Disclaimer- I don't own anything that you readers recognize from the Harry Potter books/movies. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling. I only own my character Serena Lily Potter, the character Christopher Elijah Granger belongs to my friend, Kiba1278, and Adelinda Narcissa Malfoy belongs to my other friend, SunriseDestined. On my profile page will be links to the outfits the characters will be wearing. Please comment/review but please don't leave rude comments.

Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys

BOOM!

Harry and Serena jumped to their feet, retreating to the other side of the room.

Dudley suddenly shot up on the couch and said, "Where's the cannon?"

Uncle Vernon ran into the room with Petunia and Serena's mouth opened in horror. In her uncle's hands was a long rifle.

"Who's there?" Uncle Vernon called out confidently. "I'm warning you…. I'm armed" he said holing up the long rifle towards the door.

There was a loud SMASH as the door flew off its hinges. Serena instinctively took another step back and Harry hugged her in comfort. A giant man stood in the doorway, taller than any person the twins had ever seen. He had a wild mane of hair and a bushy beard. His eyes looked like black beetles and you could see them among the hair. He squeezed into the hut and he bent down low, his head scraped the ceiling. He picked up the door and put it back easily in its frame.

"Sorry 'bout that." The giant man said gruffly when he turned back to face them.

Uncle Vernon stepped forward and everyone's attention was turned towards him. "I demand you to leave at once. You are breaking and entering."

"Dry up you great prune," The giant said gruffly to Uncle Vernon, who looked taken back by his tone. A smile played across Serena's lips then vanished as Aunt Petunia shot her a furious stare.

The giant man moved forward, looking directly at Dudley. "Well, I haven't seen you since you and your sister were babies, Harry. But you're a bit more along then I would have expected; particularly around the middle." The giant man said tapping his stomach as Serena snorted with laughter. Harry's arms tightened around her as Uncle Vernon took a threatening step towards her but was stopped as the giant gave him a look.

"I'm not...I'm not Harry," Dudley squeaked as he backed up so he was standing behind Aunt Petunia, who was hiding behind Uncle Vernon.

"I am," Harry said looking up at the giant man.

"Of course you are! An' yer sister's here as well! Harry, you look just like your father only with your mothers eyes!" Harry looked down and Serena could tell he was pleased. The giant turned towards Serena. "An' you look jus' like yer Mum but with yer father's eyes!" Serena beamed at that, happy at the feeling of pride that welled up inside of her.

"Yer two, I have something for ya. Afraid I mighta sat on it at some point but I imagine it'll taste fine jus' the same. Baked it myself, words and all..." The giant pushed his gigantic hands into the pockets of his jacket.

Finally, he pulled out a box and handed it to Harry who opened it. Serena peeked at it over his shoulder. It was a chocolate cake with green icing on it that read: Happy Birthday Harry and Serena

"T-thank you!" Harry said as Serena looked at the cake. It was twin's very first birthday cake in their entire life.

"Well, it's not every day my two favorite twins turns eleven now it is?" The giant laughed and he stared down proudly at them.

Harry glanced towards his sister; the exact same question burning inside both their minds. "Um, excuse me, but who are you?" Serena asked.

"Oh, of course!" The giant chuckled. "Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts. Of course you two know all about Hogwarts?"

"Er, no," Serena admitted softly and Hagrid looked shocked.

"No?" He repeated. "Blimey Harry, Serena, didn't you two ever wonder?" He questioned. Harry and Serena exchanged a bewildered look. "Didn't you two ever wonder how your Mum and Dad learned it all?"

Harry asked, "Learned what?"

"I forbid you to tell them, sir!" Uncle Vernon's voice suddenly cut into the conversation.

"Aw, shut up you big lump!" Hagrid said to him, folding his rifle into a form of a pretzel.

Uncle Vernon made a sound like a dog being stepped on.

Turning back to the twins, Hagrid's eyes were sparkling. "You're a wizard Harry," He turned to Serena, "And you're a Witch Serena."

The twins stared at him as though he had grown a second head. "We're a what?" They both gasped; Serena for once not having any problem with talking to a complete stranger. Usually she just stood by, listening while her brother did the talking.

"A wizard, Harry, and Serena, you're a witch," Hagrid repeated calmly before adding excitedly, "And a thumpin' good one I'd wager once you two trained up a bit."

"No..." Harry said and everyone turned to look at him. "No, you've made a mistake," Serena nodded in support. "I mean I can't be a wizard...and Serena can't be a witch...I mean, we're Harry and Serena. Just Harry and Serena."

"Well, "Just Harry and Serena"," Hagrid made sure to make the quotations with his large fingers. "Did you two ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain, when you were angry or scared?"

Serena paused, thinking hard about what he had just said. Right before the glass had vanished on the snake habitat, Dudley had pushed her and Harry out of the way, making her scrape her knees on the concrete ground. Her knees were all scraped up now and still hurt. She had felt anger and then the glass just...vanished...

Hagrid was nodding at them as his hand went into his pocket again and pulled out two letters, exactly the same except for the names.

Serena looked at the seal; it was the exact same as the one she had gotten almost a week ago.

Beside her, Harry read his aloud.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore.

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted 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"

"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, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE 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 Beginner's 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, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK

Yours sincerely,

Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus

Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions"

Serena thought she was hallucinating for a moment until she opened her own and saw the exact same words, except for her name of course.

"What does it mean, 'they await my owl'?" Harry asked Hagrid.

"That reminds me" Hagrid said as he pulled out an owl from his pocket and a quill and a roll of parchment. Hagrid scribbled a note down that Harry could read upside down.

"Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Given the Twins their letter's.

Taking them to buy their things tomorrow.

Weather's horrible. Hope you are well.

Hagrid"

Hagrid gave the roll to the owl and walked to the door as he let the owl fly into the storm.

"And they will not be going!" Uncle Vernon spoke up again; he looked furious. "We swore when we took them in that we would put a stop to all of this rubbish!"

"You knew?" Harry's voice was tainted with anger and even Serena had to fight back the urge to yell at him. "You knew all along and you never told us?"

"Of course we knew," Serena looked towards her aunt who was staring at nothing. She looked older than she had that morning. "How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was! Oh yes-she got her letter just like that and disappeared off to that school-and came home every holiday turning cups into rats!" She took a deep breath and Harry was staring at his Aunt in shock. So was Serena.

"I was the only one who saw her for what she really was. A freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud on having a witch in the family. Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you two and of course I knew that both of you were the same just as strange, just as-as abnormal." She stopped for a moment then turned to face Serena, her expression was so cold, Serena took a step back. "Especially you girl. It only took one look at you to realize you would be just as much trouble as that freak you call your mother." She spat bitterly. "-And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you two!"

"Blown up?!" Serena repeated furiously. "You told us our parents died in a car crash!"

"A car crash?" Hagrid cut in. "A car crash killed Lily and James Potter?"

"We had to say something!" Aunt Petunia answered.

"It's an outrage!" Hagrid rambled on. "It's a scandal."

"They will not be going." Uncle Vernon said firmly as though he had a choice on what happened to the twins.

"Oh and I suppose a great Muggle like yourself is gonna stop them." Hagrid sneered in his gruff voice.

"Muggle?" the twins asked curiously.

"Non-magic folk," Hagrid answered the twin's question carelessly before turning back to Uncle Vernon. "These twins' names have been down since they were born. They're going to the finest school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world. And they'll be under the finest headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen, Albus Dumbledore-" Hagrid was cut off by an angry exclamation from Uncle Vernon.

"I will not be paying to have some crack pot old fool teach them magic tricks!" Uncle Vernon had gone too far.

Hagrid seemed to grow bigger out of fury. "Never," He rumbled dangerously. "Insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me..." He raised the pink umbrella he was carrying, and something Serena just noticed, and pointed it at Dudley, who's backside was pointed towards them as he ate Harry and Serena's cake. Suddenly he let out a squeal. To the Twins' delight, a small, curly pig tail was poking out of his trousers.

With an angry roar, Uncle Vernon grabbed Dudley and the Dursley family all rushed into the other room; Uncle Vernon casting one last look at Hagrid before the door slammed shut.

Serena turned back to look at Hagrid. He scratched his head before saying, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that," He said seriously, yet gently. "Strictly speaking, I'm not supposed to do magic."

Still astounded about what had happened, Harry could only manage an 'okay' while Serena was staring at the door of the room the Dursley's were in, deep in thought.

"We're a bit behind schedule," Hagrid said, clapping his gigantic hands together once. "Best be off. Unless you'd rather stay, of course." He gave them a hearty wink before pulling open the door once more. Harry and Serena glanced at each other, both beginning to smile. They both began to follow and as they made their way out into the storm after Hagrid, Harry reached out and took his sister's hand in his.

Serena glanced towards him, smiling. She was glad she had her brother to get through this with.