Chapter 65: Chapter 65: "Dumbledore's Recollection Part - 1"
Inside the grand Hogwarts Castle, nestled in the Scottish Highlands, there was a heavy atmosphere in the Headmaster's office. The portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses watched silently, sensing the current Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's somber mood.
A recently opened letter from the Ministry of Magic lay on Dumbledore's desk. Up until he read this letter, Dumbledore had been having a rather good day. However, the information it contained had thrown a wrench in many of his carefully laid plans.
Dumbledore's thoughts were now consumed by the subject of the letter, Hadrian Ignotus Potter. Dumbledore had previously paid little attention to Harry, considering him irrelevant to his broader schemes. Harry wasn't the child of prophecy, and to Dumbledore, a man with countless responsibilities and concerns, Harry was of little significance.
The news in the letter had come as a shock, prompting Dumbledore to reflect on where his strategies had begun to unravel.
The whole situation began on that fateful night Voldemort attacked the Potters in Godric's Hollow. Since Dumbledore saw Charles Potter as the chosen one from the prophecy, his brother, Hadrian (Harry), didn't seem significant to Dumbledore's grand schemes.
Dumbledore was concerned, however, about Hadrian's influence on Charles. Raised by his grandparents, Hadrian shared some of their beliefs, which Dumbledore feared could sway the young Charles. Recognizing Hadrian's intelligence and potential influence, Dumbledore pondered how to minimize his impact on Charles.
Later that same week, another unexpected event occurred. James Potter, his follower, was unable to claim the title of Potter Lord. This turn of events unexpectedly thrust Hadrian into the spotlight as the next Potter heir, complicating Dumbledore's plans. Dumbledore had hoped for James to assume the Potter Lordship to leverage the family's resources and influence for his political agenda. With James's failure, Dumbledore's subsequent strategy for Charles to inherit the Lordship over Hadrian also crumbled.
Faced with no other choice to ensure Charles's ascension as Lord Potter, Dumbledore devised a plan to remove Hadrian from the picture by sending him away into the muggle world. Raised in muggle ways, Hadrian would possibly be rendered ineligible from inheriting the Lordship.
Lily and James, persuaded by Dumbledore, agreed to this plan, believing it was for the better protection of their family and a better future for Charles. This move was meant to kill two birds with one stone, securing Charles's path while ensuring that Hadrian would not influence Charles growing up.
The plan unfolded smoothly. Hadrian was sent to live with his aunt's family, away from the wizarding world, with Dumbledore planning to return only when it was time for Hadrian's Hogwarts letter. Basic magical protections were placed on Hadrian, a mere afterthought in Dumbledore's broader strategy.
Everything fell apart five years ago, two years after Hadrian was left with his aunt. Dumbledore returned from a week-long International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) meeting to find part of his office destroyed by fire. The portraits of past Headmasters told him that alarms had been sounding from the odd trinkets on the wall, which had eventually exploded, causing the fire. If not for the elves coming just in time to put the fire out, the whole office would have burned down.
These devices were meant to keep an eye on Hadrian Potter, the sirens and blasts indicating that something serious must have happened to him. Without cleaning up his office, Dumbledore rushed to the Dursleys' home on Privet Drive, only to discover he was too late. The house was deserted, indicating trouble.
Diving into the memories of the neighbors, Dumbledore uncovered a distressing scenario. The Dursleys had been arrested by the police, and their son Dudley had been taken in by another relative. The reason was even more heartbreaking.
The Dursleys had horribly mistreated Hadrian, reducing the young boy to a servant for the last two years. Recently, Hadrian had been in an accident and, without proper medical attention, his condition worsened until he died. The Dursleys had in fear hidden his body, which the police found, leading to their arrest for abuse and negligence for not seeking medical help.
Shocked and grieving, Dumbledore realized his mistake. He had assumed that Petunia Dursley, being family, would care for Hadrian properly. He couldn't have been more wrong. His belief that family means automatic love and care had blinded him to the possibility of abuse. Reviewing the Dursleys' memories confirmed the worst: Hadrian was unloved and mistreated, and fear of exposure led them not to seek help, resulting in his death.
They also had no love for him. They let him live there only because he had forced the boy upon them. This was a painful lesson for Dumbledore, understanding that he didn't know Petunia as well as he thought. The tragedy of Hadrian Potter was a stark reminder of his oversight.
Dumbledore didn't need to find the boy's body to confirm his passing; the memories he'd seen were evidence enough. Moreover, he couldn't bear the thought of seeing a child's body, especially knowing his oversight had contributed to the tragedy.
Now, Dumbledore faced a tough situation. He had assured Lily he would protect her son, but he had failed. Revealing this failure to Lily and James could ruin their relationship and jeopardize his role as Charles's mentor, which was crucial for the boy's destiny in defeating Voldemort. Dumbledore believed that without his guidance, Charles wouldn't stand a chance against Voldemort, and the future of the wizarding world depended on Charles's victory.
After much thought and for the future of the wizarding world, Dumbledore decided to keep this sad incident a secret from the Potters, at least for the time being. He hoped that with time, they would slowly forget about Hadrian and move on, allowing him to share the news later under better circumstances. He just hoped for the best. There was nothing else he could do. Changing their memories of Harry seemed too risky, with a high chance of failure, which Dumbledore wanted to avoid at all costs.
As for the Dursleys, Dumbledore had a confrontation with them. Petunia complained that Dumbledore had forced them to take in a child they didn't want and hadn't provided sufficient funds to cover his needs. She threatened to expose Dumbledore, claiming she knew how to make their situation known within the wizarding community.
Dumbledore was not pleased with being threatened but cautioned Petunia that while her actions might cause trouble for him, the consequences for her and her family would be much worse. He explained that the wizarding community takes the mistreatment of their own very seriously and would not look kindly upon what she had done. However, Petunia stood her ground, unafraid of death, and insisted Dumbledore help them.
Acknowledging his part in the situation, Dumbledore agreed to try and lessen the punishment for the Dursleys. He reached out to a Hogwarts alumnus who had since lived among Muggles for assistance. With this person's help, Dumbledore secured a good lawyer, which led to a reduction in the sentences handed down to the Dursleys. Petunia received a one-year sentence, while Vernon, taking on most of the blame, was sentenced to five years.
The man responsible for the accident that harmed Harry was treated leniently after he testified properly about the incident and confirmed the Dursleys' neglect and mistreatment of Harry.
Despite this, the Dursleys were unhappy with the outcome but knew they had no choice but to accept it, especially after witnessing the stern warning in Dumbledore's gaze. After ensuring their sentences were reduced, Dumbledore left the Muggle world behind, eager to put the entire ordeal behind him.
However, life didn't get any easier for the Dursleys after serving their time. They faced harsh treatment in prison and, upon release, found themselves ostracized. With Vernon unable to secure employment and their neighborhood turning against them due to their now-notorious reputation, they were forced to emigrate.
The last known whereabouts of the Dursleys was in Australia, where they hoped to start anew, away from anyone familiar with their past.
Chapter 66: Chapter 66: "Dumbledore's Recollection Part - 2"
As time went on, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Dumbledore was quite satisfied to see that James and Lily were heavily involved in their careers and focused on their son Charles, gradually paying less and less thought to Hadrian, their elder son. They had even stopped asking about him altogether. The only person who had been actively searching for Hadrian, his godfather Sirius, also seemed to have given up a year later, presumably moving on with his life.
This situation pleased Dumbledore as it meant he didn't have to deal with the repercussions of his neglect that led to the unfortunate passing of the young boy. He believed that the Potters wouldn't hold a grudge against him in the future, especially since he played a significant role in Charles' upbringing. Over the years, Dumbledore felt he had become closer to the Potter family, which he valued.
However, as the eleventh birthday of Hadrian approached—an age when children receive their Hogwarts letter—Dumbledore thought it might be time to address his past mistakes.
On that day, to Dumbledore's surprise, his deputy, Minerva McGonagall, brought him a Hogwarts admission letter that was meant for Hadrian Potter.
Minerva questioned why the letter for the boy wasn't sent to the Dursley's home in London, but instead to the Black Castle. Dumbledore found himself too shocked by this revelation to provide her with an answer.
This revelation was a surprise to Dumbledore. The letter implied several things: firstly, that Hadrian had not died as previously believed. Someone must have rescued him on that fateful night since Hadrian was in no condition to save himself, and then they cleverly made it appear as though he had died to deceive him. Furthermore, it was revealed that Hadrian was now under the care of Arcturus Black, the formidable Lord Black.
Dumbledore deduced that the Blacks must have come into contact with Hadrian only about a year after the incident, which aligns with when Sirius ceased his search. This was because if the Blacks had saved Hadrian, then the fate of the Dursleys would have been much worse.
For Dumbledore, this news was unsettling. He didn't have all the details, but one thing was certain: Hadrian was likely to be raised by Lord Black and would be recognized as the Heir of the Potter family, possibly even becoming the future Lord Potter, which would eliminate any chance for Charles to inherit the title. Dumbledore was aware that Arcturus Black, whom he regarded with a degree of apprehension, would ensure Hadrian's rightful place in the Potter lineage.
Dumbledore managed to soothe Minerva McGonagall's questions and sent her on her way, but his mind was already racing with the implications of what had just unfolded.
He realized the loss of the Potter vote in the Wizengamot was inevitable and worried about Hadrian Potter's feelings towards him and his own parents. He just hoped that the Blacks did not turn the boy Dark like them. His greatest fear was the possibility of Hadrian turning to darkness, influenced by his tough experiences in the non-magical world, reminiscent of Tom Riddle's own troubled past. Dumbledore was determined to prevent another Dark Lord from emerging because of his mistakes.
Dumbledore reassured himself that the situation hadn't reached its worst. Hadrian, still young and legally under his parents' guardianship, could be brought back from the Blacks' influence. Dumbledore's task was to locate Hadrian, bring him back to his parents, and mend their relationship. He firmly believed that, given time, any rifts within the family would heal.
According to Dumbledore, the bonds of family were strong enough to overcome past grievances, and Hadrian would eventually forgive his parents, choosing a path aligned with the light.
But as the days went by, Dumbledore's hope began to fade. It appeared his previous actions had been too effective. James and Lily Potter seemed to have moved on, showing little concern for Hadrian, their firstborn son. They hadn't approached Dumbledore about Hadrian's expected integration into the magical world, a troubling sign of their detachment.
To complicate matters further, Dumbledore couldn't pinpoint Hadrian's whereabouts. The location of the Black Castle, where he suspected Hadrian might be, remained a mystery, and the Black family was unresponsive to his inquiries. Even his extensive network couldn't provide any clues, leading Dumbledore to question whether the Hogwarts admission quill had erred in its address or, more worryingly, if Hadrian had not survived after all.
This uncertainty left Dumbledore in a precarious position, grappling with the potential fallout of his decisions and the daunting task of reconciling with a boy who might view him as an adversary.
While Dumbledore was immersed in his efforts to locate Hadrian, a letter from the Ministry arrived today, causing him considerable worry. As the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, he was notified that Hadrian Ignotus Potter had successfully completed all the necessary steps to become legally emancipated that very day.
Learning that Hadrian had excelled in his OWL exams in Arithmancy, History of Magic, and Muggle Studies was not too much of a surprise, given he was under the care of Arcturus Black. However, the news of his emancipation took Dumbledore by surprise.
Emancipation was no simple matter; it required proof that the young wizard could responsibly wield magic and also necessitated the consent of his guardians.
Yet, it seemed Sirius Black, with Arcturus Black and Amelia Bones' assistance, had skillfully navigated the bureaucratic channels of the Ministry. They managed to liberate Hadrian from the control of his parents and, consequently, from Dumbledore's influence.
This development troubled Dumbledore deeply. It implied he would lose any leverage over Hadrian, raising concerns that without proper guidance, Hadrian might be drawn towards darker paths. Dumbledore did not want the two brothers to face each other during the inevitable war on Voldemort's return.
As Dumbledore pondered the ramifications of this revelation, the glow of his office's floo network caught his attention. This emergency floo connection was rarely used, sparking his curiosity about the visitor who deemed it necessary to contact him so late into the night.
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