Harry Potter and the Time for Childhood
Prologue / Chapter 1
1st November, 1981
Mr Vernon Dursley of Number 4
Privet Drive, Little Whinging Surrey, was a normal man, with a normal
family, normal home, normal job… With nothing un-normal about any
aspect of him – relations, habits and so on. No, if there were
anything un-normal, he would not be related to it in any way shape or
form.
Or so he thought.
This day, the day after Halloween, is a normal day for Mr Vernon Dursley. He drives his normal car along his normal route to his normal place of work to do his normal job. Normally, he never notices un-normal things as he drives, nor the un-normalness around him at his workplace, around his workplace and so on. But today, Today he would finally notice.
It was as he was entering the small town that his workplace resided, that he noticed things.
First, people in strange clothing, of many ages, from Teens to OAPs, hanging around, clearly celebrating something, several holding wooden sticks which would light up, bringing him to think of silly un-normal inventions with no purpose beyond being un-normal, making wooden sticks into torches. Wooden Torches! He would be heard ranting about on occasion that day.
Secondly, one such person, no younger then his grandparents who had already kicked the bucket, so to speak, with a long grey beard that was split into a fork at the end and held inside the man's pockets so as, clearly, not to trip himself up by getting under his feet; had grabbed Vernon's normal arms and sung some strange lyrics which didn't make sense, and joyously proclaiming that 'mugs should be celebating today for you-know-who is gone!'. Vernon wondered if the man had meant to say celebrating, but wasn't sure since he had also said 'mugs' or somesuch un-normal nonsense. Things only escalated from there, eventually ending with a police man trying to arrest the immensely happy OAP for disturbing the peace.
As the day wore on, Vernon began hearing names. Or rather, a name. Harry, and Potter. This put him into panic overdrive.
For Mr Vernon Dursley has a secret. A secret he loathes to hold, but a secret he doesn't want to share with anyone. A secret that his wife, Petunia Evans Dursley, is in on. Infact, it originated with his wife.
The Secret? Petunia's sister, is a witch. Oh, on occasion he has heard kids say, how they'd love to have abilities, like Wizards and Witches, and the like, but he never paid much attention to those conversations after hearing that. Even when he was a kid and didn't even know Wizards and Witches actually existed. He just views it all as Un-natural, and worse, Un-normal.
If asked, he will refute the knowledge and call the questioner such despicable insults as un-natural and stuff. Words and phrases no sane adult would actually use to insult people, but to Vernon Dursley, they were the worst insults to call someone, and he loved to use them.
When he got home, he didn't want to interrupt his lovely normal wife with his cutely normal baby son, to ask what her sister's new kid was called. No, he'll just sit and watch the news, as he normally does.
That night, his panic was even worse after the news said much things he knew to at least be related to the un-normal world. He went to bed, wondering if tomorrow would be just as un-normal.
But today was the end of the normality of Vernon Dursley's life, for, just outside his window, on the street, was a wizard planning to completely upturn the Dursleys home, with the introduction of a simple, tiny bundle of a baby.
A very old man with a very long white beard appeared on the street. And not 5 minutes later, the street lamps all along the short street were suddenly dark.
As he walked to the 2nd house to his right, he noted a small tabby cat with strange markings around its eyes, watching him from the lawn of the house.
'I should have known you'd be here… Professor McGonagall.' He said to the cat. Seconds later, A woman stood before him, giving him the infamous 'death glare' that only women seem to be able to do. But to the old man, it had no effect.
'Albus, how did you know it was me?' She asked. She looked distinctly ruffled, her red hair while drawn into a tight bun, had several strands straying. She was wearing small half-moon glasses, peering over them at him rather severely, as if promising Death.
'My dear Minerva, I have never seen a cat sit so stiffly as you.' He said, as if it was an obvious thing, seemingly unaware that her death glare just got worse.
After a moment, she shuffled around, rubbing her hands together to generate some warmth, and bit back, 'You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day', conveniently forgetting she had been sat on a lawn, not a brick wall.
'All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have seen several parties at headquarters before heading here. Why, the biggest was Young Lupin's until he found out the circumstances.'
As he had spoke, Minerva sniffed angrily, but it wasn't until Albus had said 'until he found out the circumstances' that she stiffened and asked, as if fearing the truth that the answer to her question would contain, 'So they are…'
'Yes.' He responded, cutting off her reply.
'I can't believe it.'
'Neither could I. They were supposed to be safe. The only way Voldemort could have found them…' Albus stopped upon seeing her reaction to the name Voldemort. 'Minerva, it's just a name.' He seemed to be unconcerned about that they were discussing the loss of 2 fine magicians, whom he had once admitted to a friend of his in private that they were his favourite students and subsequent friends.
Minerva ignored him about the name thing, but just said, 'There are rumours going around. About what stopped him. Especially since you are the only person he ever feared.'
'Minerva, you flatter me. Voldemort had powers I never had.'
'Only because you're too… Noble, to use them.'
'You're lucky it's dark, I haven't blushed this much since Madame Pomfrey and Professor Sprout told me they liked my new earmuffs.' He quipped, hoping to lighten the situation.
Minerva shot him a dark look, and said, 'The rumours. Everyone's saying that…' She took a deep breath, 'is that last night, he turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. That he went to find Lily and James…' she sniffed, upset that that part of the rumour was true, 'and killed them. But when he tried to kill little Harry, he couldn't and his power broke somehow, killing himself.'
Seeing her finished for the moment, he said, 'We can only guess, we may never know.'
A moment later, he looked at his watch, and said, 'Rubeus is late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here?'
'Yes, and I don't suppose you'll tell me why we're here, of all places?'
'I've come to place Harry with 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?' Minerva cried, shocked and outraged at the nerve of the man in front of her, pointing at the house whose drive they were standing on. 'Dumbledore, you can't!' she exclaimed.
'Shh, Minerva, there is no need to be so loud, I am only stood right here.' He said, trying to quiet her down.
Instead of being quiet, she waved a stick of wood around them, then proceeded to continue quite louder, 'I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find 2 people who are less like us. They've got this son, who I saw kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here, absolutely outrageous, Unthinkable!'
'Precisely why here.'
'Albus! He'll be famous!' she continued on, ignoring Albus' response. 'A Legend! I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future! Every child in our world will know his name!'
Albus butted into her rant and proclaimed, 'And if he were to be placed with a magical family, he will grow up to know fame, adoration. Famous for something he won't even remember. It will be enough to turn any boy's head. This is why he will be better off here.'
'Where he'll be abused. I have heard stories about Lily's sister, Albus. She hated her sister and magic.' Minerva pointed out.
'I already plan to have someone watch over him, someone from our world. She will be able to curb any abuse before it occurs. But I do hope he would have a good childhood, free of being popular in the manner I do not wish upon any child. His first 10 years is the time for childhood, not for being adored by the masses, doted on more then any child should be.'
Minerva calmed down, and after a moment, agreed, 'Its… for the best. I suppose.' Then, regaining her severe look, she stated, more then asked, 'You will put a guard to watch him. Make sure they do not treat him as something less then human.'
Albus nodded, and he looked at his watch again. 'Rubeus is not normally this late…' But as the words were out of his mouth, a rumble from the sky alerted him to a large mass approaching.
'You think it, wise, to trust Rubeus with someone as important as Harry?' she asked.
'I trust him with my life, so of course, I trust him with Harry.'
After that, Minerva noticed the rumbling noise and looked at the approaching mass. As it neared, the moonlight was enough, and the mass near enough, to illuminate a man sat atop a small motorcycle. But as it neared, and landed, it became obvious that it was not the motorcycle that was small, but the man that was big. Very big. And slung around his shoulder and hip, was a small bundle.
Pulling to a stop, the man turned the engine off and stood up, lazily lifting his leg over the bike, and walking over slowly to the 2 waiting witch and wizard.
As he neared, he whispered, 'Bes' be quiet now, lil' fella's fas'sleep.'
'Rubeus, at last. And, pray tell, where did you get that motorbike? It looks familiar.'
'Bur'ed it, P'fessor Dumbledore sir.' Rubeus whispered in reply. 'Yun' Sirius Bla' len' it me. I'ah, got him, sir.'
'No problems, were there?'
'No sir. House almost destroyed, bu' I go' him out right before the muggles star'ed swarmin' round. He fell 'sleep as we were flyin' o'er Bristol.'
Rubeus passed the bundle to Albus, and Minerva promptly looked into the bundle to see, just visible, the baby boy fast asleep. Under a tuft of raven-black hair covering his forehead, they could see a curiously shaped scar, like a bolt of lightning.
'Is that where…?'
'Yes. And before you ask, No can't do anything about it. Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. My own scars on my left leg and right upper arm are terribly useful. Why the one just above my knee is a perfect map of the London underground. I daresay, Harry's will be even more useful in the years to come.
As he placed the bundle on the doorstep, Rubeus wept, occasionally making the sound like that of a wounded dog.
'Shh, you'll wake the muggles!' Minerva said prompting Albus to shake his head, smiling as if in on a joke.
'You put up that privacy spell, remember?' he reminded her calmly, causing the severe woman to sigh in defeat, barely holding her own tears at bay.
As the 3 stepped away from the house, back to the motorbike, Albus said, 'well… we're no more business here now. We may as well go join the celebrations.'
Minerva shook her head and replied, 'I have 5th year homework to mark.'
Rubeus also added, 'An' the thes'rals need feedin' ton'eye't.'
Albus nodded, and curtly responded, 'then I bid you good night. See you tomorrow afternoon. Kindly ask Madame Pomfrey for some hangover potion for me, will you, Minerva my dear?'
'Oh, get it yourself tomorrow.' Minerva huffed, before disappearing with a muted crack.
'I' jus' be takin' the bike back ta Hog'arts den, P'fessor Dumbledore sir.' Rubeus said, stepping over the bike and sitting on it as he said so. 'see yer tomor'a, P'fessor.' And with that, Rubeus quickly took off into the night sky.
With a last look at the bundle on the doorstep, Dumbledore too disappeared with a muted crack.
Elsewhere on the street, a man in a shabby cloak shook his head and muttered about adding his own protection.
14th December, 1981
Marlene looked up from the photo album open on her lap upon hearing her husband arrive home.
'47 arrests! I swear, if we don't have them all by now, I'll kill the next Death Eater I encounter!' he exclaimed as he sat beside her.
'Shh! Angelina's napping.' She muttered, then, as an after thought, added, 'And I'm right next to you. No need to shout.'
'Sorry luv.' He said, sighed and leant back, closing his eyes. 'Stressful day. You know how it is. With the loss of James, Frank and Alice… even with You-know-who gone, still crazy at the office and in the field, trying to get every last one of them. Bloody hard too, most of 'em keep claiming Imperius. S'only when we get some Veritaserum into 'em that we can sort through them.'
'I take it that potion is in shortage then.'
'Yeh, and Dumbledore's potions master says he doesn't have any, nor the ingredients to brew it. Bloody git.'
Marlene just rubbed his leg, and said, 'Well, At least we don't have to hide anymore. Was too close last time.'
'Yup. Near enough the entire office thought we were dead until I walked in last month.'
'Still feeling weak?'
'Yeh, just a bit. Damn it, I hate having such slow recharge rate.'
'But you do have large reserves, so it's not like you'd notice.'
'We both depleted ours, remember?'
'… Good point.'
They both sighed, and just sat there, together, in silence for a few minutes, until…
'Who's turn is it on nappy duty?' he asked.
Marlene just tapped him lightly, mock-hitting him, and said, 'yours, since you're going to joke about it Daniel.'
Daniel stood up, eyes wide open, and fell to his knees in front of her, 'please… anything but that…'
'Oh shove it and change her, will you?'
Daniel stood back up, then grunted and rubbed his knees while limping slightly to the baby's room.
Just as she heard Angelina stop crying, 3 men in black robes, wearing white masks, burst through the front door. The last Marlene saw before the black, was a green flash of light.
Alastor Moody looked at the dead bodies of his protégé and his wife, then at the 3 tied-up unconscious men in black cloaks wearing white masks, and gave all 3 a good kick to the ribs, satisfied to hear the bones snapping.
'Who've we got?' his boss asked.
'Travers, and 2 I aint' see before, Madame Bones.' He replied, his voice more like a growl.
Suddenly, they both heard crying.
'That sounds' like a baby…' Madame Bones said. Alastor went through the house, and found the baby's room. Inside, was a baby's crib. And in the crib, was a child of around 1, 2 years old, stood looking at them, her cries having died down the moment she saw them. 'I didn't know they had a child…' Madame Bones muttered, as she moved to pick up the baby, and rock her back to sleep in her arms.
'None of us did. Musta kept it secret. Damn if I know how they kept it secret so long. She must be about 16 months old.' Moody gruffly replied.
'So many orphans… Already the orphanages are a bit full…'
Moody got an idea, and said, 'I know some foster carers in surrey. Muggles, but, I know 'em, Parents of my last Protégé. Good people. They might' take her in.'
Madame Bones looked at him, and she nodded. 'We'll need to keep her existence secret from most everyone. Merlin knows why Daniel and Marlene kept her secret even after he got zapped.'
'Don' worry, I know a few guys to get the records put were they need to be put. Jus' us 2 will know who she really is.'
'Okay. Names?'
Moody smiled, which, considering his face, looked quite horrific, and said, 'whatever her real name is, keep it that way. No one besides us will know who her parents are, alright?'
'Sure… fine… here, you take her now. I'll cover with the head.'
Moody took the baby, who had fallen asleep, and apparated away with her to a place in Surrey.
He quickly cast a spell, and got her name, Angelina McKinnon. He then promptly took her down the road and up a path to a large-ish house, knocked, and left her with the kindly woman who opened the door. Leaving her with little more then the baby's name, he left and disappeared from sight into the night.
