HELLS BELLS

Summary: Dumbledore adds an additional charm to the Dursley's for Harry's protection. But the charm drives him mad.

Privet Drive, November 1981

It was a cold and dark night. The only sound heard was the soft hooting of a lone owl through the neighbourhood of Privet Drive.

Suddenly a loud popping sound permeated on the cold night. An old man with a tremendous silver beard had appeared out of nowhere.

Albus Dumbledore.

IlIlIlIlI

Dumbledore mentally swore as he made his way to the basket still outside Number Four.

He had forgotten to add a few more charms for the child's protection.

First, he cast a warming charm. Minerva had screeched and slapped him in the Three Broomsticks when he admitted to her Harry was left cold. He had to leave the pub before people asked questions.

He debated adding a Tracking Charm but decided not to. Harry won't be needing that for now. He can't run away yet, after all.

He decided to add a different charm.

"Omni Tempore Relicto," he cast with a low voice. "Indisso Lubilis."

An unbreakable charm that would let him know when Harry left the house. It would be easier tracking him with that by coming to the area right away when the alarm broke. No one would be able to break the charm at all, not even him.

Smiling, Dumbledore turned and left the area, not realising he had doomed himself to his fate.

IlIlIlIlI

3 Days Later

Albus staggered into his quarters, exhausted and cold.

The alarm at Privet Drive had triggered while he was having a cosy, warm bath. He wasn't even dry when he arrived only to find Petunia Dursley walking the two boys in the neighbourhood. He left before she noticed him only to find his bath had gone cold. Grumbling, he climbed into his bed and fell asleep.

IlIlIlIlI

RING RING

Oh no, not again, groaned Albus as he shoved the paperwork aside and charged as fast as possible to Privet Drive.

He knew the boy likely wasn't kidnapped, but Death Eaters had sworn revenge. He would not rest unless he knew he was safe.

He couldn't deactivate the charm and the high-pitched ringing noise was driving him mental.

Until the Summer of 1982, Harry left his house ten times a week.

IlIlIlIlI

And he thought the Summer would be easier.

Once Hogwarts let out for the Summer of 1982, Dumbledore was hoping that now with the holidays the Dursley's might calm down.

He was wrong.

The Dursley's had vanished at the start of July with Harry and Albus went frantic. He dragged the Order through the whole country searching for Harry for two weeks.

When he returned to his office at the end of the two weeks his alarm had stopped.

Curious, he went out to Privet Drive to find the Dursley's back from a holiday in Spain.

They had been on vacation, something he really needed, especially after the Order meeting. Not one person was happy with Albus for wasting their time, especially Minerva. She slapped him before heading to Australia to see her niece.

By the end of 1982 Albus was close to crying. His eyes had gone bloodshot from the effort looking after Harry.

"CAN'T THEY STAY PUT," he cried vociferously, as the alarm triggered again.

IlIlIlIlI

1984 onwards was the worst for Albus. Harry had started school in the Muggle world and the alarm was going off all the time every morning.

He had a bad altercation with the Muggle police when Harry's school reported an old bearded man was always outside. He had been hauled into a jail cell which stank of urine and sweat. Once he was sure no one was watching he popped away. He learnt his lesson and checked the school from a large oak tree covered in foliage and leaves. He charmed the tree to not shed its leaves during the Autumn season so he couldn't be seen. He never realised in the years to come he had made the tree world famous for not shedding during the Autumn. No scientist ever figured it out.

IlIlIlIlI

He was flying high above the clouds over the magnificent Mediterranean. Whales were swimming below him and beautiful birds were flying with him. He felt everything. He felt free.

RING RING

Albus woke up instantly from his amazing dream.

"I'm going to kill you, Harry Potter."

Two hours later

His breath staggered as he once again was thrust into a jail cell. In his delirium he'd forgotten to apparate to the tree. Harry's school didn't waste time before calling the police.

"We'll bring you in to ask questions why you're hanging around schools once the Superintendent gets in," snarled the officer, before walking away.

"You hang around schools, old man," came an angry voice from behind him.

Albus turned to face the heavily tattooed and muscled man behind him.

"I need to keep an eye on my grandson," Albus said, his eyes twinkling.

"Boys, we got a child creeper here," the man spoke angrily. From all corners of the cell men got up. Men who were also heavily tattooed and muscled.

Later he managed to escape unnoticed when the Muggle nurse had her head turned for ten seconds.

"FAWKES," he called as he collapsed in his bed. Fawkes didn't appear.

"Another burning day," he groaned in pain. Those inmates had done a number on him. Both of his ankles were twisted, his arm was broken, and his shoulder dislocated.

With tremendous effort, he sent a Patronus to Poppy before he passed out.

She hadn't been happy with his injuries and threatened to involve the DMLE. He had to promise her extra potions from Severus before she reneged. Severus wasn't happy though and ranted in his ears for a whole hour.

Just as he was about to settle in at six o' clock there came a sound.

RING RING.

He burst out crying.

IlIlIlIlI

The added effort of looking after Harry was destroying his reputation. He had been snapping at people the last six years because of the boy leaving his residence.

If only the boy lived somewhere else, but he wouldn't let anyone else house him. Remus Lupin had been nagging him for six years for Harry's location too, but there was no way he would let Harry stay with a werewolf. It would ruin everything.

RING RING

IlIlIlIlI

Late 1988

"I did it my way," sang Albus to massive applause.

He finally found a way to relieve off steam. He joined a karaoke bar in London a few months ago. He always enjoyed Muggle music, especially Frank Sinatra's music.

"Thank you, all," he smiled. "Any other requests."

"How about 'I Fought The Law' by the Bobby Fuller Four," came a voice from behind him.

Albus turned smiling to say of course, only to be slapped in handcuffs.

"After all, 'the law won'. You're under arrest for escaping police custody last year in Surrey."

IlIlIlIlI

The now power-less Albus Dumbledore sat in his office doing paperwork.

After he'd been arrested in Surrey the Ministry had gotten involved. Obliviators worked around the clock fixing his mistake. His reason for what he did was accepted as he was keeping an eye on Harry Potter. Amelia Bones had checked the schools records and verified that Harry was indeed attending there. Thankfully, she kept his location quiet.

However, because he inadvertently had been hunted throughout England by law enforcement he was forced to resign from the ICW because of the embarrassment. In a last act to regain some control he dropped a hint to Amelia that Sirius Black hadn't had a trial.

It backfired. For him anyway. He had to resign as Chief Warlock and Barty Crouch went to Azkaban along with his apparently dead son who was discovered in his home by Bertha Jorkins.

Sirius Black was now in St. Mungo's recovering from Dementor exposure after his trial.

Harry Potter was currently in the custody of Amelia Bones when she checked up on his address and discovered his treatment. He was now in a loving environment and became fast friends with Amelia's niece Susan.

Sirius Black's solicitor had offered him a plea bargain on overturning James' and Lily's Will. Charges would not be filed on him as long as he resigned from Hogwarts by 1991, when Harry would be starting Hogwarts.

The thought of Harry Potter was enough to start the bells in his mind. Although the charm was now deactivated he could still hear it in his mind all the time.

Hell's Bells, can't they stop ringing, he thought as he buried his head into his desk.

He was definitely retiring by 1991. Seeing Harry Potter would no doubt make the bells worse.

AN: Just a one-shot. I hoped you all enjoyed it.