Doorstep Delivery
1977, The Great Hall, Hogwarts.
James Potter sat at the Gryffindor table that day surrounded by his friends and year mates, all were excited to see what the interesting movie the professors had been sent were about. James’ glanced up and down his table, the younger years still had classes to attend, it was only 5th, 6th and 7th Years that were required to be in the great hall to bear witness to whatever they were about to witness, due to this, there were only people seated on the Gryffindor tables, and the Slytherin tables. There were two Ravenclaw students as well but it didn’t seem right having them seated alone, so Pandora joined the Slytherins and Dorcas joined the Gryffindor's.
“Welcome Students. Just yesterday, a box landed on my desk with a note inside. It read that the unspeakables have gained in sight into the future, a future that for everyone in this room looks very bleak. It is for this reason and this alone that we are going to watch what could happen in the future, if we don’t change what is happening now. So without further ado…” The headmaster moved away from the stand and took his own seat on the Gryffindor side of the room, just as a fog like screen opened up on the stage.
A sign came into view, it read PRIVET DRIVE. There in front of the row of identical houses, a cat was sat on the garden wall. Further down the street, a man wearing crimson robes with a long silvery beard made his way towards the cat, as it let out a small meow, he stopped and raised an eyebrow at the creature.
“My sister’s horrible boyfriend lives on Privet Drive…” Lily Evans murmured quietly to Mary MacDonald, both girls looking concerned about what this had to do with Lily’s sister’s boyfriend.
“Reckon that cat is Minnie, you know lads. Look how uptight its sat on that wall!” Sirius Black barked out a laugh as James snickered, none of the boys missing the reproachful look their deputy head shot at them.
“Hang on. If this is a muggle street, why is Professor Dumbledore there?” Remus Lupin, ever the thinker, questioned.
“I Should have known that you would be here… Professor McGonagall.”
The cat glanced at the man, before jumping off the wall and transforming into an older woman wearing a tall hat with emerald green robes.
“I knew it was Minnie!!!” Sirius cheered as James’ landed a high five in his hand. Over at the table of the snakes, Regulus Black, Sirius’ younger brother, shook his head at their antics, before turning to his friends, Barty and Evan.
“Good evening, Professor Dumbledore. Are the rumours true, Albus?”
“I’m afraid so, Professor. The good, and the bad.”
“And the boy?”
“Hagrid is bringing him.”
“Do you think it wise to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?”
“Ah, Professor. I would trust Hagrid with my life.”
“What rumours?” Marlene quirked an eyebrow, if there was any gossip she didn’t know, it wasn’t worth knowing.
“What boy?” Dorcas wondered.
“Personally, I wouldn’t trust Hagrid to take care of a beetle, let alone a human being.” Severus Snape sneered from the Slytherin table.
Dumbledore smiled, Hagrid had never shown any reason for him not to trust him.
There was the sound of a motor and both Dumbledore and McGonagall looked up to see a flying motorbike descending onto the street. The bike skidded to a halt as a large man with long black hair and a thick bushy beard took off a pair of goggles.
“Cool! I wish I had a flying bike!” Sirius whined as the rest of the Gryffindor table shook their heads at him in amusement.
“How did that not wake the muggles?” Frank Longbottom, a seventh year student, wondered out loud.
“Professor Dumbledore, Sir. Professor McGonagall.”
“No problems, I trust, Hagrid?”
“No, sir. Little tyke fell asleep just as we were flying over Bristol. Heh. Try not to wake him. There you go.”
Hagrid handed a bundled up baby over to Dumbledore.
“Oh my gosh!!! Look Evan a baby!!!” Barty Crouch Jr. cried, the most willing to show his emotions of the three Slytherin fifth years. Evan glanced to Barty, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“What are they doing with a baby in the middle of the night…” Regulus questioned, surely the little one would be safer at home.
“Hey guys, don’t you think the baby looks a bit like Jamie?” Sirius laughed as he saw the shocking black hair on the child's head.
“Evans has family ties to the area! Oi Potter, imagine if after all this time you did end up with Evans!” Peter laughed. James blushed as he told Peter to shut up, his eyes slowly moving to glance over at Lily.
“Not even in your wildest dreams Potter.” She laughed, turning back to Mary.
“Albus, do you really think it’s safe, leaving him here with these people? I’ve watched them all day. They’re the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. They really are…”
“The only family he has.”
The 3 adults and the baby stopped outside 4 Privet Drive.
“So… if the muggles are the only family he has… does that mean..” Alice Fortescue, a 7th year Gryffindor spoke up not wanting to voice her next thoughts.
“His parents are dead…” Barty whined, feeling sorry for the little boy, who had nobody left but the muggles. Regulus and Barty both held one of his hands each, a solidarity comfort towards their friend.
“Um. That’s where Tuney’s boyfriend lives…” Lily worried on her lip anxiously as the Gryffindor table became oddly solemn at the thought of them losing one of their own.
“This boy will be famous. There won’t be a child in our world who doesn’t know his name.”
“Exactly. He’s better off growing up away from all that. Until he is ready.”
Dumbledore set the baby on the doorstep slowly, as Hagrid began to cry loudly.
“Do not tell me, he has just left that sweet little baby on a fucking doorstep.” Regulus growled underneath his breath.
“He could die!!!” James shouted anxiously.
“What the hell was I thinking…” Dumbledore murmured to himself.
“There, there, Hagrid. It’s not really goodbye, after all."
Hagrid nodded, as Dumbledore bent down and placed a letter on the baby, who continued to sleep on the doorstep.
“Good luck… Harry Potter.”
The room erupted into noise, as everyone craned their necks to get a look at James Potter who had turned as white as a sheet before standing up and marching over to the headmaster. “That is quite clearly my child, so obviously I am going to die not long after he is born, but if you dare leave my son on a bloody doorstep headmaster, I will haunt you for the rest of your days.” James growled as Lily came up behind him. “James… we must have had a child together… there is no other explanation… my sister, her boyfriend lives in that house. I have been there!” She cried as James tried to console her, the knowledge weighing on the pair that they’d both die too young.