Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make money with this fic.
A/N: This is the first chapter of my first fic, Unwilling Saviour. Hope it is not too bad.
Chapter 1: Return
Albus Dumbledore sighed as he watched the sunset through the window of his office. In a few short hours, hundreds of young minds would arrive to start the new year of their education, and he did not have much good news to share at the start-of-term feast.
It all started almost ten years ago, when some novice journalist heard from the muggle news that Harry Potter was found buried in the garden at his relatives' house. Since he was the one who placed him there, the Wizarding World – rightfully – blamed him for the death of their Hero. In the next few years he was stripped from his various titles, and – most importantly – his Chocolate Frog Card. He could barely keep the position of Headmaster of Hogwarts, but he knew it will not last much longer.
After that came a series of events that further demolished the trust he was given. The escape of one Sirius Black, the death of a member of the faculty and the rampage of a Basilisk in the corridors were all disasters everyone could live without. Three of his students in those cases got involved; one of them got convicted for opening the Chamber of Secrets and sentenced to fifteen years in Azkaban, while two others were ridiculed for the better part of a year for believing in the innocence of Black.
Recent events were not less alarming for the old headmaster. Disappearances were more and more common, and people were afraid that maybe another Dark Lord was behind it all. To tell the truth, Dumbledore was afraid of that possibility too. Now he head to tell these young students that he had resigned from the post of Headmaster, leaving after the school year ends next June.
"Am I not interrupting anything, Albus?" asked a familiar voice from the direction of the door.
"Of course not, Minerva. Everything is going well, I presume?" inquired the ancient wizard.
"Well, the kitchen is ready as always and the train is arriving at the appointed time. However, two of the students are reported missing by the Head Girl."
"Who are they? Have they left the Platform? Did the parents say something?"
"Susan Bones and Daphne Greengrass, and neither of them were seen on the train. They are not sure whether they were on the Platform. Shall I call their parents?"
"That is not necessary. I will speak with them immediately. You should prepare for the reception of our first years. If that is all, Minerva, I will see you at the feast."
As he heard the door closing, he reread the letter he got yesterday afternoon from the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, in which she politely but firmly requested to be present at the Sorting. He sighed again. This would not be happening if Potter was alive, he thought. He could only keep his job for one more year if he agreed a Ministry appointed Defence instructor – Dolores Umbridge. Now that two Ministry officials would be present at Hogwarts – however short time it may be – he had to be on his guard. One more mistake and he wouldn't even have to deliver the yearly opening speech.
-oOoOo-
"Good evening, Amelia."
"Good evening, Albus," came the reply from the other side of the gate.
"We have a lovely evening, don't you think? I cannot even remember when I saw that many stars without a telescope."
"Yes, quite," replied Amelia, "but that's not what I'd like to discuss with you before the feast."
"Yes, I had that feeling. Tell me, Amelia, do you know the whereabouts of your niece? The Head Girl said she didn't see her on the train at all."
"I wanted to inform you that she will be here on time, but it must have slipped my mind. Don't worry about her or Daphne, they will be here."
"That is good to hear. So, what do I owe this visit from your department?" asked Dumbledore.
"I am here to examine the quality of education your students receive. Did you know that we will have to expand our Auror Academy? The applicants are so bad at Defence and Potions; we had to add an extra year to their training. This cannot go much longer! My Aurors are barely able to capture simple criminals! I don't know what you did in all those years but apparently it was not good enough. Now I heard Fudge got you to hire a bureaucrat as a teacher. You know what goes on out there, probably more than me. Is there nothing you could do?"
"Alas, no. I tried everything I could, but I do not possess the same political weight I used to. Even if I agreed to resign now, she would still be teaching Defence, on top of being the new Headmistress. I would really like to continue this discussion, but I have my own obligation I have to attend. You should take your place at the Head Table. I will join you momentarily."
-oOoOo-
The chatter after the Sorting started to lull when Dumbledore stood to give his customary speech.
"To those who just began the long journey to knowledge, welcome here at Hogwarts! To you, older students, welcome back! I expect everyone wants to get to the feast but I have to bore you just a few minutes. I'd like to introduce Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She is here as my guest, and – sadly – only for the night. Dolores Umbridge is also among us, she will be your new Defence Professor. Now that…"
"Hem, hem," could be heard from the pink toad-like woman, who was not much taller standing than sitting. She opened her mouth to continue when she caught the eye of Madame Bones, and decided to sit back and allow the speech to continue.
"Quite right, Professor Umbridge," continued Dumbledore, "I almost forgot. The Forbidden Forest is off limits this year too, but I fail to understand why anyone would wish to go there." The gaze directed at the Weasley twins was not missed by most. "There is also an updated list of banned items at Mr Filch's office, where every inquisitive mind can read it. He also requested me to remind you, no magic at the corridors. Now I assure you, this will be my last announcement for the night. With the Board of Governors we came to an agreement about my retirement. This means that this is my last year as Headmaster of Hogwarts."
Dead silence ruled in the Hall. No one dared utter a word, the shock was complete. Even the Slytherins respected Dumbledore to a degree; he was, after all, one of the most powerful wizards alive. People even missed the gleeful expressions of one Professor and a few students.
"I think you just broke them," said a male voice in a mock whisper while clapping. "You know, this Hall is fantastic. I heard about it, but that's just not the same. This ceiling is magnificent. How much power does it require?"
Every head spun to the other end of the hall. Four cloaked figures stood at the door, in front of the Headmaster. The tallest of them – who spoke – stood in front of the others, facing the teachers. His cloak was deep green, almost black, with a hood covering his face.
"Who are you? How did you get in? What business do you have here?" There was a cold, threatening edge to Dumbledore's voice that got everyone's attention. The stranger seemed unfazed; his body was relaxed the whole time.
"Let me answer them backwards. I got a letter of acceptance four years ago, so here I am, checking out the school which so graciously accepted me without applying. Is it normal? Can I just say I accepted you for something you didn't sign up for? I'm just curious, you know, because if it is true, sadly it can be abused. How did I get in? Through the door, obviously. Everyone knows you cannot apparate within the boundary of Hogwarts, and only you can make a portkey here. I gave you a few clue, let's see if you can figure out who I am."
The venerated wizard sat back in his chair, pale as a ghost. That can't be! He is dead! Who else did not turn up four years ago?
"I see you figured it out. Let me introduce myself," said the figure as he lowered his hood, showing his unruly, black hair, piercing green eyes and a lightning bolt shaped scar on the forehead. "I am Harry Potter."