o_o

I’m unironically invested in Snape and Hagrid getting along pretty well. Despite how much of a careless disaster Hagrid can be, talking to him must be a breath of fresh air after a week of dealing with the bratty pureblood snobs in Slytherin/their parents/the school board/Dumbledore and his inability to be direct about anything/Harry’s latest disaster/students who refuse to follow simple instructions and then get mad about it/Death Eaters/etc. Also, this has the very fun (to me) potential of devolving into like… Hagrid: :D :D do you want to see my new pet?? she’s a Firebeathing Hellmurder Deathbeast that’s been illegally smuggled into this country, isn’t she cute, her name’s Pumpkin and I won her in a card game :D Snape: Yes absolutely, would you mind holding this cursed severed head in a jar while I take a sample of Pumpkin’s venom for research purposes? Hagrid, completely sincere and not questioning the severed head: :D okay!! Her venom can dissolve flesh!! Snape, also completely sincere despite the resting bitch face: That sounds… fun. I imagine it has many uses.

(also damn, if you want a character to rescue teenage Snape from the Marauders my vote’s on Hagrid! he managed to keep the inside of his house off of the Map, and as much as he’s clearly fond of James I don’t think he’s very keen on people hunting their classmates for sport after having been targeted by Riddle…)

Thank you anon for giving more fuel to my platonic (?) Snagrid growing interest because I absolutely dig it.

Honestly Hagrid is a very underused character. It's partly jkr's fault (how convenient it is to always blame her) since Hagrid was like a sort of kind-childish-giant-trope who was here at the beginning to introduce Harry to the magical world and kinda... stayed that way. He is like an overgrown friend to the Trio which is, well, something some people have been discussing 'cause it's lowkey problematic since he's a grown-ass man... but he's also extremely non-threathening (if you forget about his very dangerous special interests). It's a bit of a shame that we didn't see more of his 'responsible' side but he is capable of great emotional intelligence and has a clear sense of friendship (like in PoA when he scolds the boys for letting down Hermione). So yes, I could absolutely see him defend teen!Snape!

Of course we can assume this didn't happen in canon since we never see Snape interact with Hagrid - if I'm not mistaken - but... it sounds like something that could have happened.

And really, cottage forest giant + gothic skinny boi bat ? Immaculate combo.

I want Hagrid to have protected teen!Snape! He wasn't a professor back then but he was roaming the grounds and could have seen the Maraudeurs hexing Snape and intervened. He's big and impressive. Snape would have fled as well in the other direction but what if sometimes Hagrid had spotted him studying outside in the shades? I could see him just waving at him from afar and tiny Snape just burrying his head in his books, not knowing how to react.

With time he'd have waved back maybe. Just a little bit. And Hagrid would have smiled from ear to ear.

And he'd have yelled at the Maraudeurs again and again. Because sure the kid was a slytherin but he wasn't hurting anyone (at least at the beginning) and it was pretty obvious he was lower-class and was mostly bullied because of that.

Imagine that with time he'd have maybe found a wounded/hexed Snape once and offered him to get him to the infirmary. Snape would have refused and with a bit of convincing Hagrid would have maybe managed to convinced him to come to his house so he could at least bandage him or offer him tea.

Imagine how awkward 13 yo Snape would have been in this weird hut with all the gigantic clutter around and then being offered a bucket of tea. He'd have barely answered Hagrid's questions, hiding behind his hair and looking like a wary little animal. Then Hagrid would have maybe showed him the very toxic rare beetles he'd have 'found' in Hogsmeade and little Snape who's ahead of the curriculum gets worried fascinated and perks up and starts babbling about what it seems to be.

Hagris tells him he can come whenever.

And they bond over that beetle. Even more when it lays eggs and Hagrid is overjoyed and Snape is excited but VERY WORRIED and doesn't know if he's supposed to warn the other professors or not.

And he goes back to the hut twice a week to observe the evolution of everything and finds that it's actually quite nice being there. It's calm and Hagrid praises his intellect and loved that he's being so curious. And he doesn't judge him for his clothes or his accent.

Of course in the middle of this beetle story they both almost get poisoned at least five times and when the eggs hatches it's a catastophy and they barely manage to kill them all contain it before the whole grounds are festering with poisonous beetles. Hagrid is very sad and Snape has no idea what to say so he just passes him his napkin-sized hankerchief as he weeps.

After that I believe you can have the beginning of - if not a solid friendship - then at least some sort of trust and companionship.

Had Hagrid been told that Snape invented sectumsempra and possibly hurt people with it (Hagrid is a gryffindor with a strong moral compass after all and we could assume he's not fond of slytherins) he could have scolded him and possibly distanced himself but I think that once he's fond of someone he's not letting them down.

So he'd have been able to hear Snape's side even if he didn't approve of his methods.

And imagine if he offered him once to spend Christmas with him in 6th or 7th year?I don't know about you but this sounds like dubious food, drooling dog and nice memories to me.

Yeah no, I dig a Snagrid friendship.