A Life at Hogwarts
Chapter One: Magic
Albus Dumbledore had been relaxing in his office, contemplating the end of the school year and the idea of the young Harry Potter returning to Hogwarts in September, when he received the floo call from Arabella Figg informing him that even as she spoke the Dursley's were heading out of town. Leaving Harry Potter all alone at the age of ten.
"Albus, I know you've always said that Harry needed to stay there, but they are horrible people!" Arabella exclaimed. "And now they're leaving him all alone in there, and they've turned off the electricity. At this rate he'll die of heat stroke before even setting foot in Hogwarts," she finished.
Dumbledore knew he'd been pushing the limit these past few years as more and more of the reports constantly said that Harry wasn't being treated well, but he'd had no other safe place for a child as young as Harry. However, now that Harry would soon be starting school, and considering the high danger he seemed to be in just being looked after by the Dursley's, Dumbledore came to the decision that now was the time to have Harry relocated to Hogwarts, something he'd wanted to have done for quite some time.
"You are right Arabella, Harry does seem to have been left on his own at a most inopportune time, which I believe means that Mr. Potter will be coming to Hogwarts, today," Albus said, with his notorious twinkle in his eye.
"That's wonderful Albus, shall I arrange for him to leave or will you be sending someone else to pick him up?" Arabella asked.
Dumbledore smiled at her and said, "No worries my dear, I shall be going to pick up young Harry myself."
Meanwhile the ten year old they were discussing was staring at a little spider scurrying around on his hand waiting for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Harry knew this would happen fairly quickly considering all his time spent living in his cupboard, but he knew this day marked another milestone in the ridiculous things the Dursley's did. Leaving him alone was one thing, they'd done it many times before, Harry knew, but never had they decided to save money and turn off the electricity with him in side.
His Aunt Petunia hadn't even shown him where the candles and matches were; saying that with their luck Harry would burn the house down. Luckily, Harry thought as he decided his eyes had adjusted and he propped up his legs to kick open the cupboard door, he tended to do nighttime exploring around the house and knew where said candles were.
"Aha," Harry exclaimed as he opened a drawer and found all of the candles. "What do you know, little spider friend," he said glancing down at the spider now on his arm, "We're in luck. Now all we need to do is find a book somewhere around the house that I can read to pass the time."
While Harry was searching through the bookshelf looking for something that might hold his interest, his spider friend forgotten somewhere, he realized how hungry he was, and then he realized that he'd have a hard time eating for the next week without use of the icebox, which put a damper on his fun. He supposed he could make do with bread and peanut butter for the week the Dursley's would be gone, but it wouldn't be fun. While going into the kitchen to make the sandwich Harry heard a knock at the front door.
"That's weird Spider," Harry remarked to the spider long gone, "who knocks on the door of a house where there are no lights?" Harry mused as he walked over to look out the window and see who was at the door. It was an old man with a weird looking dress/bathrobe, or so it appeared to Harry.
He decided to open the door, and was even more surprised when the man looked at him, smiled, and said, "Hello Harry, I'm an old friend of your parents, would you mind if I came in?" Harry didn't really know what to make of it, but he'd never met anyone who'd known his parents, so he let him in.
"Sorry there aren't any lights Sir," Harry said while trying to think of a good excuse for the complete lack of electricity, however before he could continue the man said, "No worries my boy," and while Harry looked on the man pointed a stick and lights shot out of it into the lightbulbs around the house, leaving Harry gaping at what he'd just seen.
"Excuse me sir, but who are you and what was THAT!" Harry exclaimed.
Dumbledore looked over at him and said, "I'm sorry Harry, how rude of me. My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and THAT was magic."