Percy Jackson and the Mirror of Erised

5) Harry Learns the Truth

After a few minutes of silence, Harry stammered out, "What does it mean, they await my owl?"

"Galloping Gorgans, that reminds me," Hagrid said. He slapped his forehead and pulled an owl from his pocket. Like, a real, living, breathing, ruffled owl. He also pulled out a long quill and a roll of parchment, but those didn't seem as important as the owl.

He started to scribble a note that I could read upside down:

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Given Harry his letter. Also have Percy with me. Taking them to buy their things tomorrow. Weather's horrible. Hope you're well.

Hagrid

The wizard rolled up the note, gave it to the owl, went to the door, and tossed the poor bird into the rain. He came back and sat like this was completely normal and not animal abuse and endangerment.

"Where was I?" Asked Hagrid.

Before Harry could answer, Dursley stood in the firelight, "He's not going."

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

"A what?" Harry asked, clearly interested.

"A Muggle," said Hagrid, "it's what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's bad luck you grew up in a family o' the biggest Muggles I ever laid eyes on."

"We swore when we took him in we'd put a stop to that rubbish," said Dursley, "swore we'd stamp it out of him! Wizard indeed! That stupid boy must have rubbed off on him!"

Harry chose to ignore the insult to me, "You knew? You knew I'm a — a wizard?"

"Knew!" Shrieked lady Dursley. "Knew! Of course we knew! How could you not be, my frayed 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!" She took a deep breath and continued ranting on, "Then she met that Potter at school 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!"

Harry had suddenly gone very white, "Blown up? You told me they died in a car crash!"

Oh no oh no ohno ohnohnohnohnohno bad.

"CAR CRASH!" Hagrid thundered, leaping up so angry like the Dursleys all cowered back to their wall. "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!"

The anger faded from the giants face. He looked more anxious than anything. I knew why. He'd told me about it earlier.

"I never expected this," Hagrid said, worry clear in his voice. "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't know if I'm the right person ter tell yeh — but someone's gotta — yeh can't go off ter Hogwarts not knowin."

Harry through me a look of confusion. I just stared at him sadly. It must suck to be finding out like this.

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