CHAPTER FOUR: THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS
"Now that Sirius and James have eaten the entire Great Hall, why don't we read again?" Regulus said with a smirk. Sirius and James huffed but didn't answer; their mouths were too full of the last of their lunch.
Who wants to read?" Luna asked.
"I will," Severus said and took the book from where Lily had placed it. He began reading.
BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.
"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.
"He says everything stupidly," Sirius said. "I would know: I'm always with James.
There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands –
"He had a rifle in the same place as two eleven-year-old children," Lily said slowly, shaking her head in disbelief.
"What's a rifle?" Sirius asked curiously. Surprisingly, Regulus answered,
"It's a muggle weapon. It shoots a little ball that can literally rip a hole through you." Everyone shivered at the description.
now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you - I'm armed!"
"Because that's going to stop a wizard," Severus scoffed.
There was a pause. Then -SMASH! The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
"D'you think it's someone from Hogwarts?" Remus asked thoughtfully.
"Probably, Remus," Regulus said in the same tone.
"Why don't you shut it and let me read so we can find out," Severus said.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway.
His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggymane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.
"HAGRID!" Sirius yelled. Remus turned to him and smacked him on the head.
"Padfoot! That was right in my ear!"
The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling.
"It's definitely Hagrid," James said.
"We know, Potter!" Severus said.
He bent down, picked up the door, and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the storm outside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.
Suddenly, Lily burst into giggles. When everyone stared at her, she choked out,
"Imagine… Dursley's… face." They all joined her laughter.
"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey... "He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Coward," James muttered.
"Agree with you there, Prongs," Sirius said loudly. Remus sent him his infamous shut-up-or-I-swear-to-Merlin-you-will-be-silenced look.
"I'll be quiet, Moony! Don't hex me!"
Severus continued to read, smirking at the mock fearful glances Sirius was sending Remus.
"Budge up, yeh
"Terrible, whale-sized monster with the strength and bravery of a three toed sloth!" Sirius said. Everyone stared at him a moment before bursting out laughing.
great lump, "
"Ah, Haaaaagrid!" Sirius whined, "You ruined my fun."
said the stranger. Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"Coward," James repeated, rolling his eyes.
"An' here's Harry!" said the giant. Harry looked up into the fierce,
Severus snorted at the implication that Hagrid was fierce.
wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile. "Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby, " said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got ye mom's eyes. "
James smiled as Lily said,
"Awwww! That's so cute!"
Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise. I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
"Like he could actually do something to Hagrid," Severus said with a snort. Truthfully, he was surprised that Dursley was brave enough to do anything but cower in the corner.
"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune, " said the giant; he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.
"Good. The last thing Dursley needed was to injure someone," Regulus said.
"Especially when he probably wouldn't care if it was Harry," Sirius said, tactlessly. Lily frowned and glared at the book, her temper returning.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.
"Coward…" Remus muttered again.
"Yeah!" Sirius agreed loudly, "Even Reggie's braver than that!"
"Shut up, Sirius!"
"Anyway - Harry, " said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."
"That's so sweet!" Lily exclaimed.
"Harry deserves something nice," Regulus agreed.
From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing.
"Thanks, Hagrid!" Lily said happily.
"You should go thank him," Regulus said with a snicker. Severus agreed, saying,
"Imagine his face if you told him 'thanks for getting my orphaned son his first present when he was eleven!'"
"We still don't know where Rem or I am, though. I can't see us being alive and not there for Harry," Sirius said softly.
"You don't think…" James said slowly. Sirius swallowed and nodded,
"I do."
Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"
"Harry! Manners!" Lily scolded, but she was still somewhat subdued over what Sirius had said.
The giant chuckled. "True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. "He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.
"I remember when he did that to me," James said, smiling over the memory of when he had been in first year.
"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind. "
James and Sirius exchanged a grin, both trying to forget how most of the people in this room were probably dead.
"That was terrible," Remus moaned.
"What?" Lily asked curiously.
"Once we bought Hagrid some brandy. He was utterly drunk."
"Oh…"
His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there was a roaring fire there.
"Isn't he not supposed to use magic?" Regulus said. Sirius shrugged and answered,
"What they don't know doesn't hurt them." James agreed,
"It's not like Hagrid's dangerous or anything." Luna smiled at that, remembering the baby dragon, and the time her dad rode in the motorcycle to leave the Dursleys'.
It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunk into a hot bath. The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.
"I wonder what that is," Regulus drawled. Sirius grinned back and said,
"You don't know? I used to think you were smart, Reggie!"
"Don't call me that, Siri! At least I can recognize sarcasm."
"Don't call me Siri! Do you know how many compliments you get when you don't recognize sarcasm? It's great!" James broke in,
"Only you, Paddy…"
"Thanks, Prongs!"
Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage.
"Yum!"
Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little.
"That fat pig doesn't need any food!" Severus said.
Uncle Vernon said sharply,
"Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley. "The giant chuckled darkly.
"I can't believe he distrusts Hagrid!" James said, as if it was the craziest thing in the world.
"Yet great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry. "
"Yes! Finally the truth," Sirius said.
"You didn't know that, Paddy? Do you need a healer?" James asked innocently.
"Definitely," Regulus said seriously, before Sirius could retort.
He passed the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful,
"And that's saying something! Remember when Sirius tried one of Hagrid's rock cakes!" Remus said.
"He had to have three teeth fixed by Madam Pomphrey. She ended up threatening Hagrid to never make them again." James said, chuckling. Sirius glared at them but was grinning.
"I did get three galleons for it, though. James dared me to."
but he still couldn't take his eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said,
"I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are. "
"He's really polite," Remus said, sounding slightly surprised. Of course, the only eleven year olds he had known very well when he was that age had been Peter, James, and Sirius.
The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Call me Hagrid, " he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o'course.
Lily scowled at the reminder of how the Dursleys had kept that information away from him.
"I can't believe my son grew up as a muggle," James whispered, uncharacteristically serious.
"Er - no, " said Harry. Hagrid looked shocked.
"Sorry, " Harry said quickly.
"Why is he apologizing?" Regulus asked, "It's Dursley's fault!" Suddenly, Lily's eyes widened, and she looked over at James.
"He better not have your annoying noble thing!" she yelled. James immediately held his hands up in surrender. Luna couldn't help it there. According to Uncle Ron, her dad had always been a noble git. So, she snickered. Loudly. Remus turned to her and asked,
"Did he get the noble thing from James?" Remembering her mission, Luna said,
"Keep reading and find out."
"Sorry?" barked Hagrid,
"See? Hagrid doesn't think he should be apologizing either!" Regulus said. Severus looked at his housemate with a raised eyebrow and said,
"Who disagreed with you?"
turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"
"That's just going to confuse him," Sirius said.
"All what?" asked Harry.
"Hagrid's not going to like thaaaaaaaat," Sirius sang loudly.
"We know," Severus snapped, annoyed. "Lupin, how do you do a wandless silencing charm?"
"Let me demonstate. Silencio!"
"Thanks."
"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!" He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. "Do you mean ter tell me, " he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy - this boy! - knows nothin' abou'- about ANYTHING?"
"Harry's not going to like that at all," Remus said. Severus snickered,
"Especially if he's anything like Lily. I got angry at her and told her that she didn't know anything about the Wizarding World –"
"And I yelled at you for the best part of fifteen minutes for saying that," Lily said, eyes shining.
Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad.
"I know some things, " he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff. "
"Yep. There it is."
"Looks like his temper isn't as bad as Lily's."
"Oi! My temper's not bad!" Lily exclaimed.
"Are you deluding yourself?" Regulus cried before he could stop himself. When Lily turned to glare at him, he did the brave thing and ducked behind one of the sofas. Sirius and Remus laughed, but James, whom had been on the other side of that glare too many times, winced in sympathy.
But Hagrid simply waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world. "
"What world?" Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.
"DURSLEY!" he boomed.
Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble. "
"How articulate," Severus drawled.
"I know; I'm absolutely stunned by Dursley's vocabulary," Regulus agreed.
"I've never even heard the word mimblewimble before!" Remus added, in mock-awe.
Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.
"But yeh must know about yet mom and dad, " he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous. "
"Yeah! You're famous, Prongsie!" Sirius said, finally breaking Remus' strongest silencing spell yet. No one was even surprised anymore.
"For dying, Padfoot!"
"What? My - my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"
"I am! I believe that I am tied for most detentions ever!" James said proudly.
"Only you and Sirius would believe that's an accomplishment," Remus said, shaking his head.
"Of course it is! It was my goal since first year!" Sirius said, faking a hurt tone.
"Yeh don' know... Yeh don' know... " Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Harry with a bewildered stare. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.
"He's a human!" Regulus answered.
"Of course not! He's a flobberworm!" Sirius disagreed. Lily glared at him and demanded,
"Sirius Black! Did you just call my son a flobberworm!" Severus rolled his eyes and said,
"Of course he's not a flobberworm! D –"
"Aw, Snape! You have no sense of humour!" James cut in. Severus finished what he had been planning to say, ignoring James' comment,
"Dursley doesn't take good enough care of him! Flobberworms are insanely easy to care for!"
Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice. "Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"
"Like a muggle could stop Hagrid," Regulus sneered. Sirius glanced at him in surprise. Even though his brother had never turned his back on their parents, he had always been pretty tolerant of muggles and muggleborns.
A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.
"I've never seen Hagrid that angry," Lily said in surprise.
"Neither have I," Regulus agreed.
"The only thing I can think of for him to lose control that badly was if he was drunk –" Remus said.
"But he's not," Regulus cut in. "I would know. I've seen some pretty… surprising people hopelessly drunk before. Right, Severus?"
"Sev?" Lily asked shocked, "How in Merlin's name did you manage to get him drunk!" Regulus turned to stare at Sirius and James. They fidgeted slightly before saying,
"That may be our fault…" Remus snorted and said,
"They charmed all of Slytherin's glasses to fill with firewhiskey for a prank once. Then they placed concealment charms over it so it wouldn't be noticeable."
"Thanks for that, Potter, Sirius. I had been in the Hospital Wing during dinner that day because of Quidditch. I came back to see the whole Slytherin house completely drunk."
"I wish I could see your reaction," Sirius said, snickering wildly.
"At first I was completely shocked," Regulus said, "Then I saw Bella and Lucius dancing together rather… suggestively… in the middle of the Common Room. It scarred me for life."
"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"
"I never realized Hagrid cared so much about us," Lily said with a sad smile.
"He's a loyal friend," James said seriously.
"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.
"I can't believe he doesn't know…" Remus muttered. Magic had always played a huge role in his life.
"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.
"She is so overdramatic," Lily said shaking her head.
"Yeah!" James agreed, "It's just like Paddy when he's drunk!"
"Oi! I'm not that terrible!"
"I wish," Remus muttered.
"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh, "
"That's a good one," James said, chuckling.
said Hagrid. "Harry - yer a wizard."
"Harry's not going to react well to that," Sirius said slowly.
"Who would?" Lily asked.
There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.
"- a what?" gasped Harry.
"See?"
"A wizard, o' course, " said Hagrid, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit.
"Of course!" James cried, "My son's awesome!"
"Yeah, he's already smarter than you!" Sirius agreed.
"Exact – hey!"
With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter. "
"Finally," James moaned.
"I don't think anyone has ever needed that many letters," Remus said, remembering Hogwarts: A History.
Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea.
"I love how the letters are so literal," James said, shaking his head.
"Why do you sound as if you have experience with that?" Lily asked.
"Because I tried to fool the letters once by sleeping outside. It didn't work. I got Mr. J. Potter, the grass, behind-your-house, Potter Manor."
He pulled out the letter and read: HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. , Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards) 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 September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.
"Those don't change much," Regulus said with a snort.
"Of course not. When is anything Minnie does exciting or new?" Sirius said.
"Sirius! You shouldn't insult your lifelong crush!" Remus said with a snicker.
"THAT WAS A DARE, MOONY! AND I GOT DETENTION FOR IT!"
Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first.
"Now who does that remind me of?" Severus asked.
"Shut it, Sev."
After a few minutes he stammered,
"What does it mean, they await my owl?"
"Really? Of all the things to ask…" Sirius said.
"Most muggles aren't really accustomed to owl post, Sirius. Of course it sounded strange," Regulus said.
"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me, " said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl – a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:
"How!" James demanded, "I can't read his writing upside-up! Is upside-up a word, Moony?"
"Oh, Prongs…"
Dear Professor Dumbledore, Given Harry his letter. Taking him to buy his things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope you're Well. Hagrid, Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in its beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm.
"Poor owl," Lily said, thinking of the storm.
"Lily, the owls do it all the time," Severus pointed out, rolling his eyes.
Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone. Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.
"Why does that sound like Prongs?" Remus stage-whispered to Sirius. Sirius grinned back and said innocently,
"I have no idea, Moony."
"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.
"He's not going, " he said. Hagrid grunted.
"I'd like to see a muggle like him stop Harry," Regulus muttered.
"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him, " he said.
"That was strange," Sirius said, glancing from the book to his brother.
"See, Sirius," James said with a grin, "We always knew Regulus was as soft as Hagrid on the inside!"
"Shut up, Potter," Regulus said, his voice losing the teasing tone it had taken on as he became more comfortable with the Gryffindors. He knew that if he was soft, he wouldn't have been able to survive this long with the Death Eaters.
"A what?" said Harry, interested.
"A Muggle, " said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on. "
"Bad luck!" Lily shouted. "It's all Dumbledore's fault!"
"Lily, there's probably something we don't know yet," Remus suggested.
"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish, " said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed!"
"It's better than being a muggle like Dursley!" James declared. Severus rolled his eyes,
"Of course it is, Potter. Being a wizard is always better than being a muggle." Regulus closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and saying,
"I disagree, Severus. I'd rather have Voldemort as a muggle than a wizard."
"I'd rather not have Voldemort at all," James interjected.
"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a - a wizard?"
"Knew!" Lily shrieked, "Knew! Of course they knew!"
"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course we knew!
"Whoa," Lily said.
"I have no comment," Sirius said slowly.
"For once," Regulus added cheekily.
"It's an improvement," James added.
How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that-that school-and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"
"She's jealous," Remus stated. Lily nodded once, slowly. Was there any way for her sister to get over it?"
She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years. "Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and had you, and of course I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as - as - abnormal –
"Thank Merlin for that!" James said.
"Are you calling me strange, James Potter?" Lily asked with narrowed eyes.
"Well…"
and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"
Harry had gone very white. As soon as he found his voice he said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"
"Hagrid's sooooooo not going to like that," Sirius said dramatically.
"CAR CRASH!"
"See?"
"No one disagreed, Paddy," Remus said.
roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"
"That is ironic," Severus said.
"Duh, Snape," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.
"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.
The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious. "I never expected this, " he said, in a low, worried voice.
"I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh - but some ones gotta - yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'. "
"That would be a nightmare," Lily moaned.
"I don't know. It would be pretty funny," Sirius said.
"Sirius! Don't make me come over there!" Lily threatened.
"Walk right over," Sirius said with a wink.
"Oi! No hitting on my future wife!"
He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys. "Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh - mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it... "
"When isn't something a mystery?" Lily sighed.
"When you don't really want to know it," Remus answered logically.
He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I suppose, with - with a person called - but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows - - "
"Voldemort," Regulus finished. No one in the room flinched.
"Who? "
"Hagrid's going to have to say Voldemort," Remus said with a chuckle.
"He's terrified of saying it. Freaked out when James did once!" Sirius added.
"So did Wormtail," James said with a grin.
"Well - I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does. "
"I don't know. I can think of some people crazy enough to do it," Remus said, with a mock glare at the other two Marauders present.
"Why not?"
"He's soo not making this easy," Regulus said with a chuckle.
"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... Bad.
"Understatement," Regulus muttered.
As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse.
"Still an understatement," Regulus said quietly once more.
His name was... "Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.
"Go, Hagrid!"
"You can do it!"
"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.
"No, it's pretty hard to spell," Sirius said.
"Padfoot," Remus said patronizingly, "You just have to sound it out."
"Nah. The less I think about him the better."
"Nah -can't spell it. All right - Voldemort."
"Woohoo! Hagrid said it!"
Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this-
"Monster."
"Fiend,"
"Devil."
"Flobberworm!"
this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too - some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches...
"Now we know why he doesn't like you as much, Padfoot. You're too strange," James said.
"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooo!"
Terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him - an' he killed 'em. Horribly.
"Lovely. The future sucks."
"He's gone in Harry's time," James said weakly.
"Don't count on it," Regulus said.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked him, confused.
"There are ways for dark wizards to make themselves immortal. It's likely Voldemort would have done just that." Regulus wasn't willing to mention all of the hints Voldemort had been dropping about splitting his soul, immortality, and seven pieces.
One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of.
"Damn straight!" Sirius said.
"Language, Sirius," Lily scolded.
Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.
"Death Eaters will never get into Hogwarts!" Luna shook her head at that. Even in her dad's first year, Voldemort, or what was left of him at that point, had been in Hogwarts.
Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day!
"We still can't believe that," Remus muttered, glancing at James.
"Oi! I am soooooooo responsible!"
"I believe you played an irresponsible prank at the beginning of this year again," Regulus said.
"Of course!" James said, sounding aggrieved, "It's tradition!"
Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... Probably knew they were too close to Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.
"Of course!" James shouted. Lily snorted,
"Like they'd want a muggleborn on their side."
"But they could have used you to make your friends join," Severus said gravely.
Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em...
"Not a chance," James said.
Maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way.
"That's more likely," James admitted. Surely, even an idiot like Voldemort would know that he wouldn't have switched sides.
All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' - an' - - "
"And completely ripped our family apart," James said sadly, drawing Lily towards him.
Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.
"What's a foghorn?" James and Sirius asked together. No one answered.
"Sorry, " he said. "But it's that sad - knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -anyway... "
"Thanks, Hagrid," Lily said with a slightly watery smile."
"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then - an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing - he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then.
"Well, that makes our deaths sound so important," Lily said sarcastically. Regulus looked up at her with haunted eyes and said,
"There is no reason important enough for killing." Suddenly, Lily was reminded of what Sirius had called Regulus a couple chapters ago. He was a Death Eater. Yet, he didn't seem as if he was loyal to them. What had caused the younger Black to join?
But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a Powerful, evil curse touches yeh - took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even –
"That's not the best way to say it," Regulus said.
but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry.
"I never thought I'd rather my son not be famous," James said sadly.
No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age - the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts –
Everyone but Regulus and Severus paled drastically.
"Oh Merlin… I-I can't believe so many people die…" Sirius said.
an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."
Something very painful was going on in Harry's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, he saw again the blinding flash of green light,
"I can't believe this happens in less than five years…" Severus said.
"It won't happen!" James said decisively, "We'll change it! That's why we're here, right?" He directed the last question to Luna, who nodded.
more clearly than he had ever remembered it before - and he remembered something else, for the first time in his life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.
Hagrid was watching him sadly. "Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot... "
"Which was a grave mistake?" Sirius suggested.
"Hagrid wouldn't insult Dumbledore like that," Lily said.
"Load of old tosh, "
"Yes, you are," James said, sounding rather polite.
said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.
"Now, you listen here, boy, "
"Harry has a name you know. I know you have a one track mind, and that the traffic is pretty light on it, but even you should know that!" Remus said. James leaned over to Sirius and whispered,
"I don't get it."
he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured –
"That – that moronic bastard!" Sirius cried.
"That idiot better not have beat my son!" Lily said.
and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdos,
"Can't deny that, Prongs," Remus said with a grin.
"Same for you, Lily," Severus said. Lily glared at him, while James laughed.
no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion –
"Oi!"
asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end - - "
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT JAMES AND LILY LIKE THAT!" Sirius shouted. James wiped a fake tear and said,
"I didn't know you cared, Padfoot." Sirius, doing something extremely uncharacteristic, didn't lighten up the remaining tension. Instead, he said,
"Of course I care. I just wish I could be there for your son."
But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said,
"I never realized he liked us that much," Lily said.
"I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you - one more word... "In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant,
"That sounds so ridiculous," Remus said grinning.
"I'm upset that they didn't include it was a flowery, pink umbrella," Regulus said.
Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.
"That's better," Sirius said.
"That's better, "
"See? I speak only the truth!"
said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor. Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.
"Sounds like Lily," Severus said.
"I didn't have hundreds of questions!" Lily defended.
"Yes you did. Remember when you wanted me to tell you about the dementors?"
"But what happened to Vol -, sorry - I mean, You-Know-Who?"
"Don't be afraid of the name, Harry!" James cried.
"He won't be," Sirius said decisively.
"It would be so pathetic if the boy who defeated Voldemort couldn't say his name," Regulus said.
"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... He was gettin' more an' more powerful - why'd he go? "Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.
Regulus shivered, thinking of the first time he had seen Voldemort. It had been when he'd gotten the Dark Mark.
Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don't reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. "Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on.
"It's amazing that Harry did that," Severus said, surprised.
'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on – I dunno what it was, no one does - but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."
"I wonder what happened," Remus said.
"Maybe if everyone didn't interrupt all the time we would find out."
Hagrid looked at Harry with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. A wizard? Him?
"Why's it so hard to believe?" James asked his pureblood heritage showing.
"James, in the muggle world, witches and wizards are fantasy."
How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; if he was really a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard?
"That would have been great," James said. Regulus chuckled and said,
"It's actually kind of scary."
"What do you mean?" James asked, bewildered.
"Did Sirius never tell you about the time he accidentally turned mother into a toad?"
"We are not talking about that!" Sirius said quickly.
If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?
"I can't believe Petunia let him go through that," Lily said.
"It seems your relationship only gets worse," Severus agreed.
"Thank you! That makes me feel so much better!" Lily said. Regulus broke in,
"Sorry, Lily, we can't all be little bundles of sunshine.
"Hagrid, " he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."
"Ahhh, denial. Lily did it, too," Severus said.
To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.
"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"
Harry looked into the fire. Now he came to think about it... Every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle furious with him had happened when he, Harry, had been upset or angry...
"Wow, Prongs! Harry's so much smarter than you!" James. Ignoring the insult, wrapped an arm around Lily's shoulders and said,
"He got his mum's brains."
Chased by Dudley's gang, he had somehow found himself out of their reach... Dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow back... And the very last time Dudley had hit him, hadn't he got his revenge, without even realizing he was doing it? Hadn't he set a boa constrictor on him?
"We really need to do something like that!" Sirius said.
"We know, Paddy! You've said that like four times!" Remus said loudly. James snickered.
Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at him.
"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."
"Yes! My boy is famous!" James sang.
"Because Voldemort murdered his parents and tried to kill him," Regulus deadpanned. James' grin faded quickly. However, Sirius, after a moment of looking shocked, said,
"You said Voldemort!"
"Course I did, brother. Did you really think I'd call him anything else? I'm not that scared of him."
But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight. "Haven't I told you he's not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High and he'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and he needs all sorts of rubbish - spell books and wands and - - "
"Oh he's going," Sirius threatened.
"Duh. Thank you Captain Obvious!" Lily said.
"We don't need your input, Lieutenant Sarcasm," Regulus said grinning.
"Shut up, Black!"
"Lily! I thought you valued my opinion!" Sirius said.
"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him, " growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad.
"We've already established that, Hagrid," Sirius said.
His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change,
"That was such a Slytherin insult," Severus said, surprised.
"What do you mean?" James asked, frowning. He couldn't imagine Hagrid as a Slytherin.
"Assuming Hagrid likes Harry, which he clearly does, saying he'll be with kids his own sort could mean with wizards, or it could mean with other good kids."
"Hmm… I see what you mean…" Remus said.
an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled - "
"Haha, Dumbled."
"Shut up, Sirius!"
"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL To TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
"That's not going to bode well for Hagrid," Regulus said.
"It never does," Remus added.
But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER, " he thundered, "- INSULT-ALBUS-DUMBLEDORE-IN-FRONT-OF-ME!"
"That is a terrible way to get Hagrid angry. Remember when Mulciber insulted Dumbledore and Hagrid heard? It was the first time I've ever seen Hagrid give detention," Severus said.
He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley - there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain.
"Hope it hurt," Regulus said viciously.
"Oi! That's my nephew!" Lily said loudly. Regulus glanced at her, shocked because of her defense. Lily glared at him for a moment, then grinned and said,
"If anyone get's to wish him pain, it's me!"
When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.
"WooHoo! Go Hagrid! That's awesome!" James yelled.
"Kinda reminds me of when we gave Sniv-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Sirius!" Remus hissed. Severus acted as if he hadn't heard either of them.
Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.
"I wonder what house the Dursleys would have been in if they went to Hogwarts…" Remus wondered.
"Dursley senior's a big enough git to end up in Slytherin," James pointed out.
"Potter! That's an insult!" Severus exclaimed.
"They wouldn't be in a house," Regulus said in a 'duh' voice, "they'd be sent back to London because they aren't cool enough to be at Hogwarts!"
Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.
"Not his beard!" Sirius wailed.
"Shut up before I get my wand back and give you one," Remus threatened. Luna giggled faintly, but otherwise stayed quiet.
"Shouldn'ta lost me temper, " he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do. "
"Nice one, Hagrid!" James exclaimed. Sirius snickered,
"I like how he didn't even react to the Dursleys' rigorous fleeing of the room."
He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows. "Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts, " he said. "I'm - er - not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff - oneo' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job"
"It would be terrible not to be able to do magic. I can't even remember a time before I did accidental magic," Lily said. Remus nodded and said,
"For the longest time, I thought I wouldn't be allowed into Hogwarts. I had kinda resigned myself to not being able to use magic."
"Why wouldn't you be allowed?" Lily asked curiously.
"Er…"
"It's because he's half crup!" James exclaimed.
"What?"
"Yeah! That's why he's so loyal! We just have to keep him away from muggles!" Sirius said. Remus scowled at them. Regulus snickered and said,
"C'mon, Remus, let's see your forked tail!"
"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.
"You know," Lily said thoughtfully. "Harry's taking this a lot better than I did. When it was all explained to me, I busted out laughing and asked Severus if he wanted me to call a doctor for him." Severus let out a laugh,
"I remember that! You were also affronted when I called you a witch!"
"Yeah, well," Lily said sheepishly, "You popped out from behind a tree and blurted it out. You have to remember I didn't know you back then."
"I guess it wasn't my smartest idea. I think I remember that Petunia screamed and ran away when I came out."
"Mate, everyone runs in the opposite direction when they see you," Regulus said, putting a hand on Severus' shoulder.
"Then why are you always with me?" Severus retorted.
"Because I've been trying to hide the truth from you."
"Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth.
"I remember him telling this to us, once," Remus asked.
"Do you know why?" Regulus asked, curiously.
"No!" Remus said, glaring at James for some reason.
In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore. "
Regulus, sounding amused, asked Sirius,
"Remember all the stuff about Dumbledore our parents told us?"
"Your parents," Sirius snapped, annoyed by the mention of his old family. Regulus' grin faded slightly and he didn't finish what he had been about to say.
"Why were you expelled?"
"Harry, that's rude," Lily pouted. Sirius snorted loudly. "What, Sirius?" Lily asked.
"Jamesie-boy here asked Hagrid the exact same thing in first year."
"James!" Lily reprimanded.
"Sorry, Lily, but that was before I became so nice and mature."
"And we're still waiting for that day to come…" Severus said, shaking his head in mock-sadness.
"Oi! I'll have you know that I am very mature!"
"Just keep telling yourself that, Prongsie," Sirius said.
"At the very least, I'm better than you," James said, pointing to Sirius. Regulus laughed,
"Point there!"
"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow, " said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that. "
"Woohoo! DIAGON ALLEY!" Sirius shouted.
"We KNOW, Padfoot!" Remus said loudly.
He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry. "You can kip under that, "
"That's nice," James said with a smile.
he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets.
"Lovely," Regulus drawled out.
"At least it's something," Lily informed him, "Dursley didn't give him anything."
"True, true," Regulus admitted.
"Let's keep going," Remus said. "Who wants to read?"
HI! Thanks for the continued support I've recieved with this! Please review! It really helps to motivate me! I can't predict when the next chapter will be up, sorry. I'm pretty busy, and these take a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time. I spent at least ten hours on this.
I do not own Harry Potter!