Petunia and the Little Monster

September 1975 (3)

Petunia's first impression of Rubeus Hagrid was not at all favourable. He was gruff, had a horrible accent, his appearance was unkempt and worst of all - he reminded her of a giant.

It was more than just his inhuman height. There was something in the stretch of his shoulders, the dimensions of his neck and hands and feet, in his heavy brow bone and bulbous nose. Something about him that made images creep from the depths of her memories, slivers of screams and panic and a gigantic form in the distance that dragged furrows into the surface of her calm, exposing the raw nerves underneath.

And there was nowhere to hide. They were standing at the edge of the small platform, a circle of light thrown onto the ground by the lantern Hagrid held aloft, barely illuminating a small path down the side of a softly rolling hill, almost cloaked by scrubs and thistles.

Surrounded by diminutive eleven-year-olds with fresh robes and gleaming faces, there was no mistaking Petunia for anyone but who she was. The other, older students were streaming from the platform behind her, following a rough mud track into a wooded area, their forms disappearing behind the thick cover of trunks, branches and leaves. Petunia would swear she could feel their eyes on her back as they walked past, each stare a small itch, like an insect bite on her neck.

"An' here yeh are! Let me introduce meself - Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts."

An enormous hand came towards her and Petunia only just managed to raise her arm in a useless defensive gesture when it was grabbed and shaken once, so firmly she almost thought he wanted to rip it from its socket. Her heart was beating against her throat, her pulse rabbiting in useless shock.

"Call me Hagrid," he said, not noticing her wide-eyed stare, "everyone does."

"Petunia."

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Petunia, eh? Like them flowers, have some 'round me hut."

"How ... nice."

The children standing around them were growing restless, the cocktail of a long train ride combusting with a fresh dose of adrenaline now that they were so close to their destination. Most had started muttering, stretching their necks trying to see around Hagrid down the path, a few even dared to take a few steps away from the huddled group and lean forward.

"Don' wander off now! Stay together, everyone, we'll get goin' in a jiffy." He turned back to Petunia. "Just wanted to introduce meself before you get goin'. Just follow along with them folks, someone's waiting for you at the clearing."

The children reacted with just as much interest as Petunia and she heard someone giggle when the giant, bearded man gave a strange wink.

"He knows the way."

"Who –"

But he was already turning away, leading the huddle of small children down the narrow trail, the lantern bobbing high above his mane of straggly hair like a will-o'-the-wisp.

Petunia added 'rude' to the list of his faults, before turning around and starting down the well-trodden mud path, her steps firm and her spine straight. Most of the students had already gone ahead of her, a few stragglers the only ones still around. Petunia wanted to think she didn't stand out, though she knew better.

But when she stepped onto the clearing her breath faltered, all thoughts of uniforms and other students wiped away.

Carriages were scattered around, hackney coaches lacquered a gleaming black with silver decorations and huge, round wheels, looking like they could have come straight from the pages of a historical novel.