7.28.2008

GRAWP---HUH.... A TINY BROTHER

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Grawp is the giant half-brother of Hagrid in the Harry Potter books. In the film adaptation of the book Grawp is completely computer-generated using a new "soul capturing" process from Image Metrics..Andrew Whitehead spent 18 months working on the giant Grawp for the film. The voice of Grawp is performed by Tony Maudsley.
First introduced in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Grawp is brought from his mountain home to the Forbidden Forest outside Hogwarts by Hagrid. Grawp and Hagrid were born of the same mother, the giantess Fridwulfa; Hagrid's father was a wizard, whereas Grawp's father was a giant. Grawp is about 16 feet (4.9 metres) tall, which Hagrid claims is small for a giant. His knuckles are the size of a cricket ball (~225 mm in circumference). The other giants were bullying Grawp, and this was a factor in Hagrid's decision to bring him to the Forbidden Forest. Big and dim, he only knows a few words in English and his manners are wild and unpredictable. At first, he seemed indifferent to his brother's attempts to civilise him, preferring to spend his time tearing down trees.
When Grawp first appears in the Order of the Phoenix, Hagrid takes care of him, but must keep him tied to multiple trees simultaneously. However, after Hagrid leaves Hogwarts to continue his work for the Order of the Phoenix, he leaves Grawp in the care of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Much to their surprise, when they find themselves trapped in the forest during a confrontation with the local centaur population, Grawp inadvertently manages to divert the centaurs' attention from Harry and Hermione. At the time, Grawp displays considerable distress at being unable to find his brother Hagrid, whom he calls 'Hagger'. He also remembers Hermione, calling her "Hermy" (a shorter form suggested by Hagrid because he felt Grawp would not be able to pronounce the full name).
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Grawp is moved to the mountains, where he is apparently progressing much better. He also attends Dumbledore's funeral with Hagrid, much more civil and calm than before, and dressed formally. He also appears to understand emotions, at least to some extent, as he pats Hagrid's head to comfort him. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Grawp, Hagrid, and Fang go into hiding after Hagrid throws a "Support Harry Potter" party and it is implied that Grawp helped them all escape. He is the only Giant fighting against the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts, and carries Hagrid from their hiding place to the castle on Hagrid's request (shoving him through a window in the process). This is probably borne out of a desire to protect Hagrid, as he frequently calls his name while fighting the Death Eaters. Grawp participates in the victory celebration over Voldemort's defeat (albeit from a window, since he is too big to fit into the hall), and the Hogwarts students show their appreciation by tossing food into his laughing mouth.
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NORBERT @ NORBERTA

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Norbert, later renamed Norberta, is a Norwegian Ridgeback dragon that Hagrid had acquired as an egg from a mysterious, hooded stranger, who turned out to be Lord Voldemort who had concealed himself in the body of Hogwarts' (then) current Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirrell. The Ministry of Magic classifies dragon eggs as Class A Non-Tradable goods. Hagrid helps the dragon hatch from the egg. Norbert becomes very dangerous and much bigger in the weeks following, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally persuade Hagrid to give her to Ron's older brother Charlie, who is studying dragons in Romania. While helping Hagrid take care of his new pet, Ron is bitten and is in the Hogwarts hospital wing the night Charlie's friends come to collect the dragon. Harry and Hermione take Norbert up in a crate under Harry's invisibility cloak. However, Malfoy also sneaks out in the dead of night and is caught by Professor McGonagall. After Charlie’s friends take Norbert away, Hermione and Harry are also caught, as is Neville who was found lurking in the corridors on his way to warn them about Malfoy. Norbert is frequently mentioned throughout the rest of the series. Most of Norbert's story was cut out of the Philosopher's Stone film for time reasons.
In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Charlie Weasley revealed to Hagrid that Norbert was actually female, and had been renamed Norberta. Charlie notes that female dragons are more vicious than the males.


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FLUFFY---A MUSIC LOVER

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Fluffy is a giant three-headed dog used by Hagrid to guard the trapdoor leading to the underground chamber where the Philosopher's Stone is hidden in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The only way to get past Fluffy is to lull him to sleep by playing music. Fluffy is based on Cerberus, the three-headed dog from Greek Mythology that guards the gates to the underworld. As with Fluffy, Cerberus was lulled to sleep with music by Orpheus.
In the book Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione accidentally run into Fluffy after running from caretaker Argus Filch. At Halloween, Harry and Ron witness Snape entering the door to Fluffy's chamber, and for the next few days he has a pronounced limp and is overheard saying "How are you meant to keep your eyes on all three heads at once?" However, it is later revealed that he followed Professor Quirrell into the chamber. Later, Professor Quirrell gets past Fluffy by playing a harp, while Harry, Ron, and Hermione use a flute that had been given to Harry by Hagrid because Fluffy falls asleep to music.
In the book, Hagrid acquires Fluffy from a Greek he meets in a pub, while in the film Hagrid says he got Fluffy from an Irish person instead. Steve Kloves says when he wrote the script it said "Greek," but was changed somewhere down the line. J. K. Rowling was asked in an interview what happened to Fluffy after he was no longer needed to protect the Stone. She said Fluffy was released into the Forbidden Forest.


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7.27.2008

FANG--A DROOLING BOARHOUND

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Fang is a large boarhound that, aside from his enormous size, appears to be an entirely ordinary dog. While Fang's appearance is intimidating, he is, in Hagrid's words, "a bloody coward." Boisterous and loving with people he knows, he seems especially fond of Harry and at times, Hermione. Fang, like Hagrid, is not as fierce as he looks. He seems to enjoy licking Harry, Ron, or Hermione around the face or ears, as he is mentioned attempting to do it in many of the trio's visits to Hagrid's house.
In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone he accompanied Harry, Hagrid, Draco Malfoy, Hermione and Neville into the Forbidden Forest to look for an injured unicorn. In the following book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry and Ron took Fang into the forest where he was scared stiff of both the gigantic acromantula and Mr Weasley's flying Ford Anglia. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, an escaping Death Eater set fire to Hagrid's hut while Fang was inside; Hagrid entered the flaming hut, slung Fang over his shoulder, and carried him to safety. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Fang and Hagrid participated in the Battle of Hogwarts; though Fang's exact involvement was not clear. He was last seen running away after a shattered vase frightened him. Fang is said in the books to be a boarhound.


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BUCKBEAK @ WITHERWINGS

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Buckbeak along with eleven other hippogriffs, is introduced during one of Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures classes. Hagrid explains that hippogriffs are very calm, powerful giants, but are touchy creatures and demand respect. Harry successfully approaches Buckbeak, who allows him to ride him around the paddock. He still must bow on subsequent encounters, though Buckbeak apparently had taken a great liking to Harry from then on.
Draco Malfoy, in an arrogant attempt to show up his school nemesis, endeavours to approach Buckbeak as well. It becomes obvious that the Slytherin neither listened to nor cared about Hagrid's warnings about the hippogriffs' touchiness, as he makes contemptuous remarks about Buckbeak. Quickly angered, Buckbeak slashes Draco's arm with his claws. Pretending to be injured much more severely than he truly is, Draco persuades his father, Lucius Malfoy, to use his political power to sentence Buckbeak to death. Hagrid's numerous appeals fail, and Walden Macnair of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures comes to Hogwarts to execute Buckbeak. With the use of a time-turner, Hermione and Harry free Buckbeak and rescue Sirius Black from the tower in which he was being held before being handed over to the Dementors. Sirius escapes with Buckbeak and flies to safety. During most of Harry's fourth year, Sirius and Buckbeak hide in a cave in the mountains above Hogsmeade. After this, they move to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, whereupon Buckbeak stays in Sirius' mother's former room.
In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry inherits Buckbeak, and allows Hagrid to look after him again. To avoid suspicion from the Ministry of Magic, he is given the alias "Witherwings" (Hagrid also calls Buckbeak by the nickname "Beaky"). A fiercely loyal creature, Buckbeak chased away Professor Snape from Harry by slashing his claws at the end of Half-Blood Prince. Buckbeak also features in the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows leading the Hogwarts' Thestrals against Voldemort's giants.


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