Ta-da! New chapter! This one is basically compulsory to any HP Fanfic with this kind of scenario. I have taken some excerpts from The Bloody Ashikabi (with permission from its author, the great Arawn D. Draven) and modified them, so if anything looks familiar...now you know why. A little short, but it has its reasons for being so.
Hope you enjoy and constructive criticism is welcome! BETA NEEDED!
Chapter 3 - Whats and Hows
December 24th 1988, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmaster's Office
In another world, away from the cold peak of Mt. Zonia and across a lush field of grass, stood a tall, fearsome and magnificent castle besides a large lake. This was the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of the oldest structures in Magical Britain. Located in the Scottish Highlands, it was hidden from muggle (non-magical) eyes by a series of powerful wards and enchantments. It was one of the most renowned magical schools in Europe, having taught generations of wizards within its ancient halls. To the British wizards, it was THE best magical school in Europe – no, the world! –, be it because of ancestral lineage, nationalistic pride or – primarily in the last 50 years – reverence for its famed Headmaster.
Said Headmaster, who went by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, was sitting in his lavish office, battling the most feared enemy of any schoolmaster: paperwork. With his long white beard, half-moon spectacles and colorful robes, he could be regarded as an eccentric old man, a notion further strengthened by the oddity that was his office, which was filled with strange-looking knick-knacks, books, trinkets and other odd paraphernalia. Yet to those who knew him, he was a prominent figure in the international wizarding world, possessing not only the title of Headmaster of Hogwarts but also Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, as well as the more local yet just as prominent Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.
The bearded old man had just put aside his quill and sighed as he looked out the window at the evening sun with his blue eyes. The paperwork wasn't anything special; just standard forms that were filed during the holidays. The real reason for his little show of reflection was the thought of one factor which would shape the Wizarding World in the future; Harry James Potter.
When he had defeated his old friend, the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald in an epic duel 50 years prior, he was showered with heaps of praise, awards, and titles. He was instantly raised to the highest social and political pedestals the British Wizarding World had, cementing his position in society. He was awarded the Order of Merlin (First Class), and then became the Headmaster of Hogwarts, further strengthening his already high reputation.
Then, on one night in 1966, an old student of his had come back from parts unknown with a request to teach at the prestigious school: Tom Marvolo Riddle, later known as Lord Voldemort.
He sometimes still shivered when he remembered when he had met the boy many, many years prior; he had already begun his descent into the Dark, a lust for power was hidden in his eyes. His time at the school had made him respected amongst his peers for his looks, intelligence, and cunning that all Slytherin students desired to achieve. However, thanks to his troubled past at the Muggle orphanage, he began to listen to the teachings of Pureblood supremacy, which was practiced by some of his housemates. After his graduation, he disappeared without a trace; until that night.
He had refused his old student's request, not wanting to let him influence the students with his ideologies. That had been a smart move, no doubt about it, but 4 years later war broke out; a horrible war that would be ingrained in the minds of witches and wizards for the rest of their lives. Tom, having renamed himself as Voldemort, had gathered followers that supported Pureblood supremacy – Death Eaters – was trying to take over the wizarding world and wipe out the muggles, saying that they were unsightly filth and undeserving of life. They had spread fear and terror across Wizarding Britain and some of Europe, taking countless lives with them.
Dumbledore was distraught at the death and carnage that his old student wrought. Resolving to put a stop to this sorrow, he formed a vigilante group called The Order of the Phoenix. They had combatted the dark forces of Voldemort for 10 long years. During that time, Dumbledore had learned a couple of secrets regarding his old student as the war raged on. One night however as he was interviewing a potential Divination teacher called Sybil Trelawney, she had slipped into a trance and spoke a prophecy; a prophecy that foretold of the one would kill the Dark Lord.
According to the prophecy, one of two children was destined to defeat him. The only children who fit the criteria were the son of James and Lily Potter and the son of Frank and Alice Longbottom, all of whom were members of the Order.
Then, on October 31st, 1981, Voldemort had found and attacked the Potter House at the village of Godric's Hollow. He had stunned Lily and James and proceeded to try and kill the infant Harry, but for an unknown reason the curse he used backfired on him and caused him to vanish, leaving only an empty robe and his wand. Upon young Harry's brow, a lightning-brow scar was found as well.
When Dumbledore arrived at the house, he saw the aftermath of the attack and was astounded by his findings; Voldemort had cast the unblockable Killing Curse, yet Harry was alive! The news quickly spread across the nation; a mere infant had defeated the foulest Dark Lord in the history of Britain! They even called him the "Boy-Who-Lived"!
Yet, despite all the cheer, a fear grew in the old wizard's head. He had suspicions that Voldemort wasn't dead, thanks to some research and the memories of the man. When he had found Harry, he also found Voldemort's cloak and wand – but no body or corpse. He had kept searching for clues, but he had not been able to find out how the man had cheated death.
The Wizarding World could not face Voldemort a second time. According to the prophecy and the attack, Harry would be destined to defeat him once more, for good this time. He had to be prepared. To do so he had to be kept safe from Voldemort's followers until he started Hogwarts, so after much persuasion, he had managed to convince the Potters to give up Harry for his protection. The Dursleys with their dislike of magic would ensure the boy grew up humble. The Blood Wards fuelled by Petunia's blood would protect him and hide him. While it pained him to send a child to people he knew that would hate him, it was a better option than to see him become too arrogant or prejudiced. That's why he sent Harry to live with Petunia; he would grow up humble and see the Wizarding World with fresh eyes, something that was needed of "The Chosen One".
The Potters would be unhappy about his choice of a guardian but they needed to see that it was for the Greater Good. Harry would grow up unhappy yes, but sometimes the needs of the many eclipses the needs of the few. Besides, he had placed a loyal squib, one Arabella Figg in the same neighborhood to keep an eye out for him. The reports he had been getting from her were satisfactory and nothing unusual had been reported. He was seen outside doing chores but all children did chores at that age; at least he had a work ethic, that was good as well. He was sure that both Harry and the Potters would understand his decision; the Hero of the Light needed to learn to forgive after all.
He smiled in contentment and reached for one of his delicious lemon drops when several loud noises blared from behind him. He swiftly turned around to see various instruments and knick-knacks sputtering smoke, exploding or going haywire.
'The Blood Wards!' he thought as he paled. 'They're gone? What happened!?'
He was about to try and quiet the noise when his office Floo flashed green flames. He turned around to see the spectral head of Arabella Figg with a distraught look in her eyes. That was not good, not good at all.
"Mrs. Figg, what's wrong? Has something happened to Harry?" he asked in a calm tone.
"P-Professor Dumbledore!" she cried. "You have to come here quickly! There's fire at the Dursleys home and Harry is still inside!"
A hollow feeling grew in the old Headmaster's stomach. A fire? He had to hurry, but he also needed to inform the Potters. He couldn't have everything crumbling around him now! He quickly drew his wand and sent a Patronus message to James and his deputy headmistress, Professor Minerva McGonagall. He then apparated to Privet Drive.
'I hope that nothing too bad happened. Still, I cannot have everything falling apart now…'
-OBW-
Earlier, at Potter Manor…
Back in England, a family of four was eating their dinner. They had just set up holiday decorations and had laid on the large, sparkling tree near the fireplace. These were the Potters, a family that had become famous in wizarding society, even if that fame was directly tied to their firstborn, Harry Potter.
James Potter was a man in his thirties with messy black hair and glasses. He was a member of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement (DMLE) as well as the Head of the Noble House of Potter, a prominent and influential house in the Wizengamot, along with his long-time friend, Sirius Black. His skill as an Auror was also renowned, having served in the war and arresting many Death Eaters. He was right now munching on his sinfully delicious English breakfast.
Sitting beside him was his wife Lily Potter (nee Evans), a beautiful red-haired woman with deep green eyes, with a glimmer of intelligence in them. She was one of the most well-known witches of Britain, having not only contributed to various fields of magic and nearly mastering them at a young age but also having married the (in)famous James Potter. The fact that she was a muggleborn was simply a slap in the face to all of the pure-blooded bigots and fools in the Ministry of Magic. The fact that she had "put a leash" on her husband so to speak added further to her fame, and was now recognized as the woman that all young witches and muggleborn magicals should grow up to be.
Finally, the last two were being fed by their mother while playing with some of their toys. Born two years after the war (they were now around 5), Ivy Iris Potter and William Charlus Potter were twin siblings and youngest of the Potter House. Ivy had her mother's red hair that went down past her shoulders and her father's eyes, while William looked just like his father with green eyes, but his hair was slick and combed down. Some of Lily's facial features could be seen on him as well. These two bickered over everything like twins do, and inherited their father's love of pranks. Unlike James though, their enthusiasm was quickly tampered down by Lily before it got too out of hand. As such, William was more subdued when it came to pranks and preferred Quidditch, although he did enjoy pulling one with his sister.
Despite the cheery atmosphere though, they all knew something was missing. Ever since they gave away Harry to Dumbledore for safekeeping, it was as though a part of the family was cut out. They still didn't regret their decision though; in the first couple of years after the war, they were subtly targeted by former (and non-former) Death Eaters wishing to exact vengeance for their master. It got so out of hand that one time while they were shopping in Diagon Alley when Lily was pregnant with the twins, they were attacked in broad daylight by a follower of the Dark Lord. It was only thanks to James's quick thinking and skill that the would-be assassin was subdued before thrown in Azkaban. It pained their heart to not contact him at all for 10 years, but Dumbledore was adamant that his location is kept secret. One misplaced word and Harry could be in danger.
They still told the twins about their older brother; their real one and not the one portrayed in those outlandish books.
"Mom?" Ivy asked after finishing her breakfast.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Why can't Harry be with us? It's Christmas! You say that family should always be together for Christmas!" she asked with a pout.
Lily sighed as she felt a twinge of pain in her heart. It was times like this that caused her the most grief. "I told you before honey, it isn't safe for him to come home yet. I promise you though" she said, a smile growing on her face "when he does come home, you can spend every Christmas with him to make up for that."
The little girl kept pouting, though she did brighten up at that last comment. Lily and James just chuckled. The twins both idolized Harry and couldn't wait to meet him.
"Don't you worry!" James exclaimed, a grin adorning his face. "When he comes home, you can teach him all about pranking and we can finally complete the new generation of Marauders!"
"James Potter! You will not be corrupting Harry with your silly ideas unless you want to sleep on the couch!" Lily countered, pointing a fork at him. That got him to shut up; if there was anyone who could force him to do anything he didn't like, it was his wife.
The twins giggled at their parents' antics. They all got up and were about to play with their new toys when a spectral phoenix flew in through the window and hovered in mid-air in front of them. James and Lily widened their eyes. That was Dumbledore's Patronus! Was something wrong?
"Lily, James, something terrible has happened to Harry! Apparate to Petunia Dursley's house in Privet Drive, Surrey at once!" Dumbledore's voice rang out, his tone calm with a layer of urgency.
The two older wizards blanched, with Lily's face paler than James as the message registered in their minds. 'Harry is at Petunia's house? What was Dumbledore thinking!? He knew that Petunia hated magic, why would he put Harry there!?' Lily thought frantically, filing a mental note to chew out the old Headmaster. Instantly she pushed those thoughts to the side though; her son was in danger, and this time she would not abandon him!
She turned to the twins, who sat there with confused expressions on their little faces. "Ivy, William, stay here. We need to go somewhere for a moment, so be calm, alright?"
"What's wrong mum?" William asked, his head tilting to the side. "What happened to Harry? Where is he?"
"Everything is going to be fine honey, just stay put. We'll come back in a few minutes" she said. The red-haired witch snatched up her wand and held out a hand to James. He took it and with a crack, they disappeared.
A second of being squeezed through a tube later, Lily found herself staring with horror at a scene that she would never forget; her sister's house up in a blaze of raging fire, surrounded by frantic-looking neighbors, policemen, and firemen who were spraying jets of water at the burning house.
She kept staring at the house as dread filled her. What was going on? WHERE WAS HARRY!?
"Lily, James! Over here!" the familiar voice of Dumbledore called out. Lily shook her head and looked to see both Dumbledore and…Professor McGonagall brushing past the crowd and hurrying towards them.
"Professors, what's going on? Why is Petunia's house on fire!?" Lily asked frantically.
"I do not know for sure yet, my dear. For now, we must help these muggle firemen extinguish the flames; they are too intense for them to put out." He quickly turned around and rushed to the house with Lily, James and his deputy following him. They reached the burning house and cast powerful aguamenti charms at the flames. Within a matter of minutes, the flames and smoke died down to reveal the ashen remains of the house. Only its supporting walls remained, as everything inside had become ash, splinter, and dust. Lily's hand flew up to cover her mouth and tears started to leak as she saw the charred remains of the Dursleys. She frantically looked around, but she saw no signs of a fourth corpse. What happened to Harry!?
Dumbledore waved his wand around, a frown hidden under his beard as he tried searching for Harry. A wizard's magical signature could be found even after said wizard's death; where was Harry's?
He stopped waving his wand for a moment and took out a small sock. He touched it with the wand and muttered "Portus". The sock flashed for a second before reverting to normal, indicating a portkey was created. He called out to Lily and James and motioned them to grab hold of the sock. They understood, touched it along with Professor McGonagall and vanished in a swirl.
Seconds later, they appeared in the Headmaster's office in Hogwarts. They all took a moment to breathe freely and clear their heads before looking at the old Headmaster. He was looking at his ruined instruments and examining them for any signs that could reveal what happened. He was broken out of his examination though when Lily screamed:
"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE! What is going on and WHERE? IS? HARRY!?" she screamed, her magic starting to whirl around her in fury.
The Headmaster of Hogwarts raised his hands placatingly before speaking once more. "The wards I have placed around Petunia's home have collapsed and – "
"Why did you even place him with Petunia in the first place!? You know that she hates magic so why!?" Her eyes were now puffy and red as tears escaped from them and her body shook with fear and fury.
The old wizard appeared to age by several decades as he took a deep breath and sighed. "I put Harry at the Dursleys because it was the best option at the time."
At this point, the old headmistress had decided to join in. "THE BEST OPTION!? I TOLD YOU THAT THEY WERE THE WORST MUGGLES IMAGINABLE! ANYONE COULD HAVE RAISED HARRY BETTER THAN THEM!" she screeched.
The Potters sent Minerva outraged looks but quickly looked back at Dumbledore as he flared his magic to quiet them down. The look on his face said not to blame his old friend. He sighed once more and spoke: "I had reasons for putting Harry there. The first one was that since Petunia was your blood relative, I was able to put ancient protections around the house that I wouldn't have been able to put anywhere else."
That part was true, but it was also illegal. He had enough political power to prevent anything serious from happening to himself, but he would most likely lose his positions in the Wizengamot and the ICW.
"The second reason was that your sister knew of our world, yet was not part of it. She would've been able to explain to Harry about his outbursts of accidental magic and the basics of our society, ensuring that he would be able to integrate into our society without issue. I even wrote this to her in a letter I placed with Harry."
"A letter!? A simple letter can't explain the complexity of this whole situation, Dumbledore!" James yelled. "Why did you lie to us!? You said that Harry was safe!"
"I did not lie to you James!" growled Dumbledore. "I was not callous when I dropped Harry off there! Did you think I would leave him unmonitored? Of course not! I have not only placed wards and enchantments over your son, but I placed Arabella Figg there to keep an eye out for him! In fact, it was because of her that I found out about this whole mess!"
"Arabella Figg? The squib?" James asked.
"Yes, her. I moved her next door to Harry so she could report to me with ease. In fact…" Dumbledore went over to the fireplace and threw in some Floo powder before calling out "Arabella Figg!"
Green fire flashed for a few seconds before the old woman's head poked out of the fireplace. "Mrs. Figg my dear, could you kindly describe to us what happened before the house burned down?" asked Dumbledore.
"Well, that's the rub; I saw nothing or no-one out of the ordinary before that. It was just like the house exploded on its own" replied the old woman in a worried tone.
Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought. On its own? That could mean a lot of things but if he was considering the circumstances…accidental magic perhaps? This was a thought that Dumbledore dreaded: such a large outburst of accidental magic could only be released if the wizard in question was under incredible stress and if he possessed great latent power. Both of those observations could be potentially troublesome; that meant Harry possessed incredible power and that something had gone wrong in the house. Best to keep those thoughts to himself though.
He thanked Mrs. Figg and sent her off before turning to the distraught parents. "As you can see, I am just in the dark about this as the rest of you."
That did little to calm the Potters though. Lily was shaking with rage and James was glaring harshly at him. He didn't answer the main question at all: Where was their son?
He racked his mind for an explanation to placate them when a beeping sound was heard. He turned around to see that one of his instruments, a medallion with a glowing red gem in the center was blinking steadily. A surge of relief filled his old heart; there was a chance that his plan could be salvaged!
He turned around to face the Potters with a grandfatherly smile on his face. "It seems as though we have some good news: Harry is alive."
James widened his eyes and asked in a desperate tone "Alive? How? We didn't see him or…his remains" he choked back a sob "back at the Dursley's."
Dumbledore palmed the medallion and showed it to them as both the Potters and Prof. McGonagall leaned closer to see. "This is one of the instruments that I used to monitor young Harry; specifically, this one monitors his life-force. The light is blinking steadily and the beeping is even, which means that Harry is very much alive and well. It does not monitor his location, however, that one was destroyed." He said as he gestured to the shelf.
Lily looked up and glared in anger, her red hair now wild and pointed her wand at Dumbledore. "You said that you would keep him safe. You lied to us. I now have no idea where my little boy is and for all we know he could be wandering the streets alone and scared. I have half a mind to break contact with you.
But I can't because I know that you are the only one capable of finding my son and getting him back in one piece. So, I am warning you Dumbledore" she said, her tone becoming artic as her magic flashed around her once more. "If my son is not found by the time he is supposed to get his Hogwarts letter, then there will be hell to pay. Not only that, but I might consider applying here for a teaching position to keep my other children safe."
"I firmly support her decision along with the backing of the DMLE" said James, standing beside his wife and placing a hand on her outstretched arm. Dumbledore swallowed before nodding. He would have to recall the Order of the Phoenix to help him in this endeavor. He could surely find the Boy-Who-Lived in four years, no?
The couple then turned to leave his office, Lily crying on her husband's shoulder as he whispered to her to calm her down. The magical stairs popped up and they descended, but not before James shot Dumbledore a scathing look.
McGonagall then turned to leave and shot a similar look at him as well. A few seconds later, he was all alone.
Dumbledore sighed as he sat down and tried to reorganize his thoughts. So much of the plan was thrown off and he needed to get it back on track. He would not allow the Wizarding World to suffer through those dark times again. But even as his loyal phoenix, Fawkes, appeared in a flash of flames and sang its mystical song, the troubled thoughts never left his head.
It was looking to be such a merry Christmas too…
What do you think?
I was writing when a scenario popped into my head: What would happen if Harry/Bahamut asked his father about "The Facts of Life"? If anyone can write an omake/side-story like that and send it to me via PM, then I will choose the best one and post it with my next chapter!
Go check out my other stories and challenges!
Read and review! REEEEEVVVIIIIEEEWWW!
