This 'Harry Potter' Theory About Hagrid Being A Death Eater Will Blow Your Mind
It has been over a decade since J.K. Rowling officially concluded the main Harry Potter series, but superfans of the book saga are still discovering fascinating new details and potential twists hidden in the books. The latest theory blowing up online claims Hagrid was not who he claimed to be. The Harry Potter theory about Hagrid being a Death Eater will seriously change the way fans view the Hogwarts groundskeeper.
Among the fandom, Hagrid is celebrated as a lovable and kind aid to Harry Potter and friends as they navigate life at Hogwarts and face off against Voldemort, but a newly posted fan theory turns that entire characterization on its head. The theory comes from Reddit user Whoofph, who posted a nearly 10,000-word essay laying out evidence Hagrid was secretly a Death Eater working for Voldemort the whole time. The lengthy, meticulous post, which was published on Monday, Aug. 5, accumulated nearly 6,000 upvotes in just a day, revealing the argument has convinced thousands of Harry Potter fans of its shocking thesis.
Before launching into their Hagrid dissertation, Whoofph noted the theory is really just for fun and J.K. Rowling almost certainly did not intend to portray Hagrid as a secret double agent for Voldemort, but it is still very surprising just how convincing the theory is, given everything Hagrid did throughout the books.
The proof that Hagrid is a Death Eater is laid out chronologically throughout all seven books. The bulk of the evidence from the first novel, The Philosopher's Stone, can be mostly tossed out since it revolves around Hagrid using impossibly high-level spells and breaking Ministry of Magic rules before Rowling had likely firmed up all of the magical laws of the Harry Potter world. But there are still a lot of eyebrow-raising moments, such as Hagrid being the person to introduce Harry to Professor Quirrell, who is secretly Voldemort's host.
The theory also casts doubt on the real reason Hagrid developed such a close a bond with Harry and his friends, pointing out that Hagrid would frequently task Harry, Ron, and Hermione with dangerous and illicit activities, such as smuggling a dragon egg and traipsing through the Forbidden Forest. There's also the notable fact that Hagrid is one of the only people readers know knew Tom Riddle while he was a student at Hogwarts, meaning that Voldemort's longest known relationships are with Dumbledore and Hagrid.
One of the most convincing sections of the essay argues that Hagrid was the key player in delivering Harry to Voldemort after the Triwizard Tournament in The Goblet of Fire. Hagrid secretly aided Harry in nearly all of the tournament's tasks, giving him advance warning of the dragon task, and training Harry in dealing with Acromantulas and Blast-Ended Skrewts in class, two creatures that appeared in the tournament soon after Hagrid's classes. Of course, Voldemort needed Harry to win the tournament so the Triwizard Cup would transport Harry to him, and Harry could never have gotten that cup without Hagrid.
There is a lot more evidence to back up the theory in the lengthy Reddit post that I won't get into here — such as Hagrid's sneaky maneuvers to not fight against the Death Eaters until he was sure they were going to lose in the Battle of Hogwarts — so check out the full post if you want even more specifics. I don't know about you, but I am suddenly rethinking everything I thought I knew about Hagrid!
