Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.

The Apprentice of Albus Dumbledore

Chapter 1: The Beginnings

A tabby cat with strange markings around her eyes was silently watching Number Four Privet Drive, waiting for the arrival of someone. It had been there all day and nothing out of the ordinary had happened until after midnight. An old man with a long white beard and wearing a purple cloak suddenly appeared and he was walking towards the cat.

"Good evening, Professor McGonagall", said the man.

The cat turned into a woman with her hair in a bun and wearing a green cloak. "Good evening to you too, Professor Dumbledore. Are the rumors true? Are Lily and James dead? And You-Know-Who is gone? And little Harry somehow being the only survivor?" asked McGonagall.

Dumbledore sighed and then answered, "Yes. It is all true. I believe Lily sacrificed herself to save Harry and that miraculously saved him and defeated Voldemort (McGonagall flinched). As such, I am here to bring Harry to his only remaining relatives", said Dumbledore.

McGonagall then got up into his face and said "But you can't. They aren't like us. And besides, Lily told me when she was at school all about her sister and how her sister hated her for being a witch and kept referring her as a freak. Harry would be abused, physically and mentally, if he were to live here. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to kill him themselves. They hate our world!" yelled McGonagall.

Dumbledore frowned. "I didn't know that about Lily and her sister. You think he'd be unsafe here? Where would you suggest we take him then?"

Before either could speak anymore, a flying motorcycle came and a giant man with a baby in his hands came down.

"Ah, Hagrid, you made it. Were there any problems?" asked Dumbledore.

"No, sir. Sirius showed up and gave me his motorcycle. Said he didn't need it anymore and to say that he wishes Harry is safe and happy" said Hagrid.

Dumbledore was thinking really hard at that mention. 'Sirius was the Potters' Secret Keeper. I guess he wanted to keep the façade that he was on our side just a little bit longer. James, Lily. When he's caught, I'll make sure he's locked up forever.'

"Well Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and I were just talking and she feels Harry would be unsafe here. Do you know of a place where he can live safely?"

"How about Hogwarts? It is the safest place in the world, right? Besides, if You-Know-Who was afraid to attack Hogwarts, there's no way his remaining Death Eaters would attack it to get revenge" said Hagrid.

"I was hoping Harry would be out of the Wizarding World so he could grow up as a normal child. But, Hogwarts would be safer than any alternative I can think of. And if I'm correct in that Voldemort (McGonagall and Hagrid flinched) will someday return ("Please no!" whispered McGonagall), he would certainly not rest until Harry is dead. And that means Harry should be prepared. Okay, that settles it. He'll live at Hogwarts and when the time comes, I'll make him my apprentice", said Dumbledore.

"Apprentice? But you've never had an apprentice" said a shocked McGonagall.

"That's true, Professor McGonagall, but I am now 100 years old. I could die at any time and when that happens, it'll be up to the next generation to stop Voldemort and those like him. And Harry, who already is the Boy-Who-Lived, is just the right person to lead the Wizarding World into a new era", said Dumbledore.

After that, they said left for Hogwarts in their different ways, getting ready to raise the Boy-Who-Lived.

It was a shock for the students, teachers, staff, and ghosts of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when Professor Dumbledore announced that Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the defeater of Voldemort, was going to live at Hogwarts from now on. Until he was old enough to walk and get around on his own, he would be living in a secret room of the Hospital Wing, cared for mainly by Madam Pomfrey.

When Harry was four, he moved to a secret room connected to the Headmaster's office. One of the side walls could turn partway to allow entrance from one room to the other. The key to opening and closing was a secret button in either room. When he was very young, Harry asked where his parents were, but no one answered him. They always looked sad and said that he would learn when he was older.

On his fifth birthday, Harry had a little party in the Great Hall. He was skinny with messy black hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white T shirt and a pair of jeans. Everyone else was wearing cloaks. Of course, the only ones present were the professors, staff, and ghosts. Dumbledore decided it was time for Harry to know the truth.

"Harry", said Professor Dumbledore after cake was eaten. "I think it's time you were told what happened to your parents" said Dumbledore.

Everyone looked at Dumbledore, the adults thinking it was still too soon and Harry for wanting to know what happened.

Dumbledore then spent the next hour giving Harry a brief history of the eleven year war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters, culminating in the death of Harry's parents and Voldemort's defeat when he tried to kill Harry. He told him about Lily's sacrifice saving Harry and even about Sirius Black, his parents' best friend, betraying them and killing another close friend, Peter Pettigrew, but that he was serving a life sentence in Azkaban.

At the end of Dumbledore's tale, Harry broke down crying. Crying for the loss of his parents, for everyone who had been killed by Voldemort, and for the survivors who had lost loved ones. Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall comforted him until after a few minutes, he calmed himself down.

Finally, Harry asked "Is Voldemort (Everyone but Dumbledore flinched) really dead?"

"I do not think so. I believe he is weakened somewhere, biding his time until he can return to power. And when he does, he won't stop until he has gotten revenge and killed the one who defeated him, you", said Dumbledore. Dumbledore had decided to be honest with Harry. While it would be some years before he told Harry about the prophecy or his theory on Voldemort using Horcruxes, he decided to warn Harry that Voldemort would return and he would come after him at all costs.

"In that case, then I'll make sure I'm ready. I'll study hard and study hard and study some more until I surpass him, no until I surpass you, Grandpa. I will succeed you as the most powerful wizard in the world so that no one will have to live in fear of a tyrant again!" vowed Harry.

Everyone looked at him in surprise, even Severus Snape who had decided at that point to help Lily's son defeat the Dark Lord.

"That is wonderful to hear, Harry. But don't forget, you can have a normal life" said Dumbledore.

"I'll keep that in mind, but let's be honest. Voldemort (flinches) was probably obsessed with being the best in school and I'm sure you were, too" said Harry. "Besides, I'm not normal. I defeated Voldemort (flinches) with the help of my mom. To surpass Voldemort (flinches), I must be more than normal or ordinary. I must be extraordinary if I want to defeat him."

Dumbledore sighed. He knew there was a possibility Harry would react this way. But it was true. Both he and Voldemort strived to be the best, even in school. If Harry were to have a realistic chance of winning, he would have to at least manage what they did as teenagers.

"Come with me, Harry. I think it's time you visited your parents' grave and your old house in Godric's Hollow."

"Really? Thank you, thank you, thank you, Grandpa!" yelled Harry as he hugged Dumbledore. "See you later, Aunts and Uncles." Harry then ran out of the Great Hall and to the outside.

"Well someone's anxious", chuckled Dumbledore as he followed Harry outside. After he followed Harry outside, he led Harry to Hogsmeade so he could Side-Along Apparate the two of them.

Harry found it a slightly uncomfortable way to travel but he figured he'd get used to it in time. He also realized that this was the first time in living memory that he's left the Hogwarts grounds. He lived there year round ever since his parents died. When they finally got to his parents' grave, Harry broke down and cried again.

"M-mom. D-dad. It's me, Harry. I really miss you, but I'll make you proud" said Harry. He noticed Dumbledore was looking weirdly at another gravestone somewhere else and he walked towards it. When he got there, he noticed their last name was Dumbledore.

"Grandpa, is this your family?"

"Yes. Ariana was my sister and she died very young."

"How did she die?"

"It's a very painful story. Someday, I'll tell you, but not today."

"Okay", said Harry.

"Harry, there's something I want to give to you. It belonged to your father and has been in your family for many generations."

"What? What?" said Harry.

Dumbledore then pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. "This is an Invisibility Cloak. Wear it and you won't be seen by most means", said Dumbledore.

"Wow", said Harry as he put it on. "It's a little big though, but thanks."

"That is no ordinary Invisibility Cloak either. Most wear out overtime, but this is eternal."

"Why's that?"

"Because it's one of the Deathly Hallows." Dumbledore then told Harry about the tale of the Peverell brothers who asked Death if three extraordinary items and that whoever had all three would be said to be the Master of Death. He then told Harry that Ignotus Peverell, the one who had the Cloak was Harry's direct ancestor.

"Really? The Peverell brothers really existed and one of them is related to me?"

"Yeah, although it is more likely that they themselves created the three items and not received it as a gift from Death. Speaking of your ancestor, he was also born, died, and buried here at Godric's Hollow"

When Harry got to Ignotus's grave, he said "Hello, ancestor. Thanks for the Invisibility Cloak. I'll take good care of it. And if I find the either of the other two, I won't make the same mistakes that led to your brothers' deaths."

Harry didn't notice Dumbledore flinch when he talked of the other two Hallows and of his maturity about what he'd do if he ever came across them. 'Yes, Harry is truly fit to surpass me someday.'

"I think it's time we left Harry", said Dumbledore.

"We forgot to see my old house" said Harry.

"We can visit that next year on your birthday, ok?"

"Ok!"

After that eventful day, Harry devoted his time to reading in the library. He devoted himself to learning the theory of the different areas of magic. He was excited to get a wand and actually use magic. On his eighth birthday, he got a surprise and met one of his parents' friends, Remus Lupin. They spent the whole day talking and visited Godric's Hollow. After the day, they decided to write to each other and keep up with one another. Harry had also learned about his parents from Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, and even Snape. He was very excited to learn about his parents and enjoyed hearing about his dad pranking people although he didn't care for much about his bullying. But at least he grew up and stopped doing that.

By the summer of 1991, Harry had read and could comprehend all the course books for the first three years as well as the beginner stuff for the elective classes; he was also reading the fourth year textbooks. Harry was really excited to go to school at the place he lived at since he was fifteen months old and put what he learned to the test. It would also be the time where Albus Dumbledore would start personally training Harry to be his apprentice.

Published: Friday, November 5, 2010