Harry Potter: The Making of a Dark Lord

Dumbledore wondered absently what would have happened to Harry if the dementor had been successful. Would it have truly been able to remove his soul, given the existence of the prophecy? Did Harry's status as a horcrux mean that he possessed two souls? Was it possible for a dementor to remove one and leave the other? Perhaps Harry's life could be saved in such a manner. The magic involved here was too obscure to know with any certainty. It was just too risky, Dumbledore decided. He had gone so far down his chosen path that there was no turning back now.

Though Dumbledore was mostly relieved at Harry's survival, he was gravely worried by the implications of the attack. The dementors were under strict Ministry control and didn't wander London suburbs at their own whims. Someone with connections to the Ministry had sent them to murder Harry Potter. And somehow those foul things had gotten through the blood wards. Dumbledore knew the wards were still intact and very strong, so that could only mean that the dementors weren't affected by them. This was entirely possible, as the wards specifically targeted wizards and witches with malicious intent. Dumbledore wasn't sure that dementors could even properly be called "creatures," so maybe their intentions simply didn't register with the wards. They had not been picked up by his detection wards either.

There was an ominous thought. Dementors had never been used in a wizarding war; their sole function was to guard the prison fortress of Azkaban and to "execute" the worst criminals. If they could penetrate wizarding wards with impunity, the results might be catastrophic. Dumbledore would have to ensure somehow that the dementors remained at Azkaban, safely out of Voldemort's clutches. But if he already had control over some of them...

That was the crux of the problem. Dumbledore didn't know whether this had been an attack by Voldemort's forces or someone else entirely. Could Fudge want Harry silenced badly enough to murder him? He didn't think Fudge had the stones for that, but one of his cronies perhaps…

Mentally groaning at yet another thing to do, Dumbledore made himself a note to investigate those people at the Ministry who had the authority to issue orders to the dementors. He would have to look into that as soon as he took care of the Dursleys.

Dumbledore both despised and pitied the Dursley family. They were thoroughly offensive people, and genuinely hated Harry Potter. Dumbledore had checked up on Harry once when he was five years old, and had been shocked at what he found.

He had gone to the Dursley household to ensure that they raised the boy with an iron fist; he needed Harry to be meek, pliant, and shy, and had planned to bewitch the muggles into cowing the boy with rigid discipline. Instead he had discovered the necessity of bewitching them not to physically harm or even kill Harry. It was very likely that Vernon Dursley would have eventually abused the boy. And Petunia Dursley probably wouldn't have minded. Dumbledore didn't understand how such a woman could be related to the gentle and kind-hearted Lily Potter.

Regardless, it was truly an awful thing that had befallen their son. Dudley Dursley was currently in a muggle hospital hooked up to machines that Dumbledore didn't understand the purpose of. The boy was as good as dead. His body would live for another week or two before it stopped functioning altogether. He had gently explained this to the Dursleys, but Vernon Dursley had dismissed his explanations entirely. Petunia had seemed to know what dementors were, and was practically catatonic by the time Dumbledore finished explaining what happened.

He had explained that it was not safe for Harry to return to Privet Drive, and that the blood wards protecting them would eventually dissipate and die without Harry's presence. It was best for them to move, preferably out of the country, before they could be located by Voldemort's forces. Petunia had taken this news without reaction, but Vernon had exploded in rage at Dumbledore. The old wizard was certain that the hulking man would have killed him had he been able. He had sworn to kill Harry Potter if he ever laid eyes on him again, and Dumbledore took him at his word.

Today Dumbledore would be transferring 75,000 pounds into the Dursley's bank account. No amount of money would replace their son, but it seemed the decent thing to do. Dumbledore was partly responsible for their ordeal, after all. The money actually belonged to Harry, but they didn't need to know that. They could use the money to help with relocation costs and try to forget about yesterday's terrible events.

Dumbledore's thoughts traveled to the newest occupant of Hogwarts Castle. Harry Potter lay recovering in the hospital wing, and it was clear that he would have to remain here for the rest of the summer. Molly Weasley, having heard about the dementor attack, was now especially adamant that Harry would never set foot in the Burrow again.

Dumbledore rubbed his eyes wearily and reached for a lemon drop. Harry Potter is in the castle, he thought. These next few weeks are going to be very tiresome.

.....

Want to read ahead by more than 60 chapters. Then join my p@treon Right Now.

Also Free members get 2 advanced chapters for Free as well.

Join Now

Link: p*atreon.com/BookReaderBoy (Remove the *)