Hagrid

Hearing Hagrid's words, Harry keenly caught the details in them.

"So... you knew my parents?"

Then he realized it was rude to leave someone standing at the door and invited him in. "Sorry, that was rude of me, Mr. Hagrid. Please come in."

"Oh, no, no, I'm far too big. I can't squeeze into this house." Hagrid refused somewhat awkwardly. "Besides, I still need to take you to Diagon Alley. If you don't mind, we can talk on the way."

"That works." Harry nodded, and Hagrid immediately stepped aside to make room for him to come out.

It was not until Harry stepped outside that he realized just how tall Hagrid was.

"Good heavens, you're tall." Harry craned his neck and remarked dryly.

"All right, Harry, you're not the first one to say that—let's go, I still need to take you..." Hagrid stopped halfway through, then scratched his shaggy head awkwardly. "Shouldn't we tell your aunt? You know, she is your guardian after all."

"I think my uncle and aunt will be more than happy to let you take me away," Harry said pointedly.

"Really?" Hagrid asked suspiciously.

The moment he finished speaking, a rapid thumping of footsteps came from inside the house.

It was followed by an angry roar.

"Harry Potter—"

Harry noticed that Hagrid's attention had been drawn by Uncle Vernon's voice. He reached out, tugged at Hagrid's sleeve, and pointed behind him.

"Hagrid, what's that?"

While Hagrid turned around, Harry spun back just in time to face Uncle Vernon charging down the stairs like a truck.

He raised a hand over his mouth, fixed his eyes on Uncle Vernon, and murmured the spell.

"Confundus!"

Uncle Vernon froze. Squinting, he looked at Harry, then at Hagrid beside him, who was looking over his shoulder. Muttering, "How strange," he turned and headed back upstairs.

To an outsider, it would have looked as though he had suddenly remembered something halfway down.

Only then did Hagrid turn back around, scratching his head as he asked, "How come I didn't see anything? What did you see just now?"

"I was mistaken. I thought it was a motorbike..."

As he said that, Harry suddenly remembered dreams he had once had and added, "Like the motorbike that often appears in my dreams—it could fly—"

"Harry..."

Hagrid's face lit up with joy. "I can't believe you still remember. You remember that it was me who rode Siri—rode a motorbike to bring you to the Dursley family..."

Before he could finish, a frantic knocking came from the window.

The two of them looked over. Uncle Vernon was pounding on the window, pointing at them both as his mouth opened and closed nonstop.

"Your uncle... what is he doing?" Hagrid instinctively felt that Mr. Dursley's attitude was less than friendly.

Harry shaded his eyes with his right hand and explained to Hagrid, "Uncle Vernon is saying that you must make me happy."

Hagrid hesitantly looked up at Uncle Vernon, who was still pointing at Harry and cursing furiously, then looked back down at Harry. "That doesn't seem quite right to me."

"They're Muggles, after all. The way they show love is different from wizards." At that, Harry raised a hand and wiped away nonexistent tears. "You know, I left Mother when I was very young..."

"Oh, Harry..."

Hagrid bent down tenderly and wrapped little Harry in his arms.

Harry did not refuse the enormous hug. When Hagrid released him, he looked up and asked, "So, Hagrid, how should we set off?"

"Um... we'll take the train. On my way here, I heard that County Surrey has six trains to London every hour." After answering, Hagrid asked, "So, Harry, did you bring the letter from the school?"

Harry patted the letter tucked against his chest and gave Hagrid a broad smile.

"I did. It's right here."

"Oh, good boy."

Seemingly infected by Harry's smile, Hagrid reached out with a huge hand and ruffled his messy hair.

"You really do look more like your mother—come on, let's head to the station first."

Someone as enormous as Hagrid was bound to draw attention. Not only did he get stuck at the ticket gate, he also had to take up two seats on the train.

Once the two of them were seated, Harry started the conversation.

"Um, Hagrid, you seem to have known my father and mother?"

"Oh, of course I knew them." Hagrid smiled foolishly as he wove something pale yellow that looked like a circus bag.

Apparently, the thing could block out sound, because Hagrid raised his voice. "Back when they were students, I got along well with both of them, especially your mother, Lily. She was the Head Girl—a truly gentle girl. We all liked her very much."

"And your father, James, was a famous Gryffindor House Quidditch Chaser, as well as the Head Boy." Hagrid sank into his memories, and his beetle-black eyes seemed to gleam. "He was an outstanding man, I mean, in every way—ah, I truly can't think of anyone more loyal and devoted than him."

"Really?" Harry's eyes lit up at once.

Heaven knew how many days and nights he had yearned for a father's and mother's love.

Whenever he saw Dudley being doted on by his uncle and aunt, Harry could not help wondering whether, if Father and Mother were still alive, he too would be cherished in their palms.

Instead of living under someone else's roof and being met with cold stares, as he was now.

At that thought, Harry felt a surge of fury.

He wished he could find the Dark Wizard who had killed his parents and made him an orphan right now, and make him suffer!

"Of course, Harry." Hagrid hadn't noticed the change in Harry's expression. He was still reminiscing about that young couple, rubbing his nose sadly as he muttered, "What a pity... what a pity, ten years ago... ah."

"Then..." Harry's eyes flickered. "Who was the Dark Wizard who killed my parents?"

At Harry's question, Hagrid involuntarily shuddered.

"It was The Dark Lord—"

"The Dark Lord?" Harry raised his eyebrows and asked in confusion.

"Yes, The Dark Lord." Hagrid coughed twice, trying to hide his fear. "That Dark Wizard, he..."

Noticing Hagrid's fear, Harry placed a hand on his arm, trying to give him some strength and drive that fear away.

Considerately, he said, "Actually, I don't absolutely have to know..."

"Oh, no, Harry." Hagrid shook his head. "How could I, how could I let you go to Hogwarts without knowing anything?"

"But unless it's absolutely necessary, I don't want to say his name either. No one does," Hagrid added again.

"So everyone has been using 'The Dark Lord' as a code name for him?" Harry raised his eyebrows.