Albus Dumbledore peered down at Harry Potter over his half-moon spectacles. The angry red scar above the child's eyes had not seemed to heal in the slightest, even though it had been several days. It repelled any attempt by Madam Pomfrey or Dumbledore to heal it, so he had begun to suspect that it still carried a taint of dark magic within it. However, the child seemed healthy, if confused at the disappearance of his parents, so Dumbledore was not overly concerned with it. In all likelihood, the foreign magic contained within would dissipate over time and eventually allow the scar to heal.
Today, Dumbledore would bring Harry to the Dursley household. From McGonagall's reports, the Dursleys were fairly normal for a Muggle family. They appeared to be relatively well-off, and so they should not have an issue supporting one more child. While Dumbledore knew of Petunia's distaste for all things magical, he believed that enough time had passed that she would accept her sister's son as her own. However, even if he believed they would accept him for who he was, it didn't mean he wanted Harry's magical abilities to be showcased. In a Muggle neighborhood, that would cause far too much trouble.
Checking to make sure Madam Pomfrey was busy, Dumbledore withdrew his wand from his sleeve and began waving it in complex patterns above the child's head, all while mumbling an ancient spell under his breath. The spell was designed to limit how much magic a child would demonstrate. A child's core could not be placed under a block, since this would prevent any magic from escaping their core and would dramatically stunt their magical growth. Blocks could only be used harmlessly on magically mature adults. Instead, this spell would simply make any outbursts of accidental magic less obvious to those around him.
The spell had three parts. The first simply prevented his magic from moving beyond his skin. This would prevent Harry from levitating objects or changing someone else's hair color. The second part was more complex, and would encourage the growth of magical channels within him, even though the magic was not being released in the usual manner. Finally, the third piece would cause any excess magic within Harry to flow into the earth and dissipate. This would allow Harry's core to produce and use magic at a normal rate. The spell would naturally unravel on the day of the child's eleventh birthday.
Dumbledore finished applying the charm to the child, and turned to gather his cloak. As his back was turned, the tiny piece of Voldemort's magic that was lodged inside Harry inspected the newly applied charm. It lacked sentience, but knew that the child it was inhabiting was the enemy of its creator, and therefore should be harmed if possible. With the entirety of the magic available to it, this parasite warped the third part of the charm that Dumbledore applied, dramatically decreasing Harry's ability to shunt excess magical energy into the earth. However, the magic it expended to do this included the magic keeping it alive, and the remainder of Voldemort's magic began to be absorbed into Harry's core.
Dumbledore, having finally collected his belongings and testing his Deluminator, picked up the child, wrapped him in a blanket, and carried him down to the groundskeeper's hut.
"Rubeus," said Dumbledore, "I must make a quick stop before I head to the Dursley residence. Would you mind taking Sirius' bike and bringing Harry to Surrey?"
"Not a problem, Headmaster," replied the half-giant. He took the child, tucked him into an inside pocket of his massive coat, and went around his hut to get the motorcycle.
Dumbledore apparated into the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic and immediately went to the security desk. After confirming his identity, he took one of the lifts to the administrative suite of the Wizengamot. Walking towards the census office, he was pleased to find the man he was looking for standing outside.
"Samuel, so good to see you again," Dumbledore said as he approached.
"Of course, Headmaster, I only wish it were under better circumstances," replied Samuel Gibbons. Gibbons had graduated Hogwarts seven years ago, and had briefly pursued a mastery in Transfiguration under Dumbledore's tutelage before finding a position at the Ministry. "What can I help you with, sir?"
"As I am sure you've heard, Harry Potter survived the attack on his family on Halloween. However, there are some people who would rather harm him than help, and as an orphan he could be adopted by anybody with even a slight blood relation. I need you to officially submit this form declaring Harry's Muggle aunt as his guardian before anybody can begin the adoption process," Dumbledore said quietly, handing a document to the man.
"You do know I could get fired if anybody finds out that I did this, right?" Gibbons asked, even as he took the offered parchment.
"You know I would not ask unless it was of the utmost importance," Dumbledore replied. Gibbons glanced down at the paper, considering it, before facing Dumbledore again.
"Very well. I'll make sure it gets processed before morning."
"Thank you Samuel. I appreciate this."
"Not to worry, sir. Have a good evening," said Gibbons, before turning and entering the offices behind him.
"Fancy seeing you here, Minerva," Dumbledore said to the cat seated on the brick wall. The cat gave him a piercing glare before jumping to the ground and morphing into the shape of Minerva McGonagall.
"Very funny. Albus, are you sure there is no other way to protect him? These… people… are some of the worst I have seen, and I cannot imagine them welcoming a child that is not their own, regardless of any relation to them."
"Alas, my dear, this is the only way to ensure that Harry does not fall into the wrong hands. Not to worry, I have already arranged for one of my acquaintances to move in down the street to keep an eye on things. He will be alright, I assure you."
"As you say, Headmaster," McGonagall said as a roaring sound filled the air. Down the street, a light could be seen growing brighter in the distance, far above the ground but slowly dropping. With a crash, Rubeus Hagrid landed the motorcycle on Privet Drive and came to a stop beside the two. He heaved himself over the bike and removed the goggles from his face.
"Sorry for the noise, Professor, I'm still gettin' the hang of this thin'," said Hagrid as he approached. He reached into his coat and pulled a sleeping Harry out. "I'll miss the little guy," he said as he passed the child to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore pulled a letter from his sleeve and tucked it into the blanket wrapped around Harry. Approaching the doorstep of number 4, he placed Harry on the top step and moved back. Removing his wand, Dumbledore weaved a ward around the property that was activated by intent and magic. Any being carrying Voldemort's magic in a Dark Mark would be unable to find the place, and neither would any other magical being wishing harm upon Harry. Finishing with a warming charm cast upon the sleeping child, he rejoined his colleagues past the gate.
"Not to worry, Hagrid, we will see him again in a few years," said Dumbledore as they walked down the street. After a quiet moment of observation, McGonagall and Hagrid left. When he was all alone, Dumbledore looked one more time at Harry, and disapparated.
Throughout the country, hidden from the eyes of the Muggle world, witches and wizards everywhere toasted Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived.
Flying across the English Channel at breakneck speeds, an ethereal cloud of black mist promised revenge on Harry Potter, the child of prophecy.
At number 4 Privet Drive, a woman screamed as she opened the front door the next morning.
Edit: Added line saying that the spell would naturally degrade when the child turned eleven.