Sorting ceremony of 1991 is going to begin. The headmaster of Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry is sitting in his thorn-like chair, one eye twitching. The famous twinkle in his eyes is nowhere to be seen. He is nervous beyond measures, no one except his deputy knows why. Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived is most plausibly dead, at the hands of his relatives who were supposed to protect him.
He was untold about this development. He never checked on the boy. He sat idle, assuming blood would have taken care of the blood.
When no reply of acceptance came from Harry Potter, he quickly checked the list. He thought that it was a technical error, therefore he wrote a personalized message, but owl just sat there looking blankly at him.
He tried Faux, but just like many times in the past it did not appear, he could not feel him through the link, even.
Therefore, with no other way left, he and his deputy went to meet Petunia Evans Dursleys.
They shouted and shrieked at his appearance so he very politely bragged in their minds and what he found simply horrified him,
Abuse, neglect, torture, you simply name it. Last memory they had was beating him to near death, at the tender age of 4, an ambulance and police being called by neighbours. He has raised magical shields, at the time he left baby Harry at the doorsteps of his aunt and uncle so that no one sees anything out of ordinary, which in turn helped in hiding abuse from people. It was manipulated with Harry's magic, when Harry was near dead ward, collapsed to give more power to Harry for survival.
He got no recollection from either of their memories of what happened after that, though. No address of the hospital or any new caretaker house, no dead body or anything else was found as well. So he must be alive, right. One, who survived the greatest dark lord of 3 centuries, could not die at the hand of muggles, right?
So Albus is more or less sure Harry Potter will suddenly appear at this sorting out of nowhere, he would have to. The wizarding world is on his shoulders, he is their saviour.
His problems do not end there though, there is much more. Lord Arctus Black has suddenly started taking more and more interest in politics, again.
People have finally started forgetting the power the house of Black holds. Blacks are the richest family even now, at the top of the economic Hierarchy. Blacks are the head of sacred 28, hence could make Wizengamot answer to them, if they want.
They used to be vicious and just. They were ruler once and still have the power to be, but sadly they lost their man force. Orion Black bowed at the feet of Voldemort. Arctus made it clear that the person who kneels in front of others would never be the head of his house.
Orion had married his first cousin Walburga Black, even with the highly tainted highly tainted inbreeding their children were born extremely powerful.
Sirius was a very powerful wizard, from birth, the reason he took time to manipulate him on his own side, but that did not end well, Walburga threw him out of the family and made her youngest the heir of the family.
Regulus Black was an extremely smart child if a little insane and obsessive and would have made a Wizengamot dance to his tunes, just like Arctus did in his youth. He would have even tried to take his favourite pawn, Severus, fortunately, he died.
Still, Sirius was not the Head of the House nor Lord of the estates. So he let him rot in Azkaban, he had to, after all his interference could have hindered his greater good, and he was useless anyway.
He stops thinking when Minerva starts sorting.
"Abbot, Hanna" 'Ah... neutral family but their magic align towards dark.' "Hufflepuff"
"Bones, Susan" 'their magic may be light but they are politically neutral... only neutrals to fight against Voldemort' "Hufflepuff"
"Black, Hercules" Hall goes silent at that point. A Black, where can a Black come from?
It is quite interesting indeed, Lord Black coming out of long seclusion, which people thought would be only after his death, at his funeral to be precise. Now, this new heir, Black heirship ring is shining through the great hall, a black rose made of black diamonds and pearls.
Headmaster has the hopeful look, many years ago one Black had changed the hierarchy by being in Gryffindor, and this child can do the same.
He just has to be in Gryffindor and he would easily be able to control him, after all, he must be missing a benign and jolly figure in his life after living with that useless Arctus. He was too stern for his own good. His smile and twinkle return, if not Harry, Hercules could be just the person.
He quickly sends a Leglimency attack to make his dream come true.
Just like that, his smile faded away. He knows old families start teaching mind magic quite early in life, so he has sent a strong probe, strong enough for any average brained adult wizard to succumb to his wishes, but this boy batted it away like a fly. First time in his life he felt fear. What would he do now? If Arctus even get a hint of this, he will have his head.
The boy is giving no indication though and Albus takes a sigh of relief and smiled. Maybe the child is natural and not realized that he was attacked. It will be fine.
Hat shouts "Slytherin" chuckling loudly, all were confused about his reaction but sorting moves on. Albus barely follows through the rest of it.
The boy being Slytherin changes everything. If he wants him to be on his side, he would have to stop favouring his Lions for a while and stop spreading prejudice against Slytherins, ok, maybe not that, he just has to be a bit sneakier about it. He can even pitch him against Voldemort or to the adventures he planned for Harry Potter.
He cannot just waste his time at the Harry Potter now; he has bigger fish at hand.
Sorting ended and murmurs started filling the hall.
Daily Prophet has so benignly reminded to each and every one of the impending return of the saviour since August 1st; they all wanted to see Harry Potter. He could even feel the buzz in the staff member.
He donned his sad, broken and weary look and stood for the speech.
"There is sad news for our world. I do wish you all would understand the importance and fragility of the situation and behave like a mature young man and Ladies you are. You all must have noticed the absence of young Mister Potter from his peer group, even when he survived the killing curse, he could not hold the lingering effect of the darkest magic.
According to his relatives took his last breath on October 31st, 1984, at the tender age of 4. This is one more soul lost to the evil which entered in our pious world in the form of Lord Voldemort."
He looks at their faces for hints. Expressions varied from dispassionate to rage, disappointment, fear and hurt. He can even see the sense of victory and joy in the eyes of some students but the boy he wants to know is wearing a complete blank mask of indifference, not a single peek of his thoughts from which his emotions could display. A modal Slytherin, indeed!
"Now we will take 1 minute to mourn the dead and pray for his soul, may the young soul rest in peace."
After five minutes food appeared and all ate, slowly the students starts forgetting it in the chatter and the world stars moving on.