BOOM. The resounding thud of fists against the door jerked Dudley awake. "Where's the cannon?" he muttered groggily, still half-asleep.
some chuckles were heard.
A crashing sound echoed from behind them, and Uncle Vernon skidded into the room, clutching a long, thin package. It was now evident what had been concealed inside.
"Who's there?" Vernon bellowed, brandishing a rifle menacingly. "I warn you, I'm armed!"
Lily's expression shifted from shock to concern as she processed the revelation. "He had a rifle," she stated, her voice carrying a mixture of disbelief and worry.
The younger students, unfamiliar with Muggle weapons, looked at each other with puzzled expressions. One brave Hufflepuff first-year decided to seek clarification. "What's a rifle, if you don't mind me asking, Miss Evans?" he inquired timidly.
Lily, always willing to educate her fellow students, explained, "A rifle is a Muggle weapon designed for long-range shooting. It can cause serious injuries or even be lethal, much like the Killing Curse in the wizarding world."
Curiosity ignited among the students, and another voice joined the conversation. "Can anyone have one of these rifles?"
Lily contemplated the question before responding, "No, in the Muggle world, you need to obtain a license to legally possess a rifle. It's not something that's accessible to just anyone." She then turned her attention to Harry, her concern evident. "Harry, did your uncle have a license for it?"
Harry hesitated, uncertainty clouding his thoughts. "I don't know," he admitted with a slight shrug. He suspected that his uncle hadn't gone through the legal process of obtaining a license, but he couldn't be entirely certain. As a result, he chose to keep his uncertainty to himself.
A brief pause hung in the air, then came the earth-shattering crash. The door was struck with such force that it was ripped from its hinges and landed on the floor with a deafening thud.
Standing in the doorway was a giant of a man, his face almost entirely obscured by a tangle of wild, shaggy hair and an unruly beard. Only his eyes were visible, gleaming like black beetles amidst the chaotic mass of hair.
The giant squeezed himself into the small hut, stooping to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling.
"HAGRID." Many cheered.
Regulus, wearing a mask of confusion, couldn't help but voice his ponderings. "So they sent Hagrid?" He had a lot of theories going on in his overthinking mind and the more he watched the future more questions arose.
Yet, Regulus's straightforward question raised some people's hackles.
"What's wrong with Hagrid?"
Sirius's voice held a note of challenge as he locked eyes with Regulus.
When was the last time they had exchanged words? He couldn't recall, nor did he care to know. As far as he was concerned, Sirius was a traitor to the family—nothing more, nothing less.
"Oh, quite a bit, Sirius," Regulus retorted with a savage edge, his voice a low, stinging whip. "Aren't the professors the ones tasked with the delicate job of acquainting Muggle-borns and their families with the wizarding world? We all understand the intricacies and volatile nature of this task, as situations can rapidly escalate in unforeseen directions. This has been their duty since forever. However, as far as I'm aware, Hagrid does not hold the esteemed title of 'professor.' Allow me to clarify, I'm not here to pass judgment on Hagrid's character, but to question the wisdom of entrusting him with such a responsibility." His unrelenting gaze pierced Sirius's very soul, daring any retort.
A heavy silence descended upon the hall, fraught with an unmistakable sense of animosity. It seemed as though Regulus had broken his own record for verbosity.
Sirius, ever one to seize the opportunity for a retort, quipped, "Well, Harry isn't a Muggle-born, so I don't see any reason for concern."
"Well, at that time he was as good as a muggle born." Barty retorted at Sirius' dumb take.
"Mr. Black here is right. I wonder why Hagrid was chosen." Mr.Bagnold spoke pointing towards Regulus.
"Sorry about that," he said, bending down to pick up the fallen door and effortlessly reattaching it to its frame.
Vernon, his gun trained on the intruder, demanded, "Who's there? You're breaking and entering!"
As Petunia gasped in fear, the giant grabbed the gun and bent it upward, rendering it useless.
"Quiet down, Dursley, you great prune," the giant admonished. He pulled the trigger, and the gun discharged, blasting a hole in the ceiling and causing the Dursleys to scream in terror.
Observing Dudley, the giant remarked, "Mind, I haven't seen you since you were a baby, Harry. But you're a bit more filled out than I would have expected. Particularly 'round the middle."
Few snickered.
"Wrong kid, Hagrid."
Dudley stammered, "I-I-I'm not Harry."
Harry, emerging from the shadows, revealed himself, saying, "I-I am.
Many cooed at him, their voices filled with amusement and affection.
"Oh, Harry, look at you," Hermione teased with a playful glint in her eyes, "you were positively adorable back then."
Harry's cheeks reddened, and he shot Hermione an embarrassed look. "Sod off," he retorted, not quite able to hide his own smile.
The giant grinned and handed Harry a cake he'd brought. "Got somethin' for yeh. 'Fraid I might have sat on it at some point, but I imagine it'll taste fine just the same. Ahh."
Harry accepted the cake with gratitude, and as he opened it, he found the words "Happee Birthdae Harry" written in green frosting.
"Thank you so much, Hagrid," the Potter family chorused in gratitude, their smiles warm and appreciative.
Hagrid, ever the humble giant, blushed furiously and waved their thanks away.
"Thank you!" Harry exclaimed.
"It's not every day that a young man turns eleven, now is it?" the giant chuckled. "Aye?"
Many smiled at the giant softly.
He settled onto the sofa, producing an umbrella from which he conjured a fire. Two sparks flew from the umbrella, igniting the flames. The Dursley family gasped in amazement.
"Excuse me, who are you?" Harry inquired.
The giant introduced himself, "Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Of course, you'll know all about Hogwarts."
"Sorry, no," Harry replied.
"No? Blimey, Harry, didn't you ever wonder where your mum and dad learned it all?"
"Learnt what?" Harry asked.
"You're a wizard, Harry," Hagrid declared.
Harry looked bewildered. "I'm a what?"
"A wizard. And a thumping good one, I'd wager, once you're trained up a bit," Hagrid assured him.
"No, you've made a mistake," Harry protested. "I mean, I can't be... a-a wizard. I mean, I'm just... Harry. Just Harry."
Hagrid insisted, "Well, Just Harry, did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared?"
Dudley whimpered as Harry contemplated Hagrid's words.
Hagrid handed the letter to Harry.
"Finally, He gets his letter." James let out a triumphant cheer, raising his glass in a toast.
"Blimey, I thought my hair would turn grey, waiting for him to read that letter," Sirius lamented, feigning dramatic despair as he dramatically ran his fingers through his long, unruly locks.
"Well, don't worry, mate," Ron chimed in with a smirk, "you'll get enough reasons for your hair to turn grey."
A few curious souls at the table leaned in, eager for the gossip. Harry shot Ron a warning look, silently pleading with him to keep quiet.
"What?" Ron shrugged innocently, "Just saying, Hogwarts can be a bit... eventful."
Harry unfolded the aged parchment with trembling fingers, his eyes scanning the elegant script as his heart raced.
"Dear Mr. Potter," he began to read aloud, his voice steady but tinged with awe, "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Vernon's face reddened with anger as he barked at Hagrid, "He will not be going, I tell you! We swore when we took him in, we'd put a stop to all this rubbish!"
The revelation left Harry feeling like the ground had shifted beneath him. He turned to his aunt and uncle, anger and betrayal swirling within him. "You knew? You knew all along and you never told me?"
Petunia's voice was bitter, laced with resentment. "Of course we knew. How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was. Oh, my mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. 'We have a witch in the family. Isn't it wonderful?' I was the only one to see her for what she was. A freak! And then she met that Potter. And then she had you, and I knew you would be the same. Just as strange, just as... abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up! And we got landed with you."
Many gasps were heard as they looked towards Harry's parents sadly.
Lily's response was one of profound sadness. Hearing her sister's bitter words only deepened the sadness she had always felt about the strained relationship with her only sister. She had always hoped that one day Petunia would see past their differences but watching the future only made her realize how wrong she was.
A heavy sigh escaped Lily's lips as she looked at her sister, her heart aching for what could have been. She barely controlled the tears from escaping her eyes.
"Oh, get off your high horse, Lily is not a freak," James exclaimed, his voice filled with frustration, "you miserable old bat! You Grade A muggle moron. Hope you rot in hell and that pathetic excuse of your husb-"
Before he could utter more crass words, Remus swiftly intervened, placing his hand over James's mouth, muffling his words.
"Blown up?" Harry's voice trembled with rage as he confronted his aunt. "You told me my parents died in a car crash!"
Hagrid's deep voice thundered with fury as he joined the fray, his loyalty to Harry unwavering. "A car crash? A car crash killed Lily and James Potter?!"
Petunia, her lies unraveling, admitted in a defeated tone, "We had to say something."
"Well, what's about the truth," Marlene commented.
On the other hand, Blaise was having the time of his life with all this drama.
"Oh, Merlin, this is gold," Blaise exclaimed with a devilish grin, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
Feona Fawley, with an arched eyebrow, responded, "Of course, you're finally getting your dose of entertainment that you've sorely missed in the last few years."
Blaise leaned in, his voice dripping with dry humor, "Well, darling, you can't blame me for relishing in it. Family drama has always been my guilty pleasure, a delightful theater of the absurd, don't you think?"
She couldn't help but chuckle at Blaise.
The revelation of the truth was met with righteous indignation from Hagrid. "It's an outrage! It's a scandal!"
As the Dursleys continued their argument with Hagrid, the commotion masked Dudley's theft of Harry's cake. The oblivious Dursleys remained focused on their heated exchange.
Vernon, still obstinate, declared, "He'll not be going!"
"Well, he will be going, you big, blubbering walrus of a man with the brains of a garden gnome." James spoke aggressively.
"Calm down, Jamie." Euphemia spoke rubbing his back.
Hagrid, undeterred by Vernon's threats, taunted him, "Oh-ho-ho, and I suppose a great muggle like yerself's goin' to stop him, are yeh?"
Harry, still grappling with the revelations, sought clarity. "Muggle?"
Hagrid explained to Harry in a calm tone, "Non-magic folk."
But his patience with the Dursleys quickly wore thin, and he turned back to Vernon and Petunia with fury. "This boy's had his name down ever since he were born! He's going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and he'll be under the finest headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen: Albus Dumbledore."
"Well, that's amazing, Mr. Potter." Spoke Dumbledore while Harry looked confused.
Observing his grandson's puzzled expression, his grandfather offered an explanation, "You see, every child's name is entered when they exhibit their first signs of magic. This implies that you displayed magical abilities right from your birth. It's a feat not everyone accomplishes."
The mere mention of Dumbledore brought a genuine smile to Harry's face, a glimmer of hope amid the chaos. Vernon, however, remained defiant. "I will not pay to have some crackpot old fool teach him magic tricks!"
Hagrid's umbrella became a symbol of his resolve as he whipped it out, aiming it threateningly at Vernon. His words were a thunderous warning. "NEVER – INSULT – ALBUS DUMBLEDORE – IN FRONT OF ME."
Many cheered for Hagrid while Dumbledore offered him a smile.
With a final act of magic, Hagrid punished Dudley for his cake theft, causing a grey tail to sprout from the boy's rear end. The Dursleys fled in terror, their screams echoing through the house.
Everyone started laughing uncontrollably.
"That was the good one, Hagrid."
Even the staff was laughing. Professor McGonagall shook her head while her lips twitched slightly.
Amid the chaos, Hagrid turned to Harry, his demeanor softening. "Oh, um, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic."
Harry nodded in understanding, his eyes gleaming with a newfound excitement. "Okay."
Hagrid checked his pocket-watch and realized they were running behind schedule. He gestured toward the door. "Ooh, we're a bit behind schedule. Bes' be off. Unless you'd rather stay, of course. Hmm?"
With a grin that spoke of adventure and new beginnings, Harry donned his jacket and joined Hagrid as they embarked on their journey to London.
"Finally, Harry Potter on his way to Hogwarts." Sirius cheered along with James.
"Well, now it's going to be fun. I can't wait to see him going to Daigon Alley."
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