Chapter Five

Keeper Of Keys And Grounds.

My first instinct was to grab Harry but my brother beat me too it, and he wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders. The booming had woken Dudley with a start and through the wooden ceiling above, I could see the outlines of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia vacate their bed. Suddenly, our aunt and uncle where stood at the bottom few of the stairs, Vernon holding a rifle in his hand which explains what had been in the long, thin package he had brought.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you – I'm armed!"

Then, in unison there was a smash and a rumble of thunder, the front door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and echoed a deafening crash landed flat on the stone floor. The outline of a giant figure squeezing his way into the hut. Dudley whimpered as the figure came more into the flickering light available, his face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of brown curly hair mixed in with a wildly tangled beard.

"Sorry about that." the figure spoke as he bent down and picked up the door, fitting it easily back into the frame. The figure – well man, if that is what he is – turns around and does a quick survey of the room, his eyes glisten like black beetles as they land on Harry and I.

"I must warn you sir! You are breaking and entering!" Uncle Vernon hissed. The giant figure stepped two steps across the stone floor to stand in front of the Dursley's, his face twisted in anger at the pompous man in front of him.

"Dry up, Dursley you great prune." he says sternly before grabbing the barrel of the gun and turning it upwards towards the ceiling. Everyone but the giant jumped at the sound of the gunshot that pierced a hole in the ceiling above. Uncle Vernon made a strange noise – almost like a mouse being trod on. The giant simply smirked before walking over to sit on the sofa. Harry and I had darted away from the floor by the sofa some time ago, standing by a set of cupboards that line up against the far wall of the hut.

"My word..." the giant mumbled to himself as he stared at me and my brother, standing beside each other hand in hand with, no fear but curiousness. "Las' time I saw the pain of you, you were only babies." said the man, "If I didn't know any better, I'd of thought you were your parents, except your eyes Harry, you've got your mums, but Grace, you look like like her."

The man got really quiet as he turned away from looking at Harry and myself. He then pulled a slightly squished box from the pocket of his black overcoat. "Got something for yous – I mighta sat on it at some point, but I'm sure it'll taste all the same."

He passed the box to me, I took it gratefully with trembling fingers, Harry helped open the top to see a large cake coated in pink icing and written in green icing was; Happee Birthdae Harry and Grace. I was shocked and I could tell my the look on Harry's face, he felt the same. It was our first birthday cake.

Harry looks from me to the cake, almost like he was trying to make sure I was seeing this as well. We didn't even know this man and he has already shown more interest and affection towards us than the eleven years combined with Petunia and Vernon.

"Excuse me, sir." I speak up handing Harry the cake as I watched the giant place himself down in the middle of the sofa, which sagged under his weight, the man turned to look at me, "Who are you?" I ask.

He let out a booming laugh, "Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts." he introduced himself confidently, he leant towards a fire blocking all view and after a few moments, he leans back revealing a flickering fire, heat roared through Harry and my body. "Of course, you know all about Hogwarts." he smiled.

I furrowed my brows and turned to look at Harry who looked as equally confused as me, "Er – no." said Harry as I shook my head. Hagrid stared at us with such horror it was terrifying. "Sorry." we both said quickly.

"Did you never wonder where your parent's learnt it all?" asks Hagrid.

Overwhelmed with confusion, I stepped forwards towards the giant man with curiosity, "Learnt what?" I questioned. Harry stepped forwards but didn't stand level with me, Hagrid turned to face us completely with sympathy written all over his face.

"You're wizards." he whispers contently, "But you must know about your mum and dad, I mean, they're famous, you're both famous."

"What?!" Harry and I exclaim.

Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, "Oh no, you dont know."

Dudley was pulling at the sleeve of his mothers night dress questioning that was happening whilst Harry and I stared bewilderedly at each other.

"You never told them!" Hagrid suddenly exploded, "Never told them what was in the letter we left you!"

What the hell is going on? Me and Harry, wizards? No way.

"I'm sorry, you must of made a mistake," Harry says, "We can't be wizards. We just Harry and Grace."

Hagrid chuckled lightly, "Well, just Harry and Grace, did you ever make anything happen? Something you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared."

Gasping, I latch onto Harry's arm and whispered, "The snake."

"I think it's about time you read your letters." Hagrid says and pulled two yellowish envelopes, addressed in the same emerald green ink as before, the ink read the same aside from our names, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. With shaking hands, I open the envelope carefully not to break the wax seal, pulled out the letter and began to 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 Miss Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment needed for first year. Term beings on September 1st, we look forward to meeting you soon.

Yours sincerey,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress.

I read a few lined out in the open, and from the corner of my eye I could see Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon cringe with every word. Questions exploded inside my head and I could tell by the baffled look on Harry's face he was equally as wondering. Glancing over to his letter, they were both the same.

"They will not be going!" Uncle Vernon growled, "We swore when we took them in we would put a stop to all this rubbish. We swore we'd stamp it out of them!"

"You knew!" I suddenly shouted angrily, "You knew and you never told us!"

Aunt Petunia then shrieked, "Of course we knew! How could you not be, my sister being what she was. Oh, our parents were so proud the day she got her letter, we had a witch in the family," she laughed bitterly, "I was the only one who saw her for what she really was – a freak!" Freak, that word stung deeply, Harry let out a muffled whimper whilst Hagrid gasped. "Then she met that Potter and had the pair of you and I knew you both would be just the same, just as strange, just as abnormal. And then she went and got herself blown up! And we got landed with the you two!"

Harry had gone white whilst I could feel myself growing redder with anger.

"Blown up?!" I yell.

"You told us our parents died in a car crash." Harry says quietly.

"A CAR CRASH!" Hagrid bellows, jumping up so angrily that Uncle Vernon scuttled up several steps, Dudley huddled behind Harry and myself in a small gap by the cake, "A car crash killed Lily an' James Potter! It's an outrage! Its a scandal!"

Uncle Vernon, despite shaking violently, stood his ground against the giant man, "They will not be going!"

Hagrid laughed, "And I suppose a great Muggle like yourself is going to stop him." he teased.

"Muggle?" I question.

"Non magic folk," the figure whispered to me, "Their names have been down ever since they were born! There going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry and they'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever seen, Albus Dumbledore."

"I AM NOT SENDING THEM TO SCHOOL WHERE SOME CRACK POT OLD FOOL WILL TEACH THEM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon until he was purple in the face. But he had finally gone too far.

Hagrid seized the umbrella he was carrying and pointed the end at our uncles face, "Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me." the noise of something, almost slurping, caught my attention, Harry and I turned to see Dudley, his face buried in the box where our cake should be, his hands covered in icing. Then there was a flash of violent light, a sound like a firecracker followed by a shriek. Now Dudley was dancing around on the spot with one hand clasping his fat bottom. When Aunt Petunia finally pried his hands off, we all could see a pink, curly tail – a pigs tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

"Serves you right." I laugh as Harry erupted into giggles with caused Hagrid with smile warmly.

Then he leaned in, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone about that, see I'm not aloud to do magic." Without even thinking, Harry and I agreed. He pulled out a old, rusting looking watch and studied the face, "Oh, look at the time. We best be off."

Hagrid then turned for the door, pulling it at the top letting the entire thing fall to the ground with a crack. Harry and I stared at each other in confusion. Then the figure turned back to us, "Unless you'd rather stay."

Harry looked a little hesitant but I lunged forwards to grab my jumper slipping it on. I turned to Harry who looked at Petunia, her words beforehand where very hurtful and he was just glaring at her. Reaching out my hand, Harry took it and we stepped out into the bitter air, leaving the Dursley's behind.

A/N: This chapter is a lot more like the movie however it's a lot more of my own writing, I really hope you enjoy it and I know it's short. Please comment, favourite and follow.