Chapter Two: Meeting the Giant
Dumbledore was quietly humming a small tune to himself, a muggle song he had heard when he was out and about.
"Such clever muggles," he mused while dipping his hand into a jar filled with many assortments of candy. It was at this time he found his thoughts drifting to Harry.
"I wonder what he will be like," the old wizard thought to himself. "Will he be courageous facing danger, cunning in the direst hour, loyal to his friends, or intelligent beyond his age? Maybe, when it comes down to it, a little of each."
He then sighed while popping a candy in his mouth before disposing the paper. "Then again he is with those...people," he grumbled inwardly, thinking about the Durselys. Don't get him wrong, he didn't want to send him there, it was all for his protection of the blood wards. Protection from outside...
"But what about from within?" that morbid thought ran thought his head before an alarm sounded, scaring him right out of his robes.
"No!" Dumbledore shouted, jumping from his seat as he noticed a specific charmed item burst in flames.
It would be several days, after a fruitless search, before the Wizarding world found out that their savior was missing.
~One Week Later~
The newly announced John Riddle was walking though London all by himself. There was no way he could go back home, what was left of it anyway. He could only hope Dudley would forgive him when he sees what had happened.
"It's already been a week," John murmured to himself, clutching his growling stomach.
*John, I can hear your stomach for crying out loud! Get something to eat!* Paddy hissed from inside his hat.
*Kind of hard right now Paddy, I still feel kind of weak after what happened...I can't just summon something like I use to* Harry said to his friend, quietly as to not get stares at talking to no one. He had resorted to stealing food and water when he was desperate.
That and hide out. He had noticed several people looking for 'Harry Potter.' He feared that they were going to lock him up somewhere and throw away the key!
"I gotta say kid, yer' clothes clash with that 'at," came a voice in front of him. John looked up, startled, to see the tallest and biggest person he had ever seen in his life! He could see the giant's eyes, barely with all the hair in the way, widen when he saw John's eyes.
Just when John was about to defend his outfit, his stomach growled angrily. "Sup'ose you ar' hungry to eh?" the bearded giant said with a great laugh.
"Sorry sir," John said with a downtrodden sigh. The giant man seemed to frown.
"Now none of that! Come 'ere, I know a great pub that serves good food!" the giant said, clasping his hand on John's back, almost making him fall. "So what's yer' name?"
"Ha-ah-John," John said, quickly correcting himself as the man led him towards a pub. "John Riddle. What's yours?"
"Rubeus Hagrid is my name, but just calls me Hagrid eh?" Hagrid said as John nodded his head.
"Couldn't he 'append to be related to Tom, could he?" Hagrid thought to himself, thinking about a fellow student all those years ago, never knowing him to be Lord Voldemort.
"By the way John, where's yer' parents?" Hagrid asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
John seemed to flinch at that question. "They died in a car crash," he said morbidly.
Hagrid winced at that. "Sorry John...wait, you been meaning to tell me you've been on yer' own since then?" he asked.
John immediately jumped on that. It wasn't exactly a lie, but it's something believable.
"Yes sir," John said with a cool façade.
*Very well played John* Paddy spoke with a small hissing laugh as John held back a smile.
"Ah! The poor lit'le thing! How long 'as he been an orphan?" were Hagrid's thoughts before he seemed to look at John's eye again.
"Is that how yer' got that red eye?" Hagrid asked.
"I guess so," John said honestly, shrugging his shoulders.
Hagrid hummed before grinning. "Here we ar' John!" he boosted before frowning.
"That's right, only wizards can see this place! I can't believe that-," were Hagrid's thoughts before he was interrupted.
"The Leaky Cauldron? Sounds nice," John said while looking at the sign that had quickly came to focus.
"You can see that?" Hagrid asked him, looking surprised.
"Well, yeah, it's all right there," John said, pointing awkwardly at the sign, making Hagrid chuckle.
"Come on in John," Hagrid said before pushing the door open. Needles to say John was speechless as Hagrid pushed him in, looking at the people dressed weirdly.
"Hey Hagrid! Who's the kid?" the owner of the place called out.
"Hey Tom! This er' is Mr. Riddle, just stopping by for a bite to eat," Hagrid said.
Unknown to them, a hooded figure's head snapped up at the name 'Riddle'. The man watched them closely as both Hagrid and John sat down.
"It can't be, did my Lord have a son?" the hooded man thought to himself before moving over another table to hear the conversation.
"So while we wait for our stew," Hagrid began, having ordered for the both of them, "tell me a lit'le about yer'self John."
*Stay focused John, you are not Harry Potter anymore, think of new things!* came the quiet hiss of Paddy.
"Ah, well, I was born on July...15!" John said, catching himself again for almost saying something true about him. At least he didn't say July 31, his real birthday. "Uh, well you know my name, John Riddle, I live...well, wherever I guess," he said with shrug when someone set down their stew and two glasses of something John never saw before.
"What about friends?" Hagrid asked him, wondering if the boy has been alone all his life.
"Oh! Paddy," John said with a great grin, instantly brightening up. "He's my first and only friend."
Hagrid smiled widely at this. "Where is he?" he asked innocently.
"Inside my hat," John said brightly before Hagrid seemed to sputter and look at his top hat.
Paddy took this cue, though was inwardly wishing John didn't tell them about him, and slipped out of the flap of the hat, making Hagrid jump.
*Paddy, say hi to Hagrid*
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