Invisible

DIAGON ALLEY

HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE
CHAPTER 5

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"One speed only."

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{ CHAPTER 4 }

EVERYTHING AT ONCE

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HARRY WAKES EARLY the next morning. Although he can tell it's daylight, he keeps his eyes shut tight.

It was a dream, he tells himself firmly.

I dreamed a giant called Hagrid came to tell me and Lily we are going to a school for witches and wizards. When I open my eyes I'll be at home in our room.

There's suddenly a loud tapping noise.

And there's Aunt Petunia knocking on the door, Harry thinks, his heart sinking. But he still doesn't open his eyes. It was such a good dream.

The tapping continues.

"All right," Harry mumbles, "I'm getting up."

He sits up and Hagrid's heavy coat falls off him. The hut is full of sunlight, the storm is over, his sister is sleeping soundly beside him, Hagrid himself is asleep on the collapsed sofa, and there's an owl rapping its claw on the window, a newspaper held in its beak.

Harry scrambles to his feet, so happy he feels as though a large balloon is swelling inside him. He goes straight to the window and jerks it open. The owl swoops in and drops the newspaper on top of Hagrid, who doesn't wake up. The owl then flutters onto the floor and begins to attack Hagrid's coat, getting uncomfortably close to hurting Lily.

"Don't do that."

Harry tries to wave the owl out of the way, but it snaps its beak fiercely at him and carries on savaging the coat. Lily is still passed out.

"Hagrid!" Harry calls loudly.

"There's an owl--"

"Pay him," Hagrid grunts into the sofa.

"What?"

"He wants payin' fer deliverin' the paper. Look in the pockets."

Hagrid's coat seems to be made of nothing but pockets - bunches of keys, slug pellets, balls of string, peppermint humbugs, teabags... Finally, Harry pulls out a handful of strange-looking coins.

"Give him five Knuts," Hagrid slurs sleepily.

"Knuts?"

"The little bronze ones."

Harry counts out five little bronze coins, and the owl holds out its leg so Harry could put the money into a small leather pouch tied to it. Then it flies off through the open window.

Hagrid yawns loudly, sits up, and stretches.

"Best be off, Harry, lots ter do today, gotta get up ter London an' buy all yer stuff fer school."

Harry is turning over the wizard coins and looking at them. He just thought of something that makes him feel as though the happy balloon inside him got a puncture.

"Um, Hagrid?"

"Mm?" Hagrid answers while pulling on his huge boots.

"We haven't got any money - and you heard Uncle Vernon last night... He won't pay for us to go and learn magic."