The wards fell in the dead of night. No warning.
No flickering pulse of magic. One moment,
the protective enchantments stood strong
shielding the ungrateful family inside. The next,
they collapsed, leaving Number Four Privet
Drive exposed like an open wound.
The police arrived first. Neighbors had called
in reports of a disturbance- no screams, no
commotion, just an eerie, unnatural silence
When the officers stepped inside, the air was
thick with the metallic stench of blood.
What they found was beyond comprehension.
Bodies-if they could even be called that
anymore- were strewn across the house,
mutilated beyond recognition. Flesh torn apart.
limbs twisted at impossible angles. There were
no signs of forced entry, no indication of a
struggle. Just... carnage. The kind of horror that
would cling to a man's soul long after he left
the scene.
And yet, there was one survivor
Upstairs, in the smallest bedroom on the
second floor, they found him. Harry James
Potter.
The boy sat on the edge of his bed, knees
drawn up to his chest, his green eyes wide but
empty. He looked untouched- black hair messy
as ever, pale skin free of bloodstains. The very
picture of innocence.
---
The officers took him in, desperate for
answers. But Harry had none to give
"I was asleep," he said, voice steady. "I woke
up to make breakfast... and found them like
that. So, I called you."
Fifteen years old. Too young to commit such
a crime. Too innocent-looking. Yet, there was
something... off.
The Golden Boy's family was dead, and no one
knew why.
---
The news spread like wildfire. Dumbledore
arrived at the station within hours. The Order
whispered about Death Eaters, but something
didn't fit. If Voldemort's followers had come
why leave Harry unharmed? Why target only
the Muggles?
Seated across from the boy, Dumbledore
steepled his fingers, searching his face for
something - -anything. Harry only smiled back
at him, polite and sweet
"My boy," Dumbledore began carefully, "do
you have any idea what happened to the
Dursleys?"
Harry tilted his head, green eyes glinting under
the sterile light. "I told the officers everything
sir. I don't know. I was asleep."
Dumbledore considered using Legilimency.
The truth was a delicate thing, hidden behind
those vacant eyes. But Harry had trained under
Snape last year. He would feel the intrusion. He
would know.
And Dumbledore couldn't afford to lose his
trust.
So, instead, he reached for a lemon drop,
rolling it between his fingers before popping
it into his mouth. "If you remember anything
dear boy, please, do let me know."
Harry smiled--bright, almost blinding. "Of
course, Headmaster. I would never hurt myfamily."
Dumbledore exhaled, almost relieved.
But then..
"Is that what you want me to say?"
The words were soft. Almost playful.
Dumbledore's blood ran cold.
Harry's smile never faltered.