*Author's Notes* Starting my first fanfiction for seven years. This is going to be very raw at first, I've not done any proper writing in a longtime and so need to work off the rust. So I know there are mistakes and clunky writing, it can't be helped, if you're lucky I'll come back and rewrite the early chapters when I'm a well-oiled writing machine.Oh I'm still coming to grips with the edit fuction so the formatting will likely be faulty as I can't seem to get anything to work properly.
Prologue
Albus Dumbledore stood frozen, the smouldering remains of the Potter residence had stopped him in his tracks. He struggled to resist the helplessness he felt, but in front of such destruction it was a losing battle. Everything had been gambled on the Potters; James, Lily and their one year old son Harry were a beacon for good and now they were gone.
Albus' head sank for a moment, just one moment, but to the Order of the Phoenix amassed behind him it felt like an eternity. If Albus Dumbledore gave into despair then what chance did everyone else have? Albus was their leader, their lynch-pin, the last barrier against the forces of evil.
“All hope is not lost,” Albus said loudly.
“How can you say that Albus?” Elphias Doge said as he stepped forward from the crowd. “The Potter's were a constant thorn in his side and now...”
“I'm aware of that Elphias, but they could've survived, they have before.” Albus was uncharacteristically clutching at straws but even he was not immune to shock.
“Open your eyes man, no-one could survive that, no-one, not James, and not Lily,” roared Kingsley Shacklebolt, his dirty face smeared with tears. Albus nodded in resignation as he looked back once and then stepped through what was left of the Potter's front-door. What should've been a light hallway, adorned with portraits and family photos was instead a pile of burning rubble. Where the hallway would lead into the lounge, Albus was greeted with the remnants of the house's skeleton, large imposing pieces of timber turned into kindling. All around him was destruction and no sign of the Potter's. If they were still alive and hurt, they might still die, such was the scale of the damage wrought by the battle that had ensued here.
Albus tentatively stepped over a pile of broken masonry and stopped, there underneath plaster and timber was a bloodied hand, a male hand. He rushed to the hand and begun removing the debris as quickly as he could, “someone help me, I've found James.”
A pair of hands joined him, and then another, he wasn't sure of who was helping him, he was too concerned with getting to James' body to pay attention to those around him. After a matter of minutes, they'd managed to rescue James' body and as they pulled him free everyone's hopes sank.
James Potter was dead, a lifeless, bloodied corpse, his eyes glassed over and his skin almost white. He'd been dead for a matter of hours. Remus Lupin pushed his way to the front of the crowd and dropped to his knees as the grief hit him. He could not believe that his friend of many years was dead, this wasn't how it was supposed to be. James deserved better, he deserved to live a full life with his wife Lily and his son Harry, and now, now he was gone. Never again would Remus see James smile, or laugh heartily at a joke or just at life in general. His best friend gone, gone before his time, stolen from him, stolen from all of them. “I'm sorry Remus,” Albus said softly, tears now flowing, his hand resting lightly on Remus' shoulder. Remus couldn't reply, he just looked up, his eyes pleading with Albus to bring James back, to make things right and end this pain.
Albus turned away, as much as he had experienced in this war, even he couldn't face Remus, it was heartbreaking and he couldn't stomach any more, not after burying so many good people.
“Albus, do you hear that?” said Kingsley suddenly, rushing past Remus and James to try and better hear the noise.
Albus followed Kingsley and hushed everyone else with an outstretched hand, “Kingsley, what do you hear?”
“I'm not sure, give me a moment.”He waited as Kingsley shuffled around trying to pinpoint the mysterious sound. His eyes rapidly surveyed the debris and until he suddenly moved frantically towards what was once the Western side of the house.
“It's a baby screaming, I can hear a baby.”
The feeling of everyone in Godric's Hollow suddenly changed, gone was the heavy despair, in it's place was a burgeoning feeling of hope. It was only a small hope, but in this era of darkness and desperation it was something. Kingsley moved large pieces of plaster away carefully with his wand, and then everyone heard it the full-bodied distress of a baby and it was almost music to their ears. “Elphias, Rubeus, help Kingsley, but please be careful, Harry could be hurt,” ordered Albus. Elphias Doge without his trademark stupid hat stepped forward but was stopped in his tracks by the very large hand of Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant towered over Elphias. “Leave it ta' me Elphias, I'll get 'arry out safe.”
Elphias conceded the point to Rubeus and stepped back as the half-giant began lifting very large pieces of debris out of the way with Kingsley serving as supervisor. The screaming grew steadily louder until Hagrid stopped in his tracks and collapse onto his behind, his face etched with shock.
Laying there in the dirt, wrapped in a dirtied white blanket was the baby Harry Potter, upon his forehead was a bloodless cut, shaped like a lightning bolt. Next to him was the prone form of Lily Potter, her face shrouded by red-hair, she was still clutching her wand. Hagrid tried to tell Albus it was Lily and Harry but he could only mumble a few incoherent syllables. Fortunately Albus had quickly moved towards the two of them when Hagrid had collapsed backwards. He knelt down in front of little Harry and looked at him and his dead mother for a moment before gently lifting the baby in his arms.
Harry had soon stopped crying once he saw the bushy beard of Albus Dumbledore, his eyes lighting up as it came within reach of his hands. Albus squeaked as Harry pulled down on his beard for a surprising amount of force for a one year old. He couldn't hide the smile as Harry gleefully played with his beard, even amidst all this death and destruction there was still good humour, no matter how fleeting. Dumbledore cradled Harry in his arms as he returned to his feet, the child now chewing on his beard, blissfully ignorant of the situation. Remus couldn't resist a slight smile as Albus and Harry passed him, but it was soon gone as he turned his gaze on Lily. Even with Harry's miraculous survival, he couldn't muster the energy to be hopeful, the grief was too strong, the pain too deep. He felt like he would never recover, just spend his life wishing for death so he can speak to his friend's one last time. “How did he survive?” asked Sturgis Podmore, who had spent the search slumped against the garden fence, unable to face it all.“I'm not sure Sturgis, until Alastor takes a look, I can only guess,” replied Albus. “But I do know this, the killing curse was used three times tonight.”
No-one uttered a reply to that bombshell, the sheer impossibility of it had stunned everyone into silence. No-one had ever survived the killing curse, not one person in the recorded history of magic and yet this one year old child had just done so. Harry Potter was now a mythical figure in magic and he still had his whole life ahead of him. “Albus, I came as fast as I could,” said a voice from behind him.Dumbledore turned and stood in the street was Severus Snape a black-haired man with a distinctive hooked nose and very pale skin, he'd just apparated in and was clearly anxious.“Severus...”“How is she?”“We were too late,” Albus replied as he averted his eyes.“NO!! NO!! Not her, please no, not her!” shouted Snape as he sprinted past Albus and into what remained of the Potter residence. It took him less than a second to locate Lily and the scream that followed would haunt everyone there for the rest of their lives. “LILY!!” he bawled, as he slid to a stop by her body, the tears falling freely. He pulled her dead body towards him and held her head against his chest, his body shaking violently. “He took my Lily, he took my Lily! Why!? Why god, why?” Severus screamed.“My Lily... My beautiful Lily, it's not fair.”“IT'S NOT FAIR!!” The pain was too much, Severus had suffered growing up, but never like this. He'd never lost someone he loved so completely before and he felt empty, bereft, as if the universe would open-up and swallow him. Lily didn't deserve this, she was too good to die at his hands, to die like this. “Severus,” Albus said softly, “she's gone, you can't do anything for her.”“She didn't deserve this,” Severus replied as he held Lily close.“Neither of them did, we've suffered greatly tonight.”
“I'll make him pay, I'll make him suffer like she did!” “In time Severus, in time, but we have more important matters first,” Albus said inclining his head towards little baby Harry in his arms. Severus finally noticed Harry, he took one final look at Lily , laid her reverently to the ground and approached Albus. Severus took one deep breath and then found his resolve, Lily may be dead but her son was not. In this moment he swore to himself to protect Harry, to keep him safe no matter what it might cost him. If he had to give his life to save him, he would. He drew close and offered his hands for Albus to pass Harry to him, but Albus hesistated.“I can protect him Albus, I can raise him, treat him as if he's my own.” Severus said. “I'm sorry Severus, but he's not safe with any of us,” Albus replied regretfully.“Please, for Lily,” pleaded Snape. “If I felt he was safest with you, I'd let you raise him Severus, but he's not safe in the wizarding world and he needs family around him.”“His family? Them?” replied Snape.“Yes.”“But they're muggles Albus, vile ones at that,” spat Snape.“They're still his family, and maybe growing up with muggles is what's best for him, we can protect him better that way. Whilst he's in the wizarding world he'll be a target for Voldemort's sympathisers and servants. No, it has to be this way.” Albus said resolutely. He'd come to a decision that could save or doom the wizarding world but it had to be made.Snape nodded once then stepped back, the tears coming again. “So be it, but know this Albus, no matter the cost I will protect him, even if he has to hate me for it.”
“I hope it doesn't come to that Severus, but thank you.” With that Albus apparated away without warning. Remus stood beside Snape, “I only hope he's right.”“We all do Remus, we all do.”
***
“You must be joking Albus!” said Minerva McGonagall, her gaze centered on the house of Petunia and Vernon Dursley. “The Dursley's are muggles, muggles!”“I'm well aware of it Minerva, but the decision has been made,” he replied. “But they're not even nice muggles, I've watched them, Harry would be safer in an orphanage,” she said without hint of humour.“Minerva!” “I'm sorry Albus, but they're horrible.”“They're family, that's what he'll need growing up,” he said. “He'll also be well away from the wizarding world and everything that comes with it, this is what's best for him.”“Very well,” she replied. “I hope you won't mind if I keep an eye on him from time to time?”“I'd expect nothing less of you Minerva, and as a precaution I've made sure he always has help close to hand,” said Albus as he begun walking down the path towards the front-door. He stopped at the doorstep and paused momentarily, he took one final glance at Minerva and then laid the basket with Harry inside on the step. He lightly tucked Harry in properly and the laid a letter on top of him.
Vernon and Petunia Dursley4 Privet DriveLittle WhingingSurrey
“Are you sure a letter will be enough to persuade them?” she asked.“If it doesn't, I've promised them I'll be paying a visit and I very much doubt the Dursleys will be enthusiastic about that.”
“I suppose so, I just hope they treat him well Albus, he could be our only hope.”“I've no doubt when he's ready he'll be the man we need him to be,” said Albus resolutely as he rang the doorbell. A moment later the door opened, and a large portly figure peered out at the empty doorstep, scratched his chin and then heard Harry, he looked down and gasped. There on his doorstep was a baby, this was most peculiar, his neighbours would not be happy. He considered the baby for a minute, sighed in resignation and picked up the basket, brought Harry inside and slammed his front-door shut. *Footnote* I wrote this prologue whilst very sleep deprived, apologies for that.