4

Keeper of the Keys

BOOM

The pounding sounded again and Emily looked worriedly at the hinges, wondering how they were able to hold the door up.

"I'm the Captain!" Dudley cried in his sleep. "I tell you when to fire the canons!"

Emily and Harry quickly covered their mouths as they both tried to stop their laughter from escaping and waking the other occupants of the shack. Another pounding at the door drew the twins back to what was happening just outside the door. This time the bang was so loud Dudley sat upright and Uncle Vernon came rushing into the room, Aunt Petunia hot on his heels her face panicked looking.

"I told you Vernon," Petunia's voice shook. "I told you running wouldn't make…"

"There's no need to worry Pet. I'm armed, even they wouldn't be stupid enough to…" another bang quieted Vernon as Emily finally noticed what her Uncle was holding. What possibly possessed the man to bring a gun? Emily found her hand searching for her brother's.

The pair stood and quickly backed their bodies into the wall attempting to hide from their Uncle as he yelled at the would-be intruder, "I'm armed!"

As if in response the door finally gave way and crashed into the floor.

Everyone in the shack seemed to freeze in fear. Even Vernon who had taken a step back, pointed the gun absentmindedly upwards and away from the doorway. Emily was instantly grateful her Uncle hadn't accidentally shot the gun as it was more in the direction of the twins and could have hurt one of them. She really didn't feel safe with him having the gun, to her knowledge her Uncle had never handled one before.

Slowly Emily looked away from the barrel of the gun, that was slightly shaking in her Uncle's hands to view the intruder in the doorway. She grasped Harry's hand tighter as she stared at the large giant before them. With a flash of lightning from outside Emily could clearly make out the man's face, it was as if she had plucked him from her dreams and set him before her. She was certain it was the same man who had taken her and Harry on the flying motorcycle in their dreams. Looking out the corner of her eye she could see her brother's face looked confused, did he recognize the man as well?

"Sorry," the giant said leaning down to grab the door. Stepping into the small room he propped the door up to try and cover the now wide-open hole that was allowing more freezing cold air into the shack. He seemed to chuckle a bit but his smile was hidden by his beard. "Wouldn' happen ter have a kettle on would yeh?"

Emily's mind was racing as her brother shook his head no in answer to the giant. For Emily this was it, it was the moment that confirmed the dreams and her thoughts since reading the header of the letter. It all had to be real, why else was this familiar giant here?!

The giant seemed to huff at no verbal answer to his question and made his way over to the sofa where Dudley was trembling in fear. Picking up the scared boy he set him down on the floor and settled himself into the now vacant tattered furniture. Emily heard Harry laugh slightly before quickly stopping the initial reaction as Dudley bee lined for his parents his mouth opening and closing like a fish without a sound.

There was an odd feeling of familiarity to Emily about the man and she couldn't figure out how to describe it. It wasn't from the dreams, it was as if physically she felt something that was telling her she knew this person.

"Well just look at the two of yeh! Ye've grown so much since I las' saw yeh!" the giant said taking in the twins with a smile hidden beneath his beard. Looking at the giant Emily felt comfortable, she made to take a step forward but Harry's tight grip on her hand held her in place. "Yeh look like yer parents, Harry you got yer mum's eyes and Emily yeh got James'."

Emily tried to picture what her parents must have looked like but the vision was hard to create as she had never even seen a photograph of their parents. The twins smiled briefly at each other, neither could remember anything about their parents so to know they resembled them in any way made them feel like at least a part of them still survived. Emily looked down at her hand holding her brother's and wondered if he was attempting to envision the same thing as she was.

A loud thud snapped Emily's attention towards where her family was standing. The giant was towering over them, his arm out stretched towards the far wall. Looking at the wall Emily could see where there was now a hunk of knotted metal. The gun was discarded and useless. The look on Vernon's face was priceless, he looked hopeless and an odd squeaking noise kept coming from his mouth. He trembled and his family looked worriedly at where the gun had been in his now empty hands.

The giant turned back towards the twins his beard twitching as he chuckled, "I almost fergot ter wish yeh two a Happy birthday!" The giant started looking through the many pockets his jacket seemed to be hiding. Pulling out a pink box he made a motion with it towards the twins before setting it on the table and falling back into the couch. Emily gave Harry's hand a squeeze before she let go and slowly walked towards the box opening it cautiously. Inside was a sloppily decorated cake but it looked amazing nonetheless. Emily looked back to her brother shock clear in her eyes.

Harry slowly came up behind her and looked over her shoulder to see what was causing his sister to act so odd. The giant had gifted the pair with their very first birthday cake. Harry moved around his sister and stared up at the man, "Who are you?"

Emily's head turned to look at her brother as she nudged him in the side for his rudeness. Sighing Emily smiled at the giant man, "He means thank you."

Harry smiled at his sister sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry."

"Yer welcome, and he's righ' yeh know," the giant laughed. "I guess I fergot ter introduce me self. Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper for Hogwarts School."

In that moment Emily smiled so brightly at hearing the verbal confirmation she had needed. Looking to Harry, he just seemed confused by it all.

A cold gust of air rushed through the room from the entrance and where the door was poorly set causing Emily to shiver. She thought she had hidden the action but Hagrid must have noticed her movement because he pushed himself up and moved towards the fireplace. Pulling out a large pink umbrella he pointed it at the hearth. Emily felt a very small tingle against her skin and when Hagrid stepped back a fire was roaring in the once damp spot. Suddenly warmth spread through the tiny shack, it was like being submerged into a hot bath.

Harry's stomach gave a slight growl as his body started to focus more on its hunger now that it had been warmed and Emily's mind went to the same place. The twins had been allowed the least amount of food on the insane journey Vernon had dragged them on and both were quite hungry without the option of being able to sneak food from the kitchen once the rest of the house had gone to bed. Hagrid immediately started to rummage through his jacket again finally pulling out a packet of sausages and setting to work cooking them over the fire. Somehow, he found a tea kettle and starting prepping cups of tea as well which he handed to the twins.

"Don't touch anything," Vernon warned Dudley who was looking slightly less terrified now that there was food involved.

"I didn' offer anythin' ter yeh," Hagrid said without turning to look back at the Dursleys. He pulled out a few napkins and placed a sausage on each of them handing two to the twins and keeping one for himself.

Emily started to eat as she allowed her thoughts to return to their previous line of thought, Hogwarts was real, Hagrid worked there! Gazing at the flames dancing in the once empty fireplace she couldn't shake the reminder of what it felt like when Hagrid had somehow created the flames with the umbrella. Looking over at the giant man she watched as he spoke to Harry and wondered what he might say if she asked about the motorcycle in her dreams.

The mood in the room quickly changed though as Emily realized her brother had a slightly fearful look on his face and was rapidly apologizing. "I'm sorry! I really don't know what it is!"

Hagrid stood and Harry instantly flinched. Both twins held their breath but the giant turned his focus on the Dursleys. "They don' know about Hogwarts?!" Hagrid quickly turned back to the twins, "Not gettin' your letters is one thing but not knowin' 'bout Hogwarts. Don' yeh know that's where yer parents wen' ter school?"

With that statement Emily could tell you where her parents had attended school but up until a few seconds ago she honestly wouldn't have been able to answer that question. "We really don't know anything about our parents," she started, not exactly sure if what she said would upset the giant further. "We know they died young and we were given to our Aunt and Uncle. They don't really like to talk about it."

Hagrid seemed bewildered by the revelation and quickly spun back towards the Dursleys again. He took several drawn-out steps towards the trembling family. Dudley had sense enough to take his eyes off the food and hold tightly onto his mother. "Yeh didn' tell them a thing?" Hagrid asked as he took one last step and stopped, he was now towering over Vernon Dursley once again. "they don' know 'bout ANYTHIN'? Anythin' at all?!"

Emily cringed at the man's wording, she knew he wasn't referring to her intelligence but it stung nonetheless. She wished she did know more about her parents and where she came from but unfortunately for the twins their guardians despised where they came from.

Harry on the other hand had no filter and Emily could quickly see her brother ready to protest the giant's statement without thinking it through. "We go to school, we know some things!" Harry defended.

"But we don't know anything about our parents or their lives," Emily added giving her brother a look that clearly told him he was overreacting.

Harry turned a bit pink but nodded in agreement to Emily's words.

"WHA'?!" Hagrid's outburst had all three Dursleys taking a step backward. They shrank in on each other clearly worried about what the large man might do to them. Vernon was muttering something but what he was saying Emily couldn't make out.

Hagrid shook his head and turned back towards the twins. "They never told yeh… Not even wha' yeh are…"

"And you won't tell them either!" Vernon shouted in an odd moment of bravery.

"Ah shut it Dursley," Hagrid said waving his hand absentmindedly in the direction of the small family.

"I won't…"

"You won' be quiet," Hagrid roared turning to glare at Vernon. "Yeh were left with instructions! Dumbledore left yeh a letter and yeh never told them a thing!"

Harry was clearly getting tired of the constant circle the conversation was continuing to move in because he spoke up. "What haven't they told us?"

Vernon looked ready to protest again and Petunia clasped her hand to her chest, a horrified look upon her face at what was certainly about to be revealed.

Hagrid paid the older couple no heed and smile at the twins, "Harry yer a wizard an' your sister here is a witch."

Those were the words that sealed Emily's thoughts, she finally had the verbal confirmation she had been wanting since she recognized the man.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"It has to be true," Emily answered quickly.

Hagrid laughed at the twins, Harry stood there a bit perplexed while Emily just looked excited. "O' course it's true! If yer anythin' like yer parents yeh'll be right good 'uns in no time!"

Pulling out two envelopes, Hagrid handed the yellowish paper to the twins. Rather quickly Emily noticed the same header she had seen on her previous letter as she opened it. There across the top read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Excitement filled Emily as she began to read. The letter offered her a place at the school starting September 1st. She was disappointed the first day was an entire month away, she didn't want to have to wait. Continuing to read she noticed the headmaster was listed as an Albus Dumbledore and the deputy headmistress was Minerva McGonagall.

"An owl? Why would anyone await an owl?" Harry pondered out loud.

Harry's question seemed to spark something inside of Hagrid who went back to rummaging through his various pockets until he produced an owl and set it on the small table. A moment later he seemed to have found some parchment and a quill. The giant set to work on writing a missive though to who Emily could only guess as she couldn't read the paper from where she was. By the look of it though the letter was rather brief.

Hagrid finished by rolling up the letter and handing it to the owl, who in turn took off straight into the storm. Well the twins' had their answer for sending a response by owl. Harry's jaw was open staring at the window where the owl had flown through, so Emily naturally reached over and pushed it closed for him. Her brother rolled his eyes at her before making a face, "Won't the owl get lost out there?"

Hagrid chuckled and patted Harry on the shoulder, "Yeh don' have ter worry about her."

Hagrid made his way back to the couch and settled back in. His focus was on the twins and it was clear he was trying to decide how best to really begin now that the twins had read their letters.

Vernon on the other hand had other ideas about what was going on, "We refuse to allow this a second longer! They will not be going and you will leave this instant!"

Hagrid chuckled, "I'm shiverin', yeh useless muggle."

"Muggle?" Harry asked looking at his ever-reddening Uncle.

"It's what we call people who don' have magic," Hagrid answered pointing his thumb back at the Dursleys, "Like them."

Vernon was grumbling under his breath. Emily could tell he was on the edge of exploding as his words slowly started getting louder. "I did not try to stamp this out of them for you to show up now! It ends with their parents! They are no witch or wizard, this is FINISHED!"

"They knew?" Harry asked looking at his sister before turning to the Dursleys. "How could you hide this from us?"

Sighing Emily shook her head. Emily could feel her brother practically vibrating next her. His anger was close to making an appearance, he did not like being lied to. Neither did she for that matter but she was worried about provoking more anger from her Uncle. Hagrid couldn't remain with them forever, he would have to leave and the twins could still be punished harshly once he was gone.

Surprisingly it was Aunt Petunia that snapped at Harry's words. "Of course we hid it from you! We knew you would be abnormal, but we had hopes we could try and correct you. My sister was an unnatural freak! Though our parents couldn't have been prouder of Lily, always excited about their yearly visits to her world to help her prepare for her precious school, always hanging off her every word as she described her time away at school. But what good did it do them? I was the only one who understood Lily was worth nothing. That her freakish ways could only hurt our family. And I was right!"

Emily slowly reeled as her Aunt raged. There was so much hatred, why had they even taken in the twins if she knew what they would become? But it was as the rant from her Aunt continued that made the young girl feel as if she had been punched in the stomach.

"Those men came for my parents, they killed them. Car crash the police told us but I know better. Lily had warned us all to be careful and apologized after that… it was too late for apologies. Our parents were dead because of what she was.

It didn't end there though, did it? I told her to stay away from my family, to not bring us into her freakish problems. Then I find out she and her no good husband got themselves blown up!"

Emily was starting to doubt the car crash after what was being revealed but to be blown up...

Harry seemed to find his voice before his sister, "But you said the car crash…"

"WHA'!" Hagrid jumped to his feet again as the twins quickly backed away. "A car crash couldn' kill their parents! Do yeh realize how famous these two are in our world!"

"We're famous?" Emily asked taking a small step back forward. Hagrid's face instantly softened looking at the frightened twins. He seemed unsure of what to say to the pair though and each time he started to speak he stopped himself before sitting back down and running a hand over his face.

"Yeh can't go an' not know yer own story… It's not right. I don' know if I'm the right one ter do it but yeh should know."

And tell them he did. His story began with a wizard who dabbled in dark magics, a bad man that after some encouragement the twins even got him to name, Voldemort.

Hagrid told them how the magical world had fallen into dark times. Voldemort had gathered a large group of followers who had begun to try and overtake the entire magical community. He spoke of those who dared to stand up to him and lost their lives for their bravery. The giant spoke of a man who Voldemort feared, his name was Dumbledore and as he resided at Hogwarts in his position as Headmaster the school remained a haven, untouched by the mad man.

The twins learned a bit about their parents. Their father had been the Head Boy and their mother the Head Girl during their final year in attendance at Hogwarts. Both of their parents had been offered spots in the mad man's ranks but they refused and stood up to him. They had even survived several encounters with the man which was very rare according to Hagrid. As the story came to the night their parents had given their lives, the giant had to pause as he became choked up remembering his fallen friends and their sacrifice for their twins who stood before him, hanging on his every word.

He was careful not to stop as he explained that Voldemort had not stopped at killing their parents, he had attempted to end the entire Potter line. Hagrid wished he could tell the twins more about that night or give them a better insight into the why of it but the best he could come up with was that Voldemort had wanted to 'make a clean job' of it.

It really was a miraculous night, at Voldemort's attempt to kill the children something went wrong. The spell rebounded and the mad man lost his powers. The twins appeared confused at the pronouncement and the giant didn't blame them, never in history had such a thing occurred, or at least not to his knowledge.

"Yeh two are the only ones ter ever survive when facing his wand or even the killin' curse for that matter," Hagrid pondered rubbing his beard with his hand before giving a shrug. "Whatever happened, he couldn' kill yeh two and yer famous for it. It's never happened before and people have researched yeh know but it can't be done. Lots of powerful families died, the Prewetts are all but gone 'cept Molly o'course. And not many left of the Bones'."

Mere babies and yet they had survived something no one else was ever known to survive… Emily's mind returned to the memory of the green light. She focused on the memory until the light blinded her, searching for something else to stand out. The more she forced herself to replay the light through her head the more she swore there was a voice there. It sounded feminine. Was it the voice of her mother or was she just imagining it? Was this her mind putting pieces together or grasping at straws as she finally had some idea of where she came from, that the dreams and odd thoughts may not be so far off from the truth.

"I was the one ter take yeh from the house that night," Hagrid said breaking Emily from her thoughts.

Emily couldn't stop herself as her curiosity got the better of her, "Was there another man there that night, who gave us to you?"

The giant nodded his head giving Emily a curious look. Opening his mouth, he was cut off from whatever he was going to say by Vernon.

"Enough! This rubbish must end now! I don't care what they have survived or done, I will not allow you to continue on further. You will leave right now!"

Emily and Harry were both startled, they had been so lost in the story they had forgotten the Dursleys were even still in the shack. But clearly the family was still around and Vernon who had fallen quiet was quickly turning purple as his anger had reached a breaking point, the man could no longer show any restraint.

"I will fix these two! Don't worry, a few good beatings and they'll forget what you've told them. Their abnormalities will learn to stay dormant or they'll learn to keep them contained. Their freakish ways will not be tolerated, I said that the day we took them in. They should be lucky I didn't drop them at the orphanage! When I read the letter all I could say was 'good riddance'. Their parents got what was deserved!"

Petunia began pulling on her husband's arm, she understood the danger her husband was putting their family in with his words. The tall frail woman was shaking her head as the giant once again was standing, his pink umbrella in hand. When the tip of the umbrella touched Vernon's nose, he finally seemed to realize perhaps he had gone too far. Slowly he allowed himself to be pulled back towards his wife.

As Hagrid turned back towards the twins Harry asked a question Emily had been wondering about as well. The man had told them Voldemort had lost his powers not that he was dead.

Shrugging Hagrid looked apologetic at not having a good answer, "He vanished. Some think he died but if yeh had seen him yeh'd know he wasn't human enough ter die. He's out there somewhere. Where? No one seems ter know. Though Dumbledore might know…"

As Hagrid trailed off in thought Emily was back to feeling excited. All the odd pieces suddenly were coming together. She now understood why so many odd things happened to and around the twins. Harry's hair growing back overnight, her ability to transport herself, turning the teacher's hair blue… it also explained how they healed so quickly, the average person would take far longer to heal than the twins had for the various injuries they had suffered over the years. Come to think on it for how malnourished they had been, her and Harry were rarely sick. Their light meals and constant work should have made them weaker instead Emily was certain their magic had been protecting them, making them stronger. Looking to Harry she expected to see her excitement reflected back at her but all she saw was doubt and confusion.

"Har what's wrong?" Emily asked genuinely not understanding why her twin wasn't smiling.

"I think he's made a mistake. I mean think about it, he can't be right."

"No, you think about it Harry!" Emily demanded probably a bit more firmly than she meant to. "Think about all the things that happen around us. How when we are mad or upset things seem to happen. Did your hair not grow back overnight or what about that time Aunt Petunia tried to force you into that horrid sweater, the one with the puff balls all over it?"

"It kept shrinking till it was too small to even be more than a hat on my head," Harry offered slowly seeming to see where his sister was going with this.

"Exactly, and we heal pretty quickly. Think of all the times Dudley gets sick and yet we are just fine."

A smile spread across Harry's face as he thought of the truth in his sister's words. Turning to look at the giant, Harry saw Hagrid nodding his head quickly in agreement with Emily's words.

Chuckling Hagrid patted Harry on the shoulder, "O'course yer a wizard kid. Yer sister is right. There's no need ter worry about nothin', ye'll fit right in at Hogwarts!"

"You're sure?"

"Yer famous," Hagrid answered as if that was enough. "Who couldn't love the two of yeh?"

"Absolutely not! They will not fit in because they will not be going!" Vernon had apparently not been scared enough yet to stay quiet and Hagrid seemed to have had enough. Emily noticed his hand was gripping the umbrella handle rather tightly.

"Oh, they'll be goin' alight, and no muggle like you is gunna stop 'em."

"I am the one who feeds the brats, I have every right to stop them!"

"They need ter be with people who are like them! Yeh really think you can stop this? They're famous, not one person in their world that don't know their names! They'll be going ter Hogwarts and in seven years they won't have ter see the likes of yeh again or maybe they will but I don't think yeh'd like the outcome."

Hagrid chuckled darkly but Vernon wasn't to be deterred this time. "I won't be paying for this charade! You tell the old fool if he wants them to remain with us, they will not be going to learn under his crackpot teachings! Silly tricks," Vernon added as a side thought, "when what they really need is a…"

What Vernon thought the twins needed they would never know because at the mention of 'old fool' the giant seemed to have lost his hold on his temper. The umbrella tip was now touching the nose of the overstuffed purpling man. In an instant, his aim changed direction and with a high pitched shriek Dudley was grabbing his bottom and screaming for his mummy. As the boy danced about his mother tried to get him to still so she could see what had happened. Emily noticed her cousins problem rather quickly, the boy's hands were trying to cover a pig's tail.

Aunt Petunia screamed once she herself realized what had been done to her precious Dudders. Vernon realizing he had lost, rushed to his wife and son, ushering them back towards the one bedroom of the shack and slamming the door shut.

Looking sheepishly at his umbrella Hagrid turned back to the twins and immediately apologized for having lost his temper. "I'm not exactly supposed ter do that, if you wouldn' mind not tellin' anyone."

The twins nodded in agreement both a bit baffled at the reason why the man wouldn't be allowed to use magic if he worked at Hogwarts. Harry opened his mouth to ask why when Emily nudged him in the side causing him to groan instead.

"Yeh okay?" Hagrid asked.

Harry nodded but looked half annoyed with his sister though he had a tinge to his cheeks obviously glad she had stopped him from asking what was probably not the most polite of questions to the man who had told them so much.

"Tomorrow we gotta buy all yer things fer Hogwarts," Hagrid announced. "Why don' we all try an' get some sleep now." He gave the twins his coat to sleep under before lying down on the couch and going to sleep himself.