Chapter 2

A/N Any questions anyone has I will be happy to answer! Enjoy...

Disclaimer; I own nothing...at all :(

Dumbledore's POV

January 1981 - Harry is 5 1/2 months old

I collapsed back into a conventiently located chair, my head spinning. No, this couldn't be right. I heard the words "are you sure?" slip out of my mouth, but the grave tone with which Moody replied convinced me that it was true. The Potters were dead. And Marlene McKinnon - the Longbottom's secret keeper had been kidnapped. Everything was going horrifically wrong and everyone was looking to me for guidance. I took a deep breath to clear my head before asking the question I always did before making any big descision - how do I want this to end? In this case now young Harry was an orphan I wanted him to end up a powerful fighter for the Light side. The best way for this to work would be to place him with those who would tell him all about his parents and how they died for the cause. Luckily this was fitting with the contents of the Potters' wills - if the boy was placed with Sirius and Remus then he would surely grow up wanting to avenge his parents. Good, that way I wouldn't have to manipulate anyone to ignore the wills. But McKinnon would be difficult to deal with. I had suggested her as the secret keeper to the Longbottom's because I was sure somehow the secret would be let slip. I needed young Longbottom (if that was whom Voldemort chose to be his nemesis) to grow up not coddled by his parents, but a strong fighter who knew how to survive. I had the same plan in motion for the Potters as I was sure Pettigrew was a traitor. However, I couldn't have anyone knowing how weak Marlene truly was - I had painted her as strong and loyal in order to get Frank and Alice to choose her but in truth she was weak willed and not extremely magically powerful. I would have to find McKinnon somehow and deal with her myself - after ensuring that Voldemort knew the location of the Longbottom's safe house. This prophecy was turning out much more trouble than it was worth.

Later that evening I heard a light knocking on my office door, shouting out an enter I placed myself at my desk, smiling in what I hoped was a reassuring way. It wasn't every day one had a Death Eater visit the leader of the Light after all. When Severus Snape entered, I, of course, pretended to be surprised, and being the polite man I am, offered him a lemon drop. Which he declined, barely containing a sneer.

"So what can I do for you young man?" I questioned, truly curious as to his motives for visiting. His reply left me astounded. With barely any emotion he uttered the words I had never expected to fall from a Death Eater's mouth.

"I want to spy for you." That was it. No explaination, no idea as to his motives and incentives. His face looked blank although I know Slytherin's well enough to realise when they are hiding something. His eyes seemed...pained...for a better word. I wondered what was troubling so and with some gentle prodding (with hints that perhaps he would not be able to help if I wasn't sure his motives were pure) Severus saw fit to tell me.

"My dear boy you must understand that I cannot just accept an offer like this...I have no idea who you are..." I was broken off and, rather annoyed, I allowed him to continue,

"Mr Dumbledore you must understand...I need to help...I shoudn't've...I could've..."

Interuppting gently I prodded him to make himself clear - although it sounded as if this young man was harbouring regrets of some kind one could never be too sure.

"Ok Albus, it's very obvious that you want to know my true motives for offering my services in this way, and if I remember you correctly you won't be stopping until I've spilled my heart and sould to you. I'm not happy with it, but I will tell you, because I want you to know that I am being truthful and that you can trust me. You may remember that for years I was good friends with Lily Evans. I made a huge...no monumental mistake at one point and gave in to the pressure of my house mates and called her a Mudblood. I've regretted ever since, my every waking moment, and Lily's temper won out during school and she refused to forgive me, and afterwards, even if she would have forgiven me for adolescent transgressions, my taking the Dark Mark meant we would never be close again. Combined with the fact that James Potter and his friends were my childhood tormentors meant that I haven't seen or had contact with Lily in a few years. But I never stopped caring..." Here I went to interrupt the boy, to point out that his actions didn't display that entirley, but he calmly continued over me, "and I always kept tabs on her and her...husband..., even if I didn't care for the man, she obviously did, and I wanted her to be happy. I came to realise that maybe I could help her, from afar, I have helped the Dark Lord over the last year keep missing the Potter's by the smallest degrees - enough for Lily to be safe, but not enough for me to be punished for my transgressions. I have been oh so careful in keeping up the facade and you should trust that I will continue to do so. I was the one to deliver the prophecy to my Lord, I didn't bother to work out who it could mean and when I was told who we would be targeting I was distraught. This was when I vowed to protect Lily however I could. But I failed. I am the reason Lily died and I can't bear that I failed her that way. And so I am offering to be of service to the cause she died for."

Evidently thinking he had explained enough, the young man raised his onyx eyes from where they had been boring a hole in my carpet since his heartfelt speech had begun. I puzzled through what had been said, and got stuck on only one part,

"My dear boy, how on earth could it be your fault young Lily died so unfortuantly?" And then the true explanation had begun, how he had found out about the plan, and had left an 'idea' in one of the Order members heads that both children should never be in the same place, as no where was completley safe. This had backfired as the woman had become overly paranoid, and upon seeing Lestrange outside headquarters, not long after the alarm had been alerted at the safehouse, had figured out young Tom's ruse, and had sent everyone to the safehouse, after activating wards that meant no one could leave. The poor boy thought that if he hadn't implanted the idea in the womans mind then none of it would happen. A good thought to cultivate in order to make him all the more loyal to me.

We continued discussing long into the night, and by the end I was sure that Severus had been turned completly to our side. Unfortunately, he didn't know anything in regards to Marlene, and I had to work out a contingency plan for myself. With not much left to do, I wrote the letter to Sirius and Remus regarding the care of their godson, and eventually I was happy with the result, although it was rather formal as both the men were not overly happy with me at present.

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin,

My condolences for your losses of James Potter and Lily Potter (nee Evans).

In regards to the care of your godson, Harry Potter, I have decided to release him to your care from Hogwarts School's infirmary tomorrow. I must assure young Mr Potter is perfectly fine, but due to the lack of anyone else to care for him in this unfortunate interim stage, has been looked after by Poppy Pomfrey, the school's mediwitch. Please be here promptly at 10 o'clock to collect your charge, and I will have the necessary papers ready to sign.

I have decided for the well being of this most precious child it would only be fitting for him to live with his godparents, although I must insist upon every protection being placed upon any home in which you wish to reside, as there is still great risk both to yourselves and the boy himself. If there are any problems with these arrangements, feel free to floo call me so we can discuss alternatives. In any case, please reply with the location of your new home and a list of current protections so I can see to setting up any more that are needed and a confirmation of the time I will be seeing you tomorrow.

Sincerest regrets for your loss,

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dubledore,

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Reading over it one last time, I was satisfied it exterted my power over the men enough, whilst still sounding kind and regretful of their friends' deaths. licking my fingers I summoned Tibby, my personal elf, and asked her to send the letter as soon as possible. Satisfied, I lay down to sleep, my brain clearing of plotting for the night.

5th February 1981 - Harry is 6 1/2 months old

Poor Marlene had written a short missive a few weeks prior telling us of how she had managed to escape the clutches of the Death Eaters (due to their own negilence not any skill of her own). She requested a short leave of absence with her family in order to recover from the ordeal, and I, of course, was happy to agree. It had been a quiet ew weeks since the battle in which Lily and James died, with no new leads or excursions the Order members, especially those who had had to quit their jobs, were becoming rather bored. But then everything changed and my plans begun to come to fruit.

The McKinnon's were found in their home, having been brutally murdered, with the Dark Mark above their heads. Everyone, including me to begin with, assumed it was the Death Eater's retribution that had lead to their deaths, and for a short while, I thought my plans hand't worked - that perhaps Lord Voldemort didn't know the location of the Longbottom's home, but Severus' intelligence told me that it had all been a ruse - a very clever one, as I hadn't noticed the letter had been written under duress and no one had thought that the murder of the McKinnons was covering up their intelligence. I now knew that Voldemort would attack the Longbottoms, it was a given but the only thing I didn't know was when. Severus had expressed his masters wish to follow them for a while longer but I still didn't know an exact time. I settled down to wait, and begun planning the future 'Vanquisher of the Dark Lord''s life.

I issued a short statement to the rest of the Order - consolidating what they thought they knew and enforcing the need to be careful in the current climate.

Dear friends,

You will undoubtbly heard of the tragic deaths of the McKinnon family, a most terrible loss both to us, the Order, and society. It seems that these brutal murders were the retaliation by Death Eaters due to Marlene McKinnon's brave and daring escape from their clutches, only three weeks prior. I feel obliged to inform you all that now the Longbottom's secret keeper is dead, the secret has been spread to all of those who knew it. I must take a leaf from dear Mad-Eye's book and ask you to maintain constant vigilance over the next months, until we have found a new location where the Longbottom's secret will be safe with a new keeper.

I hope this finds you all in good heath and spirits, and that you, and all your families, stay safe until I next see you.

Albus Dumbledore,

Head of the Order of the Phoenix.

I delegated the duty of telling the Longbottom's about the unfortunate situation to Minerva - I didn't feel I could cope with hysterical women at the time, and however good Alice was at her job, she did have a tendancy to overreact to things. A most unfortunate trait if I must be honest.

1st March 1981 - Harry is 7 months old

And now the prophecy was complete. Tom had lost his body - undoubtly for good, and the young Longbottom was a hero. News had spread fast, and the boy was already acclaimed as 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'. An interesting title, but the adoration I was seeing would make it difficult for the boy to grow up meek and obedient as I needed. Hmm. How to fix it? Then an idea came to me - of course the young boy would be living with his grandmother in the future. She was both politically powerful as well as being formidable herself, but maybe I could encourage her to seclude Neville slightly - for his own good of course. Now that would be interesting...I would have to see what would happen...

A/N Of course, feel free to review...and any help with naming this would be appreciated!