"Run, Lily! Take Hadrian and run! I'll hold him off!" James yelled.
Lily picked up Hadrian from where he had been changing a stuffed dog Sirius had gotten them into a stag and back. Even as she rushed to the nursery, a small part of her mind marveled as her baby's power. She locked the door to the nursery and attempted to Apparate, but when she opened her eyes, she saw herself in the same place she had been before. She cursed. Anti-Apparation wards. Of course. As she fumbled, her mind racing to find a way out, the door flew open and Lord Voldemort stood there in all his glory, his red eyes sending a thrill of fear into her shaking body. She placed Hadrian in his crib and stood between the monster and her baby, adrenaline rushing through her.
"Stand aside, silly girl," Lord Voldemort said imperiously.
Lily whimpered, but she stood her ground against Voldemort. Tired of her impudence, he threw an Avada Kedavra towards the woman, and watched mercilessly as her dead body hit the floor. He turned to the bane of his existence, the one of the prophecy, and froze. He looked into eyes the color of the killing curse, and saw a child that knew too much. He raised his wand, and the child giggled. Giggled. At him. Throwing off the foreboding notions that something was extremely wrong, he uttered the green curse, and watched as it hit the child's forehead. The man was shocked when, as the curse made impact, a large, gold shield wrapped itself around the boy and threw the curse back at him. Too stunned to make a move, Lord Voldemort absorbed the curse and disintegrated on the spot.
Dumbledore placed Hadrian gently on the doorstep of Number 4 Privet Drive, and waved his wand around the house, raising wards around the house. As he disapparated with Minerva McGonagall and Hagrid, he had started making plans for the boy on the doorstep. Even as Minerva questioned him about his motives of leaving the boy with his muggle relatives, Dumbledore placated her and took refuge in his office. He took out his chessboard, and with a smirk, moved the white pawn up a square.
The games had begun.
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"Vernon!" a shill woman screamed.
Petunia quickly brought the…freak…in so that the neighbors would not be suspicious. She read the letter with growing unease. Her freak of a sister had gotten herself blown up, and she was left with her freak son! She showed the letter to Vernon, who slowly began to turn a puce color.
"I will not have such an abomination in my house!" he roared.
"But Vernon…"
"No Pet! He won't grow up in this house and do his-his freaky thing on my precious Dudders!" Vernon interrupted.
Petunia was hesitant, for he was her sister's child, but at Vernon's words, her resolve became firm. All that mattered was her wonderful Dudley, and the freak would just be a waste of space.
She asked, "So then…what should we do with," she gestured to the lump on the table, "that?"
"I'll take him to an orphanage," decided Vernon. "St. Mary's Orphanage will do just fine for the brat."
Petunia nodded, and that was that. Vernon stowed the lump in his car and drove off, shoved the child in an astonished matron's hands, and drove off without a backwards glance.
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"Freak! Freak! Freak! Freak! Freak!" the children chanted as they walked around a six-year-old Hadrian tied to a tree.
Ever since Hadrian came to the orphanage, the other children had noticed something…off about him. He was beautiful, and charmed all the adults, but odd things always occurred around him. Their suspicions were only confirmed when a teacher's hair mysteriously turned pink and he suddenly ended up on a roof. The leader of the children, Chad Porker, instigated everyone against Hadrian, and soon, he became the freak of the orphanage.
The children all eyed Hadrian as he struggled against the ropes that bound him to the tree. With relish, Chad brandished a knife and cut Hadrian's shirt open. The children's eyes became bloodthirsty as they egged Chad along. With a flourish, Chad carved the word "FREAK" into Hadrian's chest, and untied him from the tree, only to make nicks on his back as well. Hadrian turned and, with glowing green eyes, said to Chad in a voice that left them all shivering, "You'll pay for this, Porker."
He stalked away, and the children, suddenly feeling a sense of impending doom upon them, scattered. Chad, with a smug smile, walked away. The next day, the matron received news that Chad was missing, and, a week later, his body was found in a cave, almost mangled beyond recognition. All suspicion was placed on Hadrian, but there was no evidence to prove it. When he was questioned, Hadrian seemed like an angel, but all the children had known that he did it. He had killed Chad. Now, all the children stayed away from Hadrian, and huddled in groups, speaking about him with a deep fear, and Hadrian loved it. He relished in that fear. Over time, when children were foolish enough to displease him, he found ways to punish them, and though the matrons did not know what was happening, they knew that somehow, Hadrian was behind it all.
Then, Hadrian turned eleven, and it all changed.
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An elderly man in a bright blue suit with – were those phoenixes? – walked briskly down the street, extremely worried. He had visited the Dursleys in an attempt to give young Hadrian his letter, but to his displeasure, he had found that they had dumped him in some orphanage. The man walked faster, his dread increasing. He turned the corner and saw a run-down orphanage by the name of St. Mary's. He walked to the door and knocked, greeted by a plump woman that he assumed was the matron.
"Hello, sir! How may I help you today?" she asked in a kind voice.
Dumbledore replied, "I am here for Hadrian Potter. I would like to accept him to my school, Hogwarts."
The matron's face had closed off when Hadrian's name was mentioned, and a look of almost fear had entered her eyes.
"Hadrian? What would you like with Hadrian?"
Dumbledore looked at her face with curiosity, and a feeling of deja-vu hit him hard. Cautiously, he asked the matron if there was anything…off about Hadrian.
"Oh no sir, not at all…it's just…Billy's rabbit didn't strangle itself, did it? And Amy's nice dresses couldn't have burnt all by themselves…but Hadrian's such an angel, he couldn't have done it…but who else could have?" The matron was talking to herself at this point, unaware that Dumbledore's face was paling to a comical extent.
He gathered himself, and with a slightly shaking voice, asked, "Madam, may I speak to him now?"
The matron led him to a room and left him in front of the door, walking away quickly. With growing trepidation, he turned the knob and opened the door.
His first impression was that the room was extremely neat. Everything was precise, and gave off an air of perfection. The second thing he noticed was the figure looking out the window. Even from the profile, Dumbledore saw a purely aristocratic face, and when the figure turned, his eyes widened in shock. Nowhere did he see the childish, idolizing face that he expected. Instead, he was greeted with ice-cold eyes, ones that kept secrets and an expressionless face. Putting his grandfatherly mask on, Dumbledore extended a hand.
"Hello, my boy. My name is Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You must be Hadrian Potter."
Hadrian took the proferred hand cautiously, and replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. But…what do you mean wizardry? I'm not…"
Dumbledore cut him off. "But my boy, you are! Have you never noticed things occur, things that you couldn't explain?"
Hadrian thought. Of course he had, all he had to do was think something and it would occur. A fire danced in his eyes.
"I knew I was special," he breathed. "I knew there was something about me!"
Dumbledore felt an overwhelming sense of alarm watching this boy come to terms with magic. He had seen something like this before, and couldn't afford to have his weapon float away from him. He had to reassert control.
"Well, my boy, you're right. Term begins on September 1st. I assume you are interested in joining?"
By this time, Hadrian had gotten himself back under control, though his insides were still jumping in excitement; not that he would do something so crass. He gave the Professor a look as though he were the idiotic one.
"Of course, Professor. It would be my honor to join your academy. I do not have the means to pay for it, however."
Dumbledore laughed, though his eyes betrayed his worry. "No worries, dear boy! You didn't think your parents left you with nothing, did you? Come with me now, we shall go to Diagon Alley to purchase your school supplies."
Hadrian quickly said, "It is quite alright, Professor. I am sure you have much to do, and I can deal with shopping on my own."
Dumbledore could not force Hadrian to come with him, though he tried. "Are you sure, dear boy? I would not be inconvenienced at all to accompany you."
"I am quite sure, Professor. Thank you for your visit."
Knowing that there was nothing more he could do, Dumbledore reluctantly gave Hadrian the instructions to go to Diagon Alley, and departed, a terrible feeling in his gut.
Hadrian dropped all illusions of innocence, a smirk adorning his face. He would finally be where he belonged. This was where he was meant to be. He would be powerful, and would be able to make the world fall at his feet.
Hadrian Potter.