Harry Potter The Unseen Heroine

Hagrid gulped, no words came out. I was surprised that the massive man could be scared of anyone, this person must have been horrible.

"Could you write it down?" Harry suggested.

"Nah — can't spell it. All right —Voldemort. " Hagrid shuddered. "Don' make me say it again. Anyway, this — this wizard, about twenty years ago now, started lookin' fer followers. Got 'em, too — some were afraid, some just wanted a bit o' his power, 'cause he was gettin' himself power, all right. Dark days. Didn't know who ter trust, didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches… terrible things happened. He was takin' over. 'Course, some stood up to him — an' he killed 'em. Horribly. One o' the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who was afraid of. Didn't dare try takin' the school, not jus' then, anyway."

"It sounds horrible." I said alarmed.

"It was...Now, yer mum an' dad were as good a witch an' wizard as I ever knew. Head boy an' girl at Hogwarts in their day! Suppose the myst'ry is why You-Know-Who never tried to get 'em on his side before… probably knew they were too close ter Dumbledore ter want anythin' ter do with the Dark Side."

I was getting really nervous because of this story. I remembered the dream's I always had...

"Killing such a bright girl as you? I think not, I'll let you live, it will show the world that those who submit can be spared. Though your brother..."

Was that the voice of this supposed Voldemort? Hagrid voice pulled me out of my worried thoughts.

"...Maybe he thought he could persuade 'em… maybe he just wanted 'em outta the way. All anyone knows is, he turned up in the village where you was all living, on Halloween ten years ago. You was just a year old. He came ter yer house an' — an' —"

Hagrid suddenly pulled out a very dirty, spotted handkerchief and blew his nose like a elephant.

"Sorry," he said. "But it's that sad — knew yer mum an' dad, an' nicer people yeh couldn't find — anywa…

"You-Know-Who killed 'em. An' then — an' this is the real myst'ry of the thing — he tried to kill Harry, too. Wanted ter make a clean job of it, I suppose, or maybe he just liked killin' by then. But he couldn't do it. Never wondered how you got that mark on yer forehead?" He asked Harry. Harry like me just looked back in shock as Hagrid continued.

"That was no ordinary cut. That's what yeh get when a powerful, evil curse touches yeh — took care of yer mum an' dad an' yer house, even — but it didn't work on you, an' that's why yer famous, especially you Harry. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em, no one except you, an' he'd killed some o' the best witches an' wizards of the age — the McKinnons, the Bones, the Prewetts — an' you was only a baby, an' you lived."

Harry looked like he was remembering something, like me he was probably remembering thing's. I had to ask.

"What about me? "I asked, and Hagrid turned to me.

"That's the other thing. He as didn't lay a finger on yer, as far as anyone can tell. Now maybe he wanted to do Harry first, then do yeh. Took yeh both from the ruined house myself, on Dumbledore's orders. Brought yeh ter this lot… ."

"Load of old tosh," said Uncle Vernon. Harry jumped, and I remembered our Uncle existed again. Uncle Vernon seemed to have got back his courage. He was glaring at Hagrid and his fists were clenched.

"Now, you listen here, both of you," he snarled, "I accept there's something strange about you, probably nothing a good beating wouldn't have cured — and as for all this about your parents, well, they were weirdoes, no denying it, and the world's better off without them in my opinion — asked for all they got, getting mixed up with these wizarding types — just what I expected, always knew they'd come to a sticky end —"

I watched in stunned silence as he attacked our parents, our dead parents, his sister and brother and law. I knew the Dursley's didn't like us. But to attack the dead, in front of there orphaned children. It was a new low...

Luckily Hagrid had heard enough. He stood up, and got out his pink umbrella and pointed it at Uncle Vernon.

"I'm warning you, Dursley — I'm warning you — one more word…"Hagrid warned, and thankfully it did the trick as Uncle Vernon was once again cowering against the wall.

"That's better," Hagrid said as he sat back down. I glared at Uncle Vernon in disgust as Harry spoke again.

"But what happened to Vol-, sorry — I mean, You-Know-Who?" Harry asked, and at this I turned back to Hagrid.

"Good question, Harry. Disappeared. Vanished. Same night he tried ter kill you. Makes yeh even more famous. That's the biggest myst'ry, see… he was gettin' more an' more powerful — why'd he go?"

"He's dead right?" I asked, hoping our parent's killer wasn't still out there.

"Some say. Codswallop, in my opinion. Dunno if he had enough human left in him to die. Some say he's still out there, bidin' his time, like, but I don' believe it. People who was on his side came back ter ours. Some of 'em came outta kinda trances. Don' reckon they could've done if he was comin' back."

"So he's still alive?" I asked in horror, and Hagrid gave me a sad nod.