Author's Note: This fic is not intended to strictly adhere to canon. Though many (or most) of its characters and recognizable elements of the plot are of course property of JKR, this story is AU. I don't own anything except my original character(s) and plot that deviates from Harry Potter canon universe.
Chapter 1: Wait, Who Lived?
Albus Dumbledore sat at the desk in his office, observing the mostly slumbering potraits of his predecessors, while attempting to organize his thoughts and feelings regarding the upcoming year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, at which he was Headmaster.
He had been preparing for the beginning of this particular term for almost a decade now. He expected these incoming first years would prove to be anything but ordinary and predicted that, for many, their experiences here at school were likely to be correspondingly outside of the everyday garden-variety.
The Headmaster was not alone in his anticipation of the new academic year at Hogwarts and its promising group of new students. Throughout the magical world, witches, wizards, and other magical beings had been awaiting the start of this term with widespread excitement and curiosity, for everyone knew that this year there would be a very special new first year attending Hogwarts. As of now, the child himself was still in the dark regarding his status and heritage as a wizard, though he should receive his notification letter shortly, but the rest of the magical community watched on, intrigued, waiting for the young boy's return to their society after his mysterious 10 year absence. After all, it wasn't every year that Hogwarts welcomed the arrival of the saviour of the entire magical world (and probably the Muggle world as well), it wasn't every year that one of Hogwarts' new students was Harry Potter, THE Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.
While all this did indeed occupy a significant portion of Headmaster Dumbledore's consideration, he was truthfully more concerned about the arrival of another very exceptional new student, though the knowledge of just how exceptional was limited to only he and one other living person (though this classification could be considered questionable after exposure to the dementors of Azkaban for so many years). This student (thankfully) would not incite the media frenzy that Harry would, nor be gawked at by her peers. In fact with any luck, the little witch might just escape outsider scrutiny altogether. Like he said, they would need help from Lady Luck, but if he could keep her from drawing too much attention and keep everyone else from digging into her past, they might just pull it off. Unfortunately, he expected keeping the media away from the famous Harry Potter to be much easier than keeping the identity, past, and great importance of little Elizabeth Black to the fight against the Dark Lord a secret.
It certainly was an important year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for the magical community as a whole actually. This was the year that the magical world welcomed back the Children-Who-Lived.
Author's Note: Let me know what you think! I know that I have several stories in their early chapters on the go right now, and I do fully intend on continuing them as well, I just find myself easily distracted by other story ideas bursting to get out, a distraction that is only encouraged by low review numbers. So the more reviews I get, the more likely I am to update frequently. Thanks!