DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.

While Harry and Susan were having dinner, meanwhile, in Hogwarts, Minerva was also having her dinner, sitting in the Great Hall at the teachers' table, next to Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore was eating rather mechanically, and had a sorrowful expression across his face.

After dinner, Minerva walked with him to his office. Dumbledore moved towards his chair and sat down, looking down at his table in utter gloom.

Concerned, Minerva approached him and asked, "Albus is something the matter?"

Dumbledore replied, "How can I not be worried? Harry Potter is not at his home, and apparently, the Malfoys do not have him. Severus went and spoke to other Death Eaters to find out if they have Harry, but none of them even know about his disappearance. That is the only consolation; that no Death Eaters that we know and are out there have found him, but those are only the ones we know of. What if some other Death Eater has managed to lure him and flee the country taking him, someone we have never thought of before, or what if some gangster in the Muggle world has kidnapped him? I hope nothing like that has happened. I will have to question the Dursleys myself to find out what happened the day Harry disappeared. I may have to gather members of the Order of the Phoenix to find him."

Minerva, wishing to avoid possible chaos said, "If you're afraid about Harry, then don't worry, he is safe. Don't worry."

Dumbledore's eyes widened with amazement and he said, "You say he is safe? Then tell me, has he reached his home? Is he back with his relatives?"

Minerva replied firmly, "He is safe where he should be, safe, loved and cared for."

Dumbledore said, "Minerva, please tell me specifically, where is he?"

Minerva looked at him sternly and said, "As I have said, he is where should be, safe, loved and cared for. That's what he needs. And he is with family. So don't worry about it."

Minerva waited in silence for a few moments and said, "I hope you are alright. I must be getting to my quarters now. Good night Albus."

Dumbledore replied, "Very well. Good night."

And with that, Minerva left the Headmaster's office.

Dumbledore sat there with a puzzled look on his face. It was a relief to hear that Harry was safe, but he could tell that Minerva was hiding something from him. Of course, he could not imagine her turning dark or some such thing, but why was she not answering his questions with specific answers?

Anyway, once he questioned the Dursleys, he would soon find out. If someone had taken Harry away, it was possible that they would have tried to prevent it from happening. Questioning them would no doubt give him a clue on Harry's whereabouts.

It was 9:15 pm and Dudley was fast asleep in Petunia's lap in the living room. She and Vernon were sitting on the sofa right in front of the television, with their precious Duddykins' head in her lap and his legs in Vernon's lap as they were watching a romantic serial.

Just then, they heard a knock on the door.

Vernon and Petunia carefully shifted Dudley off their laps and onto the sofa, placing a cushion under his head. Vernon then moved to the door muttering, "Who on earth could this be at this hour?"

He opened the door to find a man with a long white beard, dressed in a purple cloak, and glasses, smiling. Vernon looked at him with a scowl and said, "Whoever you are, we don't want any trouble or salesmen here."

Dumbledore who was standing in front of Vernon spoke, "Good evening Mr. Dursley, I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. I wish to speak with your wife regarding her nephew Harry's welfare."

Vernon hurriedly replied with a scowl, "There is no Harry Potter here. Go away."

He was about to slam the door but Dumbledore moved his right hand forward and held the door, entering and saying, "Now now, that's no way to act. Please inform your wife Petunia Dursley nee' Evans that I need to speak to her."

Vernon called out, "Pet, some weirdo wants to talk to you. Says he's got something to say about that boy."

Petunia came towards the doorway and stopped in shock as she recognized what he was from his attire.

"You," she hissed, "You're one of those freaks!"

Dumbledore said, "Forgive me for coming at this nightly hour. I am Albus Dumbledore who, you might recall, sent a letter to you about Harry and his parents' demise. Now, please allow me to enter, before your neighbors find more fodder for gossip."

Needless to say, Petunia fell for that and ushered him in.

Dumbledore went to the living room and sat on a couch opposite to the one on which Dudley was sleeping. Vernon hurriedly lifted him up and carried him to his bedroom, not wanting him to be 'infected by freakishness' while Petunia nervously stuttered, "Ca…, can I get you a, a cup of tea?"

Dumbledore smilingly waved his hand and said, "No thank you Mrs. Dursley, I will only be here for a few minutes and then I will leave. Just a glass of water will be enough."

Just then, Vernon came down quickly and sat on the sofa opposite to Dumbledore.

Scowling at him, he said gruffly, "So you're the one who left that boy on our doorstep, is it?"

Dumbledore replied, "Well, yes. I understand you are…"

Vernon cut him off saying, "Now let me get this straight. We never wanted that boy in the first place, but he was dumped on our doorstep, and we, a perfectly normal family, had to take him in. Actually, I should have sent him straight to an orphanage, but Petunia told me we had to keep him. That ungrateful boy should have just stayed with your lot of freaks instead, but you had to audacity to leave him with us! We took him in, we gave him food, and shelter, and what did he give us in return? Nothing but trouble, especially for our own son, and now he's run off with some maniac freak woman who had the gall to harass us in the middle of the night while this perfect household was sleeping! That boy has been nothing but trouble!"

Dumbledore had a pained look on his face as he said, "If you mean his accidental magic, you cannot stop it from happening. It really pains me to think about what you just said. I had hoped that you would love him as your own, after all, no matter how your sister in law may have been she was still your sister in law. I had hoped that you would love him, but from the way you speak, it seems you hold him in disregard. Your son is around his age; they could and should grow up like brothers. I know it's not my place to say how you should raise your children, but I sincerely pray that you come to accept Harry for who he is and love him when he comes back."

Petunia by that time had set a glass of water on the coffee table and was now sitting right next to Vernon.

Dumbledore looked at her and asked, "Do you remember just what this woman looked like? Did she threaten to harm you, to kill your family?"

Petunia responded, "I remember she had yellow brown hair, and she said that she was from Law Enforcement, if I remember correctly. She wanted to curse us but she didn't, except for making Vernon fly back and land on his back."

Dumbledore spoke, "I am very sorry about what has happened to your nephew."

Petunia showed no emotion, instead, sniffing rather disdainfully.

As for Vernon, he held his head up in indifference and pride.

Dumbledore continued, "I assure you, I will find Harry and bring him home, and then I will make sure that you are all safe."

Vernon growled, "Don't bring him back, if he's got a place, he can stay there!"

Petunia was about to say something but Dumbledore suddenly looked at her pleadingly and said, "I know you may not see him the same way as your own son, but please, let him stay here. Remember my letter Petunia. Please, let him stay in this home. Otherwise, he will not be safe. The blood protection is needed for him. It will protect him. Voldemort and his Death Eaters cannot harm you here as long as he considers this house as his home. Just think; you will also be protected. Your family will be safe. Think about that. Please, I plead with you to let him stay."

After that, Petunia's face reflected bittersweet feelings mixed with fear, like she was genuinely concerned about her sister and her nephew.

She nodded her head and turned to look at Vernon who gruffly whispered to her, "Alright alright, but only for your sake Pet."

Dumbledore stood up saying, "With that, I shall take your leave. I offer my sincere apologies for disturbing you at this hour. Good night."

And with that, having drunk his water, he exited the house through the front door.

As he walked away from No. 4 Privet Drive, he couldn't help feeling rather unpleasant. From what he had heard from Arabella Figg and from the way the Dursleys had behaved, it seemed quite clear that Harry was not being treated with love and affection. The Dursleys had clearly not done what he had hoped they would do.

He had known in the beginning that they would not treat him the way he needed to be. The years would be dark for him, but as much as it was unpleasant, the Dursleys were the only way for Harry to be protected, because the blood bond charm he had cast upon Harry would only work if a blood relative accepted him, and Petunia had done that, although rather begrudgingly.

It was not that Dumbledore did not care about Harry. In fact, he cared for Harry very much. In all the times that he had visited James and Lily, he had grown to adore that cute child like a grandson.

If Lily's parents had not been murdered by Voldemort some years ago, before James and Lily had finished their NEWTs, Dumbledore would have just given Harry to them. They would have no doubt been happy to raise Harry.

Or if there were other relatives apart from the Dursleys, perhaps cousins or an uncle or aunt of Lily's that could be trusted to take good care of Harry, it would have been well and good.

But sadly, the Dursleys were the only option. There were no other living relatives of Lily, not even of James. Fleamont and Euphemia, James' parents had died of dragon pox and his other relatives, Charlus Potter and Dorea Potter had been murdered by Voldemort.

But now, coming back to Harry's whereabouts, Dumbledore began to ponder over what Petunia had told him. While she resented magic, she was no fool when it came to the threats that existed in the wizarding world.

The woman who had taken Harry was from Law Enforcement. She had not 'cursed' them. Wouldn't that mean that Harry was in the hands of the Ministry? But if that were the case, Dumbledore would have been informed immediately.

And this person had yellowish brown hair and had sent Vernon flying.

Just which person from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would take Harry like that and hide him?

And then, it suddenly clicked in his mind.

Amelia. Of course, it must be her. Shortly after the deaths of James and Lily, Amelia had begged Dumbledore to let her look after Harry, but he had said no explaining how he needed to be away from the wizarding world for his own safety, away from wizards and witches as much as possible. She had several times asked about Harry and he had given her the same answer each time.

She must have been the one to take him.

But first, before acting, Dumbledore would need some confirmation.