Disclaimers : I don't own any characters or settings apart from a few. All credits goes to J. K Rowling. ( Normal text is the Harry potter story line and text in bold is Marauders era reactions.)

BOOM.

They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's the cannon?" he said stupidly.

"No way, is he serious?" Ana asked, a grin tugging at her lips.

"Don't!" half the Gryffindors yelled, and Sirius slumped in his seat, clearly sulking.

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

"What is a rifle?" asked Evan Rosier.

"It's a type of weapon." answered a fourth  year Ravenclaw.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

"Who's there?" barked Uncle Vernon, his voice trembling. He grabbed the rifle he had brought with him, pointing it shakily toward the door.

The knocking grew louder. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Dorea froze, her eyes wide. "What in Merlin's name... Who is that?!"

"I'm armed! I'll shoot!" Vernon shouted.

Lily's voice trembled. "What if it's some kind of attack? What if Harry's in danger?" She shook her head in confusion. "We can't even make sense of this. It's so... out of nowhere."

The knocking came again, even louder. Then, with a deafening crash, the door was knocked clean off its hinges, landing flat on the floor with a thunderous bang. A giant figure stood framed in the doorway, hunched to fit under the low ceiling, rain dripping off his wild mane of hair and beard.

Pandora blinked in amazement. "A giant? Oh dear, that's... something I didn't expect."

Fabian leaned forward, trying to figure it out. "A giant... Could it be.....Hagrid?"

Gideon furrowed his brow. "Hagrid? No, it couldn't be. But... the size, the mess... I don't know, maybe."

"Sorry 'bout that," said the giant, stepping inside and setting the door back in place with ease. He brushed off the rain from his enormous coat. "Should've knocked softer, I s'pose."

Alice's hand flew to her mouth, trying to stifle a gasp. "Is that Hagrid? Oh, Frank..."

The Dursleys stared in horror as the giant surveyed the room. His wild beard and hair made him look even more intimidating.

Royce let out a low whistle, his eyes flicking over to Chris. "I think the Dursleys might actually pass out from shock. I'm surprised they haven't already."

Chris chuckled, watching the scene unfold. "You're right about that. This is the kind of thing the Dursleys are never going to forget."

"Tea, if yeh've got it," said the giant as he brushed rain off his coat and stomped the water from his boots. "Bitter weather out there."

Andromeda frowned, but a glint of approval flashed in her eyes. "Hagrid has a way of making a dramatic entrance, doesn't he?"

"Always," Ted replied with a smile, crossing his arms. "He never does anything quietly."

Frank chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You'd think he'd have learned to tone it down by now, but I suppose that's part of his charm."

"Charm?" Peter scoffed. "If you can call it that."

"I can," said Alice with a small laugh. "Hagrid's heart is always in the right place, even if his timing isn't."

Hagrid blushed hearing this.

He then strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.

"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.

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

Sirius Black could barely contain his laughter, clutching his stomach as he doubled over. "Oh, this is priceless! Poor Dudley doesn't even know what hit him!"

"W-who are you?" Vernon managed to stammer, clutching the rifle tighter.

The giant turned to face the room, his beetle-black eyes twinkling as they landed on Harry. "Harry! There yeh are! Blimey, look at yeh—las' time I saw yeh, yeh were just a baby." He smiled warmly. "Yeh look a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."

Laurel smirked. "Hagrid's got a soft spot for Potter. Not surprising, really."

James narrowed his eyes at Laurel, his jaw tightening slightly. "You think so?"

Laurel's smirk only deepened, and she leaned back in her chair, unfazed. "Oh, come on, Potter. It's obvious. Hagrid's always been a little too fond of you, hasn't he?"

Sirius shot a quick glance at James. "Maybe it's because Harry reminds him of someone... a certain charming young man we all know."

Laurel raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Sure, sure. But we all know Hagrid doesn't always make the best judgments. Just look at his pet choices."

"We're not getting into this again," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

Laurel shrugged nonchalantly. "Just saying, Hagrid's affectionate decisions can sometimes backfire. Just wait and see how Potter turns out."

James shot her a sharp glance again, but this time he didn't respond, clearly trying to avoid further confrontation.

Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.

"I demand that you leave at once!" he said. "You are breaking and entering!" 

 "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. 

Elenore raised an eyebrow. "Hagrid's... not exactly subtle, is he?"

He then rummaged in his coat and pulled out a slightly squashed box. "Anyway, Happy birthday, Harry. Brought yeh a cake -- I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written on it in green icing. 

Severus Snape muttered, "A cake. How utterly sentimental."

The marauders glared at him.

"Birthday?" Harry whispered, staring at the cake. No one had ever made him a cake before.

Ivannah watched, her eyes full of sympathy. "The Dursleys really did nothing for him, didn't they? "

Mary watched the scene closely, her voice soft. "It's amazing how something as simple as a cake can mean something."

Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was, "Who are you?"

The giant chuckled. "True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. Pleased ter meet yeh." He held out an enormous hand.

Lucius scoffed, adjusting his robes with a sneer. "What an introduction! So... eloquent."

Andromeda smirked, leaning back casually. "At least it's better than yours, Malfoy."

Lucius's eyes narrowed, his tone icy. "I wasn't aware we were measuring the quality of introductions now, Tonks. Not that you'd ever compete."

Andy raised an eyebrow, her smirk unwavering. "Oh, I don't need to compete. I'm already winning."

Sirius barked a laugh, clapping his hands. "Score one for you cousin. Malfoy, you walked right into that one."

Hagrid, who had been watching the exchange with mild confusion, gave a good-natured shrug. "Well, it don' matter how yeh say it, long as yeh mean it, I reckon."

Lucius scowled but remained silent, his lips curling in disdain.

Harry hesitated before shaking the giant hand. "Er... hello."

Uncle Vernon, recovering from his shock, stepped forward, his rifle pointed at Hagrid. "I demand you leave! Right now!"

Hagrid ignored him, instead pulling a thick parchment envelope from his coat. "Here, Harry. Got yer letter at last."

Finally!

Harry took the envelope, his hands trembling. It was addressed to him in emerald-green ink. He stared at the letter for some time, then at the giant man, and then to the Dursleys and this cycle continued for some time. Finally, as nobody seemed about to explain anything, he said, "I'm sorry, but I still don't really know who you are."

Dorea Potter looked at the scene with gentle understanding. "Harry was still in shock."

Charlus nodded, agreeing.

 "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.

"Er -- no," said Harry.

Hagrid looked shocked.

"Sorry," Harry said quickly.

"Sorry?" barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. "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 Harry.

"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid thundered. "Now wait jus' one second!" 

Ella felt a pang of sympathy. "He doesn't even know what Hogwarts is. It must be so confusing for him." She glanced over at her friends. "But he's got Hagrid now."

 Alyssandra nodded, her eyes full of compassion. "I hope Harry doesn't feel too overwhelmed."

He had leapt to his feet. In his anger he seemed to fill the whole hut. The Dursleys were cowering against the wall. "Do you mean ter tell me," he growled at the Dursleys, "that this boy -- this boy! -- knows nothin' abou' -- about ANYTHING?"

Professor McGonagall's lips pressed into a tight line, her gaze hard. "This is exactly why the boy deserves better. He was never given the opportunity to know the truth. It's appalling how the Dursleys have kept him in the dark for so long." 

Harry thought this was going a bit far. He had been to school, after all, and his marks weren't bad. "I know some things," he said. "I can, you know, do math and stuff." 

The moment Harry spoke, there was a brief silence before laughter erupted from all around the room.

Remus raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "I can't believe he brought up math," he said, shaking his head in amusement."

Mary giggled. "Harry, the mathematician. That's cute."

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

"What world?" 

Hagrid looked as if he was about to explode. 

"DURSLEY!" he boomed.

The room fell into stunned silence as Hagrid's voice boomed through hall. Each person reacting to the shocking revelation that Harry had been kept in the dark for so long. The anger was palpable, even across the distance of time and space.

Amelia Bones looked around at the group, her expression hard. "This is unforgivable. They didn't just hide the truth; they tried to bury it completely, in the hopes that Harry would never know."

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

"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?"

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

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

Molly Weasley's face twisted with anger. "They did what to Harry?" Her voice shook with rage. "He had every right to know about his parents, about his world. And they just kept him in the dark like it was some kind of joke!" She shook her head. "How could they? How could they do that to him?"

Uncle Vernon suddenly found his voice.

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

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

"Kept what from me?" said Harry eagerly.

Remus Lupin smiled gently, his voice soft with understanding. "I think Harry needed to hear that—he was so lost in everything. But now Hagrid's making it real. This is the moment where everything starts to change for him." He glanced over at Peter. "Even if it's a bit overwhelming."

"Yeah I agree", nodded Peter.

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

Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror.

"Ah, go boil yet heads, both of yeh," said Hagrid. "Harry -- yet a wizard."

There was silence inside the hut. Only the sea and the whistling wind could be heard. 

"-- a what?" gasped Harry. 

"Don't tell him!" Vernon shouted, but Hagrid ignored him.

"A wizard," Hagrid said proudly. "An' a thumpin' good one, I'd say, once yeh've been trained up."

"But I don't understand," Harry stammered. "What about my parents?"

Hagrid's face softened. "Ah, Harry. Yeh don't know, do yeh? About yer mum an' dad?"

"What about them?" Harry pressed.

Evanka's eyes filled with frustration. "He deserved to know! To have the chance to feel pride in his parents, to understand what they did for their world. And they just... took that from him." Her hands clenched into fists."

Narcissa's eyes flashed with anger. "To steal someone's identity like that, to keep the truth from them for so long... It's monstrous."

"They were some o' the best witches and wizards o' their time," Hagrid said, his voice heavy with emotion. An' I reckon it's abou' time yeh read yer letter."

Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to 

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

He 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 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 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

The moment *insert squealing*

Questions exploded inside Harry's head like fireworks and he couldn't decide which to ask first. After a few minutes he stammered, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"

A ripple of amusement spread through the room.

"Oh, bless him," Selena Rowle said, trying to stifle a laugh. "He really has no clue, does he?"

Even Natasha allowed a small chuckle. "Well, he's in for quite the awakening, isn't he?"

"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 40 another pocket inside his overcoat he pulled an owl -- a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl -- a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he scribbled a note that Harry could read upside down:

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Given Harry his letter.

Taking him to buy his things tomorrow.

Weather's horrible. Hope you're Well.

Hagrid.

A few people stifled laughs.

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.

"Typical nonchalant Hagrid", thought Madame Pomfrey.

Professor Sinistra, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Poppy, Hagrid's... well, Hagrid. Seriousness  isn't exactly his strongest suit."

Harry realized his mouth was open and closed it quickly. 

Lily, Dorea, Molly , almost every other women plus Sirius and James cooed at Harry's expression.

"Where was I?" said Hagrid, but at that moment, Uncle Vernon, still ashen-faced but looking very angry, moved into the firelight.

"He's not going," he said.

Hagrid grunted.

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

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Uncle Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him."

James Potter let out an incredulous laugh. "The nerve of him," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Evan Rosier raised an eyebrow, his voice indifferent. "It's almost laughable. The muggles  thought that they can control a wizard."

"You knew?" said Harry. "You knew I'm a -- a wizard?" 

Aunt Petunia suddenly shrieked, "Enough! I've had enough of this freakish nonsense!" She turned to Harry with a venomous glare. "You think you're special? Just like your mother! Always showing off with her spells, thinking she was better than us. My parents adored her, called her 'gifted.' It was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family! And now—look what it's brought her! 

James Potter's face turned red with fury as he heard Petunia's words. "The nerve of her!" he shouted, clenching his fists. "She's been harboring that resentment for years, hasn't she? Hiding behind her hatred of everything that's different." His voice wavered with a mix of resentment and anger. "Lily was never anything less than amazing."

Lily Potter's eyes glistened with tears of frustration. "I tried. I really did," she whispered, voice breaking. "I tried to include her, to help her understand me, but she never would." She glanced toward James, her heart breaking at how much Harry had suffered because of Petunia's jealousy.

"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 got landed with you!"

Yvette's face was flushed with indignation. "What kind of person does that to a child?" she demanded. "What kind of family treats their own like that?"

"It's barbaric," Leanne added, her voice uncharacteristically soft, a rare flicker of sympathy crossing her face. "Even if they're Muggles, they should understand basic decency."

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

WHATTTT

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

Rabastan Lestrange sneered. "Typical. Hiding behind lies and cowardice. It's exactly what I would expect from the likes of these people." 

"I....I don't understand?" Harry asked. 

Hagrid settled himself down in front of the fire, his expression troubled. After a pause, he began, "It starts with... well, a person called... 

"Who?" Harry asked, leaning forward.

Cecelia Bones shifted uncomfortably, her voice hesitant. "He... he doesn't understand what it all means yet, does he? What it cost. What we... what we are fighting.... or fought for?" 

Benji Fenwick sighed heavily. " Yeah, he doesn't know anything yet. The name, the history... what it all means."

"Well," Hagrid hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't like sayin' his name, if I can help it. No one does."

"Why not?" Harry pressed.

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry," Hagrid said, exhaling heavily. "People are still scared o' him. Blimey, this is hard. There was this wizard... went bad. Worse than bad. As bad as yeh can imagine. His name was..."

Ana's fists clenched, her face flushed with anger. "Oh, Merlin and Morgana! What's the deal with these people? It's just a name. A terrible, nonsensical, and a downright ridiculous one." She threw her hands up in exasperation. "Honestly, get over it! Why are they still treating him like..like  some sort of legend?" 

Sirius leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a wry grin, though his eyes remained serious. "You're not wrong, Ana. But, let's be honest, the guy left quite an impact. It's not just about the name; it's everything that came after."

Ana scoffed, tossing her head. "I don't care. It still drives me mad. We're letting it control us. We should be focusing on fighting him, not letting a stupid name still hold that much power over us."

Hagrid gulped and fell silent, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested helpfully.

"Nah, can't spell it," Hagrid replied with a grimace. "All right, then... Voldemort." He shuddered visibly. "Don't make me say it again."

Philippe couldn't help the grin tugging at his lips as he watched Ana muttering to herself, clearly annoyed. "She has her moods," he thought with amusement, exchanging a knowing look with Regulus, who smirked faintly in return.

"Oh, let her be," Regulus murmured under his breath, his voice low enough not to carry. "At least she's consistent. Dramatic, but consistent."

"What are you two smirking about?" Ana snapped, catching sight of them. Her sharp gaze darted between Philippe and Regulus.

Philippe raised his hands in mock surrender. "Nothing, Sis. Just appreciating your... passion."

Regulus, for his part, managed to keep his smirk in check but his tone was dry. "Yes, your dedication to not letting You know wh—"

The look she shot their way was enough to clamp their mouths shut.

Harry frowned. "But what did he do?"

"This wizard, about twenty years ago, started gatherin' followers," Hagrid explained. "Got plenty, too. Some were scared of him, others wanted ter share in his power—'cause he was getting' power, all right. Dark days, Harry. No one knew who ter trust. Yeh didn't dare be friendly with strangers. Terrible things happened. He was takin' over."

Edgar's face tightened with anger, a coldness in his voice. "I remember the whispers... but this, to think he had so many followers. It's more terrifying than we realized."

Lucius' voice was cold and calculating. "The dark lord knew how to play people. Fear, greed, power—all tools to manipulate the weak-minded."

Nicklaus, quietly thoughtful, nodded along. "People followed because they thought he would give them the world. But all he gave them was destruction."

Andrew's expression was grim, his tone steady but biting. "It's a pattern we've seen before. People are so quick to abandon morality when they're promised power."

Xenophilius shook his head, frustration evident in his voice. "It's sickening. How do you even begin to undo that kind of damage?"

Narcissa, her gaze distant, spoke softly. "Many of them didn't follow out of loyalty. They followed out of fear. It's easier to serve than to stand against him."

"Fear is no excuse," Sirius snapped, his voice hard. "I've seen too many cowards hide behind that. It doesn't make them any less guilty."

Lucius arched an eyebrow, his tone still calm. "Not all fear is cowardice, Black. Sometimes it's survival."

"Spare me your justifications, Malfoy," Sirius shot back. "We all make choices. They made theirs."

Dorea interjected, her voice sharp. "Enough. Blaming doesn't change what happened. What matters is making sure it doesn't happen again."

Augusta's eyes flicked to the younger generation, her voice soft but resolute. "We can't change the past, but we can teach them. They need to know what was lost and why we fought. Only then can they choose a better path."

Elenore nodded in agreement, her voice firm. "The only way forward is through understanding. Otherwise, history will just repeat itself."

Hagrid shook his head, his voice heavy with emotion. "Some folks stood up to him, though. Brave ones. An' he killed 'em. Horribly."

"Maybe some nice strategy you've got there—if you have one," Breanna remarked, her tone casual and uninterested.

Ester's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp with irritation. "Oh, so you're an expert on strategies and warfare now, are you?"

Breanna exchanged a glance with Ana, Evanka, and Alyssa before responding, "All I'm saying is, a solid strategy usually leads to better outcomes."

"If you both don't mind..", said a very irritated McGonagall.

"Please Prof", said Rhea with a smile

"Didn't anyone stop him?" Harry asked quietly.

"Well," Hagrid said, straightening slightly, "the only one he was afraid of was Dumbledore. Reckon Hogwarts was the safest place there was back then. He never dared try takin' the school—not at that time, anyway."

Several scoffs were audible around the hall.

Hagrid's voice softened. "Yer mum an' dad... they were some o' the best. As good a witch an' wizard as I've ever known. Head Boy and Girl at Hogwarts, they were. Can't figure why You-Know-Who didn't try ter get 'em on his side before... but maybe he knew they were too close ter Dumbledore. Too decent fer his lot."

"Or maybe they are of no use for him." Jaxon Rosier said, his tone lazy as he dismissed it.

"Did he try to recruit them?" Harry asked, his brow furrowed.

"Maybe," Hagrid admitted. "Or maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. No one knows fer sure. What we do know is, he came ter the village where yeh all lived... on Halloween, ten years ago."

Harry's heart sank as Hagrid continued, his voice shaking. "Yeh were just a baby, barely a year old. He showed up at yer house an'—an'..."

Hagrid pulled out a spotted handkerchief, blowing his nose with a sound like a foghorn. "Sorry," he mumbled, his eyes glistening. "It's just... yer mum an' dad, Harry. Nicer people yeh couldn't find. An' he killed 'em."

Severus snorted in disbelief at Hagrid calling Potter nice.

An'then -- an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing -- he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter finish the job, I reckon. Or maybe he was just that far gone, killin' anyone in his way. But he couldn't do it."

"Couldn't?" Harry whispered, barely believing what he was hearing.

Hagrid nodded. "That scar on yer forehead? That's from the curse he used. A powerful, evil curse, Harry. Took care o' yer parents, yer house—everythin'. But when he turned it on you, it didn't work. That's why you're famous. You're the only one who ever survived when he wanted 'em dead."

"How can that be?" Hyperion asked, his brow furrowed in disbelief. "I thought no one could survive the Killing Curse."

Ella shook her head, her voice low and uncertain. "Neither have I. It's... unheard of."

Nicklaus, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his tone thoughtful. "Maybe it's not as straightforward as we think. The Killing Curse has always been a death sentence, but there's so much we still don't understand about magic, especially ancient magic."

There was a pause, and for a moment, no one spoke. They all considered the implications of that idea.

"Why didn't it work?" Harry asked.

"Don't rightly know," Hagrid admitted. "But he'd killed some o' the best—folks like the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts. An' then there was you, just a baby... an' you lived."

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

Everyone couldn't help but feel sorry for Harry.

Hagrid was watching him sadly.

"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot..."

 "Enough," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped; he had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle Vernon certainly seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.

Aldrin's tone was dismissive as he spoke, clearly uninterested. "Weakness breeds more weakness. Simple as that."

"That's better," Hagrid said, his voice still rumbling with anger as he sat back down on the sofa. This time, the sofa sank all the way down to the floor under his weight.

Harry, however, had no time to dwell on the scene. His mind was brimming with questions, and one came tumbling out. "But what happened to Vol—sorry, I mean, You-Know-Who?"

Hagrid nodded approvingly. "Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill yeh. Makes yeh even more famous, see. But that's the biggest myst'ry of all—he was gettin' more an' more powerful—so why'd he go?"

The Slytherins shared a meaningful glance.

Harry leaned forward, captivated. "Did he die?"

"Some say he did," Hagrid replied, his tone skeptical. "Codswallop, if yeh ask me. Don't reckon he had enough human left in him ter die properly. Some think he's still out there, bidin' his time. But I don't believe that, either. Yeh see, after that night, a lot o' folks who were on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em seemed like they'd been under some kind o' trance, and I don't think that'd happen if he was comin' back."

"As simple as that?" Narcissa thought. 

"So, you think he's gone for good?" Harry asked, unsure if he hoped it was true or feared it wasn't.

Hagrid shrugged. "Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere, but he lost his powers. Too weak ter carry on. An' it's all because of you, Harry. Somethin' about you stopped him. No one knows what it was—somethin' he didn't expect, somethin' he couldn't handle. But whatever it was, it finished him that night."

"There's something off about this," Ana said, her mind racing. She caught Sirius's eye, and it was clear he shared the same concern.

Hagrid's words hung in the air, and Harry sat in silence, trying to make sense of everything. 

"Hagrid," Harry said hesitantly after some time, "I think there's been a mistake. I don't think I can be a wizard."

James Potter let out a laugh, though it was tinged with disbelief. "A mistake? He thinks there's been a mistake?" 

Molly Weasley, watching the screen intently, furrowed her brow in concern. "Oh, Harry," she whispered softly. 

Michael Zabini scoffed. "The kid's in denial."

Hagrid chuckled. "Not a wizard, eh? Never made strange things happen when yeh were scared or angry?"

Harry stared into the fire, recalling moments he couldn't explain: escaping Dudley's gang, his hair growing back overnight, and setting a boa constrictor loose without meaning to. Slowly, he looked back at Hagrid, who was grinning.

Camilla Davis rolled her eyes with a playful scoff. "Hair growing back? Boa constrictors? The kid was practically a walking sign of wizardry and didn't even know it!" She crossed her arms, a smirk tugging at her lips. "He never could see how magical he was, even when it was right in front of him."

"See?" said Hagrid. "Harry Potter, not a wizard -- yeh wait, you'll be famous at Hogwarts!"

But Uncle Vernon wasn't giving up. "He's not going!" he hissed. "He'll go to Stonewall High, like I said. I've read those letters -- he needs wands, spell books, rubbish--"

"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," Hagrid growled. "Stop Lily an' James Potter's son? His name's been down fer Hogwarts since he was born. He'll be off to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry, under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had, Albus Dumbled--"

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Vernon bellowed.

"Oh dear, he shouldn't have done that," Arthur said, shaking his head. "He doesn't know what he's in for."

Hagrid froze, then swung his umbrella overhead. "NEVER -- INSULT -- ALBUS -- DUMBLEDORE -- IN -- FRONT -- OF -- ME!"

"I called it." chuckled Arthur.

With a swish and a flash of violet light, Dudley squealed, clutching his backside. As he turned, Harry saw a curly pig's tail sticking out of his trousers.

Uncle Vernon roared in panic, dragging Aunt Petunia and Dudley into another room, slamming the door behind them.

Dorcas Meadowes laughed aloud. "A pig's tail? That's genius!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Hagrid sighed, looking at his umbrella. "Shouldn't've lost me temper," he muttered. "Didn't even work proper. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but he's already close enough."

Advik Patel laughed heartily, slapping his knee. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" he grinned at the screen. "I always knew he had some tricks up his sleeve. A pig's tail... that's just perfect."

He glanced at Harry. "Be grateful if yeh don't mention that at Hogwarts. I'm not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. Got expelled in my third year -- snapped me wand an' all. Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

Rowen Avery raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "I had no idea Hagrid was such a rebel," she said, grinning.

 Emmeline added, shaking her head in amusement. "Good thing he gave you a second chance though. Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without you."

"Why were you expelled?" Harry asked.

"Yes! Tell us. Tell us." Cried the Marauders.

Hagrid cleared his throat. "Best leave that fer another time. We've got a lot ter do tomorrow."

The Marauders exchanged a look, silently agreeing to get the story out of Hagrid later.

He shrugged off his coat and handed it to Harry. "You can kip under that. Don't mind if it wriggles -- might have a dormouse or two in the pockets."

A few people laughed at that.

Harry smiled faintly, clutching the oversized coat around him. For the first time, the impossible felt possible, and the word "wizard" echoed in his thoughts until sleep claimed him.

What a day it's been.

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Merry Christmas to all. Here's my X'mas gift.🎄🎅🎁

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