Title: Time Warp: Year One
Author: Laen
Chapter: (1) Back In Time
Summary: Harry makes a wish to go back in time to change his life, so everything was different, so he could've made a difference... here's the catch... it actually happens.
Disclaimer: All characters below belong to Joanne K. Rowling, the idea of Harry going back in time came from Back to the Future.
Author's Note: Hey people, new fanfic~ don't worry, I'm planning to finish the other gazillion fan fiction stories sometime in the next ten years ^^ Hope you enjoy this... and remember, READ AND REVIEW!
*****
In slow motion, Harry watched as the death eater pull the gun out of his robes, and point it at Hermione. After taking aim, the death eater took fire.
"No!" Harry shouted as he watched the bullet make contact with the muggle born witch. Hermione fell backwards towards the ground, and Harry felt his heart shatter into pieces.
'No... She can't be dead...' Harry thought to himself as he ran forward towards her.
"Hermione? Hermione?" Harry whispered as he slowly picked her up from the ground, and checked her pulse for a heartbeat.
Nothing.
She was dead.
"Oops, did I kill Potter's girlfriend?" a cruel voice asked as Harry looked up at Hermione's attacker.
"Lucius." Harry growled as he glared at the blonde man.
"The Dark Lord wishes you a 'Happy Birthday'. And we hope you enjoy your present. Not to mention the cake."
The moment Lucius finished the sentence; a large cake appeared in front of Harry. Sixteen candles were lit upon it, and the frosting was emerald green.
"Happy Birthday, Harry Potter." Lucius whispered before he disappeared with a pop.
Tears began to slide down the sixteen year old boy's face as he closed his eyes, yelling at himself silently for not being able to save his best friend.
"I'm sorry." He said as last as he looked down towards Hermione.
She looked so peaceful...
"I'm so sorry..." Harry whispered as tears continued to stream down his face.
As Harry raised his right arm to wipe his tears off his face, he thought back to Lucius' last words.
"We hope you enjoy your present. Not to mention the cake."
The cake... should he blow the candles out? Make a wish?
'The only thing you want at this moment can't be given to you... she's dead already.' A voice inside Harry's head muttered as the sixteen year old birthday boy shut his eyes tightly.
"It doesn't hurt to try, does it?" Harry thought to himself as he opened his eyes again, and looked at the cake that was levitating in front of him.
'No, it doesn't.' The voice inside his head replied as Harry got to his feet and approached the cake.
"I wish I could go back in time," Harry began as he took a deep breath and sighed slowly, "I wish I had a chance to stop all this. To make a difference. To have a chance to be with Hermione again... to tell her how I felt."
Slowly, Harry inhaled a gasp of air, and blew the candles out, one by one. The moment the last flame disappeared, Harry felt a tug, and the nauseous feeling he always got when he was using a port key.
Shutting his eyes tightly, he waited for something to happen, for someone to say something. But he only heard the sound of rain around and above him... and solid ground. He was now lying down... beneath him he felt a cold and solid ground. Snoring could be heard from nearby, and a frown appeared onto Harry's face.
As he opened his eyes, he looked around his surroundings... he seemed to be in a room of some sort... and the surroundings seem very familiar to him... Looking around as he sat up, he noticed a couch right next to him, and upon it was... Dudley? Taking a quick look around him once more, he recognized his surroundings as the shack he had stayed in when he had first met Hagrid.
BOOM!
The whole shack shivered, and Harry's head snapped towards the direction of the door... someone was outside, knocking to come in.
BOOM! They knocked again, this time, the loud sound woke Dudley up.
"Where's the cannon?" he asked stupidly as Harry frowned.
He had already gone through all this before... five years ago... in the past... back in time...
Suddenly, the fact hit Harry straight in the face, and he realized what had happened. He had gone back in time.
As he heard a loud crash come from behind, he saw his Uncle come skidding into the room holding a rifle in his hands.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you—I'm armed!"
There was a paused, and Harry knew what was going to happen next.
SMASH!
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.
The giant—Hagrid obviously, squeezed his way into the hut, stooping 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..."
Harry watched as the man strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the giant.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"An' here's Harry!" said Hagrid as he looked down at the young boy.
"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," Hagrid smiled. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes."
Behind Harry, Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," Hagrid muttered as he reached over the back of the soft, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the corner.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on before shutting up.
"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."
From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box and handed it to Harry, who opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.
Harry looked up at the giant with a grin. He wanted to say thanks, but for some reason, he ended up asking, "Who are you?"
As the giant chuckled, Harry thought back to something Hermione told him in their third year about time travelling... they weren't aloud to change anything... otherwise the future could be altered very badly.
"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.
"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."
His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled crisp packets 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 hurt with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath.
The giant sat back down onto 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 sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs and a bottle of some amber liquid which he took a swig from before starting to make tea.
Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little.
"Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley." Uncle Vernon said sharply as Hagrid chuckled darkly.
"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' any more, Dursley, don' worry."
He passed the sausages to Harry, who ate three of them, before getting up, and walking over to Dudley and offering the sausages to him.
"You've got to be hungry. Eat some." He said as his cousin looked over at Uncle Vernon, who looked like he was about to kill, then back at Harry.
"I already ate three of them, they're really good. Don't worry, they're not poison." Harry said as he held it out to his cousin, who immediately grabbed the sausages and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Why'd yeh do tat?" Hagrid asked as he looked over his Harry.
"He's my cousin. And he hasn't eaten anything for the last few hours. He's probably starving." Harry said as Dudley handed him the plate back gratefully and he walked back over to Hagrid.
Harry knew for a fact he probably shouldn't have done that, but if he was going to relive the last five years of his life, he might as well start off by mending a few things with Dudley. Otherwise the summers he spent after he returned from Hogwarts may be hell.
"I see, well, I guess you'd be wanting your letter now? About Hogwarts—I'm surprised the stupid muggles didn't give it to you in the first place." Hagrid said as he reached into his jacket.
"Stop!" Uncle Vernon shouted suddenly, "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything."
Hagrid looked up at the man and with a furious look that probably would've killed before speaking in an angry tone.
"You never told him did you? 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 away from him all these years?" Hagrid growled as he looked over at Harry.
"I FORBID YOU FROM TELLING HIM ANYTHING!" Uncle Vernon yelled in panic as Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.
"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh." Hagrid said. "Harry—yer a wizard."
There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.
"I'm a what?" Harry finally said as he suddenly remembered his first reply to Hagrid after he had found out who he really was.
"A wizard, o' course," said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "and' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else woiuld yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yeh letter."
Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, address in emerald green to Mr H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read it out loud, although he knew what it contained.
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 a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Harry was silent for a moment, knowing that he was supposed to be thinking of questions to ask, after a few minutes, he finally asked "What does it mean, they await my own?"
"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead before reaching into a pocket in his over coat and pulled an owl, a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teen he scribbled a note which Harry could read upside down.
Dear Mr. Dumbledore,
Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.
Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.
Hagrid.
Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it 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.
"Where was I?" Hagrid asked, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight to speak.
"He's not going." He said as Hagrid grunted.
"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him." He said as Uncle Vernon glared at him. Harry didn't bother to ask what a muggle meant.
"We swore when he took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "Swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard, indeed!"
Harry suddenly felt anger surge through him, and the fact that he had already lived this once was soon forgotten as he began to yell at his uncle.
"You knew? You knew I'm a—a wizard?" he asked angrily.
"Knew?" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that—that school—and came home every holiday with her pockets full of frog-spawn, turning teacups into rats—"
"You can't use magic outside of Hogwarts!" Harry cut in, but Aunt Petunia made no sign of stopping.
"—I was the only one who saw her for what she was—a freak! 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 she had been wanting to say all this for years.
"And 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!"
"Blown up? Blown up?" Harry shouted angrily as he glared at his aunt, "You told me they died in a car crash!"
Suddenly Harry realized what was going on, and stopped himself from continuing. He shouldn't have exploded like that—he knew what was coming next...
"CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursley scuttled back to their corner.
"How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not know' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name—"
"I do know." Harry whispered suddenly, causing all eyes in the hut to look towards his direction.
"What?" Uncle Vernon asked quietly as Harry looked up at him.
"I do know." Harry repeated as his uncle's face turned pale.
"How?" he asked as Harry began to shake.
"I just do." He replied as his uncle glared at Hagrid with his fists clenched.
"Now, you listen here, boy," Uncle Vernon snarled. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured—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—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—"
At that moment, Hagrid leapt from the soft and few 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..."
At that moment, Uncle Dursley fell silent, and flattened himself against the wall again, obviously scared that Hagrid would attack him.
"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the soft which this time sagged right down to the floor.
"Hagrid, I think you've made a mistake." Harry suddenly said, but why he had said it, he had no idea.
"I can't be a wizard." Harry continued, while mentally yelling at himself for asking such a stupid question.
"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared, or angry?" Hagrid asked as Harry looked into the fire, remembering the things that have happened to him in the past.
After a few minutes, he turned back to 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."
But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight... at least... not yet...
"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—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—"
"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
But he had gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head. "NEVER—" HE THUNDERED, "—INSULT—ALBUS—DUMBLEDORE—IN—FRONT—OF—ME!"
He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley—and before Harry knew it, he had leaped forward and pushed the umbrella towards the direction of his uncle, away from Dudley.
There was a flash of violet light, a sound like a fire crack, a sharp squeal and the next second you know, Uncle Vernon was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his 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.
Aunt Petunia was in shock, as she pushed her husband into the other room—completely forgetting about Dudley in the process, she cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.
Dudley looked like he was about to burst into tears in shock that his mum had left him there in the room with Harry and Hagrid, but Harry spoke first.
"You shouldn't have done that... if I hadn't pushed the umbrella you might've gotten Dudley." Harry whispered as he looked over at his cousin, who for the first time in his life, look at Harry in gratefulness.
"Why'd yeh do tat?" Hagrid asked as Harry looked at up the giant.
"If you were mad at my uncle, you could've just attacked my uncle. You didn't have to take it out on Dudley. Although I have to admit, that was cool." Harry said as the sad expression on Hagrid's face disappeared, and a smile appeared onto it.
"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 reason I was so keen ter take on the job—"
"I see." Harry said, not bothering to ask Hagrid why he wasn't supposed to use magic, but Dudley asked anyways.
"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" the fat eleven year old asked as Hagrid looked over at him.
"Oh, well—I was at Hogwarts meself but I—er—got expelled, ter 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."
"Why were you expelled?" Harry asked, before Dudley had a chance to, afraid what the giant may do to his cousin.
"It's getting' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."
He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.
"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I've still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."
The giant yawned, before closing his eyes, and immediately falling asleep. Harry looked over at his cousin, who still had a look of both fear an shock on his eyes, and smiled slightly.
"We can share this." He offered as he held Hagrid's jacket up, Dudley nodded slightly, before walking over to Harry, and lied down onto the ground.
Harry had also sat lied down onto the ground, and placed the large jacket over both he and Dudley, and slowly fell asleep.
Harry woke early the next morning. Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight.
"It was a dream," he told himself firmly. "I dreamed that I went back in time... when I wake up... I'll be at St. Mongo's Hospital. Dumbledore will be there..."
There was suddenly a loud tapping noise, and Harry realized he wasn't dreaming. He opened his eyes, and sat up.
Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him, and slid onto Dudley, who was still asleep.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Harry looked over to the window, and saw an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.
He scrambled to his feet, and went straight to the window to jerk it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered on to the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.
"Don't do that." Harry muttered as Dudley groaned slightly, waking up from his sleep.
"Hagrid!" Harry said loudly. "There's an owl—"
"Pay him." Hagrid grunted into the sofa.
Harry immediately got to his knees, and began looking through the coat.
"What? What are you doing?" Dudley asked in a sleepy tone as he sat up.
"Help me look for some coins in here. Little bronze ones." Harry said as his cousin joined him on the search for the Wizarding money.
After a few seconds, Dudley found them, and Harry counted five of them and the owl held out its leg so he could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then it flew off through the open window.
Hagrid yawned loudly, sat up and stretched.
"Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school. Come on." Hagrid said as he got to his feet.
Harry and Dudley both got up, and Dudley handed Hagrid his cloak.
"Excuse me... but can I come with you? Dad might go crazy and starve me again." Dudley asked as Harry looked up at Hagrid.
"I'll be okay with it." Harry said as the giant nodded, and headed off towards the door.
Harry grabbed his box of cake before he and Dudley followed him outside on to the rock. The sky was quite clear now and the sea gleamed in the sun light. The boat Uncle Vernon had hired was still there, with a lot of water in the bottom after the storm.
"How did you get here?" Dudley asked as he looked around for another boat.
"Flew." Said Hagrid as he picked up the boat, and dumped the water out of it before placing it back down and getting into it.
"You flew?" Dudley asked in shock as Hagrid nodded.
"Yeah—but we'll go back in this. Not s'pposed ter use magic now that I've got Harry." Hagrid explained as Harry and Dudley both got onto the boat.
"Seems a shame ter row, though," said Hagrid, giving Harry and Dudley a sideways look. "If I was ter—er—speed things up a bit, would yeh mind not mentionin' it at Hogwarts?"
"Of course not!" Harry said with a smile as Hagrid pulled the pink umbrella again, tapped it twice on the side of the boat and they sped off towards land.
"Excuse me sir... um... Hagrid... but Harry doesn't have any money... my dad said he won't let him pay for it." Dudley said as Hagrid looked at him for a moment.
"Don't worry about that," said Hagrid as he scratched his head. "D'yeh think Harry's parents didn't leave 'im anything?"
"But if their house was destroyed—"
"They didn't keep their gold in the house. They kept it at Gringotts. Wizards' bank." Hagrid explained as Dudley looked at him in shock.
"Wizards have banks?" he asked as Hagrid nodded.
"Just the one. Gringotts. Run by goblins. Yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it, I'll tell yeh that. Never mess with goblins. Gringotts is the safest place in the world fer anything yeh want ter keep safe—'cept maybe Hogwarts. As a matter o' fact, I gotta visit Gringotts anyways. Fer Dumbledore. Hogwarts business." Hagrid said as he unfolded his newspaper, and began to read the Daily Prophet.
"Why'd you be mad to rob it?" Dudley asked curiously as Hagrid read his newspaper.
"Spells—enchantments," said Hagrid. "They say there's dragons guardin' the high security vaults. And then yeh gotta find yer way—Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London, see. Deep under the underground. Yeh'd die of hunger tryin' ter get out, even if yeh did manage ter get yer hands on summat."
For a while, Dudley and Harry sat in silence as Hagrid read the paper quietly.
"Ministry o' Magic messin' things up as usual." Hagrid muttered at last as he turned the page to continue reading.
"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Dudley asked as Hagrid grunted.
"'Course," said Hagrid. "They wanted Dumbledore fer Minister, o' course, but he'd never leave Hogwarts, so old Cornelius Fudge got the job. Bungler if ever there was so. So he pelts Dumbledore with owls every morning, askin' fer advice."
"But what does a Ministry of Magic do?" Dudley continued to ask.
"Well, their main job is to keep it from the Muggles that there's still witches an' wizards up an' down the country." Hagrid explained.
"Why?" Dudley asked as Harry rolled his eyes, did he really sound that stupid five years ago?
"Why? Blimey, Dudley, everyone'd be wantin' magic solutions to their problems. Nah, we're best left alone."
At this moment the boat bumped gently into the harbour wall. Hagrid folded up his newspaper and they clambered up the stone steps on to the street.
Passers-by stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the little down to the station. Harry couldn't blame them. Not only was Hagrid twice as all as anyone else, he kept pointing at perfectly ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly, "See that, Harry? Things these Muggles dream up, eh?"
Dudley didn't ask anymore questions, he spent all of his energy in trying to keep up with Hagrid, along with Harry.
Finally, they arrive at the station. There was a train to London in five minutes' time. Hagrid, who didn't under 'Muggle money', as he called it, gave the notes to Harry and Dudley so they could buy the tickets.
When they got onto the train, people stared even more. Probably because Hagrid took up two seats, and began knitting what looked like a canary-yellow circus tent.
"Still got yer letter, Harry?" Hagrid asked as he counted stitches.
Harry took the parchment envelope out of his poet.
"Good," said Hagrid. "There's a list there of everything yeh need."
Harry unfolded a second piece of paper and began to read it to himself. Beside him, Dudley leaned over to read too, and Harry held it so both he and his cousin could read the material.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Uniform
First year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags
Set Books
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
Other Equipment
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
"Can we buy this all in London?" Dudley asked outloud.
"If yeh know where to go." Said Hagrid.
When Hagrid, Dudley and Harry finally arrived in London, Hagrid led them around the city for around twenty minutes before they finally stoped.
"This is it," said Hagrid as he pointed at the shop, "the Leaky Cauldron. It's a famous place."
It was a tiny, grubby-looking pub. If Hagrid hadn't pointed it out, Harry doubt Dudley would've been able to see it. The people hurrying by didn't glance at it. Their eyes slid from the big book shop on one side to the record shop on the other as if they couldn't see the Leaky Cauldron at all. But before Dudley or Harry could say a thing, Hagrid had already steered them inside.
For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby. A few old woman were sitting in a corner, drinking tiny glasses of sherry. One of them was smoking a long pipe. A little man in a top hat was talking to the old barman, who was quite bald and looked like a gummy walnut. The low buzz of chatter stopped when they walked in. Everyone seemed to know Hagrid; they waved and smiled at him, and the barman reached for a glass, saying, "The usual, Hagrid?"
"Can't, Tom, I'm on Hogwarts business," said Hagrid, clapping his great hand on Harry's shoulder and making Harry's knees buckle.
"Good lord," said the barman, peering at Harry, "is this—can this be—?"
The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.
"Bless my soul," whispered the old bar man. "Harry Potter... what an honour."
He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed towards Harry and seized his hand, tears in his eyes.
"Welcome back, Mr Potter, welcome back."
"It's good to be back Tom." Harry replied almost instantly, causing the smile on the old barman's face to widen.
Then there was a great scraping of chairs and next moment, Harry found himself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Doris Crockford, Mr Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."
"So proud, Mr Potter, I'm just so proud."
"Always wanted to shake your hand—I'm all of a flutter."
"Delighted, Mr Potter, just can't tell you. Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."
"I've seen you before!" said Harry, as Dedalus Diggle's top had fell off in his excitement. "You bowed to me once in a shop."
"He remembers!" cried Dedalus Diggle, looking around at everyone. "Did you hear that? He remembers me!"
Harry shook hands again and again—Doris Crockford kept coming back for more.
A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.
"Professor Quirrell!" said Hagrid, "Harry, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."
Harry's expression suddenly paled, as he remembered the teacher. But he kept his cool, knowing he couldn't do anything sudden.
"P—P—Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping Harry's hand, "c—can't t—tell you how p—pleased I am to meet you."
"I'm glad to meet you too, Professor." Harry said slowly, trying to keep his face straight, and his voice normal.
The crowd of people around Harry, Dudley, and Hagrid 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, Dudley."
Doris Crockford shook Harry's hand one last time and Harry led them through the bar and out into a small walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a dustbin and a few weeds.
"Told yeh, didn't I? Told yeh you was famous. Even Professor Quirrell was tremblin' ter meet yeh—mind you, he's usually tremblin'."
"I see." Harry said, wanting to drop the subject on one of his most hated teachers.
"Three up... two across..." Hagrid muttered as he held his umbrella up to the wall. Harry quickly pulled Dudley back a few steps as Hagrid tapped the brick three times with the point of his umbrella.
The brick he had touched quivered—it wriggled—in the middle, a small hole appeared—it grew wider and wider—a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for Hagrid, an archway on to a cobbled street which twisted and turned out of sight.
"Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."
Harry wasn't really that amazed, but Dudley on the other hand, seemed to be in shock. As they stepped through the archway, both Harry and Dudley looked quickly over their shoulders and saw the archway shrink instantly back into a solid wall.
After walking for about two minutes or so, they reached a snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was—
"Yeah, that's a goblin." Hagrid muttered to Harry and Dudley as they quietly walked up the white stone steps towards him. The goblin was about a head shorter than Harry. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard, and, Harry noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as they walked inside. Now they were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:
Enter, stranger, but take heed
Of what awaits the sin of greed,
For those who take, but do not earn,
Must pay most dearly in their turn,
So if you seek beneath our floors
A treasure that was never yours,
Thief, you have been warned, beware
Of finding more than treasure there.
"Like I said, yeh'd be mad ter try an' rob it." Hagrid said as Dudley shuddered slightly.
A pair of goblins bowed them through the silver doors and they were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in long ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. Hagrid, Dudley, and Harry made for the counter.
"Morning," said Hagrid to a free goblin. "We've come ter take some money outta Mr Harry Potter's safe."
"You have his key, sir?" the goblin asked.
"Got it here somewhere," said Hagrid and he started emptying his pockets on to the counter, scattering a handful of mouldy dog biscuits over the goblin's book of numbers. The goblin wrinkled his nose. Harry and Dudley watched the goblin on their right weighing a pile of rubies as big as glowing coals.
"Got it," said Hagrid at last, holding up a tiny golden key.
The goblin looked at it closely.
"That seems to be in order." He said as he handed the key back to Hagrid.
"An' I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said Hagrid importantly, throwing out his chest. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."
The goblin read the letter carefully.
"Very well," he said, handing it back to Hagrid, "I will have someone take you down to both vaults. Griphook!"
Griphook was yet another goblin. Once Hagrid had crammed all the dog-biscuits into his pocket, he, Dudley, and Harry followed Griphook towards one of the doors leading off the hall.
"What's the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen?" Dudley asked.
"Can't tell yeh that," said Hagrid mysteriously. "Very secret. Hogwarts business. Dumbledore's trusted me. More'n my job's worth ter tell yeh that."
Griphook held the door open for them, then led them down the narrow stone passage-way that was lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downwards and there were little railway tracks on the floor. Griphook whistled and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks towards them. They climbed in—Hagrid with some difficulty—and were off.
After what seemed like ten or twenty minutes, the cart stopped at last beside a small door in the passage wall, Hagrid got out and had to lean against the wall to stop his knees from trembling.
Griphook unlocked the door. A lot of green smoke came billowing out, and as it cleared, Harry heard Dudley gasp in shock. Inside were mounds of hold coins. Columns of silver. Heaps of little bronze knuts.
"All yours." Smiled Hagrid as Dudley and Harry walked into the room slowly.
Hagrid helped Harry pile some of the coins into a bag, but Harry had asked the goblin for another bag, and began filling it with Galleons.
"How come yeh getting' so much?" Hagrid asked as Harry grabbed two handfuls and stuff it into the bag.
"Getting some other stuff... I'll need a trunk won't I? Not to mention some extra reading material." Harry said.
"The gold ones are Galleons," Hagrid began to explain, "Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty nine Knuts to a Sickle, it's easy enough. I think that's enough fer a couple o' terms, we'll keep the rest safe for yeh." Hagraid said as he turned to Griphook. "Vault seven hundred and thirteen now, please, and can we go more slowly?"
"One speed only," said Griphook.
They were going even deeper now and gathering speed. They air became colder and colder as they hurtled round tight corners. They went rattling over an underground ravine and Dudley leant over the side to try and see what was down at the dark bottom but Hagrid groaned and pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.
Vault seven hundred and thirteen had no keyhole.
"Stand back," said Griphook importantly. He stroked the door gently with one of his long fingers and it simply melted away.
"If anyone but a Gringotts goblin tried that, they'd be sucked through the door and trapped in there," said Griphook.
"How often do you check to see if anyone's inside?" Dudley asked.
"About once every ten years." Harry answered as Griphook gave him a look, but didn't ask how he knew.
Something really extraordinary had to be inside this top security vault, Dudley was sure, and he leant forwards eagerly, expecting to see fabulous jewels at the very least—but at first he though it was empty. Harry, who knew exactly what was in there, didn't bother to look. Dudley continued to look, then he noticed a grubby little package wrapped up in brown paper lying on the floor. Hagrid picked it up and tucked it deep inside his coat.
One wild cart-ride later they were back in Gringotts. Harry exchanged a few galleons into pounds before leaving the bank, knowing that he'd probably need it. Once they were outside, Harry didn't know where to run first now that he had a bag full of money; but he knew Hagrid would lead them off to get robes first. And he was right.
"Might as well get yer uniform" said Hagrid, nodding towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. "Listen, Harry, would yeh mind if I slipped off fer a pick-me-up in the Leaky Cauldron? I hate them Gringotts carts." Harry nodded quickly and headed towards the shop with Dudley.
Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.
"Hogwarts, dear?" she asked as Harry nodded slightly.
"I also need some clothes. For outside of school. As you can see..." before Harry had a chance to finish the sentence, Madam Malkin had already lead him towards the back of the shop.
When Dudley and Harry got to the back, Harry saw a boy with a pale, pointed face standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood Harry on a stool next to him, slipped a long robe over his head and began to pin it to the right length. Harry recognized the boy as Draco Malfoy, his worse enemy from school.
"Hullo," said the boy dully, "Hogwarts too?"
"Yes," Harry said as he looked over at Dudley, and gave him a look as if to tell him to save him, but his cousin looked back at him blankly.
"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," Draco continued, "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."
"Have you got your own broom?" Malfoy went on.
"Not yet. I will soon." Harry replied in a monotone voice.
"Play Quidditch at all?"
"Of course, I'm a seeker." Harry said proudly.
"I see. So do I, I'm also a seeker too—Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?" Draco asked as Harry nodded.
"Gryffindor. Both my parents were in there too." Harry said.
His reply must've shut him up easily, because they spent the next few minutes in silence.
"I saw, look at that man!" said Draco suddenly, nodding towards the front window. Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at a pan he had which held three ice cream cones, to show he couldn't come in.
"That's Hagrid, he works at Hogwarts. Really nice man." Harry said, knowing what Draco was about to say next.
"Oh, I've heard of him. He's a sort of servant, isn't he?" Draco asked as Harry threw him a dirty look.
"He's the gamekeeper." Harry said in a low and dangerous voice.
"Yes, exactly. I hear he's a sort of savage—lives in a hut in the school grounds and every now and then he gets drunk, tries to do magic and ends up setting fire to his bed."
"I bet he'll be the professor teaching Care of Magical Creatures in our third year." Harry said as he continued to speak in a dangerous tone.
"Oh really? Why are you standing up for him anyways? Is he with you?" Draco asked as Harry nodded.
"Where are you parents?" Draco continued to asked as Harry glared at him.
"They're dead." Harry replied.
"Oh, sorry," Draco said, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"
"If you were listening to what I had said earlier, you would've heard that I mentioned they were both in Gryffindor." Harry said as he rolled his eyes and looked away, obviously thinking that Draco was some sort of idiot.
"What's your name? Do you not know who I am?" Draco asked as Harry threw him another dirty look.
"I know exactly who you are Malfoy. Your parents worked for the dark lord." Harry said the last sentence in barely a whisper, so only Draco could hear.
"And as for my name, I'm sure you've heard of it. It's Potter. Harry James Potter." Harry spat out as Draco's face paled even more.
Before Draco had a chance to say something, Madam Malkin said, "That's you done, my dear." And Harry, not sorry for an excuse to stop talking to Draco, hopped down from the footstool immediately.
"Well, I'll be looking forward to seeing you at Hogwarts, I supposed." Draco said as Harry looked back at him.
"At least one of us is. I know I won't be." Harry said coldly before he and Dudley went to pay for the robes and clothes.
When they finally got out, Harry was holding tons of bags in his hands. Hagrid handed Dudley his ice cream, and he ate it up eagerly.
"Can we go get a trunk? Maybe some that can shrink? I don't want to carry this around all day." Harry said as Hagrid led them to a nearly trunk store.
Harry looked through a few of them, but in the end, bought a trunk that was quite similar to Mad-Eye Moody's. With nine compartments, and was shrinkable. It ended up to be ten galleons in the end.
They headed to buy some parchment and quills next, then they went to Flourish and Blotts to get Harry's books.
Harry had bought not only the set of books the first years were supposed to get, but also the set the six years and seventh years were supposed to get. When Hagrid asked Harry why'd he bought those, Harry just replied, "Reading Material."
Harry stored everything in his trunk, which he enlarged and shrank a few times to place the items in. Next, they went to get Harry's cauldrons, a wand holder, and brass telescopes. After that, they went to the Apothecary. Which smelled like a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages.
As Hagrid asked the man behind the counter for a supply of some basic potion ingredients for Harry, Harry and Dudley looked around the shop. After they left the store, Hagrid checked Harry's list again.
"Just yer wand left—oh yeah, an' I still haven't got yeh a birthday present."
Harry felt himself go red, even though he had been through this situation once.
"You don't have to—"
"I know I don't have to. Tell yeh what, I'll get yer animal. Not a toad, toads went outta fashion years ago, yeh'd be laughed at—an' I don' like cats, they make me sneeze. I'll get yer an owl. All the kids want owls, they're dead useful, carry yer post an' everythin'."
Twenty minutes later, they left Eeylops Owl Emporium, which had been dark and full of rustling and flickering, jewel-rbight eyes. Harry now carried a large cage which held a beautiful snowy own, fast asleep with her head under her wing. Harry had named it Hedwig, just because he knew that was the name for it. He had thanks Hagrid around a million times, and only stopped after Hagrid told him to.
"Don' mention it," Hagrid said gruffly. "Don' expect you've had a lotta presents from them Dursleys—" at that moment, Dudley coughed, and gave Harry a look of apology. "—Just Ollivanders left now—only place fer wands, Ollivanders, and yeh gotta have the best wand."
Harry smiled, he remembered when he choose his wand. He wondered if he should just ask for the wand right off the bat, or wait a few hours trying to find the right one. The last shop was narrow and shabby.
Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Find Wands since 382BC. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single spindle chair which Hagrid sat on to wait.
"Good morning." Said a soft voice. Dudley jumped. Hagrid also jumped, too, because there was a loud crunching noise and he quickly jumped off the spindly chair.
"Hello." Harry said awkwardly.
"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Harry Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."
Mr Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blind. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.
"Your father, on the other hand, favoured a mahogany wand. Evelyn inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favoured it—it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."
Mr Ollivander had come so close that he and Harry were almost nose to nose. Harry could even see himself reflected in those misty eyes.
"And that's where..."
Mr Ollivander touched the lighting scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger.
"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."
"Speaking about that wand..." Harry cut in suddenly, "is there any wand that's similar to it? Say... the unicorn or phoenix tail feather came from the same animal... or something like that?"
Mr Ollivander paused for a moment and frowned, thinking.
"There is one... a very unusual combination—holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." Mr Ollivander suddenly turned around to grab the wand, and returned in a few seconds to hand the wand to Harry.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry said in barely a whisper as he swished his wand, a nearly box slow floated up into the air, and a small grin appeared onto his face.
Suddenly, a stream of read and gold sparks short from the end like firework, throwing dancing sports of light on to the walls. Hagrid whooped and clapped as Mr Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious..."
He put Harry's wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious..."
"It's brother gave me the scar huh?" Harry said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"How did you—"
"I requested to see a wand that was similar to You-Know-Whos." Harry said with a smile.
"Of course. Well, the wand is seven galleons." Mr Ollivander said as Harry nodded, and paid for the wand before leaving the shop.
The late afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Harry, Dudley, and Hagrid made their way back down Diagon Alley, back through the wall, back through the Leaky Cauldron, now empty. Harry didn't speak at all as they walked down the road; he didn't even notice how much people were gawping at them on the Underground, laden as they were with all their funny-shape packages, with the sleeping snowy owl on Harry's lap.
Up another escalator, out into Paddington station Harry only realised where they were when Hagrid tapped him on the shoulder. He had bought Harry and Dudley both a hamburger and they sat down on plastic seats to eat them.
"Yer ticket fer Hogwarts," Hagrid said as he handed Harry an envelope, which Harry pocked. "First o' September—King's Cross—it's all on yer ticket. Any problem with the Dursleys, send me a letter with yer owl, she'll know where to find me… See yeh soon, Harry."
With that, Dudley and Harry got onto the train. They sat down onto the chair, and looked out the window to watch Hagrid until he was out of sight, but as Harry blinked, Hagrid disappeared.
"Harry—do you think mum and dad would be mad?" Dudley asked as Harry looked over at him.
"I wonder if they even got off that rock yet." Harry said with a grin.
"They've probably got half of London looking for me." Dudley smiled.
"Just wondering..." Harry said suddenly as he looked over at his cousin.
"Are you going to stop bullying me the rest of this summer?" Harry asked as Dudley's smile widened.
"Don't worry. I won't. The reason I treated you like that in the first place was because dad and mum told me to. They said you were some sort of freak. But—being a wizard is cool! I wish I was one!" Dudley with as Harry laughed.
"Oh yeah... Dudley, you might want to go on a diet this year... otherwise you'd spend the next summer eating graph fruit." Harry said as Dudley looked at him in a look a shock.
"No! Mum and dad would never do that!" Dudley stated.
"Dudley, I'm not joking... they really will do make you go on a diet... if you don't believe me, you can continue eating as much as you want this year. But I will be getting an emergency supply for food ready for next summer, in case we need it." Harry said as Dudley nodded his head at him.
"I'll start working out myself... see if I can lose a few pounds. I can barely run anyways." Dudley muttered as Harry smiled.
For the next few minutes, Harry and Dudley talked about the Wizarding world, and Hogwarts. When they finally got home, an hour later—after taking what seemed like a gazillion buses, they crept into the house silently.
They woke up the next day to Aunt Petunia's shrieking.
"DUDLEY! THANK GOD YOU'RE OK!" she had screamed as Harry sprung out of his bed in shock, his wand in his hand, ready for action. He groaned when he realized what was going on, and decided he might as well get up to see what's going on.
He noticed Uncle Vernon was there too, the pig tail sticking out of his butt, and his face quite pale.
"Hello." He said as the room went silent, and the three pairs of eyes shot towards his direction. A smile was on his face, and it didn't disappear at all.
"You—" Uncle Vernon growled as he got ready to attack, but Harry held his wand out in front of him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He whispered quietly as his uncle froze.
"You wouldn't dare..." his uncle whispered, but Harry just smiled and looked over at Dudley who winked at him quickly. Only causing his smile to widen.
"What did you do to Dudley yesterday?" Aunt Petunia asked as Harry looked over at her.
"Went to London. Walked around, got my school material. Ate some food. That was about it." Harry said as the expression on his aunt and uncle's face turned paler then it already was.
"If he's hurt at all... if he's... I'll kill you boy." Uncle Vernon threatened as Harry pointed his wand at him dangerous.
"Don't make me finish what Hagrid started. It's weird enough having you walk around with a pig's tail sticking out of your butt. Imagine what the neighbours would say if we suddenly got a pet pig." Harry said as his uncle's face turned red, then blue, then back to the original pale color.
"You wouldn't dare." He whispered as Harry smiled.
"Don't test me. You wouldn't want to know the results." Harry whispered as he smiled slightly, before leaving the room.
Harry had spent the next few hours reading through his first year books. Everything in there seem pretty simple compared to the material he had learned already. But still, he did what Hermione would've done. He memorized the books. Word by word. Then he moved onto the sixth year books.
He knew that he was going to have a tough year, going through everything he had learned already, not to mention the Philosopher's Stone. He would have to become friends with Ron and Hermione again, the same way he did before—meaning he had to go through the troll incident again.
Sighing as he placed his books into his trunk, he got up to leave the room. He had his wand with him, well hidden within his brand new clothes. He was now wearing a pair of brand new jeans, a white t-shirt, and even a brand new pair of runners. He and Dudley had stopped by a nearby shoe store to buy some on their way home yesterday night.
Inside his pockets, were enough pounds to last him for the summer. He was planning to go work out for the rest of the summer... but didn't know what he could do. Then the idea fell upon him... Karate.
He had found Dudley in his room, and had told him about the idea. The young boy agreed to tag along, and decided to suggest the idea to his parents. Uncle Vernon was okay with it, glad that his son was willing to go out and exercise, but was upset at the fact that Dudley had suggested that Harry tagged along with him.
But his unhappiness disappeared when Dudley mumbled something about "Beating the heck out of Harry afterwards." And immediately agreed to the karate classes. Aunt Petunia was to drive them to a nearby Judo, and they were to take classes for the next month or so, at least, until the summer was over.
And so the summer continued. Everyday Harry would wake up at 6 am, read for two hours, before going down and eating breakfast at 8. Then he and Dudley would both go to Karate classes from 9~11:30. From 11:30~2:00pm, they would go an eat lunch time, and maybe go play some basketball or hockey. Then they'd go back to the karate lessons, from 2:00pm~5:30pm.
By the time summer was nearly over, Dudley had lost over half his weight, and was now considered an 'average' boy. Both he and Harry were in great shape, and Harry had gotten contact lenses, knowing that it would probably be easier while he was at Hogwarts. The two boys had both advanced to the black belt, in a very short amount of time, since they were so hard working.
Then, Aunt Petunia even went out and got him some cover up make up, to cover up for the lightning bolt scar he had on his forehead. It took him a while to get used to how to use it, but after a few days, he got the hang of it, and you could barely tell he had a scar afterwards.
On the last day of August Harry through he'd better speak to his aunt and uncle about getting to King's Cross station next day, so he went down to the living-room where they were watching a quiz show on television. He cleared his throat to let them know he was there, before talking.
"Um... Uncle Vernon... I need to be at King's Cross tomorrow... to get to Hogwarts." He said as his Uncle grunted to show that he was listening.
"Would it be all right if you gave me a lift?" Harry asked as his Uncle grunted again. Harry took it as a yes.
"Thank you." Harry said as he turned to go back upstairs.
"Funny way to get to a wizards' school, the train. Magic carpets all got punctures, have they?" his uncle asked.
Harry didn't say anything.
"Where is this school, anyways?" he asked as Harry frowned.
"It's well hidden by magic, only wizards and witches can find it. So if I tell you, there's be no point anyways." Harry said as he heard his uncle grunt.
"Needed to go there anyways... this ruddy tail is driving me crazy." Uncle Vernon growled as Harry tried hard not to laugh while he ran up the stairs to his room.