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.