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