Chapter 3: Keeper of Keys and Grounds

The giant stood in the doorway and squeezed his way into the hut. He had to stoop so that his head barely brushed the ceiling. Cassia grabbed Harry's arm and backed up. She pressed Harry into the wall right next to the stone fireplace to hide him.

The giant bent down and picked up the door. He set it back in its frame and turned to look at all of them. He seemed to falter at the sight before him.

It truly must've been a sight to behold. A man in his pyjamas holding a gun, a woman in her pyjamas cowering behind her husband, a boy in his pyjamas cowering on the couch, and a girl in second-hand clothing standing by the fireplace with dried snot in her hair, trying to hide a bespectacled boy in overly large clothes.

"Sorry 'bout that," the man said, acting as if the sight wasn't amusing.

"I demand you to leave at once, sir!" Vernon shouted, pointing the gun at the man. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Dry up, Dursley, yeh great prune," the man responded. He grabbed the gun barrel and bent it upwards, easily. A gunshot rang out, making Cassia jump up at the sudden loud noise. Dudley squeaked from the couch and ran to hide behind Aunt Petunia, who was cowering behind Uncle Vernon.

The man looked at Dudley, "Boy, I haven't seen you since you were a baby, Harry. But you're a lot more along than I would have expected." He gestured to his middle, "'Specially round the middle."

"I-I-I'm not Harry," Dudley stammered, looking terrified at the giant.

Harry pushed past Cassia and got in front of her. "I am." He backed up a little, forcing Cassia to back up against the wall. Cassia was sure that he was trying to protect her. She was a little annoyed at that, but she shouldn't complain, considering that she had done the same thing to Harry.

The man chuckled, "Of course yeh are." He looked beyond Harry to look right at Cassia, "And that must be Cassia right behind you."

"Yeah, that's Cassia," Harry stated.

"Harry," Cassia hissed at him, agitated that he did that. This man was a complete stranger, even if he somehow knew their names. She knew that she shouldn't introduce herself to people who somehow knew her name, even though she didn't know them. She was sure that there was a talk about that in school.

"Las' time I saw you two, you two were only babies," said the giant. Cassia was sure that he must've been smiling from behind the beard. He looked at Harry, "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes." He looked at Cassia, "And yeh look a lot like yer mum, but yeh've got yer dad's hair."

Cassia blinked at that, "Thanks?" She smiled as the compliment left a nice warm feeling in her.

"Anyway – Harry, Cassia," continued the giant. "A very happy birthday to the both of yeh. Got summat fer yeh here – I'm 'fraid you two'll have to share. Only had time for one. I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

Cassia was a little suspicious. Why would a stranger give them a present? He didn't know them, but she felt a little excited over the idea of getting a birthday present, even though she would have to share with Harry. She didn't mind sharing.

The man reached in his black overcoat that had many pockets. He pulled out a slightly squashed box that had blue ribbon around it, and handed it to them. Harry took the box and looked at Cassia. He asked, "Do you want to open it?"

"We'll open it together," Cassia said. "After all, it's yours, too." They went to the coffee table and Cassia untied the ribbon. Together, they lifted the lid to look at a strawberry cake. In green icing, it said:

Happy Birthday
Harry & Cassia

It looked like her name was tacked on at the last minute, because it was smaller than Harry's name. However, the man said that he only had a time for one person. Cassia sniffled, more because of her allergies acting up again than happy tears. It was the first birthday cake that they had received; as far back as she can remember. It was strange that it was a complete stranger giving them a birthday cake.

"Thank you," Cassia said and noticed how Dudley was fidgeting a little. She narrowed her eyes at him. She couldn't believe how he wanted to take something away from her and Harry, even though it was supposed to be their gift. What else did he want to take from them? They barely had anything, anyway.

"Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley," Uncle Vernon said sharply to Dudley.

The man chuckled, "Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' any more, Dursley, don' worry."

"Who are you?" asked Harry, sounding confused.

The giant chuckled and sat down on the couch, which groaned under his weight. He looked at the fireplace, went through his overcoat and took out a pink umbrella and pointed it at the fireplace. Sparks shot out into the fireplace, and a gently roaring fire was in its place. Light and warmth instantly filled the room. Cassia's mouth opened in shock at that. How did that happen? She looked at her aunt and uncle, but they looked more terrified than shocked.

How come they're not surprised? Cassia thought.

"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts," Hagrid said.

"Hogwarts?" asked Cassia, frowning. It sounded familiar and then it clicked. "You work for Hogwarts School?"

"Ah, see yeh know all 'bout Hogwarts, then," stated Hagrid.

"Not really," Cassia said, shaking her head.

"No," responded Harry.

Hagrid looked shocked at that.

"Sorry," Harry and Cassia responded at the same time.

"Sorry?'" responded Hagrid, turning to look at the Dursleys, who shrank back. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh two 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 learnt it all?"

"Learnt what?" asked Cassia confused.

"All what?" asked Harry.

"'Learnt what?' 'All what?'" repeated Hagrid, "'Learnt what?' 'All what?'" He jumped to his feet, causing the floor to shake. He stomped to the Dursleys. "Do you mean ter tell me, that they knows nothin' abou' – about anything?"

"We know some things," Harry said. "I can do maths and stuff. Cassia's teacher once handed her an award for getting top marks." He sounded a little proud at that.

Cassia felt her face warm up at that. "I wasn't the only one." She can remember that one girl shouting, 'All hail, Cassia Potter, Queen of Toilets' when she got it.

Hagrid waved his hand and said, "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."

"What world are you talking about?" asked Cassia.

"Dursley!" shouted Hagrid, turning on them. Uncle Vernon muttered something. He turned back the Potter twins. "But yeh must know about yer mum and dad. I mean, they're famous. You're famous."

"What?" started Harry.

"Our parents were famous?" asked Cassia.

"Yeh don' know…yeh don' know…" started Hagrid looking thorougly bewildered. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?"

"Stop!" shouted Vernon. "I forbid you! We swore that when we took them in, we'd put a stop to all this! I forbid you from telling them!"

"Forbid him from telling us what?" asked Cassia.

Hagrid looked down at Cassia, "Yer a witch, Cassia." He looked at Harry, "And yer a wizard, Harry."

Cassia gaped at Hagrid. "I'm a what?"

"A witch, o' course," replied Hagrid. "An' thumpin 'good'uns, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be?"

"You've made a mistake," Harry said. "Cassy can't be a witch and I can't be a wizard. She's Cassia…just Cassia. And I'm Harry, just Harry."

"Tell me this just Harry and just Cassia," Hagrid said. "Have either of you made anything happen? Anything that yeh couldn't explain when yer angry or scared?"

Harry and Cassia looked at each other at that. There had been odd instances that had happened to them.

Once, Petunia got tired of Harry coming back from the barber's looking as though he hadn't been, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short, he was nearly bald, except for his fringe, to hide that horrible scar. Dudley had laughed so hard at that. Harry was already made fun of for his baggy clothes and Sellotaped glasses. When he got up the next morning, Harry's hair had grown back, and he couldn't explain how. He had gotten stuck in the cupboard for a week for that.

Another time, Petunia had tried forcing Harry into a revolting old brown jumper with orange bobbles, that had once belonged to Dudley. Every time Petunia tried forcing it on him, it shrunk so much, that it would've fit on a glove puppet. Petunia figured it must've shrunk in the wash, so Harry escaped punishment.

Harry had gotten in trouble for supposedly climbing the school building because he was being chased by Gordon, Malcolm, and Dudley, and somehow ended up on the school kitchens.

While Harry was being chased, Cassia was almost getting her head shoved into a toilet by Dennis and Piers, which created the incident that had branded her the 'Queen of Toilets.'

Another time when Cassia was seven, she was chased by one of Aunt Marge's dogs, when the dog's fur had turned red. Cassia didn't know how that happened, but she was blamed for it. Aunt Marge wavered between who she hated more: Harry or Cassia.

The most recent incident had been with the snake at the zoo.

The Potter twins looked at back at Hagrid and nodded. Hagrid chuckled, "Thought so." He reached in his overcoat and took out two letters. "An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter." He handed the letters to them and they took it.

Cassia ignored the address and opened it. She took out the letter, feeling giddy.

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 a place 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

Questions came to mind, after Cassia read the letter. What was a Mugwump? What does 'we await your owl' mean? How did one person get so many awards? Where was Hogwarts even located?

"Are we really going to go to Hogwarts?" asked Cassia.

"No, you're not going!" shouted Uncle Vernon, looking pale. "I refuse to let you be a part of that rubbish like your parents!"

"L-like my parents?" stuttered Cassia in disbelief. It all clicked together. She turned to glare at them, feeling angry over this part of her life that her aunt and uncle kept hidden from them. "You knew that Harry's a wizard and I'm a witch?"

"We swore when we took you in, we'd put a stop to that rubbish, swore we'd stamp it out of you!" Uncle Vernon snarled at Cassia, "Witch and wizard, indeed."

"You knew all along?" asked Cassia, looking at them, still in disbelief. All of a sudden, it made sense. Why the Dursleys were so adamant on magic not being real. Why they freaked out over every strange little occurrence that couldn't have been their fault, but somehow it was. The reason why they hated the word 'magic' and banned the usage of it in the house. It all made sense. She accused, "Of course you knew all along!"

"Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia, "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you both 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 holiday 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!"

"Our mum wasn't a freak!" shouted Cassia, feeling irrational anger over her mother being insulted.

"She was!" shouted Aunt Petunia. "For my mother and father, they were proud of 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 you bother would 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!" She was breathing heavily, as if she finally got rid of whatever she had kept bottled up.

Cassia felt her face burning with anger. "You told us that they had died in a car crash!"

"Car crash!" yelled Hagrid. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal!"

"We couldn't have people thinking that they were ours," Aunt Petunia said.

"They're not going!" repeated Uncle Vernon.

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop them," Hagrid said.

"Muggle?" repeated Cassia. What type of word was that?

"A Muggle is what we call non-magic folk like them." Hagrid explained to Cassia, "An' it's your bad luck that you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."

"So are we going to Hogwarts or not?" asked Cassia. She was very excited at the idea of going off to Hogwarts and learning magic. She wanted to know more about this world that her parents were a part of. The world that her uncle and aunt had tried to keep hidden from them for years.

"No," hissed Vernon. "They're going to Stonewall High and they're going to be grateful for it. I've read those letters and they need all sorts of rubbish – spell books and wands and—"

"If they want ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop them," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's children goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. They're off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and they won't know themselves. They'll be under the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumble—"

"I am not paying for some crackpot old fool to teach them magic tricks!" shouted Vernon.

It must have been enough out of Uncle Vernon, because Hagrid had grabbed the umbrella and whirled it over his head. "Never! Insult! Albus! Dumbledore! In! Front! Of! Me!" He swished down the umbrella to point it at Dudley, who was busy eating the cake that Hagrid had brought them. With a crack like a firecracker and a flash of violet light, Dudley fell face-first in the cake. A curly, pig's tail appeared right on Dudley's rear end. Dudley jumped up and grabbed his bottom, howling in pain.

Uncle Vernon roared and pulled his wife and Dudley into the other room. He slammed the door shut.

"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," Hagrid said. "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." He looked at the Potter twins, "Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts. I'm – er – not supposed to ter do magic, strictly speakin'."

"We won't tell," Cassia said. "What exactly happened to our parents? Since they didn't die in a car crash?"

Hagrid looked at Cassia, "It's getting late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow. Gotta get up ter town; get all yer books an' that." He took off his overcoat and threw it to Harry. "You and Cassia can kip under that. Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

Cassia couldn't help but think that having dormice in one of the pockets was weird, but she didn't say anything as she and Harry, went back to lie on the floor. She stuffed the envelope in her messenger bag because she didn't want the Dursleys to steal it when she got up in the morning. She snuggled under the overcoat. It was probably the warmest thing she ever had to a blanket.

"Happy eleventh birthday, Harry," Cassia said.

"Happy eleventh birthday, Cassy," Harry said.

For once, Cassia felt happy that it was her birthday.