Albus Dumbledore
November 1, 1981
Headmaster Office, Hogwarts
Albus knew of the Potters' demise soon after the fact. They, along with the other members of the Order, had taken to wearing life rings. These rings were charmed with a simple Protean to report the continue life of its wearers to a central place, namely the Headmaster's own office. All members of the order had taken to wearing them since the tragic loss of Marlene McKinnon last year. It had taken nearly nine months before they had learned of her death and then only through a masked Death Eater gloating during a confrontation in June. Unfortunately, the rings were too simple to report any other information. Of course, Albus had taken care to place extensive monitoring charms around the cottage in Godric's Hollow once the Potter son's possible role in a prophesy had been revealed and they went into hiding. However, with the Fidelius in place he received few accurate readings. A thought made him pause. He could remember the cottage in Godric's Hollow, although the exact location still seemed vague. Moreover his monitors were once again working. Silver spindles and pendulums which once stock still or only moved randomly were again giving decipherable information. It seemed the Fidelius was breaking down. This was terrible news as the only way for a Fidelius to break was for the secret it guarded to no longer be true. Even the death of the secret keeper would not dispel it, only transfer the secret keeping onto those in on the secret. He himself had not been let in on the secret out of security concerns, but he knew that Bathilda was a nearby contact even if she too didn't know the secret. He would have to get in touch with Sirius, Remus, or Peter as these three close friends of James were the only ones he knew were in the know.
Before contacting any of them, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing on his many instruments. The life rings were definite on the fate of James and Lily, where before the Fidelius muddle the readings to an indeterminate flux, now his readings showed the young couple as dead and certainly their young son with them. Extremely dark magic had been used, most likely the killing curse and multiple times by the strength of the report. It was also clearly Tom Riddle himself on the attack, his magical signature as familiar as Albus' own after years of study. Checking his most valued artifact, Albus studied the readout carefully. This spindle was linked to the life of Tom Riddle, a tricky task without the assistance of the target. The Potters and the Longbottoms had worked together extensively to obtain all the necessary components even engaging Tom himself multiple times. At first, Albus thought the spindle had stopped, causing a momentary burst of joy at the thought although it was quickly followed by a surge of reluctant grief for his once promising student. His emotions turned to disappointment however on further examination. The spindle was turning, but slower than Albus had ever seen or thought possible, but it was still moving proving that Tom was not fully dead.
Checking more of his delicate silver devices, Albus could also see reports of extensive structural damage which provided a further clue to the events. The protections on the cottage were such that this level of damage could only come from within. Obviously the secret had been betrayed leading to the attack. His disappointment in Sirius Black was extreme. He had personally championed the boy where others of the order opposed his inclusion due to his dark family ties. His trust had been misplaced and he mourned the fate of the misguided youth and hoped for his return to the light. As Severus had proved, betrayal need not be permanent. Sirius' betrayal was all the worse as he had not only caused the death of his friends, but also endangered the entire wizarding world. Poor repayment for the faith of the Potters who even entrusted him as godfather for their son. Sirius would indeed see a sharp punishment, but this was not Albus' primary concern. He needed the details of the attack. As Albus turned to leave the office, one last device caught his attention. While he knew for a fact that the Potters were dead, a steady puff of smoke from a rounded container reported the continued life of someone at the cottage.
Hoping for an eyewitness to shed light on the attack, Albus called for Fawkes and flashed to Godric's Hollow. He arrived at the home of Bathilda Bagshot, a long trusted ally in the fight against Voldemort. From her house he could see parts of the destroyed cottage, although he could sense enough remnants of magical protection to keep it hidden from muggles for a short while longer. Bathilda practically leapt out of her door when she spotted him in her garden. She began immediately to rapidly fire questions and plead for help, not pausing at all for his response or even to draw breath it seemed. Motioning for her to join him, they both quickly walked to the half destroyed cottage.
Inside the devastation was even worse than the outside. The body of James lay flung across the base of the stairs, dead by a killing curse. Albus had suspected as much, but it was clear from the largely destroyed rooms that poor James put up quite a fight in defense of his family. A quick search of the ground floor showed no other evidence discernable in the rubble so both Albus and Bathilda followed the trail of destruction upwards. Proceeding carefully up the scorched and marred stairs, they arrived to the first floor. The landing and hall showed much less damage, just a few marks from what seemed hastily cast spells and traps. The trail led along the hall to what a cursory look proved to be the nursery. This room showed that clearly something extraordinary had taken place. The doorway and surround area was a blackened mess, with the door barely clinging to the remains of the frame. However, the cot opposite was completely untouched. Lying straight across from the door half blocking the cot itself, they found the crumpled remains of Lily Potter, like her husband dead from a killing curse. Bathilda gave a gasp and strode into the room, distracting Albus from his intense study of a set of scorched black robes just inside the doorway. Looking up, he saw her lift the young Harry Potter into her arms. To Albus' surprise, the child still lived. The boy was deeply asleep and unmarked except for a gash on his forehead, whether from spell fire or flying debris was unclear.
One thing was clear, the robes by the door were undoubtedly those of Tom Riddle or Lord Voldemort as he styled himself now. Carefully casting diagnostic spells throughout the room, Albus was reaching a conclusion about what had happened. Sirius had betrayed the secret of the Potters location. Tom had gone himself to dispatch his prophesied adversary, evidently alone as Albus could not detect a trace of malevolent magic other than Tom's. Blasting his way into the home, Tom had engaged in combat with James while Lily moved to protect Harry. James had fallen and Tom pursued Lily up the stairs, killing her as she reached her son. Somehow though Tom had failed to kill Harry, most probably with another killing curse. It was Tom's preferred method. That the attempt was made was obvious from the traces of malignant magic, but it somehow reversed and blasted Tom himself into oblivion. The lack of a body or a wand was concerning, especially combined with the faint readings on Tom he had in his office. More information was needed, but it seemed that the prophesy had been fulfilled, at least partly.
Albus needed to check his sources for more details and Bathilda readily volunteered to care for the toddler until Albus could confirm his suspicions. Departing Godric's Hollow and arriving at the atrium of the Ministry of Magic took but a moment in Fawkes' flames. Albus knew instantly that something had changed. The Atrium was flooded with people, some scurrying from one point to the next, several others stood in place practically collapsed in on themselves sobbing. Looking around, Albus spotted Alastor Moody just entering the atrium striding towards the exit floos. Easily catching his powerful eye, Alastor turned and headed over to fill him in. It seemed that since early this morning people had been flooding into the ministry and St. Mungo's claiming to be released from the imperius curse. Law enforcement was working double time to interview the mass of people and to follow up on any tips they could give to arrest Death Eaters. The Dark Mark had faded, although still quite visible and it seemed that Tom's followers were collapsing in droves. Sharing information in turn, Albus informed Alastor of the loss of the Potters and the apparent destruction of 'Lord Voldemort', but gleefully told him of the survival of Harry Potter. Later, returned to his office at Hogwarts after an exhausting day at the ministry, Albus would wish he had not spoken so casually in a crowded area.
The tragedy of the Potters' murder left quite a dilemma on Albus' hands. James had been the last of the Potters until Harry was born and while he did have a godfather, this was the man that had betrayed the Potters to their death in the first place. Like all pure bloods, the Potters were related to many families, but his closest relatives were the very hands from which he needed protection. Albus had also heard an increasing number of whispers throughout the rest of his day at the ministry praising the Potters for single handedly ending the war. Harry Potter was the prophesied vanquisher of a Dark Lord that Albus was certain was not quite defeated yet. The infant Harry needed to be protected and prepared. The greatest problem was where the newly orphaned boy would be placed.
His paternal grandmother was a Black, making the Blacks his closest living relatives in the magical world. Albus may just as well kill the boy himself than turn the boy over to them. Walburga Black would be a distinct possible guardian if relation alone was considered, although being the mother of Sirius Black and her advanced age may give him ground to deny her guardianship, but the Malfoys had the political capital to counter him, if not obtain the boy themselves. He shuddered to think of Harry in the hands of the Malfoys or worse the Lestranges. Normally the family of godparents could petition for custody, but that brought them back to the Blacks through Sirius. His godmother, Marlene McKinnon, had been a distant relative as well, but she and her entire family had been wiped out the previous year. Griselda Marchbanks was his great-great aunt but he could not protest Walburga's age and suggest Madame Marchbanks in her place, even Albus considered her ancient. There was not a place in the magical world that Harry could go without eventually falling into the hands of supporters of 'Lord Voldemort'.
Fortunately, Albus recalled Lily had a sister, Petunia. If Albus remembered correctly in her youth she was enamored of the magical world. While she was quite bitter when she could not join it herself, Albus assured himself that the presence of her magical nephew would be welcomed. Even if it inflamed her bitterness, Harry would be safer there than with a dark magical family. The complication would be that Harry would need to be cut off from the magical world, lest he be wrested from his mother's family by the same political manipulations that prevented Albus from placing the boy with a more suitable magical family. Harry would naturally rejoin the world when he attended Hogwarts at eleven, but it was a question of if he could he integrate well by then. Albus well knew that muggleborns struggled to acclimate to the magical world, often returning to their muggle roots after leaving Hogwarts. He needed Harry to instantly be embraced by the magical world and have no desire to leave and even for the boy of prophesy to be willing to fight to the death in its behalf. It was quite the problem.
Then Albus struck upon an ingenious plan, if he thought so himself. Harry would live in obscurity in the muggle world, while in the magical world Albus himself would carefully fan the flames of his reputation. Maybe he should not regret his loose tongue in the Atrium after all. It wouldn't be that difficult to move the growing admiration for the Potters he heard echoing throughout the ministry earlier into a veneration focused on the surviving son. No boy would turn his back on those that welcomed him as a conquering hero. Albus well remembered his own reception on his return from defeating Grindenwald. The heady acclaim of being catapulted from a talented but little known school teacher to the hero of the wizarding world still could make his heart beat fast. For a sheltered school boy like the future Harry Potter, it would be all the more overwhelming. With careful guidance from himself, Harry would become the hero of the light and fulfill his prophesied role.
His course determined Albus thought on how best to accomplish it. His role in the Wizengamot would keep him very busy the next few days during the inquisition and trials of the recently arrested death eaters. Bathilda could not keep the boy long, so he would need to send someone in his stead. Minerva was out as she needed to run the school in his absence. Severus would likewise be needed to attend to his classes and as much as he trusted Severus, he felt he should keep Harry's location from him just in case he had a run in with any remaining Death Eaters. Severus would likewise be dealing with the fallout of his own role in the war. Others he trusted to carry out the task would be involved in the hunt for remaining Death Eaters or attending the trials. The only one trustworthy remaining would be Hagrid. Albus smiled, this task would be perfect for his large friend. Hagrid could easily go tomorrow or the day after, and Albus would send a letter along to explain the situation. He would speak to the man tomorrow about arrangements. Maybe if Hagrid could deliver Harry late enough he could slip away from his duties as Chief Warlock early and meet him at the home of Lily's sister. Once Harry was with his aunt, Albus knew it would all work out. Like many of his plans, Albus was sure it would come together perfectly.
Pride, as they say, comes before the fall and Albus Dumbledore never saw the cliff, even when he ran right over the edge.