Fans are eager to explore Hogwarts in the upcoming video game Hogwarts Legacy, but there are likely to be a few differences in the grounds compared to what audiences are used to in the Harry Potter series. The game will be set in the late 1800s, so it's hard to say exactly what the ancient castle would have looked like 100 years before Harry stepped foot through the giant double doors. But one thing is certain: Hagrid and his hut will be missing.
The home of Rubeus Hagrid was a favorite location for Harry to visit during his days at school and one that fans will surely miss in the games, but not as much as they will miss the gamekeeper himself. However, while he was a favorite character in the series, there is still a lot about Hagrid that fans don't know. For this reason, they have used their imaginations and thought out several theories about the character's secrets, backstory, and motivations. From the idea that Hagrid was secretly on Voldemort's side all along to the revelation that his snapped wand was actually whole and well, fans on Reddit have a few wild ideas about Rubeus Hagrid's character.
Voldemort Feared Hagrid
In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry learned that Voldemort had gone to school with Hagrid and that the young Dark Lord had framed him for a crime he didn't commit. This resulted in his expulsion— a major injustice.
While the books make it seem as if young Tom Riddle just saw Hagrid as an easy target, Redditor Clay_Pidgeon had a different idea. "A fully realized wizard Hagrid with complete training would've been able to cast highly powerful magic," they said, noting how Hagrid's giant genes made him extremely strong. Perhaps Voldemort feared Hagrid and saw an opportunity to keep him from ever becoming a qualified wizard.
Hagrid's Wand Wasn't Broken
After his expulsion, Hagrid's wand was snapped so he could no longer use it to perform magic. But, of course, fans know that Hagrid kept those pieces and somehow stashed them in an umbrella so he could use magic when he needed to.
Redditor Issiautng found it very unlikely that Hagrid had managed this on his own. They asked other Redditors, "Do you really think, with all the love Dumbledore had for Hagrid, that Hagrids wand inside the umbrella was really still broken?" It's far more likely that Dumbledore, who had possession of the Elder Wand, mended Hagrid's broken one and disguised it as an umbrella. After all, the flowery pattern does seem like his style.
Fluffy's Door Was Easy To Unlock On Purpose
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has some great memes, but fans have criticized the relative ease with which Harry and co. managed to get through the protections surrounding the stone. This went all the way down to the simplest of protections, the locked door. The three first-year students only needed to use the "Alohamora" spell to get in, which seemed way too simple.
However, Redditor Thegimoid theorized that the door was only protected by such a simple lock for a reason. It's possible that Dumbledore knew that Hagrid would want access to Fluffy, even though it was against the rules. So, he used a lock that Hagrid, who "never learned any complicated spells," could still easily get through.
The Legend Of Harry's Scar Started With Hagrid
Throughout the Harry Potter series, people within the wizarding world could always identify Harry by his legendary lightning-shaped scar. Of course, Harry got the scar the night Voldemort disappeared, but he had gone to live with the Dursleys that very same night. How did people even find out about the scar?
Redditor Strawberrybrooks believes that no one else could have spread the word about Harry's scar other than Hagrid. "Very few withces or wizards could've ever even seen [Harry] at all before he got to Hogwarts," they said, pointing out that of the three people who Harry's scar, Hagrid was the least capable of keeping a secret.
Dumbledore Envied Hagrid
There is no doubt, Dumbledore cared about Hagrid greatly. He had developed a weakness for those the wizarding world often looked down on, so the poor expelled half-giant boy was likely too much for Dumbledore to ignore. However, Redditor Queenofthera noticed a trend in those like Hagrid, whom Dumbledore surrounded himself with in Harry Potter.
"Hagrid has seemingly had an instinctive and unwavering moral compass his entire life," they said. Dumbledore, who had often expressed shame in his moral shortcomings, often took the company of those like Newt, Harry, and Hagrid because he envied them and wished to have the moral surety they were all born with.
Hagrid's Mother Was Little
In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, it is explained that Hagrid is the son of a giantess mother, Fridwulfa, and a wizard father. Fans have long wondered about the semantics of this match. Surely a twenty-foot giant and an average-size man could not have been a romantic pair. However, Redditor Captain_Jake_K wonders if there could be more to Hagrid's genetics than he ever realized.
In Order of the Phoenix, Harry and co. met Hagrid's half-brother, Grawp, who was about sixteen feet tall. However, the Redditor pointed out, "other giants like Karkus are listed as being close to twenty-five feet tall." This major height difference has led them to theorize that Fridwulfa had achondroplasia, or dwarfism. This would explain how she could have had a relationship with a human, and her children were small.
Hagrid Was The Same Age As Harry
One of the charming things about Hagrid is his child-like nature. He had an innocent naivety that often got him in trouble, such as throwing a "Support Harry Potter" party at his hut during the events of Deathly Hallows. This behavior was often attributed to his giant ancestry since the beings were known for being unintelligent. However, Hagrid repeatedly demonstrated that he was actually very clever.
Redditor WhoAMI_Hedwig theorized that giants mature into adulthood at a slower pace than humans, which would explain why "[Hagrid's] friends are teenagers, and he often comes across as less mature than Harry, Ron, and Hermione," despite being around 70 years old. If this were true, it's possible that Hagrid was cognitively about 14 or 15 and that he would continue to mature along his longer-than-average life.
Hagrid Was A Death Eater
While many view Hagrid as the epitome of genuinely good morality, Redditor Whoofph disagrees. They believe that from the very beginning, Hagrid was on Voldemort's side and had been sabotaging Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix for years.
To support this, Whoofph pointed out that in Philosopher's Stone, Hagrid used advanced magic to give Dudley a pig tale, set a fire, and rocketed a rowboat across a stormy sea. "This shows Hagrid is more capable than he lets on but also shows a disregard for wizarding laws and the safety of Muggles," they said, going on to say that Hagrid always managed to give Harry just the right information to put him in Voldemort's hands "accidentally."