Disclaimer – The usual, I don't own anything here

Disclaimer – The usual, I don't own anything here... Possibly including the plot in that one... shrugs

Chapter Two

Dumbledore frowned when the fifth letter he had sent to Harry Potter at Privit Drive had been returned again, just like the previous four before it. Obviously, the boy wasn't getting his letter, or maybe the family had moved. He certainly hoped not. Maybe he should have asked Arabella to move into the street to keep an eye on him after all.

Oh well, he would just have to take a visit to the house himself and see what the problem was. Perhaps it was as simple as Harry not understanding what the wizarding world was. After all, he had sent the boy there in order for him to be away from the magical world and not to be disturbed by it.

Dumbledore wrote out a note to two of his professors and sent it with his Phoenix familiar, Fawkes. Then he sat and waited. And ate a couple of lemon drops.

When someone finally knocked on the door to his office, he had made his way through half the bowl and was seriously considering whether he would need to go out and buy another bag soon.

"Come in Severus, Minerva." Dumbledore said, popping another lemon drop in his mouth and glancing at Fawkes as he appeared again, grooming himself.

"Albus, what did you want to see us for? I have to check the timetables to make sure that they don't overlap." Minerva asked, walking over and taking a seat, Severus following closely behind.

"Ah, well there seems to be a problem with one of the upcoming first years and their letter." Dumbledore said, offering the bowl of lemon drops to the two professors, and being politely refused.

"Which student Professor?" Severus asked, beginning to develop a sinking feeling in his stomach that he already knew the answer.

"Ah, well it is young Mr Potter." Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling at the groan that answer drew from the resident Potions Master.

"Ad why do you need me sir? I have important potions that need to be brewed before the new school year." Severus drawled, leaning back in his seat and gaining a glare form Minerva in the process.

"Well I was wondering if you two would be so kind as to take a short break from your schedules and visit Mr. Potter to perhaps see why his letter kept being returned. I can only assume that he thought it was a joke perhaps."

"Were you not going to get someone form the order to watch over the house he lived in? Could you not get them to see if he is alright?" Minerva asked.

"Ah, well I decided against getting Arabella to watch over the house in the end. I'm not entirely sure why. In any case, it is too late now to worry, will you both please do as I ask?"

"Why not go yourself?" Severus asked, ignoring the disapproving muttering coming from Minerva.

"Well I would, but I have a meeting with the minister today and I feel the need for Harry to get his letter as soon as possible. It is his birthday today and the school year starts in a months time."

"In that case Albus, I suppose we both shall head off to get Mr Potter and take him to Diagon Alley. We will come back later to tell you why he never responded."

"Thank you Minerva. Well I shall take my leave and go and see what the minister wants today. Please do hurry back with news." Albus said, standing up and walking over to Fawkes. "Oh, here is a portkey to the Mr Potter's current residence."

Minerva took the yellow sock from Albus, looking at it with distaste and then handing it over to Severus, who rolled his eyes and held it to his side. "Thank you Albus."

"The password is Lily." Albus said, before holding his arm out for Fawkes to walk on and disappearing in a flash of flames.

"I swear that man deliberately adds the flames to make a dramatic exit." Severus drawled, looking at where the headmaster had been standing. Minerva glanced at him in amusement and then grabbed the sock along with him. "Lily." And together they disappeared from the headmasters office.

--

Severus looked up at the house in front of him in disgust. Number four Privet Drive looked exactly the same as number three, and two and every other house on the street and it made Severus feel nauseous.

"This is it? This is where the Potter brat lives?" Severus asked, turning to look at Minerva and noticing a similar look of disgust on her face.

"Yes, this is where we left him almost ten years ago." Minerva said, shaking her head in disgust. "Shall we?"

Severus nodded and led the way up the drive to the front door. He knocked once he was certain Minerva was behind him and waited for the door to be answered.

The door opened to reveal a young woman with blonde curly hair and a small dark haired baby on her hip.

"Hello? Can I help?" She asked, looking at Severus and the way he was dressed and then glancing at Minerva behind him.

"Yes, I was wondering if I could speak to Mr Potter." Severus said curtly yet managing to somehow keep the sneer out of his voice for once.

"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong address, there is no one here by that name." The woman said with a smile, before shushing the fussing baby.

"I'm sorry, are you not Mrs Dursley?" Minerva asked, moving forward to stand next to Severus.

"No, I'm afraid not. Sorry. I'm Sonia Maxwell. I'm afraid I don't know any Dursley's either." The woman, Sonia, said.

"May I ask, how long have to lived here?" Severus asked, a funny feeling beginning to form in his stomach again.

"Oh, well it must be nearly five years. Yes, five years in October."

"Ah, then I am afraid we do have the wrong address, it would seem we need to update our address book. Sorry to be a bother. Good day." Severus said, and walked back down the drive, Minerva following closely behind, once the door had closed.

"What shall we do now?" Severus asked once they had moved far enough away to be able to apparate safely.

"We must go to the Ministry to inform Albus. A search for Mr Potter and his family will have to take place." Minerva said before disappearing again with a sharp pop.

Severus rolled his eyes and disappeared as well, after muttering to himself. "Damn Potter brat, he hasn't even started Hogwarts and yet he is already causing trouble."

--

Minerva quickly walked through the halls of the Ministry, making her way to the office of the Minister, where she would hopefully find Dumbledore. She was, however, quickly stopper upon approaching the office, by the Ministers secretary.

"Do you have an appointment?" She asked politely, though the tone of her voice suggested that she was somewhat bored.

"No, I need to see both the Minister and Albus Dumbledore as soon as possible." Minerva said, hoping to get the urgency across in her voice.

"I'm afraid they are both busy at the moment. Shall I tell them you came to see them? Perhaps you could make an appointment with the Minister for another day. I'm sure you could also make a separate appointment to see Professor Dumbledore as well." Obviously, the secretary took no note of the urgency, or ignored it.

"I work with Albus, you silly fool of a girl. Tell them both that Minerva McGonagall is outside and wishes to speak with them immediately."

"I was told not to interrupt the Minister today, no matter what."

"I think, considering the news I have, that the Minister will let you off just this once." Minerva said, beginning to loose her temper with the girl.

"Okay. If you would wait here, I will go and see if they will see you." The secretary smiled brightly and then stood up and walked to the door behind her and went through it.

A minute or so later, she walked back out with a bright smile on her face and walked over to Minerva. "The Minister says to let you in. Have a nice day!" She said, widening her smile to almost impossible lengths and making Minerva's mouth ache just watching.

Minerva nodded to the Secretary and then walked through the door to the Ministers office, closing the door behind her.

"Minerva my dear girl, what do we owe the pleasure of seeing you so soon?" Dumbledore asked with a smile and a twinkle.

"Albus, Minister, it is Potter. I'm afraid I have some bad news." Minerva said, walking further into the room to stand in front of both men.

"Mr Potter? What has happened to the Boy Who Lived?" The minister asked, panic lacing his voice. Dumbledore looked at Minerva in concern.

"Where is Severus? What has happened to Harry?"

"I have no idea where Severus has disappeared off to. I assume he went back to Hogwarts. As for Mr Potter, it would seem that he and his family moved about five years ago."

"You mean to say that we have no idea where Mr Potter is? Did you not send him his letter?" The minister asked, looking at Minerva and then back to Dumbledore.

"I did send him his letter personally, however I did not think to use the normal quill, as I knew his address. Or I thought I did." Dumbledore said, shaking his head.

"Then all we have to do is use the quill? It will tell us the address of Mr Potter." The minister said brightly.

"In theory, that is correct Cornelius. Shall we all head to Hogwarts, where we can see if it will work. I doubt that he has left the country." Dumbledore said as he stood up, gathering his luminous orange robes around him so that he didn't stand on the hems. Minerva pursed her lips and followed Dumbledore as he walked out of the office, with Cornelius Fudge following closely behind.

--

The trio made their way through the many halls of Hogwarts, towards the office of Minerva McGonagall, where the quill which was charmed to know the address of all future students was kept.

"So do we tell it who we want to find or does it already know?" Fudge asked, a tinge of excitement showing in his voice.

Minerva rolled her eyes as she lead the way to her office, and then allowed the two men to enter before her, then following them in and closing the door behind her. "I'm afraid it is not as magical as that, Minister." Minerva said, stressing the word magical and making the Minister blush.

"Then how does it work?"

"I write the name of the student I wish to address the letter to, and then it does the rest." Minerva said, picking up an eagle feather quill and writing down on an envelope, the name of Harry Potter.

Minerva quickly let go of the quill and all three in the room held their breath as the quill slowly started to write. Then stopped after only writing a couple of words.

"Well? What does it say?" Fudge asked impatiently. Minerva picked up the envelope and then frowned.

"What is wrong Minerva?"

"It only says one thing. It says his current address is unknown. What does that mean Albus?" Minerva asked, looking up from the envelope and passing it over for the headmaster to see.

"I am afraid I do not know. Try writing down Petunia Dursley. It may only work for magical people, and not muggles, but it is the only chance we have of finding out his address."

Minerva nodded and then wrote down Petunia's name, letting go of the quill as soon as she had finished and watching as it wrote out an address.

"It says the Dursley's are currently living in Derbyshire. In Matlock. Shall we go and see what has happened to Harry and why his address will not show?" Minerva asked, once again handing the envelope over to Dumbledore so that he could read it.

"Indeed we shall Minerva. Indeed we shall. Will you be joining us Cornelius?" Dumbledore asked, looking at the flustered Minister.

"Of course. The most important figure of recent history is missing. Or course I shall come with ou to find out where he is." Cornelius said pompously, making Minerva's lips twitch as she tried to suppress a grin.

--

The three wizards, two of which were still wondering where Severus had gotten to, walked up a path to a small cottage like house in Matlock, the apparent current address of the Dursley's. Dumbledore knocked on the door and then waited for someone to answer. They didn't have to wait long.

A woman with mousy blonde hair and an abnormally long neck answered the door, took one look at who was standing on her doorstep and then quickly shut the door with a terrified squeak.

"It would seem she knew who we are." Dumbledore said with no little amount of bemusement colouring his voice. He knocked on the door again, this time a little more forcefully.

Once again the same woman opened the door, this time not shutting it immediately. She swallowed loudly and then stepped outside and glared at the three standing in front of her.

"What do you lot want?"

"We wish to speak to Mr Potter, if that would not be too much to ask." Dumbledore said politely, smiling at her, eyes twinkling madly.

"Then I am afraid you are too late. He ran off five years ago, ungrateful little wretch. Now go away and don't come back. We don't want anything to do with your kind." Petunia said, angrily glaring at the trio.

"Now see here! I am Minister of Magic. I demand you tell me where Mr Potter is!"

"I don't know. As I said, he ran off five years ago and never returned. We moved shortly after when we found a buyer for the house."

"Did you not think to look for him?" Minerva asked, pursing her lips.

"No. Good riddance to the little nuisance. I didn't want to take him in in the first place. You lot left him on my doorstep and now you have lost him. It is not my problem and ceased being so five years ago. Now please leave before anyone sees you." Petunia said, slamming the door shut in their faces.

"What shall we do Dumbledore? The people will panic if they find out that our saviour is missing. What shall I tell people?" Fudge asked, panic beginning to seep through into his words and actions.

"We shall simply have to tell them the truth, that Harry Potter has disappeared, assumed dead."

"Assumed dead!! What do you mean by that? Sine when did we come up with that decision?" Fudge shrieked.

"A six year old boy can not be expected to survive for long on his own, with no where to stay and nothing to eat. We shall continue to search for him, however I believe that it will all be in vain." Dumbledore said, twinkle disappearing from his eyes.

--

September came and with it, came the announcement in the newspaper, The Daily Prophet, that Harry Potter has gone missing and that they were assuming the worst had happened.

That year, the year that Harry was supposed to be a first year student at Hogwarts, several things happened. One major even was someone almost trying to steal the Philosophers Stone, which had been left in Hogwarts for protection. It was only the ingenious traps set by the teachers that prevented it. The stone being left inside of the Mirror of Erised until such a time that Dumbledore felt it was safe to remove it and return it to it's rightful owner, Nicholas Flamel.

Another even happened, though this one slightly more worrying for the people outside of Hogwarts as well. The day that it was announced that Harry Potter was missing, Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban, fuelling many rumours as to why.

At the beginning of what should have been Harry's second year of Hogwarts, a Gryffindor student, Ginny Weasley, went to Dumbledore to tell him that she thought something was wrong with her. She couldn't remember certain times in her days and was beginning to worry over what was happening in those memory blocks. It was soon discovered that she was being possessed and when questioned how, she handed over a strange diary.

It was soon discovered to be the diary of one Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known by a greater majority of magical Britain, as Lord Voldemort. The diary was quickly disposed of and the Chamber of Secrets was never opened.

In what should have been Harry's third year, two more Gryffindor students went to Dumbledore with a strange rat belonging to their younger brother. It turned out to be Peter Pettigrew and soon Sirius Black, escaped convict, was pardoned and given a formal apology from the ministry. When he appeared he demanded to know what they had done with his godson. No one could answer him truthfully.

That year Harry Potter was formally announced as being deceased, and the search parties for him were disbanded. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin never gave up the search.

The end of what should have been Harry's fourth year, one student from Durmstrang was killed in the Triwizard tournament. His body was never found, having been taken away via portkey once he reached the Triwizard cup. No one knew what had happened, and only the family tapestry announced his death.

The year after, more people began to go missing and the Ministry, under orders of Dumbledore, started to look further into what the cause was. It was soon discovered that Death Eater activity was on the increase and it was assumed that Voldemort may have returned.

In the summer of 1996, it was confirmed. With the death of fifteen Ministry employees, including Cornelius Fudge, the Ministry publicly announced the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Panic began to ensue and Dumbledore decided to make the Order cooperate with the Ministry Aurors.

The rest of the school year after that was almost uneventful, not counting the increasing number of raids, most successful. It was only in May of 1997 that Draco Malfoy cracked under pressure of what he had been ordered to do and admitted to Dumbledore that he had been sent to kill him. He was put into protection and given a private tutor as he was hidden in the castle for his own safety.

Two months later a strange man appeared in Diagon Alley. He was quite short in stature, coming up to about five foot three, and had pure white hair, which faded into jet black just below his shoulders. He had pale white skin that seemed to glow and wore strange white robe-like clothes that only seemed to enhance his skin. It was his eyes however that drew most peoples attention. They were a pale green, almost white, and had not pupil. Not that anyone could see in any case. His effeminate features made many people, men and women, leer at him, and he almost glided through the crowds elegantly, seemingly searching for someone. Or something.

Whoever he was however, it was quite clear to anyone with a brain, that he was not human. If it were not for the fact it was broad daylight, many would have sworn that he was a Vampire.

A/N – Well I have wrote another chapter in celebration of having all my bandages removed!! Woo! I can finally have a proper bath!! Which reading back on it, makes me sound somewhat disgusting... I would like to take the chance to point out that I have had both hands and arms bandaged for the last month... You ain't allowed to get bandages wet... Anyhoo, who is that mysterious person at the end? To be fair, it really isn't that hard to work out!! Lol!

Anyways, quick vote for you my dears, who do you want Harry paired with? It will be slash so if that bothers anyone, I do have to wonder why you are reading it? I'm sure I mentioned it was in the summary...

So yeah, who do you want Harry to be with?

Voldemort

Draco

Bill Weasley

Charlie Weasley

Other (You can ask for someone else in canon)

OMC (Will be same species as Harry)

So vote and I'll give the results with the next chapter... perhaps. We'll see how it goes...