Chapter 56 - Hogwarts Letter
My third year ended better than I ever expected. I had become the top student in the entire cohort. Every exam, be it practical or theory, I had scored an O. People whispered about it in corridors. Some openly stared. Some were jealous, both openly and secretly. It was strange for them, I suppose. I had taken every elective Hogwarts offered, while they had taken only two or three, yet I still finished at the very top.
But I did not care. I had chosen this path myself. I had decided that I would not hide anymore. I would take the spotlight instead of avoiding it. If people stared, let them stare. If they talked, let them talk. I was satisfied with my scores and with how far I had come.
And now, something far more important was coming.
It was already a month after school ended. My and Harry's birthday was on the 31st July. That meant his Hogwarts letter would arrive very soon. Harry had been excited since the moment June ended. He kept checking the windows every morning, hoping to see an owl. Dudley too. Dudley had not received his letter yet, which was odd, but it sometimes happened. Maybe his would come with Harry's.
What I really wanted to see was who would come to introduce Harry and Dudley to the magical world. Would Professor McGonagall arrive again? Or would they send no one because they knew I was here? Or maybe someone else from the staff would come. Hogwarts normally sent a witch or wizard to introduce Muggle-borns. But in Harry's case, things were different. Everyone knew who he was.
We celebrated our birthday eve quietly, the usual family way. Cake, simple decorations, Mum's cooking, Dad pretending he wasn't emotional. Harry and Dudley kept asking, "Will the letters come tomorrow?" I only smiled.
But no letter came that day.
The evening passed with laughter and gifts, and still nothing.
Then came the morning of 31st July.
We were having breakfast, which was toast, eggs, tea. Suddenly, something tapped against the glass. All three of us looked up.
A brown owl sat outside, flapping its wings impatiently, a bundle of envelopes tied to its leg.
I opened the window gently, and the owl hopped inside as if it owned the place. I offered it a small treat from the jar we kept for my owl Drein. It accepted it proudly, then stretched its leg for me to untie the letters.
There were three.
One addressed to me, informing me about the fourth-year curriculum, new books, and the special permission I'd need for the extra subjects I was still continuing.
One addressed to Dudley Dursley.
And one addressed to Harry Potter.
Harry shouted so loudly that the owl nearly lost its balance. Dudley jumped up from his chair, laughing and shouting his own excitement. Both boys were practically bouncing around the kitchen. Harry kept pressing the envelope to his chest as if it would disappear if he didn't hold it tightly.
Last year, after Christmas, Sirius had become a regular visitor at our house. He came every other week, without fail, to spend time with Harry. Harry adored him. He had another parent figure now, someone who understood him deeply, someone who told him stories about his parents and the magical world. My parents were also relieved. Harry had needed this. Dudley had accepted Sirius too and even called him "Uncle Sirius" after a while.
The boys were excited to leave for Hogwarts, but they were also excited that they would not be away from me this time. The last three years had been hard for them. I came home for holidays, but they still missed me through the year. Now we would all go together. It felt right.
Both of them sat down at the table and wrote their replies immediately. Harry's handwriting was messy from excitement. Dudley tried to make his look neat but failed halfway through because his hands were shaking. When they finished, they asked me to check their letters. I corrected a few small things and sealed the envelopes.
The owl took all the letters together, gave a low hoot, and flew out the window into the warm morning sky.
Mum and Dad stood quietly for a moment. Dad cleared his throat.
"Well," he said, "our house will be a bit empty without the three of you."
Mum nodded, trying not to look emotional. "I'm proud of all of you. I just hope Hogwarts, well… that it remains safe."
Even after all these years, even after seeing magic almost every day, they still felt a little uncomfortable. Not frightened anymore, but uneasy. Magic had not been easily acceptable to them. The fear had faded, but a faint unease still lingered.
Still, they smiled as Harry and Dudley chattered nonstop about wands, robes, and lessons. I watched them with quiet happiness.
The next morning came bright and clear. We were just finishing breakfast when a sudden, heavy knock shook the whole front door. Not a normal knock. It was a thundering BOOM-BOOM-BOOM, the sort that rattled the windows. I recognised it instantly.
A gentle giant's knock.
It seemed Professor Dumbledore had kept his original plan after all. He had still sent Hagrid probably to guide the boys into the magical world and maybe to intimidate abd warn the Dursleys a little, the way it happened in the other reality. But this time it would not work the same way. Maybe Dumbledore did not know much about my relationship with Hagrid now.
Before Mum or Dad could panic, I rushed to the door and opened it.
Hagrid stood there, filling the entire doorway. His beard was wild as ever, his huge overcoat looked like it could swallow a sofa, and his beetle-black eyes blinked down at me in surprise.
"Arthur?" he said, his voice booming in the familiar rough accent. "Arthur, what're yeh doin' here?"
I smiled. "Hagrid, I should be asking you that, shouldn't I? It's my home after all?"
He looked confused for a second. Then he pulled out a slightly crumpled letter from his coat and checked the address. "Lemme see here… number four, Privet Drive… Little Whingin'… right place, I'm sure. House looks a bit diff'rent though. Yeh haven't moved the whole street or anythin', have yeh?"
"I don't think so," I said, even though I clearly knew what he meant.
"Strange," Hagrid muttered. "Professor Dumbledore said this was where I left the child. Gave 'im here meself, I did. And the other one, too. So why's everythin' lookin' different?"
I stepped back from the doorway and waved him in. "Well, if you're here, Hagrid, then come in properly. Have a tea, some biscuits. Sit down first, and then tell me what you're looking for."
Hagrid squeezed through the doorway, ducking his head, struggling carefully not to break the doorframe. Still, he squeezed through with some difficulty and let out a relieved huff as he straightened up inside.
"Tha's kind o' yeh, Arthur," he said, brushing snow and dust off his great coat. "An' truth be told, I could use yer help. Got a bit o' business ter sort out, yeh see."
He glanced around the room with those beetle-black eyes, gentle but worried. "Best we talk once I've had tha' tea yeh promised."
I tilted my head. "Who are you looking for, Hagrid?"
"Oh, I'm here fer a child," Hagrid said. "Two of 'em, actually. Harry Potter… and the other child. Left Harry here, yeh know. Brought 'im meself that night. Professor Dumbledore said he'd be raised here, safe an' sound, but now the place looks so tidy I barely recognised it!"
"Oh," I said casually. "You're talking about Harry and Dudley. Then you're not in the wrong place at all."
Hagrid blinked. "Yeh know 'em?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I? They're my brothers."
Hagrid's mouth fell open. "Brothers? Yeh? But Harry ain't got a brother! He's got cousins, o'course… the Dursleys… so then—hold on—don't tell me—"
"Yes, but he's got cousins right." I said
Hagrid, "He's got cousins, o'course… the Dursleys… so then—hold on—don't tell me—"
"Yes," I said quietly. "I'm Arthur Dursley."
Hagrid stared, then slapped his forehead with a sound like a tree trunk falling.
"Blimey!" he roared. "Arthur Dursley—Dudley Dursley—Harry Potter—an' this is the Dursley house—how in Merlin's beard did I not put tha' together the moment I saw yeh!"
"Welcome home, Hagrid," I said.
By now the boys had come running. Mum and Dad stood halfway behind the dining table, stiff and uncomfortable, their eyes wide as they watched the giant fill our living room.
"Let's sit, Hagrid," I said. "Just mind the sofa. It's meant for little men."
Hagrid let out a deep, warm laugh. "Little men, eh?" he chuckled. "Tha's a good one, tha' is!"
He tapped his pink umbrella on the sofa, muttering something. The sofa stretched wider, its legs thickened, and it became strong enough to hold him.
"There yeh go," he said proudly. "Fits me like a charm!"
This magic amazed everyone in the house.
He sat down, the room shaking only a little.
Hagrid's eyes fell on the two boys. "Well now," he said brightly, "look at yeh! Two fine lads! Let's see… which one o' yeh is Harry?"
I folded my arms and waited. I wanted to see whether he would confuse them like in the book.
But this time, Hagrid didn't hesitate. He pointed. "You," he said to Harry. "Yeh look jus' like James an' Lily together. Same eyes, jus' like Lily. An' you must be Dudley—broad like yer brother, yeh'll grow strong as a troll, I reckon."
Dudley puffed up proudly. Harry beamed, his eyes shining.
"You knew my parents?" Harry asked softly.
"'Course I did!" Hagrid said. "Known 'em since they were eleven. An' I was the one who brought yeh from that house… that night. Never forgot it."
The room fell quiet. Mum stiffened. Dad swallowed. Harry looked down at the table.
I quickly stepped in. "Let's save that part for later. Today is supposed to be happy."
"Aye," Hagrid agreed. "Yer right there, Arthur. Didn't think I'd be seein' yeh here too. Didn't expect… well… all this. But I'm glad. Real glad."
I introduced everyone formally.
"Hagrid, this is Harry. This is Dudley. You guessed right. And these are my parents - Mum, Petunia, and Dad, Vernon."
Hagrid stood up slightly, bowing his head politely. "Pleasure ter meet yeh both, Mr. an' Mrs. Dursley."
They nodded stiffly, still unsure.
I said, "Dad, Hagrid is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts and the Keeper of Keys. He knows everything about magical creatures. And he's a very gentle man. Especially with animals. The larger the better."
Hagrid blushed under his beard. "Aw, Arthur, yeh're makin' me sound soft."
"But you are soft," I said. "Soft for animals your own size."
Everyone snorted at that. Even Mum cracked a small smile. Dad let out a little huff of amusement. Dudley laughed, and Harry grinned widely. Hagrid laughed the loudest of all.
Hagrid wiped a tear of laughter from his eye and shook his head, still grinning. "Ah, yeh've got me spot on, Arthur," he said, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "Biggest beasts in the world, that's what I like best. An' yeh understand that better'n most folk who've known me fer years."
He chuckled again, a warm, booming sound that filled the room and made even the dishes on the shelf tremble a little. "Blimey, it's a rare thing, tha' is—someone who gets it straight off." He gave me a proud, almost fatherly nod, as if I'd passed some private test only Hagrid knew about.
The room felt lighter suddenly. The fear faded. The giant in the room wasn't frightening anymore. He was just Hagrid.
End of Chapter 56 - Hogwarts Letter