JK Rowling just dropped a ‘Harry Potter’ truth bomb that’s crushing us
JK Rowling took to Twitter, as she does, to set the record straight about a certain Harry Potter character. And now that we know this truth, we almost wish we could un-know it. It’s kind of heartbreaking.
But before we get into all that, let’s rehash some facts. We first learn about the Patronus Charms in Year Three at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Remus Lupin is tasked with teaching Harry Potter the spell to keep dementors away, and warns Harry that they’re difficult to produce. A Patronus is advanced magic, “well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level,” and, he adds, some smart and qualified wizards just can’t produce the charm, through no fault of their own. It’s too difficult.
But, this is Harry we’re talking about, and he’s no ordinary wizard. He masters the Patronus charm, and his spell takes on the shape of a stag — a nod to his father, James, even though Harry doesn’t realize it at the time. The Patronus may be difficult to conjure, but when it happens, the spell serves as a “guardian” or “positive force” of “hope, happiness, the desire to survive.” Basically, it’s a really good thing to have.
Later, his friends, and everyone else in Dumbledore’s Army, learn the spell, too, and their Patronus take on all sorts of different shapes, from an otter (Hermione) to a hare (Luna), and a horse (Ginny). So hey, what’s Hagrid’s Patronus? Here’s where the truth hurts.
Hagrid never conjures a Patronus in the books. But surely he’s been able to produce one before, right? This question was recently asked of J.K. Rowling over Twitter — where like, 95% of all our current HP information comes from right now — and she responded in a concise, and crushing way.
Ugh, that feel hits right in the gut like a disarming spell. Rowling’s reason behind this is because the Patronus is simply too advanced for Hagrid. Remember, he was expelled from Hogwarts, and never finished school. Even though he’s got his wand concealed in the handle of an umbrella, he’s really not supposed to do any sort of magic.
It’s doubly sad because it’s not even like Rowling says “if” he could produce one. He simply can’t. So we’ll never know if he takes on the shape of a dragon, or a hippogriff, or a giant spider, seeing as how it’s never going to happen.
We still love you, Hagrid, even without a Patronus. We’ll drink a few rounds of Butterbeer in your honor later today.
(Image via Warner Bros.)
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