The news had flown right across Britain fast. Within hours everyone knew what had happened with the Potters, rumors for some. Many rejoiced for their one true enemy was gone as it seemed. The rumors surrounded the fate of the Potters. At 3am no one was awake, in the chilly November air there wasn't a single sound. Except a loud pop. Followed by the sound of heels clicking down the pavement along the street of Privet Drive. The strange orange glow of the lampposts lit the way for Minerva McGonagall. Counting the bronze numbers of each house until she got to her destination, then she stood waiting. Whispering a quick charm to help her contain heat in such weather. She quickly realized that her…other form would be able to blend in with her surrounding as well as keep her warm.
Suddenly the lamppost went out one by one in the direction of McGonagall. The orange glow disappeared around her and the shadows engulfed her small figure. An old man approached her in a long cloak, it was too dark to determine the color but his silver long beard almost reflected off the moons pale light. He smiled at the small cat sitting perched on a wall in front of him.
"I should have known it was you. Professor McGonagall." He said quietly, leaning down towards the cat. Within seconds, the cat morphed back into Minerva and she grasped her cloak tightly to her chest.
"Albus, tell me its not true, about Lily and James." She whispered, struggling to get the sentence out as the lump in her throat grew and her eyes glazed over with tears as Albus' smile faded into a dull frown.
"I'm sorry Minerva. The boy, Harry is well. Hagrid is bringing him." He sighed, checking a watch with no numbers just strange hands whizzing around the face of the clock.
"Surely you don't mean to leave the boy here! Albus he is a baby, these people are awful. I watched them all day until Remus appeared. The poor man was in a state, he couldn't stop crying he guessed Harry would be brought here and he told me about Sirius. I had to get him away from the muggles before he brought too much attention. He's with Molly and Arthur. They'll take care of him until he is in the right mental state to be on his own." She explained sadly, the memories of the man Remus apparating in front of the house where they stood. He was ready to knock until Minerva shifted back and called out his name. His eyes were bloodshot red, his hands shaking and he couldn't even get the words out. Minerva let a single tear drop from her eyes and roll down her cheek.
The old man, Albus rummaged in his cloak before retrieving a green silk handkerchief and passed it to Minerva who dotted her eyes with it before folding it up. A loud bang interrupted their silence and a bright light shone down the street. A motorcycle was flying down from the sky, through the lampposts and eventually hitting the concrete with a hard thud.
"Shhh." The giant man on the motorcycle whispered to the bundle he had wrapped around his chest. He held the bundle tight as he clambered off the motorcycle.
"Hagrid, did you get there on time?" Albus asked the man named Hagrid.
"Yessir, just before the muggles started crowdin', he fell asleep as we were flying over Bristol." Hagrid replied, giving the bundle a small hug as the baby inside it slept on. Minerva gasped a little and stepped towards Hagrid, she peaked into the bundles and a soft smile appeared on her face as the little baby stirred in his sleep.
"May I?" She asked Hagrid, holding her arms out. Hagrid looked at Albus almost for approval as the old man nodded, he gently lifted the baby and his blankets out of the bundle and into Minerva's arms.
"He doesn't even realize what he's done or what has happened." She whispered gently pulling the baby closer to her chest. Although she was smiling at the boy, her voice was said as she recalled what had happened to his parents. Their sacrifice lead to his safety.
"And nor will he know until he becomes of age to come to Hogwarts. Come on now Minerva, I've wrote his aunt and uncle a letter explaining." Albus said sternly with no emotion. He pulled out a crisp letter from his robe with a red wax seal ready to be torn open in the morning. However the look on Minerva's face did not approve.
"Albus. He is the most famous boy in our world! His parents were the most kind hearted people I've ever met. I will not allow him to grow up in this horrible world with his aunt and uncle who I know to be the complete opposite of Lily and James. The boy would be tortured!" She exclaimed and immediately regretted raising her voice as the baby made a small sigh and rolled closer to Minerva's chest.
"This is where he will be safe. His aunt is tied to his mother's sacrifice by blood relation. He wont find him here." Albus tried to explain but the old woman before him was grasping at her own maternal instincts and held the boy tighter.
"No. There is another way. You say he is protected from him by Lily's blood and her sacrifice?" She asked the man who nodded in response.
"Then, before they are buried we take a vial of both Lily and James' blood and have it sealed into some sort of charm for Harry to carry with him everyday. A ring perhaps." She suggested, her brow furrowing thinking of all the family rings she knew about and how she could contain their blood in a stone.
"A ring? The boy is only one Minerva where will he stay if we can get this to work?" Albus asked, growing tired of the old woman's resistance.
"..I…uh…..with me. Harry will stay with me. Albus you know how I could never have children. This baby needs protection and we are the best people to give him that chance. Not some muggles who would traumatize him." She huffed, pointing in the direct of number 4. Albus sighed, rubbing his hands together inside his cloak. Would a family ring work? Could their combined blood give him the protection he needed?
"Alright, Hagrid take these and this, fill them up and label them. Bring them to Severus as soon as you can I will have explained our new tactic to him by the time you are done." Albus said handing Hagrid two vials with tops and a small needle and syringe. Minerva shuddered at the thought of poor Hagrid having to do this daunting task. 'I will allow you permission to use magic in the case of an emergency. Send their bodies to St Mungo's, there they can be cleaned up and prepared for a respectful burial." He finished, for the first time since he heard the news a lump started to grow in his throat as he thought of the young couple.
"Alrigh sir, I'll see to it. Can I visit him? He's grown on me." Hagrid asked, looking over Minerva's shoulder down at the baby.
"Of Course Hagrid. I'll let you all go. He must be cold, these blankets are all he has left. Oh, Hagrid you couldn't try and spare any of his toys, clothing or photos from the house? It would be nice for him to have something from his parents." Minerva asked never taking her eyes of the baby who was sound asleep and had no idea what was going on.
Hagrid nodded and with that hopped back onto his motorcycle and sped off into the night, the bright headlight shining through the clouds as he lifted off into the sky. Minerva smiled at Albus who was sucking on some sort of hard boiled sweet, she had no words left as in this moment she was overjoyed she finally got her chance to raise a child. Turning away from number 4 Privet Drive she walked a few steps and with her final one apparated away with Harry.
Albus Dumbledore clicked his put-outer and one by one the lampposts came back on and the hum of their bulbs left the only sound on Privet Drive as he too apparated home. But the war was far from over.
Okay I'm back yes! I first wrote this when I was about 15/16? And gave up as I lost my inspiration and from following emails of people reviewing this story still years later wanting more I decided to give it another try at the age of 18. The family ring is a new more believable idea than just Hogwarts' wards. The more reviews this gets the more motivated I am to keep going and so with restarting I have to get rid of all existing chapters. More will follow and I will take some of the reviews into consideration about plot lines. I'm honestly glad to be writing again and I really hope you all enjoy this newer and improved version of this story.