True Delicacy

This is a fanfiction, I own nothing!

Prologue

The shadows began to lengthen on the small street of Privet Drive as the short summer day came steadily to its end. A small boy walked slowly, haltingly, down the walk. No one paid the child any mind as he stepped into the street. No one paid any attention as a taxi drove down the drive directly towards the little boy. As the vehicle drew closer the kid turned suddenly towards his approaching death. He looked into the windshield and watched as the driver noticed him and made a panicked pull on the wheel to avoid him. He was too late.

Time seemed to slow for a moment as the boy stared through the glass at the driver. His eyes flicked for a moment towards the back of the vehicle and he found himself looking at the passenger. This man was different, he had a soft smile with a sharp sort of stare right where the smiling eyes should have been. He looked like a predator. The little boy's view of the passenger was cut off abruptly as the taxi started to swing to the side and had come too close for him to see into. Just as the child's life was about to be snuffed out, he vanished and appeared a foot or two to the side, safely back on the sidewalk.

With a squeal the taxi came to a violent halt and the driver gasped heavily for breath. The man in the back seemed utterly unperturbed. In fact, he seemed entirely unaffected by the ordeal. He sat staring at the child that had vanished a reappeared before his eyes. The boy stared back taking in the man's aging form, his thin figure, he was perhaps a touch shorter than average and was dressed impeccably in a jacket with thin dark hair swept back.

The man removed his seat-belt opened the door and said to the driver. "Wait here just a tic."

With a strong, purposeful stride the man walked directly to the little boy placing a panama hat atop his head as he approached. "Hello, what's your name?"

The boy said nothing, but continued to look directly at the man with a steady gaze. Both maintained eye contact for a moment more before a bellow distracted the child. The child turned quickly towards the noise, but his body shifted almost imperceptibly away from it. A massive man charged towards the two as the passenger smiled at the boy's reaction and turned slowly towards the man.

"Hello sir," The passenger greeted the man with a grin as he arrived. "Is this your son?"

"S-son? Of course not!" The massive man spluttered, his face swiftly changing color at his vehement denial. "The brat is my nephew, we care for him."

"I see." The other man responded with calm tone. "I am Doctor Fell. What is your name?"

"Dursley, Vernon Dursley." The overlarge man said suspiciously.

"Well Mr. Dursley, I think I may have a little proposal for you if you have moment to discuss your little charge."

Dr. Fell looked down at the little boy and reached down gesturing for the boy's hand. The child looked up at his smiling face and the odd eyes that seemed to glint red in the light. He reached up slowly to take the hand offered to him. The three walked slowly into the house and a few minutes later Dr. Fell walked back out with the boy still holding his hand.

The two climbed back easily into the taxi and continued on their way towards Dr. Fell's original destination. Dr. Fell would always remember that summer night in Britain, 1983, where he found his new son, Harry Potter.

There we are:

So this was the start! I don't know if there are people that would immediately see what I'm doing here, or if Dr. Lecter isn't mainstream enough to be recognized by the descriptions in this.

The basic premise is that a fifty year old Dr. Lecter has just escaped FBI custody and is making his way across Europe towards Italy. He just so happens to meet Harry Potter and decides to take the boy in. "Fell" is his alias as in the book and movie, Harry would be just about three years old at this point. I've had this story in my head for a long time and it was really distracting, so I had to write it out…let me know if you like it!

The description of Dr. Lecter has very few specifics, but it is made clear in the books that he has had surgery to alter his appearance and to have his extra middle finger removed from his left hand. So the description of him here is generalized due to a lack of distinctive features beyond body type and the red glint in the otherwise maroon-colored eyes.

I'm thinking about taking the story a bit further, but I haven't decided just yet. If you have any thoughts please let me know!