He beams. "What about that tea then, eh?" he says, rubbing his hands together. "I'd not say no ter summat stronger if yeh've got it, mind."

His eyes fall on the empty grate with the shriveled chip bags in it and he snorts. He gets up from the couch and bends down over the fireplace; they can't see what he's doing but when he draws back a second later, there's a roaring fire there. It fills the whole damp hut with flickering light and Victor can feel the warmth wash over him.

Wow.

But -

Things like this just don't happen to him. What's going on? Maybe this is like the day of the zoo trip, and it's all going to end horribly. He darts a glance at Uncle Vernon. As soon as the giant leaves... he doesn't know what will happen but he's sure it will be bad.

Vernon honestly looks terrified almost out of his trousers. He's decided huddling close to his family in a half-defiant stance is the best he can do.

Petunia is, oddly enough, the least scared of the lot, looking more concerned for her family than afraid of the man.

The giant sits back down on the sofa, which sags under his weight, and begins taking all sorts of things out of the pockets of his coat: a copper kettle, a squashy package of sausages, a poker, a teapot, several chipped mugs, and a bottle of some amber liquid that he takes a swig from before starting to make tea.

It's sort of fascinating. Victor wonders if he is allowed to eat his cake.

When the giant finally notices he hasn't actually eaten his cake he says, "I know it's not very pretty ter look at, but it's very tasty. Promise."

And at that Dudley twitches, leaning over to look at the cake and licking his lips.

"Don't touch any of that, Dudley."

The giant snorts.

Well. He wouldn't want to be insulting. He tries the cake.

It is tasty. He looks up at the giant with a tiny, tentative smile.

He's very happy Victor likes it.

Soon the hut is full of the sound and smell of sizzling sausage. He slides the first six fat, juicy, slightly burnt sausages from the poker, and Dudley fidgets even more.

When they're done, he passes some to Victor.

"Oh - thank you very much," he says. The sausages are delicious. He'd suggest that the giant give some to Dudley, except that it seems likely to upset Uncle Vernon and he would really rather not upset Uncle Vernon any further.

"Yer quite welcome!"

Tiny smile.

"So! What's been happenin' ter yer letters?"

"They've been very upsetting to everyone and I think Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would like you to stop sending them," says Victor.

"Stop... sending? But how else are yeh gonna go ter Hogwarts?"

"What do you mean?"

"Yer eleven! Yer supposed ter be in school in a month!"

"I think Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia want to send me to a different school that doesn't send such frightening letters."

"Other school? But Hogwarts' the finest wizardin' school there is! What other school?"

"It's called Stonewall and it's not a wizarding school."

"What?" he asks, shocked. "Not a wizardin' school?"

"I - I don't think I understand why you want me to go to a wizarding school," he says. "Sorry."