NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: Chapter 6
[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
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A knock on the door wasn't loud, but the sound was muffled, as if something massive had struck it.
Harry quickly jumped off the couch. The strange and oppressive atmosphere in the room was becoming too much for him.
As he rushed to the door, the knock came again. Harry opened it, and was stunned.
Was that a person standing in the doorway?
Before him stood a figure so enormous that, for a moment, Harry couldn't find the words to describe him. The usual image of a tall, burly man seemed insignificant compared to the giant in front of him.
The light from the entryway was completely blocked by his massive frame, making it hard for Harry to see his face clearly. Not that it would have made much difference, his entire face was concealed by thick, wild hair and a dense beard.
The only features visible were a pair of eyes, gleaming like dark gemstones.
"Sorry… sorry," the towering man said. His voice, though deep, was unexpectedly normal, laced with hesitation and a hint of embarrassment. "I wanted to come earlier, but I ran into some trouble on the way. The muggle streets are a bit confusing for me."
"Muggle?" Harry was momentarily puzzled by the word, though now didn't seem like the right time to dwell on it.
"Oh, right. That is, people who can't do magic." the giant explained. Then, somewhat sheepishly, he asked, "Would you mind stepping aside? As you can see, I'm a bit large, and it's not easy for me to squeeze through if you stand in the doorway like that."
"Oh! Yes, of course, please, come in!" Harry quickly moved aside and glanced back at his aunt and uncle. They had risen from their seats but made no move toward the door.
The enormous man stepped inside with great care, ducking low to fit through the doorway, which, despite being larger than average, was barely sufficient. When he finally straightened up, Harry could fully grasp just how tall he was.
In fact, "tall" was a woefully inadequate description.
The Dursleys' house had nearly four-meter-high ceilings, yet even that was just enough for the man,no, the giant, to stand upright. He was at least twice the height of an average adult and three times as wide. He wore a massive dark coat and a pair of boots so large they could probably serve as boats for a child. The floor creaked ominously beneath his weight.
"Oh! Hello!" The giant clasped his hands together, looking slightly awkward.
"My name is Rubeus Hagrid. I'm the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts! I've come to fetch Harry Potter for his school preparations, at the request of Headmaster Dumbledore and Deputy Headmistress McGonagall!"
As he spoke, he glanced around the room, hesitating before cautiously asking, "Uh… pardon me, but where's Harry?"
"Er… that would be me," Harry said hesitantly. For some reason, he got the feeling that the man in front of him wasn't particularly bright.
"Ah?" Hagrid exclaimed, his voice much louder this time. It was clear that he had been deliberately speaking softly before. Realizing he had raised his voice too much, he quickly offered an apologetic grin.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm big, so my voice is loud too..."
Then, he eyed Harry with suspicion. "But… I remember Harry being a boy…"
"Well… I am a boy," Harry replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. He was used to being mistaken for a girl at school, but in this situation, it was a little mortifying.
"Oh… right," Hagrid said, scrutinizing him more closely. Slowly, his dark eyes gleamed with recognition. "Yes! Of course! They say boys take after their mothers, and it's true! Harry, you look so much like your mum when she was young!"
Hagrid's shaggy face broke into a wide, rather ungainly smile, yet it radiated warmth. "But your eyes! Just like your dad's. And that hair of yours, same as his!"
"You knew my parents?" Harry's eyes lit up with sudden excitement.
From childhood until now, he had never seen a single photograph of his parents. He knew almost nothing about them, aside from Aunt Petunia's occasional, grudging remark that he bore some resemblance to his mother.
"Know them? 'Course I did! We were friends!" Hagrid beamed again, his smile rough but kind.
"Hmph!" Aunt Petunia, who had been silent until now, let out a sharp sniff. Her expression darkened, as though Hagrid's words had dredged up unpleasant memories.
Hagrid noticed the shift in mood and quickly cleared his throat. "Well then! Good morning, er, I mean, good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I'm sure you know why I'm here. If you don't mind, I'd like to take Harry with me now. I'll bring him back tomorrow or the day after at the latest."
"You should at least prove you're really from that… Hogwarts place!" Aunt Petunia said coldly. Her tone made it obvious that she held no fondness for the massive man standing in their home.
Uncle Vernon, on the other hand, didn't display the same hostility. Of course, judging by his trembling frame, it was more likely that he was simply too terrified of Hagrid's size to react at all.
Harry suspected that the only reason Uncle Vernon hadn't reached for the shotgun mounted on the wall was sheer restraint.
"Oh, right! Professor McGonagall mentioned that to me, but I forgot!" Hagrid quickly reached into his coat, patting his arms as he searched.
Nights in Britain weren't as warm as the days, but the temperature was far from cold. Thankfully, he had a coat large enough to keep him comfortable.
After fumbling around for a moment, Hagrid pulled out a letter and handed it to Petunia. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he withdrew his hand and offered it again, this time with both hands.
Aunt Petunia hesitated briefly but took the letter anyway.
It was still the same kind of parchment letter. Harry had no idea what was written on it, but it couldn't have been much, as Aunt Petunia only glanced at it before nodding. She looked at Harry and, in a harsh voice, said, "Harry, you can go with him if you want."
The giant Hagrid immediately broke into a warm smile before turning back to Harry.
Harry raised his eyebrows and, without hesitation, nodded firmly. "Alright, Mr. Hagrid! Let's go now!"
Hagrid pursed his lips and muttered something under his breath. Still, he gave a slight bow to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon before squeezing his way back through the too-narrow doorway.
Harry followed closely behind. Before stepping out, he turned and saw Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon watching him. Smiling, he said, "Good night, Aunt, Uncle. I'll see you tomorrow, or maybe the day after!"
Aunt Petunia remained stiff and silent, while Uncle Vernon, who seemed to have just recovered from his shock, gave only a small nod.
Harry didn't dwell on it and shut the door behind him. Outside, Hagrid was already standing in the street, waiting.
Glancing up, Harry looked toward Dudley's bedroom. The lights were off, it was clear that Dudley had been asleep for some time.
A strange emotion stirred in Harry's chest for a brief moment, but he quickly pushed it aside and walked over to Hagrid.
Looking around, he saw no signs of transportation. Curious, he wondered how Hagrid had arrived and, more importantly, how they were going to leave. But as he reached Hagrid's side, he heard the giant muttering, "Thought maybe they'd let me stay the night..."
Harry couldn't help but chuckle. The massive man in front of him was certainly amusing.
As Harry stood lost in thought, he saw Hagrid pull a small red umbrella from inside his coat. But "small" was only relative, if it belonged to a normal person, it would barely be enough for two people to share.
Hagrid held the little red umbrella upright and gave it a shake.
Harry felt a flicker of excitement, only for nothing to happen.
"Uh… Mr. Hagrid, what are you doing?" Harry asked, confused.
"Just Hagrid will do! Being called 'Mister' makes me feel like one of those old Academy professors," Hagrid said with a friendly grin. "I'm summoning transportation! We've got to get to London, and we can't exactly walk there, can we?"
"Transportation?" Harry echoed, startled. He was about to ask something else when a sharp whistle pierced the night.
At the same time, a bright light swept over them. Instinctively, Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes from the glare. Then, came a loud screech of brakes, the stench of burning rubber, and the unmistakable sound of something massive grinding to a halt.
When Harry lowered his hands, he found himself staring at an enormous vehicle parked at the side of the road.
It was a triple-decker bus, its huge wheels gleaming under the streetlights. Just moments ago, one second, maybe two, there hadn't been a single car on the street. Now, in the blink of an eye, a gigantic bus had materialized right in front of them.
Harry's eyes widened as he took in the bizarre purple bus, covered in strange graffiti. Finally, his gaze settled on the windshield, where golden letters spelled out:
"The Knight Bus."
"This is…" Harry felt his tongue go dry.
"The Knight Bus!" Hagrid beamed. "A mighty convenient way for stranded witches and wizards to travel. Just stick out your wand, and they'll appear almost instantly! 'Course, you don't have a wand yet, but you will soon enough!"
At that moment, a young man in a purple uniform hopped off the bus.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus! The emergency transport for stranded witches and wizards! Just stick out your wand hand and hop aboard, we can take you anywhere you want to go! My name is Anduran Cherbis, and I'll be your conductor tonight."
"Oi, Anduran! Night shift today, eh?" Hagrid greeted him with a grin. "Thought I'd be seeing Stan!"
"Ah, it's Hagrid!" Anduran Cherbis clearly recognized him and replied with a friendly smile. "Stan switched to the day shift, just got himself a girlfriend, you see. And, well, you know how it is, when you first start dating, your nights are… a bit busier."
"Oi! Mind your tongue, there's a kid here!" Hagrid scowled before turning to Harry. "Come on, Harry, let's get on."
Harry nodded and was about to step onto the bus when Anduran suddenly exclaimed, "Harry? Wait a second, Hagrid, is this… Harry?"
As he spoke, his gaze locked onto Harry's forehead. Unfortunately, thick bangs covered the area.
Harry had always disliked the way people stared at his scar. In primary school, it had happened nearly every day, making him uncomfortable.
Maybe that was part of the reason he kept his hair long.
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