Chapter 4 - Cousins
"James, My friend. You are not an easy person to find. Luckily I still have some old contacts in England." A large man yelled to James as he got out of the largest limo Harry had ever seen.
"Valentin, what are you doing here?" James replied.
"This is a nice house James, small but nice. Perhaps a larger one would be better for the famous British secret agent, no? I have come to help you get it. I have a job offer for you that will make you rich. Ha Ha" This man's voice boomed. But Harry was more struck by the man's face. It was the spitting image of someone he knew, knew very well indeed.
On seeing Harry, the stranger went on, "James, I did not know you had a son!!!"
"Harry isn't my son, Valentin, he's a local lad helping me on the house." James sounded slightly upset with his friend.
"What did he mean calling you the famous British secret agent, James?" Harry asked.
"Go help Valentin with that basket Harry" James said quickly changing the subject.
"I have brought some good Russian vodka to drink while we talk about the job." Valentin limped up to the front porch of the house and handed Harry a large picnic basket. The three of them sat on the porch eating caviar and drinking, James and Valentin, vodka and Harry, orange juice. Harry liked the caviar but when Valentin gave Harry a little sip of vodka to try, Harry spat it out gasping. It tasted horrible. James and Valentin laughed at this for a long time.
Harry kept looking at Valentin very closely. Finally Valentin noticed. "So you like my face, I think, yes?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Harry felt extra embarrassment for staring, as he knew how much he hated it when others stared at his face with the scar. "But you look very like someone I know."
"A handsome man, yes?" Valentin said vainly.
"Ha" James laughed. "Perhaps Harry is thinking of a back end of a cow."
"No, I mean it's just the groundskeeper at school" Harry replied. He was now not so sure if he should have said anything.
"A groundskeeper?" Valentin looked offended.
"And teacher, he's one of the best people at Hog… I mean school. Hagrid, Rubus Hagrid is his name. Its just that you look so much like him."
Valentin looked thunderstruck. "Hagrid, you know my second cousin Hagrid. Ha, it is as you English say a small world. But that would mean you are… Ah I see, yes. James, your young friend here has secrets of his own. Do not worry Harry your secret is safe with me. And give my regards to my large cousin, yes? And take some vodka for him, he enjoys it very much."
"Secret what secret." James asked looking closely at Harry's blushing face.
"Ah, isn't it time we got back to work?" Harry was not as good at changing the subject as James was and it did not work, not with Valentin there. It turned out that Valentin was as indiscrete as his cousin Hagrid when it came to secrets. Beside he enjoyed putting these two on the spot as far as their pasts were concerned.