Harry Potter 01 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

what was it? – “to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure”.’
    ‘I always said he was off his rocker,’ said Ron, looking quite impressed at how mad his hero was.
    ‘So what happened to you two?’ said Harry.
    ‘Well, I got back all right,’ said Hermione. ‘I brought Ron round – that took a while – and we were dashing up to the owlery to contact Dumbledore when we met him in the Entrance Hall. He already knew – he just said, “Harry’s gone after him, hasn’t he?” and hurtled off to the third floor.’
    ‘D’you think he meant you to do it?’ said Ron. ‘Sending you your father’s Cloak and everything?’
    ‘Well,’ Hermione exploded, ‘if he did – I mean to say – that’s terrible – you could have been killed.’
    ‘No, it isn’t,’ said Harry thoughtfully. ‘He’s a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I think he knows more or less everything that goes on here, you know. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enough to help. I don’t think it was an accident he let me find out how the Mirror worked. It’s almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could …’
    ‘Yeah, Dumbledore’s barking, all right,’ said Ron proudly. ‘Listen, you’ve got to be up for the end-of-year feast tomorrow. The points are all in and Slytherin won, of course – you missed the last Quidditch match, we were steamrollered by Ravenclaw without you – but the food’ll be good.’
    At that moment, Madam Pomfrey bustled over.
    ‘You’ve had nearly fifteen minutes, now OUT,’ she said firmly.
    *
    After a good night’s sleep, Harry felt nearly back to normal.
    ‘I want to go to the feast,’ he told Madam Pomfrey as she straightened his many sweet-boxes. ‘I can, can’t I?’
    ‘Professor Dumbledore says you are to be allowed to go,’ she said sniffily, as though in her opinion Professor Dumbledore didn’t realise how risky feasts could be. ‘And you have another visitor.’
    ‘Oh good,’ said Harry. ‘Who is it?’
    Hagrid sidled through the door as he spoke. As usual when he was indoors, Hagrid looked too big to be allowed. He sat down next to Harry, took one look at him and burst into tears.
    ‘It’s – all – my – ruddy – fault!’ he sobbed, his face in his hands. ‘I told the evil git how ter get past Fluffy! I told him! It was the only thing he didn’t know an’ I told him! Yeh could’ve died! All fer a dragon egg! I’ll never drink again! I should be chucked out an’ made ter live as a Muggle!’
    ‘Hagrid!’ said Harry, shocked to see Hagrid shaking with grief and remorse, great tears leaking down into his beard. ‘Hagrid, he’d have found out somehow, this is Voldemort we’re talking about, he’d have found out even if you hadn’t told him.’
    ‘Yeh could’ve died!’ sobbed Hagrid. ‘An’ don’ say the name!’
    ‘VOLDEMORT!’ Harry bellowed, and Hagrid was so shocked, he stopped crying. ‘I’ve met him and I’m calling him by his name. Please cheer up, Hagrid, we saved the Stone, it’s gone, he can’t use it. Have a Chocolate Frog, I’ve got loads …’
    Hagrid wiped his nose on the back of his hand and said, ‘That reminds me. I’ve got yeh a present.’
    ‘It’s not a stoat sandwich, is it?’ said Harry anxiously and at last Hagrid gave a weak chuckle.
    ‘Nah. Dumbledore gave me the day off yesterday ter fix it. ’Course, he shoulda sacked me instead – anyway, got yeh this …’
    It seemed to be a handsome, leather-covered book. Harry opened it curiously. It was full of wizard photographs. Smiling and waving at him from every page were his mother and father.
    ‘Sent owls off ter all yer parents’ old school friends, askin’ fer photos … Knew yeh didn’ have any … D’yeh like it?’
    Harry couldn’t speak, but Hagrid understood.
    *
    Harry made his way down to the end-of-year feast alone that night. He had been held up by Madam Pomfrey’s fussing-about, insisting on giving him one last check-up, so the Great Hall was already full. It was decked out in the Slytherin colours of green and silver to celebrate Slytherin’s winning the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.
    When Harry walked in there was a sudden hush and then everybody started talking loudly at once. He slipped into a seat