Learn English – In “led them”, does ‘them’ include the leader himself

word-usage

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep Harry to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, Hagrid managed to make himself heard over the babble.

"Must get on — lots ter buy. Come on, Harry."

Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time, and Hagrid led them
through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there
was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

I think 'them' in this context only includes Hagrid and Harry because no others have been mentioned in later context, but I might be wrong. If this is the case, why didn't it put: "led him"(Harry) instead. Or is it idiomatic to include the leader himself in such contexts?

Best Answer

In this case, "them" does refer to both Hagrid and Harry. "Lead" does not necessarily exclude the leader, as it can refer to a general course of action:

lead (v): 1.1 [with object and adverbial of direction] Show (someone or something) the way to a destination by going in front of or beside them.

For example, in the context of this story it would have been perfectly natural to have written:

As they negotiated the dark and twisty turns of Diagon Alley, Harry stepped close to Hagrid and whispered, "Where are you leading us, Hagrid?"

(Edit) Note that it would have been fine to write

Where are you leading me, Hagrid?

but the tone would have been significantly more mysterious, if not outright ominous. The collective "us" or "them" implies that, wherever they are going, they're going there together, but the singular "me" or "him" implies that, when they get to where they are going, Harry will have to face it alone.

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