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'I didn't chase it at him!' Harry said, his voice shaking with anger. 'It didn't even touch him!'

'It was a very near miss,' said Ernie. 'And in case you're getting ideas,' he added hastily, 'I might tell you that you can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so –'

'I don't care what sort of blood you've got!' said Harry fiercely. 'Why would I want to attack Muggle-borns?'

'I've heard you hate those Muggles you live with,' said Ernie swiftly.

'It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them,' said Harry. 'I'd like to see you try it.'

He turned on his heel and stormed out of the library, earning himself a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spellbook. Harry was so angry didn't hear the claps from Amelia and her friends.

Harry blundered up the corridor, barely noticing where he was going, he was in such a fury. The result was that he walked into something very large and solid, which knocked him backwards onto the floor.

'Oh, hullo, Hagrid,' Harry said, looking up.

Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow-covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly be anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hang- ing from one of his massive, gloved hands.

'All righ', Harry?' he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. 'Why aren't yeh in class?'

'Cancelled,' said Harry, getting up. 'What're you doing in here?' Hagrid held up the limp rooster.
'Second one killed this term,' he explained. 'It's either foxes or a

Blood-Suckin' Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm round the hen-coop.'

He peered more closely at Harry from under his thick, snow- flecked eyebrows.

'Yeh sure yeh're all righ'? Yeh look all hot an' bothered.'

Harry couldn't bring himself to repeat what Ernie and the rest of the Hufflepuffs had been saying about him.

'It's nothing,' he said. 'I'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and I've got to pick up my books.'

He walked off, his mind still full of what Ernie had said about him.

Amelia Potter and the Chamber of Secrets PART 1Where stories live. Discover now