A young dark grey owl with black shading was almost camouflaged in the darkness as it sat on it's perch, a sign post reading 'Privet Drive', his voice suave and deep, hooting as it turned its head watching readily in the silence, waiting for his prey. A small light brown mouse scuttled past a black age worn lamp post nearby, that only barely let light through its dirty weather worn glass; and the owl cocked his head to the side, the mouse stopped and stood on it's hind legs seemingly sniffing the air before continuing onwards heading for the nearby trees. The owl's wings twitched as he opened his beak wide, no sound escaped as he then closed his mouth and hopped along the sign post, momentarily leaning over his perch watching his prey move with his wings stretched out for balance; in a matter of seconds the owl was no longer on his perch, but with swift and sharp grace cut through the air with amazing speed, high into the sky, a malicious glint twinkled in his eyes as he suddenly dived down, almost in a blurring motion, nearing the ground, golden legs were placed in front of him, pristine white talons pointing dangerously at his prey shined as they caught a stray beam of light from the dirty lamp post; the mouse looked up again from the edge of the path, seeing the owl it moved quickly darting left and right hoping to thrown off his pursuer as he neared the trees; However no sooner had the chase begun it had ended with the owl hooting in victory as a limp bloody mouse lay in his grasp, the owl landed with a flourish on a tree branch and began to consume the delicacy he had acquired through his patience.
As the owl finished and he started cleaning his claws of the blood and also cleaning his feathers, a tall figure came out of the trees startling him, the figure wore a pair of half moon spectacles with long white hair trailing on his shoulders and down his back while, a moustache joined the beards long locks down his front, upon his hair he wore a tall hat that's' end came together in a backwards folded point, the old man was also wearing a long dark robe of some sort; he took out a silver canister and after a few clicks the lights from all the neighbourhood lamp posts, shot out of their prisons and into the cannister.
Recognition burned in the owls eyes and he mouthed his beak at him warningly even though it was clear the wizard hadn't seen him, the owl then took to flight, and perched himself on the rooftop of a building out of the man's way.
A cat meowed and the man looked at her "I should've known that you'd be here, Professor Magonigal" The cat dubbed Professor McGonagall shifted shape quickly becoming a middle-aged woman with black grey hair tight tightly back into her own witches hat, she too wore glasses but they were small enough to aid her and not hide behind like the man's, she also wore a similar long robe clasped together around the neck by a fancy metal band.
"Good Evening, Professor Dumbledore." she spoke in a weary voice. Dumbledore raised his hand in motion to follow him and the weary woman did so. "Are the rumours true, Albus?" she asked in a cautioned tone. "I'm afraid so Professor, The good and the Bad." Dumbledore replied in a flat voice.
"And the boy" she asked worriedly
"Hagrid is bringing him" Albus replied readily
"do you think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this" McGonagall asked her underlying tone dripping with disbelief but years of practice restrained her from speak out rightly in disrespect to the man.
"Ah professor, I would trust Hagrid with, m, my life. He confided to her.
Undoubtedly the professor would have noticed the stammer, and called him on it, if it wasn't for the loud whirring sound that caused the wizard and witch's head to turn and look directly at a blinding single white light.
The white light happened to be the light of a motorcycle riding through the sky with a big, bulky, hairy mess sitting on it. As the motorcycle landed it let out an unhealthy screech of refusal, when the body upon it bounced to a halt. The large man was very tall and slightly on the rounded side though his clothes and large brown cloak didn't help his figure, his black curly hair was windswept as was his moustache and beard that merged perfectly into one-being with his hair and he wore a large pair of what seemed pilots goggles, which he proceeded to move from his face and onto his frizzy hair, turning he nodded to the two people. "Professor Dumbledore, sir. Professor McGonagall." he said almost in cheery voice before dismounting the bike.
"No problems, I trust, Hagrid?" Dumbledore spoke softly as he straightened himself to look up into the half-giants face.
"No sir, Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol" Hagrid said his tone going soft at the mention of the child wrapped in the blanket in his arms. "try not to wake him" he said as he handed the child into the arms of Dumbledore, McGonagall turned to look and help Dumbledore adjust himself into holding the precious child correctly. "there you go" Hagrid motioned taking a step back into a casual standing position.
Dumbledore turned with McGonagall by his side and Hagrid in tow, their eyes never leaving the child's sleeping face as they moved towards number '4 ' privet Drive.
"Albus" started McGonagall in a scared hushed tone "Do you really think it's safe, Leaving him with these people. I've watched them all day. They're the worst sort of Muggles, Imaginable. McGonagall was waving her hand in small gestures and her words were spoken faster and faster as they got to the house "they really are-"she added as if he didn't believe her but was cut off when he raised his head and looked at the door and spoke in a calm tone "the only family he has.
"this boy will be famous" McGonagall pleaded "there won't be a child who doesn't know his name." she was practically begging now as if her own child was being taken from her and being given to these so called 'worst Muggles imaginable' "Dumbledore looked down at the child as she said this as they came to a stop outside the door and quickly said "exactly" something was in his throat when he said this "he's far better of growing up, Away from all of that." he looked at his two companions and the house light they were in front of gave Dumbledores' eyes a slight twinkle which his half moon spectacles exaggerated. "Until he's Ready" Albus then proceeded to place the boy on the doorstep.
Hagrid let out a loud sniff and tried to wipe away his tears and let out a loud huff.
Dumbledore looked at him in what would appear to his friends as sympathy and comfort but was really a warning look "there, there, Hagrid. It's not really goodbye, after all.
McGonagall looked mournfully at Hagrid, knowing he too would like to have had the opportunity to raise the child, but knowing Dumbledore had made his decision, and Hagrid just nodded.
McGonagall gave a small smile to the boy while worry for him creased her forehead. Dumbledore took a small but bulky letter out of his pocket and placed it on top of the boy it read 'Mr and Mrs Dursley, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.
The man then stood up straight, eyes never leaving the boy as he said "good luck, Harry Potter."
Dumbledore and McGonagall bid farewell to Hagrid, McGonagall giving him a pat on the back as he went to go deliver the borrowed motorcycle to it's owner, while McGonagall and Dumbledore walked up to a certain point in the distance and disappeared into thin air.
The grey owl swooped down from his perch and stared in the direction of the two who had disappeared and Bared his beak in the direction they'd vanished from, he then proceeded to go to the bundle of blankets next to the boy and nibbled at the unruly locks on the small boys head, in doing so he revealed a large cut on the boys head, barely healing which took the shape of a lightning bolt, the owl backed off for a few seconds and made a screeching noise, looking over to the neighbours garden a small rustling of the grass was his answer, which in turn came through the gate rustled through the lawn which belonged to 4 privet drive, out of the grass slivered a long but small young boomslang snake
By the owls side the snake hovered over the boys face for awhile, allowing her venom to drop into the wound the youngster possessed, the owl also bit into it's own clawed foot for a moment so that a small drop of blood drizzled down onto the lightning bolt; the wound proceeded to glow an unearthly shade of black before immediately scarring over.
The Owl and the Snake seemingly nodded to each other before Snuggling down against the boys side, making sure the boy stayed warm while they awaited the sunrise in which they would leave the child in the Dursleys' care.
"up, Get Up" a snobbish voice sounded from outside the room young harry was sleeping in, followed by to many loud bangs that practically merged, then two single bangs, the sound of something unlocking then another bang was sounded as the women shouted into the cupboard "Now"
The woman 'known as Mrs Dursley' then headed into the kitchen slamming the door.
A young, rudely awakened, ten year old harry sat up in his makeshift bed in the cupboard.
Harry took a deep breath letting it out as a sigh before running his hand through his hair in an attempt to brush it out his face, it was getting on to about shoulder length and really needed cutting, but he wouldn't say anything to his 'family', last time he said they totally ruined his hair and tried to take off an ear, as such he had to wear a hat until it grew back. 'never again' he thought to himself, he then proceeded to attempt getting out of bed, without banging his head again, but stood still when loads of banging sounds came from above his head.
"Wake up potter, We're going to the zoo!" a young voice resounded excitedly from above him.
Before continuing with the usual banging of running down the stairs. Harry brushed his hair and shoulders off the dust from the ceiling of his cupboard located under the stairs before going out the room, just to be shoved back in by his dear chubby, excited cousin, 'Dudley Dursley, who ran into the kitchen straight afterwards.
Coming out the Cupboard AGAIN, harry brushed his long hair behind his ears again as he listened to his aunt cooing at her son "Awe, here he comes, the birthday boy." which was followed by the deep voice filled with love for his son of Mr Vernon Dursley "Happy Birthday Son", Unfortunately harry walked in seeing Mrs Dursley with her head against her sons cooing and kissing her boy in a sickeningly sweet way harry never got, not like he cared.
Mrs Dursley finally noticed harry had arrived and spoke venomously "why don't you just try to cook the breakfast, And try not to burn anything."
"Yes, Aunt Pertunia" Harry said politely but rolled his eyes while she went back to her son cooing again "I want everything to be perfect, for my Dudley's special day" she spoke almost in tears of joy as she wrapped her hands like a blindfold around her sons eyes leading him to the dining area.
"Hurry Up!" Mr Dudley said as he locked his eyes onto harry who was serving the food "Bring my coffee, boy.
"yes Uncle Vernon" harry replied in a hasty monotone, eyes never leaving his task.
Pertunia took her hands off her boy with a cooing half laugh "aren't they wonderful, darling?" She asked as her son looked criticizingly at the presents before him. "How many are there? The boy said turning and looking questionably at his father.
"thirty-six. I counted them myself" Vernon said, looking all Proud and Smug.
The boy immediately bellowed out "THIRTY-SIX" in disbelief "BUT LAST YEAR, LAST YEAR I HAD THIRTY-SEVEN" harry looked at the boy screaming at his dad, shook his head and his lips tweaked a little into a smile before being suppressed and pouring his uncle the coffee, he'd definitely need after calming his unruly son. Mr Dudley tried to explain nicely to his son in a reasonable manner.
"w. yeah. w. b. But some of them are bigger than last year's" he gave his son a weak smile which became a grimace as his son got in his face yelling that he doesn't care. His mother weak, and worried her spoiled son would hate them put herself in between them and tried to calm her son by promising two more presents while they were out at the zoo. All the while harry just watched concealing his frown and giving them a nonchalant face.
The Boomslang snake rose from her position under Pertunias' plants as she heard shouting coming from inside, shaking her head she attempted to bury it into the ground to shut out the sound, she'd have succeeded to if a familiar deep hoot didn't sound.
Gliding across the grass, she made her way to the edge of the garden, through a hole in the wall, and towards her friend who sat on the ground beneath one of the neighbours shrubs, out of sight but watchful.
"Good Morning Godric" the snake hissed as she settled by her friend "any news from the Wizarding World?"
"Morning Layla" the young owl hooted back.
"Nothing new really, Dumbledork is still up to something, but Fawkes isn't sure what that is yet, and harry will be getting a letter from Hogwarts any day now, and the ministry is...well lets not get into what we all knows happening at that balmy place, what have I missed on our young lad?"
the female snake seemed to sag a bit at the mention of the poor boy.
"still not fighting back i'm afraid, to make matters worse, the young fat ones birthday is apparently today, he's already been loud because he didn't get his way, woke me up he did, their going to some zoo soon."
shuffling his feathers the owl hooted soothingly to his friend, he'd watch over the boy again while she slept some.
Information from author
The Boomslang Snakeis a rather large, highly poisonous tree dwelling snake found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Boomslangs are greenish to brown or even black in color. These coloring variations are the greatest of any other snakes in their Afrotropic regional habitat. It is the adult females that are usually brown in color, with males a light green color often with black or blue highlights outlining the edges of their scales. This snake is a one deadly animal because of its preference for aerial positioning in tree top and shrub cover. Hard to see in the thick forested cover of the savanna, the Boomslang Snake is well camouflaged and strikes without giving any warning signal. The Boomslang delivers a potent Hemotoxic venomto its victim through large, deeply grooved Folded Fangspositioned in the rear of its mouth and this snake bitecan be fatal if left untreated.
Average length is 100-160 centimeters (approximately 3.5 to just over 5 feet in length) with some snakes recorded over 6 feet in length. The most readily identifiable physical feature of the Boomslang is exceptionally large eyes proportionate to its distinctive egg-shaped head. If agitated, the Boomslang moves quickly and will inflate its neck to double its normal size right before striking its victim. Equipped with stereoscopic vision, the Boomslang hunts during the day in its arboreal territory making meals of chameleons, arboreal lizards, frogs, and occasionally small mammals, birds and eggs from nesting birds which they swallow whole.