A Dog's Purpose Is Strange Magic Chapter 5
If the constant banging on the front door didn't wake the Dursley's up then Bailey's frantic barking certainly did the trick.
Dudley jerked awake on the couch resulting in him falling off of it and onto the floor. From the upper level came Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Uncle Vernon was hefting a loaded rifle in his hands aiming at the front door with Aunt Petunia taking shelter pitifully behind him.
"Who's there," demanded Uncle Vernon, voice breaking in spite of the brave front he was attempting to put on. "I warn you, I'm armed!"
BOOM!
The door was knocked off its hinges under the sheer force of whoever was on the opposite side of the door. The door fell with a crash onto the floor throwing dust into the air.
A man who could only be described as a giant stood in the now open doorway. He had long shaggy hair and a wild tangled beard. Taller than the doorway the giant stooped as he squeezed into the house booted feet banging on the door as he came inside.
Harry had his arms wrapped tight around Bailey as he took in this stranger's massive frame. Bailey had stopped her barking, but was now whining as she stood there with her head bowed in submission trembling from top to bottom completely intimidated by this man.
Everyone stood there waiting to see what horrors were to be in store for them.
"Sorry about that," apologized the stranger, bending down to pick up the door and fit it easily back into the frame of the doorway emitting a creaking noise. That done he turned to look at them all again eyes sweeping over the shocked inhabitants of the room with a tiny request to make. "Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey…"
The shock of seeing such a stranger in the house wore off of Uncle Vernon.
With fake bravado, Uncle Vernon shouted "I demand that you leave at once, sir! You are breaking and entering!"
In response to Uncle Vernon's ranting the stranger stomped over to him grabbing the barrel of the rifle. The whole time Bailey kept herself in front of Harry positioned in between what she assumed was danger.
"Dry up, Dursley, yeh great prune," snarled the stranger, effortlessly manipulating the nozzle of the rifle upwards without the rest of it having to even shift in Uncle Vernon's hands.
The gun went off with a loud bang causing the majority to jump as the round shot a hole through the ceiling. Afterwards the giant made his way over to the couch.
Opting not to get sat on by this massive giant Dudley scurried to hide pathetically behind his equally fearful parents.
The giant stranger sat on the rickety old coach with a relieved sigh. He then noticed the forms of Harry and Bailey huddled together in front of the fireplace.
Grinning, the giant said "Ah, there's Harry! Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby. Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes. A very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat for yeh here although I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll take all right." From deep inside his coat the stranger pulled out a slightly squashed white cardboard box and a bone. He handed them to a hesitant Harry and he looked at the offerings with uncertainty particularly the bone. "That's for your dog. We heard you had one. Got one myself. His name is Fang. Thought she might like a treat."
"Thank you," said Harry a bit awkwardly.
Harry is far too polite to mention to this stranger that Bailey wasn't one for bones as treats. She preferred people food since that's the majority of what she regularly consumed anyhow. To keep up appearances Harry held the bone out to Bailey to see if she would take it. Just as he suspected she sniffed the bone and then averted her head away from the offered bone turning her nose up at it. So Harry placed the bone on the floor.
Brow furrowed, the giant said "Huh, never met a dog that doesn't like bones."
Drawing focus off his dog Harry then opened the box peering inside.
Inside the box was a large chocolate cake covered with pink icing and Happy Birthday Harry written in green clear as day.
Head cocked, Harry said "Uh…who are you?"
Holding out an enormous hand to shake with Harry's, the giant chuckled "Ah, right, I haven't introduced myself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
If so Harry was even more confused than he was before this giant spoke.
Oblivious to Harry's bemused state of mind, rubbing his hands together, Hagrid said "What about that tea then, eh? I'd not say no ter summat stronger if ye've got it, mind."
Seeing no one was going to comply he took matters into his own hands. Pulling out an umbrella from the folds of his coat Hagrid wordlessly pointed it at the fireplace. Three tiny balls of flames shot into the hearth and a fire instantly roared to life. It was so fast that Bailey backpedaled distancing herself from the now broiling fire. From his multitude of pockets Hagrid withdrew a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, and several chipped mugs. In mere moments the smell of sizzling sausages filled the interior of the house. When the first course was done Hagrid slid them onto a plate and handed them immediately to Harry. He quickly consumed half while he passed the rest to Bailey, ever the caring owner.
Bailey gobbled the food up in seconds wagging her bushy tail. They tasted so delicious. Back in Private Drive Harry snuck her sausages when he could occasionally and now she had three all at once. Bailey's general mood towards this stranger was beginning to improve with the potential promise of more.
From where he was hiding Dudley whimpered at the smell of food. No doubt he was practically starving by now considering he basically ate all the time.
Reprimanding, Uncle Vernon said "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."
Sarcastically, Hagrid chuckled "Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattening' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."
Shaking himself out of his stupor, skeptically, Harry said "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."
Whipping his mouth after taking a big gulp of tea with the back of his hand, Hagrid said "Call me Hagrid everyone does. And like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts, but you know all about Hogwarts, o' course."
"No," said Harry, shaking his head. "Sorry."
If looks could kill the Dursley's would've been blown to bits where they were cowering against the wall from the smoldering glare Hagrid aimed their way. Sensing the rising tension radiating in the cramped room Bailey abandoned the other sausages cooking over the fire instinctively pressing closer to her boy in case things turned violent at the snap of a finger.
"Sorry," barked Hagrid, leaping to his feet in a burst of anger. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew you weren't getting yer letters, but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know about Hogwarts, fer crying out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"
"All what," asked Harry.
"All what," exclaimed Hagrid. "Now wait just one second! Do you mean to tell me that this boy, this boy! Knows nothing abou'…about anything?"
Briefly insulted by this guy's statement, Harry protested "I know some things. I can, you know, do math and stuff."
As if he didn't hear Harry, an exasperated look covering his face, Hagrid said "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents world."
"What world," said Harry, starting to get impatient with the lack of answers.
"Dursley," yelled Hagrid, loud enough to shake the foundation of the building.
Uncle Vernon was extremely pale, but keeping his silence.
"But you must know about yer mum and dad," persisted Hagrid. "I mean they're famous. You're famous."
"What? My…my mum and dad weren't famous, were they," said Harry, eyes wide.
The Dursley's always told Harry repeatedly that his parents perished in a car crush. But that couldn't have made them famous. Unfortunate tragic accidents like that occurred all the time.
"Yeh don't know…yeh don't know…Yeh don' know what hey are," muttered Hagrid in disbelief.
This triggered a sudden reaction out of Uncle Vernon.
Panicky, Uncle Vernon yelled "Stop! Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"
Trembling with barely suppressed rage, Hagrid retorted "You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left for him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"
"Kept what from me," said Harry the suspense becoming almost too, eyes flashing eagerly.
"Stop! I forbid you," said Uncle Vernon.
Aunt Petunia was cringing in horror while Dudley was observing this spectacle utterly clueless.
"Ah, go boil your heads, both of ye," scoffed Hagrid, disdainfully. "Harry, yer a wizard."
There was a dead silence following the impact of Hagrid's words. So quiet that if a piece of dust fell it could be heard from the slightest vibration in the air.
Bailey tilted her head upon hearing that word. A wizard. What was that?
Authors Note:
And now Harry is learning the truth. We'll be heading to Diagon Alley soon. How do you guys think Bailey is going to handle such a hectic place?
Just to give you all a heads up accents like Hagrids are very touch to keep track of so in my story there are times that you may see traces of them nonexistent.