June 20th, 1992

This was it. Dumbledore was sure of it. Tonight, Harry Potter, the previously unaccounted for Chosen One, will be revealed to the Wizarding World, and he will rejoin Dumbledore and the others in the Light. On the eve of the Summer Solstice, too. It will be a night to remember for all who are present.

"Dumbledore!" The old man turned to see his long time colleague, Cornelius Fudge, walk over with a big smile on his face, though Dumbledore saw concern where others saw merriment. The Minister took Dumbledore off somewhere and began his lecture: "This summer has been tiring for all of us. Harry Potter has not been found thus far...anywhere. People are getting worried and need comfort. This is the perfect show to give them comfort. Calling upon Harry Potter with your magical link to him is brilliant. I'm not the only one who thinks so. But, Albus, if this fails in any way, you do realize that the consequences will not be solely from the Ministry." Dumbledore looked around. There were the Weasleys, with their youngest children Ron and Ginny sitting in front. Ron waiting for his best friend to appear, Ginny for her future husband, as was decreed by Dumbledore at each of their births. If Harry Potter does not show up tonight, then Albus knows he'll have a fiery dragon named Molly Weasley coming after him.

Albus could also see several family friends of the Potters, either of the father James, the mother Lily, or both. He knows that the arrival of the Potters' son is long overdue now, and they didn't sacrifice all they had during that war for nothing. Ron and Ginny will see him. The family friends will see him. It will happen. Albus leaned in close to Cornelius.

"I thank you for your concern, Cornelius, however, you need not fear. Trust an old man that he knows what he's doing." As usual, Cornelius sputtered, trying to find the right words, but Albus doesn't have the patience like he normally has. Not tonight. Tonight is where all of his plans will unfold, regardless of Harry coming around a little later than originally planned.

The full moon had officially risen above the eastern mountains, and Albus took this as his cue to walk close to the center of the platform where the ritual will take place. The platform is wooden, constructed specifically out of the finest alder, ash, and cedar that their sources had to offer. In the center of the platform was a perfectly drawn pentagram in white chalk and surrounded by various symbols for protection of the caster and the one being summoned.

If this works, Albus thought, closing his mind immediately to any curious Legilimancers, then Harry Potter will soon be standing in the middle of that pentagram. Albus looked up and saw that the full moon was almost directly above him, thus, Albus took his place and stood the correct pose, waiting to begin.

The appearance of the full moon directly over them was sounded by the beat of a drum in the distance, which became Albus' cue to begin. Albus began casting all of the necessary spells, and as he did so, he proclaimed his chant:

"The one who was lost, must now be found.

The Boy of Gold, bring him to me.

Let him appear, let him be crowned.

So mote it be, so mote it be."

At the end of the chant, nothing happened. However, the people were not going to give up hope yet, and kept their focus on Albus alone as he quickly went through the spells and the chant multiple times. If Harry Potter does not appear in the middle of the pentagram before the full moon's hour is done, then the people will know that Dumbledore has failed. Yet, they still pay close attention – to Dumbledore and the pentagram.

An hour passed and the drum beat, signalling the failure. Yet Dumbledore pressed on and the people with him. Another hour passed, and the drum beat again. At this time, the outsiders began to disperse quietly, dissappointed that their celebrity had not shown. By the time the drum beat for the fifth time, mostly everybody had gone home, exhausted. Even Molly Weasley took her two youngest by their hands and dragged them home, hoping to give Dumbledore a piece of her mind another time.

As the sun rose indicating the summer solstice, Dumbledore finally stopped casting. Minister Fudge, who had been there the entire time, took this opportunity to step out onto the platform.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, Albus," Fudge asserted, sounding completely earnest. "I know how much the boy meant to you." Albus said nothing in return, thus Fudge continued, "But now we know: Harry Potter is dead." Fudge released a sad sigh and wandered off, wondering what his old mentor will do now.

Dumbledore only watched the sun rise, unbelieving that so much time has passed, and yet, nothing had happened. He looked to the pentagram, the symbols, and inside his own mind, trying desperately to figure out what went wrong. It's not that Harry truly is dead, because he isn't. Dumbledore is absolutely sure that he is not dead. How could he be? He was meant to come to Hogwarts starving of attention and love and receiving it, all the while giving just as much, if not more. But the evidence truly does point to the obvious. However, Albus does have a way of knowing...Harry isn't dead, not really.

But if he isn't dead, Albus mused as he descended from the platform, then where is he?

A/N:

Since I'm not going to be here Friday, might as well get the party started now! As normal, I do not own HP or anything pertaining to good ol' J.K. Rowling! Please R&R and save a drink for me! Cheers!

~ Galatea Griffiths