Why didn't Hagrid replace/augment his umbrella (which had shards of old wand) with a real wand?

Question

We know that since the Third Year (PoA), Hagrid is fully cleared of all charges and allowed to do magic, and therefore presumably to own a wand.

Is there some canon/JKR info on why he didn't bother getting a wand?

The 2 most obvious explanations - both popular with fans and seemingly neither clearly supported by canon or Word of JKR - are:

The wand in his umbrella is already fixed (by Dumbledore using the Elder Wand) long time ago, and the problems he has doing magic pre-PoA are simply his poor skills due to having been expelled in 3rd year and not being a great student.
Again, him not being a great student, he wouldn't have the aptitude or at least the desire to re-learn to do magic with a wand now that he managed just fine without one all his life.

Maybe he's just kind of broke? Wands are expensive, Ron couldn't afford to replace his... — abcooper, Jan 29 '12 at 16:42
@abcooper - he has money for dragon eggs and fluffy and such! — DVK-on-Ahch-To, Jan 29 '12 at 18:54
@KeithHWeston - 1. I linkded that question from mine, 2. it's not a dupe - mine asks post-PoA, Slytherincess' asks pre-PoA — DVK-on-Ahch-To, Jan 30 '12 at 01:15

score 7 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:43

I think you've hit it, partially, with both.

The wand WAS fixed (or never broken; I could see Dumbledore orchestrating that), and he's been hiding it in his umbrella for years. To take it out now, unless he could somehow have it fixed (which is usually said to be impossible; Harry's wand being a somewhat unique exception) would draw attention to the fact that he never lost it as he was supposed to have or that it was repaired. In either case, Dumbledore was almost certainly behind or involved with it, so it would draw attention, and possible trouble to a man he rather reveres.

Now, given the answer of the question you linked to (provided by you, even.. :) )has JKR stating that Hagrid isn't very skillful (a bit inept), I think changing from using it the way he has been using it (inside the umbrella) is just asking for more challenge at something that is challenging enough for him to begin with. To be honest, it may have actually aided him; he does have rather large hands for such a (relatively; 16 inches, but to an 11 foot person) small and delicate tool; think of the umbrella as a 'wand holder.'

I think this makes sense... any JKR/canon confirmations? Thx — DVK-on-Ahch-To, Jan 30 '12 at 08:33
None that I can find; just the interview you linked to in the other question. The rest is, sadly, just conjecture, based on the characters involved. — K-H-W, Jan 30 '12 at 14:08

score -2 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 15 '13 at 23:23

Well, since he was released from Azkaban in Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid's name was clear, but it would make sense for him to gain a new wand, or at least remove his old one from within that pink umbrella. But maybe he didn't because he simply liked it that way? Maybe he thought there was no point in changing the way he used his wand? That, at least, is what I think the reason was.

Why didn't Hagrid replace/augment his umbrella (which had shards of old wand) with a real wand?

2 Answers2

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