Abandonment

Chapter One – Seeing Them for the First Time

Harry James Potter was abandoned at only the age of one year and three months in order to combat his prophesied enemy, Lord Voldemort. Golems were left in place of James and Lily Potter. They sacrificed their first son in order to rid the world of its greatest enemy. James and Lily would survive while their son would most likely not survive. Harry, however, survived much to the shock of Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore, not believing it, took Harry away from the incident and hid him in the muggle world with Lily's sister, Petunia, and her family.

For three years Harry Potter lived an unhappy life with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Always the slave and always being picked on. One day, Vernon decided to get rid of the low life living underneath his roof and threw him out onto the streets of London. Maybe the Fates were working with Harry Potter that day, as well as the one with his encounter with Voldemort, because he was coincidentally put in an alleyway not far from the Leaky Cauldron.

Later that same day, Harry found himself inside of the Leaky Cauldron being questioned by Tom the barkeeper, but could only give limited answers as he was only a four year old. Tom, however, could tell what was going on and took Harry under his wing. From that day forward Harry became a helper within all of Diagon Alley, learning all of the trades of the shops: making ice cream, caring for animals, reading and storing books, creating wands, mixing alcohol, making food, counting money, banking from Gringotts, and many other such trades.

This was the day, the day. The day he left his surrogate family of seven years in order to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and get his education in becoming a wizard. It seemed a waste of time though, having lived with a book store right down the street all on wizards and their spells. He had been using a wand for near on four years already. What was the point of going to Hogwarts to relearn all that he had learned already?

Some things in life just did not make sense to eleven year old Harry James Potter. Of course, what sort of things made sense to an eleven year old? Well, in Harry's case, it would be most of Hogwarts' curriculum for all seven years and some other odds and ends that usually weren't taught at a school. The joys of being a non-normal, eleven year old wizard, especially one with piercing, emerald green eyes, unruly, raven black hair, and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Harry Potter stood on platform 9 ¾ with William Ollivander and Matilda Malkin staring the Hogwarts Express in all its red and shining glory. He really didn't want to be here or going there. They were there. All of them, including the old man and his supposed parents. A hand by each guardian was set on his shoulders as they could see the darkening look in his eyes. They both knew he didn't want to go as did all of his guardians from Diagon Alley, but it had to be done, even if it was a waste of a year with no helper or to just take the O.W.L.'s this year and then N.E.W.T.'s next year.

Harry calmed down and turned a pleading look at Mr. Ollivander and Madam Malkin, but it had no effect on the two adults. That was it, the final contest, and he had lost. Not one of Harry's finer points in life, so close, yet so far. The Boy Who Lived gave the two adults a hug and went onto the train to await the up and most definitely coming conflicts that would arise when Harry got to Hogwarts.

The castle, to Harry and only Harry, didn't seem very impressive. Of course, he was most likely the only one not wanting to be there so he could probably care less about what the actual structure looked like. It housed, fed, and taught students, who cared about what it looked like?

Hagrid seemed like a nice enough person even if he was rather tall and large. He could always be seen around Diagon Alley either in The Leaky Cauldron getting drunk or checking the stores, typically in Knockturn Alley, for new animals he could raise. Professor McGonagall was a stern woman Harry knew from the stories children would tell as well as the adults; quite an impressive impact to affect an adult.

Entering the Great Hall, many of the first years were stupefied by the grandeur of things as well as the enchanted ceiling. A first year girl with brown hair was rattling off facts about the Great Hall and its enchanted ceiling.

Harry, however, slowed to a crawling walking speed as he looked up towards the head table. There sat Dumbledore in the middle in all his finery looking as if he had never abandoned a one year old to horrible muggle relatives. On the middle of the right side of the head table sat the two people Harry loathed more than Dumbledore even if it was just by a little bit, Professors James and Lily Potter. The nerve of them sitting at the table looking as if they never had a son, never had a son that they had sacrificed and abandoned.

Professor McGonagall took a stool and tattered hat out which came to life and sang a song. The Sorting proceeded then until the raven haired child's name had been come upon on the list. McGonagall took a slight hitch in her voice and stopped before the name could be said. She cast a confused look towards the Potters, to Dumbledore, and then back to the Potters. They had a child no one knew about? McGonagall regained her composure fairly quickly after her lapse and called out the name.

"Potter, Harry James!"

The name rang out into the Great Hall. No one moved. The Potters looked at each other in astonishment and fear. That name had not been uttered in ten years, not once, ever. Dumbledore lost a slight bit of twinkle in his eyes, his shoulders slouched slightly, and he took on a look of realization, he had forgotten about Harry for ten years. Hushed whispers broke out through the hall, 'the Potters have a son?'

However, Harry proceeded to the stool without a notion of being perturbed of being a first year or being the lost son of the Potters. Calm exterior and raging interior, Harry may have appeared calm, but his eyes and movements told otherwise that Professor Snape noted. Harry calmly sat on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on his head to escape the stares and whispers.

"Harry James...Potter? Interesting, I was under the impression you died some ten years ago." Harry glared at the presence in his mind.

"People lie, unexpected things happen, people go on and forget things and other people. It is the past and that is where it shall remain." Harry glared at the presence in his mind again daring it to refute his statement.

"My, my Mr. Potter. Such determination and ambition, not to mention bravery and strength; also a very smart young lad. Ravenclaw might be good, but Gryffindor or Slytherin would better suit your attitude." Harry's glare strengthened. "Decisions, decisions, decisions...I shall put you in...GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry shrugged off the hat and without looking at a single person went and sat at the Gryffindor table. There was another momentary lapse of silence in the Great Hall as people tried to digest what had just transpired. Very few, if any, were able to digest, but the sorting continued after the very pregnant pause. Many cast a confused look at others, but the others only shrugged their shoulders not knowing of any answer that could be possible. Many also tried to catch the young boy's eyes, but were very unsuccessful as he seemed to try and glare at the plate in front of him into the afterlife.

The sorting continued as did the feast afterwards. Many students left this puzzle as they were too tired to deal with puzzle on the first night of a new school year. The Potters and most of the teachers, not including Snape, decided they would see Dumbledore in the morning to discuss who the boy was and what was to be done with him, if anything. Dumbledore, however, deemed it necessary that he brought the boy into his office tomorrow morning to discuss, well, the headmaster wasn't quite sure.