A stranger landed at what might have resembled a house once,
now it was a mere pile of rubble. Already, a huge man was
standing there with a tiny bundle in his arms. The dark
stranger said in a low voice, "Give him to me, Hagrid, I'll
take care of the boy."
"Nope, me orders come from Dumbledore 'imself. I'm to place 'Arry in 'is 'ands ONLY!" Came the giant man's gruff reply.
"I understand, Hagrid, take my bike." The stranger said, then he handed the man, Hagrid, a second bundle. "Will you take this to Dumbledore as well?"
"As ye wish," Hagrid replied, sitting on the motorcycle and tucking both bundles carefully in his coat as he started the bike and drove off. The bike lifted into the air and flew after a few feet. The stranger watched until the red taillights were out of sight before he turned and looked at the rubble once more, shaking his head sadly.
Meanwhile...in a VERY different part of England...a cat was sitting on a garden wall, as motionless as a sentry. It watched as a strange man in long robes and a purple cloak fiddled with a devise that looked like a cigarette lighter. He clicked it once for each of the streetlights and one by one the light from each flew down from the post into the device. Chuckling merrily, the man with the long silver beard and twinkling blue eyes walked to the garden wall and sat beside the cat, after a while he spoke.
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." He turned to face the tabby cat, but it was gone. In its place was a rather stuffy looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings around the cat's eyes. She too was wearing a cloak and robes, however her cloak was emerald green. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she looked quite ruffled.
"How did you know it was me?" She inquired.
"My dear professor, I have never seen a cat sit so stiffly."
"You'd be stiff too if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day!" Retorted McGonagall.
"All day? When you could have been celebrating?" Professor Dumbledore asked, "Why not? Everyone else is."
"Yes and being quite foolish about it as well!" She paused, "Are the rumors true? Did Auriga Black and Harry Potter really survive when You-Know-Who came for them?"
"My dear Professor, there is no reason NOT to say his name, Voldemort." He paid no attention as Professor McGonagall winced, "And yes, 'tis true, they lived. Voldemort's power was broken as well."
"I-if that's true then the rumors that Lily and James Potter and Mirel Black are all..." She swallowed hard, "Dead...are true?"
Dumbledore bowed his head, "Yes."
"No!" She gasped, "I hadn't wanted to believe it...what of the children?"
"Auriga is with her father, and Hagrid is bringing Harry to me."
"Are you sure you should trust Hagrid with such a precious possession?"
"I would trust Hagrid with my life..." He paused and looked up at the sound of a dull roar. As the Professors watched, a motorcycle flew from the sky and landed in front of them. A wild-looking man sitting astride it looked at the two.
"H'llo Professor Dumbledore...Evenin' Professor McGonagall."
"Good evening Hagrid, where on earth did you get that thing?" Professor McGonagall replied.
"Young Sirius Black loaned it to me...also wanted me to bring you this, Professor Dumbledore."
"Do you have him?" Dumbledore questioned as Hagrid handed him the bundle that he had received from Sirius.
"Aye...fell asleep when we was flyin' over Norway." His gruff voice softened. "Lil' Tike."
Dumbledore looked silently at the object in the second bundle, McGonagall, seeing his face, looked over his shoulder and gasped.
"Why...it's Young Auriga!"
"So it is...well...we'll just leave her with Harry." Dumbledore carried both infants up to the doorway of the house labeled "Number Four Pivet Drive" and set them on the doorstep along with a note explaining everything.
"Surely you can't leave them with these people! Protested Professor McGonagall. "I've been watching them all day and you can't find a houseful of muggles more unlike us!!!"
"They're all they have..." Professor Dumbledore replied.
"Every child in our world will know their names! They'll be famous!"
"Exactly, famous before they can walk and talk for an incident that they won't even remember...now, now Hagrid..." he said to the large man who was sniffing and blowing his nose, "Don't fret, after all it isn't really goodbye..."
Auriga's young voice came through her blankets, questioning them. "Papa...?"
"Wondering when her daddy is going to come for her..." Whispered Professor McGonagall, "Poor girl..."
Professor Dumbledore looked down at the child, "I'm sorry child, you won't remember who you are or whom your parents were, you'll read everything about yourself...but you will answer to the name 'Carry Potter.'" He paused, "I will see you at Hogwarts, Young ones."
Professor Dumbledore walked off slowly as Hagrid started the motorcycle and flew off. Professor McGonagall was gone, in her place was the tabby cat, slinking around a dark corner. With a whoosh, all of the lights flew back to their lampposts...and all was quiet once more on Pivet Drive.
"Nope, me orders come from Dumbledore 'imself. I'm to place 'Arry in 'is 'ands ONLY!" Came the giant man's gruff reply.
"I understand, Hagrid, take my bike." The stranger said, then he handed the man, Hagrid, a second bundle. "Will you take this to Dumbledore as well?"
"As ye wish," Hagrid replied, sitting on the motorcycle and tucking both bundles carefully in his coat as he started the bike and drove off. The bike lifted into the air and flew after a few feet. The stranger watched until the red taillights were out of sight before he turned and looked at the rubble once more, shaking his head sadly.
Meanwhile...in a VERY different part of England...a cat was sitting on a garden wall, as motionless as a sentry. It watched as a strange man in long robes and a purple cloak fiddled with a devise that looked like a cigarette lighter. He clicked it once for each of the streetlights and one by one the light from each flew down from the post into the device. Chuckling merrily, the man with the long silver beard and twinkling blue eyes walked to the garden wall and sat beside the cat, after a while he spoke.
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall." He turned to face the tabby cat, but it was gone. In its place was a rather stuffy looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings around the cat's eyes. She too was wearing a cloak and robes, however her cloak was emerald green. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she looked quite ruffled.
"How did you know it was me?" She inquired.
"My dear professor, I have never seen a cat sit so stiffly."
"You'd be stiff too if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day!" Retorted McGonagall.
"All day? When you could have been celebrating?" Professor Dumbledore asked, "Why not? Everyone else is."
"Yes and being quite foolish about it as well!" She paused, "Are the rumors true? Did Auriga Black and Harry Potter really survive when You-Know-Who came for them?"
"My dear Professor, there is no reason NOT to say his name, Voldemort." He paid no attention as Professor McGonagall winced, "And yes, 'tis true, they lived. Voldemort's power was broken as well."
"I-if that's true then the rumors that Lily and James Potter and Mirel Black are all..." She swallowed hard, "Dead...are true?"
Dumbledore bowed his head, "Yes."
"No!" She gasped, "I hadn't wanted to believe it...what of the children?"
"Auriga is with her father, and Hagrid is bringing Harry to me."
"Are you sure you should trust Hagrid with such a precious possession?"
"I would trust Hagrid with my life..." He paused and looked up at the sound of a dull roar. As the Professors watched, a motorcycle flew from the sky and landed in front of them. A wild-looking man sitting astride it looked at the two.
"H'llo Professor Dumbledore...Evenin' Professor McGonagall."
"Good evening Hagrid, where on earth did you get that thing?" Professor McGonagall replied.
"Young Sirius Black loaned it to me...also wanted me to bring you this, Professor Dumbledore."
"Do you have him?" Dumbledore questioned as Hagrid handed him the bundle that he had received from Sirius.
"Aye...fell asleep when we was flyin' over Norway." His gruff voice softened. "Lil' Tike."
Dumbledore looked silently at the object in the second bundle, McGonagall, seeing his face, looked over his shoulder and gasped.
"Why...it's Young Auriga!"
"So it is...well...we'll just leave her with Harry." Dumbledore carried both infants up to the doorway of the house labeled "Number Four Pivet Drive" and set them on the doorstep along with a note explaining everything.
"Surely you can't leave them with these people! Protested Professor McGonagall. "I've been watching them all day and you can't find a houseful of muggles more unlike us!!!"
"They're all they have..." Professor Dumbledore replied.
"Every child in our world will know their names! They'll be famous!"
"Exactly, famous before they can walk and talk for an incident that they won't even remember...now, now Hagrid..." he said to the large man who was sniffing and blowing his nose, "Don't fret, after all it isn't really goodbye..."
Auriga's young voice came through her blankets, questioning them. "Papa...?"
"Wondering when her daddy is going to come for her..." Whispered Professor McGonagall, "Poor girl..."
Professor Dumbledore looked down at the child, "I'm sorry child, you won't remember who you are or whom your parents were, you'll read everything about yourself...but you will answer to the name 'Carry Potter.'" He paused, "I will see you at Hogwarts, Young ones."
Professor Dumbledore walked off slowly as Hagrid started the motorcycle and flew off. Professor McGonagall was gone, in her place was the tabby cat, slinking around a dark corner. With a whoosh, all of the lights flew back to their lampposts...and all was quiet once more on Pivet Drive.
