July 31, 1991

The office was silent when Severus Snape, along with the other Heads, walked into it. Seated behind his desk was the tall form of Albus Dumbledore, his long white beard disappearing beyond his desk while his eyes, hidden partially by the moon-shaped spectacles that were resting on his nose, were fixed on a piece of parchment in his hands. There was a slight frown on his face though he said nothing until everyone had taken their seats.

Despite the fact that the meeting was an ordinary meeting to discuss the goals for the school year, the urgency in Albus's tone when he called the meeting hadn't gone unnoticed by Severus or by his fellow teachers. They knew something was wrong but also knew that Albus would tell them what it was in his own time.

Thankfully, they did not have to wait long.

With a sigh, Albus lifted his head and put the parchment on the desk. He clasped his hands together as he observed his teachers before he began speaking. "I will start with the bad news so to speak. We've received a reply from everyone of our incoming first years, excluding the ones that Minerva's visiting today, except for one."

"Who?" Minerva asked.

"Harry Potter."

Severus's lips quirked into a frown; he hadn't known Lily's sister Petunia well; Lily rarely talked about her sister with anyone except, maybe, Alice. She didn't even talk to James about her and, from what James told Severus, she hadn't invited her sister to her wedding. But that was about all Severus knew, which was why he didn't understand why Petunia, or Harry for that matter, hadn't responded.

"I don't understand," Pomona Sprout said echoing Severus's own thoughts. "Why wouldn't his guardians respond to his letter?"

"His guardians are muggles," Minerva said with a sigh. "I should have known this would happen and taken the letter to him myself."

"Petunia was exposed to the Wizarding World when Lily received her letter," Albus said.

"Be that as it may, neither she nor Mr. Potter has responded to the letter. I think someone needs to take the deliver the letter themselves," said Minerva.

"I can take the letter to 'Arry," said Hagrid who was sitting at the far end of the office near the floo.

"You would stick out like a sore thumb," Severus said with a slight curl of his lip.

"Though he could've said it better, Severus is right," Minerva said. "I can take Harry the letter after I visit the last muggleborn family I need to today."

Severus would have liked to check on his unofficial godson; he had been assured repeatedly by Albus whenever he asked that Harry was fine but the lack of response was making him suspicious. He didn't know if he was simply being paranoid or not but his instincts were telling him that something wasn't right and he had learned a long time ago to trust his instincts. He said nothing though since he knew that Minerva would be the best one to speak to Harry and his guardians.

"Very well," Albus said. "Now then, on to our next order of business, an old colleague of mine, Nicholas Flamel, has contacted me to request that I hide a very valuable object. I have decided to hide it here."

"If it's what I think it is then is that wise?" asked Pomona Sprout.

"I agree with Pomona. It'll put the students in danger," said Filius Flitwick.

"We will, of course, protect it," Albus said. "All of us including our new Defense professor, Quirinus Quirrel, will place a protection to guard the item. You have some time to come up with an idea of what to do but I would like to have all of the protections in place before the term begins. Once all the protections are in place, we will retrieve it."

The teachers said nothing. Severus was already thinking about what to do as well as where the item will be placed. Before he could voice that question, Minerva beat him to it.

"Where will it be placed, Albus?" she asked.

"I was thinking the abandoned third floor corridor," said Albus. "I will, of course, tell the students that the third floor corridor is forbidden at the beginning of term."

Severus thought about James and how he might have broken that rule. His best friend had a knack for breaking rules left and right and more often than not dragging Severus into whatever scheme he managed to concoct. Severus had to wonder if Harry had inherited that and fervently hoped not or else his unofficial godson would likely be getting into trouble constantly.

"If that is all then I believe it would be best if we end this meeting," said Albus after several minutes of silence passed by.

The teachers stood up before leaving the office. Minerva glanced at Severus over her shoulder before she slowed down and Severus matched her pace as the Head of Gryffindor House made her way toward the entrance to Hogwarts.

"Are you worried about Mr. Potter?" she asked.

Severus was silent. "I am more curious about why Petunia Dursley didn't respond to the letter but then I know little about her. Lily never talked about her sister much to anyone not even James. All I know is that Lily refused to invite her sister to her wedding."

Minerva nodded. "The only one who likely knew anything about Petunia other than Lily is Alice since they were very close. Would you like me to tell you how the meeting goes?"

Severus thought about it for a minute and decided that it might help him figure out more about his unofficial godson's guardians. He inclined his head and the Head of Gryffindor House nodded before leaving the castle.

Severus headed back to the dungeons thinking about the item that was being brought to Hogwarts, the legendary Philosopher's Stone, and how he agreed with Filius; the stone being at Hogwarts was definitely putting all of the students, including Harry, in danger. But there was little Severus could do about it other than keep the promise he made ten years ago.

The letters had stopped coming.

Harry Potter would admit that he was disappointed because he wanted to know why there was a letter addressed to him and what it said. However, each time a letter would arrive, his uncle, Vernon, would take it and burn it. At least one thing came out of all of that; Harry had been given Dudley's second bedroom because his aunt and uncle were afraid that they were being spied on based on how the letter was addressed.

It was Harry's eleventh birthday but, as usual, no one bothered on celebrating it. The only reason Harry knew it was his birthday was because that was the only question that his aunt had bothered answering for him. Apparently, his aunt thought telling him when his birthday was would be the lesser evil of all of the questions that Harry had been asking her when he was younger. The reason they weren't celebrating his birthday was because both his aunt and uncle declared that freaks didn't deserve birthdays so Harry never gave his birthday a second thought.

Harry was in the kitchen finishing washing the dishes when the doorbell rang and he heard his uncle holler at him to get the door. "Yes Uncle Vernon," he called before he dried his hands and walked out of the kitchen to the door. He opened it to find a tall woman dressed in a black shirt with black pants; her graying red-brown hair was pulled into a severe bun at the top of her head and her brown eyes seemed to smile when she saw him, which surprised Harry.

"Hello," the woman greeted him. "May I come in?"

"Boy, who is it?" Vernon demanded before Harry could respond and he lumbered forward with Harry's aunt Petunia just behind him. Petunia stopped and went pale when she spotted the woman.

"It's you," she growled. "I remember you. You were one of the ones that turned Lily into a freak who ended up getting herself killed."

Harry frowned at that while the woman narrowed her eyes but said nothing in response to that as she looked back at him. "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Mr. Potter," she said.

"Who is she, Pet?" Vernon demanded.

"She's one of those freaks," Petunia growled.

Vernon's face went purple with anger. "What are you doing here, you freak? Get out of my house. We don't want any of your freakishness anywhere near us."

McGonagall's eyes seemed to flash with rage but her voice was tightly controlled as she said, "I only came to deliver Mr. Potter's letter to him since he failed to respond to the ones that were sent automatically." She held out a cream-colored envelope that looked identical to the ones that had been arriving all week. Harry stared at the envelope but his curiosity at what was in the letter got the better of him and he took it.

On the front read:

Harry Potter

The Smallest Bedroom

# 4 Private Drive, Surrey

Harry turned the envelope over and opened it before removing the letter as well as another piece of paper. His eyes widened as he read what was at the top of the first page.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Most likely seeing the confusion in Harry's eyes, McGonagall frowned. "Your aunt and uncle never told you that you were a wizard?" she said.

"Magic isn't real," Harry protested

"Yes it is, Mr. Potter, and you are a wizard just like your mum and dad. Go ahead and read the rest of the letter."

Harry was more confused than ever but he did as he was told. The rest of the letter read;

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Harry had to admit he was shocked. Not only did he just find out that he was a wizard and that magic existed but he also learned that he was accepted into a school for people like him, people with magic; it was surreal. All his life he had been told that magic didn't exist and yet that wasn't true.

"He's not going," Vernon suddenly shouted. "We swore when we took him in that we'd put a stop to all this rubbish!"

His uncle's words shocked him to the core and Harry whirled around to stare at his uncle. "You knew? All this time, you knew and you never told me?" He didn't know whether to be upset or furious so he settled on both.

Petunia glared at him, her upper lip curling. "Of course we knew. How could you not be? My perfect sister being who she was. My mother and father were so proud the day she got her letter because they were proud of having a witch in the family. I was the only one who saw her for what she was, a freak. Then she met that Potter, had you and I knew you would be the same; strange and abnormal. Then she got herself blown up and we got landed with you." The sheer resentment and hatred in his aunt's voice was shocking as were her words.

"Blown up?" Harry said confused. "You told me my parents died in a car crash!"

"Car crash?" McGonagall sounded angry. "You actually told him that Lily and James Potter were killed in a car crash?"

"We had to say something," Petunia said curtly.

McGonagall's eyes flashed. "I always knew you two were the worst sort of muggles and it would appear that I am just as correct now as I was ten years ago. I sure hope Albus will listen to reason this time." She seemed to be talking to herself.

"He'll not be going," Vernon snarled.

"It is not your decision. Harry was accepted into Hogwarts when he was born and I believe it should be his decision. He is a wizard and thus he should be allowed the chance to learn about his magic and how to control it."

Harry didn't have to think about it. His aunt and uncle lied to him his entire life and Harry wanted to learn more about the magic, about how he was able to do things like end up on the roof of his school or cause Dudley to fall down the stairs or allow that snake to escape from the zoo. Plus, he wanted to be like the parents he never knew and, maybe, learn more about them.

"I want to go," he said softly.

"Very well. I will go speak to Albus Dumbledore now and I will send someone to take you to Diagon Alley to get your supplies tomorrow most likely after noon," McGonagall said. She glared at Vernon and Petunia who were glaring at her as well as at Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said shyly looking down.

McGonagall said nothing though she did smile gently at him before she turned around and left the house while Harry began looking through the textbooks and supplies required on the second piece of parchment that came with the letter.

Minerva McGonagall was in her right mind to go straight to Albus and tell him "I told you so" but she stopped herself as she entered the office besides it wasn't as if what she learned in her talk with the Dursleys was actual proof that she was right. It was a start though.

Once Albus greeted her, Minerva launched into an overview of her discussion with the Dursleys. She finished with, "Mr. Potter didn't know magic existed or that he was a wizard until I told him." She fell silent for a moment before adding, "I hadn't had enough time to explain everything to Mr. Potter as his aunt and uncle thought I had overstayed my welcome. I think whoever takes Harry to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get his school supplies and his wand should tell him the truth about what happened to his parents. After all, every child in the Wizarding World knows who he is and, unless someone tells him, he won't know why he's famous."

She decided that she would bring her suspicions about the Dursleys up to Albus again once she had more proof. Right now, all she had were how the Dursleys treated her when she went to deliver her letter and she knew that she would need more than that.

Albus nodded in agreement. "Perhaps we can send Hagrid…" He began.

"He'd stick out just as Severus said."

"I suppose so. Perhaps Severus can go then. He knows how to blend in," the headmaster suggested.

Minerva knew that was a good idea because she felt if anyone could discover more information on whether her suspicions were right or not then it would be Severus. Besides, Severus's was James's best friend, as was known by everyone within the Order of the Phoenix, and James had named him Harry's unofficial godfather.

"I think that would be best," she said.

"I'll floo-call him." Albus stood up before walking over to the floo. The flames flared green as he placed the call before he stuck his head into them. He retreated a minute later and a few minutes after that, the floo flared again. Severus, dressed in his customary black robes, stepped gracefully out of the flames into the office.

"Severus," Albus said without preamble, "Minerva had just finished talking with Harry Potter and gotten his answer. He'll be attending Hogwarts but we decided it would be best if we sent someone who could blend in with the muggle world to take him to Diagon Alley to get his supplies. We would like you to go."

"When?" Severus asked after a moment's thought.

"I told them I'd send someone tomorrow," said Minerva.

"Right now, you're the only one who can go, Severus…" Albus began.

"You do not need to try to convince me, Albus," Severus said with a sneer. "I'll go."

"Marvelous, my boy," Albus said his blue eyes twinkling.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I have a few potions I need to finish for Poppy," the Potions Master said and, after Albus nodded, he floo-traveled back to his quarters. Minerva decided that she would tell Severus about her discussion with the Dursleys tomorrow after he returns from Diagon Alley.

She wouldn't be surprised if Severus was able to fill in what she missed when he speaks to the Dursleys; he wasn't a spy for nothing.