{"id":86,"date":"2018-11-22T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/?p=86"},"modified":"2025-02-20T17:18:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T17:18:02","slug":"harry-potter-and-the-parental-figures-a-hagrid-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/movies\/harry-potter-and-the-parental-figures-a-hagrid-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Harry Potter and the Parental Figures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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…when I firs\u2019 met you, you reminded me o\u2019 me a bit. Mum an\u2019 Dad gone, an\u2019 you was feelin\u2019 like yeh wouldn\u2019t fit in at Hogwarts, remember?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

There is much debate in the Harry Potter<\/em> fandom over who best represents the father or parental figure for Harry, with overall leanings towards Sirius Black. However, although Sirius and Harry clearly cared for each other, there is a much better and criminally overlooked (even by Harry) alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Candidates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sirius Black<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To start, let\u2019s talk about why most people consider Sirius to be a shoo-in. Firstly, Sirius is Harry\u2019s godfather. Throughout the series, with no one else able to take over the mantle of parental guardian, Harry returns every summer to the Dursley\u2019s as they were his only living relatives !it later turns out that being blood-related is very important<\/span><\/span><\/span>. This, however, becomes briefly untrue in book three, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban<\/em> (1999).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Harry learns of Sirius\u2019 innocence, Sirius casually lets Harry know that he can live with him if he so chooses. Harry, of course, relishes this possibility \u2013 which is kind of weird since he just met this man and thought he was a mass murder and loyal Voldemort supporter up until about 20 minutes ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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FOR MAYBE HALF AN HOUR, A GLORIOUS HALF HOUR, HE HAD BELIEVED HE WOULD BE LIVING WITH SIRIUS FROM NOW ON . . . HIS PARENTS\u2019 BEST FRIEND. \u2026 IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE NEXT BEST THING TO HAVING HIS OWN FATHER BACK.<\/p>\nHARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

And it is the above quote that is so important; that Harry himself uses Sirius as a fatherly replacement<\/em>, even if wrongly so. But Sirius isn\u2019t Harry\u2019s father; he\u2019s an escaped convict (innocence notwithstanding) on the run from the law, who spent the last 13 years locked away in the vilest and most taxing place in the wizarding world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fugitivity aside, Sirius did care deeply about Harry and was apparently legally able !Well, at least Dumbledore and McGonagall accepted him<\/span><\/span><\/span> to speak as Harry\u2019s guardian, as he was able to do what even the Minister of Magic was unable to do: sign Harry\u2019s Hogsmeade permission slip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NO. NO, I\u2019M VERY SORRY, HARRY, BUT AS I\u2019M NOT YOUR PARENT OR GUARDIAN\u2026 NO, I\u2019M SORRY, HARRY, BUT RULES ARE RULES<\/p>\nCORNELIUS FUDGE TO HARRY POTTER WHEN ASKED TO SIGN HARRY\u2019S PERMISSION FORM<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s most interesting about Sirius is that he started off truly caring about Harry and his wellbeing, but slowly slipped into using Harry as a replacement for his old and lost best friend James, just as Harry uses him in a similar fashion. Upon first hearing of the attack on Godric\u2019s Hollow !the place Harry\u2019s parents lived<\/span><\/span><\/span>, Sirius wasted no time in rushing over, even running into Hagrid. After confirming that two of his closest friends were murdered, Sirius asks Hagrid to place Harry into his care, as he is Harry\u2019s godfather. Hagrid refuses because Dumbledore ordered Harry be delivered to the Dursleys, so Sirius lends Hagrid is prized motorcycle for the journey to Privet Drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, this initial parental behavior erodes during both Sirius\u2019 stay in Azkaban prison, and later during his confinement at his old family home at Grimwald Place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HE\u2019S NOT JAMES, SIRIUS!<\/p>\nMOLLY WEASLEY TO SIRIUS BLACK ABOUT HARRY, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

During that fateful night at the Ministry of Magic, whilst dueling Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius\u2019s very last words were \u201cNice one, James!<\/em>\u201c, speaking to Harry !This occurs in the movie version only, but I think that it does a great job of punctuating the book\u2019s subplot<\/span><\/span><\/span>. Immediately after, Bellatrix lands the killing blow, and Sirius falls backward into the veil, never to be seen again. I personally believe that the guilt of convincing the Potters to change the secret keeper to Pettigrew built up over the years, leading Sirius to look for a way to replace James to ease his conscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite all of this, Harry still held Sirius in the highest of esteem and was devastated by his loss. Harry eventually names his firstborn James Sirius Potter after his father and Sirius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remus Lupin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lupin was always one of my favourite Harry Potter<\/em> characters, and I always thought that he was by far the better father figure for Harry than others usually mentioned. First appearing in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban<\/em> along with Sirius Black, Lupin\u2019s character was sadly mostly shoved aside in later books. Even so, his initial appearance had a lasting effect on both Harry and the reader, and subsequent appearances did nothing but solidify his enormously caring and fatherly character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We first meet Lupin on the Hogwarts Express, where he fends off a dementor, then immediately fusses over Harry, force feeding him chocolate !a common and effective remedy to recover from dementor encounters<\/span><\/span><\/span>. He then continues throughout the year to be the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Harry has ever had, even giving Harry private lessons in producing a Patronus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As their relationship grows deeper, Harry learns that like Sirius, Remus was one of his father\u2019s best friends, and Remus becomes one of the only adults that Harry feels safe confiding in. Harry talks to Lupin about how the dementors affect him, how he hears his mother\u2019s voice screaming and begging to spare his life, and about his embarrassment that the dementors seem to affect him more than the others. Lupin responds by listening and providing sound advice, just as a good father would have done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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WHAT HE REALLY WANTED (AND IT FELT ALMOST SHAMEFUL TO ADMIT IT TO HIMSELF) WAS SOMEONE LIKE \u2014 SOMEONE LIKE A PARENT: AN ADULT WIZARD WHOSE ADVICE HE COULD ASK WITHOUT FEELING STUPID, SOMEONE WHO CARED ABOUT HIM\u2026<\/p>\nHARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Harry deeply wants and needs an adult in his life that he can talk to, but for some reason, as soon as Sirius enters his life, he never thinks of Lupin as being this adult. Unlike Sirius, Lupin was never on the run !although largely shunned by the magical community for being a werewolf<\/span><\/span><\/span>, and regarding the above passage, would have been the most knowledgeable on the subject of Harry\u2019s scar hurting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though never allowed to reach his full potential as the father figure Harry desperately needed, Lupin was still always quick with invaluable advice and was a constant and stable voice to balance out Sirius\u2019 brash personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remus Lupin later names Harry godfather to his son, Edward \u201cTeddy\u201d Lupin, showing just how much he cared for and respected his old friend\u2019s son, former student, the boy who lived, and the man he becomes !First of Her Name, The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lady Regnant of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arthur and Molly Weasley<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Arthur, and especially Molly Weasley quickly becomes the closest semblance to a real family that Harry has ever had, welcoming him into the fold as one of their own. Harry remarks on multiple occasions how much he enjoys staying at the Weasley\u2019s, being fussed about and receiving home cooked meals. The Weasley\u2019s give Harry something that neither Sirius or Lupin could ever give him; a working family unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MRS WEASLEY SET THE POTION DOWN ON THE BEDSIDE CABINET, BENT DOWN, AND PUT HER ARMS AROUND HARRY. HE HAD NO MEMORY OF EVER BEING HUGGED LIKE THIS, AS THOUGH BY A MOTHER.<\/p>\nHARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A confused and lost Harry first meets Mrs. Weasley on Platform 9\u00be, where he asks her how to actually get onto the platform. Without missing a beat, Molly helps the clearly alone and slightly embarrassed young Harry, giving him instructions and allowing Harry to go before her own son Ron. Upon being informed by the twins, Fred and George, who that strange young boy was, Molly immediately forbids the twins from pestering Harry with questions. In her first moments, she helps, and then protects Harry, much like a mother would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every single year at Hogwarts, Mrs. Weasley hand knits !well, maybe she uses magic too<\/span><\/span><\/span> Harry a Christmas sweater, simply because Ron told her that Harry never got anything from the Dursley\u2019s. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets<\/em> (1998), after the Weasley children break Harry out of the Dursley\u2019s on a stolen Ford Anglia, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley do not hesitate to take in Harry, providing him with a safe place to stay and a full stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the next year, it is Mr. Weasley who thinks that Harry needs to know about escaped mass murderer Sirius Black, even when everyone else wants to keep Harry in the dark. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire<\/em> (2001), the Weasleys again welcome Harry into their home, with Mr. Weasley even taking Harry to the Quidditch World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHE\u2019S NOT YOUR SON\u201d, SAID SIRIUS QUIETLY.
\u201cHE\u2019S AS GOOD AS!\u201d SAID MRS. WEASLEY FIERCELY.<\/p>\nMOLLY WEASLEY TALKING ABOUT HARRY, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Later, in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix<\/em> (2003), Molly tackles a boggart !much like Pennywise, boggarts have the ability to transform into what you most fear<\/span><\/span><\/span> hidden away at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. Like most mothers, Mrs. Weasley\u2019s greatest fear is losing her children, and with the coming war against Voldemort, this fear rises to the surface when facing the boggart. Each time Molly attacks the boggart, it transforms into another one of her family, dead on the floor. At first, Ron, then Bill, then Mr. Weasley, Fred and George, Percy, and then, Harry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She truly did love Harry like a son, and as far as I\u2019m concerned, Harry officially became an honorary Weasley on his seventeenth birthday !wizards are considered adults at 17<\/span><\/span><\/span>. It is traditional for a parent to gift their child a watch when he comes of age, and so, Molly gives Harry her late brothers watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dumbledore<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore may seem like an unusual inclusion for those who are intimately familiar with the story, but there is reason for his placement here, I swear!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up until Harry\u2019s sixth year, the two surprisingly don\u2019t have a lot of time together, barring end of year disaster conversations like in Chamber of Secrets<\/em> and The Goblet of Fire<\/em>. In fact, Dumbledore spends most of the fifth book actively ignoring Harry. Furthermore, it turns out that our friendly headmaster was actually a cold, calculating, and distant mastermind, focused on the greater good and sacrificing many along the way \u2013 including himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DO NOT PITY THE DEAD, HARRY. PITY THE LIVING, AND, ABOVE ALL, THOSE WHO LIVE WITHOUT LOVEDUMBLEDORE TO HARRY<\/p>\nHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In spite of Dumbledore\u2019s emotional shortcomings, he was a man that Harry greatly admired, and had complete loyalty towards. Dumbledore even states in Chamber of Secrets<\/em>, that the phoenix Fawkes only appeared to Harry because he showed such devotion. So, the question is, did Dumbledore ever love Harry, as a father would?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a bit of a complicated question to answer because of the gap between how Dumbledore felt, and how he wanted to feel<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I CARED ABOUT YOU TOO MUCH. I CARED\u2026 MORE FOR YOUR PEACE OF MIND THAN MY PLAN, MORE FOR YOUR LIFE THAN THE LIVES THAT MIGHT BE LOST IF THE PLAN FAILED\u2026 I ACTED EXACTLY AS VOLDEMORT EXPECTS WE FOOLS WHO LOVE TO ACT.<\/p>\nDUMBLEDORE TO HARRY, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Dumbledore very much wanted to distance himself from Harry, to not grow emotionally attached so that he could make the hard decisions without interference from his conscience. But watching Harry year after year, he came to love the boy like a son, wanting nothing more than to guide and protect him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Harry does not use the Resurrection Stone to summon his old headmaster, it is Dumbledore who welcomes Harry during his most important visit to Kings Cross station, to guide Harry and comfort him. Harry names his second son Albus Severus Potter, after Dumbledore, which attests to their special bond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harry\u2019s True Father<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rubeus Hagrid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Harry truly loved Hagrid and everything he\u2019s ever done for him, and Harry certainly appreciates how much he knows Hagrid cares for him, but still poor Hagrid is always overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hagrid is the one who rescues wee baby Harry from the wreckage of Godric\u2019s Hollow and delivers him to the Dursley\u2019s doorstep. Hagrid cared so much about Harry, even at such a young age, that he even cries when he has to give him up to the Dursleys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cCOULD I \u2013 COULD I SAY GOODBYE TO HIM, SIR?\u201d ASKED HAGRID.
HE BENT HIS GREAT, SHAGGY HEAD OVER HARRY AND GAVE HIM WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY SCRATCHY, WHISKERY KISS.<\/p>\nHARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

When Harry fails to receive his letter from Hogwarts, it is Hagrid who volunteers to hand deliver it, even bringing Harry his first real birthday present since living with the Dursleys, a homemade birthday cake!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hagrid is so integral because it is he who represents Harry\u2019s introduction and inclusion to the greater magical community. It is Hagrid who tells Harry that he is a wizard, explains what happened to his parents, who brings Harry to Diagon Ally and Gringotts Wizarding Bank, buys Harry his owl Hedwig, gives Harry his ticket to the Hogwarts Express, and as gamekeeper, is the one who shepherds the first years across the lake for their sorting ceremony. On a very primal level, Hagrid represents Harry\u2019s link to who he really is, his very identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Harry\u2019s first year, Hagrid hand makes him a wooden flute for Christmas, invites Harry and friends over for tea, and spends the year contacting old friends of the Potter\u2019s so he can make a scrapbook for Harry. What\u2019s that trope about daddy never coming to your game<\/a>? Well, Hagrid showed up to every single one<\/em> of Harry\u2019s Quidditch matches, cheering him on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the \u201cBattle of the Seven Potters\u201d, it is Hagrid who partners with the real Harry, but probably the greatest Hagrid truth was when he thought Harry dead in Deathly Hallows<\/em>. Forced to carry a presumably lifeless Harry out of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid cradles Harry in his arms, his grief and sobs punctuating the silence. This is great symmetry because the last time Hagrid held Harry in his arms, he was bringing infant Harry to the Dursleys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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HARRY COULD FEEL HAGRID\u2019S ARMS TREMBLING WITH THE FORCE OF HIS HEAVING SOBS, GREAT TEARS SPLASHED DOWN UPON HIM AS HAGRID CRADLED HARRY IN HIS ARMS, AND HARRY DID NOT DARE, BY MOVEMENT OR WORD, TO INTIMATE TO HAGRID THAT ALL WAS NOT, YET, LOST.<\/p>\nHARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Hagrid may have had his issues (he can\u2019t keep a secret to save his life), but there was no one through the entire series who was more of a father to Harry than him. Yet, Harry never named any of his children Rubeus. Perhaps Harry only wanted to grant the dead that honour, and Hagrid, thankfully, lived through the war to continue to be all that he can to Harry and his new family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I originally posted this article on designbypixl.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is much debate in the Harry Potter fandom over who best represents the father or parental figure for Harry, with overall leanings towards Sirius Black. <\/p>\n

However, although Sirius and Harry clearly cared for each other, there is a much better and criminally overlooked (even by Harry) alternative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":88,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2],"tags":[9],"class_list":["post-86","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-books","category-movies","tag-harry-potter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/media\/88"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/horriflick.com\/hdapi\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}