Sanity

I

♔
Prologue
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He quietly crept among the halls of the Riddle Manor, his feet producing seemingly no sound. Ah, the wonders of a silencing charm, he thought to himself, looking down at his feet to realize..

"Bollocks," he quietly swore. "Not my bunny slippers.."

Indeed, it was a sorry sight to see: Albus Dumbledore, one of the most powerful wizards of his time, kidnapping children with bunny slippers.

'Well, it fits the theme of children,' he thought wryly, resuming his creeping.

After a few more turns, climbing up stairs and wandering down hallways, he came upon two doors, each bearing a plaque. On one, the name 'Hadrian Marvolo' sat engraved upon the shiny metal, and the other one proudly proclaimed 'Lyra Merope'. The second door slightly ajar, he took a quick peek in to see who (or what) was in this room. A brief glance of the contents showed that the room was empty, housing a bed, many bookshelves, an impressive closet, and reeking of dark magic.

Albus shuddered. He needed to get those children out of the grasp of their parents - vile beings they were. A Dark Lord is a terrible parental figure, and that crazed woman.. no. They were both monsters in their own right. This was no place for children, no matter how dark they were.

A peal of laughter escaped the confines of the neighboring room, startling Albus from his thoughts. Those twins - the reason for his break-in - were in the boys' room. He readied his wand, swiftly positioning himself in front of the door.

A pause; a baited breath-

He slammed open the door, shooting two rather overpowered stunners at the startled children, their shocked exclamations silenced. He quietly approached the two, paying no mind to the set of gobstones in the centre of the room, ready to cast a few glamors and obliviation charms.

One could not deny that the two were beautiful. Aristocratic features graced their faces, their bodies exuding elegance and proof of a wealthy and powerful descent. Pity that it would all be covered up with a few fairly simple albeit powerful charms. He raised his wand, gazing down pitifully at them.
———
Startled from his thoughts, Tom quickly shot up from his chair, sensing a magical signature in the air that was neither his nor his wife's. His little Avis* and Vito* had ones that were..

Intoxicating.

Suffocating.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he dashed out of his office and rushed up the stairs, yew wand at the ready.
———
Albus Dumbledore paused for a moment. Were those.. footsteps?

A string of words that were most definitely not suitable for little ears left his mouth. Grabbing the two, thankful that he had thought to dismantle the anti-apparition wards not long ago, he hightailed it out of that dark, desolate place.
———
Tom caught a glimpse of white hair as he deftly walked into the room, a strangled cry leaving his lips at the state of it.

His children, gone.

Bellatrix sobbed at the news, an action much unlike her usual persona, and the two mourned the loss of their children into the early hours of the night.
———
Hastily apparating to Number 4, Privet Drive, he stormed into the house, shoving the boy into the cupboard under the stairs, applying a quick glamour and obliviate to him, doing the same to the other residents of the Dursley household. Satisfied with his work, he left with the other child.

The Grangers would be in for a nice surprise.

Begin Chapter I

[4 Years Later]
The Dursley's had never really starved Harry, but he was never allowed to have as much as his cousin, nor did he ever have clothes that weren't Dudley's hand-me-downs. His home life wasn't the best, but that's just how it was.