The many different ways Harry Potter could have been raised.
Five minute rule
Albus Dumbledore looked on sadly. If this development of Harry Potter being alive counted for anything, then that meant that the greatest threat to the whole world, Tom Marvolo Riddle, was still alive. As much as it pained him to admit it, prophecies were quite annoying things to deal with. It also pained him to know that Harry Potter would have to, eventually, face Lord Voldemort in single combat- and he knew that without a shadow of a doubt, Tom would win. There was only one thing that he could do- as a form of last tribute to the loyal James and Lily Potters, he would ensure that Harry was as ready to face the Dark Lord as he could ever be. With that thought in mind, he Apparated out of Privet Drive and back into the minimum safe distance of Hogwart's borders. He had much to think about, and if he was right, then he should be able to find all the information he needed in his Pensieve.
About six minutes later, he was disturbed from his thoughts by his Vice-headmaster Mcgonnagal, who came bursting in.
"ALBUS! It's terrible- it's-" she paused to catch her breath. When she spoke next, it was much calmer.
"Harry Potter has been abducted by persons unknown. I only found out when I went back to check on Harry, and he was gone!" Albus was rarely shocked. Now he was. He just stood there, mouth hanging open like a carp as he tried to process what Minerva had said. It was vaguely reminiscent of the very first test he'd done for Hogwarts, where he'd said, to the whole class, 'I am a fish,' and then flopped down on the ground and started writhing in panic. The only thing he said was "Huh?"
Five minutes earlier…
Dan looked on as the old man with the long beard disappeared.
"Damn, a magician. That explains the little light gizmo."
"Dan, the huge man and the wizard just left a baby on the front porch of that house."
"Well, Mitzi? What do you suggest I do about it? Take advantage of the ancient laws of baby snatching?" Seeing her expression, he sighed.
"Alright, fine. Fine! We'll take the baby if nobody claims it."
"It could be good. After all, a mature woman turned into a cat near him. That's got to be an omen of something."
"Maybe." Mitzi scribbled a brief note explaining about the baby.
"Five minutes only."
After five minutes, the baby hadn't been claimed at all. Dan shrugged. Far be it for he to ignore the five minute baby rule. He stealthily made his way over to the baby, took up the cradle, placed the note down and disappeared. A few seconds later, Professor Mcgonnagal apparated back into Little Winging to check on Harry Potter, and saw that he had disappeared.
"He has a scar on his forehead." Mitzi looked over their newest charge.
"Maybe he got it from headbutting a lightning bolt or something. That'd be AWESOME."
"Or maybe it's something to do with wizards."
They continued the argument all the way back on the flight.
Now…
Dumbledore looked at the small note in his hands. Written on it in large block capitals were the wordsFIVE MINUTE BABY RULE.
"What should we do now, Albus?" Albus Dumbledore shrugged. As every genius knew, sometimes you just had to take the biggest shocks and turn them to your advantage.
"We can still track Harry Potter down. The blood wards, while important, are also beaten by simply having Harry Potter in another country entirely. It's not ideal, but with no idea who these people are, we don't really have any other options if they apparently have a law that allows them to steal babies." Minerva cooled down slightly, but she was still angry at how calmly Dumbledore was taking this recent development.
"But Albus! At least with his Muggle relatives, we would have been able to step in should something have happened to him! We don't even know who these people are!"
"True, true. However, this is for the greater good of all."
Harry Potter burbled in his new cot. He didn't know it yet, but his life had taken a turn for the serious betterment of everything. Meanwhile, his oldest brother was looking over him.
"Hmm. I've only seen things like this in theoretical exercises. Basically, he'll be fine, but there's a piece of soul in his head." Dan nodded. His oldest son might be a disappointment, but there was no other doctor he'd trust apart from his own son.
"Is it detrimental to his mental or physical health in any way?"
"No. In fact, if I got the right materials, I could probably have it exorcised by the time he's five years old."
Authors' notes: It begins. This is only the beginning.
Next time: Harry Potter as raised by Pokémon.
Yeah, I should probably update my other fics. Unfortunately, I don't really feel motivated.
So here's a place for random drabbles.