章节_21

aid hagrid, breathing heavily and sitting back

down on the sofa, which this time sagged right down to the floor.

harry, meaill had questions to ask, huhem.

”but eo vol--, sorry -- i mean, you-know-who?”

”good question, harry. disappeared. vanished. same night he

tried ter kill you. makes yeh even more famous. thats the biggest

mystry, see... he was gettin more an more powerful -- whyd he go?

”some say he died. y opinion. dunno if he had

enough huma in him to die. some say hes still out there,

bidin his time, like, but i do. people who was on his

side came bae of em came outta kinda tran~

re they couldve done if he was in back.

”most of us re hes still out there somewhere but lost his

powers. too weak to . ethin about you finished

him, harry. there was somethin goin on that night he hadnt

-- i dunno what it was, somethin

about you stumped him, all right.”

hagrid looked at harry with eg in

his eyes, but harry, instead of feeling pleased and proud, felt

quite sure there had been a horrible mistake. a wizard? him? how

could he possibly be? hed spent his life being clouted by dudley,

a petunia and un; if he was really a

wizard, why hadnt they beeo warty toads every time

theyd tried to lo his cupboard? if hed oed

the greatest sor the world, how e dudley had always been

able to kick him arouball?

”hagrid,” he said quietly, ”i think you must have made a

mistake. i dont think i be a wizard.”

to his surprise, hagrid chuckled.

”not a wizard, eh? hings happen when you was scared

ry?”

harry looked into the fire. o think about

it... every odd thing that had ever made his aunt and uncle

furious with him had happened when he, harry, had bee or

angry... chased by dudleys gang, he had somehow fou

of their reach... dreading going to school with that ridiculous

haircut, hed mao make it grow bad the very last

time dudley had hit him, had his reve even

realizing he was doing it? had a boa ?

harry looked back at hagrid, smiling, and saw that hagrid was

positively beaming at him.

”see?” said hagrid. ”harry potter, not a wizard -- you wait,

youll be right famous at hogwarts.”

but un wasnt goihout a fight.

”havent i told you hes not going?” he hissed. ”hes going to

stonewall high and hell be grateful for it. ive read those letters

and he needs all sorts of rubbish -- spell books and wands and --”

”if he wants ter gle like you wont stop

him,” growled hagrid. ”stop lily an james potter s son goin

ter hogwarts! yer mad. his names been down ever since he was

born. hes off ter the fi school of witd wizardry in

the world. sevehere and he wont know himself. hell be

with youngsters of his own se, an hell be under

the greatest headmaster hogwarts ever had albus dumbled--”

”i am not paying for some crackpot old fool to teach him magic

tricks!” yelled un.

but he had firid seized his umbrella and

whirled it over his head, ”hundered, ”- insult- albus-

dumbledore- in- front- of- me!”

he brought the umbrella swishing dh the air to point

at dudley -- there was a flash of violet light, a sound like

a firecracker, a sharp squeal, a sed, dudley was

dan the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom,

howling in paiurned his ba, harry saw a curly

pigs tail ph a hole in his trousers.

un roared. pulliunia ahe

other room, he e last terrified look at hagrid and slammed

the door behind them.

hagrid looked down at his umbrella and stroked his beard.

”shouldnta lost me temper,” he