The Keeper of the Keys
chapter four of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Rubeus Hagrid breaks into the hut and, infuriating the Dursleys, reveals that Harry is a wizard. Hagrid then continues on to tell Harry the story of his life, his parents, and Voldemort, and invites him to Hogwarts.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway.
(by Mudblood428)
The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling.
(by gerre)
Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise. “I demand that you leave at once, sir!” he said. “You are breaking and entering!”
(by Tealin Raintree)
“”Anyway – Harry,” said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, “a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here – I mighta sat on it at some point, but it’ll taste all right.”
(by Mudblood428)
“True, I haven’t introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts.”
(by Keith James)
There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard. “I’m a what?”
(by deeterhi)
“Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?”
Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it… every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry….
(by NicoPony)
He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, “It begins, I suppose, with….”
(by mneomosyne)
about the chapter
Something You May Not Have Noticed
It’s worth pointing out that Hagrid’s story is almost certainly the most Harry has ever heard about his parents – and quite possibly the first time he’s ever even known their names. It gets lost in all the new information that Harry is overwhelmed with upon Hagrid’s arrival into his life, but it still must have been quite an experience for him to hear even that tiny bit about who they were.
The Wizarding World
Why can’t Hagrid spell Voldemort’s name? At first glance, this seems to be more of a comment on Hagrid’s level of education than anything else, but in subsequent notes and letters to Harry he proves a perfectly capable writer. In reality, it’s more likely just to show us how scared wizards are of using Voldemort’s name – not only do they avoid speaking it, but it’s written so infrequently that even Hagrid, who’s been around since long before Voldemort’s first rise to power and reads the Daily Prophet, has no idea how it would be spelled.
The Boy Who Lived
As rough as Harry’s childhood was, there is one major respect in which he was lucky. For despite all of Uncle Vernon’s being awful to Harry, even hitting him from time to time, it’s interesting that he believes Harry’s magic is “probably nothing a good beating wouldn’t have cured” – and yet never took things that far. Knowing Vernon, this is probably not so much due to his deep-down good nature so much as his wife’s insistence, or perhaps just plain fear. Regardless, it’s a very lucky thing, for long after Harry’s forgotten this particular insult, he’ll hear of a child who was beaten for being magical – and whose magic was then uncontrollable and dangerous for the rest of her life, tearing her family apart.
Something to Remember
Hagrid won’t be the only adult in Harry’s life who notes that he looks like his father, but with his mother’s eyes. In fact, both of these aspects of his appearance will eventually play a substantial role in his relationships with some of the most prominent adult figures in his life.
The Final Word
“I say Voldemor but I’m the only one.”–J.K. Rowling, when asked “Is it Voldemort? Or Voldemor?” – October, 1999
Hi, This is incredibly cool, a breath of freshness into the HP fandom! but I wanted to suggest that Hagrid flew to the hut-on-the-rock on a thestral. And of course he couldn’t take Harry to Diagon Alley the next day on an animal that would be invisible to Harry, which is why they took the boat and train et al.
shi said this on February 21, 2009 at 4:33 am
Hi Shi,
Good idea – and this was what I think was widely assumed until book seven came out. But in Deathly Hallows chapter four, when the Order is getting ready to transport Harry, Hagrid tells him:
“‘An’ you’re with me, Harry. That all righ’?’ said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. ‘We’ll be on the bike, brooms an’ thestrals can’t take me weight, see.’”
So it’s theoretically possible that Hagrid was able to fly a thestral – maybe there was a really big thestral that’s died in the last six years, and/or Hagrid’s gained a lot of weight, or something – but it seems unlikely to me.
Thanks for visiting – I’m glad you like the site!
John Kearns said this on February 21, 2009 at 5:28 am
Hi,
thanks for this great site. It’s a pleasure reliving the first book this way.
I couldn’t find the passage of Hagrid flying to the place the Dursley’s were hiding in this chapter. So I’ll just suggest another possible interpretation without knowing the exact wording:
Might it be meant in a metaphorical way? Like: “I flew here” as in “I hurried here”?
Kim said this on February 21, 2009 at 6:39 am
Kim – not sure how I managed this, but your comment made me realize I actually have that comment with the wrong chapter – Hagrid says he flew in chapter five, not four. My apologies! Here’s the quote, from the third page or so of the chapter (bottom of p63 in the Scholastic edition):
“‘How did you get here?’ Harry asked, looking around for another boat.
‘Flew,’ said Hagrid.
It seems like that would be a funny way to phrase it if he didn’t mean it literally… but none of the other explanations make sense either, so who knows :)
John Kearns said this on February 21, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Maby Hagrid has an illegal carpet? (He has the unbrella after all).
Or it could be possible he just apperated but didnt want to go into detail explaining what apperation is to Harry.
Sarah said this on February 22, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Something to remember:
Hagrid names some people Voldemort has killed: The McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts. They are later mentioned as having been members of the original Order of the Phoenix.
Also: Susan Bones is a Hufflepuff in Harry’s year.
Her aunt was at Harry’s disciplinary hearing in Order of the Phoenix and was later killed by Death Eaters.
The Prewetts were Molly Weasley’s brothers. In Order of the Phoenix it says that it took five Death Eaters to kill them – not Voldemort himself.
Kim said this on March 11, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I always wondered if Hagrid wasn’t really saying “floo”, but then we have the question of where else on the island there would be a fireplace.
Kit Kendrick said this on June 7, 2009 at 7:47 pm
hagrid couldnt have flown on a thestral, because he said that he used magic to get there, and to fly on a thestral you dont need magic, you just need a firm hold on the creature, also, the thestral would have been unusually large, as hagrid has always remained huge. i think that rowling must have slipped up like with changing the put-outer to the deluminater, because the Order made a big deal out of voldemort flying, and hagrid would not use dark magic to achieve flight.
Nymphadora said this on June 23, 2009 at 9:50 pm
I think I agree with Sarah–apparition makes the most sense to me. And to Nymphadora: I don’t think flying without a broom would be considered “dark,” I mean, it’s powerful, but it could be used for good, too.
Michael said this on July 31, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I have come to believe that it must have been the motor bike. Hagrid never did return it to Sirius, and still had it in book 7. However, that doesn’t say how the bike got BACK to Hogwarts. Then there is the related question of how the Dursleys ever get OFF of the rock. Perhaps DD is paying attention to what Hagrid has been doing and tidies things up a bit, returning the bike to the Hogwarts grounds and returning the boat to the “rock” so the Dursleys can use it to get back to their car.
Jerri said this on August 8, 2009 at 1:46 pm
I thought that the Dursleys were stuck on the rock until someone came and rescued them, maybe someone in a fishing boat?
Phoebe said this on August 17, 2009 at 5:34 am
What a great moment for Harry! Learning that he’s a wizard, I mean, who hasn’t dreamt about something like that. I love that moment.
Paula said this on September 14, 2009 at 11:28 am
These are some really good drawings!
Mickey said this on September 21, 2009 at 5:26 pm
Maybe Hagrid used Fawkes as Harry and co did in the Chamber of Secrets?
Lena said this on October 19, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Wow, I never thought of Fawkes, but I think that makes the most sense. Yes, I think that is the best possible answer.
Joyce said this on October 20, 2009 at 11:46 pm
love the Hagrids.
“Why can’t Hagrid spell Voldemort’s name?” This question has troubled me as well. I think it tragic that there are people who cannot read – and I say that as a First Nations woman from a storytelling (so to speak) culture. I hate to think that Hogwarts is the kind of school that would neglect to teach a student to read and just pass them on to the next grade like so many schools do. Actually, I refuse to believe Hogwarts would do that. So I think Hagrid saying “Nah – can’t spell it.” means he may have a learning disorder such as dyslexia or that he doesn’t know the proper spelling.
woadisme said this on October 23, 2009 at 1:20 pm
woadisme, that’s certainly possible, but remember also that Rowling intended the ‘t’ on the end of the name to be silent (the movies changed this). So given that nobody ever says the name, and certainly never writes it, Hagrid may just know in principle that it’s spelled differently than it’s pronounced, and therefore not know how to spell it. I don’t think it’d be much of a stretch to say that MOST of the wizarding world wouldn’t be able to spell it.
And thanks for all your friendly comments – so glad you like the site! :)
John Kearns said this on October 23, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I stumble upon this website recently and am loving the new perspective it gives me on the stories.
As far as Hagrid getting on the rock…since Dumbledore obviously was involved with getting Harry his letter (and wanted Hagrid to take him to get his supplies) I think it is probable that Dumbledore created a portkey to transport Hagrid. Technically it could be considered “flying” also…
Robb said this on November 11, 2009 at 8:58 am
I must admit that I regret not keeping track the hp fandom as much as I did in the past. I love this site and it’s insights and drawings and whatnot.
But I have a small question; I haven’t read the books in a while so I’m a little dusty, but who was the women you were referring to in “The boy who lived” who got beaten for her being magical?
Faye said this on January 7, 2010 at 9:14 am
Hi Faye, thanks for stopping by! I’m glad you like the site. :)
I didn’t reference the person by name in that chapter because I have made a policy of avoiding spoilers on the pages as I wrote them; however, there are plenty of spoilers in the comments. The person I was referring to is in the seventh book, and is Dumbledore’s sister – Ariana Dumbledore. The reason she was incapacitated, you may remember, was because some Muggle boys saw her doing magic and got scared, and tried to beat it out of her.
John Kearns said this on January 7, 2010 at 9:26 am
Thanks so much!
I understand the no-spoiler thing, and think it just adds to the yearning to read the books again, but I was wrecking my head over this one, so thanks a bunch!
Faye said this on January 7, 2010 at 9:29 am