Chapter two Acceptance and Hagrid The day to leave for the Hogwarts Express didn't seem to come soon enough for me. Alicia had me working harder than ever, as though she might have me making up for the ten months worth of chores I was about to miss. I had decided it would be best not to ride to the train station. I would hitch Excalibur up to the small, red cart because I had my Hogwarts trunk to take along. It was a week before I would leave when I got a letter in the mail. It was from Hogwarts and my first letter ever. They had enclosed a list of things I would need. It said. Dear Mr. Rubeus Potter, please note that term starts on September the first and the train will leave at eleven a.m. on platform nine-and-three-quarters. Also, first years are not allowed their own broom sticks. All students are allowed to bring a small animal. An owl OR a cat OR a toad. Deputy Headmistress, Professor M. MacGonagall And the list read: first years students will need: One cauldron (standard size two) One pair of dragon hide gloves or similar Three sets of robes (black) One cloak (silver fastenings) One set brass scales Basic potion ingredients One pointed wizard's hat (black) The Monster Book of Monsters The History of Magic for Beginners By Frederick Muttop Transfiguration for Beginners By Miranda Goshawk 1000 Useful and Magical Plants By George Fawna The Standard book of Spells, Grade 1 By Miranda Goshawk Twenty rolls of parchment Ink A quill "Oh," I moaned, "I don't even have half the amount of gold I'll need for all this." A crumpled slip of parchment dropped out of the envelope. It read, in messy handwriting: I, Rubeus Hagrid, will pick you up tomorrow out side your house at ten o'clock and take you to Diagon Alley to buy your school supplies. "Look at this!" I shouted and ren into the living room. I waved the peices of parchment in the air. My dad didn't say anything. He just stared at me. It was creepy so I reread the letter. "Hagrid picking you up?" he asked shortly. "Yeah! Hey, dad. Did you know that Mr. Hagrid has the same first name as me!" I was so excited. "That's because your mother named you after him, you great fool." Alicia scowled at me as she threw eggs into a frying pan for dinner. I could hear them start to sizzle when she placed them on the burner of the stove. "Well, go get washed up, Rubeus. I don't want your filthy hands at the dinner table." Alicia nodded at the wash basin. I quickly scurried back into my closet to put my letter away under the mattress that was my bed. I rushed back into the kitchen to wash. The wash basin was a white, ceramic bowl with a brown bar of home made soap and dirty yellow towel lay beside it. I dunked my hands into the gray water, the water turned a dull brown. I picked up the soap and scrubbed my hands vigorously, then rinsed them. I hurriedly dried my hands on the towel when I heard the clink clink of cutlery and plates being set on the table. I took my usual place at the table and practically inhaled my small rations of the leftover bits of scrambled egg, a couple leafs of lettuce, and a very small chunk of pork. I gulped down the milk I had poured into my glass from the milk jug and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Get out and feed the chickens, boy." barked Alicia through her large portion of meat. I burst out the back door before she could make me do the dishes. Patting Excalibur as I walked by, I headed into the red barn. I scooped handfuls of raw corn out of a potato sack and threw onto the dusty floor. The brown chickens swarmed around me, eager for their own pile of food. "Rubeus!" Alicia's voice rang shrill across the paddock, carried over to the barn on the light, warm breeze.    "Yes?" I yelled back, poking my head out the barn door. "Milk the cow while your out there!" I opened Rowan, the dairy cow's, stall door and entered, holding a dented bucket. After she was milked I went to bed, the sooner I fell asleep, the sooner morning would come. I woke the next morning at six o'clock and sat bolt upright. Today was the day Mr. Hagrid would be coming. But then I realised he wouldn't be coming for another four hours. I flopped back down onto my pillow. I slept on for another hour and then decided I might as well get up. I dressed and brushed my teeth. I heard Alicia's boots coming down the hall, before she could yell at me I called through the door: "I'm already up!" "Well then get moving! There is still breakfast dishes to do ..." she droned on about chores I needed to do, I thought I'd never get them done in four hours. I wolfed down my small bowl of soggy porridge and then took as long as I could to wash the morning dishes. Then I fed the chickens, counting to one hundred in between each handful of corn. When I milked Rowan I took a few minutes in having a little fun spraying the five barn cats with milk. And again counted to one hundred between each squirt of milk. After a couple more boring chores I finally heard a motor driven vehicle pull up through the horse shoe shaped lane. I threw myself out of the house, to see who Rubeus Hagrid was. I had imagined him to be around my height with a friendly smile and very talkative. But what I saw was the largest man that had probably ever walked the earth. He was easily twice as tall as my father and three times as wide. He had a big black bush of hair and beard, spotted with flecks of gray. He looked very intimidating riding on humongous motorcycle. He leapt off and stared at me. I took a step back, and the giant burst into tears. "Oooooh! Harry's very own son! I can't believe I'm actually seein' ya!" and ran forwards to me to embrace me in a huge hug. Just then, my dad came out the front door. "Harry," he whispered softly, letting me go. I had never been hugged before, "Aw, I haven' seen ya since ya got off an' married-" he had spotted Alicia peering through the curtains and stopped for moment, silent tears of happiness pouring down his face. "An' tha' must be the other missus." Mr. Hagrid looked slightly less happy. He nodded politely in her direction then turned to me again. "Well, we best be off. The mornin's a-wastin'!" He jumped back onto his big, black motorcycle. I stared at him, not sure what to do. "Are yeh comin' or not? Get on!" I carefully put one leg over the seat and lowered my bottom to the cushiony leather. Mr. Hagrid kicked the motor into action, and with a wave to my father, sped off down the dirt road