Chapter 5: We've Lost Him
Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office, November 5th 1981 12:15pm
Minerva McGonagall rushed into Albus Dumbledore's office, numerous parchments clutched tightly in her trembling hand.
"I have truly dire news Albus; there are no signs of him anywhere. We have tried every spell and every potion." She reported calmly back to the Headmaster, her voice never once betraying the rising levels of panic within her. "I even resorted to asking Sybil Trelawney for help, which obviously yielded in nothing. I've said it before and I'll say it again, that woman is a fraud."
Albus Dumbledore didn't reply; he was lost deep in thought. The fate of the Wizarding World rested on his shoulders and it was a very heavy burden to bear.
Everyone was looking to him to save them. After all, he had defeated Grindelwald so why wouldn't he step forward and rid them of Voldemort.
Albus wishes he could be the hero the Wizarding World desperately craves but he knows there is truly only one person with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord.
"I warned you Albus. I knew this was a terrible idea, I knew something would go wrong but you refused to listen to me." McGonagall shook her head in disappointment.
It had been five days since Harry Potter had gone missing. Unbeknownst to the public, their one saviour had vanished, along with any chance they had at defeating the Dark Lord.
No amounts of potions or spells revealed the child's whereabouts. He was either behind some extraordinarily powerful wards or he was dead.
"Minerva, now is not the time to point fingers. We have far more pressing issues to worry about; if we do not act soon the public will find out about the Boy-Who-Lived and of his disappearance." Albus replied, shoulders slumped and gaze sombre.
"And whose fault is that Albus? I warned you placing the baby with those horrid muggles was a bad idea." McGonagall glared at him; brows furrowed and lips pinched tight in annoyance.
Albus raised his weary aged eyes up at her. "Enough, Minerva. How was I to know they had been arrested? I simply wanted dear Harry to grow up out of the spotlight. I wanted to give him a chance at being a normal boy, to have a good life before having to face that monster." He spoke slowly, unable to shake the guilt of the results of his actions.
McGonagall narrowly held back the urge to scoff. "You-Know-Who is dead Albus. He was vanquished by the same child you have misplaced."
Albus fixed her with a sad look. "I wish it true Minerva but I know he's out there somewhere. It's only a matter of time before evil rears its head again. Only this time I'm afraid we will truly be helpless."
St Mungo's, November 5th 1981 11:39pm
Aaron had been called into work for an emergency; two patients had been admitted into the ward. They were in critical condition after being heavily tortured at the hands of Death Eaters by the Cruciatus Curse for an extended period of time.
Aaron had never seen anything like it; such an awful, despicable thing to torture another human being to insanity.
Despite the Healers trying all they could, there was nothing that could be done for them except healing their physical wounds and admitting them permanently, hopefully as time passed new potions would be developed that could help restore their minds.
Aaron went back home with a heavy heart; he had never once felt as helpless in all his days as a Healer than he did right then. The Longbottoms had become permanent residents in the Janus Thickey ward, leaving their young son in the care of his grandmother.