~An Emerald amongst a Sea of Stone~
Prologue
Filius Flitwick's quick, short steps echoed through the empty halls of Hogwarts, as he hurried towards the Great Hall.
It was the twentieth of July - in the middle of the summer holidays for any student. Unfortunately though, the pleasure of being exempt from work during this time of the year didn't apply to Professors like himself.
So it was with rings under his eyes that he rushed through the castle, trying to reach the staff meeting Albus had called in for tonight in time.
His new position as Goblin Ambassador for the International Confederation for Wizards, and seasonal authorship for Transfiguration Today had left him quite short on time these last few weeks.
Nevertheless, a staff meeting wasn't something he'd dare miss.
Especially because it was usually around this time of the year that Minerva distributed the Muggleborn escorts, and after all, he had never missed to score one for over thirty years. Most often, the duty of introducing muggle-raised children to their world fell to Minerva herself, but even though he was just as overworked and busy as the rest of their colleagues, he always managed to make time.
It was simply… magical seeing a child's eyes witness the wonders of magic for the first time.
For the many faults their world had - the simple sight of a child's smile was enough to make him forget it all for just a moment.
Briefly, an image of an auburn-haired girl with sparkling, green eyes flashed past his mind and his lips twisted into a pained smile.
Out of breath, he strode through into the Great Hall.
His fellow Professors were already seated on their respective, elevated stools at the end of the hall. They acknowledged his presence with a nod and a smile - except for Severus, of course, who - as always - only offered his trademark sneer.
Bowing in return, Filius took his seat on the elevated chair next to the headmaster. He was proud of his Goblin-Ancestry, but his size was - admittedly - a disadvantage at times.
'I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long,' he smiled softly.
Albus merely shook his head. 'Of course not, Filius. We've all been quite busy lately, after all. If this meeting keeps you from fulfilling your other duties, please consider yourself excused.'
The small man shook his head. 'No, no. By all means - please begin. I wouldn't miss it for the world.'
'Well then,' Albus began, raising his voice. 'Allow me to begin by reintroducing Quirinus Quirrell to our wonderful staff.'
Oh?
Filius' gaze flickered towards the right end of the table, where the man in question offered an awkward smile. It was only now that he recognised the face - Quirinus' nervous expression and eccentric clothing, topped by a bright-purple turban, painted a vastly different picture than he remembered of the former Muggle Studies Professor. Though a lot could change in four years, he supposed.
'As most of you know,' Albus continued. 'Quirinus had left us in order to pursue an extended sabbatical in the magical forests of Albania four years ago. Fortunately for us, he has now decided to return to our bright institution once more, this time taking the post of Professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts.'
Albus gave Charity Burbage, the current Muggle Studies Professor, a warm smile, allowing the petite woman to relax. Severus on the other hand seemed anything but pleased.
'I'm sure Quirinus managed to amass a vast amount of obscure and new knowledge during his travels, and will be a magnificent addition to these halls, once again.'
An awkward silence hung over the table, as the Professors waited for Quirinus to speak. Even from a distance, Filius could see drops of sweat trickling down the man's forehead.
Eventually, it seemed that Minerva took pity on the man, as she cleared her throat, drawing the attention away from Quirinus.
'It is indeed wonderful that we are able to welcome Quirinus as part of our staff once more, but since I'm sure we're all rather pressed on time at the moment, I would think it best to continue.'
Albus smiled in agreement. 'Of course, Minerva.'
The Scottish woman stood up from her chair, straight as an arrow.
'As per usual, it is during this time of the year, that the escorts for all of our new muggle-born and -raised children come up. Since, this year, I unfortunately won't be able to take them all by myself, I'll have to ask for help from some of you, to assure that all of our new students are well prepared for their first year at Hogwarts.'
The Professors' reactions were no surprise. Most seemed to offer Minerva a regretful smile, while some select few - most notably Severus - grimaced.
'I have four children in need of an escort this year,' Minerva declared. She fidgeted a small roll of parchment out of her robe's pocket. 'One Dean Thomas.'
Filius waited for Minerva to continue.
'One Hermione Granger.'
'One Justin Finch-Fletchley.'
'And lastly…' Minerva swallowed, closing her eyes. 'Harry Potter. Lil- Lily and James Potter's son.'
A stinging, burning heat suddenly spread in Filius' chest. Harry. He'd completely forgotten the boy would be coming to Hogwarts this year. Of course… he was born in 1980. He'll turn thirteen by the end of the month…
But why would the boy need an escort? Lily- Filius swallowed - Lily obviously couldn't care for her son, but where had the boy then been sent instead?
He'd assumed Harry would be living with the Longbottoms, Alice having been his godmother. But it wasn't difficult to see that Frank might not have wanted to take another child under his wing after what had happened that fateful night.
A shudder ran down his spine, just thinking about the day. October 31st, 1981.
But that still didn't explain why Harry needed an escort. Frank must have taken care of the boy's accomodation in another way. But…
Suddenly, something terrible, absolutely blood-freezing dawned on him. His gaze snapped towards Minerva, the bright sparkle in his eyes replaced by horror.
'He's with Petunia.' It wasn't a question.
She nodded tightly.
Frank, you absolute fool…
Harry Potter - the boy who had managed his first feat of accidental magic even before his first birthday - was living under Petunia Evans' roof. He closed his eyes, rubbing his temples in disbelief.
Filius had been looking forward to perhaps building a relationship with the boy, telling him things about his mother, and perhaps giving him some closure about her… cruel, cruel fate.
But this… this turned things on their head. Completely.
'What's the address?' he whispered.
Albus spoke up in Minerva's stead. 'Filius, are you sure that-'
'What is the address?' he repeated, dangerously quiet.
Albus made another move to interrupt, but Minerva's hesitant words stopped the headmaster in his tracks.
'No. 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.'
Filius shook his head. 'The letter?'
Silence. Everyone stared at the tiny man as if he had gone mad. Except for Severus - his trademark sneer had vanished.
'The letter?' he demanded softly.
Minerva pulled an enchanted envelope from her pocket. Filius snatched it from her grasp, and briskly dispelled the obfuscation charm, giving the envelope a long look.
Mr. H Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
He stormed out of the hall not one second later.
My dears,
This is a… prologue to a story I've played around with writing for quite a while.
It's short and designed that way. I've chosen to keep the context to a minimum. Just bear in mind that if I decide to further pursue this story, it will continue from Harry's perspective.
I'm curious to see how all of you will receive this… well I suppose you could say this one-shot. Let me know what you think in the reviews - or on Discord. I'm only too happy to discuss it with you.
Have a beautiful day,
Redd
Edited: 14.09.23