AN: Hey everyone I'm back! and with a new name lol! I am starting this new story with a Co-Author who is also my mother (DON'T JUDGE ME!) and I'm sorry for not continuing my previous story of Percy Jackson. I'm looking forward to reading your reviews on this story and hoping to get my creative juices flowing so I can continue the other story soon. But onto this one...I hope you enjoy the story and I'll only do this disclaimer one time so don't ask for more! We do not own the wonderful and beautiful world of Harry Potter nor any of it's sister stories written by J.K. Rowling...she owns it all and I am extremely happy it's her that owns it for I highly doubt anyone else would have done anywhere near as beautiful of a job at it as she did. And I thank J.K. Rowling for creating the world of Harry potter and sharing it with the world...she has made this world a better place due to its publication.
Harry Potter, Year One:
Prologue: Ding, Dong, The Dark Lord's Gone, (Here, Have Your Nephew)
October 31, 1986, 10 p.m. Potter's cottage, Godric's Hollow
He walked quietly through the shadows. He knew that between the new moon and his black hooded cloak, that nobody would see him. As he approached the gate to the hidden cottage, he knew that his spy was correct. This was the place all right. He could feel the spell that had been placed here. It was a powerful one, and only his spy could have told him where this place was.
He waved his wand silently at the gate, opening it without so much as a single squeak in protest, then walked through, shutting it behind him just as silently. He peered around. Yes, this looks like a typical magical abode. He could see where the vegetable garden was, protected from the frost with spells. He could also see where all the herbs and other ingredients for potions were planted, equally protected from the elements.
He moved slowly up the walk, then peered through the front window. He could see his prey there, playing with their little whelp. He watched as an ordinary looking man used his wand to create colored smoke rings to the glee of the little boy sitting in the woman's lap. After a few more minutes, the man put his wand away, kissed the little boy on the head, then said "Time for bed." The woman looked at him and told him "I'll be just a couple minutes." She picked up her wand, then carrying the little boy, disappeared up the steps. It was now time for him to make his move!
He waved his wand at the door, sending it crashing open. The man jumped up, grabbing his wand and yelling "Lily! Get Harry out of here now and get help!" The man from the shadows gave a whispery laugh and said "You don't stand a chance against me, now step aside!" The other man looked at him, and started to cast his spell. Before the other man could finish his spell, the man from the shadows said "Avada Kedavra", causing a green light to hit the other man directly in the chest, killing him instantly. "Foolish man! I would have spared you! I only want your son!"
Meanwhile, upstairs, the woman the other man called Lily quickly set her son down in his bed. She knew that she did not have time to hide or protect her son, so she did the only thing she could do. She quickly waved her wand, saying "Expecto Patronum". When the silvery doe appeared, she told it "go!" then watched it fly away, and split into 2. She hoped that they got the message in time to save her son. She then knelt in front of her son's bed, gave him a hug and kiss, then told him "Mummy loves you! Everything will be alright." She then turned around, placing herself between her son and the door, just as the door blew open.
The man from the shadows looked at her, and said "Foolish girl, get out of my way, and you will come to no harm!" Lily looked him in the eye, put her wand down, and said, "You will not harm my son!" The man from the shadows looked at her in wonder, then said "So be it. Avada Kedavra." The woman was hit by the green light and collapsed to the floor.
The man from the shadows then looked at the boy. The boy was barely old enough to walk. He smirked. There is no way that this child is going to be his undoing now! The child just looked at the man from the shadows, like he was studying him, trying to memorize his face. "Avada Kedavra" said the man one last time. To his shock, the green light bounced off the child as if a hand had swatted it away, and flew straight back at him. He felt a burning pain, as if a hot poker had burned him through the chest, then felt no more. The man from the shadows fell to the floor, dead. Minutes later, when the two men showed up at the cottage, there was nothing left of the room, except a crying baby and a huge hole in the wall in the side of the house. They were too late to save the parents, but needed to get the child out of there before the muggles showed up.
October 31, 1986, 11p.m., Godric's Hollow
Sirius blinked into existence on his friend, James Potter's, front lawn. Or at least, what used to be the front lawn. He looked around, and saw his other friend, Severus Snape, appear out of nowhere. "Did you get the message, too?" Severus asked. "Yes, I did." Sirius replied. "But, it looks like we're too late, though." Severus nodded at Sirius. "You go find and take the boy from here. I'll set the spells and hide this mess from the muggles until the ministry can get here to investigate." "Alright" Sirius said, then moved toward the house to search the wreckage for the crying baby. As soon as he found the baby and a soft blanket, he disappeared with them, heading for the meeting place with Hagrid, while Severus started the spells.
November 1, 1986, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, 5:30 am
For the inhabitants of 4 Privet Drive, November first was like all others. The alarm chimed at the usual time, Vernon Dursley got up, kissed his wife, Petunia, took his shower, got dressed in his usual boring suit, then sat down for his usual breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon and coffee. While Vernon was taking his shower, Petunia got up, put on her usual plain pants and flowered blouse, got their son up and dressed, put him in his high chair, put out the milk bottles, grabbed the newspaper off the stoop, then started breakfast.
Mr. Vernon Dursley was a big, beefy man, who was almost as wide as he was tall. He also had a big mustache that he took pride in the grooming of. He was a director at a firm called Grunnings, and prided in the fact that his section was at the top of the sales charts for the firm. Mrs. Petunia Dursley was tall and thin, and had a neck that was long enough to look over the back fence at their neighbors back yard so that she would later call her friends to gossip about what the "crazy cat lady" was doing now. Their son, Dudley, was a little boy, who more resembled a big pink beach ball with thick blonde hair than the toddler that he was.
They prided themselves on being very normal, thank you very much, and had absolutely nothing abnormal happen in their perfectly normal lives. There was one bad mark in their lives which they shuddered to think of anyone finding about. That one thing was Petunia's abnormal sister, and her equally abnormal husband. Because they had not heard from, or seen them for several years, the Dursley did not even think of "those crazy Potters" when they could help it.
After breakfast, Vernon skimmed the weather report in the newspaper while finishing his second cup of coffee, got up from the table, folding the paper and setting it down, kissed his wife and son, who was squirming all over the place while screaming and throwing food at the walls, and grabbing his briefcase, walked out the door to go to work. He started his car, pulled out, then started driving to work. It was when he got to the corner that he saw something unusual. There sitting on the corner, looking down the street, was a black and grey tabby cat that he had not seen before. "Bloody neighbor needs to start putting her cats in at night." he said, then he turned the corner and left Privet Drive behind for the day, and drove the work.
After a perfectly normal day at work, which included yelling at a few workers, shouting abuses over the phone, and then just for kicks, yelling at his workers some more, Vernon got up from his desk, walked out the door, got into his car and drove home. When he got to his home, he noticed that the same black and grey tabby was sitting on his garden wall. "Shoo!" he said, and could have sworn that the cat sat up stiffly and narrowed its eyes at him, then proceeded to clean its face, ignoring him. "Bloody neighbor really needs to take that cat to task and keep it on her property!" Vernon grumbled as he walked in the door. He shook it off, kissed his wife hello, then sat down to eat his dinner.
Later, after Dudley was put to bed, the Dursleys sat down to watch the news. It was the usual stuff at first, (The Prime Minister got caught with his pants down, literally; Surrey's football team had lost spectacularly, again; The money market was doing good, as usual; You know, the normal stuff you hear on the news.) This was when the anchor broke in, and said "This bit of new just came in: Owls have been spotted all over London today! It appears as if flocks of them were flying all over the place! Reports have also come from Kent, Yorkshire, Surrey and Cornwall about this unusual behavior! Let's just hope that this doesn't become an epidemic!"
Then the anchor straightened up the papers on his desk, and said "Now let's see what we can expect for tomorrow's weather. So, Ken, have there been any downpours of owls today?" Ken chuckled, "No, no owls to report, Tom, but I got a few complaints in Kent that instead of the rain that I predicted for today, they had showers of shooting stars! Sorry folks, nothing I can do about it, I don't control the weather, I just report it! As for tomorrow, you will be getting the rain that I promised you!" The weatherman then went on to do his usual weather report, so Vernon turned the television off, and turned to his wife.
"So, Petunia, Have you heard from your sister lately?" Petunia pursed her lips, blowing on her tea, and answered, "No, I haven't. Why would you ask me about her? " " Oh, nothing, I guess...It's just that...you know...umm…" Vernon cleared his throat at this point. "Well those last reports seemed as if they would, perhaps, been caused by her lot, you know?" Petunia just narrowed her eyes at him, then shrugged her shoulders. "As long as I don't hear from Lily, I just prefer to not think about her and her lot at all. After all, they have nothing to do with us." Vernon just agreed with her, got up, and got ready for bed. As he was getting ready for bed, he looked out the window, and noticed that the cat was still sitting on the wall, but was now looking down the street like it was expecting something to happen. He just shook his head, put on his pajamas, and turned out the light to go to bed.
November 1, 1986, 4 Privet Drive, Whinging, 11 p.m.
It was after everyone on Privet Drive went to bed that the man appeared at the corner. He was tall and thin, with long, white hair and an equally white beard that was long enough to tuck into the belt of the purple robes that he wore. He looked down the street and noticed a cat sitting stiffly on the garden wall. He chuckled to himself "I should have known that she would be here.", then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object that looked like a silver cigarette lighter. He clicked it 12 times and each time he did so, a light floated from a street light and into the puter-outer. When the street was finally dark enough, he walked over to the garden wall and sat down, saying "Imagine seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." He looked over at the cat, and instead of the cat sitting there, there was a tall, slim woman, who had black hair tightly wrapped in a severe bun, square lensed spectacles and wearing green tartan robes.
"How did you know it was I, Professor Dumbledore?", she asked. He chuckled, "Only you would sit there so stiffly and with such a look of disapproval." "Well, you would be stiff, too, if you sat here all day on the cold wall!" "All day?" "Yes, all day. And I must say, these people at this house are the worst sort of muggles that I have ever seen. Why, just this afternoon, the woman was being kicked in the legs by her son, who was screaming for sweets, when she took him for a walk!" "Well, at this moment, we can't be too picky." Dumbledore replied.
"Also, when they were watching the news, I couldn't help but hear about the reports. Did you realize that the muggle news reported owls acting strangely all over the place? And, there were shooting stars in Kent!" Professor McGonagall told him. "I bet the shooting stars were Dedalus Diggle's work! He never seems to show much common sense!" Dumbledore looked at her, and said,"Well, we must excuse some of these shows of magic and whatnot. After all, they have much reason to celebrate. Would you like a lemon drop?" Professor McGonagall looked scandalized. "Would I like a what? Also, in case you didn't realize what I was just saying, muggles are noticing these things that are going on, and reporting it on their news! It would be a sad shame if on the very day that You-Know-Who died that the wizarding world would suddenly be exposed!"
Dumbledore sighed,"That won't happen. The ministry will make sure that the shooting stars are attributed to muggle fireworks, and the owls will be slowing down now that the news has been shared everywhere. By the way, you do realize that saying Voldemort has never killed anyone, don't you?" Professor McGonagall shuddered, "Only you would be brave enough to say his name. After all, everyone has said that you were the only one that You-Know-Who….Oh, alright, Voldemort, was afraid of." As McGonagall said this last, she looked around as if she was afraid that the name would summon the man. Dumbledore looked at her and replied, " I have always said that allowing the fear of the name is the same as inviting the fear of the thing itself. Besides, I have no power that he does not have, I just choose to use my power in a different way."
"Well, you were always too noble to use your power that way!" McGonagall answered. "I'm glad that it's too dark out for you to see me! I haven't blushed this bad since Madame Pomfrey complimented my new earmuffs last Christmas!" For a while after that, they sat in silence each keeping their own thoughts.
Finally, Professor McGonagall broke the silence. "Is it true? What they are saying about Lily and James Potter? Are they truly gone? And, did he really try to kill their son? What happened?" Professor Dumbledore bowed his head, then answered. "Yes, they are dead, and the boy does live. As for how it happened, no one knows. And, yes, Voldemort did try to kill the boy. It appears that the spell bounced off him. Matter of fact, that is why I am here tonight. These people here are the only living relatives that the boy has left."
"You can't be serious!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "Leave the boy here? These people seem to enjoy snubbing anything that is different! Why earlier, I heard them talking about Arabella and her cats as if having several cats makes her a freak! They will not treat the boy right! Let me take him and raise him, like I am Leo!" "I'm sorry, Minerva, but I can't allow you to have him. You see, Petunia is Harry's only living blood relative now. I am casting a blood charm on him, which will be activated as soon as Petunia takes him in. I am going to have to trust in blood to keep him safe. Voldemort's followers are not going to give up, after all."
"Well, if you put it that way, I guess I don't have any choice, then do I? I still say that he will be safer in a witch or wizard's hands, though. Our community would be able to keep him safe. We could keep anything evil from happening to him!" "We can't keep him with us. He will be safer raised as a muggle, until the time comes for him to take his place amongst us. I am doing this for his own good. Now enough! Hagrid should have him here any second."
"Hagrid? Are you sure that's wise? I know that he means well, but doesn't he have to habit of…." "I trust Hagrid with my own life. He will not hurt the boy. You'll see. Ah, I believe that's him now!" Sure enough, McGonagall heard the sounds of a motor approaching. As it got louder, she looked around. In the sky, she could see what looked to be a huge black motorcycle approaching. The motorcycle touched ground, and with a quiet sputter, shut off.
Hagrid was a big man. Some said that he was too big to be allowed. He stood over 9 foot tall, and looked to weigh about 700 pounds. He had long, thick, curly hair black hair that could never be tamed. His bushy beard was just as wild as his hair. In his dust bin sized hands, he held a little bundle, which appeared to be a sleeping baby. He put his baby dolphin sized feet on the ground, and carefully dismounted the bike.
"The little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol.", he said, as he was handing the bundle over to Professor Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall looked at the sleeping baby and noticed the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. " Is that where…?" she asked, not able to finish her sentence. "Yes", was Dumbledore's answer. "He will carry that scar for the rest of his life! Is there any way we can remove it?" she asked. "No, there is no way. That is a scar caused by a very strong curse." Dumbledore said.
Dumbledore then walked over to the stoop of 4 Privet Drive and carefully placed the baby down. He then placed a letter addressed to Petunia Dursley on top of the baby. Hagrid started to give a loud cry, but quickly muffled it with his big handkerchief. He did not want to cause a scene or wake the muggles, after all. Professor McGonagall looked at Professor Dumbledore, then transformed into her cat again. She then laid down next to the sleeping baby, to make sure it stayed warm.
Professor Dumbledore looked at her, then said, "Alright, you can stay here for tonight. Keep him safe and warm until the muggles awake. Get ahold of me right away if they do not take him in, please." The cat sniffed at him, then putting her head on the baby's chest, made sure that she kept her eyes open and surveying everything around them.
"Come Hagrid. Let's go now. Don't worry, this is not goodbye forever. We will be seeing him again before we know it. " With those words, Dumbledore walked to the end of the street, waited for Hagrid to leave on the bike, then after putting the lights back where they belonged, disappeared in a flick of his cloak.
Minerva McGonagall was true to her word. She stayed there the whole night, until she heard the sounds of the Dursleys moving about. Then, quietly getting up, she hid behind the bushes and waited. A few minutes later, Petunia opened the door to put out the milk bottles, and then screaming for Vernon, picked up the baby and took him in the house. Her heart heavy, Petunia walked over to Arabella Figg's house next door, became a woman again, knocked on the door, and waited to be let in. She got Mrs. Figg's word that she would be contacted at the first sign of any trouble, then using flue-powder, went home to get much needed rest.
November 2, 1986, Ministry of Magic, London 10 a.m
Severus Snape had already been waiting for over an hour, when the portrait finally cleared its throat. He was standing in the waiting area by the Minister of Magic's office, (which was actually little more than a hallway with 2 chairs) waiting to see the Minister, Cornelius Fudge. Severus was a man who, being average height and weight, would normally be overlooked in his black robes. However, even though he did keep his long, black hair clean and combed, his hair always appeared to be greasy. This was due to the fact that his hair was so straight, that he had to use liberal amounts of hair product in it to keep it out of his eyes.
At the sound of the throat clearing next to him, he looked over. A short, squat man in judges robes and white powdered wig was now in the frame and waiting for Severus to notice him. As soon as Severus looked over, the man again cleared his throat, then said, "The minister is ready to see you now." Then, the man walked out of the frame.
Severus walked over to the minister's door and knocked. When he was told to enter, he turned the knob, walked in and shut the door behind him. He stood there, quietly waiting for the minister to speak to him. Cornelius Fudge was a short, stout man who tended to wear green suit and tie with a white shirt. On his head was a green bowler hat, which he wore to hide the fact that his brown hair was receding in the front. His blue eyes studied Snape for a few minutes before he spoke.
" What can I do for you, Severus?" the minister asked. Severus thought for a few seconds before responding. "Mr. Fudge, I came here for a few reasons. First and foremost, I have copies of the wills of James and Lily Potter. They entrusted them to me to hand over in the event of their deaths. In them, you will see that Sirius Black has been named as godfather of their son, Harry Potter, in the event of their deaths. If he is unable to take care of Harry, whether due to death or any other circumstances, then I am to be allowed to take his place."
"Oh, dear!", exclaimed Cornelius, "I'm afraid that I have some news on that matter. You see, Sirius Black was arrested yesterday afternoon, and has already been sent to Azkaban Prison. Also, young Harry was sent to his aunt and uncle last night for his protection. Dumbledore has set charms around him, you see." "What was Sirius arrested for? What were his charges? And why was there no announcement about his trial?" yelled Severus.
Cornelius looked a little taken aback by Severus' vehemence. "Well, as for the reason for his arrest and the charges, Sirius was arrested by the aurors for the murders of Peter Pettigrew and a dozen muggles, who were innocent bystanders on a street that he blew up yesterday afternoon. He was also charged for providing the location of the Potters' location to You-Know-Who, resulting in their deaths. Because his guilt in the death of Pettigrew was so obvious, there was no trial. He was taken straight to Azkaban Prison from the place that he was arrested."
"So, presumed guilty on all charges, without any questions or trial, in other words?" "My dear fellow, think about it. Sirius was standing on the sidewalk across the street from the spot that a big hole had been blown in the road! There were bodies and body parts everywhere! He was laughing about it! He even handed over his wand, and allowed himself to be led away while still laughing! Would you have taken him to the courtrooms, or would you have saved everyone's time by just taking him to Azkaban?"
"What about the other charges? The ones where he is charged with the Potters' deaths?" Cornelius tried to calm himself down. He was not used to being questioned about his decisions made this way. "I was told that Sirius was made the secret keeper of the Potters' location. For this reason, the only way that You-Know-Who would have been able to find them, is if Sirius himself told him!"
"Who told you that Sirius Black was the secret keeper? Their secret keeper was Peter Pettigrew, not Sirius! Sirius was only in hiding, matter of fact, staying very close to my location, so that he could throw the scent off Pettigrew being their secret keeper!" "Oh. That's too bad, then. The person who told me it was Sirius was Albus Dumbledore. He also told me that veritaserum would be no good against Sirius, therefore not to even try it."
Severus' eyes narrowed. "You mean to tell me, that not only did Dumbledore make sure that Sirius would not go to trial, but he also has control over what happens to the Potters' son, and where he goes? That even that will, which will tell everyone the truth, is no good, because Dumbledore has decided what is going to happen, no matter what? Who is the Minister of Magic here? Is it Cornelius Fudge? Or is it Albus Dumbledore?" With that last question, Severus Snape slammed the door open using his wand and stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind him.
Cornelius sank into his office chair and covered his face with his hands. After a few minutes, he picked up his quill and got out a fresh piece of parchment. "Dear Albus" he wrote. "Severus was just here, just like you said he would be. He has been told about Sirius Black and Harry Potter just as you told me to. He also brought me copies of James Potter's and Lily Evans Potter's will. I will be hiding them, just as instructed. No one will know that Sirius was innocent of all the charges brought against him. I just hope that we are doing the right thing. Sincerely, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic." Then he went to his owl, handed it the letter, told it the letter was for Albus Dumbledore and opened the window for it. As he sat down at his desk once more to get to work, he thought to himself, "I hope that Harry Potter will be alright, otherwise this will mean more than my job."