The Count and Countess of Rosewood where happy to say that they where perfectly normal, thank you very much. The Count Vernon of the House of Dursley of Rosewood ruled over the small town and rather mountainous area in England known as Rosewood. Because of it's mountainous terrain, it was rather isolated and had very few interruptions and travelers from the outside world, which is how the Count liked it perfectly well, ruling over the descendents of the people his forefathers had ruled over as well.
The Countess Petunia was the Count's wife, and had pretty much the same state of mind as her husband. She liked to think of herself as well-adored by all the people of Rosewood, never mind what they really thought. Countess Petunia was rather tall, thin, blonde-haired, bony with a horsy face, and no matter how many fancy dresses and fancy jewels she wore, it could not or would not hide that fact. Together, the Count and Countess had one son, Dudley, named from a royal family in the House of Dursley's background that no longer existed. In the opinion of the Count and Countess, there was no finer boy anywhere. The Count, Countess and their son lived in a rather grandiose castle-like house called Privet Castle.
By all means, the day should've started out as dull and uneventful as the previous. The Count awoke in his royal bedchamber, had the Steward help him into his best clothes and get prepared for breakfast with the Countess. While in her chamber, the Countess was being helped into a deep blue dress by her maids. The Count and Countess sat down at the table in the Great Hall, and began to make small talk. The Count finished his meal and went into his office to handle all the busy and tedious paperwork that Count's do. The Count kept himself occupied, wrote up some new forms to issue a new tax for the war that was going on in England, which went to his brother-in-law, the King. The Count and Countess finished the day with a stroll through the garden, and sat down to dinner and later on in the evening, they went to bed.
A matter of convenience of being isolated from the rest of England made this a rather dull day, for if they where anywhere else, the town of Rosewood, and all the people at Privet Castle would have been shocked as the news going around.
Later on that evening, well after the sun went down, a single horse-drawn carriage carefully but intentionally made its way down the treacherous and bumpy path that led straight to Rosewood. The carriage was very well hidden, being a black carriage led by two black horses. The driver in the front was very focused and being as careful as he possibly could on a road so rarely traveled on by carriage.
Inside the carriage, on one of the red, rather soft seats, was a rather anxious looking woman. She had black hair which was pulled neatly into a bun, was wearing a simple black dress, obviously one which was worn while in mourning, and a black traveling cloak. She looked more anxious than sad. Obviously traveling on such a bumpy road would make even the bravest person anxious.
She looked out the side of the opening in her carriage, almost awestruck by the mountain scenery that was all around her, and also squinting ahead, looking for some lights that would indicate that human civilization was at least somewhere near by. When the pinpricks of light indicated that the town of Rosewood was ahead, she breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the carriage didn't stop or even slow down at the fork that would've led to Rosewood, rather it began to go up a hill, a hill which led straight to a castle that was on top of the hill. The castle which was called Privet Castle.
The carriage began to go at a somewhat quicker pace, being on more even ground. It went up the hill, going quicker as the hill went higher. The carriage came to a halt at the iron-wrought gates that stood as a barrier to Privet Castle. The driver bent down and whispered a quick word to the guard at the gate and the guard nodded quickly, hitting the end of his staff on the ground three times, and the gates opened, letting the carriage pass through.
The carriage stopped at the front of Privet Castle. The driver quickly and silently got down from his seat and opened the side door. A gloved hand appeared and the driver held it, as the black-draped woman in the carriage got out. She breathed a sigh of relief. She made it here safe and sound. But would the others as well? She craned her neck seeing and listening for any sign of movement, but the wind was the only noise she heard.
"Here we are, Duchess McGonagall." Said the driver in a gruff voice.
"Thank you, John." Duchess McGonagall replied in a quiet voice.
John looked unsure of what to do. "Shall we go inside, Duchess McGonagall?" He asked, sounding kind of nervous. Duchess McGonagall looked back at the road.
"No, lets just wait here for the others." Duchess McGonagall said.
Duchess McGonagall went forward and gracefully took a seat on a bench that was just by the main doors of Privet Castle. From what she saw, the Count and Countess would undoubtedly would be asleep, as would most of the staff. She decided to sit and relax for a few minutes.
John got back up at the seat and he took the carriage to an area probably meant for carriages in waiting.
Duchess McGonagall listened intently for awhile. Then she heard something that relaxed her even more. The gentle clip clopping of horses, two, if her hearing was accurate.
Even more relieving for Duchess McGonagall was when a black carriage led by two black horses, nearly identical to the one she was in came around and stopped in nearly the exact same spot as her carriage did.
The driver quickly got down and opened the side door. Duchess McGonagall stood up, and a tall, rather brightly dressed man with a long white beard and long crooked nose that looked as though it had been broken twice stepped out of the carriage.
"Fancy seeing you here, Duchess McGonagall." Was all the man said.
Duchess McGonagall was now irritated. Where was he? You mean he didn't have-
"I suspect you are wondering where our majesty is? Are you not?" said the man.
"You've given him to Hagrid, haven't you, Albus?"
"Very perceptive my dear Minerva." Albus replied.
Duchess McGonagall sighed irritably and sat back down on the bench. Albus came and sat down next to her.
"Something troubling you, Duchess?" Albus said in a kind voice.
"It's just-, are you sure you can trust Hagrid with something like this!" Duchess McGonagall let out, sounding really irritated.
"I would trust Hagrid with my life." Albus said.
"It's not that his heart isn't in the right place, I'm just saying he's a bit foolish at times, that's all." Duchess McGonagall replied, but Albus didn't seem to hear her, or was just ignoring her, for he seemed to pick up the very faint noise of what sounded like clip-clops on the road being made by two more horses. Duchess McGonagall picked up on it too, seeing Albus's reaction. The carriage speeded up as it made toward the gates of Privet Castle and totally disregarded the guard at the front gates. The carriage came to an abrupt halt in the same spot where the two carriages that contained Albus and Duchess McGonagall.
A man came out. He was obviously not of the same social class of Albus and Duchess McGonagall. He was a giant of a man dressed in more simple, clothes that didn't bring a person of the aristocracy to mind.
"Good evenin' Lord Dumbledore, Duchess McGonagall." The man said politely.
"Good evening Hagrid." Dumbledore replied very politely.
"You've got him, I presume?" Lord Dumbledore asked gently.
"Aye." Hagrid said quickly. Hagrid turned around and pulled out what looked a bundle of blankets. With the bundle in his arms, Lord Dumbledore and Duchess McGonagall leaned closer and looked at it. Hidden deep within the bundle was a baby, what looked barely a year old. The baby was asleep, and seemed completely unaware of the three people looking at him.
"To think, this is what Voldemort himself couldn't destroy." Lord Dumbledore said in an awestruck voice. Hagrid and Duchess McGonagall flinched at the mention of one of the most evil men's name in all history, but Lord Dumbledore either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Well, let's get this over with." Lord Dumbledore said sounding almost tired as he took the baby from Hagrid's arms and held him in his own. "Wait Lord Dumbledore." Hagrid interjected quickly.
"Yes, Hagrid?"
"Could I give him a kiss goodbye?" Hagrid asked as a silent tear fell down his face.
"All right." Dumbledore replied kindly.
Hagrid leaned forward and gave the tiny baby a kiss on the cheek, and he suddenly made a sound a lot like a dog howling. "Hagrid! Be quiet!" snapped Duchess McGonagall.
"I'm sorry." Hagrid said through his tears. "It's just, King James and Queen Lily are dead, and now, little Harry has to live with Countess Petunia?" Hagrid said sounding disgusted.
"Hagrid, why don't you start back, I don't think that we'll be welcomed into Privet Castle with open arms." Lord Dumbledore said quietly, "if you hurry, you might be able to reach Greenstone to get at least a few hours' sleep. It doesn't seem that Rosewood has too many accommodations," he added quickly looking down at the small village before the castle.
"Alright." Hagrid grunted. "Good night Lord Dumbledore, Duchess McGonagall." Hagrid got into his carriage, and the driver, hearing what Lord Dumbledore said, snapped the reigns and took off into the night.
After Hagrid and the carriage where well off into the night, Duchess McGonagall's mind snapped into action. "Albus, Hagrid's right. He has to come here and live with Countess Petunia?" Duchess McGonagall asked, sounded horrified. "I remember when she was a lady-in-waiting. She was vain, self-centered, and she hated Lily." Duchess McGonagall said with dislike in her voice.
"Now, Duchess McGonagall, surely the Countess is a grown woman now. When then, she was still a child."
"Well, yes." Duchess McGonagall said.
"Also, the Countess has just lost her sister, and surely that will deepen the bond of blood."
"Well, yes." Duchess McGonagall said. Everything Lord Dumbledore said could be true, but Duchess McGonagall still had her doubts. Petunia was never one to act really mature, and she always seemed to resent Lily over the most petty and minor things.
"Duchess McGonagall, why don't you let me take it from here?" Lord Dumbledore said very politely. "Since it's obvious Voldemort isn't going to jump out from the bushes and since Hagrid's gone, it's pointless to keep the other carriage here as a distraction. You should be able to reach Greenstone as well."
"Very well." Duchess McGonagall wasn't in a hurry to stay at Privet Castle for very long.
"Are you sure you can handle all this?" Duchess McGonagall asked as she signaled her carriage-driver to come forward.
"Yes, I can." Lord Dumbledore replied with a solemn tone in his voice.
"Very well. Good night, Lord Dumbledore." Duchess McGonagall took one last look at Harry, then climbed into her carriage, and John took off into the night.
Lord Dumbledore stood there silently, as he watched Duchess McGonagall's carriage leave. He looked at Harry, sighed, then said to no one in particular, "lets get this over with."