Hagrid was the first 'magical' person Harry came into contact with, and the two have shared a special friendship over the whole book series, closer than the normal between professor and student. Now the whole series is complete, how do you think Hagrid has influenced Harry as he has grown from an 11 year old boy to a 17 year old man?

Hm, this is a good question. And it makes me think, which I hate doing with only a few sips of coffee under my belt...hmm. Well, Harry didn't know much about the magical world when he first started out, and Hagrid tried telling him all he knew, but that was nearly immpossible as they only had a short time together before school started. I think Hagrid always intended to help Harry out by giving him clues normal students should never have (Ie, the three-headed dogs name, where he got the dragon egg, how to get past Fluffy etc.etc)

AS Harry grew, so did Hagrid; he learned how to be a kid again, and through Harry had his school live brought back, of course Harry only wanted to be normal but honestly I think Harry loved the feeling of having a big brother, and Hagrid treated him like family. Hagrid pushed Harry to become who he was when the book ended, a man who knew what was right.

Of course, thakns to Hagrid Harry got into trouble on several occasions but he always brought Harry back from the brink of failure, with Dumbledore helping in the long run. Hagrid helped to shwo Harry that no mtter where you come from, there's always something for you in life, and even though there'll be trials and errors in life, good always wins out.

I've never been asked that question before! Well, what I would answer would be what Monkey Princess here pointed out.

Hagrid always made Harry feel comfortable, loved, and that Hagrid was always there for him. Hagrid helped Harry get past difficult challenges throughout the years Harry's been at Hogwarts. So, yeah, practically everything that Monkey Princess already stated would be my answer.

Well it helped Harry that Hagrid first met him because, Hagrid is kind and loving everything that Harry hadnt been suplied with in his muggle childhood. I believe that having Hagrid greet Harry, it basically gave Harry a good impression of the wizarding world and he craved more of it. Thats why he was so eager to get away to Hogwarts.

I think you've all nailed it. Hagrid definitely was the right choice to be Harry first "wizard" friend. He's extremely kind and helpful. He helped out Harry gi-normously from telling him where the best place is to get a wand to telling him what the first task was in the Triwizard Tournament. Without Hagrid, there were times that Harry could've died without his help, although there were also times Harry could've died with his help (*cough* the spiders *cough*). Also, Hagrid gave Harry HEDWIG for his birthday and Hedwig became the loveable bird that helped Harry through the summers at the Dursley's.

Hagrid was family for Harry and it helped that he knew right from wrong. He helped out Harry so much and I would definitely say that they were more like brothers, not father and son. They confided secrets in each other and Hagrid was one of the big factors in Harry loving to come to Hogwarts. He was also a relief in the school day, I bet. Having tough, hard classes where the teachers are often strict or don't have much of a funny bone probably wouldn't be fun for anyone. So, having a fun, extremely friendly teacher like Hagrid probably always made Harry happy.

Basically, the equation is: Harry + Hagrid = a great life for Harry and Hagrid alike. They both had huge impacts on each others lives. Harry was just the student Hagrid needed to cheer him up when he was down, and vice versa. YAY HAGRID!

I agree with virtually everyone. Harry and Hagrid are both very similar people in their personalities and attitudes torwards certain things. They're both kind and caring, and they just click together. I think they'll be friends for life.

*Nods along* I agree that both Harry and Hagrid made impacts on each other's lives, and that they were more like brothers than anything else. It's always been quite clear that Hagrid cares about Harry as if he were family, even in the first book. Hagrid was sobbing when he brought baby Harry to Dumbledore outside the Dursley's house, and was incredibly protective of him when he came to the little seashack for his 11th birthday. I dont think Hagrid was the most liked staff member in Hogwarts before the trio arrived and befriended him. If anything, they helped introduce the other students to him, and defended him in such cases where Draco was causing trouble in his class in the third book and when Buckbeak was sentenced to death. Hagrid's always stuck by Harry, right up to the last book, and I think they'll be great friends for life.

I definatley think Hagird influenced who Harry is, just by being around as he grew up. They related on so many different things, like loosing their parents and their struggles in school.

What kind of a person do you think Harry would've been like without Hagrid?

Hagrid has really influenced harry. He has always been their for him and will in the future