WE discover JKR love for symbology from the very begining - PS - and is then used throughout the entire series ....
i was wondering if anyone else picked up JKR description on hagrid within the first 10 mins of his appearence
"those deep black beetle eyes" these black eyes - caught my attention -

the egyptian black scarab, often seen as a symbol of rebirth and renewal is described as the "black sun" by natives hold deep history with early egyptian life.

now i think JKR linked the sense of "rebirth" with the whole "new life" concept in the wizarding world. i think this is truely a great symbolic connection between the two
but i ask you all for ur opinions....

Hm, for once, I don't assume a connection here as Hagrid has not much to do with rebirth (or am I missing something?). I always thought she describes his eyes as beetle-like because he is funny, has lively eyes and because of his love for animals.

Hmmm...you might have a point there M-M-f. JKR has said that she wanted Hagrid to be the one to carry Harry from the forest after his deathlike confrontation with Voldemort, and in a big way, he was the vehicle of Harry's "rebirth". If another less emotionally distraught (and more fully educated) wizard was forced to carry Harry out of the Forest, he or she might have realized that he wasn't really dead. Hagrid was grieving, and didn't notice any sign that Harry was alive, so by him bringing Harry back within the Hogwart's protected Circle (Circle of Life out of Death?), he was able to rebirth Harry like no one else would have been able.

Also (lol can a post be started with *also*? I guess what I mean is, I agree with everything you guys have said, and also ...) from the start we see Hagrid in mainly two ways. One being a guy that seems totally unreliable, he uses magic when & where he shouldnt, he cant keep a secret, he drinks too much, he has illegal pets. The other being the guy that is entrusted with taking Baby-Harry to Privet Drive, taking Harry to Diagon Alley and to Platform 9 3/4.
I think Hagrid has his faults (but who doesnt) but when it comes down to it, he's the one out of all the adults that we see, that DD trusts with his life, and with Harry's life. Maybe it's not an actual rebirth but a circle or cycle, Hagrid brings Baby-Harry from the devastation of that fateful night to the comparitive safety of Privet Drive. Hagrid brings Harry to the wizarding world, introduces him to the people & places of Wizarding London, shows him where & how to access the Potters fortune. Hagrid brings Harry to Hogwarts. Hagrid is the one at the end of DH that again carries Harry back.
DD says *I would trust Hagrid with my life* despite the fact that we are often shown him in an unreliable light. But I think that's a false idea of him, in fact DD knew all along that Hagrid could be trusted with his life.

hi guys!!!!!!

thanks for your contributions! -
yes "momwitch" caught my drift straight away - - thankyou for clarifing my point.

i think that JKR used Hagrid as a "beginer" as well as a "ender" throughout the entire series, the potter fortune (as pointed out by Moose_star) is a perfect example, the hogwarts introduction and the whole concept!

anywiaezz
"may the posts soar in - like they did all those years ago at No. 4 Privite drive"

I too agree that Hagrid could very well represent rebirth; Hagrid was the one who introduced Harry into the magical world and Hagrid was the one who carried Harry's seemingly lifeless body out of the Forbidden Forrest. Hagrid gives Harry vigor in life since he has spent such difficult years with the Dursleys. We hear Harry wishing for some distant relative to come and whisk him away and we see his wish granted. And Hagrid's size alone commands respect. His fierce outer appearance symbolizes his fiercely brave and loyal heart.

I like how you put this, Moose . Could the fact that Hagrid likes spirits so much be the reason why Rowling coined his moniker? The quote below is from one of Rowling's earlier interviews:

When I read the word "beetle" I am reminded of Kafka's "Metamorphosis", which is a literary work essentially about an individual's struggle with society. The protagonist of the story, Gregor turns into a beetle and is shunned by society and his family. Hagrid, as a half giant to an extent is ridiculed because of his heritage; he is seen by some as having less intellectual capacity; less human emotion. However, Hagrid comes into his own in the series too. He learns that no matter his heritage he is an amazing, caring and loving person.

The connection between beetles and the Egyptian Scarab sounds fascinating: I would love to hear others' thoughts about this . Just an aside here; the Egyptian dung beetle's name is Scarabaeus sacer; "rabaeus" sounds similar to Rubeus .

hmmmm
i too think that there are many underlined themes that remained uninvestigated in this remarkible world of HP
but id also like to bring up a topic that i heard on "pottercast" many weeks ago - but still outlines a crucial point
" the house colours - " a award ranking order"
the Gold (gryffindor) the silver (slytherin) the bronze (ravenclaw) and the balck (hufflepuff)
does this show a automatic ranking order???

In answer to your question, you might want to check out the alchemy threads contained in this section, MMF. Here is the Version 7 of that topic, yet you will probably find lots more in the discussions preceding version 7. Good luck!