Another thing that's often missed is that Draco did do the first step properly - Buckbeak bowed to him - and he's out of classes from the first day (whenever that is - Sept 1 is always Monday to JKR) til Thursday's Potions class. He may have exaggerated his condition to get sympathy (what kid wouldn't?) but I think it really was serious.
There's just no way to read any of the series that makes Hagrid a good teacher, and I don't think he'd have been one even if he hadn't been expelled. If I didn't have other reasons for believing in Snape in HBP, Dumbledore's faith in Hagrid would cause me to seriously doubt his judgement regarding other people.
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Date: 2005-10-03 06:11 pm (UTC)There's just no way to read any of the series that makes Hagrid a good teacher, and I don't think he'd have been one even if he hadn't been expelled. If I didn't have other reasons for believing in Snape in HBP, Dumbledore's faith in Hagrid would cause me to seriously doubt his judgement regarding other people.