea,... (full context)

Ron, shocked, grabs Scabbers. The rat looks awful and struggles desperately. Suddenly, Hagrid sees the execution party coming to his hut and he ushers Harry, Ron, and Hermione... (full context)

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stand in shock for a moment. When they hear Hagrid howl, Harry turns to head back for him, but Ron stops him and leads them... (full context)

...to use because he helped write it, because he suspected that the trio would visit Hagrid. (full context)

Lupin says that when Harry, Ron, and Hermione left Hagrid's, he saw that a fourth person was with them. He watched Sirius pull two people... (full context)

...back three hours in time. She listens to herself, Harry, and Ron shuffle down to Hagrid's hut under the Invisibility Cloak and explains that her necklace is a Time-Turner. McGonagall gave... (full context)

...and Hermione watch Dumbledore, Fudge, Macnair, and the Committee member leave the castle, and see Hagrid escort the trio out his back door. Hagrid lets in the execution party and Harry... (full context)

...grab the Invisibility Cloak from where they left it, but Hermione stops him just as Hagrid starts walking up to the castle. Minutes later, Snape bursts out of the castle, grabs... (full context)

...they have to move in order to avoid the werewolf Lupin. They race back to Hagrid's. (full context)

...and Hermione leave the hospital wing the next day. They sit by the lake and Hagrid finds them to tell them the good news about Buckbeak. Hagrid also shares that Lupin... (full context)