Saphira Black and the Philosopher's Stone

Nine~ Leaving

    "I said, they're not going," said Uncle Vernon.

    Hagrid grunted.

    "I'd like ter see a great Muggle like you stop them."

    "A what?" Harry asked and I snickered.

    "A Muggle," said Hagrid, "is what we call nonmagic folk like them. An' it's just bad luck youtwo grew up in a family o' Muggles I've ever met."

    "We swore when we took them in we'd put a stop to this madness!" said Uncle Vernon. I felt a rush on anger.

    "You knew? You knew all along and you never told us?" I snarled.

    "Knew!" shrieked Aunt Petunia, "We knew for the boy, of course we knew! How could we not, with my dratted sister being who she was? I was the only one who saw her for what she was- A FREAK! And then she met that Potter, and then she had you."

    She had jabbed her finger at Harry on the last word. Harry opened his mouth to talk, but she continued,

    "Now, we weren't sure about you, girl. Not until all the strange things happened. Not until we saw that HORRIFYING scar on the back of your neck. Now we know you're just as strange as he is. And that WITCH, my horrible sister, had to get herself blown up and we got landed with you two!"

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

    "CAR CRASH!" roared Hagrid, jumping up so angrily that the Dursleys scuttled back to their corner. "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! Saphira, what'd they tell yeh about yer parents?"

    "Er- that they died in a car crash," I mumbled, and Hagrid exploded again.

    "ANOTHER RUDDY CAR CRASH! A car crash couldn't have killed Miranda Mal- well, yer dad ain't even dead!"

    "What happened?" Harry asked eagerly. I desperately wanted to ask Hagrid what my mom's last name was, but I also wanted to know what had happened to make Harry and I so miserable.

    All the anger vanished from Hagrid's face. He looked suddenly anxious.

    "I never expected this," he muttered in a low, worried voice. "I had no idea, when Dumbledore told me there might be trouble gettin' hold o' you two. Ah, Harry, Saphira, I don' know if I'm the right person ter tell you two- 'specially, yeh, Harry- but someone's gotta- you two can't go off ter Hogwarts without knowing."

    He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys.

    "Mind, I can't tell everythin', it's a great myst'ry, parts of it..."

    He sat down, stared into the fire, and then said, "Well, it all began, I suppose, with- with a person called- but it's incredible you two don' know his name, everyone in our world knows-"

    "Who?" I asked.

    "Well- I don' like sayin' the name if I can help it. No one does."

    "Why not?" Harry asked curiously.

    "Gulpin' gargoyles, Harry, Saphira, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went... bad. As bad as you could go. No, worse. Worse than worse, actually. His name was..."

    Hagrid gulped, but no words came out.

    "Maybe you could write it down?" Harry suggested.