"Chapter four The Keeper of Keys," Lily began.
BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.
There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hand- now they knew what had been in the long, think package he had bought with them.
"I still think it was stupidly dangerous to bring a gun with them!" Lily huffed before continuing to read.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you- I'm armed!"
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.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wile, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.
"Hagrid!" the Gryffindor's all shouted happily, both past and present.
Professor McGonagall smiled softly at her students, she was happy that they like Hagrid so much, even if she didn't approve of everything he did.
The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that his head just brushed the ceiling. 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.
"Couldn't make up 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.
"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.
"I love Hagrid!" Sirius beamed.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.
Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.
"Las' time I saw you, you were only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yeh dad, but yeh've got yeh mum's eyes."
"Aw, Hagrid," Lily said, slightly teary eyed, leaning forward to give Harry a tight hug before leaning back against James. James grinned widely at the head haired teen as he threw his arm around her.
Harry grinned back at his mother, he never got tried of hearing about how he has his mother's eyes.
Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"
"Is it really breaking and entering if it's not their house?" Leo asked looking over at Hermione.
"Technically it is breaking and entering still but the Dursley's wouldn't be able to press any charges since they don't own the property," Hermione explained.
"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.
"Do you think Hagrid would do that if we asked him to?" James asked looking over at his friends.
"Don't even think about it," Lily snapped not wanting to Marauders to bother the gentle giant with stupid things.
When Lily turned away from the boys Sirius gave James a thumbs up.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.
"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."
"Hagrid really is such a sweet person," Fawn said with a gentle smile.
"We're going to need to do something for him soon," James said to Lily.
"I agree," Lily nodded. "Professor, tomorrow could we bring Hagrid in to read with us? If that's okay with you guys?" she asked looking toward the people from the future.
"I would love it if Hagrid came to read with us," Leo admitted with the rest of his friends voicing their agreement.
"Very well, I'll speak to Hagrid tomorrow to see if he is available to join us," smiled Professor McGonagall when the students all cheered.
From an inside pocket of his black over coat 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.
Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lose on the way to his mouth, and hat he said instead as, "Who are you?"
"That was rude, Harry," Lily scolded her future son.
"I know, I didn't mean for it to come out like that," Harry sheepishly admitted.
The giant chuckled.
"True, I haven't introduced myself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.
""What about that tea then, eh?' he said, rubbing his hand together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."
"Some fire whiskey would be good right about now," Leo shrugged getting a look from Fawn at his comment that he skilfully ignored, used to the disapproving stare of Hermione.
His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled 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. 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 begun 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 amber liquid that he took a swig from before started to make tea. Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. 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. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."
The Giant chuckled darkly.
"Yeh great puddin' of a son don' need fattnein' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."
Everyone laughed at Hagrid's insult, even Snape couldn't help letting a small smirk slip before he caught himself and made his face blank again.
He passed the sausage to Harry, who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful, 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."
"At least you're using your manners this time," Lily joked. Harry just looked back at her with a sheepish grin.
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, Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts- yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o'course."
"Er- no," said Harry.
Hagrid looked shocked.
"Sorry," Harry said quickly.
"Aw, Harry, you are such a sweetheart," Fawn gushed slightly.
Leo started to snicker to himself when Harry started to blush once more.
"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't getting' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cyrin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yeh parents learned it all?"
"All what?" asked Harry.
"Magic!" James whispered with twinkling fingers.
"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 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."
Leo snorted loudly gaining everyone's attention. "Sorry, but did you really think Hagrid was talking about math?" he asked Harry.
Harry shrugged slightly, "I can't really remember but I probably was."
"Oh, Harry, sometimes I worry about you," Leo sighed, laughing when Harry pushed him over.
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.
"Yes, Hagrid, blow him up!" Sirius cheered loudly.
"Mr Black," Professor McGonagall scolded.
Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.
"But yeh must know about yet mum and dad," he said, "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."
"What? My- my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?"
"I really hate that you don't know about us!" Lily frowned sadly, the thought of her son not knowing anything about her growing up really upset her.
"I know about you guys now," Harry tried to comfort her but it wasn't helping at all.
"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.
Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.
"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sit! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"
"Yeah, like Hagrid will listen to you," Remus remarked sarcastically.
A braver man then Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him; when Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage.
"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?"
"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.
"You sound so much like Leo right then," Ron said.
Harry looked at Leo who was still laying on the ground but now on his back with his legs thrown over Harry's lap. Leo was grinning proudly up at Harry.
"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.
"Don't yell at Hagrid, you git!" Leo growled protectively.
Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.
"Ah, go boil yeh heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry- yeh a wizard."
"Finally!" James exclaimed, throwing his arms up happily.
There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.
"-a what?" gasped Harry.
"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. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."
"Hagrid is so sweet!" gushed Lily.
James was smiling widely at Hagrid's praise.
Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr H. Potter, The Floor, Hunt-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read:
Lily dropped the book to throw her arms around Harry, "You've finally got your letter! I'm so proud!"
Harry smiled widely as he leant back against his mother. He had always wanted to hear her say that and it was finally happening. Harry couldn't remember feeling so happy.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc, Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed of Wizards)
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of 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
Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"
"Out of all the things you could have asked, you asked that, really Prongslet?" Sirius chuckled.
"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:
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
Given Harry his letter,
Taking him to but his things tomorrow.
Weathers horrible. Hope you're well.
Hagrid
Hagrid rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, which clamped it in his beak, went to the door, and threw the owl out into the storm. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.
"That poor owl," Leo comment, Fawn nodded thinking about how to owl would have trouble flying in that kind of weather.
Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.
There were a few chuckles around the room but Snape just rolled his eyes at how much of an idiot Potter's son was.
"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 ter see a great muggle like you stop him" he said.
"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."
"It wasn't luck that landed you with them," Leo muttered darkly, earning him a few confused glances but Harry nudged him, not wanting him to say anything else.
"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!"
"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a- a wizard?"
"Of course, they knew. Why else would they be so horrible to you?" James asked rhetorically.
"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia suddenly. "Knew! Of course, we knew! 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 with in the family!"
Lily stopped reading, tears swimming in her eyes. James leaned over and pulled her into his arms, giving her a warm, comforting hug. Harry stood up from the ground and squeezed onto their lounge and wrapped his arms around Lily as well. Everyone else looked away letting the small family have a moment.
With tears still in her eyes Lily pulled away and gave James a small smile before turning to give Harry a small hug. Wiping the remaining tears from her eyes Lily picked the book up and started to read again.
She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say this 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- 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!"
"A car crash!" James shouted hating that they lied to his son for his whole life about them.
"CAR CRASH!" 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!"
"But why? What happened?" Harry asked urgently.
"Looking back on it, it was better that I never found out," Harry admitted, thinking about to all the pain he had to go through since he found out the truth of who he was and who his parents were.
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, who 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 someone's gotta- yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."
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 everything', it's a great myst-ry, parts of it…"
"Are we about to find out how you beat Voldy?" Remus asked curiously.
"You'll find out," was all Harry said, still sitting next to Lily.
He sat down, stared into the fire for a few seconds, and then said, "It begins, I supposed with- with a person called- but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our worlds knows- "
"Who?"
"Well- I don' like sayin' his name if I can help it. No one does."
"Why not?"
"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went… bad. As bad as you could go. Worse than worse. His name was…"
Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.
"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.
"This is taking forever," Sirius whined. "Why doesn't he just say it already."
"Nah- can't spell it. All right- Voldemort." Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this- 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 and witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him- an' he killed 'em. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway. 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! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before…
"I would never join the Dark side!" James growled. Lily nodded beside him; she would never even think of joining them.
probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark side. Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe just wanted 'em outta the way. 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'- "
Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn.
"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad- knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find- anyway…
"Oh, Hagrid," Lily said softly, touched by the half giant's words.
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. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yeh 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- but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age- the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts- an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."
"So, Marlene dies?" Sirius quietly asked, exchanging sad looks with his friends. Marlene was a Gryffindor in their year and she was a nice, funny girl, they had always gotten along with her.
"And the Prewett twins…" Remus whispered.
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, 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.
"I'm sorry, Harry, we couldn't protect you," Lily sobbed, hugging Harry close to her.
Harry hugged her back with James throwing his arms around the both of them. "It wasn't either of your faults. There wasn't anything you could have done and I have never blamed you!"
Letting go Lily nodded her understanding. She took a few deep breaths before she started to read again, wanting this chapter to be over with.
Hagrid was watching him sadly.
"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot…"
"Load of old tosh," 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," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured- and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weridos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion- asked for all they got, getting mixed with these wizarding types- just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end- "
"How dare he!" Sirius roared. "James and Lily did not deserve that! They are some of the kindest people I've ever met! The one who deserves that is you, you fat prick!"
"Mr Black, sit down this instance!" Professor McGonagall said sternly from her chair.
Sirius clenched his fist, still panting before sitting down stiffly.
"Thanks mate," James leaned over and whispered to his best mate.
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'm warning you, Dursley, I'm warning you- one more word…"
"Blow him up!" Leo said quietly, earning himself a soft flick on the back of his head from Harry.
In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant, Uncle Vernon's courage failed again; he flattened himself against the wall and fell silent.
"That's better," 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.
"But what happened to Vol-, sorry- I mean, You-Know-Who?"
"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 getting' 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. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don't believe that. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back. Most of us reckon he's still out there but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. '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."
Everyone looked at Harry with a bit of awe. Harry started to squirm in his spot, uncomfortable with the attention he was getting.
Leo cleared his throat loudly and glared at everyone warningly. He knew that Harry hated attention and he didn't mind taking it off of his boyfriend.
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? 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? 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?
"Hagrid," he said quietly. "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."
"You're a child, no one should be expecting greatness from you at that age!" Lily assured Harry but it didn't have the effect she was hoping for but Harry didn't tell her that, not wanting her to feel like she had to make him feel better.
To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.
"Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"
"Like that horrible sweater with the bobbles?" Leo chucked, looking back at Harry who rolled his eyes at his boyfriend but couldn't help but smile at him.
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… chased by Dudley's gang and 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?
Everyone shared a laugh at the memory of Harry helping the snake escape accidentally.
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."
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- "
"If he wants ter go, a great muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid.
"You tell him, Hagrid!" James cheered.
"Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. 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, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled- "
"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOO TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.
"Oooh, Hagrid's gonna beat him up," Sirius whispered excited. Everyone knew how high Hagrid held Dumbledore and for someone to insult the headmaster in front of him was a sure-fire way to get onto Hagrid's shitlist.
But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER," he thundered, "INSLUT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDORE- IN- FRONT- OF- ME!"
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. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.
The room erupted in laughter as the screen that was in the room, forgotten by everyone, displayed Dudley holding his bum with a pig's tail poking through his trousers. Even Professor McGonagall couldn't stop herself from giggling slightly even if she tried to hold it and be disappointed with Hagrid.
Snape was the only one not laughing but he even he couldn't stop himself from smirking in amusement at the picture.
It everyone a few minutes to calm down but a few people would still let out a couple giggles every few seconds.
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.
Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.
"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."
Everyone let out another loud laugh but were able to settle down a lot quicker this time.
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 so a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff- one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."
"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Harry.
"Oh, well- I was at Hogwarts myself but I- er- got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They napped me want in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."
"Why were you expelled?"
"Harry, you can't just ask someone that," Hermione was the once to scold him, beating Lily to the punch. Harry grimaced at his lack of tack back then, he could even admit that he probably shouldn't have asked Hagrid that.
"Why was Hagrid expelled?" Peter asked Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall pursed her lips slightly, "I'm afraid that if you want to know that then you would have to ask Hagrid yourself but I advise you don't, he doesn't like to talk about it."
"It's getting' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."
He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Harry.
"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggled a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."
"And that's the chapter," Lily announced closing the book.
"And it's off to bed with you all, we can read some more tomorrow," Professor McGonagall said over everyone's whining. Turning to her future students she asked: "Are you sure you will be alright in here tonight? I'm sure I can find you all an extra room to sleep in."
"We're okay, Minnie, don't worry about us," Leo grinned at her as Hermione started to transfigure some of the couch pillows into beds for them all.
Professor McGonagall nodded. "If any of you need anything through the night, don't be afraid to come find me," she offered kindly.
"We will, Professor, goodnight," Ginny said, giving her favourite professor a bright smile as she left with everyone else in the room.
A/N: A bit of a rollercoaster of emotions for Lily in this chapter, wasn't intended for that to happen until it did.
I know I said that I would upload at the end of every month but I meant that if I don't upload before then it means that I will only upload once for that month.
Hope you guys enjoyed and see you next time.