Chapter 2

Albus Percival Wulric Brian Dumbledore sat in his office high in a tower of the castle that housed Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looking out the window. He could see the grounds of the school that ended at the edge of the forbidden forest in one direction and the gates in another, beyond which, lay the road to Hogsmead. There was also a lake but he couldn't see it from this window. He smiled to himself feeling like some ancient king who was the ruler of all he surveyed. In a way Dumbledore was.

As Headmaster, he certainly ruled the school but he wasn't just a headmaster. He was also head of the Wizengamot, the governing body of wizarding Britain and was the main adviser to the minister of magic so, in a sense; he also ruled what he could see outside of the school grounds as well. In fact, if the truth were to be known, the minister was little more than a figurehead while Dumbledore wielded the true power in Britain. He was also the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and therefore had a profound influence on wizarding governments all around the world. 'Yes' he thought to himself 'perhaps I am the ruler of all I survey'.

He let go of his thoughts of grandeur and turned his mind to more immediate concerns. In a month the boy would finally arrive at the castle. Ten years had passed remarkably fast since he'd dropped him off on his relatives doorstep. He hadn't needed Minerva's frantic ravings to tell him what kind people they were. He already knew. That's why he left the child there. The boy needed to return to the magical world broken and defeated, not pampered and arrogant as he would have been had he stayed in their world. This way Dumbledore would be able to mold him and control him.

He had a specific destiny to fulfill and he would see to it the boy followed the plan the headmaster had laid out for him. That he might want to choose otherwise was irrelevant. He belonged to Dumbledore and would do what he was told. If, after fulfilling his destiny, he somehow survives, Dumbledore would allow him to live his life in peace but it would be a life of the headmaster's choosing. He was a master manipulator. There were countless people living lives he'd chosen for them and had used whatever means necessary to force that choice on them, most of whom weren't now and probably never would be any the wiser. Harry Potter would be no different he was sure of that.

The boy would be tested and prepared so that, when the time comes, he would willingly face his destiny. He would be placed in situations that will test his mettle and temper him into the weapon he must someday become. Dumbledore would arrange for those situations when necessary starting now. He'd encouraged Quirrell to visit Albania over the holidays in preparation for taking over the defense post for the new school year while also letting it slip that the Sorcerer's Stone would be kept at the school for its protection. He'd agreed and, just as the headmaster had expected, came back possessed.

He'd also used that dolt of a groundskeeper Hagrid to plant the seed of curiosity into Harry's head by having him pick up the stone from Gringotts while he was helping the boy get his supplies. He smiled as he thought of the half giant. Not because he cared about him but because of how easy it had been to turn him into little more than a glorified house elf eager to do his bidding. He'd known he wasn't the heir of Slytherin all along but it was a good excuse to expel the imbecile so he took advantage of it. He played his role as Hagrid's friend to perfection as he displayed great disappointment when he told him there was nothing he could do for him except offer him the groundskeeper job and a shack to live in. The fact that, as head of the wizengamot, he could have ordered a trial that would probably have cleared him, never even occurred to the idiot.

His presence at school, however, would help keep the boy from finding out the true nature of the world he was entering along with the new charms professor the half goblin Flitwick. It had been long and arduous task, not to mention taken a lot of magic to make it seem like the freak had been teaching at the school for years. It sickened him to have such a person teaching young wizards and witches but it was important to make the right impression on the boy who lived. He would never help them if he knew the truth and Dumbledore had no problems using half truths or outright lies when necessary to accomplish his goals. The stage had to be set properly with every prop in its place. That's all those two were anyway and, now that they were in place, the show could finally begin with Dumbledore, of course, as the director.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his office door.

"Come in," he said with a welcoming tone.

The door opened to reveal Minerva McGonagall the assistant headmistress. She didn't speak as she approached his desk and took a seat across from him.

"Hello Minerva," he greeted her warmly. "Have you completed your visitations of the sponsored students?"

She still didn't speak. Instead she nodded her head a distinct look of discomfort briefly appearing on her face before quickly returning to the business like expression she usually wore. He knew immediately what that meant; one of the students she'd visited had affected her profoundly. This wasn't completely unexpected. She was once a strong proponent of all the traditions of their world including the sponsorships but Lily Potter changed all that. She was the brightest student in her class despite being sponsored and had somehow become Minerva's favorite student. Her fondness for Lily caused a seed of doubt about their traditions in general and the sponsorship program specifically to be planted in her. He'd watched that seed sprout and slowly take root in the woman over the years. He'd hoped it would die out with Lily's death but apparently it hadn't. He'd long feared that the time would come when the doubt would overcome her reason and force him to eliminate her. It now looked like, with the latest visitations, that time would unfortunately be sooner rather than later. That would be disappointing because she was, after all, a very good teacher.

"Was there a problem with the visitations?" he asked in a concerned voice making his expression match.

"No Albus," she responded shaking her head. "They were fine."

"Something seems to be bothering you Minerva," he said still maintaining his facade of concern. His wand held ready just in case. "You can talk to me you know, I'm not just your superior, I'm also your friend."

She seemed to ponder this a minute as her features softened allowing a slight smile to appear on her face momentarily before the discomfort returned to stay this time.

"Thank you Albus," she replied finally. "I guess I'm just not as comfortable with the sponsorships as I used to be. After visiting with all those children and parents, I can't help thinking that our world as well as theirs would be better off if we just left those children where they are."

He gave her a smile as he paused as if considering what she'd said. In truth, he was pondering who her replacement would be if he couldn't talk her out of this idiotic idea. He met her eyes again while pointing his wand at her under the desk.

"I understand your concern Minerva," he responded sympathetically. "But their lives would be much worse if we did that." He saw her start to argue but held up his hand to stop her as he continued. "Those children would most likely never have friends as their special abilities would mark them as different. In time, even their own families will eventually ostracize them leaving them to live lonely and heartbroken lives. Through the sponsorship program, their lives are given meaning and a purpose serving the greater good of the wizarding world. It may not be perfect but it's better than the alternative."

He watched her, a spell ready should she refuse to listen to reason. She seemed to consider his words for a moment before meeting his eyes again.

"I had no idea it was that bad for them Albus," she said sadly. "But surely we could do more for them than just the sponsorships. There must be a better way!"

She looked at him imploringly with tears in her eyes and he looked at her sympathetically.

"I've tried Minerva," he said putting a sad expression on his face. "But you know the current make up of the wizengamot would never allow such a change. I'm doing what I can but you know things in our world move very slowly. It will take time. Perhaps more time than either of us have left but hopefully, if we're lucky, we'll be able to leave behind a better world when we're gone."

She nodded her head and seemed satisfied with his answer. Inwardly relieved, he lowered his wand. He'd had a tough enough time keeping the defense post filled these days he didn't want to have to worry about the transfiguration job as well. She then put two pieces of parchment down on the desk.

"Here are the lists of the new students and the sponsoring families," she said as she placed them in front of him. "I noticed the Weasleys on the list. I didn't think they could afford a sponsorship?"

"They can't," he responded. "I did it for them partially in gratitude for their service to me over the years and partially in payment for a new project that they've agreed to help me with."

She nodded but didn't press for details. She then stood, bade him goodbye and left. He then turned back to the window a satisfied smile on his face for having diffused that situation. 'Yes,' he thought to himself. 'I rule much more than just what I survey'.

Amelia Bones was a tad bit cranky. She'd been awakened at what seemed like the crack of dawn by the sound of tapping on her window. When she managed to open her eyes she saw that it was an owl that she didn't recognize. Once she'd removed the letter from its leg, it had disappeared and, for the life of her, she couldn't remember what it looked like. In fact, if not for the letter, she couldn't be sure she'd even seen an owl that morning. Still feeling half asleep, she nevertheless became fully alert when she'd read it. It was now early afternoon and she'd spent most of the day researching an old and presumably closed case the words in the letter constantly running through her head.

Madam Bones

I am writing you in hopes you can correct a horrible miscarriage of justice. Ten years ago, The Potters were betrayed by someone they trusted. That same person killed twelve muggles the next day. That person, however, was not Sirius Black. It was Peter Pettigrew. He was the Potter's secret keeper and he killed those muggles to escape Sirius Black and fake his own death while framing Sirius for his crimes. That's right, Peter is very much alive and I know where he is. He also has another secret. He's an unregistered animagus. His form is that of a rat which is fitting given his crimes. You can find him at the Weasley family home where he's living as a pet rat belonging to one of their sons. They named him Scabbers.

I believe you to be an honorable woman who will work to see true justice done in this case. Sirius was never given a trial or even questioned. He was just thrown into Azkaban and left to rot. Be careful, there are those who will seek to stop you. Do not trust minister Fudge or his undersecretary Deloris Umbridge. They will probably try to make sure Sirius has an 'accident' before the trial. Albus Dumbledore is another who would likely interfere with horrible consequences as a result. You need to keep this as quiet as possible while getting Sirius safely out of Azkaban for his trial. Once the public trial begins, Sirius should be safe but until then he will be in danger if anyone finds out what you're up too so be careful and good luck.

Concerned Citizen

Being the head of the DMLE had its perks. One of them was unfettered access to case files. The only problem was that the file wasn't where it was supposed to be. That's was why she'd spent most of the day searching for it. She found it under Dumbledore's name instead of Sirius'. It was odd since there had been no trial. Barty Crouch had immediately sentenced him to Azkaban so no trial panel had been formed. Dumbledore would have likely been the head judge on such a panel but, since it hadn't been formed, his name should never have been associated with the case.

The file raised even more red flags than the letter had. Clearly no one had followed even the most rudimentary procedures. A miscarriage of justice was a huge understatement in this case. Under the circumstances, she had to agree with whoever wrote the letter that Dumbledore needed to be kept in the dark. The minster and his toad went without saying. She'd never trust them with anything sensitive if she could help it. In her mind they were the worst sort of government officials whose only concern was power not doing what was right.

Once her research was complete, she returned to her office after making copies of all the documents for her personal files. As she walked through the door to her office she told her secretary to get her an appointment with Arthur Weasley at his earliest convenience. First thing she would do is confirm the whereabouts of Pettigrew then figure out how to get Sirius out of Azkaban in secret for the trial. She grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey out of her desk drawer and took a swig knowing this could get very tricky and potentially very dangerous.

Harry was having the best month of his life even if it hadn't started out that way. He'd taken the book's advice and gotten into trouble with his relatives. He'd pretended to trip during breakfast one morning and spilled a whole pound of bacon into Dudley's lap. He screamed in pain while his aunt comforted the tub of lard. Uncle Vernon yelled and sent Harry to his room after punching him several times. A few hours later Uncle Vernon installed a lock and cat flap on his bedroom door and told him he was only allowed out of his room twice a day except on day he had chores to do. Harry looked afraid until the door closed. After that he just smiled knowing it had worked.

He then began spending most of his time at the sanctuary house. Over the course of the month, the repair potions did their job. He was now three inches taller than he had been and not nearly as thin. He finished the muggle book and had fun figuring out what his relatives really felt about him. They did hate him but that was no surprise. What was a surprise was that what they felt most towards him was fear. He'd also learned he could get answers to questions by watching people as he threw out possible answers in conversations. This was going to help a lot when he got to school.

He'd also managed to build what he hoped would be strong occlumency shields. Since no one was around to test him he couldn't be sure. He'd also learned a charm from the book to mask his thoughts and hoped that would protect him if his shields weren't strong enough. He'd read all of his textbooks and gotten most of the way through the shelf. He'd never enjoyed reading and learning before like he did now. He also found he seemed to be able to concentrate better than before and his memory seemed almost photographic. The book had told them this might happen with the block removed and apparently it was right.

He made good use of the gym. He exercised on the equipment and practiced spells on the test dummies. So far he's master most of the spells from his textbooks and some from the books on the shelf. He'd practiced with both wands and found he could use either one equally. He was happy when he took the last of the repair potion. They tasted bad and were a lot more than just a little painful.

On the last day of August, Harry arrived as usual. He went to the gym and got his exercise routine done then practiced for a while on the test dummies. Once he was done he cleaned up, made himself some breakfast then made his way to the sitting room to eat and start reading. He'd just picked up one of the books on defense from the shelf when he noticed the big book glowing. Setting the defense book down, he picked up the glowing book and opened it to see what the new pages said.

Harry, if you're reading this, it must be close to September 1st. and time to tell you about who you'll meet this year.

'At last' he thought. 'I finally get to know who I can trust and who will truly be my friends'. He smiled to himself at the thought of having real friends for the first time in his life as he looked down and continued to read.