THE BOY WHO LIVED

A "HARRY POTTER" FANFIC: (my rewritten version of the first chapter of the first book, told from Professor Minerva McGonagall's viewpoint)

A tall black tabby had been sitting there on the sidewalk next to an old lamppost for the past seven hours and still she did not feel the need to move from her position. The headmaster was due to arrive at any given moment and she had resolved to be on her best behavior, even if that meant having to bear with a stiff back the whole afternoon. Feeling her instinct begin to kick in, she began to lick herself in earnest, attempting to wipe away specks of dirt that clung to her body all the while lapping up so much for that was inevitably spat out moments later.

Not more than a few minutes had passed when the neighborhood's atmosphere began to darken. The feline Animagus cocked her small head to the right and witnessed each of the streetlights slowly going out one by one.

Ah, here he is at last. thought the intellectual cat.

A wizened figure in robes of deep red with an odd looking hat resting atop his oval head slowly approached her position. As he drew nearer she straightened up and kept her focus. He finally stopped one diagonal meter to her side. The cat looked up to see a pair of gentle eyes hidden behind half-moon spectacles starring right back at her.
"Interesting." said the elderly wizard with a chuckle. "I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here. . ."

He took out an edible sweet from a pocket in his maroon robes and subsequently consumed it. He turned his attention back to his old friend.

"Professor McGonagall." he said with a smile, but instead of a cat there was now an old woman dressed in verdant robes with tinges of black nearly similar in design to his.

"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore." said the witch in a stern but respectful voice.

"Likewise. Do pray tell, how on earth did you know I would be coming here tonight?"
"Hagrid informed me."

"I see."

"May I ask you a question?"

"Of course." he replied in a cheery voice.

"What took you so long?"

"I stopped by a few celebrations along the way."

"You did what?"

"Is there a problem?" he asked, eyeing her with a gentleness that was unique only to him.

"No, not at all." she said. "I have just never figured you for the type to attend such time consuming events."

"Ah, professor. You would not be the first to think so and certainly will not be the last. To you, it may seem like a waste of time, perhaps. But I happen to believe in otherwise."

"Yes. I meant no offence."

"None taken." he said in a cheery tone and they began walking to one of the houses.

A medium-sized sign was planted in front of the garden, loudly declaring it's address as #4 Privet Drive.

"You realize of course that once this situation out of hand, the Muggles will notice certain things out of place."

"Of that I am quite aware. But can you honestly blame the rest of our brethren? I doubt that anyone has had much to celebrate about even more than the fall of Lord Voldemort." and at mention of that last word, Dumbledore noticed her twitch.

"I know that!" stifled and irritated Professor McGonagall. "But there's no reason to completely loose out heads. People are being downright careless, swapping facts and rumors without even dressing appropriately in front of Muggles. It's infuriating."

"Indeed, would you care for a lemon drop?"

"A what?"

"A lemon drop. They are a kind of Muggle sweet which I am quite accustomed to."

"No thank you." she said a-matter-of-factly. "Now as I was saying, even if the death of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named proves to-."

"My dear professor." he said, cutting her off politely. "Surely a sensible person like yourself would be used to calling him by his self-proclaimed title? For several years I have been trying to get people to say the name 'Voldemort' out loud. It is not a very hard thing to do really."

"But you are different. Everyone knows that you are the only one he ever feared."

"True. But Voldemort's knowledge of arcane lore is just as deep as mine. I believe he knows of powers I would never dream of acquiring."

"Only because you are too noble to do so."

"I will take that as a compliment." and they continued walking.
Not wanting to let the subject die down, McGonagall took a sharp look at Dumbledore and then said, "Have you heard about exactly what happened? They all say that something finally stopped He-Who-Must- oh all right, Voldemort, but I simply don't know what could have been powerful enough to do so."
Her companion only nodded as he picked out yet another lemon drop.

"What I've heard," the witch pressed on. "is that last night, Voldemort turned up at Godric's Hollow and paid the Potters a small visit."
"Which can only mean one thing." said the wizard gravely.

"Lily and James, dead? But what of little Harry? Of all the lives that he could have taken why was it that a mere child managed to defeat him?"

"I am afraid I do not know the answer to that question."
They remained silent for a while.
Dumbledore took out an odd looking watch with twelve hands but had tiny planets instead of numbers moving around the edge. Whether it made any sense to him, McGonagall did not know.

"Hagrid is late." he spoke plainly.

"Indeed he is. But I must ask. Do you truly think it wise to trust him with something as important as this, Albus?"

"Ah Minerva, I would trust him with my life and more." he said, unsuccessfully reassuring her.

Seconds passed before a low rumbling noise broke through the silence around them, growing louder and louder before swelling to a roar as both looked up to the sky. The next thing they knew, a huge motorcycle dropped onto the road exactly one meter in front of them. A gigantic man with tangles of bushy hair and a frizzy hair that hid part of his head. His hands were almost as big as trash can lids and his feet seemed to be larger than a pair of baby dolphins. In his burly arms lay a bundle of gently held blankets.

"Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall." He said as he handed them the pile of thread and cl0th with a tiny baby inside.

"No problems were there Hagrid?" politely asked Dumbledore as he cradled the infant in a maternal fashion.

"No sir, not at all. The little tyke just fell asleep as we were flying over Bristol." Said the half-giant.

"Now will one of you please tell me as to what is going on?" interrupted McGonagall rather impatiently.

Dumbledore turned to his colleague.

"I was under the impression that you were fully aware of what was going on professor, considering how you had arrived earlier than I. Hagrid did inform you of this did he not?"

"Only that you would be coming tonight and that it was of great importance."

"If you'da lemme finish instead of interrogating me like that I could've told ya more.
But you stormed off already." protested Hagrid.

"That is beside the point," she insisted then asked Dumbledore. "why do you have him here?"

"I've come to bring the boy who lived to his last remaining relatives."

"You can't mean . . . no you can't!" cried the witch in a horrified expression "Albus please reconsider, I've been watching them all day. They are the worst sort of Muggles imaginable. They really are-."

"The only family he has left." cut in Dumbledore and at this she fell silent. They reached the front doorstep of #4 Privet Drive and as he lay the child on the doormat she tried one last time to change his mind.

"This boy will be famous, books will be written about him and every child in our world will know his name."

"Exactly. Famous for something he won't remember. Famous before he can walk and talk. He is far better off, growing up away from all that. Until he is ready."

From behind them, Hagrid began sobbing hysterically.

"There, there Hagrid. It's not really goodbye after all." said Dumbledore as McGonagall extended her right arm upwards to pat the half-giant's shoulder. The wizard then looked at the child one last time.

"Good luck, Harry Potter."

A swish of his cloak, and Dumbledore was gone. The streetlights appeared to have been lit again.

"G'night professor." said Hagrid as he took off into the night sky on his enchanted bike, leaving McGonagall by herself.

She then spent the next several minutes standing there, looking at the small boy's angelic features. Unable to control herself, she took out a golden lace handkerchief and used it to dab the tears on her face. After regaining her composure, she smiled nervously and took a step forward then kissed his cheek and left a note beside him that Dumbledore gave her during their conversations only moments before Hagrid came. The witch brushed aside his hair to reveal the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. She stood up, then walked away quietly.