Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter/Characters/Fang

Fang
Muggles' Guide to Harry Potter - Character
Gender	Male
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Unknown
Related Family	Unknown
Loyalty	Hagrid

Overview

Fang is a boarhound, one of Hagrid's pets. Unlike many of Hagrid's "pets", Fang is not dangerous; he is merely extremely large, and tends to slobber all over Harry's robes when Harry visits Hagrid.

Role in the Books

Beginner warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level.

Philosopher's Stone

We first meet Fang when Harry and Ron visit Hagrid in his hut after the first week of classes. Harry's knock is answered by booming barks and Hagrid's telling Fang to get down. Once they are inside and Hagrid can release Fang, he immediately starts licking Ron's ears. Seated at Hagrid's table, which is oversized as Hagrid is himself, Harry finds that Fang can rest his head on Harry's knee without stretching.

Perhaps curiously, there is no mention of what Fang is doing during Norbert's relatively brief stay in Hagrid's hut.

Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco are given detention for being out of the dormitories after hours. This detention is served with Hagrid, who has them going into the Forbidden Forest hunting for something that is killing unicorns. Hagrid separates them into two groups. Draco insists on getting Fang in his group, even though Hagrid tells Draco that Fang is a coward. Draco, Fang, and Neville head off in one direction, while Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid head in another. After Draco scares Neville, Hagrid reshuffles groups, putting Harry, Draco, and Fang together. When Harry and Draco find the dead Unicorn and the thing that has been killing them, Fang immediately turns tail and flees, as does Draco.

Chamber of Secrets

When Hagrid is taken to Azkaban by Cornelius Fudge, the last thing he says, to the hidden Harry and Ron, is that someone should feed Fang.

Harry and Ron then take Fang with them to the Forbidden Forest, as they follow the spiders. Fang is as quickly captured by the Acromantulae as Harry and Ron are. The two boys have to push Fang into the Ford Anglia when it rides to their rescue.

Prisoner of Azkaban

Goblet of Fire

Order of the Phoenix

At Professor Umbridge's orders, Aurors are brought in to assist with Umbridge's dismissal of Hagrid. As might be expected, the dismissal becomes a firefight, with Professor McGonagall, an innocent bystander, being hit with multiple Stunners. Hagrid, due to his Giant heritage, shrugs off the effect of the Stunners, but Fang is hit; as Hagrid makes his escape, we see that he is carrying an unconscious Fang on his back.

Half-Blood Prince

Deathly Hallows

Strengths

Fang is extremely friendly to most people, including Harry, Ron, and Hermione; however, if someone attacks Hagrid, such as when Umbridge attempts to arrest him in Order of the Phoenix, he will defend Hagrid even at his own risk.

Weaknesses

According to Hagrid, Fang is "just a big softie". He does seem to have an excellent instinct for self-preservation, running away from the dark figure in the Forbidden Forest in the first book, and trying to run from the Acromantulae in the second.

Relationships with Other Characters

Fang is Hagrid's dog and as such is quite loyal to him.

Analysis

Questions

Study questions are meant to be left for each student to answer; please don't answer them here.

Where would Fang have been during Norbert's stay with Hagrid?
What would have happened to Fang when Hagrid was forced to flee his house after hosting a "Support Harry Potter" party?

Greater Picture

Intermediate warning: Details follow which you may not wish to read at your current level.