Don't own it. Wish I did.

Thanks for all the positive feedback I have received. Just so people are aware, updates will probably be monthly moving forward, earlier if I can manage it but no guarantees. This chapter is nothing like the draft I wrote, but as with most things, once I started writing it decided how it wanted to be written irrespective of the draft version.

Hogwarts – Headmasters Office 01
It was a mixed group who met in the Headmasters office the morning after the names came out of the Goblet of Fire. On one side were the Potters with their friends Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Although their friendship had been strained upon the revelation of what happened to Harry, particularly from Remus as he was Harry's Godfather, they still stood by their friends.

On the other side of the room were the Hogwarts and Ministry representatives. From Hogwarts there was Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor, Severus Snape Potions Master and Albus. The Ministry representatives were Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, Amelia Bones Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE) and Bartimus Crouch Snr, Head of International Cooperation and the driving force behind the reinstatement of the Triwizard Tournament.

The atmosphere in the office was fraught with Tension as both sides tried to figure out where to go from their current predicament. All were however agreed on one thing, the need to find Harry Potter.

"I know that we have all had a very restless night" started Albus' "however we need to work together so that we can try and find Mister Potter and bring him back to Hogwarts where he can be reintegrated into his family and we can bring him up to speed with everything that has happened and what is now going on. We know that he is alive because the enchantments on the Goblet will not let it select a dead champion."

"Albus, how could this have happened?" Demanded Lily "Thirteen years ago we trusted you to care for our eldest son and heir, seven years ago we found out that our trust was misplaced and that you had taken no further interest in Harry beyond dumping him on my sisters doorstep in the middle of the night. One year after that you stated that Harry was dead as nothing you had tried had been able to locate him. Now you are stating that he has been alive all this time. What exactly did you do to try and find our son, and if you have screwed up that royally and repeatedly, why should we trust you to try and find our son now that his life and magic are on the line?"

While all those gathered on the Potters side of the room nodded in agreement with Lily's question, on Albus's side of the room there was concern and outrage over the way she had spoken to the Headmaster. Minerva in particular looked aggrieved that all the blame was being placed on Albus.

"Surely it is not all his fault we are in this predicament?" she asked. "Your family is not without blame here either. I did not notice you showing any great concern for your Heir before I came to you with his Hogwarts Letter. You had forgotten about your son while basking in the reflection of your other son. Don't blame all of this on Albus, you share part of the blame as well."

"I am well aware of the role I have played in this matter Minerva, and I can only hope that Harry will let me spend the rest of my life trying to make amends for my earlier actions. Nothing will be able to clear my conscience on this matter, all I can hope is that one day my son will forgive me" Lily said while bowing her head and wiping away a stray tear from her cheek.

"Lets all settle down, there have been enough mistakes made by all concerned in this matter," said Albus. "Now we need to focus on trying to find Harry. Seven years ago when it was first discovered that he was missing I tried everything legally possible to locate him. I approached the Goblins, only to be told that they were unable to help me in the matter. At the time I took that to mean that he was dead so they were unable to help locate him. I asked Fawkes to try and find him using a memory of his magical signature to assist him as I have done before when asking him to find someone and take something to them. He was unable to locate him. Every spell, charm and legal ritual that I knew I used to try and find Harry so that we could bring him home. Nothing worked, what else was I supposed to think but that he was dead?"

Everyone thought about what the Headmaster had just said. Based on the information he had available at the time, it was understandable that he would say that Harry was dead. For the Goblins and Fawkes to be unable to locate him, along with the other means at his disposal, it really left only one option.
"That's all very good Albus, but we now need to find the boy and bring him home where he belongs" stated Conelius Fudge. Turning to Director Bones, he continued "Amelia, I want you to allocate the necessary resources, reach out to whoever you need to. We need to find the boy before it is too late. The first task is at the end of the month so we have four weeks to find him and get him here."

"And how do you expect me to do that Minister?" demanded the head of DMLE. "You have slashed my budget by nearly 60% in the last 5 years at the urging of your good friend Lucius Malfoy. Ten years ago I had a force of one thousand trained Aurors both active and reserve to call upon if needed. Now I have less than 200 to police all of Great Britain! I do not have the personnel or resources to conduct a search of this magnitude. I told you this after the World Cup fiasco when you demanded to know why there were so few Aurors available at the event. I have been asking for an increased budget for the last two years but you refuse and keep reducing it. I do not have the capability to do what you ask"

"What, you can't blame this on me," blustered the Minister."Call some of your reserves back into service, surely you can get a team together. I am sure we can come to an agreement on your budget to cover costs when it comes for review again next year"

"Not going to happen Cornelius. They have all left the country to find work elsewhere. Most have gone to the Americas, the Yanks are always keen to get trained people."

"What, how could you let this happen?" the Minister demanded. "We need those people here"

Amelia snorted. "I didn't "LET" this happen Minister. I have told you repeatedly since you started my Budget cuts about the loss of skilled people. On top of that you have Severus over there turning people off Potions before they get to NEWT Level, which is needed for both Aurors and Healers, and the pool of people available diminishes again. You don't get off scott free here either Albus, I have copies of Wizengamot minutes where I have raised both concerns repeatedly only to have both of you brush my concerns aside! Well, now you can reap what you sew!"

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as everyone digetsted Amelias statement. The Potters were shocked at the current state of the DMLE. Both James and Sirius were reserve Aurors, but had not been active for a number of years due to their Lordship duties. As they were not part of the panel involved with Ministry budgeting they were not aware of the issues facing the DMLE.

"Yes, well, we can discuss the shortfalls for the DMLE another time, I am sure that given the situation and the knowledge that Harry is alive, we might ask Fawkes to have another try with getting in touch with Harry."

"OK Albus," replied James "We can give it another try, however I can assure you that the current state of the DMLE WILL be discussed during the next Full Wizengamot session, as will the conduct of your Potions Master. If he is truly crippling our Potions Students and limiting the number of Auror and Healer candidates I think the board will have a closer look at his record."

At this statement both Albus and Serverus paled. The last thing they needed was an independent study into his conduct as a Professor. Albus had let him get away with many things in order to keep him at Hogwarts and ready for when You-Know-Who returned as Albus was certain he would.

Unseen by all in the room, a ball of pale light had slowly been growing in the corner near the window. While Albus was trying to convince Fawkes to take a missive to the missing Potter, the ball continued to grow, until suddenly all in the room became aware of it. Pulling their wands they all faced the glowing portal that should not have been able to get through the wards at Hogwarts.

Two shadows could be seen in the light, slowly moving towards the office. Suddenly as if they were merely stepping from one room to the next, two figures of Myth and Legend stepped into the Headmasters Office.
The first was Male, well over six feet tall, well muscled and wearing nothing but a fur loincloth. This however was not what caught everyone attention. No, what had caught everyone attention and rendered them speechless was the full rack of antlers growing out of the top of his head.
The second was just as awe inspiring. She was dressed in black leather trousers and boots with a sleeveless vest showing off muscular arms covered in celtic tattoos. She had a sword strapped to her waiste and was carrying a tall spear. Perched on each shoulder was a large Midnight Black Raven, each surveying the room from their perch.

Everyone in the room was stunned. Being magical, and mostly Purebloods they all knew that the Gods of the various Parthenons existed. But very rarely did they bother to interfere in the lives of mortals. Now standing in the Headmasters office of Hogwarts was not one, but Two of the greatest gods of the Celtic Parthenon. Standing in the corner of his office looking at all gathered with disdain were none other than Cernunnos the Celtic God of the Wild and the Hunt, and The Morrighan Goddess of War and Sovereignty.