A/N: Hi all, I now have got a beta. I hope you like my chapter but I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with the plot yet. Please read and review! Thanks for everyone who story alerted!

Learn To Face The Facts

"Harry!" Mrs. Bird's voice could be heard all the way from the top floor. "There's someone here to see you about some school!"

Harry was up in his room with Andi planning their next prank. He groaned and rolled his eyes at the sound of Mrs. Bird's calls. Their conspiring would have to wait for now.

"Alright, I'm coming." Harry shouted downstairs. "I'll be back in a second," he said to Andi from over his shoulder as he walked out of the room. When he entered the kitchen, he saw an old man with a white beard and glasses, staring at him pensively.

"Hello Harry, my name is Professor Dumbledore," the man said, standing up to greet him. "Let us talk." He gestured for Harry to follow him into one of the smaller rooms, where they both sat down at a small table.

"The thing is Harry," he began after they were seated, "You're not the same as your friends. You're different."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. Besides being the notorious prankster that he was, he considered himself to be just as normal as the rest of the kids in the orphanage.

"Haven't you ever had anything happen to you when you were sad or being picked on?" Dumbledore asked, leaning closer to Harry.

Harry thought for a moment, attempting to remember the last time he had been angry.

"Well, to tell the truth. I've never really been upset, and when I have my friends have cheered me up." Harry confessed. "But sometimes when I get really angry at Mrs. Bird, something bad happens to her. Her hair gets all tangled up and everything she eats tastes like coal."

"Harry," Dumbledore said quietly "This may sound odd to you, but… you're a wizard. And I am the professor of a school that teaches young witches and wizards magic. It's called Hogwarts. Hogwarts helps magical children learn and control their magical abilities. It has qualified teachers and amazing resources that help kids like you become professionals at magic. Harry, you have the opportunity to go to the greatest wizarding school in Britain. You've had your name on the registration list since you were born. In ten days, a member of the Hogwarts staff will personally come to pick you up and take you shopping for school supplies."

"Well, wait a moment!" Harry exclaimed, attempting to soak in the Professor's words. Wizards? Magic? Boarding school? It seemed to explain the strange occurrences with Mrs. Bird, but felt much too fantastic to be real. He began to feel a little lightheaded. "What if… what if I don't want to go to your school?" Harry asked.

"But Harry, it is essential that you learn to control your magic!" Dumbledore said firmly. "There is no time to delay. After you turn eleven, your magic will begin to develop. There's no telling what could happen if your magic matured without learning proper technique."

"But I don't want to leave!" Harry stood from the chair, his voice rising with each word he blurted. "You burst in here unexpectedly, tell me I'm a wizard, tell me to pack my bags and whisk me away to some magical school that I've only just heard of! You can't just tell me what to do! I barely even know you!"

"Harry," Dumbledore slowly said, trying to calm the now hysterical Harry down. "You can choose not to go to this school. But if you do not I must tell you something. It is essential that you strengthen these magical powers of yours, for your own wellbeing. Despite what you have been told, your parents are dead because they were murdered by a wizard named Voldemort."

The name suddenly sent shivers up Harry's spine, even though he had never heard it before.

"He used to be the most powerful wizard in Britain," Dumbledore continued. "The night he killed your parents, he killed your aunt and uncle as well."

Harry found himself shaking in his seat as Dumbledore was talking. He had dreamed many times about finding his parents and being reunited with them. Now that he knew the circumstances of their death, and knowing that his only surviving relatives were dead as well, he felt more alone in the world than he ever had before.

"Voldemort is still out there." Dumbledore finished firmly. "And if you do not train hard, one day he will hunt you down and kill you."

"Kill me?" Harry stammered.

"Yes. And he will leave no evidence behind. In ten days when someone from the Hogwarts staff comes, give him your answer. Think about what I said Harry. This choice will change your life forever." Dumbledore stood and exited the room without another word.

Harry thought a lot about what Dumbledore said during the next few days. He would have liked to say that he decided a couple minutes after Dumbledore left, and that when the person from Hogwarts would arrive, he'd shout a resolute "NO!" and slam the door in their face. But the truth was that he had thought a lot about it. There were a couple times during the week when he actually wanted to go: to avenge his parents death, to learn about magic, to satiate his curiosity, a multitude of reasons. But despite all of his thinking, he was still completely undecided.

Ten days later, when the representative from Hogwarts finally arrived at the orphanage, Harry told him that he would buy the school supplies first and make his final decision later on.

"That's perfectly fine," the Hogwarts teacher said. "Well, let us go purchase your supplies. By the way, my name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, but you may call me Professor Riddle." he said in a cold, high voice.

"Um, hello, Professor Riddle," Harry said nervously. He didn't know what it was exactly, but there was something about the professor that made him very uncomfortable. Harry left the orphanage and followed Riddle down the streets, wondering what exactly students of wizard school had to buy for their classes. He'd probably have to purchase a wand, no doubt, and maybe some spell books. Although, he pondered, maybe wizards didn't use those sorts of things. He would just have to find out when they arrived at the shops.

"This way," Riddle said, jarring Harry from his thoughts, and led him into a dark alley. Before Harry could even begin to wonder where they were going, Riddle suddenly turned around and drew out a thin, narrow piece of wood from under his cloak.

"I would say that I regret doing this, Harry," he said. "But I have been waiting to finish you off for a very, very long time. Avada Kedavra

A jet of green light began to fly out from the wand at Harry, but all of a sudden he felt himself being knocked out of its path. He fell onto the ground, groaning as he felt a sharp pain in his leg, and looked down by his feet. His stomach suddenly churned at the sight of Andi, laying there motionless. She must have been following them the whole time. He felt so stupid, why hadn't he done something when he had the chance? Andi had taken the fall for him, and now she was dead.

"Foolish Muggle girl," Riddle laughed. He turned to Harry and glared, the wand raised menacingly in his hand. "You just don't get it, do you Harry? I am Lord Voldemort, your parent's murderer. And in just a few moments, I'll be yours."

"But why? Why are you doing this?" Harry asked, struggling as he stood up despite the searing pain in his leg.

"If it wasn't necessary, I wouldn't kill you," Riddle said coolly, smirking. "But keeping you alive is going to put a big dent in my plans. A mere boy like you wouldn't understand. I have to be somewhere, let's just get this over with."

Another flash of green light, and Harry fell to the ground.