Disclaimer: I don't own any of JK Rowlings wonderful characters as this story is purely written for the pleasure of doing so!

Chapter Two Welcome to Merry Olde London….

"…STUPFY…!"

Harry closed his eyes as the whole lane quaked with the magic of the stunning spell. Then very cautiously (and very slowly) after the ground stopped moving underneath him, Harry opened his eyes.

Before him lay the Death Eater, keeled over and obviously stunned. And standing not to far away down the lane was a raven haired witch, wearing a long flowing blue cloak, over a lighter blue dress. She approached Harry and the stranger steadily, her keen blue eyes never leaving Harry's face.

However before this witch reached Harry, she stopped and turned to Harry's companion. "Trust you milord to be the cause of this," she gestured around her with an elegant white hand, and Harry could see the glint of gold on her fingers, "disturbance…And so soon after you left the school…" She made this sound like an accusation...

Harry watched as his companion's mouth twitch and the surly curl of his lip. "If you must know, lady, this boy-child is the cause of all the trouble…"

Harry felt his cheeks colouring as the man called him a child, but was not brave enough to protest.

"Yes," the lady replied slowly turning to study Harry once more, "So you have another apprentice – you do know how to choose them. Don't you lord?"
"He is not my apprentice…"
The lady merely arched an elegant eyebrow in reply, seemingly so sure of her superiority.

"I'm not his apprentice," Harry snapped sick of being ignored by the two adults, "And if you please where exactly am I?"
The man regarded Harry coolly before turning to the lady. "He apparated on my little burning at the stake performance…scared the muggles…demon child indeed… disturbing a good burning at the stake with such a spectacle of magical potential..."
"I did not apparate…!" Harry growled, truly incensed that they continued to ignore him, "And where the hell am I?"

The man turned slightly on his heel and studied Harry intently, "Welcome to London…"
Harry cursed earning himself a pair of stern disapproving glances. "Don't play me the fool – where am I?"

"London dear." This time the witch answered looking strangely at Harry's clothes then to his glasses…
"This," Harry gestured violently around him, "is not London!"
"Of course it is boy!" the man snapped.
"Of course it isn't! Where's the Tower of London, Big Ben - the people…"

The two adults exchanged worried looks that said, I-don't-think-this-boy-is-sane. The witch laced her fingers through her dark raven locks as she went to the Death Eaters and pick up each of the wands in turn…

Harry watched her silently as she fingered each in turn, muttering something as she did so.

Finally she looked up from the wands and glanced first to the man and said ruefully, "Your apprentice is not what he seems to be…"
"He is not my apprentice – surely Godric will be obliging and take him in…knock a little sense into the boy, which he seems to need."
"You chose the boy."
"I must certainly did not!"
The witched gazed piercingly at her counterpart.
"He is most certainly a Gryffindor!" the man protested.

'At last something I do understand!' Harry thought.

"Yes he is a Gryffindor, I saw that in his wand, perhaps even in blood he is tied…but he also has ties to you…"
"Ties to me! Hogwash!"
"He does, they're deep and dark – but you would be the most beneficial teacher for him."

"How did you know I am a Gryffindor," Harry demanded loudly and then he pointed to the man, "How could I have ties to him – before this day I've never laid eyes on him!"
The women smiled thinly and replied soothingly, "Patience Master Potter – wands choose their masters and mistress and they can tell us much…"
"You figured out my name and I hadn't even said anything?" Harry murmured to himself.
"It's Harold Potter, Rowena," the man said.
Harry opened his mouth to protest but before he could do so the women replied steadily, "No it's Harry Potter…whose patronus is…a stag…and whom is very proffient at defensive spells against dark magics and creatures..."
"How?"

"Ah, Master Potter your wand speaks that clearly…" The witch glanced away and gazed at the man, "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, the boy will benefit far more greatly from you, rather than Godric."
The wizard snorted, "This skinny runt of a boy."
"A boy whose powers will rival that of Godric or even your own, milord…a great strength lies dormant in him…and you can nurture him to be great."
"You make it sound like a glorious quest," the wizard smiled wryly, "but you are speaking to the wrong man about that."
"Would you turn the boy away, knowing that it will cause great harm to our world to do so…"

The wizard growled something in reply and turned on his heels pacing furiously, every now and then glancing at Harry who had given up on understanding the conversation.

Suddenly the wizard stopped his pacing and caught Harry's chin deftly in his gloved hand. Taken by surprise Harry took a quick step backwards, but the wizard steadied him and lifted his chin up roughly. Harry watched in consternation as the wizard chewed his lip apparently deep in thought. As Harry tried to lower his chin it was immediately lifted up again…

"Green eyes…genetically powerful, I would expect…"

Harry heard the witch sniff behind him loudly.

"Green eyes – that of my mother," Harry said trying to reef his chin out of the wizard's grasp, but was held still. "That of a 'mudblood' witch." The wizard's expression changed one from thoughtful distraction to that of regal superiority.

"Can't be helped." Harry could hear the wizard grinding his teeth as if he did not like what he had heard.
"You're mother is on our side?" the wizard asked thoughtfully.
"Pardon?"
"Is this necessary lord?"
"Most certainly is, lady, what if she comes squealing for her whelp? I can't have witch hunters at my door…you can never be sure which of our kind you can trust." The wizard turned back to Harry and demanded with a slight shake. "Is she on our side?"
"I – erm – I….don't understand."
The wizard sniffed loudly apparently appalled but fortunately the witch answered for Harry, "She most certainly was…I believe she was a good woman who did not deserve her fate." The witched looked meaningfully to the wizard. "She died saving her baby son…she died for her unwillingness to harm others – I doubt she'll be coming looking for her pup."

Harry felt the wizard shrink under the witch's intent stare as if somehow her eyes communicated so much more than her words. "Very well – I will over look the unfortunate aspect he isn't so pure…I'll teach him all I know…" The wizard lightly reached up and traced Harry's lightening bolt scar on his forehead. "All that I know shall be his…"

For a few moments the witch and wizard stared at each other and Harry had the eerie feeling that something else was happening at the same time. Then after a short period, the witch approached Harry with his wand. Harry took his wand and thanked the witch with a small murmur. She smiled at him then handed one of the wands to the wizard who smiled with a sinister grin of satisfaction and stepped beyond Harry.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry stood stock still as the wizard raised his wand a flash of green light swooped down on the an unsuspecting Death Eater.

The wizard raised his eyes to meet Harry's confused gaze. "You do not approve my young apprentice."
"He – he was unarmed…"
The wizard smiled thinly… "A fact that didn't stop him from torturing you and trying to kill you – you're just a skinny boy-child."
Harry grimaced as the wizard turned again and raised his wand. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry shook his head sadly, completely at lost for words… "I cannot believe that you…"
"What, boy? Would you prefer I let them live to come and kill you tomorrow, for they shall…"

The wizard came stalking back up to Harry and draped his cloak over Harrry's shoulders. "Thankyou Lady Raven for your timely intervention and delivering the boy into my hands…I vow that he shall learn quickly from me…"

Lady Raven smiled faintly and nodded once to Harry and his new 'master' and then promptly apparated, leaving Harry alone with the wizard who had claimed guardianship over him.

For a moment all Harry could hear was the soft breathing of the wizard behind him. Then the wizard clutched firmly on Harry's shoulders and there was a loud:

POP!