Chapter 5 – Beginning

As they entered the room, everyone was back in their seats, waiting. All except Sirius and Molly who were anxiously pacing either side of the room.

Severus' hand slipped from Harry's as he returned to his position, his eyes meeting Harry's with a warmth Harry had never seen in them before.

No one seemed to notice except the ever observant Luna as Ron and Hermione rushed to his side.

"Are you okay, Harry?"

"Mate, what was that?"

Harry smiled gently at Severus.

"I won't say it was nothing… because it wasn't…"

Everyone was listening to Harry's quiet confession.

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet, but I will… soon…"

Ron floundered but Hermione nodded before gently returning them both to their seats, Harry following behind.

As he sat once more, Dobby held out his cigarettes and refilled his mug.

Harry gave his little friend a grateful pat, picking up the book once more.

Harry placed the pack in his shirt pocket, finding where he had left off.

Breathing deep he began to read.

'You don't mean – you can't mean the people who live here?' cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. 'Dumbledore – you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son – I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets…'

"If one of my children acted like that, they would be taking a one way trip over my knee, toddler or not!" exclaimed Molly.

Ron and the twins flushed deeply, ducking their heads.

'Harry Potter, come and live here?!'

'It's the best place for him,' said Dumbledore firmly. 'His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter.'

'A letter?' repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. 'Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter?'

"Not my finest idea."

'These people will never understand him!'

Harry knew his professor didn't know how right she was.

'He'll be famous – a legend – I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future…'

"Thank god there's not…"

"I don't think young Harold could fit his head in the Great Hall if it was."

The twins joked.

Harry cast them a dark look and they quieted instantly. It would not do to upset their benefactor.

'…there will be books written about Harry – every child in our world will know his name!'

'Exactly,' said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. 'It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk or talk! Famous for something he won't even remember!'

Harry stopped, confused by the words because he did remember, from the dreams he'd had as a child to the vivid images occupying Hagrid's story to the dementors. He'd always remembered.

"I do…" Harry whispered.

All eyes turned to him.

"What was that my boy?" The Headmaster asked.

"I do… remember. I always have."

Hermione gasped at the revelation.

"Surely you can't? You were only a baby…" Molly said.

Harry smiled. They all wondered why he was smiling when he could remember their deaths.

"It's the only true memory I have of them… of her… I remember her pleading for my life, I remember her screams as he killed her and him laughing… laughing at her pain. I remember looking into his eyes as he turned his wand on me…"

The occupants of the room were stunned but said nothing as the boy continued.

"All I remember after that is the curse and the darkness."

Before anyone could say anything, he began to read once more.

'Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?'

"I understand your intentions… but… I don't think I'll ever truly forgive you." Harry's hushed words were obviously directed at Dumbledore who only bowed his head, nodding slow.

'Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, 'Yes – yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?' She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.

Even Harry had to chuckle at that.

'Hagrid's bringing him.'

'You think it – wise – to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?'

'I would trust Hagrid with my life,' said Dumbledore.

"Me too, sir. Just not my secrets."

Albus laughed softly at that, knowing how easy it was to get information from the half giant.

'I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place,' said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, 'but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to – what was that?'

"I don't know!" Ron exclaimed.

Harry snorted at his friend.

'A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky – and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.'

"Wicked!" the twins yelled.

'If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots looked like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.'

"It makes sense why he's so protective of you Harry." Hermione mused.

'Hagrid,' said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. 'At last. And where did you get that motorbike?'

Sirius perked up, almost trembling with eagerness.

'Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir,' said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. 'Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir.'

"Never did get it back." Sirius grumbled.

"What use would it have been to you in Azkaban, Padfoot?" Remus jibbed.

"Oh, sod off."

Harry smiled at their antics; Sirius seemed more himself than ever according to Remus. The scars Azkaban had left on him were slowly being erased.

'No problems, were there?'

'No sir – house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol.'

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.

Harry unconsciously smoothed his fringe over the scar as the women cooed over the image of his baby self.

'Is that where -?' whispered Professor McGonagall.

'Yes,' said Dumbledore. 'He'll have that scar forever.'

'Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?'

'Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well – give him here, Hagrid – we'd better get this over with.'

"Nice to know you care."

"I didn't mean it like that Harry, the longer we were there, the harder it became to leave."

Harry nodded, not trusting himself to keep the anger out of his voice.

Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursley's house.

'Could I – could I say goodbye to him, sir?' asked Hagrid.

He bent his great, shagged head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss.

Harry's heart warmed. He'd always thought of Hagrid as someone he cared about deeply and who cared about him in return, he was glad to be proven right for once.

Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.

"Sounds like you, Padfoot."

Sirius punched him gently in the arm before gesturing for Harry to continue.

'Shhh!' hissed Professor McGonagall. 'You'll wake the Muggles!'

'S-s-sorry,' sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. 'But I c-c-can't stand it – Lily an' James dead – an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles- '

'Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found,' Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep…'

"THE DOORSTEP?! You left him on the doorstep in October? How could you Albus?!" Molly screamed.

Albus lifted his hands up in supplication.

"I know Molly, but he was protected, and we cast the strongest warming charms on him we knew. There was no way Petunia would take him if we were there."

Molly deflated a little but still burnt with anger.

"It's okay, haha. I'm fine."

Molly's head swung to Harry and seeing the small smile her anger faded away.

"Okay but I'm not done with you Albus." She said as she pointed an accusing finger at the man, who could only gulp in response. Molly Weasley was truly fierce especially when protecting her children.

"You say that all the time, mate. "Haha". What does it mean?"

"What if it means nothing, Ronald?"

"It just sounds like it means something, Mione. The way he says it…"

Harry chuckled, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"It does mean something… it… uh…."

"It's okay…" Molly prompted.

Harry ducked his head.

"Ok, you know I call Ron, Fred and George 'Ani' right?"

Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny nodded.

"And I call Gin 'Imoto'?"

More nods.

"Well, Ani means brother and Imoto mean little sister in Japanese."

"I didn't know you were interested in Japanese, Harry?" Hermione sounded surprised.

"Uhh… I have a gift for languages apparently."

"So, what does haha mean?" Ron asked.

"Okay, 'haha' means… mother and I call Arthur 'chichi which means... father. I know they aren't…"

Harry was about to say that they weren't his parents, but they were as good as, when Molly wrapped her arms around him.

"You'll always be my baby boy, Harry."

"But Lily is his mum and James is his dad!" Sirius cried.

"They might have been the people that made me, but they aren't the ones that raised me, Siri. I'm sorry if that hurts but in my mind, they will always be Lily and James. Arthur and Molly are mum and dad to me."

"But… but…"

"Someone once told me it takes 1 minute to become a father but a lifetime to be a dad." Harry said, taking Arthur's hand in his as the couple embraced their youngest son.

Seeing the love on their faces Sirius had no choice but to back down. It hurt him deeply that Harry couldn't think of his best friends as mum and dad, but he understood where Harry was comingfrom. He didn't think of his own parents as mum and dad, those titles had always belonged to James' parents.

As Molly released Harry, she placed a small kiss on his forehead, right over his scar.

The group except Sirius had remained silent, allowing this makeshift family a moment to themselves. After a moment of hushed words, Harry picked the book from his lap and continued as if nothing had happened.

'took out a letter, tucked it inside Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two. For a full minute, the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.'

Those that knew Albus well could see the same look on his face in that moment.

'Well,' said Dumbledore finally, 'that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations.'

'Yeah,' said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. 'I'd best get this bike away. G'night, Professor McGonagall – Professor Dumbledore, sir.'

Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.

'I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall.' Said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.

Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.

'Good luck, Harry,' he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley… He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter – the boy who lived!'

Harry took a shuddering breath as he laid the book gently in his lap, removed the packet of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one. Scanning the room, he exhaled a clove-scented cloud.

"That's the end of that chapter. Who wants to read next?"

As he expected, Hermione's hand shot straight up.

Smiling he handed over the slim book, watching as Hermione gently stroked the spine, before turning the page.

"Chapter Two – The Vanishing Glass…"