The Gift From Death

Chapter 7: First year Part 2

4th, August, 1998...

Once everyone was seated in the living room again (Teddy in a magical playpen that alerted someone when something was wrong) Harry went over to the pensive and added the next few memories.

"We will start with the first time I went to Diagon Alley." he said.

Harry woke early the next morning.

Although he could tell it was daylight, he kept his eyes shut tight. It was a dream, he told himself firmly. I dreamt a giant called Hagrid came to tell me I was going to a school for wizards.

"It is kind of hard to believe magic exists when you first find out about it." Lily said, Hermione nodded her agreement.

When I open my eyes I'll be at home in my cupboard.

"Damn Dursleys," muttered James.

There was suddenly a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thought, his heart sinking. But he still hadn't opened his eyes. It had been such a good dream.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"All right," Harry mumbled, "I'm getting up."

He sat up and Hagrid's heavy coat fell off him.

The hut was full of sunlight, the storm was over, Hagrid himself was asleep on the collapsed sofa

"So it collapsed," Sirius said cheerfully.

and there was an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak. Harry scrambled to his feet, so happy he felt as though a large balloon was swelling inside him.

He went straight to the window and jerked it open. The owl swooped in and dropped the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who didn't wake up. The owl then fluttered to the floor and began to attack Hagrid's coat.

"Don't do that."

"I didn't know it wanted money." Harry said defensivley when everyone looked at him amusedly.

Harry tried to wave the owl out of the way, but it snapped its beak fiercely at him and carried on savaging the coat.

"Hagrid!" said Harry loudly. "There's an owl -"

"Pay him," Hagrid grunted into the sofa.

"What?"

"He wants payin fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."

"You will never find it." the twins groaned, "Hagrid has tons of pockets."

Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets

"See?" George said.

- bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, mint humbugs, teabags... finally, Harry pulled out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"You found it. Good for you." said Fred.

"Give him five Knuts," said Hagrid sleepily.