Chapter 2
It was a long time before Harry and I were allowed out of the cupboard to spend free-time, so long, in fact, that the summer holiday had begun.
Dudley had, unsurprisingly, broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and even went so far as to run over Mrs. Figg with his racing bike as she was trying to cross the street.
With school over with, Dudley's gang (Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon) came over every day.
That's why Harry and I spent so much time out of the house. Once summer ended, the two of us would be going to secondary school, and for the first time in our lives, Dudley wouldn't be with us.
He, along with Polkiss, were going to Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.
Harry and I would be going to Stonewall High, the local public school.
Of course, the rest of Dudley's gang would be going there, too, and they would probably beat us up just because we were the usual targets. Old habits die hard, after all.
One day in July, Petunia took Dudley off to London to buy a Smeltings uniform, leaving Harry and I at Mrs. Figg's.
The old woman wasn't as lively as usual. She had tripped over one of her cats, apparently, and that's what caused her to break her leg. Needless to say, she was more than a bit peeved at her cats for the time-being. She decided to let us watch the television and handed out some chocolate cake that I declined to eat, as it looked like it was rather old.
That evening, Dudley paraded around the living room in his uniform, which consisted of a maroon tailcoat, orange knickerbockers, and a flat straw hat called a boater, while holding a knobbly stick.
As he watched Dudley march around, Vernon gruffly said it was his proudest moment in life.
Petunia, meanwhile, burst into tears and said she couldn't believe that her Ickle Dudleykins looked so handsome and grown-up.
Harry remained silent, but he did occasionally spaz out and puff his cheeks out. He was clearly holding in his laughter at our cousin, something which would get both of us in trouble if he was discovered.
Well, I suppose I couldn't fault him there.
Dudley did look ridiculous.
The next morning, there was a horrible smell in the kitchen when I went in to help with cooking breakfast. It was coming from a large, metal tub in the sink.
My nose wrinkled up at the offensive smell, but I knew better than to ask about it. I merely went over to the stove and began cooking.
Harry came in about five minutes later and approached the sink. He stared down at the clothes that were being dyed grey and asked, "What's this?"
Petunia's lips tightened as they always did when Harry or I asked a question. "Your new school uniform."
Harry, in a moment of sheer stupidity, said, "Oh. I didn't realize it had to be so wet."
"Don't be stupid," the woman snapped, "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old clothes grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished."
I had some serious doubts, but I failed to voice them. I instead focused on serving up the toast. I continued on making the eggs and bacon, which were finished just as Dudley and Vernon came into the kitchen.
The two males wrinkled their noses up at the smell before shrugging it off. They sat at the table as I served the eggs and bacon. Vernon read his newspaper while Dudley whacked the table with his Smeltings stick, which he decided to carry with him everywhere.
We all heard the clink of the mail slot and the flip of letters onto the doormat.
I immediately headed off to get the mail. I raised an eyebrow at the envelope of faded yellow. I saw a seal on the back in wax before I flipped the envelope over to read it.
Mr. C. Potter
The Cupboard Under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
Perhaps my paranoia is why, when I first saw the letter addressed to me, I decided that it would be best to hide it away. I figured I'd be able to read it later, away from prying eyes. I passed the rest of the mail to Vernon and Harry respectively and continued on with my daily chores from there.
Harry was eating breakfast when he realized a letter had been addressed to him.
Vernon, however, had eyes and thus saw the letter.
That, and his son snatched it from Harry, earning an indignant, "Hey! That's my letter!" from my twin.
Vernon snatched away the letter, looked down at it, and paled. "P-P-Petunia…!"
Petunia saw the letter as well, and she looked at Harry like he was something horrifying. "Vernon! Oh my goodness, Vernon!"
Vernon quickly tore open the letter and paled, glancing up at his wife, who was looking back at him fearfully. He was promptly hit by Dudley on the head, who hated being ignored.
"I want to read that letter!" Dudley exclaimed.
"I want to read it as it's mine," Harry said firmly.
"Get out, the three of you," Vernon croaked, stuffing the letter into its envelope.
Knowing what would happen if I didn't comply, I immediately made for the door to the kitchen.
"I want my letter!" Harry shouted.
"Let me see it!" Dudley demanded.
"OUT!" Vernon roared before he took Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks. He tossed them out of the kitchen and slammed the door shut behind them.
Dudley quickly punched Harry in the face before bending down to put his ear to the keyhole.
Harry, meanwhile, laid flat on his stomach and listened to the conversation through the crack between the door and the floor.
I just stood by, pretending to not be interested. I was actually quite interested, as was evident by how I subtly listened into the conversation.
"Vernon," Petunia said with a quivering voice, "Look at the address. How could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"
"Watching - spying - might be following us," Vernon muttered wildly.
"But what should we do, Vernon?" The blonde asked worriedly, "Should we write them back? Tell them we don't want-"
Vernon, who was pacing up and down the kitchen with his shiny, black shoes, finally said, "No… No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer… Yes, that's best… we don't do anything…"
"But-"
"I'm not having one in the house, Petunia!" Vernon yelled at his wife, "Didn't we swear when we took them in we'd stomp out that dangerous nonsense?!"
I narrowed my eyes a bit before taking my leave from the area. I had heard all that I needed to, and I had other morning chores to attend to. I heard Vernon make for the kitchen door as Harry scrambled for the closet while Dudley rushed for the living room. I began to tidy up as the man went about getting ready for work.
Petunia was a stay-at-home wife, meaning she could freely keep an eye on my younger brother to make sure he didn't do anything out of the ordinary.
Of course, neither of us acted out of the ordinary.
Later in the day, after Vernon came home from work, he visited Harry and I in our cupboard. Well, actually, he visited Harry and asked me to go to the kitchen, which I did.
I waited in the kitchen, wondering what Vernon wished to discuss with Harry as I sat at the table under Petunia's watchful eye.
Vernon soon came into the kitchen after yelling at Harry a few times. He gave me a forced smile as he said, "Your brother will be sleeping upstairs in Dudley's second bedroom. You won't mind having all that cupboard space to yourself, will you?"
"No, sir," I answered honestly.
The cupboard under the stairs was quite cramped with one person, let alone two. It would give me all the space I could reasonably ask for with Harry gone. So, no, I did not mind that Harry had been relocated.
With a nod of approval, Vernon sent me off to help Harry move his belongings into his new bedroom.
I did so without question.
Of course, Dudley was bawling at his mother, yelling, "I don't want him in there… I need that room… Make him get out…"
Dinnertime soon came, and everyone joined in the dining room to eat.
After that, Harry and I were sent off to our respective bedrooms.
I waited patiently in my cupboard until everyone was asleep before pulling out my letter and opening it.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
~
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sore., 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 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.
Yours Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
It came with a list of supplies needed for the school, which was obviously a boarding school if the amount of supplies and clothes needed was anything to go by.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
~
Uniform
First-year students will require:
- Three sets of plain work robes (black)
- One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
- One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide of similar)
- One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.
Course Books
All students should have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quinten Trimble
Other Equipment
1 wand
1 cauldron set (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS
I gave a small sigh before tucking everything back into the envelope. I hid the envelope away, all while pondering how, exactly, I'd get my hands on an owl.
There was no doubt in my mind that this was real. The Dursleys didn't make jokes about magic, and they loathed the topic of anything abnormal. They definitely wouldn't be behind such a grand scheme, and they certainly wouldn't send a letter to both of us Potters. They also wouldn't have taken Harry's away and let me keep mine if they had known about this beforehand.
The next morning at breakfast, everything was silent.
Dudley was in shock. He had his biggest tantrum in his life, and he hadn't gotten what he had wanted. He had screamed, whacked his father with his Smelting stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother, and threw his poor tortoise through the greenhouse roof. Still, he hadn't gotten his way.
Shelly the Tortoise, or so I called the tortoise, was miraculously unharmed after being launched through the glass and hitting me as I worked in the garden.
I, however, was given a major bruise on my shoulder from where the tortoise impacted with me.
In any case, Harry stared down pensively at the kitchen table. He seemed bitter, probably because he didn't have the letter that had his name on it.
Well, I had gotten mine (I knew it was mine thanks to the fact it had my first initial on it), and I got to read it. That's all that mattered to me.
Vernon and Petunia continued to glance at each other darkly throughout the silent breakfast.
I, meanwhile, happily ate my food. I enjoyed the silence, as it showed that the two were displeased with my brother instead of me yet.
When the mail arrived, Vernon, who had been overly nice to Harry, made Dudley go get it.
We heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall.
Then, the boy shouted, "There's another one! 'Mr. H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive'-"
With a strangled cry, Vernon leapt from his chair and rushed down the hall, Harry hot on his heels.
I remained calm as I ate, not paying the three any mind as they tussled over the letter for Harry.
Petunia soon went to go check on the three, leaving me to steal some of Dudley's bacon.
Once I had my fill, I began to clean up my plate and utensils. I waited until the others returned, though Harry did not. I quickly shrugged it off and continued on with my day, all while wondering how, exactly, I'd manage to capture an owl.
The next day, Harry had the brilliant idea to wake up at 6 in the morning and tried to sneak down to get the mail before anyone else could.
Vernon had had roughly the same idea, though he slept in front of the door in a sleeping bag. His face was subsequently stepped on by an oblivious Harry, and he screamed, which woke up everyone in the house.
As I poked my head out of my cupboard with a raised brow as I watched Petunia come from upstairs, a look of shock on her face as she watched her husband struggle to get out of the sleeping bag he had used for the night. I then shrugged it off and went to start breakfast.
For half an hour, Vernon yelled furiously at Harry before demanding that I make him tea.
I did so without question, Harry being sent upstairs before he could eat breakfast.
Vernon took pure delight in ripping the letter to shreds just before Harry could go up though. The man failed to go to work that day, instead staying home to nail the mail slot shut. "See," he said to Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "If they can't deliver them, they'll just give up."
"I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon," Petunia said, clearly worried about her husband's sanity.
The partially insane man merely chuckled. "Oh, those people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia. They're not like you and me," he said, trying to knock in a nail with a piece of fruitcake that his wife had just brought him.
On Friday, no less than a dozen letters arrived for Harry. Because said letters couldn't go through the mail slot, they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides, and a few even forced through the small window in the downstairs bathroom.
Vernon stayed home again that Friday, burning up all the letters for Harry. He then got out a hammer, nails, and boards, which he used to cover all the cracks around the front and back doors, making it so no one or no thing could go in or out. While he worked, he hummed "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and jumped at any small noise.
On Saturday, things got slightly out of hand.
Twenty-four letters for Harry found their way into the house. The letters were rolled up and placed inside of the two dozen eggs the very confused milkman handed Petunia through the living room window.
Vernon made a very furious call to the post office, and Petunia shredded the letters in her food processor.
"Who one earth would want to talk to you that badly?" Dudley asked Harry, amazed.
On Sunday morning, Vernon sat down at the table looking incredibly happy, yet ill and tired at the same time. "No post on Sundays," he reminded us cheerfully as he spread marmalade on his newspaper, "No damn letters today-"
Something whizzed down the chimney and caught him sharply on the back of his head as he spoke. The next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting from the fireplace like bullets.
The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt to catch one.
"Out! OUT!" Vernon yelled.
I made sure the stove was off before making my way toward the hallway.
Vernon wretched a letter from Harry's hand before seizing him around the waist. He threw my twin into the hall before following as Petunia and Dudley came rushing from the kitchen, their arms over their faces. The man slammed the door shut, but we could still hear the letters bouncing off the walls and floor. "That does it," Vernon said, trying and failing to appear calm. He was pulling great tufts out of his moustache as he demanded, "I want you all back here in five minutes, ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!" He looked so deranged with half his moustache gone that no one dared to argue in the moment.
After five minutes, Vernon, Petunia, Harry, and I were waiting by the front door for Dudley.
After another five minutes, Vernon went upstairs and dragged a kicking and screaming Dudley down. "Car! Now!"
After he opened the door, everyone scrambled for the car and threw their luggage into the trunk. Everyone pointedly ignored the sniffling Dudley as we sat in our usual positions in the car.
Vernon drove and drove, on and on.
No one dared ask where we were headed.
Every now and then, Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a long while. "Shake 'em off… Shake 'em off…" He muttered any time he did that.
We didn't stop to eat or drink all day, and no one dared to say that they had to use the bathroom.
By nightfall, Dudley was howling that he hadn't had such a bad day in his life, which was probably the truth. He was hungry, had missed five television shows he had wanted to see, and had never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.
Vernon stopped outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city.
Dudley, Harry, and I were forced to share a room with two twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley slept on while Harry and I stayed awake.
Harry sat on the windowsill, staring silently down at the passing cars.
I spent the night in the bed, just staring at the ceiling while trying and failing to fall asleep.
Eventually, Vernon came knocking, so I opened up the door. "Dudley! Wake up!"
After fifteen minutes, everyone was dressed and down in the hotel dining room. We were eating stale cornflakes and cold, tinned, chopped tomatoes on toast for breakfast.
The owner came over to our table as we finished, looking quite confused and a bit worried. "'Scuse me, but if one of you Mr. H. Potter? I only got about a 'undred of these at the front desk." She held up a letter.
Mr. H. Potter
Room 17
Railview Hotel
Cokeworth
Harry reached for one, but Vernon knocked his hand away.
The woman stared, raising her eyebrow.
"I'll take them," Vernon said, standing from his chair and following her from the dining area.
Hours later, we were back in the car and heading to some unknown location.
"Wouldn't it be better to just go home, dear?" Petunia asked timidly.
Vernon didn't seem to hear, as he was searching desperately for something.
What, no one knew.
He drove us to the middle of the forest, got out, looked around, shook his head, got back into the car, and drove off again. He did the same thing in the middle of a plowed field, halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top level of a parking garage. In the late afternoon, the man pulled up to the coast. He locked us in the car before heading off to an unknown location.
"Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Petunia, who could only look fretfully at the disappearing back of her husband.
It started raining big fat raindrops that hit the roof of the car, making metallic pinging sounds.
Dudley suddenly sniffled. "It's Monday. The Great Humberto's on tonight. I want to stay somewhere with a television."
I thought about the implication of the date and immediately realized that it would be my birthday tomorrow, along with Harry's, seeing as how we were twins. I would be eleven years old the following day.
Harry smiled brightly, clearly realizing the same thing.
Vernon chose that moment to return. He was smiling as he held a long, thin package. He didn't bother answering Petunia when she asked what he had bought. Instead, his smile brightened up. "Found the perfect place! Come on! Everyone out!"
After sharing weary glances, everyone left the safety of the vehicle for the cold weather outside.
Vernon was pointing at what looked at be a large rock way out at sea.
Perched on the rock was the most miserable little shack anyone had ever laid their eyes upon. One thing was for certain, it had no television, let alone electricity.
"Storm forecast for tonight!" Vernone exclaimed gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman kindly agreed to lend us his boat!" He motioned to said gentleman, who was toothless, old, and pointing to a rowboat in iron-grey water. "I've already got us some rations, so all aboard!"
I looked at the others expectantly, as I was not about to die in this freak storm getting into an old rowboat that looked ready to sink at any moment.
Harry was eventually nudged forward by Vernon, making him the test-dummy for us all. He hesitantly stepped in the boat, causing said boat to rock, before sitting down.
Feeling it was safe enough, I followed after the boy.
Dudley, Petunia, and Vernon climbed in, and we were off toward the shack.
The boat gave no shelter from storms or sea alike. The water was as cold as ice as it hit us, and the wind was harsh as it whipped our bodies, especially our faces.
After what seemed like hours, we made it to the rock. We clambered out, following Vernon, slipping and sliding, to the broken-down shack.
The inside was horrible, smelling strongly of seaweed. It consisted of three rooms: a bedroom, a main room, and a bathroom. The furniture was beyond musty and mothball-ridden, and the fireplace was damp and empty.
Vernon's rations turned out to be a small bag of chips each and four bananas. He tried to start a fire with the empty bags of chips, but they just smoked and shriveled up. With a too cheery attitude, he asked, "Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" His good mood probably had to do with the fact that no sane person would come out there to deliver letters to Harry, especially in that weather.
As night fell, the promised storm blew around us. Spray from high waves fluttered around and through small gaps in the hut's walls. The fierce wind rattled the filthy windows, which seemed to barely be holding in their frames.
Petunia found a few blankets in the bedroom and made a bed for her son on the moth-eaten sofa. She then gave Harry and I a blanket to share before she and Vernon headed off to the bedroom which did hold a bed, albeit a lumpy one.
Harry took the blanket and set it up on the softest bit of floor he could find, which honestly wasn't saying much considering that this shack was on top of a bloody rock.
The storm raged on and on, becoming more and more fierce as time passed.
Harry watched Dudley's watch in the darkness, counting down the time until our eleventh birthday.
I, meanwhile, decided that a fire would be nice and pulled out some of my hand-me-downs, which came from Dudley, of course. I tossed them into the fireplace and lit them up with the matches Vernon had left out. I then sat back, absorbing the warmth from the flames.
At five minutes to midnight, something seemed to creak outside of the shack.
At three minutes to midnight, there was another odd sound. It was like the waves were slapping harshly against the rock. Of course, the next sound was that of the rocks being crunched on, as if someone was walking on them.
Boom!
The whole shack shivered, and I immediately jolted away from the fireplace.
Someone was outside the door, and they clearly wanted in.
I blinked a few times before merely standing up and
walking over to the door. "Coming."
The person obviously didn't hear me, as evident by the way they knocked again in that same loud manner.
Dudley, half-asleep, rolled off the couch. "Where's the cannon?" He asked stupidly, causing me to momentarily pause to look back at him like he was the most imbecilic creature ever to walk the earth.
After shaking my head, I unlocked the door and placed my hand on the doorknob
Vernon came out of the bedroom with a rifle, making it evident what was in the parcel he had before. "Don't you dare open that door, boy!" Vernon yelled.
I stared at him directly in the eyes as I twisted the doorknob and swung the door open. I then turned my attention to the man outside the door, a Goliath of a man.
His hair and beard were wild, and his eyes were tiny and dark, yet glinting. He wore clothes that seemed ragged, yet well-loved if the patches were any indicator. His boots were as big as my thigh, and his hands were the size of rubbish can lids. He was holding a pink umbrella in his right hand as he looked down at me. "'Ello! 'Mind if we step in?" He asked in a cheerful voice.
I gave a smile as I motioned him inside.
"Colton Seth Potter!" Vernon screamed at me, clearly ready to froth at the mouth.
I stepped aside as I turned my focus back to him. "Now, now. It would be rude of us to leave them outside in the rain like this."
"Hehe, thank you," the giant newcomer said as he ducked inside, followed by a man shrouded in odd black clothes.
This second man had greasy, black hair that went down to his shoulders. His nose was crooked, like it had been broken twice and healed wrong both times. His expression was that of disgust and disdain as he looked between everyone in the shack, including the one he came with. He looked like he wished to be anywhere but there at that moment, and I honestly couldn't even argue with that sentiment.
I closed the door after them and smiled brightly as I motioned toward the couch. "Please, make yourselves at home."
"Boy, I am warning you, I'll-"
"What?" I asked in a taunting tone, "Shoot me in front of witnesses?"
Vernon's glare told me this wasn't over, and that we'd be having a follow-up later.
"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh?" The giant man asked. "It's not been an easy journey."
"Oh, I would gladly," I said right away as I closed and locked the door behind the two, "But there's no supplies to make tea."
"Oh, no problem," the giant man said as he approached the couch, where Dudley was shaking like the last autumn leaf after a hard frost. "Budge up, yeh great lump!"
Said great lump squeaked before jumping up and rushing rushing over to its mother. The boy hid behind his mother, who was hiding behind her husband.
"An' here's Harry and Colton!" The giant of a man exclaimed as he smiled brightly at my brother and I. His face crinkled up like he was smiling behind his great tangle of a beard as he sat down on the couch. "Las' time I saw yeh, yeh was only babies! Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes." He was looking at my brother as he said that before looking at me. "And yeh look just like yer mum, but with your dad's eyes."
The man shrouded in darkness sneered as if disgusted by our relationship to our parents. He conveniently stayed positioned by the door to prevent any kind of escaping.
Vernon released a funny rasping noise before saying loudly in a shaking tone, "I demand you leave at once! You are breaking and entering!"
"Ah, shut up Dursley, yeh great prune," the giant of a man demanded as he reached over and grabbed the rifle. He easily took it from Vernon and twisted the barrel of the gun into a knot. He then threw the ruined gun into the corner of the room, causing Vernon to release another funny noise. He turned his focus to us twins again. "Anyway - Colton, Harry - a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat for yeh here. I mighta sat on it at one point-"
The man in black snorted as if highly amused by the sheepishly delivered statement.
"-But it'll taste alright," the giant man assured us as he reached into a pocket of his oversized coat and fished out a slightly squashed box. He handed the box over to my brother, who immediately opened it.
In green icing on top of a large and sticky chocolate cake were the words Happy Birthday Colton and Harry.
I hummed softly at the cake before looking up at the man with a scrutinizing look. "Before we even think about eating that, I must ask who you are."
"True, we haven't introduced ourselves," the man said with a grin, "Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts." He held a hand out for Harry to shake.
I made a noise of recognition immediately, catching everyone's attention. "The wizarding school, yes. I was wondering how we were supposed to get our hands on an owl to reply."
"You knew?!" Vernon shrieked at me.
I fished my envelope out of my back pocket and replied, "You don't think I'm stupid enough to tell you about anything pertaining to me, do you?"
Vernon's face turned red with rage.
"Oh, and I accept," I said as I looked over at Hagrid.
"Wait a second!" Harry demanded, "You knew about this, and you didn't tell me?!"
"You'd get your hands on your own letter eventually," I waved off dismissively, causing him to grit his teeth in frustration.
"That doesn't matter, because neither of you are going!" Vernon declared loudly.
"I'd like ter see a great prune like yeh stop them," Hagrid retorted.
"He's more of a swine," I corrected.
The man, who had been silently watching the scene unfold, exhaled softly through his nose.
"In any case, I must confess, I know nothing about Hogwarts beyond what I could figure out from this letter," I said, redirecting the conversation toward something more productive.
"Yeh mean, yeh know nothin' about anythin'?!" Hagrid exclaimed in shock.
Harry objected to that by saying, "I know some things. I can, you know, do math and stuff."
I rolled my eyes at that. "No, we don't know magic."
"Sorry," Harry blurted out as Hagrid looked ready to blow up.
"Sorry?" Hagrid barked before turning his attention toward the Dursleys, who all shrank back into the shadows. "It's them who should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters, but I never thought yeh wouldn't know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?"
"All what?" Harry questioned.
"ALL WHAT?!" Hagrid thundered, "Now, wait jus' one second here!" He leapt to his feet, and his anger was filling the entire hut, making him seem more massive than he already was.
The Dursleys cowered against the far wall by the bedroom door.
"Do yeh mean ter tell me," Hagrid growled at the three, "That these boys - these boys! - know nothin' abou' - abou' ANYTHING?"
"No, we do not know about whatever you are talking about," I said, as it really should have been obvious.
The giant of a man looked desperate. "Our world… Yer world. My world. Yer parents' world…"
As if to emphasize my earlier point, I shrugged.
"DURSLEY!" Hagrid boomed as he turned his head to look at the three of them.
Vernon, who had gone quite pale, said something that sounded like, "Mimblewimble."
Hagrid stared wildly at Harry. "But yeh must know abou' yer mum and dad. I mean, they're famous. Yer famous."
I noticed that I was conveniently left out of that famous bit, and I pursed my lips a bit.
"What?" Harry asked, shocked. "My - my mum and dad weren't famous, were they?"
He literally just said that, I thought as I gave my twin a look of slight annoyance.
"Yeh don' know… Yeh don' know…" Hagrid ran his fingers through his coarse hair, fixing my brother with a bewildered stare. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?"
Vernon suddenly found his voice. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell those boys anything!"
A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have quailed under the furious look Hagrid now gave him.
When Hagrid spoke, his every syllable trembled with rage. "Yeh never told them? Never told them what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer them? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' yeh've kept it from them all these years?!"
"Kept what from us?" Harry implored.
"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" Vernon shouted in a panic.
Petunia gave a gasp of horror.
"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," Hagrid growled before turning his gaze between Harry and I. "Colton, Harry - yeh're wizards."
There was silence in the hut. Only the sea and whistling wind could be heard from outside.
Finally, Harry gasped, "I'm a what?"
"A wizard, o' course," Hagrid replied as he sank down on the sofa, which groaned and sank lower. "An' thumpin' good'uns, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yers, what else would yeh be?"
The man in black rolled his eyes, sneering silently in disgust.
"An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter," Hagrid said as he stretched a letter out toward Harry.
Harry stretched out his hand to take the faded yellow envelope with his current address on it. The boy read over the first piece of paper in the envelope before looking at Hagrid in confusion. "What does it mean, they await my owl?"
"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," Hagrid said, clapping his hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse. He pulled an owl - a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl - from another pocket of his, along with a quill and a roll of parchment paper. With his tongue between his teeth, he wrote out a messy letter.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
Given Harry his letter.
Taking him and Colton to buy their things tomorrow with Professor Snape.
Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.
Hagrid
The man 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. He came back to the couch after that and sat down as though that was as normal as talking on the telephone.
Harry seemed to realize then that his mouth was open and thus closed it quickly.
"Where was I?" Hagrid questioned as he rubbed his chin.
Vernon, still ashen-faced, but looking quite angry, moved into the firelight at that moment. "They're not going."
Hagrid grunted. "I'd like ter see a great muggle like you stop him."
"A what?" Harry interrupted, obviously interested.
"A muggle," the giant of a man answered, "It's what we call non-magical folk like them. An' it's yer bad luck yeh grew up in a family o' the biggest muggles I ever laid eyes on."
"We swore when we took them in that we'd put a stop to that rubbish," Vernon interjected, "Swore we'd stamp it out of them! Wizards indeed!"
"You knew?" Harry asked, flabbergasted that they never told us despite the fact they obviously hated anything and everything abnormal. "You knew that we're - we're wizards?"
"Knew?!" Petunia shrieked suddenly. "Knew?! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my started sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that - that school - and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was - a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that! They were proud of having a witch in the family!" She stopped to do a breath, ignoring the way the unnamed man glared daggers at her. Had I been her, I wouldn't have been so calm when facing that glare. "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 landed with you two!"
Harry had gone very pale. As soon as he found his voice, he said, "Blown up? You said they died in a car crash!"
"CAR CRASH?!" Hagrid roared, 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! Colton and Harry Potter not knowin' their own story when every kid in our world knows their name!"
"But why?" Harry pressed. "What happened?"
The anger faded from Hagrid's face, instead replaced by anxiety. "I never expected this," he said in a low, worried tone, "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' ahold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, Colton, I don' know if I'm the right person to tell yeh…" He looked over at the unknown man pleadingly.
The man draped in darkness scowled before straightening up. "They were murdered by a Dark Lord."
Harry looked shocked by the news.
"A Dark Lord?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes a bit. "What's that Dark Lord's name?"
"No one likes saying it," Hagrid jumped in immediately.
"Could you write it down?" Harry inquired.
"Nah, can't spell it," Hagrid denied before leaning toward my brother a bit. "It's Voldemort." He shuddered dramatically. "Don' make me say it again."
"Very well, a Dark Lord murdered our parents. Why?" I asked.
"About twenty years ago, he began to amass power in the wizarding world by gaining followers. When others stood up to him, he killed them. Your parents happened to stand against him, so he killed them on Halloween night ten years ago. He also intended to kill you two, as he didn't leave survivors. The Dark Lord, however, didn't seem to kill you. Instead, he disappeared without a trace that night, leaving behind your dead parents and a scar on your brother's forehead."
I flicked my eyes over to Harry's forehead as said brother reached up his hand to touch his scar that was usually hidden behind his hair. I quickly returned my eyes to the unnamed man and said, "Surely, there's more to the story than just that. Why had no one tried killing him before if everyone was so against him? Surely, he couldn't be that powerful if he was vanquished by a baby."
He sneered at me. "No one knows what was different, why the results weren't the same as every other time. All everyone knows is that your brother is the Boy-Who-Lived, the one who vanquished the Dark Lord, and you happened to be there, too."
I hummed softly at that explanation, a bit pissed by the fact that I was merely a secondary thought to my brother. I knew, however, that fools often believed the stories spread by leaders and that no one really knew what happened. I could have been the right Boy-Who-Lived, and no one would be any the wiser safe for a mere scar on my twin's head.
"Took yeh from the ruined house meself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot," Hagrid finally said.
"Load of old tosh," Vernon debated right away, glaring at Hagrid with his fists clenched. He certainly seemed to have gotten his courage back, as he turned his focus to Harry and I. "Now, you listen here, boys. I accept that 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 weirdos, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion - asked for what they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types - just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end-"
At that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and pulled a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Brandishing his umbrella like a sword, he pointed it at Vernon. He said threateningly, "I'm warning you, Dursley - I'm warning you - one more word…"
Vernon's words once again failed him upon being threatened with being speared by the umbrella or worse. He flattened himself against the wall and fell silent until the time where he could gather his courage once more.
"That's better," Hagrid approved before taking his seat once more, causing that couch to sag down to the floor that time.
"Hagrid," Harry said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."
Hagrid, to my surprise, chuckled. "Not a wizard, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"
Harry thought hard, clearly thinking of every oddity that happened.
I, meanwhile, remained silent as I observed the giant. Magic seemed a bit too convenient of an answer, especially when we were supposed to be trained in it, if the man's words were anything to go by.
Harry suddenly smiled at Hagrid, indicating that he was finally done thinking.
Hagrid beamed back at my brother. "See? Harry Potter, not a wizard - you wait, you'll be famous at Hogwarts."
I once again frowned at how I was failed to be mentioned.
Of course, Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight. "Haven't I told you they're not going? They're going to Stonewall High, and they'll 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 him," Hagrid growled, glaring at the rotund man with just about as much ferocity as an angered teenager. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's sons goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. They're names' been down ever since they were born. 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 with youngsters of their own sort, fer a change, an' they'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!" Vernon screamed.
Hagrid lost all kindness he had previously displayed to Harry and myself. He jumped to his feet and whipped his umbrella over his head, pointing it at Vernon.
The unnamed man reached into his robes and seized a black stick, clearly getting ready to use it if need be.
"NEVER - INSULT - ALBUS - DUMBLEDORE - IN - FRONT - OF - ME!" Hagrid thundered, his voice reverberating around the shack as if it were literally thunder trapped in a small chasm. He was about to bring his umbrella down when the unnamed man swung around his stick.
"Expelliarmus!" The unnamed man said loudly, and a light shot from the end of his wand.
The umbrella was literally hit out of the giant's hand by the light.
Vernon and his family had seen enough. They screamed loudly as if they were about to be attacked and rushed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind them as if it would truly save them.
Hagrid looked down at his umbrella, which had clattered to the floor by them, and stroked his beard. "Should'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "I doubt it would've worked anyway. Wanted ter turn him into a pig."
I blinked once, processing what just happened, before thinking, Is it even possible to turn people into pigs?
"Not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'," Hagrid admitted, making me wonder why he had been allowed to take on this task in the first place.
"Why aren't you allowed to do magic?" Harry asked.
Hagrid looked rather sheepish. "Oh, well - I was at Hogwarts meself, but I - er - got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In me third year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."
"Why were you expelled?" Harry asked, clearly lacking his manners in that moment.
"It's gettin' late, and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," Hagrid said loudly, clearly finishing that conversation. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that." He took off his thick black coat and threw it toward Harry. "You two can kip under that. Don't mind if it wriggles a bit. I think I still got a couple o' dormice in in one o' the pockets."
"I will be staying over here, thank you," I said as I positioned myself in front of a window. I then sat down and stared into the flames of the fire across the room.
"Yeh should really get some sleep," Hagrid said as he laid down on the couch that was barely keeping it together as it was.
"Colton always stays up late," Harry waved off as he laid down with the large coat acting as a blanket.
Hagrid decided that it was reasonable and closed his eyes.
Harry quickly fell asleep, followed by Hagrid soon after.
It was just the unnamed man and I left awake.
I was standing by the window when he drawled out, "Get some sleep, Potter."
I lowered my eyes before sighing softly. "It… is often difficult for me to do so…"
"Why is that?" He inquired, though he didn't really seem interested.
I hesitated before shaking my head. "No, never mind." I decided to sit down in a corner and crossed my arms over my chest. I then leaned my back against the corner and closed my eyes, resting my chin against my chest.
His eyes stared at me for a good ten seconds before he decided to preoccupy his mind with other things.
I took a while, but the crashing of the waves against the shore eventually lulled me to sleep. I awoke soon after, however, as something moved in the cabin. I snapped my head up and around, only to see the unnamed man staring into the fire.
He ignored how I was staring, making it clear that he was lost deep in his thoughts.
I swallowed thickly before glancing over at the window.
The storm had died down a bit, but darkness still encompassed the land.
I gave a heavy sigh before just sitting back and trying to sleep again.
Sleep evaded me, deeming me as rested enough despite the obvious lack of it.
My eyes opened again as I heard something in the cabin shift. I looked over at Harry, and he was sleeping peacefully under Hagrid's massive coat. I felt like sneering at him for being able to sleep properly, but managed to hold myself back. I instead glanced toward Hagrid, who was dreaming about something having to do with 'blimey gnomes' on the couch.
The unnamed man moved his head, turning his attention toward me. "That's not sleeping, Potter."
I lowered my gaze, a frown tugging my lips down.
"If you are that sensitive to noise, why not wear ear plugs?" He inquired.
I snorted softly. "As if the Dursleys would spend any of their precious resources on Harry, let alone me."
He frowned deeply at my response, and I couldn't tell if it was because he disliked the Dursleys actions or the disdain in my voice.
"In any case, I'm used to getting little sleep. There's no need to worry for me," I said as I adjusted my position.
"Don't get the wrong idea. We have to go get your school supplies tomorrow, and I'd rather not deal with a tired child all day," he stated, coldly at best.
I lowered my gaze before nodding. "I won't drag you down, sir."
He clearly thought I would, as was evident by the way he looked back toward the fire with his frown still in place.
I closed my eyes once more and tried to sleep once more.
It was a futile effort at best.
As the man finally moved away from the fire, he decided to take refuge in his own corner.
I figured that I could just pretend to sleep for the rest of the night, but that idea was quickly dashed.
"If I were to give you something that could help you sleep, would you take it?" The man asked, sounding quite annoyed.
"I don't take things from strangers," I replied curtly.
"I'm not going to poison you-"
"How do I know?" I questioned as I opened my eyes, only to narrow them at the man who, essentially, burst into the little hut and made himself at home.
"Because I would not stoop so low as to poison a mere child," he stated.
I gave a suspicious hum before nevertheless rejecting his offer once more. I settled back into my position before just trying to sleep once more. I did, in fact, fall asleep, only to awaken with a gasp.
That woman's scream combined with the bright green light had always plagued my nightmares.
My eyes darted around the cabin, only to realize that someone was missing.
That unknown man was lurking around, just out of my sight.
I wordlessly stood up, being as silent as I could possibly be. I looked left, then right, before finally glancing toward the door.
It was unlocked.
Did I fail to lock it back up last night? I thought, worry consuming me. As I silently crept over to the door, I took a glance out of the window.
It was still dark out.
I made it over to the door and placed my hand on the knob. I then contemplated locking it before deciding that looking outside, if only briefly, for the man was the safest bet. I didn't want to lock him out, especially not when he could probably kill me and dump my body in the ocean with no regrets. I twisted the doorknob and opened the door quietly. I peaked my head out, only to see a dark figure at the edge of the water's edge.
It was definitely the unnamed man, his weird clothes billowing in the wind as his hair fluttered around.
I frowned deeply before deciding not to intrude on his moment. I closed the door wordlessly and walked over to the diminishing fire.
It was giving off some warmth, but not much.
I knelt down in front of it before simply blinking at it.
The fire seemed to rekindle itself, growing in intensity immediately.
I held my hands out to it and felt the heat from the flames. I nodded once as I drew my hands back to me. I then turned to go back to my spot, only to nearly jump out of my skin upon seeing the man in the doorway.
The freak was just staring at me! Like, did he not know any manners?!
I quickly shifted away from the fire, only to watch as he walked over to the fire, staring at it like it shouldn't have existed.
At once, the man rounded on me. "How did you do that?"
"I - er - am quite adequate when it comes to dealing with fire," I answered shiftily.
"How?" He repeated.
"Magic, I suppose," I said honestly, "I can make it go away if it displeases you." And just to prove my point, I flicked my hand at the fire, causing it to dim down to almost nothing.
He frowned deeply as he looked back at the fire. "You shouldn't be able to do such things at your age, especially without proper training."
"I supposed that much," I admitted, "Whener Harry makes things happen, it's always random."
"That is called accidental magic, and most children do such before entering Hogwarts," the unnamed man informed me.
I hummed once before dismissing it as unimportant. "Is it because I practice that I'm better?"
"Practice?" The black-haired man repeated questioningly.
I internally cringed before admitting, "More experimentation and observation really."
He raised an eyebrow at that. "You experimented with your magic?"
"I wanted to understand what I could do better, so yes," I confirmed with a slight nod.
"I'm surprised you didn't burn the house down," the man said so bluntly, I couldn't help but blanch in reply.
"Thank you, truly," I said in a dull tone, "Your confidence in me speaks volumes."
"Don't get smart with me," the unnamed man snapped before waving me off. "Now, go to sleep."
I turned heel and walked over to my corner, sitting with my back against the wall once more. My eyes closed, and I surprisingly fell into a calm sleep that lasted throughout the rest of the night and into the early morning.