Finding Harry
October 23, 1989
4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey
Tom and Harry were in the backyard working on conjuring as Harry had grasped the basics rather quickly. It was of course very difficult for him, but with Tom as his guide, he felt he could do anything.
"Remember Harry, magic is all about your will. As long as you will it to happen and visualize it, most magic will work."
"I know Tom," said Harry, rolling his eyes.
Harry concentrated.
"Serpensortia!" he yelled, trying with every ounce of his will to make a snake pop out of thin air. Nothing happened and he felt his face flush as he heard Tom laughing.
"Hey!" said Harry indignantly.
"Harry you do realize yelling the spell louder won't make the spell easier," said Tom lightly. "You shouldn't be disappointed, you're trying to conjure a living thing wandlessly. Not even many adults can do that."
Harry shook his head at that and grumbled under his breath. He had to be different. He would never be helpless again.
"Alright Harry, let's try one more time and remember to visualize it. Push your magic and will it to happen.", encouraged Tom.
Harry took a deep breath. He imagined a large python like the ones he had seen on the telly and felt his magic slowly churn within him. After months of wandless practice and meditation, he could truly feel the power coursing through him.
"Serpensortia!" exclaimed Harry, pushing his magic as hard as he could in front of him.
A small grass snake materialized in front of him. A far cry from the python he had imagined, but he felt a warm glow of pride at the sight of the small snake nonetheless.
It waved to him with its tail and laughing he waved back. Suddenly his legs gave out and he fell to the ground.
"Tom why am I so dizzy right now!" said Harry in alarm, throwing his arms out to regain his balance.
"You're suffering from magical exhaustion right now," said Tom in his usual calm tone, as Harry fell in a heap on the ground. "As you're still young your magic is still unstable. We should probably go back inside and lie down for a bit. Perhaps it was a mistake to push for wandless magic so early."
Harry nodded and slowly got to his feet. His head felt funny as though something heavy was pushing his skull from the inside. Shaking his head he started for the door.
"Alright Tom let's go back inside."
This was easily his coolest achievement yet, but it felt so crushing to feel so weak afterwards. He would have to convince Tom to allow him to continue his wandless magic. He was so sick of doing motions with a stick and practicing incantations.
Harry was so deep in thought, that he didn't see Dudley and his friends creep behind him.
"Hey Freak, where do you think you're going!" sneered Dudley as he and his gang closed in on the smaller boy.
"Dudley, I don't want to deal with you right now," said Harry tiredly.
Dudley raised his fists as his fat face grew red. "You need to pay for what you've done to my family."
Harry backed off warily. He was in no shape to fend off Dudley and his friends.
"Where are you going Freak?" laughed Dudley.
Dudley's friends began to cheer Dudley on to attack Harry. Tom felt Harry panic and tried to calm him.
"Harry it will be okay! We just need to get out of here!"
Harry immediately began running in the opposite direction. But, in his weakened state, he was unable to get away from Dudley and his friends.
He fell over and Harry was pinned by the arms of two larger boys. "It's time to play Harry Hunting again boys!" yelled Dudley triumphantly. He and the other boys began raining blows on Harry.
"That's for Dad!" cried Dudley, as he launched a kick to Harry's face. "And that's for mum," he said with a savage satisfaction, as his brand new trainers crashed into Harry's sides.
Harry felt his ribs crack again and a small stream of blood trickle out of his nose. He shut his eyes and took the blows, feebly raising his arms in defense. Then as quickly as it started, the blows stopped. Harry opened his eyes in confusion.
Looking up he saw Dudley and his gang unconscious and stranded in the trees. Instead, a slim man with pure white hair and mismatched eyes stood over him, offering him a hand, a scary-looking woman standing behind him.
Taking the hand hesitantly, he got back to his feet.
The man's eyes shined and he said, "Hello Harry Potter, I have been searching for you."
Harry's felt bewildered at this turn of events.
"Tom do you know this man?" thought Harry quickly. Then without warning, his scar exploded in pain and everything went black.
Tom Riddle did in fact know who the man in front of him was. And there would be no chance that he would allow him to take Harry. Forcing all of his magic in an act of supreme desperation he possessed Harry's body.
He would have to act quickly he thought to himself as he felt the protection begin to burn away at him.
Reaching out with his hands he summoned the witch's wand and sent several piercing curses at the pair. The shock on Grindelwald's face brought him a new sort of satisfaction as he took off in the other direction.
The boy's body would not sustain him much longer, but all he had to do was escape Grindelwald. He cursed the child's limitations as the wall he tried to form behind him crumbled on itself.
"Avada Kedavra!" he cried, as the older man turned his head to the side allowing the emerald curse to fly past him.
Tom Riddle cursed aloud and ran as fast as Harry's legs would allow him. If he just got past the line of trees he would probably be able to apparate out of the wards.
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt a stunner crash into his back.
Dammit.
Harry woke up with a jolt his body feeling as if he had been trampled by multiple cars. He reached up to his forehead to feel blood leaking from his scar.
What on earth was going on?
Harry groaned and took in the sight of the two people again, and everything came back to him in a rush. Tom remained suspiciously silent the entire time.
"What's going on? What do you want? And who are you?" he said.
Grindelwald smiled charmingly and said, "My dear boy, my name is Gellert Grindelwald. I am a fellow wizard and I want to help you, and further your potential."
Harry's eyes widened and he asked, "You can do magic too?"
"My friend, how else would those muggles have gotten thrown into the trees?" said Grindelwald with a laugh.
Harry reddened.
"But back to the point, Harry. Would you like to leave this place, Harry? I swear I only wish to help you. As you may or may not know, you are rather famous in
the Wizarding World and I believe together we can change that world."
Harry scrunched his face in confusion and asked, "Why would I be famous Mr. Grindelwald?"
"None of the mister business, just call me Gellert. And my dear boy, you are the "boy-who-lived" the vanquisher of Voldemort," said Grindelwald.
Harry sat in shock and to his surprise didn't feel the presence of Tom.
"What are you talking about?"
Grindelwald raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Do you not know your own story? My dear friend allow me to explain."
Harry listened confused as Grindelwald explained to him how he had ended up here with the Dursleys. Tom had never told him this and it all came as a deep shock to him.
"I didn't realize my parents died for me," he said, unsure what he should be feeling right now.
Grindelwald knelt down and patted him on the back, "I am very sorry for your loss, they were true heroes."
Still confused at this new information Harry reached out to Tom once more. But it was as if there was a small void where Tom was.
Grindelwald noticed the boy go quiet again. This was something he would have to look into. "Harry, are you alright?
Harry looked up at the man. "Are you really gonna help me leave? How can I trust you?"
Gellert smiled, "Of course, my friend. If you wish I can take you out of this hovel right now. And though I cannot prove my trust at this moment, I give you my solemn word that you will see soon that I only have the best in mind for you."
Something clicked in Harry's chest. He could trust this man. "Let's leave right now!"
Grindelwald arched his eyebrow and said, "Are you sure you wish to leave now? Do you have any family members you wish to speak to before you leave?"
He had of course already figured out from both the state of Harry and from the aura of the fat boy currently in the tree that Harry had been mistreated. However, he had a feeling this could be a step closer to manipulating the boy.
Harry's face clouded with anger at the mention of "family members".
"I have no family here," said Harry with disgust. Harry then went on a tangent on how the Dursleys had only mistreated him since the day he had arrived.
Grindelwald stood quietly listening to the boy's words and felt triumph.
Once Harry finished, he turned slightly pink in embarrassment and bowed his head. "I am sorry Mist- Gellert, for going off like that."
Grindelwald shook his head and grabbed Harry by the shoulders and said, "You must never apologize for being abused, Harry. Those despicable muggles must pay for what they have done to you!"
Harry shook his head at that and said, "No sir, we should just leave them."
Gellert saw an opportunity and pounced on it. "Harry, muggles are not your friends. Especially these people that abused you. Did you know that we wizards are forced into hiding because of muggles?"
Harry's brow furrowed in concentration and shook his head.
Grindelwald continued, "What I work towards every day Harry, is the betterment of wizarding kind. I believe in a future where wizards do not have to hide their abilities. A future where wizarding children are not beaten out of fear and jealousy. You are not alone Harry. Muggles have proven time and time again to be dangerous creatures. Creatures, who are greedy and violent. Together, Harry, we can change the world. We can put muggles in their rightful place and we can work together for the greater good. You have the potential to do that. Will you help me?"
Harry looked into the face of Gellert Grindelwald and after a moment's hesitation said two words that would change the future of the world forever. "I am."
Grindelwald nodded in acceptance. "And now Harry, I will give you your first gift. I will burn this disgusting hovel to the ground and everyone in it. Then you will rise from the ashes and begin anew."
Harry's face paled, his mouth agape. But as quickly as that happened, he composed himself.
"Do you protest Harry?"
"Well I-"
"Harry do you not remember that these muggles were beating down on you just moments ago?"
Flushing, Harry grimaced. That sense of helplessness. He wouldn't allow it to happen again.
"Do not forget this day Harry. You may not be able to avenge yourself quite yet, but tonight I will for you."
"How?" said Harry, his eyes widening.
Grindelwald patted his head in approval.
"My dear boy, you will soon come to learn that with magic anything is possible. Do not fear, you too will learn to wield such power, but for now, observe."
Grindelwald waved his hand and Vinda pulled Harry back.
Harry watched in awe as the old man's eyes began to glow as he raised his wand. This was true power.
Flaming magical creatures, tens of hundreds of meters tall, poured out of the wand and began consuming the entire neighbourhood.
A fiery dragon eviscerated the house he had lived in for the last ten years but to his own surprise, he felt nothing for it. As all the people that had looked down on him his whole life were burned alive he felt instead a sense of longing. It would be him who controlled such power.
This was a sight that should've shaken a normal ten-year-old to the core. But Harry was not normal. Years of physical and psychological abuse had changed him.
As the neighborhood burned and the people died, Gellert watched the boy. Harry seemed to show little regret, this was good. Suddenly he felt a growing magical presence. It was time to go. He nodded to Vinda, and grabbed Harry and the trio disapparated, leaving Little Whinging to burn.
Headmaster's Office of Hogwarts
Same Time
"Severus, as you know Harry Potter will be attending Hogwarts next year."
Snape sneered. "I cannot wait Headmaster. He will undoubtedly be as arrogant as his father."
Dumbledore smiled at the antics of his Potions Master and was about to reply when he saw one of the many instruments on his desk suddenly hiss and break. It was the golden one. Harry was in danger.
"Severus the wards around Harry's home has collapsed!" said Dumbledore calmly, belying the panic that rose up within him.
Snape's eyes widened with surprise then his features became unreadable. "How can I be of service?"
Dumbledore shook his head as he drew his wand. "Prepare your stock of healing potions. Merlin knows what has happened. I must go at once, Severus."
Snape nodded and hurried out of the room as Dumbledore call for Fawkes and disappeared from sight.
Dumbledore arrived in Little Whinging and if not for the quick actions of Fawkes would have died immediately. He looked on with horror at the sight of the dark flames that consumed the area.
Without a moment's hesitation he raised his wand and began to extinguish the fire. In only a few moments, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of water dripping on the ground. Dumbledore quickly made his way to the Dursley home and let out a noise of despair as he saw that they had not been spared. Tears ran down the face of the elderly man as he tried to find any trace of the boy. After several hours of searching, he concluded that the flames had completely consumed the boy. More blood on his hands. Rage and sorrow surged within him as he began cursing a rock that had been able to survive.
Albus Dumbledore fell to his knees and he began to weep for Harry Potter. He had failed again.