CHAPTER FOUR
THE KEEPER OF THE KEYSBOOM.
They knocked again. Dudley jerked awake. "Where's thecannon?" he said stupidly.
There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skiddinginto the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands -- now they knewwhat had been in the long, thin package he had brought with them.
"Who's there?" he shouted. "I warn you -- I'm armed!"There was a pause. Then --SMASH!
The door was hit with such force that it swung clean off itshinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor.
A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face wasalmost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild,tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like blackbeetles under all the hair.
The giant squeezed his way into the hut, stooping so that hishead just brushed the ceiling. He bent down, picked up the door,and fitted it easily back into its frame. The noise of the stormoutside dropped a little. He turned to look at them all.
"Couldn't make us a cup o' tea, could yeh? It's not been aneasy journey..."He strode over to the sofa where Dudley sat frozen with fear.
"Budge up, yeh great lump," said the stranger.
Dudley squeaked and ran to hide behind his mother, who wascrouching, terrified, behind Uncle Vernon.
"An' here's Harry!" said the giant.
Harry looked up into the fierce, wild, shadowy face and sawthat the beetle eyes were crinkled in a smile.
"Las' time I saw you, you was only a baby," said the giant. "Yehlook a lot like yet dad, but yeh've got yet mom's eyes."Uncle Vernon made a funny rasping noise.
I demand that you leave at once, sit!" he said. "You are breakingand entering!""Ah, shut up, Dursley, yeh great prune," said the giant; hereached over the back of the sofa, jerked the gun out of UncleVernon's hands, bent it into a knot as easily as if it had beenmade of rubber, and threw it into a corner of the room.
Uncle Vernon made another funny noise, like a mouse beingtrodden on.
"Anyway -- Harry," said the giant, turning his back on theDursleys, "a very happy birthday to yeh. Got summat fer yeh here --I mighta sat on it at some point, but it'll taste all right."From an inside pocket of his black overcoat he pulled a slightlysquashed box. Harry opened it with trembling fingers. Inside was alarge, sticky chocolate cake with Happy Birthday Harry written onit in green icing.
Harry looked up at the giant. He meant to say thank you, but thewords got lost on the way to his mouth, and what he said instead was,"Who are you?"The giant chuckled.
"True, I haven't introduced meself. Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper ofKeys and Grounds at Hogwarts."He held out an enormous hand and shook Harry's whole arm.
"What about that tea then, eh?" he said, rubbing his handstogether. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it,mind."His eyes fell on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags init and he snorted. He bent down over the fireplace; they couldn't seewhat he was doing but when he drew back a second later, there wasa roaring fire there. It filled the whole damp hut with flickeringlight and Harry felt the warmth wash over him as though he'd sunkinto a hot bath. |