Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"

"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."

"You don't mean -- you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore -- you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son -- I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"

"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous -- a legend -- I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future -- there will be books written about Harry -- every child in our world will know his name!"

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! CarA you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes -- yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.

"Hagrid's bringing him."

"You think it -- wise -- to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"

I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.

"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to -- what was that?"

麦康娜教授掏出她的蕾丝手绢擦了擦镜片后的眼睛。丹伯多深深吸了一口气，并从口袋里掏出一只金表来看。这只表非常奇怪。它有十二根针却一个数字也没有，倒是有一些行星在表的边缘旋转。这对丹伯多来说肯定代表着什么，因为他把表放回口袋后说，"哈格力迟到了。我猜是他告诉你我会在这里的，是吧？"

"没错，"麦康娜教授说，"我想你并不打算告诉我为什么你会在这里的，是吗？"

"我是来送哈利到他的姨丈家里的。这是他唯一剩下的亲戚了。"

"你的意思是——你是说住在这里的这户人家？"麦康娜教授大叫道，跳起来指着四号门。"丹伯多，你一定是弄错了。我整天都注意着他们。这两个人与我们简直有着天壤之别。他们也有个儿子——一我看到那个小孩子一路上都在跟他的妈妈，哭喊着要糖果。哈利·波特要住在这种地方！"

"这是他最好的归宿，"丹伯多坚决地说。"他的姨丈和姨妈可以在他长大后向他解释所有事情，我已经写了一封信给他们。"

"一封信？"麦康娜教授教授重复说，坐回到了墙上去。"丹伯多，你真的认为你可以在一封信里解释所有事情吗？人们永远无法理解他！他会变得很出名，成为一个传奇。如果将来的人们把现在命名为波特时代我都不会感到惊讶——将会有关于波特的书出版发行——全世界的每个小孩都会知道他！"

"一点没错。"丹伯多一边说，一边从他的半月形眼镜看上去。"每个男孩都会为之疯狂。在他还不会走路和说话之前就变得出名，出名是因为一些根本不记得的东西？你知道他会多么有钱吗？当然要他长大之后他才可能明白这些。"

麦康娜教授张大了嘴巴，然后又改变主意说道："没错，你说的一点没错。但是，丹伯多，那个男孩怎么来这里呢？"她突然间盯住他的披风，好像认为他可能把波特藏在了那下面。

　　"哈格力会带他来的。"

"你觉得把这么重要的事情托付给哈格力，是明智之举吗？"

"我可以用我的生命担保。"丹伯多说。

"我并不是说他没有一副好心肠。"麦康娜教授埋怨地说。"但是你不能否认他太粗心。他经常——那是什么？"