"Harry Potter Makes His Own Destiny"

Chapter 3 "The Rescue"

Vernon drove many miles switching directions often till they finally ended up in a small hut on a rock in the middle of the sea. Harry lay on the dusty floor gently sobbing as he watched Dudley's watch tick away to midnite when he would be eleven. Beep Beep. " Happy birthday to me" Harry sobbed to himself.

BANG. Harry jumped up. BANG again. Something was trying to knock the door from its frame. Dudley would sleep through anything. Harry hid just as Vernon and Petunia came from the bedroom just as another BANG sounded, this time the door hit the floor. In walked a person too big to be allowed with long hair and big bushy beard. Dudley finally woke up with the last bang and had scrambled over to his parents when he saw the man.

The large man looked around and saw Harry James Potter hiding behind a table sobbing quietly. He walked over and said "Well hullo there Harry," as he reached a hand as large as a dust bin out to Harry who flinched and brought his hands up to protect himself from being hit. The gentle giant looked startled at Harry's reaction. He looked at Vernon sternly and boomed out "What have you done to Harry?"

“Who are you and what business of it is yours?” Vernon puffed up defiantly.

“Answer my question little man.” the giant growled, resembling nothing so much as a mother grizzly guarding a frightened cub.

"Just a little deserved discipline" Vernon said, his voice warbling a bit.

"We'll just see about that" replied the big man who turned his gaze back to Harry and said gently "My names Hagrid, its ok, come with me and I'll look after ya, everything will be alright." and held out his large hand again. Harry looked into the big man's eyes and instinctively knew he could trust him and took his hand.

Harry inched his sore body forward. Hagrid took this for fear on the boy's part. The giants eyes started to tear up bit with concern and empathy, “I'm from Hogwarts, Dumbledore sent me. He's a friend of your parents.” Hagrid gently pulled Harry to his feet, but Harry's leg was still sore so as he began to limp forward with the giant but his steps faultered and he fell.

Vernon laughed "Serves the little brat right.” he mumbled, followed my a much louder,”Tell that crackpot old fool he should have kept him."

Hagrid exhaled sharply, he slowly turned to face uncle Vernon "Never Insult Dumbledore In Front Of Me." in a low paced voice that sounded even more dangerous then his growl. He pulled a pink umbrella from his voluminous coat then pointed it at Vernon. An orange spark flew out and hit Vernon in the face causing his nose to upturn. The nose change some how made him look even more piggy then before.

All three Dursleys screamed and ran into the bedroom and slammed the door. Hagrid then knelt down and picked up Harry with extraordinary gentlenss, afraid he might break Harry. He held the boy the same way he had ten years ago when he first brought him to the Dursleys. He gently brushed away the tears and said "Don't worry now, little one. Nothing and noone will harm you while I'm here."

Harry drifted off to sleep in the giant's arms. It was the first peaceful, dreamless sleep he had experienced in years.

Harry awoke hours later to the rocking of the rowboat Vernon had used to get them to the little hut. "Sorry Harry" Hagrid said, "I tried to row as gently as I could. Would've used magick, but, strictly speaking, I aint aloud to do magick aside from gettin ya, so if ya could, don mention wha I did to Dursley." At that thought Harry smiled the first smile he could remember since maybe he was real little.

“Magick?” Harry asked groggily, then thought about what happened in the hut. ”Is that what happened to Uncle Vernon's nose?, I thought I was seeing things.”

Hagrid laughed loud, then stopped when he saw Harry jump. Hagrid mumbled a sheepish apology.

Then Harry noticed that this was the same boat the Dursleys used to get out to the hut on the rock. "Er, Hargrid is it? isn't this the boat the Dursleys used to get out there? How will they get back to shore?"

Hagrid stopped rowing, "it's Hagrid, Rubius Hagrid, but everyone just calls me Hagrid, and yeah, its the same boat, I figure the guy that rented them the hut and boat will findem soon enough, but, from the way they treated ya, are ya really that concerned if they're stuck out there a day or two?"

"Good point" Harry smiled again.

Hagrid then took out a box from one of the many pockets in his coat and handed it to Harry, "happy birthday Harry, I baked it myself, words and all."

Harry opened the box to see a chocolate cake with yellow frosting and words saying 'happy birthday harry' in blue letters. Harry was overwhelmed and tears started running down his cheeks. "I never got a birthday cake before, not a cake of any kind for anything. Thank you so much Hagrid, and thanks for getting me out of there, I don't know how much more of them I could take."

"Aw Harry, s'okay, from the looks of things, Dumbledore shoulda had ya outta there long ago."

"Dumbledore? Is he the one who said my aunt and uncle should take me in?"

"Aye' he did, but I think now he mighta made his first mistake with that one."

"Well Hagrid, don't give me a pig nose, but I think I may have words with the so called friend of my mother's who would leave me in that place."

"Now Harry, Dumbledore's a good man, 'e has a kinder heart than any one I know.,” He saw the sour look on Harry's face. ”I don't blame ya one bit, but he has so many things he must do and there is only so many hours in the day. I really think he is being pulled in too many directions. I've never seen Dumbledore make a mistake before, well nothing big. Please don't think ill of him. He's a great man, Harry. I owe him a lot..I owe him everything. If it came down to it, I would die for that man.”

Harry thought for a long moment, ”Alright Hagrid, if you say so, I will give this man a chance. But I still wish someone had checked on me.”

"Well its gettin light out. I imagine you have no clue about what I'm 'ere about, other than to get you from the Dursley's." Harry gave another nod, so Hagrid continued, "Harry, you're a wizard, a real goodun I'd wager, once ya train up a little, I work at the school where you'll be goin, I'm keeper of grounds and keys at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. School doesn't start till September 1st, but right now we gotta get your school supplies, robes and such."

Harry just sat open mouthed. ”A wizard, me? You must be joking.Hagrid. Although...some very strange things have happened around me. This might explain a few things.” Harry rubbed his chin, ”that would explain an awful lot. Is that why odd stuff happened when I get scared or angry? Uncle Vernon always said there was no such thing as magick, I couldn't even say the word without being beaten. Hagrid, they always said my mum and dad died in a car accident, that's where I got the scar from. I've been lied too about that too, haven't I Hagrid.”

Hagrid smiled like a proud uncle, "Aw Harry, you're right about that, but I don think I'm the one to tell ya exactly what happened, 'sides, we best get goin, I imagin you're still quite a bit tired, and we got a lot to do, so you nod off a bit, I'll get us a room at the Leaky Cauldron before we go shoppin in Diagon Alley. You can sleep peacefully now, things'll be okay."

“One last thing, why couldn't I defend myself from my uncle and Dudley? With the feelings I've had, why are they still able to breath?” doubt and concern mixed equally on Harry's face.

Hagrid gently pulled the boy's chin until he could look into the bright green eyes. ”Oh Harry, you are a far better person then that piece of filth back there. You have higher standards for yourself then that man has ever had in his entire life. You have a kind heart and a good soul, no matter what happens in this life don't ever loose that. You couldn't hurt those two because you wouldn't let yourself become like them.“ With a gentle touch, the ham sized hand patted Harry's shoulders, ”Try to rest now, please.”

Harry smiled and leaned into Hagrid and drifted off, feeling safe for the first time in his life. Hagrid looked down at Harry and smiled too, then he took out a quill and parchment and wrote a letter to

Dumbledore:

Dear Professor Dumbledore,

I got Harry from the Dursleys. They've been beating him.
It's been going on a long time from the look of things.
I'm afraid we all missed the snitch on this one, Professor.
I think you better meet me at the Leaky Cauldron with Madam
Pompfrey. He was limping badlyHe's sleepin now, and probably
will till I get to the Cauldron.I'm afraid I'll have to use
a mild disillusionment charm to get him to the Cauldron,
wouldn't do for the muggles to see a man my size carrying
a small unconscious boy the two blocks from the river. The
little boat I'm in should reach the shore soon, its 630am
as I write this, and I expect to be at the Cauldron by 7.

Yours
Hagrid

Hagrid then took a small owl from his pocket and put the letter in its beak and said "get this to Dumbledore quick little one, our friend here needs his help." and with that the bird took off flying as hard as it could to deliver the important message.