The Hellish Life of Helia Potter

Neville shyly smiled and took the book from Bill and began to read “Keeper of the Keys.”
　
BOOM. They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.

Fred interrupted Neville with a snigger. “No need to say the obvious Neville, we already know.”

Mrs. Weasley was quick to scold him, but she couldn’t help but agree with her son.

There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – 

“Honestly, who in the bloody hell has a bleeding gun around two children!” Raged Lily at the danger being so close to her daughter and not being able to protect her.

now they knew what had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.

Lily hissed at the book with James holding his wife back from destroying the book.

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

There was a pause. Then --

SMASH!

The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.

McGonagall is seen pinching her nose at the dramatics of her colleague.

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 under all the hair.

“Hagrid!” Cheered the Trio, Twins and Susan.

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..."

The Trio burst out laughing at their loveable friend, Ron wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. “That’s Hagrid for you, alright.” It really was just like their friend to barge into a place and expect tea and biscuits.

He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear. "Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

“Yeah, you tell ‘im Hagrid!” Cheered the Twins in unholy glee.

Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who was crouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.

“Like anything can cover that whale.” Muttered Ron.

“Dursley Senior probably could.” Hermione said.

“Oh right, the bigger whale can.”

"An' here's Helia!" said the giant. Helia looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face 

“Again with making Hagrid seem scary.” Huffed Susan in dismay.

and saw that the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.

At this Susan cracked a smile at Hagrid’s true nature shining through, while her Aunt wondered how her niece knew the groundskeeper so well.

"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."

Helia quietly sighed wistfully that was the first time anyone ever that to her, but now that’s all anyone ever said.

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
I demand that you leave at once, sit!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!"

The Trio gave each other a deadpan look, did he really think he could stop Hagrid.

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

 he reached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of Uncle Vernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had been made of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.

“Thank you Hagrid.” Lily muttered clapping her hands together like a prayer.

Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse being trodden on.

"Anyway -- Helia," 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."

“Don’t eat it.” Fred said with a serious look on his face.

“For you may not be the same afterwards.” George continued also very serious, before the both burst into laughter.

From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Helia opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Helia written on it in green icing.

“My first birthday cake.” Helia smiled slightly, unknowingly breaking the hearts of her parents.

Helia looked up at the giant. She meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to her mouth, and what she said instead was, "Who are you?"

“Manners, Potter." drawled Snape.

"I was in shock, sir." Said Helia casually.

The giant chuckled.

"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."
He held out an enormous hand and shook Helia's whole arm.

"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!" McGonagall and Molly said sharply.

Helia couldn’t help but smile at the action of her half-giant friend, who if was here would be blushing at the remark.

His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shrivelled chip bags in it and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't see what he was doing but when he drew back a second later, 
there was a roaring fire there. 

“Hagrid’s not suppose to use magic.” Madam Bones frowned. 

“He had permission for this task.” Dumbledore said.

It filled the whole damp hut with flickering light and Helia felt the warmth wash over her, she imagined this is what it must of felt to sink into a hot bath.

A blue-grey haired Tonks faced Helia and asked. “You never had a hot bath have you?”

Helia ignored the question as Neville read on.

The giant sat back down on the sofa, which sagged under his weight, and began taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he took a swig from before starting to make tea.

“I wish I had that many pockets.” Luna sighed wistfully.

 Soon the hut was full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. Nobody said a thing while the giant was working, but as he slid the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, Dudley fidgeted a little. Uncle Vernon said sharply, "Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley."

“As if he needed more fattening," George said scathingly. If there was anything he hated, it was when people hurt his family. And to him as well as the rest of the Weasley's, Helia was family. No one messed with the Weasley family.

The giant chuckled darkly

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

“You tell him Hagrid.” Cackled Susan as Ron looked at her in amazement.

He passed the sausages to Helia,

“I'm not sure you should be eating that," Lily said uncertainly.

"Come on Lily, Fawn must be starving!" James argued.

"I think Pup is going to be a bit too preoccupied to worry about the food," Sirius piped in.

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

Angry growls were heard around the room. “She wouldn’t have to be hungry if they fed her right in the first place!” Remus’s eyes glowed a bright golden colour, he was more Mooney then Remus at the moment. 

Helia reached out and held his hand to tell him she was safe and cared for at the moment, it was all in the past.

but she still couldn't take her eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, she said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."

“So polite all the time, pup.” Sirius muttered. 

Helia’s schoolmates look at him as if he was crazy.

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

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

“Here it comes.” The Twins said, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Er -- no," said Helia.

Hagrid looked shocked.

"Sorry," Helia said quickly.

“Fawn you didn’t have to apologize.” James said gently as hugged his daughter. Helia frowned because habits were hard to forget.

"Sorry?" barked Hagrid not noticing Helia shrink into herself, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows.

“Bunch of cowards, the lot of ‘em.” Sirius growled angrily.

"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 yet parents learned it all?"

"All what?" asked Helia.

"I wonder how he's going to take Helia not knowing," Neville stopped reading to whisper to Padma. 

"Not well I suspect," Padma whispered back.

"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.

“Oh this is going to be good.” Charlie said with excitement.

"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this girl -- this girl! -- knows nothin' abou' -- about ANYTHING?"

Hermione snorted lightly. “I bet Helia took that well.”

Helia thought this was going a bit far. She had been to school, after all, and her marks were stellar til the Dursley’s found out she was beating their precious Dudley.

The room was silent aside from the low growls of some people.

"What...does that mean?" Madame Bones said in a low voice.

"They...Well..." Ron started, debating whether or not he should tell. "Oh, Merlin, you'll find out anyways- they abused her, Madame Bones!"

"I'm not abused!" Helia shouted indignantly at her friend.

"So starving, beating, and locking up a child isn't abuse?" Hermione hissed.

"They what?" Madame Bones gasped. Neville clenched his fists in anger. How could he not have noticed?

"Well, anything sounds bad when you say it like that!" Helia huffed. 

“It’s bad either way, Potter” Theo said quietly.

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

McGonagall began to finally understand that Helia has been downplaying her intelligence, quite a lot.

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

"What world?" she asked with a confused head tilt

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode.

“DURSLEY!" he boomed.

“Oh man, Dursleys in deep shit now.” Grinned Fred not looking a bit sorry of his language at his mother’s glare.

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

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

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

“Really, that’s the part you get stuck on?” Draco asked, incredulously.

Helia just shrugged, she wasn’t used to the attention back then still isn’t, so she wasn’t really sure how she was supposed to act to being famous.

Ron and Hermione shared a look of fondness at their best friend who never wanted or needed fame, or hero worship. She just wanted and needed a friend.

"Yeh don' know... yeh don' know..." Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair, fixing Helia with a bewildered stare.

“Poor Hagrid wasn’t expecting to be the one who would have to tell me the truth.” Sighed Helia. 

”Yeh don' know what yeh are?" he said finally.

Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.

Kingsley sighed in exasperation at the muggles stubbornness.

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

“Like he’s in the position to be commanding anything.” Snorted Daphne.

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.

"You never told her? 

“No, they didn’t.” Bill said, glaring at the book.

Never told her what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer her? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from her all these years?"

"Kept what from me?" said Helia angrily.

Helia’s friends felt a shiver go down their spines it was them facing Helia’s temper.

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

Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

Tonks rolled her eyes, “What a bunch of drama queens.” She grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Helia-- yer a witch."

There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard.
　　
"—that’s quite rude to say!" gasped Helia, her emerald eyes sparking with affront.

Everyone, including Severus Snape himself, laughed.

"That's how I reacted!" Lily laughed.

"Why were you offended?" Astoria giggled.

"'Witch' is an insult to muggles," Lily explained.

"A witch, it’s nothin’ bad," said Hagrid chuckled, sitting back down on the sofa, which groaned and sank even lower, "an' yeh be a thumpin' good'un, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up a bit. With a mum an' dad like yours,

“Aw thank you Hagrid.” Sighed Lily touched at Hagrid’s kindness. 

 what else would yeh be? An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."

"Finally!" James cried out, getting a laugh out of his wife and daughter.
　　
Helia stretched out her hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to 

Miss. H. Potter, 
The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, 
The Sea. 

“Those letters are bloody specific,” Ron muttered with a shake of his head.

She 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 Miss. 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,
Deputy Headmistress

Questions exploded inside Helia's head like fireworks and she couldn't decide which to ask first.

“I felt the same way.” Hermione whispered to Helia as they shared a smile.

 After a few minutes she stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"

“That was your first question? Of all things to ask you ask that.” Ron smirked at his friend. 

“It was the last thing I read smart ass” Helia snarked back.

"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagrid, clapping a hand to his forehead with enough force to knock over a cart horse, and from yet another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl -- a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl 

“An owl?” Charlie asked in shock horrified at the poor owls treatment.

Hermione looked like she wanted to read the animal rights, Ron gave Neville a look that scream hurry-up before-she starts.

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

“I can barely read it right side up, and you can read it upside down.” Ron laughed.

Dear Professor Dumbledore,
Given Helia her letter.
Taking her to buy her 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.

"For wizards it is," Hermione told Helia simply.

"I know that now Hermione," Helia told her gently.

Helia realized her mouth was open and closed it quickly.

Her friends snorted at her, making her give them a look.

"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight. "She's not going," he said.

“I’ll give Dursley this, he’s fucking persistent.” Bill groaned.

“What he needs is to learn to pick his battles better.” Moody snorted.

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

"A what?" said Helia, interested loving when there was something new to learn.

Many people who didn’t know Helia on a personal level look at her with a wide eyed stare. While Hermione and Ron knew Helia had a thirst for knowledge she could out study a Ravenclaw if a subject caught her attention.

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

“Both literally and figuratively.” Ginny whispered to Astoria who giggled.

"We swore when we took her in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of her! Witch indeed!"

It felt as if a the room had frozen over from all the tension in the room.

“Yes, Mr. Dursley, Witch indeed.” Snape snarled.

"You knew?" said Helia. "You knew I'm a -- a witch?"

“Here we go.” Muttered Helia as she tucked herself into her father’s side.

"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.

“Jealousy is an ugly thing, Tuney.” Lily thought bitterly to herself.

 I was the only one who saw her for what she was -- a freak! 

“Lily is not a freak!” James, Sirius, Remus and Snape roared in outrage.

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!"

“As they should be!” Exclaimed Molly.

She stopped to draw a deep breath and then went ranting on. It seemed she had been wanting to say all this for years.

“She probably had, the bitter horse-faced woman.” Helia hissed to herself.

"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

“Well she’s not wrong, mate.” Ron joked.

“Like you have any room to talk,” Helia shot back fake glaring.

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

Everyone sitting in the room paled, Helia just leaned on her father more without opening her eyes for surely if she opened them tears would fall from them. And Helia told herself long ago, she would never cry from anything the Dursley’s did to her ever again.

“That’s how you were told?” Remus whispered heartbroken, his scars enhanced by how pale his face went.

Helia just gave a stiff, silent nod.

“Oh Heli, I’m so sorry you had to find out that way.” Lily told her daughter bringing her and James into a hug.

Helia had gone very white. As soon as she found her voice she said, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"

Everyone looked mad at once again hearing that outrageous lie.

"I’m sorry they told you that, Heli," Luna muttered sadly, as Helia gave her younger friend a sad smile.

"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! Helia Potter not knowin' her own story when every kid in our world knows her name!"

Helia groaned and flopped onto her dad as she heard that, James smiled as he ran his finger through her shoulder length hair that reminded him of his own hair.

"But why? What happened?" Helia asked urgently.
The anger faded from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.

“Oh, poor Hagrid,” Tonks breathed sympathetically. “Nobody wants to tell any kid that.”

"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, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Helia, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh -- but someones gotta -- yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'."

The Slytherin's in particular would have torn you apart if they thought you didn't even know." Blaise said with a slightly worried look at what could have happened with a naïve Potter at Hogwarts.

"Either that, or who knows what versions of the story the other students would have filled your head with. With all those Helia Potter's Adventure books out there?" Padma said not notice that shaking heads of Hermione and Ron.

"Helia Potter's Adventure books?" Helia asked, looking like she really didn't want to know.

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 everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it...."

“Isn’t that the truth.” Helia thought somewhat bitterly.

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? "

"Ten Gallons, Helia get's him to say it." Ginny grinned.

"No way, we have tried for years." George put Ten Gallons on the table with Ginny.

"I'm with Ginny on this. Helia can and have done the impossible ." Fred placed his down.

"I'm with George." Daphne put hers in surprising everyone by getting in on the bet. Hermione grabbed the money to setting it between her and Bill.

Bil raising a eyebrow with a smirk across his face winking at Hermione, Helia didn’t know her friend could turn that colour of red.

"Well -- I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

“It’s a name people,” Helia groaned. “Not even his real one.” Startling the Slytherins that the Dark Lord had a regular name like any common joe.

"Why not?"

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Helia, people are still scared.

“Fear of a name, increases the fear it’s self.” Hermione recited.

 Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. 

“Understatement.” Ron mumbled under his breath.

His name was..."

“Is he actually going to say it?” Susan asked surprised. She knew Hagrid like most people didn’t like saying the name.

Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.
"Could you write it down?" Helia suggested.

“Smart Potter.” Blaise said, smirking at Helia.

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

"No way." George cried as Hermione split the money between Ginny and Fred.

"Told you." Ginny smirked smugly at her brother.

 "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, Helia. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 

The people who lived through the first war shudder remembering the horror of it.

'Course, some stood up to him -- an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.

"Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. 

“What about me?” Sirius gasped in mock hurt.

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. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' -- an' --"

Sirius, Remus and Helia all cringed knowing what Hagrid was trying to say.

Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose with a sound like a foghorn. "Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad -- knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find -- anyway..."

James and Lily shared a look they really owed a lot to Hagrid.

"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then -- an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing -- he tried to kill you, too. 

"So he went after you last?" Bill asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We wouldn't have let him get to Helia if we were alive." James said simply and firmly. Lily looked at him with an inscrutable expression of love on her face.

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, Helia. 

Now everyone turned to look at Helia, who had been staring blankly at the wall, ignoring the stares. Ron and Hermione glared at everyone and they quickly turned back to the book.

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 -- an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."

A moment of silence was made for the deceased. Amelia, Susan and the Weasley's looked especially grave. Susan turned to hug her only remaining family member as she would never know her parents because of Voldemort.

Something very painful was going on in Helia's mind. As Hagrid's story came to a close, she saw again the blinding flash of green light, more clearly than she had ever remembered it before
 -- and she remembered something else, for the first time in her life: a high, cold, cruel laugh.

Neville shuddered after he read that line.

"That's horrible," Lily mumbled. "You remember it, you remember us-" She didn't go on, she just clutched onto Helia even tighter.

Hagrid was watching her sadly.
"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."
"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Helia jumped; she had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there.

From the look on everyone's faces, it was clear that they had too.

 Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched. "Now, you listen here, girl," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured 

“No Dursley, you listen here, if your very put your hands on my daughter again your going to regret that you ever lived to even hear about her.” Hissed James quietly his angry a cold deadly thing.

-- 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 

“What?" Remus yelled furiously. "How could they even say that?"

“I don't care if I get sent back to Azkaban, I will kill them.” Sirius said growling dangerously low at the book.

If everyone was angry before, but now they were furious. Even the Slytherin’s were glaring at the book.

-- 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 --"

The room went up into mutinous muttering again. Draco was suddenly reminded of a time when they were younger when he said something very similar to Helia, except he told Helia that she would come to the same sticky end as her parents. No wonder She hated him so much in school.

But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat. Pointing this at Uncle Vernon like a sword, he said, "I'm warning you, Dursley -I'm warning you -- one more word... "

“Do it Hagrid.” The Twins crooned as if the convince Hagrid to do it by sheer will power.

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.

Hermione glared at the book so fiercely Helia swore it would burst into flames any minute.

"That's better," said Hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.
　　
Helia, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.

“Helia always has questions,” Laughed Neville.

"But what happened to Vol--, sorry -- I mean, You-Know-Who?"

"You called him You-Know-Who!" Ron exclaimed.

"That's because I didn't know how stupid it was at the time," Helia said to her best friend.

"Good question, Helia. Disappeared. Vanished.

Quite right.” Percy muttered.

“Percy,” Ginny said. “Your my brother and I love you, but you know absolutely nothing so shut your trap.” Helia couldn’t help but snort at her friend’s words

“GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY, LANGUAGE!” Hollered Molly.

 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. Codswallop, in my opinion. 

“Even Hagrid had that much sense in him," Fred pointed out. Percy sniffed. Ginny rolled her eyes.

Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die.

“He really doesn’t.” Helia said.

 Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. 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, Helia. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on -- I dunno what it was, no one does -- but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."

Everyone again turned to stare but one look at Hermione and Ron's faces caused everyone to turn back.

"Thanks guys," Helia murmured to them.

"Of course," They replied in unison.
　　
Hagrid looked at Helia with warmth and respect blazing in his eyes, but Helia, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. 

"The only mistake is that you were sent to those awful Dursleys," Hermione huffed.

A witch? Her? How could she possibly be? She'd spent her life being clouted by Dudley, and bullied by Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon; 

“Oh fawn, darling.” James sighed at Helia.

if she was really a witch, why hadn't they been turned into warty toads every time they'd tried to lock her in her cupboard? 

"Warty toads, eh?" Fred grinned.

"That might just be our next big project," George grinned back at his twin. No one scolded them, knowing full well that the Dursleys deserved it.

If she'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick her around like a football?

"I'm afraid it doesn't always work like that, pup." Sirius said.
　　
"Hagrid," she said quietly, "I think you must have made a mistake. I don't think I can be a witch."

Ron shook his head in amusement at his best friend.

To her surprise, Hagrid chuckled.

"Not a witch, eh? Never made things happen when you was scared or angry?"

Helia looked into the fire. Now she came to think about it... every odd thing that had ever made her aunt and uncle furious with her had happened when she, had been upset or angry... chased by Dudley's gang, she had somehow found herself out of their reach...dreading going to school with that ridiculous haircut, she'd managed to make it grow back... and the very last time Dudley had hit her, hadn't she got her revenge, without even realizing she was doing it? Hadn't she set a boa constrictor loose?

“It was bloody brilliant too pup!” Sirius laughed.

Helia looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw that Hagrid was positively beaming at her.
"See?" said Hagrid. "Helia Potter, not a witch -- you wait, you'll be right famous at Hogwarts."

“Oh, joy.” Helia said with no emotion in her voice.

But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to give in without a fight.

Snape shook his head, muttering something a dunderhead who didn’t know how to choose their battles.

"Haven't I told you she's not going?" he hissed. "She's going to Stonewall High and she'll be grateful for it.

“Grateful?” Draco hissed, getting a surprised look from the Trio. “Grateful for the torment you’ve given her?” 

“Like anyone could be grateful to those bloody bastards” Ron growled for once agreeing with Malfoy.

 I've read those letters and she needs all sorts of rubbish -- spell books and wands and --"

“Rubbish aye, we will see how much rubbish it is when your faced with it” muttered Moody, as his colleagues shifted away from him.

"If she wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop her," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's daughter goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. 

“Damn right they are, thinking they can stop our daughter from doing anything.” James huffed.

Her name's been down ever since she was born. 

She's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and she won't know herself. She'll be with youngsters of her own sort, fer a change, an' she'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.

Yes, Yes, YES!" The twins suddenly yelled. Everyone else leaned forward in anticipation. They all knew Vernon had seriously messed. It may or may not be that way anymore, but you did NOT want to insult Dumbledore in front of Hagrid.

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!"

"YES!" The Weasley boys and Marauders  howled. Molly looked faintly disapproving, but at the same time accepting. She knew how Hagrid could get like when it came to protecting people he cared about.

"Oh, Hagrid." McGonagall said, shaking her head, with a faint smile on her face.

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley -- there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Helia saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

The room erupted in laughter and even Helia was laughing, remembering Dudley’s terrified face. She had always savoured that one moment of joy at Dudley’s expense. He had it coming after all damage he did to Helia, he really truly deserved it.

“BRILLIANT!” Sirius roared with laughter, “Absolutely brilliant! James, Remus we’re smuggling a dragon into Hogwarts and gifting it to Hagrid!”

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.

“Finally, they’re gone” Lily sighed with relief.

Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.

"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."

Snorts were heard at that.

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

"Be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm -- er -- not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff -- one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job

“Thanks Hagrid I feel so loved” Helia jokingly said even if the half giant wasn’t in the room.

"Why aren't you supposed to do magic?" asked Helia.

“Helia Potter!” Lily, Molly and Hermione chided. 

Helia just lightly rolled her eyes.
　　
"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?"

“We tried but never got an answer, we doubt he would tell you.” The Twins said waving their hands as if to say don’t even try it hopeless.

Helia, Ron and Hermione just look at the Twins with identical looks of we-know-everything.

“No! How? He would of never say anything!” Exclaimed Fred in shock as George just opened and closed his mouth in stunned silence.

“We did.” Helia informed the Twins, “And you’ll find out in the second year books.” She told them before they began to beg.

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."

He took off his thick black coat and threw it to Helia.

"You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

“Okay, I get having sausages in your pocket, but why on Gaia’s earth would you carry dormice around?” Remus asked incredulously.

At the mention of sausages Ron’s stomach gave a fearsome rumble, he smiled sheepishly as Helia and Hermione laughed at their friends always hungry stomach. 

“I believe before we start the next chapter, we should have something to eat.” Dumbledore announced to the room.

“Yes!” Ron exclaimed in excitement.