Ch. 2

"Get out of my sight!"

He pushed me out of the bathroom. I limped down the stairs. I was punished again because I had received more letters. Uncle Vernon became very paranoid.

"They must be watching the house! Heather, move your things into Dudley's second bedroom. We have to look civilized or the neighbours will be talking!"

Eight more letters had arrived in less than three hours.

"Get the mail!"

I went outside reluctantly. I was very self-conscious about how I was walking. I walked down the driveway and looked at the wall. My heart lifted.

"Albert! Vimerna! You're still here!"

I limped as fast as I could to the mailbox. I opened it and hundreds of letters addressed to me cascaded out of it. The front door opened and I hid behind the neighbour's hedge.

"Petunia! Get some garbage bags! At least ten! Hurry up! It's making a scene!"

The letters were still pouring out of it. Albert and Vimerna ran to the other side of the hedge to wait with me. I was terrified. So many letters, that means so many beatings.

I sat there until my uncle left. He gave up since the letters wouldn't stop. Well, I thought he gave up. He brought back a lighter and some lighter fluid and he lit the entire mailbox on fire."

"Now we can't get anymore letters." He chuckled.

"He'll blame this whole thing on me."

I had been punished for those horrible letters for the past two days.

"Well," my voice cracked. "Tomorrow's my eleventh birthday. Another year of my life wasted, another birthday without presents. Typical. I wish I could be a cat like you two. So carefree and you can run away from your problems. Get away from all the pain."

I started to cry. Vimerna backed away. Albert rubbed against my legs. I picked him up and held him tightly. He purred.

"I'm sick of the beatings and the feeling of being a nobody. The pain and the loneliness."

"HEATHER! Get in here now!"

"Bloody hell. No again. Please, not again. Will you two meet me out here at 11:30 tonight? I really need to talk to someone. Tell someone about the things they do to me."

"Heather!"

"I have to go."

I blew each of them a kiss and limped quickly inside.

"Set the table and then go to your room. No food for a month."

He was out of breath. I sighed with relief. I thought my punishment was going to be so much worse. I quickly set the table, almost dropping a few dishes, and ran upstairs. As I went to my room, Uncle Vernon followed me. He always did to make sure I made it and didn't try to escape. I walked in and he locked the door from the outside using all the deadbolts and such.

I couldn't sit and wait for 11:30. I paced and looked out the window. Even read a couple of books that Dudley has never touched. They were covered with dust.

Finally 11:15 rolled around. Before I made my escape, I listened for my uncle's snoring, my aunt's hair curlers rustling against her pillow, and my cousin's wheezes. With my knowledge that they were asleep, I climbed out the window onto the roof and down the spouts that belonged to the gutters. I walked down #4 Privet Drive. As always, the cats were sitting on the wall waiting for me.

"Hi guys." I said as I shivered.

It was chilly that night. Even in the middle of the summer. Vimerna ran off but Albert stayed. I liked him the most anyway.

"Vimerna, where are you going?"

She ran behind the neighbour's hedge.

"Fine then. Leave me."

I sat down behind the wall so no one could see me. I had so much to say but I didn't know how to say it. I opened my mouth to speak when I heard a loud roar of a motor for about a minute. The sound was getting closer, and then it stopped as abruptly as it had come. Albert looked in all directions. Then he stopped. Looking content as though he knew what it was. I shook all thoughts of what it was out of my head.

"Albert,"

He looked at me. Ready to hear what I had to say.

"I haven't told anybody about this, but…"

I was ashamed to say it. He was an animal, he wouldn't care. But he didn't act like an ordinary animal. I swallowed hard.

"I was abused by my Uncle Vernon. I mean, I still am."

It felt so good to tell someone.

"He's teaching my cousin how. He beats me too. And I haven't been fed in two days."

I tried to swallow. But my throat was dry. All of the sudden I heard a whimpering noise. I thought it was Albert wanting to be petted, so I pet him. I then told him everything they had done to me. Before I knew it, half an hour had gone by. I looked at my watch.

"Three-Two-One-Midnight. Happy Birthday, Heather."

I heard huge, wracking sobs coming from behind the neighbour's hedge. I started to walk to the other side when Vimerna ran out from behind it. She hissed and clawed at me.

"What's wrong with you?"

I heard another huge sob and I walked passed Vimerna regardless of her hisses and claws. I looked behind it and stared in shock! In front of me was a huge man crying. He had a motorcycle next to him. "That's what that noise was." The man was at least five feet tall sitting down. He had unkempt brown and an unkempt brown beard. I gathered my courage to talk to him.

"Excuse me Sir. Why are you crying?"

He stiffened and stood up. He was at least eight feet and 5 inches tall. He wiped his eyes and bowed.

It's nothin'."

He stared at me with such love and pity in his eyes. Then it hit me. "Did he hear anything I said? He might tell the Dursleys! I'm dead!"

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

I'm…" He cleared his throat. "I am Rubeus Hagrid. The Keeper O' Keys an' Grounds at Hogwarts School O' Witchcraft an' Wizardry."

"The school of what?"

"Ya don't know 'bout Hogwarts? Do ya know what ya are?"

"I'm a lowlife."

"No yer not! Don't let me hear ya say that ever again! The Dursleys didn't tell ya?"

"Tell me what? You know the Dursleys?"

"Sad ter say I der. I don't know if I should be the one ter tell ya this. Heather, yer a witch"

"There must be a mistake. I have no magic or powers or anything."

In my mind I was thinking: "This guy is totally nuts!"

"Were there times when ya were sad er angry an' strange stuff happened?"

There was a time when I was at school and the sandbox filled with spiders and flipped over. I was angry because Dudley punched me.

"The Dursleys kept everything from her, Hagrid."

I looked behind me and saw an old man and woman with the same markings as the cats I visited.

"Dumbledore, Sir, I didn't know ya was here."

"Professor McGonigall and I have been keeping an eye on Heather for the past few days. Checking up on her. Trying to get her acceptance letter to her."

"That's what that letter was about. I never got to read it. My uncle..."

The old man put a hand up. I quieted down.

"No need to explain." The woman said. "We were there the whole time."

"Well, ya can read it now."

Hagrid handed me a letter with the same green ink and yellow parchment. I opened it. It said:

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 Ms. 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 necessary books and equipment.

Term begins September 1st. We await your owl no later than July 31st.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonigall'

Minerva McGonigall

Deputy headmistress

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you two?"

"You were close with our names. James and Lily taught you well. I am Albus Dumbledore and this is Minerva McGonigall."

I was so excited to finally meet them. But the thought of my parents. I lost the excitement.

"I was hoping that someday I would get to meet both of you! Wait…my parents were a witch and wizard?"

The thought of that saddened me too. "And no one thought to tell me…" I thought.

"They were the best." Professor McGonigall said.

I looked back at the letter. Reading is over and over again.

"Heather,"

After staring at the for a few minutes, Headmaster Dumbledore began talking to me.

"We have decided that it would be better if you left the Dursleys for awhile."

I looked at Dumbledore.

"I told you everything, didn't I?"

They all nodded their heads.

"I shouldn't have done that. Now you know and are going to tell everyone."

I started to go into hysterics.

"I'm gonna get in so much trouble! I'm never gonna live this down. I..."

"Calm down, Heather."

Hagrid put a hand on my shoulder. My knees started to buckle. I moved away from him. I don't like people touching me.

"One step at a time, Hagrid. She's not used to a man, especially a big man, being kind to her. She's afraid of all men." Dumbledore turned back to me. "What you have lived with is wrong and no one should treat you that way."

Dumbledore crouched to be eye level with me and put a hand on my shoulder. I flinched. Like I said, I don't like to be touched. Not even by nice old people.

"You will live with Hagrid for a couple of days until we can find a new family for you."

"It won't be a Muggle one either." Hagrid added.

"What's a Muggle, Hagrid?" I asked. It sounded pretty funny to me.

"Non-magic folk."

"Oh." I leaned over and whispered in Dumbledore's ear.

"Do I have to live with him?"

"He's the kindest man you will ever meet. He wouldn't harm a fly."

"But..."

"I almost fergot."

Hagrid reached into one of his many coat pockets and pulled out a box.

"'appy Birthday, Heather."

I opened the box. It had a cake inside that said : "Happy Berthday, Heather!"

"I might've sat on it on the way over. Sorry."

"That's alright." I replied.

I was really touched. I gave him a hug.

"Wow. My first birthday cake."

"Second." Hagrid said.

"Second?" I asked.

"Ya had one on yer first birthday. I was there."

"I'm sorry. But I don't remember you being there, I remember Mum and Dad, my Uncle Sus..."

"Who?" They asked together.

"I could never pronounce his name. I don't remember what it is. Anyway, Ummm...he wasn't really my uncle. He was one of my Dad's best friends. I think." I thought for another moment. "Wait a second! I remember another person. This guy was a sky-scraper tall man, he seemed to be able to touch the sky."

I turned to Hagrid.

"You're my Uncle Iggy!"

"Ya remembered! I thought ya wouldn't remember 'cause ya was only a baby when I visited ya."

Tears were in his eyes.

"Well, at least I can say Hagrid now. Ummm...that's all I can remember. But you're not really my uncle are you."

"No. Sad ter say I'm not. I wished yer parents would've picked me as yer godfather. I would've loved it if ya would've lived with me. Ya was the cutest little baby I had ever saw. I remember ya couldn't say Hagrid. Ya couldn't even say Haggy, but I knew ya was talkin' ter me. I loved ya a lot."

He started to cry.

"I still der. I tried ter persuade Dumbledore ter let ya live with mer 'til yer godfather came, but he said it would be better if ya lived with yer real family. I brought ya here on this same bike. I couldn't let ya go. I cried all the way back home. I knew it was a bad idear. I knew I shoulda rescued ya. Seein' as how they was treatin' ya."

He let out a huge sob. I gave him a hug.

"it's okay, Hagrid. I still love you. I also forgive you. It would have been awesome if I could have lived with you. Dumbledore has his reasons why I couldn't live with you, but I can now."

He looked into my eyes.

"It's only temp'rary."

"At least I'm staying with you. Dumbledore had his reasons,"

I turned to face Dumbledore." "didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. You are too young to understand right now. I will explain everything when you are older. Now, I think we should leave now. It's getting very late. And you,"

Dumbledore looked at me.

"You need to get some sleep because you will be shopping and meeting a family that really wants to meet you. They have a son your age. This will be his first year at Hogwarts too.'

"Are they nice?"

"They are extremely nice. Now I will see you later. Be good and don't get into trouble."

"I won't. And Dumbledore,"

He looked at me with his silvery grey eyes behind his half-moon spectacles.

"thank you for saving me."

I gave him a hug.

"And you too, Professor McGonigall. I don't need to say goodbye to you, Hagrid. But I do want to thank you for saving me."

He leaned down to my level and I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Uncle Iggy."

he blushed.

"It was nothin'."

I turned to say goodbye yo Dumbledore and Professor McGonigall, but they had disappeared.

"Where did they go?"

"They Apparated. Ya will learn that later on in school."

"That's really cool. Onward, uncle Iggy!"

"Wha'?"

"To your house!"

"Oh. But we're not goin' ter my house, we're stayin' at the Leaky Cauldron. I got us a room there."

"Cool. Where did you get this awesome bike?"

"It's not mine. I borrowed it from Sirius Black. I'll return it tomorrow, after ya meet the Weaselys."

"The Weaselys are the family I might be staying with, right?"

"Yeah."

"Have I met Sirius Black before? His name sounds very familiar."

"No!" Hagrid said quickly.

"I mean, ya might've seen him on the news. He's in Azkaban for murderin' thirteen people with one curse, in broad daylight."

"He killed thirteen people! He should be in prison!"

"He is. Azkaban's a lot more harder ter break outta than 'em Muggle prisons. He needed ter be arrested quickly so we got the Muggles ter help us ter. Anyways, ya must be tired. Let's get ter bed."

He climbed onto the motorcycle.

"Hop on!"

He held out a helmet for me.

"No thanks. I'm gonna ride this hog without one. Besides, I'm not the one driving."

"Ya sure? Don't want ya getting' hurt now."

"I'm sure."

"Suit yerself."

I got on and he started the 'cycle. The engine was loud and I heard the Dursley's front door open.

"Go, go, GO!" I screamed.

We rose onto the air and flew away.

"Hagrid! You didn't tell me that this thing could fly!"

"Everythin' flies in out world, Heather."

"Oh."

I was afraid at first, but as we were flying toward London, I became less afraid and I began to enjoy the ride, Soon after lifting off, I started to fall asleep.