Disclaimer: Everything in here belongs to J.K. Rowling and Thomas Harris. Let them fight over what's what.

A/N:

Sorry for the long wait. Life got in the way.

Here's chapter six; I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Six

The Headmaster

Downstairs, Hannibal wasn't too happy either. Being told off by his wife was not one of his favorite activities and her tone was hurting his ears.

Somehow though, he was still able to hear the light knock on the front door.

Someone was outside, knocking to come in.

Hannibal lifted his hand to quiet Clarice, but her expression turned to one of indignation as she took a deep breath to start yelling at him. Before she could do so though, another knock could be heard. Clarice followed her husband's gaze towards the entrance and closed her mouth. They weren't expecting anyone…

They shared a look. Clarice nodded towards the door and Hannibal got up, walking gracefully through the kitchen and into the entrance hall. It was with a polite smile that he opened it.

Hannibal didn't even flinch in surprise as he saw the man outside.

On the threshold of number two Privet Drive stood the man known only by its residents as Dumbledore. His Hawaiian shirt was so colorful that Hannibal found himself averting his eyes from it to look at the man's bearded face. His blue eyes were hidden behind a pair of half-moon spectacles and he wore a wide smile that would have made Hannibal's face hurt.

"Hello" The man started. "I'm Professor Albus Dumbledore. You must be Dr. Fell, am I correct?"

"Indeed you are." Hannibal drawled. "How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Mr. Harry Potter."

He heard his wife's light footsteps as she joined them in the hall.

"Why would you be looking for him?" Her voice sounded as she curled her hand around Hannibal's arm, telling him that she was by his side.

"I'm the headmaster of a very prestigious school. Harry's name has been on our list from the day he was born. I'm simply here to ensure that he gets his acceptance letter." Professor Dumbledore explained kindly. "May I come in?"

"I'm…"

"Of course!" Hannibal spoke quickly as he cut off his wife. The sneer that had been in her voice told him that she hadn't been about to say anything nice. As they turned around and let the old man into their house, he whispered into her ear. "Don't be rude…"

They led him into the living room and the man seated himself in an armchair without being told to, looking around the room and taking in the extensive number of pictures. Most of them showed Harry but a few had all three of them together.

"Can I get you anything?" Hannibal asked.

"Oh no, I'm perfectly fine." He told them kindly. It was starting to annoy Hannibal that the man was so likeable when he'd done nothing to deserve it so far. Dr. Fell seated himself on the couch and Clarice joined him a moment later. She looked edgy and he knew that she was prepared for anything. The old man glanced at the nearest picture. "Does Harry come here often?"

"He has been living here most of the time since his uncle died when he was five." Hannibal spoke, trying to look less pleased at his words than he actually was. He noticed how Dumbledore kept looking at his eyes and Hannibal looked right back.

"I see." The old man spoke, finally looking away. Hannibal smirked.

"Why are you here?" Clarice spoke, trying to sound civilized.

"Ah yes." The man's eyes twinkled. "I'd like to speak with Harry if it could be possible?"

"He's upstairs…"

"No I'm not." Harry's light voice sounded from the entrance to the living room. His eyes were on the old man in the couch as he walked into the room. Without a smile, he extended his hand to the smiling man and said politely. "Hello, I'm Harry Potter."

Dumbledore shook his hand. "And I'm Professor Albus Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Hogwarts…?" The boy sounded skeptic as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yes. It's quite a lovely name if you ask me."

"Quite…" Harry spoke and looked at Hannibal who wore the same expression of distaste.

"I'm here with your acceptance letter. I hope you'll consider the school. Your parents were students there too. Quite talented."

"My parents…?"

Hannibal noticed how the distaste left Harry's voice and he felt something heavy land in his stomach. Beside him, Clarice shifted in her seat.

"Yes, James and Lily Potter. They were friends of mine."

"Really?"

"Yes." The man's eyes twinkled and Hannibal looked away. Why did he feel so bad about this?

"What kind of school is it?" Harry asked with curiosity.

"It's a school for magic."

The room became eerily quiet at the man's words. Harry pursed his lips and Hannibal was immediately reminded of his aunt. What he felt though, was completely different. Magic… It would explain quite a lot.

"There's no such thing as magic." Harry spoke, casting a nervous glance at his stepparents.

"Of course there is." Dumbledore said with a smile as he withdrew a stick from his sleeve. Harry followed it with his eyes as the man flicked in the air. Without a sound, the coffee table suddenly leaped a foot into the air and hovered there. All three of them were watching it transfixed and Hannibal felt Clarice reach out for his hand. The old man spoke. "You're a wizard Harry."

"No I'm not…" Harry said quietly as the table landed on the floor in front of him.

"Of course you are Harry."

Hannibal turned his head to Clarice as she spoke the words and she glanced between them nervously. Both Harry and Hannibal raised an eyebrow.

"Think about it." She said. "Harry is constantly doing weird and impossible things. The glass in the zoo, the shirts that get too small, his hair and not to forget that he hardly ever gets hurt and if he does; he heals up in no time…"

Hannibal remained quiet at her words, knowing the truth of them even before she spoke them.

"Did you know?" Harry asked, looking at them as they sat in the couch. Hannibal shook his head.

"I knew that you were special, but even I couldn't fathom the extent of it. The evidence was there but…" Hannibal held onto his wife's hand.

"The evidence?" Harry bit his lip.

Hannibal looked at the old man in the couch and decided to tell the truth. It couldn't hurt. "I was there when Professor Dumbledore left you at your Aunt's house. I heard… certain things… but I didn't believe a word of it."

If Dumbledore was surprised, he didn't show it, but he wasn't smiling anymore as he watched the couple on the couch in front of him.

"Like what?" Harry asked.

"It was something about your parents." Hannibal looked the young boy in the eyes as he spoke. "They had been killed that night by a man named Voldemort."

Harry remained quiet as he tried to detect a lie in Hannibal's voice. When he didn't hear one, he looked at his shoes instead. "oh…"

"I'm afraid that he's speaking the truth." Dumbledore said with a frown. "The Wizarding World was at war. It was a dark time Harry… Your parents were fighting for the light side when Lord Voldemort decided to kill them. He was a wizard who decided to do evil instead of good. He had a number of followers and they spread terror in their wake. His power was immense and it looked like he might be winning the war when he suddenly disappeared. It was the night when he killed your parents. You're the only one who has survived being hit by the killer curse and when you add the fact that it looks like he was killed… you became quite famous Harry…"

"Me…?"

Hannibal felt Clarice let go of his hand as she rose from the couch and walked over to Harry who was still standing in the middle of the room. She hugged him close and Harry stared into thin air as he placed his arms around her neck.

"Yes Harry." Dumbledore kept talking, avoiding his eyes as he felt it was a private moment for them. "People believe that you defeated him. I decided it was best to place you with your family amongst muggles…"

"Muggles?" Hannibal asked as Harry remained quiet, holding onto Clarice.

"Non-magical people."

"You say that people believed that Harry had defeated him. What really happened?" Hannibal wasn't quite convinced by the old man's story. There seemed to be quite a lot of holes in it.

"No one knows." The old man said. Hannibal drew air in through his nose as he watched Dumbledore. He was certain that the old man was lying. "I believe he'll return one day and attempt to return to his former glory."

"How come no one has told me this before?" Harry asked with his chin on Clarice's shoulder. There was hurt in his eyes.

"I hoped that your aunt would have told you some of it. I tend to have too much faith in people."

Hannibal watched as Harry pouted and he felt something move in his stomach. Mrs. Dursley had really gone and done it this time. They were silent for a moment as they took in all the information. Clarice leaned away from Harry and stroke his cheek affectionately, earning a small smile in return. Hannibal couldn't help but smile as well, but it quickly dropped as he noticed Dumbledore watching. The old man withdrew an envelope from a pocket in his shirt that looked far too small and Harry's eyes landed on it immediately.

"That's my letter!"

"Indeed it is Harry." Dumbledore said kindly. "I think it's in due time that you get it."

Harry stepped away from Clarice and took the letter out of the old man's hand. He read the inscription on the front with wonder. How could they know where he stayed when he was at his aunt's home? The green ink read; Mr. H. Potter, The Floor, Dudley's Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

It was with his heart in his throat that Harry opened the letter and read its contents:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonnagall

Deputy Headmistress

Harry's mouth felt quite dry as he finished reading it. He had more questions than he'd ever had in his life and he had no idea of where to start. He lifted his head and looked at Hannibal and Clarice, who were now both seated in the couch again. He had no idea what they were thinking, but it reassured him that they hadn't fled the room.

"What do they mean by owl?" Harry finally found it in himself to ask the old man in the armchair.

"Owls are our primary way of communicating long-distance, but you don't have to send the school a message. If you accept now, my knowledge of it will be sufficient." He had that twinkle in his eyes that made Harry feel better instantaneously. It was weird… He glanced at his parents on the couch. Should he accept? Didn't he need their permission or something? When he thought about it; he did think that he would more likely need Aunt Petunia's permission…

"I have to ask Aunt Petunia first, right? She's my guardian or something…" Harry said with a low voice. Somehow, he doubted that she would let him go. She had already bought his Stonewall uniform after all…

"All we need is your word." Dumbledore spoke with a small smile. "We'll convince your aunt that letting you go is the best thing."

Harry had taken out the second piece of paper from the envelope and as he quickly scanned the content, he felt his heart sink.

"This is a joke right?" He said with a sneer as he temper rose. "You can't buy these things anywhere."

"You can, if you know where to look."

Harry raised an eyebrow at his words and remained quiet, urging him to keep talking. They didn't do half information and stupidity in this house. It was with a sigh that the old man opened his mouth to speak.

"There's a hidden street in central London called Diagon Alley that can only be found by magical people. If you wish, I'll send someone to accompany you tomorrow."

"I can manage on my own thank you very much." Harry said coldly. He wasn't quite satisfied with the answer. "Where is it?"

Dumbledore withdrew a piece of paper from his shirt pocket that shouldn't really be able to contain anything at all and he pointed his stick at it. His lips parted involuntarily in amazement as he saw words appear on it out of nowhere. Harry accepted the note from the old man and memorized the words immediately.

"You'll find it at this address. Now, remember, your paren…" He glanced at the couple on the couch. "Dr. and Mrs. Fell won't be able to see the entrance and might act a bit confused by the location, but all you have to do is take their hands and lead them inside. Once past the door, they'll be perfectly fine. It's a pub called the Leaky Cauldron."

"Got it." Harry said, pocketing the note.

"Can I expect to see you at school start?" Professor Dumbledore asked kindly despite Harry's obvious mistrust.

"I suppose so… Where is the school exactly?" He asked, suddenly remembering the most important part of all.

"Ah yes, my apologies. My mind tends to wander sometimes. I suspect my age might be catching up with me." He chuckled in a way that reminded Harry strongly of the Doctor from Dudley's favorite Tv –Show; The Simpsons. The Fells all smiled politely which was something they had perfected through the years. Dumbledore withdrew another small slip of paper from his shirt pocket and gave it to Harry. "This is your train ticket. Now, the train leaves at eleven o'clock precisely, so don't be late. The train departs from Kings Cross station, platform 9 ¾. The entrance is invisible to muggles, so you'll have to help Dr. and Mrs. Fell if they want to see you off. You won't be able to see it either. You have to walk through the wall between platforms nine and ten. It can be scary, but just keep walking through the wall. Don't hesitate."

"What do we do if we have any question?" Clarice asked from the couch.

"There will be plenty of wizards and witches, both at the pub and on the train station. I have yet to see a student who didn't find their way to the school somehow." Dumbledore said with the twinkle in his eyes that made Harry want to hug him, which quite frankly was not something he did very often to anyone.

"I think we know everything we need to know." Hannibal said as he rose from the couch. Harry knew that his father just wanted the old man out of the house.

"Could I speak with Harry alone for a moment?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

Hannibal hesitated as he looked between them. He nodded stiffly and said; "We'll be in the kitchen if you need us."

Harry knew that they didn't like leaving him alone with a strange man and he saw Clarice glance over her shoulder worriedly as she closed the door to the living room behind her.

"Please sit down Harry."

He did as he was bid and not once did he think it was weird to be asked to sit down in his own house. He sat down on the couch, facing Dumbledore

"How long have you been living here?" He asked with a light smile.

"Since I was five. I can hardly remember living with my aunt and uncle…."

"It was quite tragic… your uncle was kind to take you in." Dumbledore said.

"Quite." Harry didn't particularly like to talk about his uncle. He couldn't really remember much about him, but he remembered being scared and cold. It was weird, but he brushed it off and felt much better.

"Do you like it here?"

"Yes, they're my parents." Harry was starting to understand what the conversation was about and he didn't like it one bit. "They treat me really well and they have been nothing but good to me, if that's what you're asking about."

"You're quite smart, aren't you?" His words seemed to amuse Dumbledore more than offend him. Could this man even get mad?

"Not as smart as Hannibal. Clarice says he's a real genius."

"A real genius?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "And he works at the hospital?"

"Yes, he says he likes to help people."

"I understand that." The old man said with a smile. "How often do you see your real family?"

"Every day of course." Harry spoke, not liking his way of saying it. "But I don't know where they are right now though… Besides, Hannibal and Clarice are my real family."

"I'm sorry if I offended you."

"It's okay." Harry said as he heard the man's genuine apology. "People get confused sometimes because I call them Hannibal and Clarice mostly."

"I can imagine." The old man rose from his seat. "I think it's time I leave. Now, Diagon Alley is open tomorrow from 9 am to 6 pm. It usually takes a few hours to purchase all the items. You have to enter Gringotts Wizarding Bank to withdraw money. I'll say that you need approximately 30 galleons. Here's the key to your parents' vault."

"Galleons? They have a different currency?" Harry asked skeptically as he received a heavy, gold key in his hand. "What's the idea of that?"

"I've asked myself that many times my boy." He said as he went to the door. "It just shows how independent the Wizarding World wishes to be from the muggle one."

Harry didn't quite understand what the Headmaster meant by that comment and it would be years before he thought about it again. They found Hannibal and Clarice waiting quietly in the kitchen. They smiled as they saw him and he knew that they'd overheard everything. It was impossible to keep a secret from them. They bid the old man goodbye and Harry gaped as he disappeared into thin air right in front of them. Hannibal didn't even react.

The day quickly passed though as the small family discussed all the new information. Curiosity seemed to be the most dominating emotion. You'd think that shock or wonder would fill more, but it was as if they'd always know. They talked animatedly through dinner but it wasn't long before the late, summer sun started to descent.

It didn't take long for Harry to go to bed and by the time that he was fast asleep, Clarice and Hannibal followed. They were lying awake in their bed though, talking quietly.

"Magic, huh?" Clarice said, gazing into Hannibal's eyes.

"We always knew that he was special." He was smiling as he reached out and stroke the side of her face.

"Our special, little boy…" Clarice whispered.

A moment of silence passed between them as they became lost in each other's' eyes. Hannibal leaned in and kissed her soft lips, feeling the heat from her body as he drew her closer.

How he loved to see her happy.

A/N:

I hope you liked this chapter!

I'm not going to make Dumbledore into a villain. The Fells are simply very skeptical and untrusting of outsiders by nature. They will warm up to him eventually.

Some of you might have guessed that Dumbledore tried to use legilimency on Hannibal, but if you're in doubt; it didn't work. Hannibal has full control over his thoughts and memories. Dumbledore wouldn't find anything in his mind unless Hannibal was specifically pushing it to the forefront.

Did Harry's refusal of company to Diagon Alley remind you of anyone? I'm sure Dumbledore drew the parallel.

Till next time!

Firebolt