The Keeper of the Keys
In which the mysterious giant of a man named Hagrid visits the shack out on the abandoned island and presents Harry with a birthday cake, a letter inviting him to Hogwarts, and some important information.
This is the point in the book were the tides change in Harry's favor. The part that gets you really hooked. After Hagrid reveals that Harry is a wizard, suddenly certain things about Harry's life make sense. Why he's been such an outcast, why the Dursleys have an unnatural hate for him that stems beyond his just being in their lives, why strange things seem to happen to him when he's mad, sad, or upset, and even why he has such strange dreams. Not just a wizard, but a famous wizard to boot.
Something that makes Hagrid such a lovable part of the books is that he's the great rescuer. He rescues Harry the night Harry's parents are killed, he rescues Harry from the Dursleys, and he's the one that is in charge of keeping Harry safe in Deathly Hallows when they rescue him from Privet Drive for the last time. Though he doesn't seem the hero-ish type, he does have some major roles in keeping Harry safe, and in that regard, he is Harry's hero and great friend. And Hagrid's moleskin coat/pink umbrella combination is just so cuddly.
After the initial statement of "Harry—yer a wizard"(50) more details come out that the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry his entire life. Hagrid tells the quick version of the night his parents die, a plotline that will reappear countless times over the course of the series. Something else that will reappear numerous times: "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."(47) or something to that effect.
So for now, Harry has just received the greatest birthday present ever, Dudley has a pig's tail, and he will finally be leaving the awful Dursleys and going to a school for wizards. "He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't even know himself."(58) Such a true statement.
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