With a soft pop, an old man appeared between two buildings. After a moment observing the scene in the square before him, he quickly strode out of the alley and turned down a quiet lane. Upon reaching the end, he turned into an abandoned lot and vanished.

As Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore stepped across the boundary of the Fidelius wardline surrounding the Potter's house, he nearly fell to his knees after seeing the destruction before him. The stone path leading up to the front door was torn up, with parts of it transfigured into spears, animals (now dead), and barricades. The front door itself had been blown inwards with incredible force, and was currently embedded in the wall behind it, with the runic schemes carved on it still flickering as they struggled in vain to repair the damage. The furniture in the sitting room was almost unrecognizable, with some parts burnt to ash and others violently torn apart.

As bad as the ground level appeared, it failed to hold a candle to the state of the second floor. A running battle had evidently taken place up the staircase from the first floor and along the length of the second floor. There was spell damage covering the walls, ceiling, and floor, from scorch marks to acid burns. Entire sections of the wall were blown off the side of the house and strewn around the yard. At the northernmost end of the house, the roof, walls, and even parts of the floor had been completely vaporized, leaving it open to the elements.

After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Albus stepped past the wrecked gate before him and approached the sobbing figure hunched near the front door. Even on his knees, the top of Albus's head only reached the shoulders of the massive man. Leaning forward with tears in his eyes, Albus caught a glimpse of black hair and pale skin amidst the rough brown hide of the groundskeeper's coat.

"Rubeus… how did you get him out?" queried Albus.

"Wasn' me," Hagrid mumbled. "Sirius handed 'im to me after I got here, said he had somethin' to take care of. Told me to watch out for 'arry 'til he got back."

"Come, my friend, let's bring young Harry back to Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey will be able to look after him until we learn what has happened here tonight."

"'ere, Professor, you take 'arry. Sirius told me to watch 'is bike 'til he got back," Hagrid said, handing the baby to the Headmaster.

"Very well, Rubeus," said Albus as he collected Harry in his arms. "I will meet you back at the castle in the infirmary."

Hagrid slowly walked to the bike, took one last glance at the ruined house, and roared off into the early morning light. Albus looked down at the infant in his arms and pulled the blanket away from the child's face. An intense, angry scar stared at him from above the vivid green eyes that reminded him so much of one of his former students. With a last sad look at the derelict home before him, Albus turned to exit the property. He stepped across the ward boundary, twisted, and disappeared.

Disclaimer: This disclaimer applies to this entire story. Any characters, locations, ideas, or anything else that is recognizable from JK Rowling's Harry Potter books are her property. Original characters, locations, or ideas are mine. When I draw inspiration from outside sources, I will explicitly note the original source in an author's note in that particular chapter. If you notice I have not given credit where it is due, please notify me and I will fix the oversight.

Author's Note: Thanks for reading. Update schedule will likely be sporadic depending on school. Reviews are appreciated, and I will try to address specific concerns in future author's notes.