Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you have heard of before, but I do own my ideas. Thanks to J. K. Rowling for setting a story that I can expand upon.
The forest was darker then Al could've ever imagined. He really wished his parents had at least given him a lantern or something. He did not fear the dark, but he didn't enjoy the looming darkness around him. He moved on for what seemed like a long time with nothing eventful happening until he heard a strange voice near by.
He turned around to come face to face with a huge pair of eyes. To Al, it seemed like a giant lizard was standing two feet in front of him. He stumbled back and tripped over a root. The creature roared and leaned over Al's body. Al felt pain on the back of his head and the last thing he remembered was the strange voice yelling again.
Al felt very warm, which was strange because it was a cold night outside. He remembered the strangest dream, where he had snuck out if town through a forest. A giant creature attacked him, and fell down…then…he couldn't remember.
"Al right, my boy?" a voice sounded.
Al opened his eyes to see he was sitting next to a warm crackling fire in a small cabin.
"I…where am I?" was all Al could get out.
"Why don't you remember? There was a dragon, a nasty one at that! He almost got you, too."
"Dragon?"
"Why yes? Haven't you ever heard of a dragon before? I've been tracking this one for weeks."
"Did you kill it?"
"Heavens no! I'm trying to round up all the dragons and put 'em in colonies, they're hurting too many people, see?"
"Right." Al hated his lot of luck in his life. He had to get lost in the forest and get rescued by a mad man.
"Boy?" the man said.
"Yes sir?"
"Is your name Albus Dumbledore?"
"Yes sir, how did you know?"
"A letter arrived for you a few hours after I brought you here. Here you go." The man said as he handed Al an envelope. His name was showing in the emerald ink. He opened it and found the strangest letter he had ever seen.
Dear Mr. Dumbledore,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry. As you have probably never heard of such a school we would request that you meet one of our instructors so he can inform you of all you need to know. Please reply by tying a letter to the leg of the owl that brought this letter to you, she is an intelligent bird, and will know what to do. Give us a time and place to meet you.
Signed, Professor Henry Windlow
(Headmaster of Hogwarts)
"I don't understand…" Al said. The strange man walked over to read the letter and gasped.
"Haven't you ever hear of old Hogwarts?" he said shocked.
"No sir, I'm sorry."
"Sit down my dear boy," he indicated to a chair by the fire, "How to start? Albus, you're a wizard."
"A what?"
"A wizard, like me. Watch." He turned and pulled out a wooden stick, "zeforoth amontem!" The fire lifted from the fireplace and danced around the movements of his stick. "He directed the fire back to its place and turned to Al, "I can do magic, because I am a wizard, and after you've been trained at school, you can too."
"Wow" was all that escaped Al's mouth. So he was a wizard, he wasn't "cursed by the devil" after all. "Where is the bird that brought this letter?"
"Oh, well, about that. Remember the dragon? He is chained down out back but the owl got a little too close and well, she didn't make it." The man said as he looked out the window, "My name is Timothy by the way, Timothy Syphalos. You can call me Tim." He offered his hand to Al.
"Call me Al." Al said as he shook his hand.
"Well Al, I'm sorry about the owl, but perhaps I can make it up to you. See, I work in the Ministry of Magic, the department of Magical Creatures…"
"The ministry of Magic?"
"Yes, yes, but you learn about that later, anyway, I come across a lot of magical creatures and I just so happen to have a Phoenix egg here somewhere, aha! Here it is." Tim pulled out am tiny golden egg and handed it to Al, "Be careful, they are very rare, but you'll see why when it hatches." The egg was warm, as if heated from within. "Now, if you want, I can help you get to Diegon Ally all the way in London, it's a magical street where you can find your teacher."
"Sure," Al was ready to see what a magical place looked like. "How long will it take us?"
"I have a friend who has been experimenting with a form of travel, the ministry has not approved it, but my friend assures me it is quiet safe. We will travel by Floo powder. Here's how it works, you grab a small pinch of this powder, "he said as he raised a bag of powder, "and you stand in the empty fire place," he flicked his stick and the fire vanished, "And you very clearly say the name of you destination aloud. Then you throw your powder on the fireplace floor and you are whisked away by the flames to your destination. Its quiet harmless." He added when he saw the expression on Al's face.
"All right, er, shall I go first?" Al said stepping up to the fireplace.
"That would be excellent, that way if you get lost I can follow you and help you back, not that you will…just in case."
Al didn't feel so confident as he pinched some powder and stepped into the fireplace.
"Remember, very clearly, Diegon Ally." He stretched out the last two words.
Al looked into Tim's eyes, they were green; he never noticed that. Tim's assuring gaze put Al at ease. He was no longer worried. He tightened his grip on the powder in his hands and said, "Diegon Ally!" He dropped the powder and was whisked away by emerald flames.