CHAPTER 1

Albus Dumbledore apparated in front of Hogwarts gates.
An unkind, cold breeze swept the courtyard, but in the air you could smell the scent of freedom, of salvation.
Finally the Magic World was safe, finally Lord Voldemort had been defeated… but a really high price had been paid for such a happiness.
He began to walk towards the magnificent castle. Many lights were still on even if t was very late in the night.
He knew that the news of the fall of the Dark Lord had already widespread in record time all over the Magic World and everyone knew what had happened that night.
He imagined the students celebrating the happy event in their common rooms. He smiled thinking of the professors who couldn't prevent these celebrations. Maybe, in the end, they would join their students.
He crossed the door that led into the Entrance Hall and he was slightly surprised from what he saw:
Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Filus Flitwick, Pomona Sprite and Hagrid were standing at the base of the marble staircase. It seemed as they were waiting for both his return and more news of what had been and what was coming.
"Good evening," he hailed, smiling lovingly as usual.
"Albus…so what? What happened?" Professor McGonagall asked, getting directly to the point.
"Is it… is it true what they're saying?"asked Professor Sprite.
"I am afraid it is," said calmly the Headmaster.
"Do you mean… Lily and James… dead?" Professor Flitwick asked hesitantly.
Dumbledore nodded.
"And what about little Harry?"
"Harry is safe and sound," Professor Dumbledore replied happily.
"Did he survive? Really?" Professor Snape asked, speaking for the first time that evening.
Dumbledore nodded once more.
"Where is he now?" Pomona Sprite asked.
As if he had intention to answer on his own, a little cry sounded in the Entrance Hall, coming from Dumbledore cloak.
Dumbledore smiled and opened his cloak: after getting Harry from his parents destroyed house, he had put the little Potter under his cloak, (in the warm) to shield him from the cold.
Everyone got closer to the old Wizard, looking at the face of little Harry, of the little hero who had become the hope of the Magic World, the only one who had been able to defeat the Dark Lord.
Minerva covered her mouth with her hands.
Blood covered the face of the baby and, in his forehead, half visible through a tuft of black hair, there was a strange scar which was shaped like a bolt of lightning.
"Albus, don't tell me that he is there…" she whispered.
The old Headmaster nodded, without keeping the eyes off the little baby in his arms who was looking at him serenely, not knowing what had happened.
Albus watch those emerald iris that were smiling at him.
"Grandpa…" the little happy boy stammered.
The old Wizard smiled.
"Voldemort tried to kill him without success. That scar will be on his forehead forever," he replied, keeping his eyes on the baby.
"Where will he live?" Professor Flitwick asked, looking merrily at the child. "Someone should take care of him, Albus, don't you think? What about a wizard family?"
"No, little Harry now is in the same danger as before," Albus replied taking off his gaze from the little one and looking at his colleagues. "We can't give him to a wizard family: surely the Death Eaters will try to kidnap him or, worse than ever, to kill him, and we can't permit such a thing to happen.
"What do you want to do, Albus?" Minerva asked.
"He will stay here," Dumbledore said. "Here, in the castle of Hogwarts, he will be safe. As you see, Harry adopted me as his grandfather, and now that he has lost his parents, he will need love anyway. Hogwarts will be his home and his inhabitants will be his family. This child is pure of heart and so he has to remain. Let's try, do you agree? He has an incredible power and we have to help him to develop it!"
Minerva smiled, imitated immediately by Pomona, Filius and Hagrid. Severus stayed on his own, watching with a dark expression on his face the smiling happy baby who was looking at all the people around him.