BOMBUS. iterum pulsaverunt. Dudley repente excitatus est somno. ‘ubi est tormentum?’ inquit stulte. tum fragor post tergum auditus est et Avunculus Vernon pedum impotens in conclave lapsus est. pyroballistum manibus tenebat – nunc sciebant quid fuisset in fasciculo lingo et tenui quem secum attulerat. ‘quid adest?’ clamavit. ‘cave – armatus sum!’ intervallum erat. tum – FRAGOR! ianua tanta vi percussion est ut tota a cardinbus avulsa crepitu maximo in solum prona ceciderit. stabat in limine vir giganteus. vultus paene omnis celatus est crinibus longis et incomptis atque barba horrida et inculta, sed descernas oculos, splendentes more scarabeorum nigrorum sub crinibus promissis.
BOOM. They knocked again. M Dudley jerked awake. “Where’s the cannon?” he said stupidly. There was a crash behind them and Uncle Vernon came skidding into the room. He was holding a rifle in his hands – now they knew what 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 its hinges and with a deafening crash landed flat on the floor. A giant of a man was standing in the doorway. His face was almost completely hidden by a long, shaggy mane of hair and a wild, tangled beard, but you could make out his eyes, glinting like black beetles under all the hair.
‘me Hagrid appella,’ inquit, ‘omnes id faciunt. et sicut dixi, ego sum Custos Clavium apud Hogvartenses – scilicet Scholam Hogvartensem bene novisti.’
‘hem – non novi eam,’ inquit Harrius.
Hagrid videbatur stupere.
‘me paenitet,’ inquit Harrius celeriter.
‘te paenitet?’, latravit Hagrid conversus ut Dursleos intueretur qui in umbras refugerunt. ‘oportet eos paenitere! cognoveram te epistulas non accipere sed nunquam, pro dolor, in mentem incidit te ne novisse quidem Scholam Hogveatensem! annumquam animo agitavisti ubi parentes omnia didicissent?’
‘quidnam didicerunt illi?’
‘QUID DIDICERUNT?’ intonuit Hagrid. ‘manedum secundum modo unum!’
“Call me Hagrid,” he said, “everyone does. An’ like I told yeh, I’m Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts — yeh’ll know all about Hogwarts, o’ course.
“Er — no,” said Harry.
Hagrid looked shocked.
“Sorry,” Harry said quickly.
“Sorry?” barked Hagrid, turning to stare at the Dursleys, who shrank back into the shadows. “It’s them as should be sorry! I knew yeh weren’t gettin’ yer letters but I never thought yeh wouldn’t even know abou’ Hogwarts, fer cryin’ out loud! Did yeh never wonder where yer parents learned it all?”
“All what?” asked Harry.
“ALL WHAT?” Hagrid thundered. “Now wait jus’ one second!”
‘nunquam eum certiorem fecisti? nunquam eum certeriorem fecisti quid esset in epistula a Dumbledore ei relicta? ipse aderam. ipse vidi Dumbledorem eam relinquere, Dursley! num tot annos eam puerum celavisti?’ ‘quid me celavit?’ inquit Harrius intente. ‘FAC TACEAS! VETO TE PLURA LOQUI!’ clamavit Avunculus Vernon perterritus. Matertera Petunia obstupefacta anhelavit. ‘abuts in malam rem, vos ambo,’ inquit Hagrid. ‘Harri – tu es magnus.’ “You never told him? Never told him what was in the letter Dumbledore left fer him? I was there! I saw Dumbledore leave it, Dursley! An’ you’ve kept it from him all these years?” “Kept what from me?” said Harry eagerly. “STOP! I FORBID YOU!” yelled Uncle Vernon in panic. Aunt Petunia gave a gasp of horror. “Ah, go boil yer heads, both of yeh,” said Hagrid. “Harry — yer a wizard.”
Harrius tandem manum porrexit ut involucrum flaventis coloris caperet atramento smaragdino inscriptum: Dominus H. Potter, Pavimentum, Casula-in-Saxo, ad Mare. epistulam extractam legit: SCHOLA HOGVARTENSIS ARTIUM MAGICARUM ET FASCINATIONIS Praeses: Albus Dumbledore (Primo Classi Ordinis Merlini Adscriptus, Incantator Grandis, Princeps Magorum, Mugwump Maximus Confederationis Internationalis Magicae) Minerva McGonagall Praeses Vicaria Salutem Dicit Domino Pottero. placet nobis te certiorem facere locum tibi assignatum esse in Schola Hogvartensi Atrium Magicarum et Fascinationis. cum hac epistula indicem mittimus librorum et apparatus quibus tibi opus erit. schola aperietur Kalendis Septembribus. strigem tuam exspectamus non serius quam Pridie Kalendas Augustas.
Harry stretched out his hand at last to take the yellowish envelope, addressed in emerald green to Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Hut-on-the-Rock, The Sea. He pulled out the letter and read: HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards) Dear Mr. Potter, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress.
’gargoiles glutientes, Harri, homines adhuc metuunt. edepol, hoc est difficile dictu. erat olim magus qui factus est… corruptior. quam potuit corruptissimus. peior. peior quam peior. nomen ei erat…’ Hagrid gluttivit, sed verba nulla secuta sunt. ‘an possis nomen scribere?’ admonuit Harrius. ‘minime – non possum litteras recte ordinare. esto! – Voldemort.’ Hagrid inhorruit. ‘ne me coegeris id iterum dicere. sed ad rem! hic – hic magus circa viginti abhinc annos assectatores quaerebat. et inveniebat – alii timebant, alii tantum volebant partem eius potentiae habere, nam non dubium erat quin sibi potentiam obtineret. de negris diebus dico, Harri. nesciebam quibus crederem, neque audebam familiariter versari cum magis ignotis utriusque sexus. facta sunt terribilia. rerum iste potiebatur. scilicet, nonnuli ei resistebant – suis necavit. taetre. refugium (neque multa relicta erant) erat Schola Hogvartensis. sententia mea Quidam Dubledorem nec quemquam alium timebant. itaque non ausus est scholam occupare, saltem non illo tempore.’“Gulpin’ gargoyles, Harry, people are still scared. Blimey, this is difficult. See, there was this wizard who went… bad. As bad as you could go. Worse. Worse than worse. His name was…” Hagrid gulped, but no words came out. “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, Harry. 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.’
‘si vult ad scholam ire, Muggle magus sililis tui non eum prohibebit,’ infremuit Hagrid. ‘tene prohibere filium Lily et James Potteri ire ad Scholam Hogvartensem! deliras. nomen eius ascriptum est eo die quo natus est. ibit in scholam artium magicarum et fascinationis quae optima est in orbe terrarum. cum ibi septem annos studuerit, se ipsum non noverit. inter iuvenes sui generis versabitur, vicem mutans, et informabitur a Praeside quem optimum Schola Hogvartensis unquam habuit, Albo Dumbled-‘ ‘NON PECUNIAM SENI ALICUI VESANO NUMERABO UT PUERUM PRAESRIGIAS MAGICAS DOCEAT!’ clamavit Avunculus Vernon. sed tandem modum excesserat. Hagrid umbellam raptam supra caput vibravit. ‘NUMQUAM -‘ intonuit, ‘- MALE – DIXERIS – ALBO – DUMBLEDORI – CORAM – ME!’ umbellam per aera detulit cum sonitu sibilanti ut Dudleum indicaret – erat fulgor violaceus, sonus similis pyrobolo chartaceo, stridor acutus et post secundum Dudley in vestigio saltabat manibus nates obesas amplexus, dolorem ululatu manifestans. cum tergum ab eis avertisset, Harrius caudam suis curvatam per foramen bracarum protusam vidit.
His name’s been down ever since he was born. He’s off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won’t know himself. He’ll be with youngsters of his own sort, fer a change, an’ he’ll be under the greatest headmaster Hogwarts ever had Albus Dumbled–” ‘I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL To TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!” yelled Uncle Vernon. But he had finally gone too far. Hagrid seized his umbrella and whirled it over his head, “NEVER,” he thundered, “- INSULT- ALBUS- DUMBLEDOREIN- FRONT- OF- ME!” He brought the umbrella swishing down through the air to point at Dudley — there was a flash of violet light, a sound like a firecracker, a sharp squeal, and the next second, Dudley was dancing on the spot with his hands clasped over his fat bottom, howling in pain. When he turned his back on them, Harry saw a curly pig’s tail poking through a hole in his trousers.