The Dursley's were screaming in fright; Uncle Vernon running around the place with his hands in the air, looking like human comet.

Calysta's eyes had widened in shock, staring at her hand as if it were poison.

"Oh.. no.." she murmured. "I'm... s-sorry... I didn't mean to..." she began.

The fire lasted two seconds before Hagrid pointed his flowery pink umbrella at Uncle Vernon and a jet of water erupted from the tip, extinguishing the flames.

Tears were streaming down her eyes.

"I'm... a monster," she whispered, looking at her hand in shock.

"No," Hagrid said firmly, pulling her into his arms. "You're not."

He took a glance at Uncle Vernon.

"Frankly, I thought he deserved it," he growled under his breath. "Pity he came out unscathed." He pointed his umbrella at Uncle Vernon. "I'm warning you Dursley... One word..."

Uncle Vernon knew to keep quiet at the threat. If an eleven year old girl was capable of setting him on fire, imagine what a fully grown giant would be able to do..

Harry, meanwhile, had hundreds of questions to ask; Calysta was still shaken by her... mishap, to put it lightly. Hagrid rubbed her back, seating her next to him.

"Yeh alrigh' there, lil one?" she inquired.

Her eyes were still ghostly wide, and she nodded slightly, letting out a soft exhale. "I.. think so.."

Harry eased the tension in her mind, choosing not to say anything about the events that had just occurred. "What happened to Vol- I mean, You-Know-Who?" he questioned.

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. 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, Potters. There was somethin' goin' on that night he hadn't counted on — I dunno what it was, no one does — but somethin' about the pair of you stumped him, all right."

"Hagrid..." began Harry, uncertainty in his tone. "I can't be... a wizard..."

Cal let out a dry laugh. "Harry, I literally just set Uncle Vernon on fire.."

"Maybe you're a witch, Cal.. I don't think I'm a wizard.."

To their surprise, Hagrid chuckled.

"Not a wizard eh? Never made things happen when you was angry or scared?"

Harry nodded slowly, unsurely.

"You wait an see, the pair of yeh will be brilliant at Hogwarts.."

But Uncle Vernon wasn't going to let them go to Hogwarts without a fight. "Haven't I told you they're not going?" he hissed. "Harry's going to Stonewall high, and Calysta will be attending an all girls boarding school, and they'll be grateful for it. I've read the kind of rubbish they need, spell-books and wands and— "

"If they want to go, I'd like ter see a great muggle like yeh try an' stop 'em," growled Hagrid. "Stop Lily and James' children into going ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. Their names have been there ever since they were born. They're off ter the finest school of witchcraft an' wizardry in the world. Seven years there and they won't know themselves. They'll be with youngsters of their own sort, fer a change, an' they'll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had, Albus Dumbled—"

"I AM NOT PAYING SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH THEM MAGIC TRICKS!" yelled Uncle Vernon.

But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, "NEVER —" he thundered, "— INSULT — ALBUS — DUMBLEDORE — IN — FRONT —OF — ME!"

He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, the twins saw a curly pig's tail poking through a hole in his trousers.

Calysta fought the laughter the bubbled inside of her.

Uncle Vernon roared. Pulling Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room, he cast one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door behind them.

Hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.

"Shouldn'ta lost me temper," he said ruefully, "but it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do."

He cast a sideways look at the twins under his bushy eyebrows. "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 supposed to do magic?" asked Harry, while Calysta nodded, agreeing with his question.

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

"Why were you expelled?"

"It's gettin' late and we've got lots ter do tomorrow," said Hagrid loudly. "Gotta get up ter town, get all yer books an' that."

He took off his thick black coat and threw it to the pair of twins. "You can kip under that," he said. "Don' mind if it wriggles a bit, I think I still got a couple o' dormice in one o' the pockets."

Calysta squealed slightly, but widened her eyes when she thought Hagrid was probably joking. Tightening her arm around Harry's neck, she closed her eyes, her brain a terrible muddle, hoping things would be much better tomorrow.

With that motive, sleep came easy to her.

{ here's another update; please comment and vote, and share, it would mean the world to me. chapter's a little bit short.. approximately 1100 words.. let me know what length y'all would prefer. }