"I've seen you around school," Samantha said. She knew Harry was about to learn about Hogwarts, so there was no use denying anything.
"School?" Harry asked. No one seemed to hear him.
"I've seen yeh 'round too. They say yeh're a mighty fine student, the Professors," the giant said. Samantha beamed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her uncle go back to the bedroom. "Move it, great lump," he told Dudley, who scampered to hide behind his mom. The giant took his place on the couch. Vernon came back into the room holding a rifle.
"Bit illegal, isn't that?" Samantha asked, pointing to his rifle. Vernon rolled his eyes.
"Oh, here's Harry and Lauren! Been a while since I seen yeh two. Yeh look like yer dad with yer mum's eyes, Harry, an' Lauren, like yer mum with yer dad's eyes," the man told them.
"Er, excuse me, but I'm not really sure who you are," Harry said timidly.
"Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce m'self. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts," he said. "Call me Hagrid, everyone does," Hagrid said.
"You're breaking and entering, I ask you to leave at once!" Vernon yelled.
"Be quiet, will yeh?" Hagrid said. "Anyways, Harry, happy birthday. Brought yeh somethin'. May've sat on it, but it'll taste the same." He handed Harry a slightly crushed package, which Harry opened. Samantha saw it was a birthday cake.
"That's nice, Hagrid," Samantha said, smiling happily.
Hagrid looked at the shriveled up chip bags and snorted. He bent over the fireplace. They couldn't see what he was doing, but when he pulled away there was a roaring fire. Samantha felt the warmth wash over her.
"I could've done that, if you'd've let me," Samantha told her aunt and uncle, who ignored her.
Hagrid took out some sausages and began cooking them. Dudley looked eagerly at them. "These aren't for yeh, yeh great pig," Hagrid said. Once he finished them, he handed two each to Lauren, Harry, and Samantha.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Samantha said gratefully.
Harry wolfed down his sausages, not taking his eyes off the giant. "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are," he said once he finished.
"Like I said, I'm keeper o' keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Yeh'll know what that is, o' corse," Hagrid said.
"No, actually, I don't," Harry said.
Hagrid looked at Samantha. "Does he not know?" he asked her.
Samantha shook her head. "Neither do. In the letter Professor Dumbledore left me, he told me not to tell them, let them grow up away from it. When I came back, I used not telling them as a way to get things for us. Then I wanted to see how far Uncle Vernon would go to keep it away from Harry," Samantha said, chuckling as Harry and Lauren both glared at her. "So they've got no idea."
"And you won't tell them! I will not have three freaks attending a freak school living in my house! One is bad enough!" Vernon cried.
"Don't call 'em freaks, Dursley, yeh great prune!" Hagrid said, pointing a pink umbrella at him like a sword.
"What's going on?" Harry asked.
Hagrid lowered the umbrella. "I didn't realize yeh didn't know nothin', Harry," Hagrid said.
"I know stuff, I know math and things," Harry said.
"Nah, stuff abou' tha' world. My world. Our world. Your sisters' world. Your parents world," Hagrid said.
"What world is this?" Lauren asked.
"Yeh're a wizard, Harry," Hagrid said. "And Lauren, yeh're a witch."
"What?" Harry asked.
"Yeh're magical, Harry. Yeh're parents were too, some o' the best I've ever met. An' from wha' I've heard 'bout Samantha here, she's inherited yeh're parents' talents" Hagrid said. "Here's tha' letter." Hagrid handed Harry the letter Samantha had gotten a year before.
"Is this true, Sam?" Harry asked after he read the letter.
"It is," Samantha said.
"That's where you were all year? A magical boarding school?" Lauren asked.
"Yep," Samantha said, smiling at the thought of Hogwarts.
"So that's where my parents went? And you two knew?" Harry asked, turning to Vernon and Petunia.
"Of course we knew! What else would you three be? My sister got a letter just like the one that's been trying to get to you, and she ran off to that school and came home every summer turning teacups into rats!" Petunia screamed. "Then she met that boy, and they ran off and had kids and got married, then got themselves blown up and landed us with you lot!" she yelled.
"You said they died in a car crash!" Lauren said.
"Lily an' James, die in a car crash? It's a disgrace!" Hagrid said.
"Then what really happened?" Harry asked.
"Yeh really don' know? Well, I don' reckon you know, Samantha?" Hagrid said
"A little of the story. You know more, probably," Samantha said.
"I don' think I should be the one to tell you about this, but... well, here goes. There was a wizard, he wen' bad. Bad as someone could go. His name was... well, I don' like sayin it much," Hagrid said.
"Voldemort," Samantha supplied. Hagrid shuddered.
"Anyway, I don' know if he wanted yer parents on his side or outta the way, but he came to their house ou' in Godric's Hollow Halloween night, an'... an' killed em'." Hagrid paused to blow his nose in a handkerchief he'd taken out of one of his pockets. "Now, I'm not sure where the two o' them were, cause I found 'em with him, but You-Know-Who tried teh kill yeh too, Harry, but yeh stopped him. Tha's where yer scar came from," Hagrid said.
"Really?" asked Harry, running his fingers over the lightning scar on his forehead. "How did I do it? What happened to Vol- sorry, You-Know-Who?" he asked.
Hagrid chuckled. "I'm no' sure how yeh did it Harry, no one is. But he vanished after he tried teh kill yeh, an' no one's seen 'em since" Hagrid said. "Some say he died. I don' think so. Didn' have enough human left in 'em to die. Some say he's ou' there, biddin' his time. If that were true, then why hasn' he come back yet? Naw, a lot of us think he lost his power tha' night. Doesn' mean he won' come back eventually, bu' I think we're safe for now," Hagrid said.
"He's not going to that school," Vernon said.
"He's goin' and a great Muggle like yeh won't stop him. No one can stop James an' Lily's kids from goin' ter Hogwarts if they wan' to," Hagrid said.
"I'M NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Vernon shouted.
"You didn't pay when I went, did you?" Samantha asked him. But her voice was drowned out by Hagrid.
"NEVER INSULT ALBUS DUMBLEDORE IN FRONT OF ME!" Hagrid yelled. He whipped his pink umbrella around and Dudley gave a cry.
Samantha saw a pig's tale sticking out of his pants.
"Huh. Tha' was s'posed ter turn him into a pig, but I s'pose he was too much like on already," Hagrid said.
Samantha had a wide grin on her face.
Hagrid turned to Harry, Samantha, and Lauren. "It'd be nice if yeh didn' mention this a' school, I'm not really s'posed ter do magic," Hagrid told them.
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"I- see, I went ter Hogwarts, but got expelled in me third year. They broke my wand an' everythin'. Dumbledore le' me stay on as Gamekeeper though, good man. I was given permission to use a little ter get yeh, Harry. On'y s'posed ter do the necessary, though," Hagrid admitted.
"Why'd you get expelled?" Samantha asked.
"It's gettin' late, we'd better get off ter bed. Go' a long day tomorrow," Hagrid said. "Gonna get all yer books."
Samantha knew he didn't want to answer, so she didn't press further. Instead, she cuddled up with her siblings under Hagrid's giant coat and fell asleep again.
The next morning, Samantha awoke to a tapping. She sat up and saw an owl at the window holding a newspaper. She saw Harry stir, and she got up and let the owl in. It dropped the newspaper on Hagrid, who was still asleep, and began pecking his coat.
"Hey, don't do that," Harry said.
"Relax, it just wants to be paid," Samantha said. "Hagrid, how much do I pay him?"
"Five Knuts," Hagrid grunted.
"What're Knuts?" Harry asked as Samantha began rummaging through the pockets of Hagrid's coat.
"The little bronze wizard coins," Samantha said. She pulled out a bag of strange coins, counted out five bronze coins, quickly showed them to Harry, and then gave them to the owl.
Hagrid sat up then. "Righ', have a sausage, then let's jus' get outta here, gotta buy yer books," Hagrid said.
"Hagrid," Harry started. "I haven't got any money."
"Yeh think yer parents left yeh nothin'?" Hagrid asked.
"But if their house was destroyed-"
"They didn' keep their gold in the house, boy! Nah, they kep' it in Gringotts, the Wizard bank," Hagrid said.
"Wizards have banks?" Lauren asked, bewildered.
"Where do you think I got the money to buy my school stuff?" Samantha asked.
Harry shrugged.
"Righ' let's go," Hagrid said, and without saying anything to the Dursleys, Samantha grabbed something out of her grey bag and they were out. They got on the boat and Hagrid began reading the newspaper.
"What did you take, Samantha?" Harry asked.
"My wand," Samantha answered.
"You've got a wand?" Lauren asked.
"Of course! Here, want to hold it?" Samantha asked, pulling it out of her sweatshirt pocket and passing it to Lauren.
She took it in her hands and looked at it. "Cedar wood with Phoenix feather," Lauren muttered.
"Phoenix?" Harry asked.
Hagrid jerked his head up. "How's she know tha'?" he asked sharply.
"She's got this weird power where she knows things just from touching them," Samantha answered.
"Never heard o' that... strange," Hagrid said, returning to his newspaper. "Ah, Ministry o' Magic messin' things up like usual," he said.
"There's a Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked.
"O' course!" Hagrid said.
"What do they do?" Lauren asked.
"Mainly deal with hidin' our existence from the Muggles, though they go' a few other thin's they do too" Hagrid answered.
They made it to a train station, where Hagrid had no idea how to work anything. Samantha took charge, and in no time they were on the train.
"Can you buy all this in London?" asked Harry, who was reading his book requirements. Hagrid had given Samantha her book requirements, which she was reading over as well.
"If yeh know where ter go," said Hagrid.
Soon enough, they were in London. They went to the same pub Samantha had gone to a year before.
"Hagrid, the usual?" the innkeeper asked.
"Can', Tom, here on Hogwarts business" Hagrid said, gesturing to the kids.
"Blimey, that's not Harry Potter, is it?" Tom asked. Suddenly, the four of them were swarmed by people trying to meet Harry.
A stuttering man came up.
"Ah, Professor Quirrell, nice ter see yeh here," Hagrid said.
"Are you going to be the new Defense teacher, Professor Quirrell?" Samantha asked.
"Y-y-yes," he stammered.
Samantha gave a small smile. She didn't think he'd be much better than Cemp.
Finally, they made it to the back of the pub. Samantha remembered tapping the bricks, and saw Hagrid do the same with his pink umbrella. The bricks moved away to reveal an archway to Diagon Alley.
Harry and Lauren stared in amazement.
"Now, firs' things firs', we better be gettin' yer money, and I gotta get summat from Gringotts too, come to think of it," Hagrid said.
"What do you have to get, Hagrid?" Samantha asked as they began the walk to Gringotts.
"None o' yer business," Hagrid said. Samantha sighed. She wasn't liking how many secrets there were.
They got to Gringotts and got into a cart with a goblin called Griphook.
"I never know the difference," Harry shouted as they rushed down, "between stalagmites and stalactites."
"Stalactites are from the ceiling," Samantha yelled back.
They soon made it to the vault which Samantha knew belonged to them. Griphook unlocked it and let them in.
"Woah," Harry said, looking around. "Is this all ours?" he asked.
"Yep. But we've got to make it last until Lauren is out of school, so don't go buying useless crap," Samatha said. She and Harry got bags of coins and then got back into the cart to go wherever Hagrid needed.
They went down even deeper. Hagrid was let into a vault that had only one thing in it, a small package in a brown bag. He got it and returned to the cart, where they went back up to the main entrance.
"Righ', would it be okay if I left yeh ter get robes on yer own? I need a slight pick-me-up after tha' ride," said Hagrid.
"Sure," Samantha agreed. Hagrid left them, and Samantha led the way to Madam Malkin's.
"Can you really do magic, Sam?" Harry asked.
"Yep," Samantha said proudly.
"Can you show us?" Lauren asked.
"I'm not really supposed to do it out of school..." Samantha said. "But they can't trace it to me if we're surrounded by wizards... alright, then," Samantha said.
She pulled out her wand, made sure no one was watching, and pointed it at a leaf on the ground. "Wingardium Leviosa," she said. The leaf rose into the air and hovered there.
"Better not let anyone else see you doing that, Sam!"
Samantha turned around and saw Max standing there, his olive skin even tanner than before, his hair longer.
Samantha squealed in excitement, wrapping Max tightly in a hug. "Oh, Max, you're here!" she said delightedly.
"I am," Max agreed, hugging Samantha back. "Are these your siblings?" he questioned once they pulled away.
"Yep. Max, I'd like you to meet Lauren and Harry. Lauren, Harry, this is my friend Max," Samantha introduced.
"Hello," said Lauren softly.
"Do you need new robes?" asked Samantha, gesturing to Madam Malkin's.
"My mother wants me to get new dress robes, and an extra set of school robes," Max answered.
"What do you need dress robes for?" Samantha asked.
Max shrugged, opening the door. "Beats me. She told me to get either dark blue or dark red, something modern." The group of four walked into the store.
"Hogwarts, dears? I've got the lot here, another boy is getting some too," Madam Malkin said. "You dear, stay here," she told Harry, "and you go over there, where I will have Mrs. Stone measure your robes." Samantha and Max walked to the other side of the store that contained dress robes, where Mrs. Stone began to magically measure Max. THe whole time, Samantha filled him in on the past few days.
"Sam, come on, Hagrid got ice cream!" Harry said a few minutes later, appearing from behind the racks of robes.
"Hang on, Max's just gotta buy his robes," said Samantha.
She and Max soon met Hagrid, Harry, and Lauren outside, and Samantha went quickly down to Florian Fortesque's and got Max an ice cream as well, and the two went back to the group.
"What are the Houses?" Harry asked Samantha as they ate their ice creams.
"They're sort of your team. You share a dormitory with the people of your gender in your year. We've all got Common Rooms, where you can do homework or hang out with friends. You earn points over the year, and whichever has the most points at the end of the year wins the House Cup," Samantha explained.
"What House are you in?" Harry asked Samantha.
"The same one Mum and Dad were in, Gryffindor. The House that represents courage, daring, nerve, and chivalry," Samantha said.
"What are the others?" Harry asked.
"Well, there are four in total. Hufflepuff is the House of the loyal and hard-working. Slytherin is for the cunning and ambitious. Ravenclaw is wit and creativity," Samantha explained.
"I don't think I fit any of those," Harry said.
"You'll probably be in Gryffindor too," Samantha said. "It really doesn't matter where you are, as long as it's not Slytherin."
"Why not Slytherin?" Harry asked.
"It's a bunch of dark wizards. Voldemort himself was in that House. They save their own necks before thinking about saving anyone else's," Samantha said.
"Oh," Harry said.
"Listen, Hagrid, would it be alright if I got my books with Max?" Samantha asked.
"Sure. Bu' meet us a' the Leaky Cauldron when yer done," Hagrid said.
"Alright. See you guys later. Bye!" Samantha said, and she and Max walked off to buy their books.
After they had gotten all of the necessary supplies, they had only two more stops. First, Samantha needed to get an owl. Next, she and Max were going to buy brooms. Max had a broom already, but he wanted a new one so he could try out for the Gryffindor team, seeing as his broom was old.
They walked into the Owl Emporium, and Samantha found the owl she wanted right away.
She was a spotted owl in a cage in the far corner. "That's her," Samantha said when she laid eyes on her. "That's Athena."
She bought the owl, and then they headed off to get brooms.
Samantha saw that the best broom the place had was a new design called the Nimbus 2000. She needed it. It was rather expensive, but Samantha had just enough gold left with her to buy it. Max, who'd been given a bunch of money to spend, bought the Nimbus 2000 as well.
They then met Harry, Hagrid, and Lauren back in the Leaky Cauldron, where Max's parents and Margot all showed up too. Samantha saw that Harry had also gotten an owl, a beautiful snowy one.
"What are you naming her?" Samantha asked Harry.
"Not sure yet. Does yours have a name?" Harry asked.
"Athena. Greek Goddess of wisdom and warfare," Samantha answered.
"Since when have you known Greek Mythology?" Lauren asked.
"I read about it in the library. That's normally where I go when I go out on walks. I found a book on it once while looking for something to read and it was very interesting," Samantha answered
"Oh," Harry said, studying Samantha. He wondered what else she hadn't found worth mentioning.
"We'd better be off. Nice meeting you guys," Max's mom Cecilia said.
"Nice meeting you too, Mrs. Langbert. Bye, Margot. Bye, Max," Samantha said as Max and his family walked out of the store.
They left too, back on the train, where everyone watched them because of the funny packages and owls, and then at the station. They got burgers, and then Hagrid had to leave.
They wanted to watch him until he was out of sight, but Samantha blinked and he was gone.