Fudge kept trying to wake up Umbridge and nobody was even halfheartedly willing to help him, amazingly, not even Madame Pomfrey.

Professor McGonagall flipped the page to the next chapter, a smile came acrossed her lips.

"Hagrid, I think you may want to read the next chapter." she said handing him the book.

"Alrigh'" he took the book and when he read the title, a bigger smile then McGonagall's stretched acrossed his face.

The Keeper of the Keys

The school erupted into cheers. Fudge gave up trying to wake up Umbridge and satisfied himself with just conjuring up a cot and putting her on it. He might as well keep a constant vigil on the proceedings seeing as how she couldn't.

BOOM.

Hagrid bellowed out that word to the school, knocking a few students, who thought they were safe with Hagrid's reading, off their chairs a second time that afternoon.

They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake.

"Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.

"Can he talk any other way, really? said Draco snidely.

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands-now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.

"OH MY GOD! HE COULD HURT SOMEONE WITH THAT THING!" screamed Hermione.

"The really scary thing is, he has no idea what to do with it." said Harry absently, snuggling underneath the blankets. He was very comfortable, and felt that the worst was finally over.

"What do you mean 'no idea what to do with it'?" asked Sirius clutching Harry's shoulder gently.

"He's never held a gun before, when he came out; it was facing the wrong damn way. He could've easily shot himself, that is, if the trigger wasn't so far away. I actually came over and flipped the gun around."

"Why would you do that?" asked Hermione fearfully. "He could've killed someone with it!"

"I put the safety on and took the shells out, Uncle Vernon never even noticed." smiled Harry.

"Very quick thinking Harry." said Dumbledore approvingly. "But what would have happened if it was someone who wished you and the Dursleys harm?"

Harry quickly noticed that Dumbledore didn't' say "your family" he smiled. Then he thought about it. "Wrenched the gun away, took the safety off, loaded the gun and fired." he said simply.

"Can you fire one of those things?" said Sirius in an amazed tone.

"With all of Dudley's shows, I've seen how they work, though I would've been knocked on my butt from the recoil. They've got a massive kick."

Sirius chuckled and kissed his Godson's head.

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

"So is he!" yelled Harry from amongst the blankets.

The students didn't know who he was talking about, but Ron, Hermione and the teachers all laughed.

There was a pause. Then-

SMASH!

Students hit the floor again as Hagrid yelled once again.

The door was hit with such a 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 wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles.

"HAGRID!" yelled the students, applauding.

"Yeh make me soun' scary 'arry." said Hagrid with a concerned look on his face.

Harry laughed as he pushed his head out of the covers. "I didn't know you Hagrid. I didn't know how gentle you are."

Hagrid blushed and tried to carry on with the reading.

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 us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been an easy journey..."

"Hagrid, only you could knock a door down to the ground with a push of your finger and just carry on as if it were perfectly normal." smiled Lupin. Dumbledore smiled as well.

He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.

"Thanks Hagrid, for putting some fear into that brat!" called Draco.

Everyone turned and stared at him. "What?" he said again, they said nothing.

"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother,

"That will be near impossible." said Ron, who had seen Dudley the summer that he came to Privet Drive. He couldn't believe the contrast between his best mate and his best mate's cousin.

who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

"Well that made it a little easier." smirked Ron.

"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 was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."

"You were the first to say that to me Hagrid. I haven't stopped hearing it since." said Harry.

"You make it sound like you're tired of hearing it." said Sirius curiously.

"I'm not tired of it, I never will be, it's just...I'm not my father, or my mother...I'm my own person. And sometimes, I feel like some adults keep forgetting that." he said quietly.

This statement pulled at Sirius's heartstrings, as well as Lupin's, "Harry, we know that you are your own person. James was never a singer, neither was your mother. Yet, here you are, with the voice of an angel! James couldn't boil water, and your mother, well, she was learning. She couldn't make food the way you can! You've got so many talents that neither of them had! But you are right, we and other people keep shoving that statement down your throat, we promise not to confuse you with your parents, alright?"

Harry smiled, turned a light shade of pink and nodded.

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant;

"That's telling him Hagrid!" yelled the twins.

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.

The students jumped up in down, on the floor, in their chairs, they were excited. The Dursleys were finally getting their comeuppance!

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."

From the 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.

"The first birthday cake I've had in ten years, Hagrid!" Sirius, Remus, Mr. and Mrs. Weasely and Dumbledore all looked saddened by that statement.

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, where are your manners?" admonished Mrs. Weasely.

"Molly, the book just said he meant to say thank you, the kid was in shock." said Moody.

The giant chuckled.

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

He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.

"Golly 'Arry, didn't mean ter hurt yeh." said Hagrid sadly.

"It's alright, Hagrid. I was fine."

"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."

"HAGRID! DON'T DRINK IN FRONT OF CHILDREN!" scolded Madame Pomfrey and Mrs. Weasely. Hagrid looked guilty.

His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorted.

"Knew that wasn't good enough ter start a fire with." he snorted, again.

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.

Hermione brought a blanket she had transfigured and draped it on top of the other two.

"How many blankets are you people going to try and bury me under?" said Harry with his eyebrows raised.

"You keep saying you're cold!"

"That was five years ago! I'm perfectly comfortable right now!" said Harry with a playful smile.

The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of his pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs,

"Cripes! How many pockets do you have, Hagrid?"

"'bout twenty-seven" said Hagrid offhandedly. People whistled.

and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.

Madam Pomfrey and Mrs. Weasely began to scold Hagrid angrily, Hagrid had to hide, unsuccessfully, behind the book.

"I..it...w..w..wasn't..." he gulped.

"It was butterbeer! I saw the same bottle at The Three Broomsticks! Same bottle, same scent." said Harry firmly.

The scolding stopped immediately.

Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage.

"Ron you just ate!" said Hermione in shock when she heard his stomach growl.

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.

"Course he would." spat Hermione bitterly.

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

"He doesn't need any more fatting." said Charlie darkly.

The giant chuckled darkly.

"Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."

"Glad we agree on that." said Charlie walking up and shaking Hagrid's hand.

He passed the sausages to Harry,

"Good! Harry needs some fattening up." said Charlie, who laughed at the indignant look Harry sent him.

who was so hungry he had never tasted anything so wonderful,

It took Harry a while to convince Sirius, Lupin and Mrs. Weasely, who each conjured up a plate of snacks, that he was full.

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."

"That's better, Harry." smiled Mrs. Weasely.

The giant took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Now, just need to work on Hagrid's manners." mumbled Mrs. Weasely, but meaning well.

"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts-yeh'lll know all about Hogwarts, o'course."

"Er-no," said Harry.

Hagrid looked shocked.

As did the rest of the school.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly.

"For what?" asked Ron.

"I'm used to saying that every time someone starts to look like that." Harry said simply.

"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 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?"

"All what?" asked Harry.

"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.

"GET 'EM HAGRID! LET 'EM HAVE IT! yelled the twins and the rest of the Quidditch team.

"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.

"When you are accepted to Hogwarts and if you went to a muggle school before this, we get a copy of your marks, and we review them, seeing if you need any extra help in an area. Yours, Harry, were very impressive. Miss Granger's marks were nowhere near yours." said Dumbledore, staring straight ahead, thinking fondly.

Hermione looked at Harry with her mouth hanging open.

"I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."

"Math and stuff?" asked Hermione with a smirk.

"I would like to hear how the conversation would go if you were there, instead of me." Harry said with a small sneer. Her smirk went away quickly with a blush

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

"What world?"

"Really?" said Sirius with a smile.

"Hey I was still in shock, cut me some slack."

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.

"DURSLEY!" he boomed.

Hagrid boomed it as well, students, again, were sent to the floor.

Uncle Vernon, who had gone very pale, whispered something that sounded like "Mimblewimble." Hagrid stared wildly at Harry.

"What?" said a Ravenclaw, "Mimblewimble?" No one could answer her.

"But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean they'refamous. You're famous."

"What? My-my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?"

"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.

"Damn, it was nice not hearing from him." growled Moody.

"Stop!" he commanded. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell the boy anything!"

"Yeah, like Hagrid will listen to a man like you." said George.

A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagird 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?"

"I wonder what they ever did with that letter?" asked McGonagall, burnt it most likely she thought.

"Kept what form me?" said Harry eagerly.

"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" yelled Uncle Vernon in panic.

Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry-yer a wizard."

The school raised a loud cheer, this was the turning point in Harry's life! Now the good times were a coming!

There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.

"I'm a what?" gasped Harry.

"I had the same reaction." said Hermione and Dean.

"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.

"And so far, you are already, 'a thumpin' good'un.'" said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling over to Harry. Sirius smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. You got that right thought the shaggy haired man.

With a mum an' dad like yours, what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."

"FINALLY!" yelled the crowd.

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. 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

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?"

"All the questions you had, you settled for that one?" said Draco with widened eyes.

"Good choice, there was a deadline. Has to meet it." said Kingsley in his deep calm voice.

"Galloping Gorgons, that reminds me." said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse,

"Poor horse." said Bill with a smile.

and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl-a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl

"Poor owl." said Bill, trying to hide his laughter.

"Hagrid! How could you put an owl in your pocket?" said Hermione looking taken aback.

"There is a breed of owls that we wizards raise, Miss Granger, that are used for keeping in large pockets. I leant Bee boo to Hagrid for Harry's reply. He's quite used to traveling like that. Several people have small owls that are used for that fashion." said Dumbledore, smiling towards Hermione. Who looked shocked, then thoughtful.

-a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:

"Now I'm very impressed, I can barely read my own writing upside down." said Lupin looking at the teen, who smiled back at him amidst the blankets and cushions.

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. Then he came back and sat down as though this was as normal as talking on the telephone.

"Yes, Hermione, the owls are bred to handle any sort of weather. Minus a hurricane or tornado, of course." said Dumbledore holding a hand up, before she could even ask the question.

Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly.

"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.

"Oh, yes he is!" chanted the Gryffindor table.

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."

"An' that was what I was gettin' from jus' meetin' them." growled Hagrid, angrily remembering the scroll and what horrible truth it showed.

"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!

Everyone tensed up again from what had been said earlier. Sirius and Remus took a tighter hold on Harry. He was never going back, never. Never. Dumbledore paled once more.

Wizard indeed!"

"You knew? said Harry. "You knew I'm a-a wizard?"

"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!

"SHE WAS NOT A FREAK!" came a bloodcurdling scream. Harry sat straight up and vainly tried to ignore the shooting pain firing up his back. He looked around and saw Professor Snape, white with fury and his fists clenched. McGonagall had to pull him back down and began to pat his arm.

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 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-

"If being normal is acting like you, then being abnormal is a really good thing." piped up a Hufflepuff first year. Then blushed when the school clapped and yelled in agreement.

"Well spoken, Mr. Davidson, well said." said Dumbledore kindly, clapping along with the students.

and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"

The clapping died in an instant. They all turned to Harry, Dumbledore leaned forward, a shocked look on his face.

"That...that...is...is how..you...you..found out...? stuttered Dumbledore.

He looked away and nodded. Dumbledore leaned back in the chair clutching his chest, face contorted with extreme grief. To find out that way, was being cruel, it was inhuman, what had he done?

It took a moment for Hagrid to stop crying and finish blowing his nose, to continue with the story.

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!"

"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 known' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"

"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,

"So you knew there would be trouble, did you?" said Lupin in a rough whisper. His angered face, however, was broken. Dumbledore was still clutching his chest and his eyes closed. His mind hadn't strayed or moved on from the moment Harry learned the truth about his parents. Lupin looked away, he'll have a word with the man, later.

how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don't 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..."

People leaned in forward, they didn't want to miss a moment of this.

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-"

"Who?"

"Well-I don' like sayin' the 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. Worse than worse. His name was..."

Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.

"Nah-can't spell it. All right-Voldemort." Hagrid shuddered.

A twitch went through the school.

"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 or witches...terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course some stood up to him-an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the 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.

"He wouldn't dare." said McGonagall with pride. The rest of the school nodded in agreement, even Fudge couldn't begrudge that truth.

"Now yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizards 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...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 he 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.

"I swear, Halloween is cursed." muttered Ron darkly, Hermione nodded. Harry was staring at the headmaster intently. His demeanor didn't change.

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.

Hagrid did a repeat performance.

"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad-knew yer mum an' dad an' nicer people yeh couldn't find-anyway...

"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 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-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'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age-the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts-

The families of the aforementioned bowed their heads in remembrance. It was so long ago, but the pain could still be felt in their hearts.

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, 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.

Flitwick and McGonagall paled while the rest of the school shivered.

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.

As did some of the students

Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.

"Now, listen here, boy." he snarled. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured-

"Hagird would kick your ass if you even tried!" bellowed Dean.

and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it,

A few adults' fists clenched.

and the world's better off without them in my opinion-

Sirius and Remus snarled and fists tensed on the blankets.

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 bother leaving gentlemen." said Madame Bones, grinning evilly from where she was sitting.

"WE'RE GONNA HUNT THEM DOWN AND MAKE THEM PAY, FOR SAYING! WORSE STILL! THEY SAID IT IN FRONT OF HARRY! bellowed Sirius as he and Remus reached the door.

"They are in custody at the Ministry. Awaiting trial of child abuse." she said keeping the same smirk on her face. They slowly came back, breathing shallower. Harry was leaning over the side, trying to look into Dumbledore's face, which still hadn't moved. They picked him gently and draped him across their laps once more.

But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella form 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..."

"Come on, Dursley! Say one more word!" egged on some of the Slytherins.

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 gettin' more an' more powerful-why'd he go?

"Some say he died.

"HE HAS DIED! These books will prove it." thundered Fudge.

"HE'S BACK!" These books will prove it." bellowed back Harry, not looking at him, but still staring at the Headmaster.

Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it.

"I don' believe that no more. I believe ya 'Arry." said Hagrid, speaking as if that should eradicate any doubt.

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 somewhere 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."

The students were a little disappointed, they didn't learn anything new, except, perhaps HE was back. The way Harry bellowed back to the Minister. If he WAS back, what were they going to do?

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.

"No mistake, Potter." Moody said, gruffly. Harry wasn't listening.

A wizard? Him? How could he possibly be? He'd spent his life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied and beaten 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?

Growls came from the large group, but then turned to cheers.

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?

And the growls came back in full force.

"Hagrid," he said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."

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...chased by Dudley's gangs, he had somehow found himself out of their reach...

"The running part isn't magical, the flying part is though." muttered Ron to Hermione.

dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, he'd managed to make it grow...

"Potter hair! No stopping it!" said Sirius, fondly messing up the hair, his face fell as he followed Harry's gaze. Dumbledore was paler now.

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?

"Boy, did I phrase that wrong." muttered Harry, still looking at Dumbledore. Something was wrong, very wrong.

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.

"Bull." snarled Tonks.

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. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born.

"I wrote the name down myself." said Flitwick proudly.

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 FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

"This won't go well," said Fred.

"Not...at...all." whistled George.

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!"

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley-

"Wha' happened! Wha' happened!" yelled the twins excitedly.

"If you let the poor man finish, he'll tell you!" said Hermione shrilly. She was waiting to hear what happened as well.

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.

People started to stand up, they were really interested now. What exactly happened? Whatever it was, Dudley deserved it and more.

When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

"YES!" screamed everyone in the Hall. They danced in place, hugged each other, and every student ran up to Hagrid and shook him firmly by the hand. Malfoy shook Hagrid's hand twice.

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,

"Should have done it sooner." bellowed Malfoy.

"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."

"Right on!" cheered Ron.

He cast a sideways look at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.

"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts,"

"And he never did!" said Hermione with a fake pout.

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-on 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 meself but I-er-got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year.

"Yes, well, you were proven innocent Hagrid." said Ron.

"Innocent of what?" asked Lupin, not noticing that Harry and Sirius were looking at Dumbledore and their eyes never strayed.

"You'll find out later." said Ron with a mysterious smile.

"Goody." he said leaning back in the bowl

They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

"Why were you expelled?"

"He'll never tell, we've tried." said Fred and George bitterly.

"It's getting late we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagird 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't mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

"Well at least he gave you something warmer to sleep under then that ragged old blanket, but he could keep the doo..."

"DUMBLEDORE!" screamed Harry.

Everyone turned quickly and saw the Headmaster, he was standing but he fell to the ground with great crash.

Harry, ignoring the unyielding pain, he flung himself to the floor and turned the old man over. His face was pale and his breathing, which was heavily labored just a moment before, had ceased.

Overhead, clouds were gathering and lightning was striking in sprastic points. Then, empty chairs, the torches and paintings started flying madly around the room. Madame Pomfrey came running over to the fallen man, she waved her wand over him, but the magic rebounded and knocked her off her feet.

"I can't use magic!" she shrieked. "His aura is going haywire."

Snape rushed over and whipped out a potion, but the glass shattered in his hand, sending shrapnel into his own hand. Snape sent out a cry.

"Not even my potions are working!" he bellowed over to her.

"He's suffering from a heart attack!" yelled Lupin, "We've got to do something, if not, he's done for!"

Harry placed two hands on Dumbledore's chest, right above his heart and pushed down forcefully, in quick succession. Then he placed his mouth of top the old man's and breathed down, he made sure the man didn't have anything lodged in his throat, before he started the compressions. Once he was done breathing down, he continued the chest compressions.

Nobody could move, they were in shock. Magic was useless here now, Dumbledore was gone, he had to be. They wanted to pull Harry back, but what he was doing, not a lot of them knew what he was doing. They weren't sure if Harry was beating him up in a fit of grief and kissing him, or what. Only the muggleborns and half-bloods recognized it and they stayed back. It looked like Harry knew what he was doing.

Harry looked up into the sky from doing the chest compressions. He was losing, he was losing Dumbledore, if only he had something, defibulator, anything! Harry looked at the lightning, that was it! He would have to time it right, he took a long piece of wire from his knapsack, he had an assortment of things in his bag. Ron was the only person alive that knew he carried that bag on his person at all times. He put a yellow pair of gloves on and he then pulled his custom kitchen knife out of his pocket. He tied one end of the wire to the knife and tossed it into the air, taking the other end of the wire and holding it a small ways away from Dumbledore's heart. Lightning struck the metal knife, traveled down the wire and split into two different directions, one path went down to Dumbledore. Which caused his body to jolt, and made everyone else cringe. The other surge of electricity tried to travel into Harry, but was nullified by the rubber gloves on his hands. Harry took off a glove and felt for a pulse, nothing.

Harry pulled the knife back, which landed a ways away and tossed it again. Once again, the power shot into Dumbledore, and again his body jumped on its own. Again he checked, and again he had to toss the knife in the air. Harry checked once more, he felt nothing. Then...he felt a tiny thump, then another. Dumbledore's heart was starting to fight back! The storm subsided and the chairs fell to a crash in the Hall. Harry sat back, leaning against the bowl. sweat pouring from his forehead and tears, that were from grief but they were now tears of relief, falling down. He smiled over to the Potion's Master and the school Healer, who were staring in amazement, and pointed weakly to Dumbledore.

"Your turn."