A PROMISE TO THE PAST | Watching The Future

5| The keeper of the keys

It was midnight and also the start of a very special day. It was Harry's 11th birthday today. Evelyn had drawn a cake on the dusty floor, with a candle lit on the cake.

"Happy birthday Harry!" Evelyn wished him with a huge smile.

"Thank you Evie." He said to his little sister.

"Blow the candle and make a wish Harry." She chimed and Harry obeyed her words with a chuckle.

James and Lily looked at eachother with a sad and defeated smile. They couldn't see their children in such a state and were also worried about Cassiopeia as there was no news on her yet.

Suddenly, they heard a BOOM! The door of the shack was broken and there stood a half giant man in front of the door. He entered inside the hut, searching for something or someone.

"Hagrid!" The marauders and maraudetts exclaimed happily.

Harry immediately pulled Evelyn behind him, shielding her from the giant man. Evelyn pulled her brother back, along with herself into the shadows, so that her brother doesn't land himself in unwanted trouble.

"Awww... They are so caring and protective about eachother..." Lily's friends cooed. Lily and James smiled at the comment.

As if it was expected, Vernon came out of nowhere, pointing a rifle at the giant man.

Seeing this, several muggle borns and half- bloods who had the knowledge of what is a rifle gasped in shock.

"Hey, why do you look so shocked?" Bellatrix asked Lily, who was sitting beside her.

"He has a rifle..." Lily stated.

"What is a rifle?" James asked.

"It's kind of a muggle killing tool..." Remus tried to explain.

"Ohh, wicked! I want one!" Bellatrix exclaimed.

'An' here's Harry and little Evelyn!' said the giant, ignoring Vernon. Both Harry and Evelyn came out of the shadows and looked at Hagrid.

"Las' time I saw you, you both wer only a baby" said the giant. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mum's eyes. And Evelyn, you look like an exact replica of yer mum" He said to the Potter siblings.

James and Lily had tears in their eyes listening to this, knowing that they had missed seeing their kids grow up. Their friends and most of them in the hall felt bad for them.

Before Harry and Evelyn could react, uncle Vernon's irritating screech was heard.

'I demand that you leave at once, sir! 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 and bent the tip it, making it useless.

"Haha... Well done Hagrid!" The marauders beamed.

'Anyway -Harry and Evelyn' said the giant, turning his back on the Dursleys, 'A very happy birthday to yeh Harry. Got summat fer yeh here - I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right.'

From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightly squashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers.
Inside was a large, sticky chocolate cake with 'Happy Birthday Harry' written on it in green icing.

"Remind me, we have to thank Hagrid the next time we see him." Lily said and James nodded.

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. Call me Hagrid,' he said.

' I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts - yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course,' he continued.

'Er - no', said Harry and Evelyn looking at eachother with confused eyes, before turning back to Hagrid.

Hagrid looked shocked. 'Sorry' Harry said quickly and Evelyn rolled her eyes at her brother's reaction.

"Evie has definitely taken over James in the matter of boldness." Euphemia and Fleamont said adoringly.

"Not only James Mrs Potter, she also has Lily's bold and fierceness." Natalia and Isabelle added.

'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 yer parents learnt it all'

'All what?' asked Harry and Evelyn.

'ALL WHAT Hagrid thundered. 'Now wait jus one second'

"Our kids doesn't even know about us." Lily muttered sadly, almost at the verge to cry.

"Don't cry Lils. We'll surely find a solution for this now..." James said, consoling her.

'Do you mean ter tell me.' he growled at the Dursleys.

'These k...kids do not know a... anything' Vernon stuttered in fear.

"I know some things,' Harry interrupted. ' I can, you know, do maths and stuff.'

'Shut up Harry, they didn't mean those stuff, I think there's something we need to know, and that's NOT MATH AND SCHOOL STUFF' Evelyn whispered to her brother and he looked at her, with a thoughtful look.

"Our kids are the best!" Lily grinned seeing the conversation between Harry and Evelyn.

"Yeah they are, because their mother is the best..." James said in Lily's ears making Lily blush and hit James' shoulders.

'You are right Evelyn, you both need to know about yer parents.' Hagrid said. 'I mean they are famous- you both and your elder sister are famous.'

'what? Our parents aren't famous... And we do not have a elder sister.' Evelyn answered.

'stop!' Vernon commanded. 'Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell them anything!"

"Yeh never told them? Never told them what was in that letter? You've kept it all from them all these years."

"Kept what from us?" Harry asked.

'STOP! I FORBID YOU!' yelled uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gasped in horror.

"Could Hagrid cut out this suspense and tell them everything already." Groaned Barty Crouch Jr.

"Harry, yer a wizard and Evelyn, yer a witch."

"I'm a what?" Harry and Evelyn gasped.

"A wizard and a witch, o'course," said Hagrid "and a really good one like your parents. Read this letter, you'll understand."

Harry took the familiar looking envelope, addressed accurately to him and opened it.

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 a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. The term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

"Finally Harry got his letter!" Narcissa exclaimed in joy. Lucius Malfoy internally rolled his eyes seeing his lovely fiance being so happy for the Potter boy.

Hagrid was about to write back to Minerva McGonagall but, Harry insisted that he wants to write the reply and scribbled something quickly and handed it over to Hagrid, who sent the letter to McGonagall via, an owl.

"What might he have written in the letter?" Everyone wondered.