The keeper of the keys

BUM. They called again. Dudley woke abruptly.
Where's the gun? he asked stupidly.
A rustling behind them and Uncle Vernon came in the room was heard.
He carried a rifle in his hands: they knew what was inside the elongated package
I had brought.
-who's There? he shouted. I warn you ... I'm armed!
There was a pause. Then ...
A SWAT!
The door was pushed so hard that went off the hinges, and with a
thud, she fell.
32
A huge man appeared in the doorway. His face was
almost hidden by a tangle of long hair and a scruffy beard,
but one could see his eyes that shone like black beetles under
that mop.
The giant broke bending head, which brushed the ceiling. Are
He bent down, grabbed the door and, without effort, put it back in place. Noise
the storm faded a little. He turned to look at them.
We could prepare tea. It has not been an easy journey ... were scattered in the
sofa where Dudley was petrified with fear.
Rise, fat ball said the stranger.
Dudley ran away from there and went into hiding with his mother,
He crouched behind Uncle Vernon.
Ah! Here's Harry! said the giant.
Harry looked up at the fierce and hairy face and saw his eyes
Black smiled at him.
'Last time I saw you were only said the giant creature. You
much like your father, but you have your mother's eyes.
Uncle Vernon gave a curious sound.
-¡Le Demand you leave immediately, sir! he said. This is raid
purple!
Aw, shut up, Dursley, you big fool said the giant. Are
stretched, grabbed the rifle Uncle Vernon, twisted like rubber and
He threw into a corner of the room.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, as if they had smashed a mouse.
'Anyway, Harry said the giant, turning his back on the
Dursley, I wish you a very happy birthday. I have something here. Maybe I have
crushed a little, but tastes good.
The inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a box somewhat flattened. Harry
He opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was a large chocolate cake
sticky, with "Happy Birthday, Harry" written in green.
Harry looked at the giant. I was going to thank him, but the words
They lost in his throat and instead said:
-who Are you?
The giant chuckled.
It's true, I have not presented. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of the Keys
33
Land of Hogwarts.
He held a giant hand and shook Harry's whole arm
'How this tea, then? he said, rubbing his hands. But not say
not if they have anything stronger.
His eyes stared off at home with bags of chips
wrinkled, and let out a contemptuous laugh. He bowed to the fireplace. The
others could not see what he was doing, but when a moment later
He turned, there was a fire, which flooded with light all wet
cabin. Harry felt the heat covered him like he got into a bath
hot.
The giant sat down on the couch, which sank under their weight, and
He began taking all sorts of things from the pockets of his coat: a casserole
Copper, a package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several cups
cracked and a bottle of amber liquid, which took a swig before
start preparing the tea. Soon, the cabin was filled with the scent
hot sausages. No one said a word as the giant
He worked, but when took the first six hot and juicy sausages,
Dudley began to get impatient. Uncle Vernon said curtly:
Do not touch anything he gives you, Dudley.
The giant gave a grim laugh.
That fat cake that is your child does not need fatter, Dursley, not
worry.
He served the sausages to Harry, who was so hungry he thought
I had never tasted anything so wonderful, but I still could not take
eyes off the giant. Finally, as nobody seemed willing to
explain, he said:
I'm sorry, but I still do not know who you are.
The giant took a sip of tea and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Call me Hagrid replied. Everyone does. And like I said, I am the
keeper of the keys of Hogwarts. You'll know all about Hogwarts, by
course.
Well ... I do not ... 'said Harry
Hagrid seemed impressed.
I'm sorry Harry said quickly
I -¿Lo regret? Hagrid asked, looking back at the Dursleys, who
They retreated to be hidden by the shadows. They are the ones
to apologize! I knew you were not getting the letters, but I never thought
34
you did not know anything about Hogwarts. Do you ever wonder where they had
learned everything your parents?
-¿El What? He asked Harry
-¿EL WHAT? He bellowed Hagrid. Wait a second!
He got feet. In his fury he seemed to fill the room.
The Dursleys were cowering against the wall.
Will ya going to say he roared to the Dursley that this boy, this
boy !, you not know anything ... about nothing?
Harry thought it was going too far. After all, he was gone
to school and her grades they were not so bad.
I know some things he said. I can do math and stuff.
But Hagrid simply waved.
I mean our world Your world. My world. The world of your
parents.
'What world?
Hagrid looked as if it would burst.
-¡DURSLEY! he bellowed.
Uncle Vernon, who was very pale, whispered something that sounded like
mimblewimble. Hagrid, infuriated, stared at Harry.
But you have to know something about your mother and father said. I want
ie, they are famous. You're famous.
What? My mother and my father ... were famous? Really?
No you did not know you knew ... ... Hagrid ran his fingers through his hair,
digging a look of astonishment. You really do not know what they were?
he said finally.
Suddenly her voice Uncle Vernon
-¡Deténgase! He ordered. Stop right now, sir! I forbid
to tell the boy anything!
A braver man than Vernon Dursley would have cowed the
angry look he gave Hagrid. When he spoke, he is shaking with rage.
Isn't told you that? You have not spoken to him about the contents of the letter
Dumbledore left you? I was there! I saw that Dumbledore left her,
Dursley! And it has been hidden for all these years?
35
What is it that I have hidden? Harry said in wistful tone.
-¡DETÉNGASE! SE forbid! roared Uncle Vernon terrified.
Aunt Petunia let out a gasp of horror.
I'll break their head Hagrid said. Harry must know who you are
a magician.
There was silence in the cabin. I could only hear the sea and the whistle
wind.
What am I what? Harry said breathlessly.
-a Magician said Hagrid, sitting back on the couch, which creaked
and hundió-. And very well, I might add, as you have trained one
bit. With parents like yours what else could it be? And I think
it is time to read the letter.
Harry reached out to catch finally the yellowish envelope,
directed, emerald green ink to "Lord H. Potter, The Floor Cabin
on the Rock, The Sea. " He took the letter and read:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
Director: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class,
Great Wizard, Head of Magicians,
JefeSupremo Confederation
International Magicians).
Dear Mr. Potter:
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place in
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. Please note the list of equipment and
the necessary books.
Classes begin on September 1. We await your owl
before July 31.
Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall
36
Deputy Director
Questions burst into Harry's head like fireworks, and
I did not know what was the first. After a few minutes, she stammered:
What does that mean they expect my owl?
Galloping -Gorgonas, now I remember Hagrid said, banging
face with enough force to knock a horse. From another pocket he pulled a
owl (an owl really, alive and somewhat ruffled feathers), great
pen and a scroll. With the tongue between the teeth, wrote a
note that Harry could read upside down.
Dear Mr. Dumbledore:
I gave Harry his letter. I take tomorrow to buy their stuff.
Time is horrible. I hope that you are well.
Hagrid
Hagrid rolled up the note and gave it to the owl, who caught it with his beak.
Then he went to the door and threw the owl in the storm. Then
He turned and sat down, as if this was as normal as talking on the phone.
Harry realized that his mouth was open and closed it quickly.
'Where was I? Hagrid said. But now Uncle Vernon,
still, his face ashen, but very angry, went to the
fireplace.
He will not go said.
Hagrid growled.
I'd like to see a great Muggle like you said stopping him.
-a What? Harry asked interested
-A Muggle said Hagrid. It's what we call the "nomágica" people
like them. And you had the misfortune of growing up in a family
Muggles biggest I've seen.
When we adopted, we swore we were going to stop all this
He said Uncle Vernon crap. We swear that we were going to make it! A
37
magician, no less!
-¿Vosotros You know? Harry asked. Do you guys know that I
It was ... a magician?
-¡Saber! suddenly shrieked Aunt Petunia. Know! Of course I
We knew! How could you not be, being condemned what was my sister?
Oh, she received a letter like this that ... that school, and disappeared,
He came home for the holidays with their pockets full of frogs, and became
teacups in rats. I was the only one who saw her as she was: a
monstrosity! But for my mother and father, oh no, for them it was "Lily made
this "and" Lily did this other. " They were proud of having a witch in
family!
He stopped to breathe deeply and then continued. It seemed to
for years he wanted to say anything.
Then she met that Potter at school and they left and got married and you
They had to you, and of course I knew you'd be the same, equally rare,
the ... abnormal. And then, as if that were not enough, there was this explosion and
we had to stay with you!
Harry had gone very pale. As soon as her voice,
he asked,
-¿Explosión? You told me that they had died in a car accident!
-CAR ACCIDENT? He roared Hagrid leaping, so angry
the Dursleys returned to the corner. How would die to Lily and James
Potter in a car accident? That is an outrage! A scandal! What
Harry Potter does not know his own story when every kid in our
Everyone knows your name!
-but Why? What happened? Harry asked in a tone of urgency.
The anger vanished from the face of Hagrid. Suddenly he looked nervous.
I never would have expected something he said softly and air
worried. I had no idea. When Dumbledore said I could have
trouble getting to you, did not know it would be at this point. Ah, Harry, not
I know if I'm the right person to tell you, but someone should. Not
you can go to Hogwarts without knowing it.
He shot a contemptuous glance at the Dursleys.
Well, you'd better know all that I can tell you ... because
I can tell you everything. It is a great mystery, at least part ...
Sat, stared at the fire for a moment, then continued.
He begins, I suppose, with ... with someone called ... but amazing
you do not know your name, everyone in our world will know ...
38
Who?
Well ... I hate to say the name if I can help. Nobody says.
Why not?
Galloping -Gárgolas, Harry, people are still afraid. Well, this is
difficult. Look, I was the magician who turned ... bad. As bad as you can
to imagine. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was ...
Hagrid gulped, but no voice was coming out.
You want to write? Harry suggested.
No ... I do not know how to spell. Okay ... Voldemort. Hagrid is
She shuddered. Do not make me repeat. Anyway, this ... this magician makes
twenties, he began to seek followers. And he succeeded. Some
for they feared him, others just wanted a bit of his power, because he was
getting power. They were dark days, Harry. You do not know who to trust, one
He dared not befriend strangers wizards or witches ... were happening
terrible things. He was taking over everything. Of course, some will
They resisted and he killed them. Horrible. One of the few safe places was
Hogwarts. Consider that Dumbledore was the only one who-you-
You know feared. He did not dare to take over the school, not then, at least.
"Now, your mother and your father were the best and the best witch wizard
I've never met. In his time at Hogwarts they were the first! I suppose
the mystery is why Who-You-Know had never tried to put them
Meanwhile ... probably he knew they were too close to Dumbledore
to want to have anything to do with the Dark Side.
"Maybe he thought he could persuade them ... Or maybe I just wanted
out of the way. What everyone knows is that he appeared in the village
where you were living, on Halloween ten years ago. You had one year.
He went to your house and ... and ...
Suddenly Hagrid pulled a dirty handkerchief and blew his nose with a
Sound like a bugle.
'Sorry,' he said. But it is so sad ... think that your mother and father,
world best people you could find ...
"You-Know-Who he killed. And then ... and that's the real mystery of
question ... also tried to kill you. I guess I wanted to do a job
clean, or maybe by then he enjoyed killing. But he could not.
Do you ever wonder how you got that mark on the forehead? It is not a court
common. It happened when a powerful evil curse touched you. It was that
He ended with your mother, your father and the house, but did not work with you, so
You're famous, Harry. One whom he had decided to kill survived, nobody
except you, and that ended with some of the best witches and
best magicians of the time (the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts ...) and you
you were very young. But you survived.
39
Something very painful was happening in the mind of Harry. While
Hagrid was finishing the story, he saw again the blinding green light more
clarity of what had remembered before and for the first time in his life,
He remembered something else, a cruel, sharp and cold laugh.
Hagrid looked at him sadly.
'I brought you out of the same house in ruins, in order of Dumbledore. And you
I took these people ...
Nonsense, said Uncle Vernon.
Harry winced. I had almost forgotten that the Dursleys were there. Uncle
Vernon seemed to have regained their value. Hagrid looked angrily and had
clenched fists.
Now listen to this, man growled: I agree that there is something strange
about you, probably nothing that some good shots not heal. And all
that about your parents ... Well, were rare, do not deny it, and in my opinion the world
You're better off without them ... They received what they wanted, when mixed with those
witches ... It's what I expected: I always knew I would end badly ...
But now Hagrid got off the couch and pulled her coat one
pink umbrella. Pointing Uncle Vernon, like a sword, he said:
'I warn you, Dursley, I'm warning you, one more word and ...
Faced with the danger of being speared by the tip of an umbrella wielded
by a bearded giant, the value of Uncle Vernon disappeared again. He flattened
against the wall and remained silent.
'That's better,' said Hagrid, breathing hard and sitting another
Once on the couch, that this time was crushed to the ground.
Harry, meanwhile, still had questions to ask, hundreds of them.
But what happened to Vol ... oops, I mean-ustedsabe Who?
Good question, Harry disappeared. It vanished. The same night
who tried to kill you. That you became even more famous. That is the greatest mystery,
you know ... It was getting more and more powerful ... Why did he go?
"Some say he died. I do not think that fit enough human
to die. Others say it is still out there, waiting for the moment, but
I do not think so. People who were on his side again with us. Some
They emerged as a trance. Do not believe that they could return if he
return.
"Most of us believe that is still somewhere, but
who lost his powers. That is too weak to go on.
Because something about you, Harry, it did him. Something happened that
40
night he did not have to happen, I do not know what it was, no one knows ...
But something related to you as confused.
Hagrid looked at Harry with affection and respect, but Harry, instead of feeling
pleased and proud, he was almost certain he had a terrible
mistake. A magician? Does he? How was it possible? He had been a lifetime
under the blows of Dudley and fear that inspired Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon.
If it really was a magician, why he had not become full of toads
warts every time you locked in the cupboard? If ever defeated
greatest sorcerer in the world, how is it that Dudley could always hit
kicked like a ball?
Hagrid said quietly, I think that is wrong. I do not think
it can be a magician.
To his surprise, Hagrid chuckled.
'You're a magician, huh? Never do things happen when you're
scared or angry?
Harry stared at the fire. If I thought about it ... all the strange things
They had made their uncles be angry with him, had happened when he,
Harry, was upset or angry: chased by Dudley's gang, of
blow had been found out of reach; afraid to go to school with
that ridiculous haircut, it had grown again, and the last time
Dudley hit him, he did not retaliate against him, even without realizing it was
doing? He had not come loose over boa constrictor?
Harry looked back at Hagrid, smiling, and saw the giant looked
heating.
-you Realize? Hagrid said. Yea Harry Potter is not a magician ...
You'll see, you'll be very famous at Hogwarts.
But Uncle Vernon was not going to surrender without a fight.
Isn't have told him not to go? he said with distaste. He goes to school
secondary Stonewall and will thank us for it. I've read these letters and
you need all kinds of junk: books of spells, wands and ...
If he wants to go, a great Muggle like you will not stop growled
Hagrid. Stop the son of Lily and James Potter to not go to Hogwarts!
he's crazy. His name is pointed almost since birth. It will go to the best school
magic world. Seven years there and did not know himself. It will be with
young people of the same class, which will be a change. And you will be the largest
Hogwarts has been Director: Albus Dumbled ...
-¡NO GOING TO PAY FOR OLD FOOL YOU ANY CHIFLADO
TEACH magic tricks! He shouted Uncle Vernon.
But this time he had gone too far. Hagrid took his umbrella and
He waved it over his head.
41
'Never ... roared INSULT-A-ALBUS Dumbledore-EN-MIPRESENCIA!
He waved his umbrella in the air to point at Dudley. Email
flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a shriek acute and,
next time, Dudley jumped, his hands on his fat ass,
while he is moaning in pain. When turned away, Harry saw a curly tail
pork coming out through a hole in the pants.
Uncle Vernon roared. He pushed Aunt Petunia and Dudley into the other room,
He took one last terrified look at Hagrid and slammed the door
behind them.
Hagrid looked at his umbrella and pulled his beard.
I should not be angry she said regretfully, but maybe not
I worked. I wanted to turn it into a pig, but I guess because it seems
much like a pig and there was much to do.
He glanced at Harry under his bushy eyebrows.
I'll appreciate it if you did not mention this to anyone at Hogwarts -
He said. I ... well, you're not allowed me to do magic, strictly speaking.
I got permission to do a little bit, so you reach the cards and everything
... That was one reason why I wanted this job ...
Why it is not allowed to do magic? Harry asked.
Well ... I also went to Hogwarts, and if I have to be frank, I was expelled.
In the third year. I broke the stick in two. But Dumbledore let me
remain as rangers. He is a great man.
Why he was expelled?
He's getting late and we have many things to do tomorrow -
Hagrid said loudly. We have to go into town and get you the books and
everything else.
He took off his thick black coat and handed it to Harry
-You Taparte with this she said. Do not worry if something is stirring. I think
I have yet to dormice in a pocket.