After so many years of being picked apart, it’s easy to find things in the Harry Potter franchise that are not fully explained. The magical series certainly requires audiences to suspend their disbelief as it explores a wizarding school and an orphan boy who becomes the Chosen One. Even giving it the benefit of the doubt, the story has a few plotholes, but several have logical explanations that simply didn’t make it into the films. The film adaptation couldn’t cover all the information from the books, but the biggest (in the literal sense of the word) omitted explanation is how Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) keeps his giant blood a secret. While this seems like a plothole at first glance, there is actually a simple explanation buried in the books involving the perception of giants and how uncommon a half-giant is.

Hagrid’s Giant Blood Should be Obvious

Hagrid may be a lovable and caring man, especially when it comes to Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), but the sight of him is intimidating. He stands several feet taller than everyone else, towering over the children at Hogwarts. Because of his size, it wasn’t exactly shocking for fans to learn that Hagrid is a half-giant, but for the characters in the story, it is a big deal, nearly getting the beloved groundskeeper fired. Harry Potter constantly deals with prejudices, mostly centered on the issue of wizard blood purity. However, there is a stigma against giants and other human-like magical beings, so Hagrid doesn’t share his family history often.

The truth about Hagrid comes out in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire because of Rita Skeeter’s (Miranda Richardson) spying. In meeting Madam Maxime (Frances de la Tour), Hagrid is excited to talk to another half-giant. Yet, she refuses to acknowledge their shared trait, and in trying to convince her, Hagrid confesses the truth, unaware that Rita Skeeter is listening. She publishes the truth, shocking everyone despite Hagrid’s height being obvious to anyone who sees him. The public reveal makes Hagrid fear for his job, and rightly so. Although Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) doesn’t fire him, Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) comes the very next year and forces Hagrid to leave the school. Umbridge may be a particularly unpleasant woman, but she gains power because many in the Wizarding World agree with her prejudices, which she levels against Hagrid. This progression makes sense, but it begs the question: how didn’t anyone realize Hagrid was a half-giant before? Hagrid is a long-time employee of Hogwarts, meaning he has interacted with thousands of witches and wizards during their stint at the school, yet no one has taken issue with him previously.

Hagrid Isn’t Very Giant-Like
Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Though tall, Hagrid does not fit the description of giants in the Harry Potter Universe. Giants are known to be violent and quick to kill, as proven by Hargrid’s visit to the giant colony in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when he returns beaten and bruised. Plus, they are not nurturing, having been known to abandon their children if they are considered too small. Both these traits are the exact opposite of Hagrid, who goes out of his way to care for magical creatures and is only violent in situations where he or the people he cares for are attacked. These differences help conceal Hagrid’s parentage but cannot hide his height.

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It is also significant that, for a half-giant, Hagrid may not actually be that tall. Hagrid described his father as short, claiming to be able to pick the man up at six. Hagrid’s giant blood certainly helped with that, but having grown up with wizards, Hagrid’s standards of height align with theirs. Not only is Hagrid’s father short, but his giant half-brother Grawp (Tony Maudsley) is considered short for a giant, which is why Hagrid brings him to Hogwarts in the first place. So, it stands to reason that Hagrid didn’t get as much height from his mother as he could have. Hagrid is tall but perhaps still short for a half-giant.

The Wizarding World Is Unfamiliar With Half-Giants
Image via Warner Bros

Only two half-giant characters are mentioned in the entire Harry Potter universe, suggesting that they are rare. Even Hagrid is surprised to meet Madame Maxime, claiming to have never met another half-giant in the book. The general ignorance of what a half-giant may be like helps Hargrid hide the truth of his heritage. It’s worth noting that, in the book, when Ron (Rupert Grint) learns the truth, he admits to having assumed Hagrid’s height was from a malfunctioned spell rather than Hagrid’s genetics. Likely, he is not alone in that belief, leaving those who know about and may be prejudiced against giants thinking Hagrid is not one. With that, and the muggleborns unaware of the stigma against giants, Hagrid has skated by for years, keeping his secret.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is available on Max in the U.S.

The fourth movie in the Harry Potter franchise sees Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returning for his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with his friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson). There is an upcoming tournament between the three major schools of magic, with one participant selected from each school by the Goblet of Fire. When Harry’s name is drawn, even though he is not eligible and is a fourth player, he must compete in the dangerous contest.Release Date November 18, 2005 Cast Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , Rupert Grint , Tom Felton , Robbie Coltrane , Ralph Fiennes , Michael Gambon , Brendan Gleeson , Gary Oldman , Timothy Spall , Alan Rickman , Maggie Smith Runtime 157 Minutes Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures

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