[ four, keeper of keys ]

[That stormy night, a tall house, on a rock island somewhere out at sea. The Dursleys, including Aemma have moved there, due to the chaos with the letters. The family is sleeping, with Aemma on the cold, dirt floor and Dudley sleeping on a sofa. Aemma has drawn a birthday cake which reads, Happy Birthday Aemma. Aemma looks at Dudley's watch, which beeps 12:00.]

Aemma: [to herself] Make a wish, Aemma. [she blows the "candles" on the drawn birthday cake]

A look of pure devastation flashed across Rhaenyra's face as she stared at the memory before her. A gasping breath escaped her lips as tears threatened to spill out of the corner of her eyes.

It was heartbreaking to see her daughter resort to such means to celebrate such an important day as if it was the most normal thing she'd ever done, all alone in the dark, on the cold, hard ground. "We'll make up for all of this," She said firmly to those surrounding her. "We'll organise family dinners like we used to, shower them with gifts, and do so for every name day we've missed."

Rhaenys, just as stricken with sadness due to what she'd witnessed, smiled at the anguished mother, nodding her head in agreement. What made all of this worse for Rhaenys was that she deemed herself just as guilty as Aemma's new family ━ for the longest time; she'd given in to her own pride, thus, having missed out on every name-day celebration ever since her grandchildren were born ( She knew she had a lot to make up for, and, if given a chance, she had every intention to ).

"Oh, you poor girl," Alicent whispered sadly, unwilling to draw attention to herself. Her motherly heart hurt for the little girl who didn't have anyone who truly cared about her and her happiness. Her lips pursed into a disdainful grimace as she continued out loud. "Your cousin's behaviour is truly shameful; he should have been the one to take the floor like any true gentleman."

Aemma shrugged nonchalantly. "He was only mimicking his parents' behaviour," She explained, looking meaningfully at the woman who lowered her head in shame. "Besides, it wasn't a big deal, really." She inwardly bristled at all the pitiful stares earned by her answer.

[Suddenly, the door thumps, in sync with the thunder flashing. Aemma jumps. The door thumps again and Dudley and Aemma jump up and back away. Aemma hides behind a wall, and Dudley cowers on a windowsill. Petunia and Vernon appear, with Vernon holding a double barrel gun.]

Corlys scrunched his brows, eying the weapon wielded by Vernon in interest. He'd seen a lot of weird things throughout his travels, yet he'd never come across anything that looked remotely similar. "What's the object in Aemma's uncle's hands?" He asked.

Hermione hesitated, silently debating the wiser course of action. Unlike the rest of the Targaryen-Velaryon family, the four of them had seen the future Lucerys had thwarted, and the actions and decisions taken by some people in this room would haunt her for a long time. This, however, was a new timeline, and some of them deserved the benefit of the doubt. "It's a gun, a muggle invention, and a long-range weapon that could be considered even more dangerous than a sword."

Having noticed the greedy gleam in Otto's eyes, an observant Rhaena subtly alerted the rest of her family. It was almost funny to see the man still scheming when his days were numbered, but it was well-known that some people clung to denial harder than others.

Vernon: Who's there?! Ahh!

[The door bangs again and then falls down, and a giant man appears. As he comes into the clear lighting, the giant man himself is revealed to be Rubeus Hagrid.]

Hagrid: Sorry about that. [He puts the door back up]

Vernon: [aiming his gun at him] I demand that you leave at once, sir! You are breaking and entering!

[As Petunia quietly gasps in fear, Hagrid grabs the gun and bends it upwards.]

Hagrid: Dry up, Dursley, you great prune. [The gun fires upwards, blasting a hole in the ceiling, causing the two to shriek in fear.]

To say that several people felt profound satisfaction watching this would be an understatement. The Blacks, in particular, smiled as the scene unfolded before them, providing a much-needed change from the previously gloomy atmosphere.

"I already like this man," Stated Daemon with a grin tugging at his lips. Something told him that Hagrid didn't conform to societal expectations, and he respected that; after all, he also abhorred them.

Hagrid: So where can I find the birthday girl?

[Aemma reveals herself]

Aemma: O-Over here.

Hagrid: Well, 'course! Got somethin' for yeh. 'Fraid I might have sat on it at some point, but I imagine it'll taste fine just the same. Ahh.

[Hagrid hands Aemma the cake]

Hagrid: Baked it myself, words and all. Heh.

[Aemma opens cake, which reads "Happee Birthdae Aemma" in green frosting.]

Aemma: Thank you!

Hagrid: It's not every day that yer young girl turns 11, now is it? Aye?

Rhaenyra felt an immense swell of gratitude towards the man who'd just gifted her daughter what must have been her first cake, her first name-day token. While her heart clenched in pain at the reminder that he was the first to remember such an important day, she also exhaled in relief now that she knew that there was someone with a heart in her sweet girl's life.

What truly helped her breathe easier, however, was Aemma's previous confirmation of the man's unwavering loyalty. She clung to this detail with all her might because it reassured her that the man didn't have any agenda and that the gift wouldn't be something her daughter would have regretted. "It was nice of him to bake you such a treat," She told her sweet girl.

Neville couldn't help but smile as he thought of Hagrid; regardless of his disillusionment, he was one of the few adults who hadn't lost his trust. "As Aemma said earlier, Hagrid really is one of the best people we've ever met." He stated emphatically.

On the other side of the room, Aemond scoffed derisively. "Of course, he is a dumb, illiterate peasant; just look at him," He said with a sneer and a low tone of voice; after all, he had no intention of being the first victim of a magical attack.

"No wonder you don't have any friends." While Daeron sounded generally mocking, there was an undercurrent of seriousness in his tone that stemmed from his simmering anger. "All your prospects must have cut their losses after they noticed your blackened heart."

"Daeron! Apologise to your brother immediately," Alicent ordered, voice almost shrill. She couldn't understand where all the animosity towards most of their family was coming from; after all, Daeron had spent most of his life at Oldtown.

"I don't think so, mother" There was a hint of bitter amusement in Daeron's tone when he referred to Alicent, yet he refused to even look her in the eyes as he did so, turning back towards the screen instead.

[Hagrid sits down on the sofa, takes out an umbrella, and points it at the empty fire. Two sparks fly out of the umbrella and start a fire. The Dursley family gasps.]

Aemma: [puts cake down] Excuse me, who are you?

Hagrid: Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. O' course, yeh'll know all about Hogwarts.

Aemma: Sorry, no.

Hagrid: No? Blimey, Aemma, didn't you ever wonder where yer mum and dad learned it all?

Aemma: Learnt what?

Hagrid: Yer a witch, Aemma.

[Aemma looks confused]

Aemma: I-I'm a what?

Hagrid: A witch. And a thumping good one, I'd wager, once yer trained up little.

Aemma: No, you've made a mistake. I mean, I can't be... a-a witch. I mean, I'm just... Aemma. Just Aemma.

Hagrid: Well, Just Aemma. Did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared? [Aemma softens her expression] Ah.

[Dudley whimpers. Hagrid hands Aemma the same letter that has been sent the past while. Aemma opens it and he begins to read.]

Aemma: "Dear, Ms. Potter. We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Vernon: [to Hagrid] She will not be going, I tell you! We swore when we took her in, we'd put a stop to all this rubbish!

Aemma: You knew? You knew all along and you never told me?

Petunia: Of course we knew. How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was. Oh, my mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter. "We have a witch in the family. Isn't it wonderful?" I was the only one to see her for what she was. A freak! And then she met that Potter. And then she had you, and I knew you would be the same. Just as strange, just as... abnormal. And then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up! And we got landed with you.

Aemma: [to Petunia, angrily] Blown up? You told me my parents died in a car crash!

Hagrid: A car crash? A car crash killed Lily and James Potter?!

Petunia: We had to say something.

Hagrid: It's an outrage! It's a scandal!

Rhaenyra stiffened upon hearing the cruelty, jealousy, and plain animosity in Petunia's tone.

Unfortunately, she was no stranger to strained and nonexistent relationships with her sibling, and Rhaenyra was self-aware enough to admit that she hadn't done much to fix the matter over the years. That said, unlike what some people liked to believe, she didn't hate them, nor did she fault them for Alicent and Otto's ambitions.

Petunia's vitriol had Rhaenyra reeling because her words reminded her of the outright hatred, insults, and cruelty ( after all, one of them had murdered her daughter ) displayed by two of her siblings. It was a horrible feeling, realising that Aegon and Aemond would have most likely treated her children just like Petunia treated Aemma out of spite and twisted beliefs.

'Did Lily Potter even want their daughter to be raised by her sister,' Rhaenyra wondered. 'Or did she know what life would have been like for her in such a household, and people simply disregarded her original request?'

Sweet Helaena smiled at her sister, her kind eyes meeting her troubled ones. "I'd trust you with my children; I know you'd treat them like your own." She stated confidently.

Helaena's statement meant a lot to Rhaenyra because it was further proof that Alicent and Otto's poison had failed to reach all of her half siblings.

The sweet moment was broken by Aegon, who, regardless of how intoxicated he was, still managed to string a coherent sentence together. "Does she not sound like mother?" He asked his siblings.

Having heard this, Viserys' heart sank as he recalled the numerous instances they'd been shown of Alicent brainwashing their children. He felt guilty for having failed as a father and never having noticed this, angry that their mother had done this to them, but also heartbroken for the resentment that two of his children harboured towards his Rhaenyra and grandchildren. He could feel the ghosts of his past judging him, his darling Aemma above all.

[As the Dursleys argue with Hagrid, no one, including Aemma, is noticing Dudley taking Aemma's cake away].

Vernon: She'll not be going!

Hagrid: Oh-ho-ho, and I suppose a great muggle like yerself's goin' to stop her, are yeh?

Aemma: Muggle?

Hagrid: [to Aemma, calmly] Non-magic folk. [he immediately draws his attention back to Vernon and Petunia in anger] This girl's had her name down ever since she were born! [As Hagrid was talking, Dudley was munching on Aemma's cake.] She's going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and she'll be under the finest headmaster that Hogwarts has ever seen: Albus Dumbledore.

Neville, Aemma, Ron and Hermione exchanged meaningful glances, each thinking about their muddled feelings for Albus Dumbledore.

Hatred was too strong a word for any of them, and perhaps many would have deemed them weak for it; however, there was still a fondness for the man who'd been like a mentor and grandfather figure to some and a role model to others.

They resented some of his actions and decisions, how he'd used them as chess pieces and child soldiers, but they also recognised that he was a human being who'd made mistakes along the way ( some bigger than others ).

Otto pursed his lips in distaste. "A school for both men and women; what a shame. The only education a proper woman should pursue is that of her Septa's." He sniffed haughtily.

"I don't remember anyone asking for your opinion, you misogynistic prig." Those who didn't know him would have thought Neville to be nonchalant, yet the boy was far from calm and collected. If there was one thing he couldn't stand for, it was the kind of close-mindedness people like Otto seemed to find comfort in and chose to use as a weapon against others.

[Aemma smiles upon hearing Dumbledore's name.]

Vernon: I will not pay to have some crackpot old fool teach him magic tricks!

[Hagrid whips out his umbrella and points it at Vernon, threateningly.]

Hagrid: NEVER. INSULT. ALBUS DUMBLEDORE. IN FRONT OF ME.

[Hagrid finally sees Dudley eating Aemma's cake and aims his umbrella at his buttock. He fires a magic spark at it, causing a pig's tail to grow.]

Dudley: Ahh!

[The Dursleys shriek in both fright and horror as they run off out of sight. Aemma laughs at this, so does Hagrid.]

The once sombre room was suddenly filled with laughter, which cast away the shadows that had begun to form.

While most of the younger generation didn't even attempt to control their guffaws, tearing up in laughter as they held their sides or leaning against those sitting beside them, the vast majority of the adults managed to maintain their composure as they chuckled.

Unlike his peers, Daemon tossed his head back, laughing freely at what he deemed the perfect payback for Aemma's cousin and kin: a magical comeuppance for someone who so loathed anything outside of the ordinary.

However, not everyone was amused by the scene. Indeed, Hagrid's display of magic had only fuelled Alicent's anxiety, causing her to eye the witches and wizards even more warily than before as she clutched her pendant like her life depended on it.

Hagrid: Oh, um, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic.

Aemma: [Nods] Okay.

Hagrid: [checks his pocket-watch] Ooh, we're a bit behind schedule. Bes' be off. [he goes off to the door and pulls it down again before stepping out. He turns to Aemma] Unless you'd rather stay, of course. Hmm?

[He walks out. Aemma grins, looks back at the direction where the Dursleys are gone, and grins again, before grabbing her jacket and joins Hagrid on their journey to London.]

author's note. I know what some of you must be thinking: 'No Dumbledore complete bashing? The shock, the horror, the utter terror'.
While I'm not fond of the man, and I don't agree with a lot of things he's done, I'm not writing this story from my point of view but from the point of view of a group of characters who spent years looking up to him and seeing him as a mentor, a grandfather figure, etc. He had a significant impact on their lives, and while they're hurt by his actions, I don't believe they'd hate him for what he's done because that's just not who they are.
Are they disillusioned? Yes ( this is a big theme in the story ). Do they believe Dumbledore cared for them in his own way? Also yes. Are they upset and hurt? You can bet on it.
I hope you don't mind my take on this and enjoy the story!