Chapter 5: The Arrival

With a crack, Albus Dumbledore arrived outside the gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, his arms filled with a young, scared boy, who was holding onto him for dear life. Harry was trembling in the old man’s arms. He had never felt something like that before. It felt like he was being squeezed tightly and then suddenly released.

“Sorry about that, my boy. I know that apparating can be quite scary for the first time. However, we’re home.” Dumbledore spoke softly to Harry, who had yet to look around at where they were.

Harry looked around him and finally noticed that they were no longer at Privet Drive. He looked around frantically, trying to figure out exactly where he’d been taken.

Picking up the pace, Albus hurried on down the path leading to the large, main doors of the castle. He noticed Harry had finally looked up and was gaping at the large school. It wasn’t quite dark yet so the building could still be clearly seen.

“Welcome to Hogwarts, Harry. This is a school for young boys and girls to learn to use the magic they’ve been gifted with.”

Harry didn’t respond. He was still surprised that the man was even addressing him, much less touching him. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia rarely acknowledged him, much less tried to hold a conversation, and they never ever held him r12; picked him up, yes, but only to swiftly ‘move’ him so he was ‘out of the way.’ Thus, Harry was rigid in Albus’ arms, not sure what to do. There was a deep longing to relax in the embrace, but he just couldn’t. Every part of him was telling him he should be on his feet, hurriedly trailing after the man, not in his arms.

With a quiet sigh, Dumbledore walked up the steps and entered into the main hall, the doors opening automatically for him. The castle was eerily quiet, with it still being the summer holidays. Most of the professors had gone home to their families. Those remaining called Hogwarts their home and preferred the castle to anywhere else in the world. The headmaster was one of them.

Soon enough, Albus and Harry had arrived in his office. Harry, still silent, looked around the room in awe. The pictures moved and talked! He’d never seen anything like it in his short life. It seemed like something straight out of the fairy tale book that Aunt Petunia would read to Dudley at night. Her voice would carry through the vents and he’d listen to the stories from his cupboard.

“Harry, why don’t you wait here for a moment? I have to notify a few of the professors of our arrival.”

Harry watched as the old man stuck his head into green flames from the fireplace. He couldn’t contain his gasp as he expected the man to catch on fire! He slapped his hand over his mouth, remembering one of the most basic rules: freaks should never be heard.

As he heard the headmaster speaking to someone through the fire, Harry took in his surroundings. The pictures were staring at him and whispering to each other. The attention made him blush. He never liked to stand out. It usually meant he was in trouble. Harry turned his attention to the large, red bird sitting on a perch by the desk. It was preening itself, paying no mind to the young boy staring at it. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful! As if hearing the boy’s thoughts, the red bird puffed itself up and looked at the boy.

“His name is Fawkes, Harry. He’s a phoenix, a magical bird and a very dear friend of mine.”

Harry nodded silently, his gaze averting to the floor. He didn’t know what he should say to the stranger, or even if he was allowed to speak. It was all too overwhelming for the 3 year old, and tears again started welling up in his eyes. What did he do wrong that his family would send him to the circus?

A rush of flames from the fireplace made Harry jump in fright. Suddenly, two people were standing in the office, brushing soot from their robes. He watched the strict looking woman as her eyes swept across the office and landed on Harry. Her gaze softened as she took in the small child but steeled again when she turned her attention to the headmaster. “Albus, I want the full story.”

The dark man beside her scared Harry. His glittering, black eyes froze him on the spot. Harry immediately guessed that this man must be able to read minds, not knowing how right he was.

“Yes, yes, of course, Minerva. Please, both of you have a seat.”

Harry kept quiet as he listened to the headmaster share about being summoned to the Dursley household and their objections to their nephew.

“I’ve never known someone so averse to magic before. I’m quite surprised really with Petunia Dursley. Surely with her sister’s magic she would have been supportive of her nephew.”

Severus Snape gave a “humph” at that comment.

“You’re not surprised then, Severus?” Albus asked, studying the younger man’s face.

“I’ve known the Evans family since childhood, Albus. Petunia has always been against Lily’s magic. Her animosity towards it is what had driven them so far apart.” Harry’s face turned toward the dark man in surprise. This man knew his mum? A quick sneer from the man sent Harry’s attention back to the floor. He knew that this was not a man he wanted to make cross with him.

“Indeed. It is quite unfortunate, especially concerning young Harry. They would hear of nothing else but removing the boy from their care. They even threatened of abandoning him at an orphanage,” Dumbledore related sadly.

There was a loud crash as a tea cup dropped to the floor. “Abandoning the boy?” Minerva yelled. “They would just leave their nephew at an orphanage!” The chair that she was sitting on crashed to the floor as she stood. Harry could feel a strange heat ebbing from her, much stronger than what he had ever felt from the Dursleys, and backed against the wall in fear. Burying his head in his knees, Harry tried to go unnoticed, hoping he wasn’t about to be punished.

Minerva continued to rant on about how she had warned Albus about the Dursleys being the “worst sort of muggles.” However, she stopped as Albus put up his hand to silence her. Harry didn’t notice as the conversation stopped, all attention turning to him.

“Oh, Harry,” Minerva cried out, hurrying over to the child.

“I’m so sorry, my bairn.” The deputy headmistress knelt down beside Harry and ran her fingers through his hair.

Harry jumped in fear from the touch. The woman had seemed so angry before; he could only assume that he’d done something wrong. He was always doing things wrong at the Dursleys and they usually yelled at him for it.

However, the heat Harry had been feeling radiating from the professor had stopped. Instead now there was a gentle warmth, which confused him. He’d never felt it before.

“Are you okay, Harry?” Albus asked in concern.

“Yes, sir,” was the quiet answer he gave. It was the first time he had spoken since leaving the Dursleys. No one shouted at him however, so Harry figured he had done the right thing in answering.

“What is your plan with the brat?” Severus asked, causing Minerva to level an icy glare at him. He ignored his fellow professor’s open irritation with him.

“Now, now, Severus. I trust you’ll find young Harry to be vastly different from his father. I think young Harry will have more of his mother’s traits than we can even imagine.” The twinkling blue eyes watched Harry as he spoke.

“James Potter was nothing more than a merciless bully. There is no reason for me to expect anything less of his son.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed at the dark man’s words. His father had been a bully? Just like Dudley?

“Severus, I’m asking you to forget the past. Do not hold his father’s sins over him. Remember, Harry is also Lily’s son.”

“Yes, well. We’ll see about that,” Snape grumbled. “If you’ll excuse me, I have potions to attend to.”

Harry watched the dark man disappear into the green flames. That man knew his parents. He wasn’t sure about the words spoken of his father’s actions but Harry was determined to never act like his cousin Dudley. A fierce determination woke within the young child as he set his mind on making sure that that scary man saw that he was no bully!

Harry’s ears perked up as he heard his name being mentioned again.

“What is your plan for Harry, Albus?” Minerva asked, her temper now reigned in.

“I do believe that the safest place for young Harry is within these walls. With death eaters still searching for his location, I believe that the school’s wards will be the only ones strong enough to keep Harry safe.”

“He needs a home, Albus! A family! Not a bunch of grumpy, overworked professors,” Minerva argued, knowing how busy the school year would be.

“It’s the best place for him, Minerva. Leaving this up to the Ministry. . . . Besides, I believe one of us will be able to become an excellent guardian for the boy. We all have enough experience with children, after all,” he said, his eyes twinkling at her. 

Minerva sighed, knowing that Albus already expected her to take on the role. The piles of paperwork waiting on her desk instantly came to mind.

“I will try it for a few days, Albus. Although I fear my responsibilities are too great to give Harry the focus and attention he needs.”

Albus smiled at his deputy. “All I ask is that you try, Minerva. If it doesn’t succeed, I’m sure one of the other professors won’t object to taking on the responsibility.”