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It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving
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around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because
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he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was
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he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
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"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to
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tell me why you're here, of all places?"
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"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family
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he has left now."
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"You don't mean -- you can't mean the people who live here?" cried
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Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.
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"Dumbledore -- you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't
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find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son -- I saw
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him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.
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Harry Potter come and live here!"
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"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and
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uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've
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written them a letter."
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"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on
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the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a
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letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous -- a
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legend -- I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day
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in the future -- there will be books written about Harry -- every child
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in our world will know his name!"
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"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his
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half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous
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before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even
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remember! CarA you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away
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from all that until he's ready to take it?"
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Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and
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then said, "Yes -- yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy
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getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she
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thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.
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"Hagrid's bringing him."
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"You think it -- wise -- to trust Hagrid with something as important as
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this?"
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I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.
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"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor
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McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does
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tend to -- what was that?"
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A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew
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steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a
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headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky -- and
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a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of
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them.
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If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride
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it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times
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as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long
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tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands
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the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were
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like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle
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of blankets.
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"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did
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you get that motorcycle?"
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"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit," said the giant, climbing
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carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to
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me. I've got him, sir."
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"No problems, were there?"
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"No, sir -- house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right
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before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was
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flyin' over Bristol."
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Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of
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blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a
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tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously
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shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.
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"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.
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"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."
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"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"
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"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself
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above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well
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-- give him here, Hagrid -- we'd better get this over with."
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Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.
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"Could I -- could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his
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great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very
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scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a
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wounded dog.
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"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"
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"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and
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burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it -- Lily an' James dead
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-- an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"
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"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or
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we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly
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on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to
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the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out
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of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to
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the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at
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the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall
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blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from
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Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.
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"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying
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here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."
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"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his
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bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall -- Professor Dumbledore, sir."
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Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself
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onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose
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into the air and off into the night.
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"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore,
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nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.
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Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he
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stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and
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twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet
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