Cedric straightened. It sounded as if Hagrid was coming back into the story.
BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.
"Where's the cannon?" he asked stupidly.
"Like he was anything else," Hermione said.
There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.
"WHAT!" Hermione screeched. Cedric, Luna, and Harry covered their ears as she began to scream at the book as if it was Vernon Dursley.
"I take it that's not a good thing," Cedric said once Hermione stopped.
"A gun is used to kill people," Hermione said. His face paled as he realized why she was upset – what would happen if he accidentally killed Harry?
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you – I'm armed!"
There was a pause. Then –
Harry paused, and the others leaned forwards, waiting for what he was going to say.
SMASH!
"Harry!" Hermione reprimand, sitting on the floor where she fell with her hand over her heart. He had suddenly shouted the last word out, surprising them all, but none more so than her, causing her to jump right off the couch, having been seated on the edge and just missing it as she fell.
"Sorry, Hermione," he said, trying to hold his laughter back. Cedric, who was chuckling, helped her back up onto the couch.
The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.
"Hey, isn't that…" Hermione began, only to quiet done when Harry made a motion for her to do so. He didn't need her to say who it was, for he also recognized who it was by the description, though it was different compared to the previously given one.
The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stopping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.
"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"
Cedric snorted. Though he didn't know Hagrid that well, he had heard a lot about him, and knew that this was a typical reaction of his.
Luna, Harry, and Hermione looked at him, wondering why he snorted, but he just shook his head, motioning for Harry to continue.
He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother,
"I doubt that would work very well," Hermione scoffed.
who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"I wonder if he's big enough to hide him," Cedric said.
"He probably is at the moment," Hermione said. "But only just."
"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.
Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.
"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."
"Apparently, you were right about how I look," Harry said, remembering when Cedric had mentioned it back in the second chapter.
Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
"He doesn't seem to like the fact that Hagrid said anything favorable to you," said Cedric.
"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bend it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.
"Oh, thank god," Hermione said, having been worried that Harry's uncle would do something regrettable if he had it in his hands any longer.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.
"I wonder what a mouse being trodden on sounds like?" Luna said.
"Anyway – Harry," said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here – I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."
"Oh, I wouldn't trust him on that point," Cedric warned. "I've heard stories about his cooking, and, unless someone else cooked it, it probably isn't edible."
"Is he that bad of a cook?" Harry asked. Cedric nodded. "Only his treacle fudge is said to be okay, and even that has to be soften before you can eat it."
"Well, even if it isn't edible, at least he was nice enough to give Harry something to eat," Hermione said. Luna nodded in agreement.
From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.
"You're okay with eating it. It sounds like it's okay," Cedric said.
"I wonder why he used green icing," Hermione said.
"Probably because of his eyes," Luna said.
Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"
"Harry," Hermione said, shaking her head at him. "Where are your manners?"
Harry blushed at her teasing tone.
"You would do the same as me, I'm sure," he said. She shrugged, though, privately, she had a feeling that he was right.
The giant chuckled.
"True, I haven't introduced myself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
"I was right on who I thought it was," Hermione said happily.
"I didn't know Hagrid's first name was Rubeus," Cedric said. The others looked at him, and he blushed.
"He usually goes by Hagrid. In fact, I thought it was his first name." He shrugged. He wondered what Hagrid would do to the Dursleys when he discovered that Harry had no idea of who he really was.
He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.
"I hope that didn't hurt you," Hermione fretted.
"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."
"He better not get drunk while there with you," Hermione warned.
His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.
"At least your going to be warmer now," Hermione and Cedric said.
The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausage, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.
"How many pockets does his coat have?" Harry asked, amazed. Hermione, however, was stuck on something else.
"You mean he had some alcohol with you there," Hermione said incredulously.
Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a think while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he give you, Dudley."
"He doesn't need any more food," Hermione said darkly.
The giant chuckled darkly.
"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."
"You tell him, Hagrid," Hermione muttered.
"You know your talking to a book, right?" Harry asked, amused. She glared harshly at him, and he shrank back, scared.
"You know that your rather scary," Luna said to her. She smiled innocently at Luna.
He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."
"That's better," Hermione muttered.
The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts – yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."
"Ah, no you won't," Hermione said.
Er – no," said Harry.
"Hagrid won't like that," Cedric said.
Hagrid looked shocked.
"Sorry," Harry said quickly.
"You have no need to apologize. It's not you he'll be mad at," Luna said.
"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"
"See, your not in trouble," Luna said. "Your aunt and uncle are in trouble. I almost feel sorry for them, almost."
"All what?" asked Harry.
"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered.
"Harry, please don't shout," Hermione begged from the floor once more, having missed the couch again when she jumped.
"Sorry, Hermione, but it's in caps, which mean that it's meant to be shouted," he said, grinning at her.
"Now wait jus' one second!"
He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.
"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy – this boy! – knows nothin' abou' – about ANYTHING?"
"Hey," Harry said. "I know some things."
It was true; he was rather good at math and language arts. He was top of the class, though he had to downplay his grade a bit so that he didn't get into trouble for being better than Dudley. He was always careful not to do better than Dudley on tests, as Dudley would always copy his homework to help him pass.
"I don't' think he means Muggle things," Hermione said, not having jumped as she had before, beginning to get used to Harry yelling out as he was. Plus the fact that he hadn't yelled that part out loud as he had before helped.
Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.
"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."
But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."
"What world?"
Hagrid won't like that either," Cedric said.
Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.
"DURSLEY!" he boomed.
"I take it that was in caps as well," Hermione said, hands over her ears. Harry nodded, though he was saddened that she hadn't at least jumped like he was hoping she would.
Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.
"But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."
"They're famous?" Harry asked, surprised.
Cedric and Luna nodded.
"Not as famous as you are, of course, but famous enough. Plus, there was the fact that they were well liked as well, so that adds to it as well," Cedric said.
"What? My – my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"
"Yeh don' know…yeh don' know…" Hagrid ran his finger through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare.
"Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.
Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.
"Great," Hermione, Cedric, and Luna all muttered.
"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"
"That's not going to work, and, if Hagrid catches the way he refers to you, he's going to wish he stayed quiet," Cedric said.
A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.
"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"
"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.
"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.
"That's probably not going to work," Hermione said, rubbing her ears from the bit of shouting Harry had done. She didn't bother telling him not to shout, knowing that not only would he not listen, but that she was going to do it herself if she had to. He was right, after all, it being in caps did mean that it was meant to be loud.
Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.
"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid.
"I wish they would," Hermione said.
"Harry – yeh a wizard."
"So blunt," Luna said.
There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.
"I'm a what?" gasped Harry.
The three laughed at that.
"Nice, Harry, very nice," gasped Hermione through her laughter. Harry blushed red.
"Don't worry Harry," said Luna, reaching over to rub his arm. Harry felt a strange sensation when she touched him, though what it was, he didn't know. "I doubt you're the only person who did that."
"It's probably true," Hermione said, stopping laughing at once. "I would probably act that way as well, were I not reading this book with you guys."
"Actually, I don't think you would," Harry said. Cedric nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "You're most likely the type who would ask to see it performed in front of you, and then accept it easily and without question."
She blushed when she saw Luna nod her agreement.
"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good' un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."
"Finally," Hermione said.
Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea.
"Wow, that's very literal as well," Hermione said.
He pulled out the letter and read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress
"That's almost exactly like mine," said Cedric. "Only my started with 'Dear Mr. Diggory'."
Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"
"That's the first question that you ask?" Cedric asked, trying hard not to laugh, along with Luna.
"It's a very good question," Hermione said, defending Harry. Cedric felt a strange feeling, almost like jealousy, towards Harry at Hermione's quick defense of him.
"Plus, It was the last thing I read," Harry said.
"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl
"He kept an owl in his pocket. That's animal cruelty," Hermione said, sounding mad.
– a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl – a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:
Dear Professor Dumbledore, Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope you're well. Hagrid
"Sounds straight, and too the point," Hermione said. Cedric, however, was stuck on something else.
"You can read Hagrid's writing upside down? Most people have trouble reading it right side up," he said, sounding a bit amazed.
Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped I in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.
"It is for a wizard," Cedric said. He knew what a telephone was because one of his friends had taught him how to use one his first year. Plus, he had looked through books on Muggle things, having pre-planned on taking Muggle Studies this coming year. It was one of the few classes that he had been interested in that wasn't a part of the normal curriculum.
Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.
"I hope nothing flew in," Hermione said. Luna nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Harklesins in particular would have taken advantage of an open mouth," Luna said. Hermione and Harry were about to ask her what Harklesins were, but, at Cedric's look, decided against doing so.
"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.
"Awe, great, we have to listen to this bastard," Cedric muttered. Hermione smacked his arm for that, though lightly, since she agreed with what he was saying.
"He's not going," he said.
"Yeah, I'd like to see you stop Hagrid from getting him there," Cedric said.
Hagrid grunted.
"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him," he said.
"A what?" said Harry, interested.
"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic fold like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."
"Why do I get the feeling that he's saying that like an insult?" Hermione asked.
"Because he is," Cedric answered.
"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"
"They knew!" Harry said angrily.
"Why those low lives," Hermione said in mild indignation.
"You can't 'stamp' magic out of someone!" Cedric said. "It's impossible!"
"Of course they knew, Harry, your aunt would of known because of your mother. And Cedric's right, it's impossible to stamp magic out of someone," Luna said, though she was just as angry as everyone else. Still, she was calmer than they were.
"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a – a wizard?"
"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister –"
"Hey, Lily wasn't dratted," said Cedric. The others looked at him.
"You knew my mother?" Harry asked. He shook his head.
"Not well. However, I do have vague memories of having met her a couple times, since, as I said, my mother and her were friends, but that's about it," said Cedric. "But even then, the way my mother speaks about Lily says that she wasn't dratted."
" – being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that – that school – and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats."
"Didn't you mention that we're not supposed to use magic in front of Muggles?" Hermione asked. Cedric nodded.
"However, Muggleborns are allow to use it at least once to show their parents at least once every summer to show what their learning. One of my friends told me," he said in response to the blank stares he received. "Of course, you can only do it during the beginning of summer. At least, that what I was told, and, unfortunately for you, Harry, you won't be able to do it yourself," Cedric added.
"Why wouldn't Harry be able to do it?" Hermione asked.
"Because his parents were wizards, though, because of his mother, he's counted as a half-blood. Even though his parents are dead, the ministry doesn't make any note of that. If he does magic in the presence of a Muggle, then that mean that he'll get a warning for using magic in front of a Muggle. And the ministry has ways of knowing when an underage witch or wizard uses magic. At least, that's what my father told me," Cedric said. He didn't mention that, as he was from a family of wizards, he could use magic at his house all he wanted – the trace didn't pick up any children who lived in a wizarding household. He didn't want to make her feel singled out as he knew she would eventually feel, especially with the pureblood fanatics that she would most likely run into.
"Why would they allow it?" Hermione asked.
"It's so that their parents don't think they aren't learning anything, a way of making sure that the parents know that they are. Parents are less likely to pull their kids out of school when they can see proof that they are learning. Of course, my dad did tell me about a few times someone attempted to pass a bill making that illegal as well," Cedric said, not mentioning that the ones proposing the bill were witches and wizards who could be considered of pureblood fanatics. They considered that as a way of getting Muggleborns out of 'their' world.
"I was the only one who saw her for what she was – a freak!"
"My mother wasn't a freak!" Harry shouted, and another crashing sound was heard. They all looked towards were it came from to see the same scene that had greeted them, with the same amount of glass as the others had been, only on a different set of tables. Cedric and Luna looked at each other knowingly, while Harry gave everyone a sheepish look. This was the first time he'd lost control, as it was usually Hermione causing the broken glass.
Hermione, however, was contemplative. From what she had heard about accidental magic, it reacted differently every time, so why did his react the same as hers had when he got angry?
"But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"
She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed that she had been wanting to say all this for years.
"I think she jealous," Luna said. Hermione nodded in agreement, but both Harry and Cedric looked at her with a 'how clueless are you' look.
"She's right, guys. It jealousy that's spouting this rant," Hermione said.
"I don't think it is," Harry said stubbornly.
"What to bet?" Hermione said. Harry thought about it for a moment.
"Fine. I'll bet you…" he stopped, looking contemplative as he thought about what to bet, and in what currency to bet it in. He decided on wizarding, and leaned over to Cedric to ask about it.
"Hey, what's wizarding money like?" he asked.
"Well, we have gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts," he said. He continued on telling Harry the value of each coin, saying it in a loud enough voice so that Hermione would know about it as well.
"I'll bet you ten Galleons that it's not jealousy," Harry said. Hermione thought about it.
"Fine. However, all bets have to be exchanged after all seven books are read, unless stated before hand," Hermione said. "I doubt that, if we end up betting about other things, that it'll all happen in one book. Plus, neither you nor me actually have wizarding money right now, so paying when a bet is won, or lost, at the moment would be kind of stupid."
The others thought about it, having a feeling that she was right.
"Agreed," Harry said. "Now, how to keep track of all the bets?"
Before anything could be said, another piece of paper appeared, with a note at the top.
This paper will hold any and all bets made, and will show when they are completed and who wins, so you don't have to worry about anything. It's a self automatic updating bet holder, so it will automatically add a bet, the ones who made the bet, and the prize when a bet is agreed upon. Only the members who agree to a bet will be shown concerning that bet.
Oh, an just so you know, the only bets allowed are the ones that will be answered at some point in the books. If the bet doesn't show up, then it won't be answered at all. And, when a bet is answered, then it will show up on the paper who won the bet. Once all of the books are done, and all of the bets are done, how much each person won will show at the bottom as well, so don't worry about paying anything at the moment. You will also be reminded about what each of you wins from whom you win it from when you are able to get to the money that will pay for the bet.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of the books.
T.C.H.
PS: In case you haven't noticed, I am watching you.
"That's a bit creepy," Hermione said, placing the paper down so the other could see what was on it. True to what had been written, the bet that she had Harry had made was on there, with their names under the bet, and what they would win if they won the bet.
"Well, at least we have a way of keeping track of all bets," Harry said, though he inwardly winced at the thought of being watched. It didn't sound like a good thing.
"Why don't we get back to the book," Cedric suggested. The others agreed.
"Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as – as - abnormal – and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"
"Oh, that's not a good thing to say," Cedric said.
"Yeah, that's actually a bad way to tell you the truth," Hermione agreed.
Harry had gone very white.
"Like he is now," Luna said, and she was right; Harry was pale over the way his aunt had just shouted out what really happened to his parents. However, unlike in the books, he already knew what had really happened to them, and didn't lose his voice like in the book.
As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"
"Hagrid will definitely not like that one," Hermione said.
"I just know that Hagrid is going to do something to your aunt or uncle," Cedric said.
"No, he'll do something Dudley," Luna said.
"What to bet on it," Cedric said.
"Two Galleons that Hagrid will do something to Dudley," Luna said.
"I agree with her. Dudley's most likely going to be the one Hagrid does something too," Hermione said.
Harry shook his head. "But Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia are the ones whose getting him angry," he said.
"So, two Galleons that Hagrid will or won't do something to Dudley?" Luna said. They all agreed, and the bet automatically appeared on the paper, along with all of their names, as well as who was against who.
"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"
"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.
The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.
"I never expect this," he said, in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble getting' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh – but someone's gotta – yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."
"Yeah, I would rather not see what would happen if you showed up not knowing. You would get so many different versions that I doubt you would be able to realize what was true and what wasn't," said Cedric.
He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.
"And here's where you finally learn everything, including the name of the person who killed you parents," Hermione said.
"No, Hagrid won't say his name," Cedric said.
"I say he will, for Harry," Hermione countered.
"I agree, mate," Harry said.
"Dumbledore can't even get him to say it," Luna said.
"So, another bet?" Cedric said. "Three Sickles to each of the winners?"
"Agreed," they all said. The bet appeared onto the paper.
"Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh – mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it…"
He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with – with a person called – but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows –"
"But he's not only not in the Wizarding World, and it seems that no Muggle knows the name or anything about it, so of course he's not going to know," Hermione said.
"Who?"
"Well – I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."
"Why not?"
"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went…bad."
"That's an understatement," Cedric muttered.
"As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…"
Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.
"See, Harry can't get him to say his name," Cedric said. Hermione, who was looking at the paper, however, said, "But it doesn't say if theirs a winner or not, so that means we have until the end of all of the books to figure it out."
Cedric scowled, forgetting that fact.
"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.
"Nah – can't spell it. All right – Voldemort."
"I don't believe it," Luna said, wide-eyed.
"But not even Dumbledore – the man Hagrid looks up to more than anything Dumbledore – can get him to say it," Cedric said, just as wide-eyed as Luna. They all looked at the bet paper, which, true to the note, now said, "Hermione and Harry," in the column under winners, along with what bet they won and what they win.
"Well, that's one bet done," Hermione said.
"And who knows how many will be asked to go," Cedric said.
"True," Luna and Harry said.
Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyways, this – this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too – some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was getting' himself power, all right."
I wonder if that was it, or if there was something else thought Hermione. Ever the practical one, she was thinking about how Hagrid was painting Voldemort, and had a feeling that there was more that they hadn't been told yet. Until they leaned more, she decided not to say her suspicions.
"Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches…terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him – an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, no jus' then, anyway.
"Sounds horrible," Hermione said quietly, subdued. Cedric nodded.
"I was born only four years before it ended, but I do remember a bit about how it was when I was four, before he'd disappeared," Cedric said, thinking back on the panic he had seen on his parents faces.
"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before…"
"No, he wouldn't, at least, not with your mother, and the Potters are known as blood traitors to most…" Cedric muttered quietly. However, everyone heard him, and more than one were wondering what he was talking about.
"Most of V-Voldemort's supporters were purebloods who think that only they had any right to practice magic, and that all Muggleborns don't deserve to do so. Voldemort wouldn't allow your mother to join because of her bloodlines – unless, of course, she lies about them to everyone – and your father… well, the Potters, while one of the purest lines, are considered to be blood traitors because they don't believe that Muggleborns do not deserve to use magic," he explained.
"It's a bunch of shite anyways. We'd've died out had we not begun to marry Muggles, and we have no right in deciding who deserves to use magic or not, especially since, despite what the pureblood would say, they themselves were Muggleborns at some point, even if they haven't been for a while. Plus, trying to keep their blood 'pure' results in in-breeding, and there is a chance that a child in a wizarding family will not always end up showing magic," he added, before motioning for Harry to continue to read.
"probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' to do with the Dark Side."
Hermione and Harry snorted at that.
"Star Wars referencing?" Hermione asked, amused.
Luna and Cedric looked at her, clueless.
"Star Wars is a Muggle movie trilogy. It's actually really good," Hermione said. "I own all three movies."
"Awe, I haven't seen them yet, and I want to so badly," Harry said. He didn't have to explain why he hadn't seen them, for Hermione already had a feeling she knew why.
"Well, you can come over to my house soon, or even next summer, to watch them," Hermione said. "The same goes for your two as well," she added to Cedric and Luna, since they were about to ask if they could come as well.
"We should make it a date for next summer, that way our parents will know that we know each other already," Cedric said.
"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em…maybe he just wanted 'em out of the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came to yer house an' – an' –"
Tears began to fall from Luna and Hermione's eyes. Cedric and Harry, who were both sad themselves, also noticed this, and put an arm around each girl – Cedric around Hermione, Harry around Luna – and pulled them towards them. Hermione went willingly, wrapping her arms around Cedric while hiding her face on his shoulder. Luna just leaned into Harry, especially since he was still reading. She couldn't wrap herself around him when he was doing that.
Harry, once he had Luna situated, began reading again, though his voice was thick with emotion.
Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.
"Sorry," he said. "Bit it's that sad – knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find – anyway…
"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then – an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing – he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh – took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even – but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry."
"I don't think I'm going to like my fame all that much," Harry said. "Especially if this is the reason why I'm famous. I'd rather have my parents than my fame."
"No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age – the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts – an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."
"My parents didn't know the McKinnons very well, but they knew the Bones and Prewetts rather well," Cedric said. "And Molly Weasley – the mother of the two pranksters I told you about earlier, the ones who wanted to know what would happen if you didn't answer your letter back – she was the sister of the two Prewetts who were killed."
Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than he had ever remembered it before – and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.
"Oh, Harry," Hermione whispered, more tears falling from her eyes. Cedric tightened his grip around her.
Luna didn't say anything, but wrapped her own arms around Harry, hugging him tightly. He returned the hug, then put his attention back to the book, though he kept an arm around Luna.
Hagrid was watching him sadly.
"Took yeh from the ruin house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…"
"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon.
"Oh, I forgot they were there," said Hermione.
Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.
"What right does he have to live, much less speak," Hermione said, anger in every word she said. Another crashing sound was heard, but they didn't need to see what had broken this time, as they already had a pretty good idea as to what it was.
"Now, you listen here, boy," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured"
"He better not have ever touched you, otherwise I am going to hurt him," Cedric said. "And I will not need my wand to do it, either."
" – and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion"
"That bastard," Hermione said, "I am so going to make him regret ever saying anything of the type to you."
" – asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types – just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end –"
"You going to meet a sticky end, you worthless Muggle," Luna said. Harry was amazed at how quickly they all rose to wanting to protect him against his Uncle's mean words.
But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered, pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley – I'm warning you – one more word…"
Cedric smirked. He knew that, though he wasn't supposed to, Hagrid had kept and used his wand; he had told him that it was in his umbrella when he had asked about why he kept it with him.
"Please say one more word," Hermione begged, forgetting that she had betted that Hagrid would use magic on Dudley, not Vernon. Of course, at the moment, she didn't care if she won or not; she just wanted Vernon punished for his cruel words. The world would be better off without Vernon.
Harry, however, was stuck on something else.
"Why would he threaten Hagrid with an umbrella?" He asked. Cedric said, "You'll see."
In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.
"Dammit," Cedric said.
"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.
Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundred of them.
"Of course." Hermione smiled.
"But what happened to Vol-, sorry – I mean, You-Know-Who?"
"He was killed, Harry. At least, that's what everyone said happened," Cedric said.
"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see…he was getting' more an' more powerful – why'd he go?
"I think this is why everyone says he's dead," Luna said. "Why else would he disappear?"
"Perhaps…perhaps he should be dead," Hermione started, "but isn't. Somehow, I think, if the name he calls himself is anything to go by, he probably did…something to help…keep him from truly dying."
"But wouldn't people know if that was true or not?" Harry pointed out. Hermione shook her head.
"I don't think any decent witch or wizard would know something like that. Somehow, I have a feeling that, if he did that, it's dark magic, probably the darkest one can get."
"So, I guess that's the question: Did V-Voldemort use dark magic to help keep him alive, or is he really dead?" Cedric said, stumbling over the name a bit. Hermione beamed at him, happy that he had managed to say it without much of a problem. At the very least, he hadn't shuddered when he said it.
Luna, who had notice that, said, "By the way, Hermione, I don't think you can get on the case of many people, as you yourself will probably call him You-Know-Who at some point in the books."
"No I won't," Hermione said.
"I say you will," Luna said.
"Is that a bet?" Hermione asked. Luna thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Ten Sickles to the winner?" Luna asked. Hermione nodded, and the bet appeared on the list. Hermione inwardly smiled. She was positive in all of the bets she was making, knowing that most of what she was betting was right.
The boys, however, stayed out of that bet, leaving just the girls to it, though Harry privately agreed with Hermione – she was a Muggleborn, so she didn't have a reason to be afraid of the name – and Cedric agreed with Luna – many of the Muggleborns are told and learn to fear the name rather quickly. There was no way for her not to eventually fear saying Voldemort's name with that.
"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die."
"That sounds like a fair reason for him not to have died," Hermione said.
"Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it."
"So, does he believe Voldemort's dead, or does he believe that Voldemort's out there?" Harry asked. The others shrugged, unsure of exactly what Hagrid meant.
"People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back."
"Wait? Does that mean what I think it means?" Hermione asked, sounding angry. The others looked at her, confused.
"If some people on his side came to the light side claiming that they were in a trance, then most of them are probably still loyal to him, and would be the first to go back to his side if he's alive, and they know that he's alive," Hermione said. "They probably only said what they did to escape justice, and the punishment they rightfully deserve."
Comprehension dawned on the others, as they realized that she was more than right, and Cedric wondered if there was a way to know if it is true or not. A horrible thought occurred to him then: did some of those who deserve to be in Azkaban manage to escape going there because of bribes?
He wouldn't put it past some people for either giving or accepting a bribe, as corrupt as the ministry was now. And, did that mean that some people in Azkaban not deserve to go there? If the ministry was accepting bribes to keep someone out of there, wouldn't the opposite – to put someone in there – be true as well?
"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on – I dunno what it was, no one does"
"Dumbledore probably does by this point," Luna said. "Knowing what we know of him, he probably began looking for answers after it happened. In fact, I wouldn't put it past him to have even know why Voldemort was after you and your parents by now, if he didn't before."
The others looked at her, but couldn't deny that she was probably right.
"– but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."
Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon;
Cedric, Luna, and Hermione scowled at the reminder of that, and knew that, when the time came, that they were going to do everything possible to keep Harry from being there any more than he should.
if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard? If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been about to kick him around like a football?
"Accidental magic doesn't work that way," Cedric said.
"Good to know," Hermione and Harry said, though Hermione was thinking more about this than Harry was – if what she was saying, then that arguably meant that what she was thinking about earlier – what with the knick knacks on the tables blowing up as they were by magic – was true. Again, she kept silent about that, needing a bit more before she would say anything.
"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."
To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.
"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"
"And that's usually how it works," Cedric said. "Extreme emotion usually causes it."
Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it…every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry…
"That is true, now that I think about it," Harry said.
chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach…
"That was probably a reaction to being scared," Hermione said.
dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back…
"Nervous and potential embarrassment," Cedric said.
and the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?
"I'm not sure saying that you set the constrictor on his is the correct term, especially since all you did was make the glass vanish," Hermione said.
Harry shrugged.
Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.
"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard – you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."
Harry groaned at that.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"As I said before, I have a feeling I'm not going to like my fame all that much, especially since I had to lose my parents for it," Harry said. "Well, I also have a feeling that there are going to be quite a few people who will want to be my friend because if it."
The other three frowned. That was going to be problematic for him.
"Well," Hermione said brightly, determined to get his mind off of the depressing thought, "at least you know that you'll have three people who are friends with you simply for you, not your fame."
Harry smiled at her, seeing Cedric and Luna nodding their heads.
"Plus, I'm sure that there will be a few others who will get to know the real you, and become friends with you as well. Like those two pranksters I told you about. They'll probably become good friends with you for you," Cedric added. He didn't bother mentioning that he had a feeling that the youngest two, however, wouldn't be good friends with him – Ron was a bit of an attention seeker, and Ginny was an extreme 'Boy-Who-Lived' fan.
Luna was also frowning, remembering something that her sorta friend, Ginny Weasley, had once said. She had said that she was going to marry Harry Potter, and, when Luna asked her why she wanted to – while Luna was also a bit enchanted with Harry, she wasn't completely obsessed with him as others were – Ginny had said that it was because he was famous and rich. She had been mortified after the last bit, but she had said it.
But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.
"Of course not," Hermione sighed, before something else crossed her mind.
"Cedric, what happens when someone who is invited to go to a magic school doesn't, and tries to keep from using magic at all?" she asked. Cedric shrugged, having never heard of such an event happening.
"Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish –"
"The way he sounds, it like you shouldn't get a whole lot of new things, and it's not the magic you'll learn, but the fact that you need things that piss him off. Doesn't he realize, either way, that you'll need new things, or does he plan on just sending you by without doing anything?" Hermione said.
"– spell books and wands and –"
If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled-"
"Is he really?" Hermione asked, interested. It would certainly be an experience to be under the someone considered to be the greatest Headmaster.
Cedric shrugged. "He is a great man, a little mad, but great. However, I'm not sure if he's the greatest, as I haven't studied any of the others. Plus, Hagrid's kind of bias when it come to Dumbledore, though I don't know why – I think it has something to do with his past."
"I AM NOT PAYING SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
"Oh, he's in trouble now," Cedric said once he had removed his hands from his ears, as Harry had once again been shouting the words out, before turning towards Hermione. "I told you it was going to be either the uncle or aunt whom Hagrid targets."
"Just because it's Harry's uncle who gets Hagrid upset doesn't mean that it'll be him who Hagrid curses," Hermione said.
But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER –" he thundered, " – INSULT – ALBUS – DUMBLEDORE – IN – FRONT – OF – ME!"
"I would feel bad for them, but I don't," Harry said, once the others had removed their hands from their ears.
He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley
"No," Cedric and Harry moaned, since both of them had betted that it would be the aunt or uncle to get the brunt of trouble. Luna and Hermione, however, both smiled.
– there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.
Silence was heard for a few seconds, then, Cedric began to chuckle, and it was like a dam breaking open, with the others following right behind. Luna was easily the loudest, practically screaming her laughter out, though Hermione was close behind, her own laughter shrill.
It took several moments for them to compose themselves enough to continue reading.
Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.
Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.
"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."
"Not a surprising revelation," Hermione said, still mirthful from what had happened.
He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.
"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm – er – not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff – one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job –"
"That's gotta make you feel special, knowing that he partially took the job because it would allow him to do magic," Hermione said. Harry shrugged, not really caring.
"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.
"Harry, that's a bit personal too ask," Hermione said.
"Oh, well – I was at Hogwarts meself but I – er – got expelled, to tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."
"I see what you mean by the blind devotion," Hermione said, sounding worried. The other looked at her, wondering why she was so worried.
"It means that, should he hear something about Dumbledore that he doesn't like, it won't be pretty. And there is no guarantee that Dumbledore has always been great. Something tells me that something probably happened in his past that made him the way he is," Hermione told them.
"Why were you expelled?"
"You won't get an answer. No one ever does," Cedric said, still thinking about what Hermione had said.
"It's getting' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yeh books an' that."
"Told you," Cedric said.
He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.
"You can kip under that," he said.
That's going to be warmer," Luna said.
"Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."
"I hope it doesn't wriggle," Hermione said.
"That was the end of the chapter," Harry said, handing the book over to Hermione. He then grabbed the bet paper, wanting to study it some, as Hermione had been in control of it the most. He looked at the bets on it, noticing that only two out of the four bets were answered.
Hermione waited until he had placed the paper down, having known what he wanted to do, before she turned the page.