Harry Potter Makes His Own Destiny, Chapter 4, Recovery Begins
"Harry Potter Makes His Own Destiny"
Chapter 4 "Recovery Begins"
As Hagrid landed the boat just a little after 7am, he was thankful that the little hut on the rock was not too far from London. Vernon finally did something useful. After picking up the still sleeping Harry and casting a quick disillusionment spell to hide them from prying muggle eyes, he walked the short distance to the Leaky Cauldron.
Juggling the sleeping boy, Hagrid opened the door to a fairly empty Leaky Cauldron. The barkeep looked up from his morning duties. "A little early in the day isn't Hagrid?" he asked before noticing the small boy Hagrid was carrying. "Well bless me, is that?
"Shhh, he's sleeping, and yes it is, Tom," Hagrid whispered. "He's had a rough go of it. You got a room available for him? I sent Dumbledore an owl and I 'spect he should be here soon."
"Yes, of course, this way Hagrid," the barkeep said quietly.
Once in the room Hagrid tried to lay the still sleeping Harry on the bed, but Harry began to stir and started mumbling, "no, Hagrid, don't leave."
"S'okay Harry, we're far from the Dursley's and You-Know-Who hasn't been seen in ten years," Hagrid said.
"You-Know-Who?" asked a puzzled Harry as he sat up rubbing his eyes.
"Er, I'll leave you two then, I'll send up Dumbledore as soon as he gets here Hagrid," Tom said shutting the door.
"Well Harry," Hagrid began as he pulled a chair next to the bed and carefully sat down, "er, I s'pose nows a good a time as any, but where to start," Hagrid said scratching his head. Hagrid sighed, "Well Harry, how much do you know about your parents?"
"Nothing, the Dursley's told me nothing." Harry looked down in a mixture of disgust and anger.
"Well at least that slimy git hasn't filled your head with too many lies." Hagrid took a deep breath. "Your parents were good folks and good friends. You see, years ago there was a wizard who was greedy for power tryin to take over everythin', and they wouldn't bow down to him, 'specially with him destroyin' so many lives. Everyone's afraid still, even of sayin his name, so we just say you-know-who.”
"But why should I be scared of someone that hasn't been seen in 10 years..., hold on," Harry paused as something clicked into place in his head. "He killed my parents didn't he?"
Hagrid sighed. "Yes I'm afraid he did Harry. I'm sorry, I really miss 'em." Hagrid sniffled and blew his nose on a very large handkerchief.
Harry looked down in thought. Then without looking up he said in a very determined voice, "I'm sorry Hagrid, but,...I need to know his name."
Hagrid thought for a moment, then took a deep breath. "Well, alright Harry, his name was V..., Vo..."
"Could you write it down?"
"Nah, can't really spell it. Alright, just this once, his name was Voldemort, but still most people don't like hearin' the name, scares 'em, not even his followers would say it, deatheaters they called themselves." Hagrid hung his head and Harry could hear the ragged breathing as the giant choked back tears at the memories of a bad time.
Harry put his hand on Hagrid's arm, "I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories. Could you please go on? I really need to know."
Hagrid sniffled and sat up straighter. "Alright Harry, you're right." Hagrid paused to collect himself then continued. "You have to understand Harry, it was a dark time, you never knew who to trust, he had spies everywhere, and even if folks weren't willin to spy, him and his followers had ways of takin over people's minds. It wasn't just in the wizarding world Harry, even the muggles weren't safe...especially the muggles weren't safe.
"Muggles?" Harry asked a little puzzled.
"That's nonmagic folk," Hagrid continued. "Ya see, him and his followers valued bloodlines, unless your whole family was wizards, they had no use fer ya. Like I said Harry, yer mum and dad were good folk and wouldn't stand for that. There was a handful of us fightin' 'im, and I don know why he picked yer family, just next on his list, I s'pose. Your parents took you and went into hidin' when they heard they were next. I s'pose ya figured out that after he killed them he tried to kill you, that's where ya got yer scar."
Harry sat there stunned, not knowing what to think or feel. Composing himself Harry said, "Hagrid, if he killed all of these people, why am I still alive?"
"I knew you'd ask that. To be honest, no one knows. We don' even know what happened to him that night. When I got there your parents were dead, and I found you in the rubble of the house, untouched 'cept for a gash on your forehead. That's where the killin' curse hit ya, but it musta backfired or somethin'. He hasn't been seen since that night, Some say he died, but those of us that fought him feel that there wasn't enough human in him left to die, but that he was just stripped of his powers. In fact, because you lived and he disappeared, you're kinda famous in the wizarding community."
Harry sat their with wide eyes, unblinking.
"I'm sorry Harry, I didn't really mean to lay sommat so heavy on ya like that, after all ya been through. But you did ask and besides, it should be hard for him to do anything without any power, eh?"
After a few minutes of silence, Hagrid asked, "are you alright Harry? I new I shouldn't a told ya, I'm sorry."
Broken out of his stunned expression Harry said "No, it's okay Hagrid, really it is, and you're right, I did ask you and after the Dursley's, a guy that hasn't been seen for ten years doesn't scare me."
Harry smiled and Hagrid smiled back for a moment and then remembered something. "Oh Harry I just remembered, I got sommat for ya. Its a stuffed animal that was mine when I was little."
Harry thought that there could never have been a time when Hagrid was little. Although Harry thought that he was a little old for a teddy bear, he didn't want to hurt the feelings of the man who had rescued him from the Dursley's. Besides, he never had a teddy bear growing up. It might take the some of the sting out of his memories, having something to hold onto for once.
"Now I know ya might be a little old," Hagrid began as he searched through the many pockets of his coat, "but it never hurts to have a little bit o' comfortin' when ya need it, and that's what Norbert was for me. Ah here it is." With that he pulled out a well worn velvety purple dragon that yawned and blinked its eyes as it looked up at Hagrid.
"Norbert, you've been real good for me over the years and I really love you," Hagrid said as stroked the top of the dragons head, "but Harry here needs ya more than me, you alright with that?"
The dragon looked over at Harry and studied him for a moment, then turned back to Hagrid and nodded his head. He gave a little roar and a puff of smoke drifted out of his nose.
"Wow Hagrid, thanks," Harry said as Hagrid handed him the dragon. "He's awesome, but I've never seen a stuffed animal move, is he alive?"
"Muggle toys don't move? Where's the fun in that?"
"This is so cool, I'll take good care of him."
"You're welcome Harry and I know you will."
Harry held Norbert close and the dragon just yawned and went back to sleep, and Harry soon followed him off to dreamland.