Chapter 1 - Plans
The night was dark, especially in this street. It was like all the light has been made to disappear by some-one. The only movement was in front of number 4 Privet Drive. The strangest of people was standing in front of the door. The first was a giant of a man; his wild hair and beard made him look dangerous and fierce when in fact he was very gentle and soft hearted. His eyes were sad and wet and if you were close by you could hear a soft sob coming from him.
The second was a severe looking woman. Her grey hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she had a look of utmost distaste on her face as if she knew they were not supposed to be there and that what they are about to do was wrong.
The last of the group was the strangest of the lot. The man was ancient looking. His white beard was reaching his down to his waist and his white hair was just as long. His face was wrinkled with age. His face was sad although his blue eyes where twinkling madly. He looked like the weakest and least dangerous of the group but in fact he was not.
Albus Percival Wolferic Brian Dumbledore was rumoured to be the only one ever feared by He-who-must-not-be-named, confirmed leader of the light, defeater of the dark Lord Grindewalt and many other titles too numerous to name. His mind was spinning with glee as he was thinking, which made his eyes twinkle even more.
The little bundle in his hands where the last part of his elaborate plans. In 10 years this baby will come to Hogwarts and see him as his saviour. He will then break him down more with continues attacks by Voldemort and the public. He will make sure they kill each other and he will finally have his revenge.
He had one or two lose ends still but before the night is out they will be tied up as well. Yes, he was playing a dangerous game but he had fooled the public in general and can now basically do what he wants. It is only the fools that question him now and he can deal with them quite quickly.
He turned with the bundle in his arms to face the door. He placed the bundle on the doorstep with a letter on top. The bundle contained he last surviving heir of the Potter line. Albus had no idea how the little boy survived but he will use it to his advantage.
He had an evil glint in his eyes for a couple of seconds, but he schooled his features back into place as he turned around to face his companions again. He will have to deal with them quickly; he had a lot of work still to do tonight. He firstly needs to make sure that none of the boys godparents try and claim him and the best way to do that is to get rid of them completely.
The Black boy was easy to deal with, it's the Longbottoms that present a bit of trouble but before the night is out he would take them out of the picture. That would be the best course of action in the end.
He looked up at the giant and with a soft expression on his face spoke to him. "There, there Hagrid. We will see him again."
The giant nodded as he wiped away his tears, "It's just sad that Lily's and James's son has to live with muggles Prof'esr. Poor lit'le tyke." With a sad last look he turned and walked away.
The woman was more difficult to deal with, "You sure we can leave Harry here Albus? I have watched them the whole day and they are the worst kind of muggles!"
"They are also his only living relatives, it's the best place for him" Albus replied. Silently he added all thanks to me. He took her by the arm and slowly walked away from number four.
"I'll see you at Hogwarts Minerva?" he asked her. She nodded her head just before she too disappeared into the night. With a last look at number four he flicked his hand and all the lights in the street came back on. Not long now he thought as he to disappear with a soft pop.
Four figures stepped out of the shadows as the old man disappeared. They were there the whole time and they knew that now was the time to act.
They were once powerful. The four apprentices of the great Merlin himself. When their master and mentor moved on to the great beyond with his beloved, they left their home and came to this land. Together they built a castle to carry on their master's legacy, to train and nurture the gifts of others like them.
And so Hogwarts was formed. They poured their magic into building the castle, for all that had the gift deserved the knowledge that Merlin passed on to them. It became their lives work until the day they too would pass on to the great beyond.
They were the best of friends until the day that they died. Tragedy struck the four friends later in life. In a terrible accident Salazar's wife died. Blinded by grief and rage his second son turned to the most vile and evil of the arcane arts. He blamed the muggles for her death and swore his revenge upon them.
In a bid to stop his son for his evil acts Salazar chased after his son. A great battle between father and son ensued in witch Salazar lost his life, and so sixty years after the build of Hogwarts the first of the founders died.
Avenging the death of his friend, Gordic chased after the wayward son of Salazar and managed to kill him, but in the battle he was mortally wounded. He lived long enough to return to Hogwarts and say his farewells to his remaining friends, and so it was a week after the death of Salazar that Gordic followed his friend into the great beyond.
The two remaining friends grieved for their lost friends and as time went by you could see the sad looks on their faces whenever they thought about them. But fate is a cruel mistress. Ten years later tragedy struck the friends again.
Rowena's daughter grew jealous of the knowledge that her mother held and one night slipped into her room. Attempting to steal her mother's diadem, she got startled when her mother caught her. In a panic she stabbed her mother mortally wounding her. She fled the castle with the diadem leaving behind her daughter and husband.
In her dying breath Rowena cursed her daughter "As we who have founded this place are bound to forever serve her, so are you forever bound to this place, your soul shall not rest until you have atoned for your sins."
She would only later come to realize that she had not only cursed her daughter but herself and her friends as well.
Helga was the last of the four friends, left alone with the children of her friends she lived for another eighty years. She saw Salazar's eldest son marry Rowena's granddaughter. Her only daughter married Gordic's only son. She became their mother and advisor. She saw grand children born and grow-up.
Then on the ripe old age of one hundred and ninety six years she quietly passed away. The four founders of Hogwarts ware no more. The castle shook with her death as the curse Rowena spoke came to fulfilment. The four friends where re-united but not in the beyond as was expected.
The essence of their souls where bound to the castle, they were not dead nor were they alive. They could talk and think, they could do magic but they could not live or age. They became the guardians of the castle, they have made Hogwarts sentient. Stairs started to move, doors pretended to be walls, walls pretended to be doors …the building re-arranged itself to fulfil its duties, to protect and educate the children of this country.
For the next thousand years they watched and listened as generations of children came to learn, never interfering and occasionally help a student in the right direction. That is they never did until now. They have been watching and could watch no more.
For years they have watched Albus Dumbledore, since the day he first stepped into the castle as an eleven year old. He was smart and powerful but even then he was a nasty child. Even then as a child he manipulated people, lied and did questionable acts.
Then the boy became a man and started to teach at the castle and the founder got the full measure of the man. As they looked at his mind they saw how the man had manipulated a man until he was seen as a dark lord and how Dumbledore then killed him to set himself up as the saviour of the Wizarding world.
They saw how he subtlety changed the views of the Wizarding world to fit him. They saw how he led some people to follow a dark path and other to the light. The worst of all was Tom Riddle. When the boy Tom first came to Hogwarts he was alone, powerful and smart. Salazar immediately recognized the boy from his blood line the last heir from his second son.
They watched as Dumbledore manipulated the boy and by his seventh year the boy became the next dark lord. It was then that they vowed to never let that happen again. They would stop Dumbledore when the next powerful wizard comes along.
A year ago they met the next powerful wizard. Yeas he was only six months old at the time but he would be as great as the great Merlin himself. All four of them claimed the boy as from their blood by direct descendant. They watched as Dumbledore gave a false prophecy to the boys' parents as well as to another boy's parents, which Helga claimed as her blood as well.
So for the past eleven months they have followed Dumbledore where ever he went until this very moment were he left the little boy on the doorstep across the road and disappeared. Now they will intervene and act.
"A look Rick he's got your wild hair, poor little one." Helga was the first to speak as she reached the boy and picked him up.
"Yes but he's got Sal's eyes, as green as emeralds and Row's hair colour and your skin tone Helga" Gordic responded as he looked at the little boy.
Various nods went around the group as the confirmed this assessment.
"We don't have a lot of time to act. Rick, Sal you need to go after Harry's godfather now before that boy does anything foolish. Sirius has always been rash in his actions. I advise that you go get his friend Remus first and then stop him. When that is done meet us at the Longbottoms. Helga and I will have to warn them now" Rowena order the men.
"As you command dear lady," Salazar replied with a smirk as he turned around to leave. Gordic just nodded and followed Salazar. The both vanished quietly as if they have never been there.
Rowena turned to Helga and said, "come Helga let's get this little one out of the cold and go foil that man's plans."
"It's about time that we stop him, see you there Row," with that Helga disappeared just as quietly. Rowena had a feral grin on her face as she thought; your day of reckoning is fast approaching Albus Dumbledore as she followed her friend.