His Weakness

Chapter 3

Before you knew it, you and your family had packed up and moved to a rickety old house in the middle of a sea. The house was mounted on a tiny stone island, and had practically no yard! Everyone hated it there, you and Harry especially. One night, while everyone was sleeping, you and Harry had decided to stay up to celebrate his birthday. It was a rather depressing sight: you on your cot, Harry on the floor, and a birthday cake drawn in the dirt between you two. Harry's watch beeped at midnight and you smiled sadly and quietly sang happy birthday to him, trying your best to not wake up the sleeping form of your brother.
"Thanks (y/n)."
"No problem! I hope we get out of here someday and over to Hogwarts."
"Me too."
"Well, make a wish!"
Harry blew the candles drawn on the ground, and dust flew up into your faces, making you cough and wave your hands about to clear the air. Suddenly, the door thumped. You and Harry jumped in surprise, and looked at each other, fear written on your faces. Dudley was awake now as well, just as scared as you were. Who on Earth would try to come visit you? The door thumped again and Dudley, you, and Harry jumped up and backed away. Petunia and Vernon appeared at the bottom of the stairs, Vernon held a gun in his hands. The door banged again and fell to the ground, and a giant man filled the doorway!
"Who's there?" your father asked, holding the gun fearfully.
"Sorry 'bout that!" the giant man said, and placed the door back on its hinges.
"I demand that you leave at once, Sir! You are breaking and entering!"
"Dry up, Dursley, you great prune," the giant said, bending your father's gun up and it fired a bullet through the ceiling! You jumped at the gunshot, and stood a little behind your brother. The man turned to Dudley and grinned warmly, "Mind, I haven't seen you since you was a baby, Harry, but you're a bit more along than I would have expected. Particularly 'round the middle!"
"I-I-I'm not Harry," Dudley stuttered.
"H-he is," you pointed at Harry.
"Oh, well, of course you are! Got something for ya. 'Fraid I might have sat on it at some point! I imagine that it'll taste fine just the same. Ahh. Baked it myself," he handed Harry a box, "Words and all. Heh."
"Thank you!" he responded. Harry opened the box and grinned, then showed you the contents as you came out from hiding behind your brother. It was a wonderfully pink cake wishing Harry a happy birthday! Well, almost. The writing was rather lopsided and very misspelled, but one could still tell what it was saying.
"It's not every day that your young man turns eleven, now is it?" the man laughed. He sat down on the couch and aimed his umbrella at the dark fireplace. Two sparks flew out of it and lit a nice warm fire, causing everyone in the room to gape at him. His dark eyes glinted warmly, then flitted to you and he smiled. "And who might you be?"
"I-I'm (y/n)."
"Ah yes! I've heard such lovely things about ya! I look forward to seeing ya in Hogwarts."
"Thank you Mister...?"
"Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Course, you'll know all about Hogwarts."
"Sorry, no, we don't much about it, other than the fact we've been accepted," Harry responded, setting his cake down.
"No? Blimey, Harry, didn't you ever wonder where yer mum and dad learned it all? And fer you yer Aunt and Uncle?" Hagrid looked between the two of you.
"Learnt what?" you asked, "Magic?"
"What?! Dursley! Do yeh mean ter tell me the children know nothin'? You two are a witch and a wizard!"
"W-we're a what?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused.
"A witch and wizard. And thumping good ones at that, I'd wager. Once you train up a little."
"Don't you remember the letter I showed you Harry?" you grinned,
"Wait you got one of those awful things too?" your mother gasped, but you ignored her.
"No, you've made a mistake. I can't be...a-a wizard. I mean, I'm just... Harry. Just Harry."
"Well, Just Harry, did you ever make anything happen? Anything you couldn't explain when you were angry or scared? And what about (y/n)? I'm sure she's done something like that as well hasn't she!"
Harry's look softened as he remembered all the odd and unexplainable tricks the two of you had done over the years, including the most recent boa incident.
"They'll not be going! (Y/n) especially! We swore when we took him in we'd put an end to this rubbish!"
"You knew?! You knew all along and you never told me?!" Harry exclaimed, visibly furious.
"Of course we knew," your mother replied haughtily, "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'd be just 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. Then my daughter started doing the same tricks as you! She was perfect before you came along."
"Mother!" you cried, just as upset as Harry now. How could your own mum say that?
"Blown up? You told me my parents died in a car crash!" Harry was growing increasingly more upset.
Hagrid was appalled at this story, unable to believe such a thing could kill your aunt and uncle. "We had to tell him something," your mother reasoned.
"It's an outrage! It's a scandal!" Hagrid bellowed
"They'll not be going!" your father shouted.
"Oh, and I suppose a great Muggle like yourself's going to stop them, are you?"
"Muggle?" you and Harry asked in unison.
"Non-magic folk. These kids have had their names down ever since they were born! They're going to the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world, and they'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts' has ever seen: Albus Dumbledore."
"I will not pay for some crackpot old fool to teach them magic tricks!"
Hagrid whipped out his umbrella and pointed it at your father threateningly. While you didn't care for Vernon, he was still your dad and Harry had to try with some difficulty to hold you back from grabbing the umbrella and pointing it somewhere else! "Never insult Albus Dumbledore in front of me," Hagrid growled. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Dudley eating Harry's cake, and you scowled. Typical of your brother. Hagrid noticed as well, and you gasped as he fired a spark at your brother, nailing him in the rear. A grey pig tail curled out of his pants and you had trouble figuring out if you should scream or laugh! After looking at Harry's amused expression, you decided it was alright to laugh.
"Sorry 'bout that Ms. Dursley, I wouldn't worry about him though. Yer brother'll be fine. Oh, and um, I'd appreciate if you didn't tell anyone at Hogwarts about that. Strictly speaking, I'm not allowed to do magic."
You and Harry both nodded in agreement to keep his little trick secret. Hagrid looked down at his watch and his eyes widened, "Ooh, we're a bit behind schedule. Best be off. Unless you'd rather stay, of course. Hmm?" He turned and went out the door, leaving you and Harry to make your decisions. You both turned to look at the chaos unfolding behind you, looked at each other, grinned, and ran outside after Hagrid.