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“Er, it’s just, now that I’ve found you,” Hagrid said, “I’m not supposed to use magic anymore. So if we want to make it to Diagon Alley before all the shops close, we’ll have to start travellin’ now.”
“Now?” Harry asked. Hagrid had only gotten there after he had wished himself a happy birthday at midnight. It hadn’t been that long since. Harry glanced at the clock. 12:28. Not long at all.
“Unless you want to have to find a place to sleep in London and get them tomorrow.”
Harry scrunched his nose up. He had heard bad things about London hotels from his cupboard, overhearing as Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia.
“Now is fine.”
The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as the boat floated into a dock. Harry hadn’t realized that Uncle Vernon had taken them so far from home. A few more hours and Hagrid was taking him into a large white building and talking to a goblin.
“Er, I’m not too fond of the carts Harry. You think you’ll be alright with just Griphook?”
“Oh, I guess?” Harry said, looking unsure.
“Good man, Harry. I’ll just be waiting over here,” Hagrid said, gesturing to some seats.
Sally-Anne Perks bounced up and down on her feet excitedly, earning an amused smile from her mother. They were waiting in line to withdraw some galleons.
“Were you this excited when you went to Hogwarts?” her father asked her mother. Her mother grinned.
“I don’t think I was ever this excited about anything when I was younger,” her mother answered. “How about you Mr. Ilvermorny Valedictorian?”
Something caught Sally’s eye as her parents began teasing each other. A boy by the seats that lined a wall, standing near a man larger than any Sally had ever seen, looking terrified.
“Mum, I’ll be back. I’m going to go talk with that boy over there,” Sally said, gesturing to him.
Her mother looked at the boy, who looked terrified and was wearing clothes entirely to big for him, and frowned. “Alright, Sally. Make sure he’s okay.”
“Hi, I’m Sally!”
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin, not having noticed as the girl approached.
“H-hi? I’m Harry.”
“Nice to meet you Harry? Who’s this guy? He’s huge!”
“Hagrid. He’s taking me to get my school things, but, uh…”
Sally tilted her head, “but he’s asleep.”
“Yeah.” Hagrid had apparently fallen asleep while waiting for Harry to come back from his vault.
“You can come shopping with us. My parents won’t mind. C’mon.”
Sally didn’t wait for Harry to answer before dragging him back to her parents.
“Oh, who’s this?” Sally’s mother asked.
“This is Harry, mum. Can he come shopping with us?”
“I’m sure his parents would rather he go with them, Sally.”
“Actually, I’m here with Hagrid,” Harry said. “Or I was. He fell asleep.”
“Oh? Jerome, stay here with the kids. I’m going to go talk to Hagrid.” Sally’s mother walked over to Hagrid, and her father knelt down to look Harry in the eye.
“It’s nice to meet you Harry. I’m Jerome Perks. This is my lovely daughter Sally-Anne. And that was my lovely wife Dorea. Do you mind if I ask why you’re here with Hagrid instead of your parents?”
“My parents died when I was a baby. Hagrid said it was Voldemort.”
“How horrible,” Jerome said. His eyes trailed to Harry’s forehead and he let out a quiet gasp. “Harry. You’re, oh. Your parents’ names were James and Lily, right?”
“Y-yes?”
Jerome stood up suddenly, “DOREA!” It wasn’t just Dorea that turned her head, but everyone in the bank. “The boy’s just confirmed that he’s your cousin’s son.”
“Is that so?” Dorea answered, before turning back to Hagrid. With the entertainment over with, everyone went back to minding their own business.
“Cousin? We’re related?” Harry asked.
“Yes,” Jerome replied.
“How?”
“You’re father and my wife are cousins. More specifically, they shared a great-grandfather, yours and Sally’s great-great-grandfather.”
Sally began jumping up and down again in excitement.
Dorea nudged Hagrid’s leg with her foot. Nothing happened. She nudged a little harder. Nothing. Just as she was about to nudge him even harder, her husband yelled out.
“DOREA!”
In her surprise she didn’t nudge Hagrid, but accidentally kicked him instead. Hagrid woke with a start as Dorea turned to her husband.
“The boy’s just confirmed that he’s your cousin’s son.”
“Is that so?” Dorea said, before turning back to Hagrid with a sour look. “My cousin. The one Dumbledore stole from the place his parents died. The one Dumbledore refused to turn over to us, despite James and Lily’s will saying he was to go to us. Why do you have my cousin, Hagrid?”
“Dumbledore said-“
“Dumbledore kidnapped that child, the official Head of House Potter, and has steadfastly refused to follow the law concerning him, despite being ordered to by the Wizengamot, repeatedly. If all of your reasons are going to start with ‘Dumbledore said’, then you can leave now. Jerome and I will take Harry shopping and then take him home. Go running back to Dumbledore, and tell him if he has a problem with that, he can take it up with Grandfather Charlus.”
Dorea returned to her husband and the kids, leaving a shocked Hagrid behind, wondering what happened.