Why was Hagrid not sent to Azkaban?

Question

My most annoying plot hole in Harry Potter involves the first time the Chamber of Secrets was opened. There were several petrifactions and one death (Moaning Myrtle). We all know that Hagrid was innocent, however he was framed for these attacks and expelled, so he was presumed a murderer for 50 years. Dumbledore (in a lowly Transfiguration role at the time) was the only person who stood up for Hagrid and got him a role as groundskeeper('s assistant).

First of all, how on earth was Hagrid allowed to stay at the school where he had just attacked several young muggle borns? Why did Professor Dippet allow this when everything at the time pointed to Hagrid being a murderer of children? Also, why didn't the Ministry of Magic, a corrupt organisation known for convicting innocent people without any evidence, step in and send Hagrid to Azkaban for killing a 14 year old girl? Even if, like Tom Riddle said, he didn't mean for the monster to kill anyone, why wasn't he sent to Azkaban for smuggling a dangerous and deadly animal into the castle? Or at least banished from the wizarding world?

I love all the books and films but this is one thing that is really bugging me.

Answer 1

Ok. I'll try too explain as I remember. I may be wrong but anyways. As I remember by the time Hagrid was just a student. That would be my number one reason. It was never proved that he was the one who opened the chamber, he just had a pet monster. Remember that at the time I think Dumbledore had already defeated Grindewald, so he was a pretty prominent figure, not just a "lowly Transfigurations professor", as you put it, ergo, he already had Merlin's Order first class and was probably already a member of the Wizengamot. As I said, a pretty prominent figure, if he takes Hagrid's side and arguments that, instead of evil intentions, it was just negligence of an immature student with a dangerous pet, then an expulsion and breaking his wand should be enough of a punishment. The blame goes to the monster I think.

Anyways that's how I remember it, but again I may have the dates mixed up.

Answer 2

Hagrid was just 13 years old when he was expelled. There may be a law that underage wizards and witches couldn't be sent to jail. Even though Dumbledore was the only one to see through Tom Riddle, other teachers may have said that it wouldn't have been right to send Hagrid to Azkaban since he was so young. They may have planned on sending him to Azkaban, but Dumbledore stepped in with the position of Ground's Keeper's assistant instead to keep a young, innocent student out of Azkaban.



However, a similar thought that I had concerning the events in Chamber of Secrets was that, if Hagrid had done the attacks, why would he have waited for 50 years before attacking the school again? They could have questioned this fact instead of just arresting Hagrid to "look like they were doing something." His arrest was again the result of the person who was actually responsible for the attacks (that person being Lucius Malfoy, who gave Ginny the Diary with Tom Riddle's memory inside).

Answer 3

Wizards still have a legal system, so it is a question of if they could have reasonably convicted him (a requirement to sending someone to Azkaban, even if that requirement was circumvented later). The only evidence against Hagrid was Tom Riddle's testimony, which even then wasn't conclusive (he wasn't going to claim that Hagrid had a basilisk, or point out where the Chamber of Secrets was).



For him, Hagrid had the fact that he was honest, that he admitted to having a monster but one that couldn't petrify, and that he had the character witness of the guy who defeated Grimwald.



Depending on what the rules at Hogwarts, there is a good chance that IF Hagrid had a good lawyer, he could have sued the school for kicking him out in the first place.

Answer 4

I believe that it was more along the lines of that it was his 'pet' who was harming them, and not Hagrid his self. There was no proof that he was making Arg attack the muggleborn students within the school, and so Dumbledoor was able to argue that Hagrid was not a danger himself.

Answer 5

I noticed a lot of stuff like that in harry potter, the answer is because they are children stories and jk rowling is a shitty author..