Author's Note: This a completely different AU fic I am writing, since I felt my old one wasn't any good and too much like the first book, just with Neville added to Harry's group of friends and Sirius out of prison and married. My old fic has been deleted and this new one will take it's place.
Disclaimer for entire fic: I, sadly, do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I would be rich, living in a huge mansion, writing books and doing chartiable causes, and not be spending my time writing fanfiction.
Joyce Cornelia Stenson was perched in a tree in her night Animagus form of an owl. She had flown all the way to Privet Drive in the afternoon in her day Animagus form of a hawk when she had heard the news that her friends Lily and James Potter were dead. That was when she spotted a tabby cat sitting on a brick wall and recognized her to be the Animagus form Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts. Joyce knew that Professor McGonagall could only be at Privet Drive, where Lily's horrid sister, husband, and son lived, on Dumbledore's orders.
The afternoon spent hiding in a nearby tree had told her what sort of Muggles the Dursleys were. She had an idea that they weren't very nice, since Lily had said that her sister Petunia had hated her ever since she had gotten her Hogwarts letter, and Petunia's husband, Vernon Dursley was just as bad. Their son, Dudley, was a very fat and very spoiled toddler of one year and few months old. In fact, Joyce had spotted Petunia Evans Dursley carrying Dudley up to street toward their home, him kicking his mother and wailing for sweets the entire time.
When night came, Joyce had to change into her owl form, for a hawk was useless in the dark. It could certainly hear better than humans, but its sight was only a little better than a human's in the dark. She fortunate that she was one of the few people that had more than one Animagus form, mainly because she required a day and night form. McGonagall only had the one form of a cat, as that was animal that was suited for both night and day.
At around midnight, a wizard silently appeared in Privet Drive and Joyce was instantly able to recognize him as Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. He took out a Put-Outer, and used it to make all the street lights magically vanish. This did not bother her, since as an owl she could see perfectly well in the dark, and much better than a human. She watched and listened as McGonagall transformed into her normal self, Dumbledore confirmed the fact that Lily and James were dead and that Voldemort was defeated since he couldn't manage to kill their son Harry, and that Harry would have to live with his aunt and uncle.
McGonagall protested that, pointing out that the Dursleys were nothing like them, and that it not a fit place for Harry to live. Dumbledore merely informed her that Harry would be safer here, as it was the best place for him, and that it would be better if he wasn't exposed to being famous in the wizarding world until he was old enough to handle it. Then Dumbledore revealed that Hagrid, gameskeeper of Hogwarts, would be bringing Harry. Sure enough, Hagrid appeared a minute later, carrying Harry and riding a flying motorbike, which Sirius Black, James' best friend, had lent him.
Hagrid burst into loud sobs at having to leave Harry at the Dursleys, but then managed to control himself. Dumbledore placed the bundle that was Harry on the doorstep of the Dursley's house, and then on top put the letter that explained everything. After, Harid, McGonagall (who was looking a bit teary and blew her nose loudly), and Dumbledore all left, first having the lights go back to the street lights. Once the three had all left, Joyce made her move.
She flew down to the doorstep, transformed back into human, and picked up Harry Potter. Contrary to what Dumbledore had said, she was not going to let Harry be brought up at the Dursleys. They would no doubt call him a freak and neglect him emotionally, prehaps even physically. However, Dumbledore did have a point in not wanting Harry to be exposed to fame at an early age and wanting him to be safe. She swiftly made her decision, then holding Harry and the letter in her arms, Apparated.
An instant and a half later, she appeared in front of the neat little cottage in a clearing in the woods that she had inherited from her grandmother. Looks were deceiving, however, for on the inside, the cottage was actually a very large house. Joyce reactivated all the wards that were orginally on the house, and then went inside. Harry woke up then and began to cry.
"Hush, Harry," said Joyce soothingly. "Your Aunt Lia's here." She smiled at him and he settled down.
She knew that once Dumbledore knew that Harry was gone, he would go searching for the child. If he found out Harry was with her, he would not be pleased and would take him away. Therefore, it would be best if she didn't use her first name, but her middle name, Lia for short. Nobody knew her middle name, other than James and Lily, who were dead, her parents, also dead, and Sirius Black. Sirius was alive, but he he had sworn never to reveal her middle name, so she was safe there, too. Nobody would connect "Lia" to her, except possibly Sirius, and that wasn't very likely.
Lia went upstairs and discovered a new room had appeared. Her grandmother's house did things like that frequently. If a new room was needed, it would appear, and if it wasn't it would disappear. She went inside the new room and found it to be furnished as a very nice nursery. She sat down in the rocky chair and rocked Harry until he fell asleep again, then placed him in the crib. "I hope you'll like living here with Aunt Lia, Harry," she said softly. "You'll certainly like it better here than you would have at the Dursleys."
Lia then tiptoed out the room and went into her own bedroom, which was right next door so she could hear if Harry woke up again. After brushing her teeth and changing into her nightclothes, she collapsed into her bed and soon fell asleep.