CHAPTER FOUR:
THE OUTRAGEOUSLY TALL MAN

☍︎︎

BOOM!

The knocking continued, thundering through the shack. Daisy thought the entire building would topple over, it didn't seem very sturdy. A bit of run puddled in the corner near the fireplace because of the old ceiling and she stood a bit closer to Harry, reaching for his hand in fear.

He grabbed it tightly, and they hid behind a curve in the wall, peeking out a fraction so they wouldn't get caught. The door burst open, falling to the floor in a scurry of force and Daisy let out a high-pitched gasp, pulling Harry back behind the wall again, her hands shaking slightly. She hoped her brother was competent enough to hide. Perhaps her dad would save them all, he did have that big gun.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you — I'm armed!"

Daisy peaked around Harry, watching with a cautious interest as a very ginormous man -- the largest Daisy had ever seen in her life -- entered the room. He had mane-like hair, black and curly, sticking out in different directions. A matching beard almost hid his face entirely, tangled up and bits of grey tattered throughout. The only part of his face Daisy could make out were his eyes; small, and beady like coal.

The giant squeezed into the hut, ducking under the doorway, and picked up the door, putting it back on the frame gently. "Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh?" He asked the occupants of the room. "It's not been an easy journey..."

He walked to the couch and Daisy's heart dropped at her brother's horrified expression. What was this man going to do to them? She squeezed Harry's hand tighter and thought for a moment that she might break it.

"Budge up, yeh great lump," he told Dudley, who stood up quickly, trembling as he walked to their parents. He quickly hid behind Petunia, who stood behind Vernon. terrified. She looked over at them fearfully.

"An' here's Harry," the giant spoke to Harry, waving at him to come out. Daisy and Harry exchanged a fearful glance -- how did the large man know his name? -- before he squeezed her hand again, letting go and walking in front of the man. The man smiled at Harry.

"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," he told Harry. "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."

Daisy perked up, peeking her head out a bit more. Did he know her aunt and uncle? He must be a decent man. Not that her father spoke kindly of Harry's parents, but often when Daisy was younger she'd hear stories of her aunt Lily.

"I demand that you leave at once, sir!" Vernon spluttered out, aiming the gun at the man. "You are breaking and entering!"

Daisy's eyes flickered to her father before settling on the man once again. He didn't seem to mind the situation; he appeared to find it funny.

"Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," he reached back behind the couch to her father and Daisy held her breath in fear. Rather than harming him, he simply grabbed the gun from Vernon's hands, bending it into a knot as though it were a piece of twine and tossing it to the corner of the room.

Vernon squealed lowly, like a mouse that'd been stepped on. She swallowed fearfully, eyes widening at the man before her. If her dad was scared -- she probably should be too.

"Anyway — Harry," the large man turned to Harry again, digging into his jacket. "A very happy birthday to'yeh. Got summat fer yeh here — I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."

He pulled a large box out from one of his pockets and handed it to Harry. She watched her cousin open it shakily, and couldn't quite make out what was inside, but Harry seemed appreciative of it, his face softening. He looked up at the man in awe.

"Who are you?"

The man chuckled.

"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

Daisy gasped, heart dropping to her stomach at his words. The school with the mysterious letter, the one that kept following her. It was real. It wasn't a prank -- it was all real. The man looked in Daisy's direction, narrowing his eyes a bit.

"You can come out," he told her. "I don' mean no harm."

Daisy bit her lip, tears springing to her eyes as she stepped in front of the wall, looking at the tall man. Hagrid's eyes widened. "Daisy Dursley?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

He didn't say another word to her, turning back to Harry. "What about that tea then, eh?" He asked, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."

Hagrid's eyes fell on the empty gate with the chip bags from dinner and he snorted in amusement. He leaned over, bending in front of the fireplace and Daisy couldn't quite see what he did, but a moment later a fire roamed inside. It filled the damp hut with a small light and Daisy moved a tad closer subconsciously, warmth filling her. She spotted a burnt piece of paper next to the fireplace and felt her heart grow heavy. Her sketchbook was gone, and it hadn't been some horrible dream.

Hagrid sat back down in the middle of the sofa and began searching his pockets for something. He pulled out a kettle, an old package of sausages, a fire poker, a couple of mugs -- they looked a bit chipped and Daisy wrinkled her nose in distaste -- and a bottle of amber liquid. Daisy glanced up at her father. It appeared to be the same liquid he drank when he was working extra hours at home. Hagrid took a swig of it before he began making tea. It took a few minutes and Harry looked over at his cousins, exchanging a flabbergasted look with her as the smell of cooking sausages wafted their noses.

Daisy shrugged in response to his silent question and he shook his head as Hagrid slid another sausage on the poker. Daisy's stomach rumbled and she looked to her mother in question.

"Don't touch anything he gives you, Dudley, and you either Daisy."

Hagrid chuckled darkly. "Yer great puddin' of a son don' need fattenin' anymore, Dursley, don' worry."

"Don't talk about him like that," Daisy spoke up, startling herself as everyone looked at her. Her brother was a bit large, but he'd always been like that and it wasn't his fault. Their parents stuffed them and he got his father's looks. Dudley gave her a small smile and she winked in response. No one talks to her brother like that. Hagrid passed the sausages to Harry.

"Sorry 'bout that, Daisy. Didn't mean ter offen' ya."

Daisy shrugged, moving a bit closer to him and Harry. Petunia reached out with a gasp but she ignored her mother. "Sorry, but, I still don't understand who you are." She asked.

"Call me Hagrid," he said, "everyone does. An' like I told yeh, I'm Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh'll both know all about Hogwarts, o' course."

Harry and Daisy exchanged a glance. "No, sorry, sir," Daisy spoke up.

Hagrid looked between the two, shocked.

"Sorry," Harry added.

"Sorry?" Hagrid barked and Daisy jumped back. "It's them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren't gettin' yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn't even know abou' Hogwarts, fer cryin' out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?" He asked Harry directly.

"All what?" Harry asked.

"ALL WHAT?" Hagrid's voice boomed and Daisy moved as close to the wall s she could. "Now wait jus' one second!" He leapt to his feet, turning to her parents angrily. They pushed Dudley behind them, cowering against the wall. Not for the first time in the past few weeks, Daisy felt as though she were watching from afar. Before she'd received the letters, they'd have pulled her behind them too. But now, she was on the other side, next to Harry, an outcast.

"Do you mean ter tell me," he growled out, "that this boy — this boy! — knows nothin' abou' — about ANYTHING?"

Daisy frowned. That wasn't true. Harry was very smart, they even had small competitions in school to see who was smarter.

"I know some things," Harry spoke up. "I can, you know, do math and stuff."

Hagrid waved Harry's words off. "About our world, I mean. Your world. My world. Yer parents' world."

"What world?" Harry asked curiously.

Hagrid looked between Harry and Daisy, his face reddening. He looked like he was going to explode.

"DURSLEY!" He boomed out. Daisy jumped, hands shaking again. The yelling was too much for her. She still didn't know this man but he was much larger than her and scared her immensely. And he seemed very upset with her parents -- what if he did something to them? Or worse, her brother?

Vernon whispered something under his breath but Daisy couldn't quite make it out.

"But yeh must know about yer mom and dad," he said. "I mean, they're famous. You're famous."

Daisy looked at Harry in surprise.

"What? My — my mom and dad weren't famous, were they?" He asked aloud. Daisy shrugged. She had no idea.

"Yeh don' know... yeh don' know..." He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Yeh don' know what yeh are?"

Harry shook his head and Daisy spoke up, ignoring the bewildered look from her parents. "Is he a wizard, sir?" At Hagrid's surprised expression, she faltered. "I--I read about them in the letter. I got my first one but I thought it wasn't real so I didn't respond."

Petunia gasped, stumbling back against the wall and Daisy fought back the tears. She could feel her parents booming hatred. They didn't love her anymore -- how could they? She betrayed them. Somehow, they hated this man and all he stood for. But she felt so drawn to it.

"Stop!" Vernon shouted. "Stop right there, sir! I forbid you to tell them anything!"

"You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An' you've kept it from him all these years?"

"Kept what from me?" Harry asked eagerly, moving forward a bit.

"STOP! I FORBID YOU!" Vernon shouted, and Petunia gasped back, horrified.

Daisy stepped forward, curious to hear what was so special about Harry.

"Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh," Hagrid said. "Daisy here's righ' -- yer a wizard, Harry."

Silence rang through the hut and Daisy could practically hear it banging through her head like a drum. She glanced at her family, only to find her mother looking on with distaste and her father pointing his finger at her angrily. Was she in trouble? She didn't even really know what she'd done wrong. Sure, she shouldn't have hidden the letter -- but that didn't mean they need be frustrated with her. Daisy fought back tears, looking back at Hagrid and Harry, who were deep in their conversation. For the first time in her life, Daisy wished she were Harry.

At least if he got disowned by the family for being a wizard, he wouldn't mind too much. Daisy would have nothing. Hagrid handed Harry a letter, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling another one out for Daisy.

"Not that ye need this, but we didn' know if yeh had read it."

Daisy smiled up at him, taking the letter and pulling it close to her chest. She was accepted somewhere, truly. Not because her brother beat up people who said otherwise, and not because her mom made her go outside with the neighbor's kids. She looked over at Harry and a small smile graced her lips. They both were normal now. Daisy's family was the outcasts.

"What does it mean, they await my owl?"

Daisy moved closer to Hagrid, eager for his answer. "Yeah, I wondered that too. How are we supposed to send an owl if there isn't one?"

"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," Hagrid clapped a hand to his forehead, and dug into his pocket again. Daisy's eyes widened in shock as he pulled out a real and living owl. He pulled out a long quill and a roll of parchment, scribbling something down. Daisy couldn't make out what it was before he rolled it up and gave it to the owl. The owl clamped the note in its beak and Hagrid brought it to the front door, throwing it outside. Daisy's jaw flew open.

"Is it okay? Will it be alright out there?" She asked Hagrid with concern.

Hagrid waved her off. "It'll be fine. When yeh don' has an owl, the owl will wai' fer yeh to write a reply, and yeh can send it tha' way."

Daisy nodded. "Oh, okay. What's Hogwarts like?" She asked, curiosity piquing her interest.

"Doesn't matter," her father spoke up, "you're not going! And neither is the boy."

"I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop him,"

"A what?" Harry and Daisy asked together.

"Non-magic folk," Hagrid explained. "An' it's your bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."

"Hey, stop talking about them like that!" Daisy said angrily. "Please, they're my family."

Hagrid relented, though her family didn't seem pleased.

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Vernon, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed! And we never," he looked at Daisy in disgust and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and cry. "Ever thought our Daisy would be a witch. She's not allowed to go! I forbid it!"

"Daddy," Daisy whimpered and her eyes filled with tears. "But it could be good for me, I could--"

"--Don't say another word, Daisy." Her father ordered.

"You knew?" Harry asked, shocked, looking at his aunt and uncle. "You knew I'm a -- a wizard?"

"Knew!" Shrieked Petunia, glaring at both Daisy and Harry. With her mother looking at her like that, Daisy suddenly felt very, very alone. "Knew! Of course, we knew! How could you not be, my dratted sister being what she was? Oh, she got a letter just like that and disappeared off to that — that school — and came home every vacation with her pockets full of frog spawn, turning teacups into rats. I was the only one who saw her for what she was — a freak! But for my mother and father, oh no, it was Lily this and Lily that, they were proud of having a witch in the family!"

Petunia took a deep breath and Daisy looked at Harry sympathetically. She didn't like hearing these things about her aunt -- she couldn't imagine how Harry must be feeling.

"Then she met that Potter at school," Petunia continued bitterly, "and they left and got married and had you, and of course, I knew you'd be just the same, just as strange, just as — as —abnormal — and then, if you please, she went and got herself blown up and we got landed with you!"

Daisy's heart sank. They didn't want Harry, to begin with, she'd always suspected it but they hadn't outright said it. And to think they hated his being a wizard, his abnormalities...she shared the same abnormalities. According to Hagrid and the letter, she too was a witch and that meant her parents would probably despise her as well.

Harry turned pale as a sheet, his eyes widening in shock and anger flooding his face. "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"

"CAR CRASH!" Hagrid leapt from the couch, glaring furiously at Daisy's parents. "How could a car crash kill Lily an' James Potter? It's an outrage! A scandal! Harry Potter not knowin' his own story when every kid in our world knows his name!"

"But why?" Harry asked Hagrid. "What happened?"

"I never expected this," Hagrid muttered worriedly. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold of yeh, how much yeh didn't know. Ah, Harry, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin'. Well, it's best yeh know as much as I can tell yeh — mind, I can't tell yeh everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."

Hagrid sent a dirty look to Daisy's family before sitting back on the couch and staring into the fire. Harry glanced at Daisy, waving her over and she looked between her parents and Harry, torn between her old life and a new, more exciting version that made her feel whole.

Daisy looked at her mother's face, the angry eyes sending chills to her core, and her brother's encouraging, albeit small, smile on his face. Confidence flooded her body and she nodded to herself. Dudley knew what she wanted. He would still love her, even if their parents didn't.

Locking eyes with Harry, she walked over to him, sitting down on the floor in front of the fire. This was her life now.

"It begins, I suppose," Hagrid began, "with —with a person called — but it's incredible yeh don't know his name, everyone in our world knows —"

"Who?" Daisy asked curiously.

"Well — I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

"Why not?" Harry frowned.

"Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was..."

Hagrid swallowed, fear flashing across his face.

"Do you want to write it down?" Daisy offered.

"Nah — can't spell it. All right —Voldemort." Hagrid flinched. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days, Harry. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches... terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway.

"Now, yer mum an' dad, an' yer aunt, and uncle, Daisy, were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before... probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side.

"Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em... maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, that he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"

Hagrid pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket, blowing into it loudly. Daisy cringed at the sound, loud and wailing, like a blaring horn.

"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad," he explained to Harry, "an' nicer people yeh couldn't find— anywa...You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill you, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead? That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, Harry.No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts — an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."

Harry winced as he spoke and Daisy looked at him worriedly. He seemed bothered by Hagrid's words, though, she supposed that was a normal response to finding out your parents and all their friends were brutally murdered. She reached over, grabbing his hand comfortingly and he sent her a grateful look.

"Took yeh from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot...no offense, Daisy," Hagrid added for her benefit.

Daisy shrugged him off, he'd already said worse.

"Load of old tosh," Vernon growled out, hands clenched into fists at his side. He glared at Hagrid angrily his eyes flickering to Daisy.

"Now, you listen here, Daisy," he snarled. Her heart thudded against her chest, he'd never taken that tone with her before. "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured, and it's my fault for not stopping it sooner — " he glared at Harry then, "and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion — asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end —"

Hagrid leapt from the sofa, pointing the end of a pink umbrella at Vernon. Tears fell from Daisy's eyes, trickling down her cheeks like droplets of salty rain. She didn't understand why they couldn't just support her. They would never love her again. Vernon let out a gasp, falling back against the wall, staring at Hagrid in horror.

"Please stop," Daisy begged. "Please, don't hurt him."

Hagrid turned around, giving Daisy an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Daisy, I had ter shut him up somehow. Don' worry, I didn' hurt him. He's jus' scared."

Daisy nodded, eyes flickering to her family, a guilty feeling snaking through her stomach. She opened her mouth to say something to them but Harry cut her off, asking Hagrid another question.

"But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?"

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. The same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see... he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?

"Some say he died. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back.

"Most of us reckon he's still out there somewhere but lost his powers. Too weak to carry on. 'Cause somethin' about you finished him, Harry. There was somethin' goin' on that night hehadn't counted on — I dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about you stumped him, all right."

Hagrid's eyes moved to Daisy then, for the first time in the past few minutes. His face softened. "Daisy, there's somethin' said about you, too. Yer parents don' know, they couldn' have, but there's been folks sayin' it for years."

Daisy's eyebrows furrowed. "What? What do you they say? How do they even know about me?"

Hagrid sighed, looking between Harry and Daisy. "It's been said tha' someone with muggle blood, a girl close ter Harry, will have ter choose between ligh' and dark. I don' know much about it, only what I hear from the Leaky Cauldron. But now tha' I've seen you, I think it migh' be about you and I thought you'd want ter know."

Daisy's eyes widened and she exchanged a shocked look with Harry. "But, that can't be true. You can't mean me. I'm ordinary. Completely ordinary."

Hagrid held his hands up in the air innocently. "It's jus' what I've heard."

Daisy didn't respond, instead lingering her eyes on her hands in her lap. She fiddled with her thumbs aimlessly, mulling over his words. How did anyone even know about her? She was just Daisy Dursley, the perfectly ordinary girl with perfectly ordinary parents.

She heard Harry asking Hagrid another question, but she couldn't make an effort. Not until her father spoke up again.

"Haven't I told you they're not going?" he hissed. "He's going to Stonewall High, and she is going to Willowby's and they'll be grateful for it. I've read those letters and they needs all sorts of rubbish — spell books and wands and —"

"If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him," growled Hagrid. Daisy noticed how he specifically addressed Harry, and didn't mention her. A frown graced her lips. Harry would probably have an opportunity to go -- but her parents didn't want her to go and she doubted Hogwarts had ways of getting her there without permission.

"Stop Lily an' James Potter's son goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born. He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't know himself. He'll be with youngsters of his sort, fer a change, an' he'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled—"

"I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Vernon screamed, and Daisy jumped back fearfully. He always had a temper, but he'd never been this angry and never in a situation involving her.

Hagrid jumped up from the couching, rearing on Vernon in a thunderous force. He pointed his pink umbrella furiously and Daisy would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. "NEVER —" his voice boomed through the small hut, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT —OF — ME!"

Then, he swiveled around and pointed the umbrella at Dudley. With a firecracker pop and a sharp squeal, Dudley was dancing around, holding his backside miserably. Daisy watched with worry. "Dudley?" She asked, moving to her knees. "Are you okay?"

"Don't you -- you -- don't talk to him!" Vernon shouted at her and Daisy's face dropped, lower lip shaking. So this is how it would be now. He grabbed Petunia and Dudley, pulling them into the bedroom and leaving Harry, Hagrid, and Daisy alone.

"Sorry, Daisy," Hagrid turned back to her, his jolly exterior back. "Didn't mean ter upset yeh there, bu' no one insult's Albus Dumbledore in front of me."

Daisy nodded, unable to speak, her voice choked up with tears. She felt Harry's hand on her back, patting it lightly. "It'll be okay, Daisy," Harry said gently. "They'll never understand. But you'll always have me, okay?"

Daisy looked at him tearfully, throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. Harry grunted at the movement, sending Hagrid a pleading look. Hagrid got the idea and sat back down on the couch, laughing a bit.

"Now, er, Daisy, Harry, be grateful if yeh didn't mention that ter anyone at Hogwarts," he said. "I'm — er — not supposed ter do magic, strictly speakin'. I was allowed ter do a bit ter follow yeh an' get yer letters to yeh an' stuff — one o' the reasons I was so keen ter take on the job."

"Why aren't you allowed to do magic?" Harry asked as Daisy resumed her seat next to him wiping her eyes. She had to stop crying.

"Oh, well — I was at Hogwarts meself but I — er — got expelled, ter tell yeh the truth. In the methird year. They snapped me wand in half an' everything. But Dumbledore let me stay on as gamekeeper. Great man, Dumbledore."

"He sounds brilliant," Daisy spoke up. "I can't wait to meet him."

As Hagrid went to speak again, Harry spoke up instead. "Why'd you get expelled?"

Daisy smacked his arm gently. "Be polite, Harry," she hissed.

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," Hagrid changed subjects. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that. Not you though, Daisy," he said pointedly. "I've got special instructions ter get only Harry, yer supposed to go with yer parents."

Daisy's face fell. "Then I'll never go to Hogwarts," she mumbled. "You saw them, Hagrid!" She looked at him pleadingly, begging him to do something. "Please, please, you have to take me with you. I'll never be able to go otherwise."

Hagrid frowned. "Don't worry about that now," he told her gently. "I'll tell Dumbledore what happened and he'll do something ter help."

Daisy nodded, but that sinking feeling remained. What if she would never be able to go to Hogwarts?

☍︎︎

been a rough day gang so I just wanted to write something fun. it's super long, sorry bout that. another story should be updated soon:) leave a comment if you enjoyed and don't forget to vote. don't be a silent reader! stay safe -osw