Arthur opened the book.
"THE BOY WHO LIVED" He read
"What does it mean the boy who lived?" Asked Sirius, growling. "It sounds like someone has already tried to kill this boy!" If this really was about his godson and someone tried to hurt him they would pay for it.
James and Lily shared a worried look. This couldn't be their Harry. He was just a baby!
Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.
"Didn't your sister marry a Vernon Dursley?" asked James.
Lily nodded and frowned. Why would her sister be in a book about magic? He sister hated magic and anyone who used it.
Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.
"That made what?" asked Sirius
"A kind of Muggle tool." Replied Lily.
Sirius still looked confused but didn't ask anymore.
He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.
The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.
"Hey!" cried James. "What's wrong with us Potter's?"
"A lot." Muttered Sirius and Remus laughed quietly next to him.
"Well at least we know for sure this is my sister" signed Lily
"That's true" replied James. "But why does it involve us?"
Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good for nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be.
"Er, is un-Dursleyish even a word?" asked Molly.
"I don't believe so Molly" replied Dumbledore.
"What does she mean 'good for nothing husband'!" said Lily angrily. "My husband is a hell of a lot better than hers is!"
James smiled proudly and pulled Lily close to him for a hug.
"How can she just pretend she doesn't have a sister though?" Asked Molly thinking of her brothers and how she would feel if they pretended she didn't exist.
"We didn't get on as kids Molly" Sighed Lily. "Once I got into Hogwarts and she didn't, we barely spoke again."
The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.
"A child like that!" yelled Lily. "What's wrong with my son? He's probably a lot better than hers"
James pulled Lily close to him again though he too looked pretty annoyed with the statement. Sirius and Remus were sending death glares at the book. Harry and Ron looked up from the playpen they were sat in at the loud noise but soon started playing again.
When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
"And she's trying to say my child's bad" huffed Lily
"Why would he wear his most boring tie?" Asked Sirius.
"I think Mr. Black that the author of these books are trying to say something about the personality of this man." Dumbledore said quietly.
None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.
"This can't be good." Muttered Remus.
At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.
"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house.
"Little tyke?" Asked Molly sounding disgusted. She'd never let her children get away with something like that.
He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar—a cat reading a map. For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen—then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive—no, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.
Dumbledore frowned. A cat reading a map? It couldn't be Professor McGonagall could it? But why would she be there of all places?
"I love how Muggles come up with all these excuses to explain away magic" said Arthur blissfully.
Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.
"Sounds boring" said Sirius.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to read a full book Padfoot" laughed James.
"I meant his work not the book Prongs." Sirius replied.
But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.
Everyone shared a look. Why would wizards be out like that where Muggles could see them?
Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes—the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt—these people were obviously collecting for something… yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.
"It really is amazing things that Muggles think up to explain things they don't understand." Said Arthur, smiling.
Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at night-time.
"Something big must have happened" said Remus. "It would explain what people are not being more careful."
"But what could cause people to be so reckless?" asked Molly.
"Maybe Voldemort's gone!" said James happily. Molly and Arthur jumped at hearing the name.
"Sorry" said James looking at them.
"I hope that you may be right Mr. Potter however let's not jump to conclusion just yet" said Dumbledore looking interest. He hoped Voldemort was gone but at the same time it was a very unlikely idea at the time.
Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. These bunches were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.
"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard—"
"—yes, their son, Harry—"
"What?" cried Lily. She went and picked Harry up from the playpen. "If these books are from the future then it means our Harry, right?" She asked as she sat down.
"I guess so" said James, holding his wife. I just hope he's ok, he thought.
"It can't be our Harry" said Sirius angrily "I mean the book said he was just a child right? So what could he of done?"
"There's nobody else with the first name Harry in your family is there James?" Remus asked shooting Sirius a look.
"No" said James
Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.
He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking…
"That must have been painfully" mumbled James and Lily elbowed him in the ribs and told him to be quiet.
no, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.
"Harold?" snorted Sirius. "Like Lily would give her son a name like Harold."
"Or Harvey" added Remus, laughing as well.
There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her—if he'd had a sister like that… but all the same, those people in cloaks…
He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.
"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passers-by stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"
Arthur gasped and Molly clutched his arm. You-Know-Who was finally gone? It seemed too good to be true. Around the room people were staring at each other in disbelief. He was gone.
"I don't believe it." Whispered James as he and Lily stared at each other.
"I bet you defeated him, sir." Said Remus looking at Professor Dumbledore. He had always admired the Professor after everything he had done for him.
"Thank you, Mr. Lupin but I do not believe it was I who defeated him." Said Dumbledore softly.
"Who do you think it was then?" asked Sirius. He always thought Dumbledore was mad but surely even Dumbledore couldn't believe it was Harry who defeated Voldemort. Harry was just a baby.
"I have a suspicion." Replied Dumbledore with his usual twinkle in his eye. "But I'd like to wait and see if I'm right."
"Well I think this deserves a toast!" cried Arthur summoning a bottle of mead and some glasses from the kitchen.
Once everyone had a full glass Arthur stood up and beaming said "To the brave soul who defeated You-Know-Who. Whoever you are and where ever you may be. Thank you"
"Thank you!" echoed everyone. Baby Harry started gurgling in the playpen.
"Right" said Arthur sitting back down. "Where were we?"
And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.
Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.
"How can you not approve of imagination?" asked a horrified Molly.
"Believe me if anyone can not approve of imagination it will be him" said Lily.
As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood—was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.
I wonder if that is McGonagall, thought Dumbledore. But why would she be there?
Sirius was sure now that it was McGonagall. He looked at Remus and raised his eyebrows. Remus gave a small nod which Sirius knew meant they was thinking the same thing.
"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.
The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.
Sirius laughed. Typical Minnie, he thought.
Was this normal cat behaviour? Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.
Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Won't!"). Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:
"And finally, bird watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"
"Well we certainly are celebrating." Grinned James.
"Can you blame people?" Sirius replied. "It's probably the best day of our lives. Finally knowing we're safe."
"But people should still be careful." Argued Arthur. "It would be bad if the Muggles found out about wizards after all this time."
"You both have a point" interrupted Dumbledore before Sirius could respond. "Could I ask that we carry on reading for the moment though?"
"Well, Ted," said the weatherman,
"Ted?" asked Sirius.
"Problem with that Padfoot?" questioned Remus.
"My cousin married a Muggle called Ted." Sirius answered "I think he is a newsreader or something like that. I wonder if that is him."
"It may well be" Dumbledore smiled.
"I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early—it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."
Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters…
"Woo, the scary Potter's" said Sirius causing James and Remus to laugh.
Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er—Petunia, dear—you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"
"Why would I be talking to her?" muttered Lily as she hugged Harry.
As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.
"No," she said sharply. "Why?"
"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls… shooting stars… and there were a lot of funny looking people in town today…"
"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.
"Well, I just thought… maybe… it was something to do with… you know… her crowd."
"He can't even say Wizards?" said a shocked Molly.
"Nope." Said Lily. "They hate everything to do with us."
Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son—he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"
"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.
"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"
"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."
"No its not!" said James getting angry.
"Yeah Harry is an awesome name." Said Sirius.
"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."
He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.
Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did… if it got out that they were related to a pair of—well, he didn't think he could bear it.
"Well it's no bed of roses having people know we're related to them either" said James causing Lily, Sirius and Remus to laugh.
The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind… He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on—he yawned and turned over—it couldn't affect them…
"Too right it wouldn't affect them." Said James. "We would never go to them for help."
"Yeah that's what you have us for." Said Sirius pointing at Remus and himself.
"And us too" Said Arthur whilst Molly picked up Ron and nodded.
"You know you can come to us for anything." Added Molly.
How very wrong he was.
"Uh-Oh" muttered James.
Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.
A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.
Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice.
People gasped and looked at Dumbledore, who looked like he was deep in thought.
"Three guesses who that is?" Sirius grinned.
"Well it can't be anyone but Dumbledore, could it?" Chucked James. "I mean no offence Professor but you do have a unique fashion sense."
"Thank you Mr. Potter." Dumbledore said with his eyes twinkling. "I do like to stick out in a crowd."
"I think you do that anyway." Said Molly, shyly which caused everyone to laugh.
This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.
"Why would you be there professor?" asked Lily.
James, Sirius and Remus stared at the Professor with open mouths. They hadn't thought of that.
"I have no idea why I would be there, however I'm sure I will have a very good reason" replied Dumbledore. Why was he there? Surely nothing bad could happen to Lily's Muggle relatives could it?
Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."
So it is McGonagall, thought Dumbledore with a small smile.
He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again—the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.
"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."
"I knew it" muttered Sirius and Remus smiled.
He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.
"What I wouldn't give to see Minnie look ruffled." Mused Sirius.
"How did you know it was me?" she asked.
"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."
"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.
Everyone laughed.
"I always loved McGonagall's sense of humour" said Lily.
"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."
Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.
"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no—even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls… shooting stars… Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent—I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."
"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."
"Eleven years?" said James in awe.
"The war stops next year?" sighed Molly in relief as she hugged Ron.
"But if it's our Harry they keep mentioning then this happens when he's one!" said a horrified Lily. "What could a one year old possibly do?"
"I don't know" said James "I just hope he's okay."
Everyone cast worried looks over at the family. Nothing that bad could happen to them. At least they hoped nothing bad happened.
"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumours."
She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"
"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"
"Typical Dumbledore" said Sirius, causing most people to smile
"A what?"
"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."
"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone—"
"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense—for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name:
"Err I don't know if I can said it" said Arthur sheepishly.
"Say what?" asked Lily looking concerned.
"You-Know-Who's name" said Arthur.
"Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." Said Dumbledore kindly. "Give it a try Arthur. Remember the name itself can't hurt you."
V…v…v…Voldemort."
Molly and Arthur shuddered.
Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."
"But that's because you're the only person You-Know-who is frightened of" said Arthur smiling.
"You flatter me," said Dumbledore smiling.
"I know you haven't", said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You Know—oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."
"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."
"Only because you're too—well—noble to use them."
"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."
Everyone started laughing at that. Even Dumbledore.
Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"
"Oh good, I can't wait to hear this" said Sirius eagerly.
Everyone else, especially Dumbledore, looked anxious to hear what finally stopped him.
It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.
"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters.
"Oh no!" said Lily as James wrapped his arms around her and Harry who was in her lap and looked worried. Everyone was watching them with concern.
"Don't worry mate" said Sirius trying to sound confident. "He'll never get you guys."
Lily gave him a watery smile.
"What's wrong Arthur?" asked Dumbledore as he looked over and saw tears in Arthur's eyes. For a reply he kept reading.
The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are—are—that they're—dead."
The room went silent as everyone absorbed the shock from that news.
"No" whispered Sirius going pale. And Remus started to cry.
Lily started sobbing into James shoulder. James just sat there with a look of totally disbelief on his face. He must have failed them, he hadn't protected him wife and son… Tears started falling down his face.
Molly leaned against Arthur as the tears started pouring down her face. Even the twinkle seamed to go out in Dumbledore's eye.
"I'm so sorry" said James crying into Lily's hair. "I'm so sorry Lily. I couldn't look after you or our son."
"Wait a minute2 Arthur said drying his eyes. "It never said Harry was dead."
Lily looked up suddenly. "You mean my son is safe?" She asked.
"I believe he's right" gasped Remus.
James and Lily looked down at their son in awe.
"I suggest we keep reading and find out" Dumbledore said sadly.
Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.
"No" roared Sirius, leaping up and startling everyone. He rushed over to James and Lily and he hugged them. Remus followed soon after and for a few minutes everyone just sat about crying.
"I think it's best if we keep reading" said Dumbledore quietly after a few moments had passed. Arthur nodded and Sirius and Remus both went back to their seats though they still looked pale.
"Lily and James… I can't believe it… I didn't want to believe it… Oh, Albus…"
Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know… I know…" he said heavily.
Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.
"What!?" gasped James and Lily. "He tried to kill my son!" yelled James murderously. Sirius was also looking mad and a shadow of a wolf could be seen on Remus's features. It was bad enough Voldemort killed their two best friends but he wouldn't get away with attacking their unofficial nephew.
But—he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke—and that's why he's gone."
"Harry broke Voldemort's powers?" asked Lily. "But how? He's just a baby! How could a baby do something like that?"
Everyone looked shocked, James especially. He hadn't thought of that. His son had defeated Voldemort. He was going to be a really powerful wizard one day.
Dumbledore for once didn't know how this had happened. He would have to research it when he got back to Hogwarts.
Dumbledore nodded glumly.
"It's—it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done… all the people he's killed… he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding… of all the things to stop him… but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"
"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."
"Do you have any guesses now, sir?" asked Remus.
"I'm afraid not Mr. Lupin, but I shall research some when I go back to Hogwarts." Replied Dumbledore.
Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"
"I think we'd all like to know that" muttered Sirius, glaring at Dumbledore.
"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."
"WHAT!" yelled everyone in the sitting room as they all glared at Dumbledore.
"How could you take my son to that that woman!" roared James looking mad.
"What about me?" yelled Sirius. "I'm Harry's godfather. If anything happened to James and Lily I would look after Harry!"
Harry and Ron started to cry at the load voices. Molly bounced Ron on her lap trying to calm him down, whilst Lily held Harry tightly and whispered comforting words to him.
Dumbledore looked thoughtful. Why would he take Harry to Mrs. Dursley? Unless it was for Harry's own safety, but he didn't see how it would help him. Remus was shocked. He had always admired Dumbledore but he never would have believed Dumbledore would do something like this.
"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. Harry Potter come and live here!"
"At least Minnie will talk some sense into you." Muttered Sirius.
"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 Molly faintly. "How can you possibly expect to explain everything that happened in 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? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous—a legend—I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future—there will be books written about Harry—every child in our world will know his name!"
"Oh no." sighed Lily. "I just hope he isn't as big-headed as you are." She said looking at James. "If he is then this is going to be bad."
Sirius and Remus laughed.
James looked at her and smiled. "I'm sure Harry will be fine" he said.
"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 and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! 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 hate to say it but it does sort of make sense" said Remus.
"But why wouldn't he be brought to one of us?" challenged Sirius. "Or Molly and Arthur? I'm sure we wouldn't have treated him any different."
"Of course we wouldn't have." Said Arthur. "He is still just a boy no matter what."
"I'm sure I had a very good reason to take Harry to the Dursley's." stated Dumbledore. "Whatever the reason I'm sure I did it with Harry's best intentions at heart."
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.
Everyone laughed at that.
"She has some odd thoughts at times" giggled Lily.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily.
"Hagrid's bringing him."
"At least we know he is getting there safely" said James.
"You think it—wise—to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"
"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.
"I think we all would." Smiled Lily, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"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?"
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 motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.
"My motorcycle?" asked Sirius shocked.
"What are you doing there?" asked Remus eyeing Sirius suspiciously. Knowing Sirius he was most likely trying to get Harry back.
Thank god for that, thought James. At last someone was coming to save his son.
If the motorcycle 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 trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.
"Er why has Hagrid got my motorcycle?" asked Sirius confused. He loved that bike and doubted he would give it to anyone unless there was a really good reason.
James, Remus and Lily looked confused too. Sirius wouldn't let that bike go unless something was very wrong. Thought he might if it would help Harry.
"You have a motorcycle? Asked Arthur, looking excited. "Do you think I could see it? I love Muggle stuff and…"
"Not now Arthur." Said Molly wearily.
"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"
"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."
"At least he's bringing it back." Muttered Sirius relieved.
"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.
"Oh my…" Lily whispered.
"How did he get that?" asked Molly in hushed tones.
"Is that where—?" whispered Professor McGonagall.
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."
"Forever…" echoed Lily sadly.
"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"
"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well—give him here, Hagrid—we'd better get this over with."
Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.
"Could I—could I say good bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.
"Hagrid." Said Lily, James, Sirius and Remus smiling at each other.
"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—"
Everyone looked sad at the reminder that Lily and James died. James took Harry off of Lily's lap so he could play with him for a while.
"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, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.
"YOU LEFT MY SON ON THE DOORSTEP!" screamed Lily standing up and turning to Dumbledore. " HOW COULD YOU DO THIS!"
James too looked furious that his son was just left there overnight.
"What if something had happened to him?" whimpered Molly "What if he rolled over and fell, or got really cold?" She pulled Ron closer to her.
"I'm sure that I would of placed spells around Harry to keep him warm and stop any harm coming to him." Said Dumbledore firmly. "Please calm down and let us keep reading."
Lily sat back down but she still was shooting furious looks at the headmaster.
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.
"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'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall—Professor Dumbledore, sir."
Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle 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.
"You just left him." Said Lily still looking angry.
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!"
"That's it." Said Arthur. "The end of the chapter at least."
"Well that was… interesting." Said Remus after a pause.
"Interesting?" Repeated Sirius. "That was terrible. I can't believe it."
"Well I guess it's a good thing these books came back to us then." Said Lily.
"How is this good?" asked James looking at his wife like she was mad.
"Remember what the note said?" replied Lily. "That maybe by reading the books things can be changed? Well we can change this. We can find out why Voldemort found us and how to avoid it."
"But if we don't die Voldemort may not be defeated." James said.
"I think," Said Dumbledore quietly, "that we read these books to the end and then we decide what we do. The note also said that people will be coming back to join us to stop any rash actions."
"So if we keep reading these people will turn up from the future and we can ask them questions?" Molly said timidly.
"Yes I believe so." Dumbledore replied.
"Let's keep reading then." Said Remus. "It's the only thing we can really do now."
"I'll read now if you don't mind Arthur." Lily said.
"Of course" Arthur smiled and handed the book to Lily.