Damaged Raven

1

"Albus!" Deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall barged into the headmasters office, shock and panic on her face

"Minerva?" Headmaster Albus Dumbledore blinked at the way his deputy and close friend barged into his office "what, may I ask, is the matter?"

"Harry potter!" McGonagall replied

"Mr Potter?!" Dumbledore jumped to his feet, Harry Potter was the boy-who-lived, the boy responsible for stopping Voldemort and Dumbledore knew he was the boy of the prophecy. He had last seen Harry when he had placed him with his relatives, the Dursleys. Dumbledore had great hopes for Harry, if all went well then Harry would be his successor and the next leader of the light. He was such an adorable baby. "What has happened to him?"

"He has sent his Hogwarts letter back, saying he does not wish to attend" McGonagall replied "Albus, imagine that! Harry Potter, son of Lily and James, not wishing to attend Hogwarts!"

"Worry not Minerva, I shall deal with this" Dumbledore promised her, all the while he was wondering what would cause Harry to refuse. He knew that the boy would likely not have a brilliant life at the Dursleys and expected him to jump at the opportunity to attend a school of magic, even if the Dursley's did treat him kindly he should still want to attend, after all what child wouldn't want to learn magic?

"And another thing" McGonagall continued, not the least bit calmed down by the headmasters words "you had left Mr Potter at the Dursleys?"

"Yes?" Dumbledore nodded

"Then why is the address registered to an orphanage?!" McGonagall slammed the letter on the desk, showing the shocked wizard that it had indeed been registered to an orphanage.

Dumbledore, dressed in a green suit, accompanied Minerva McGonagall, who was dressed in muggle clothing as well, to the orphanage that Harry Potters letter was addressed to. Both had walked up to the first available staff member they could find.

"Greetings my dear" Albus smiled at the woman "I am Albus Dumbledore and with me is Professor McGonagall, we were hoping to talk to Mr Potter"

"Mr Potter?" The woman blinked "Harry Potter?"

"Yes" McGonagall nodded

"Are you two...positive that you want to meet him?" The woman asked, her tone of voice and face suggested that the answer should be 'no'

"Absolutely" Dumbledore nodded "you see, we are hear to offer Mr Potter a place at our school"

"Right, good luck with that" The woman said, making it clear that she thought they needed it "follow me then"

"Tell me, my dear, is there anything about Mr Potter that you'd like to tell us?" Albus spoke as they followed the woman

"Well" The woman sighed "for the most part he just wants to be left alone, he sticks to his room as much as possible. The younger kids like him, most of them anyway, he's had a few problems with the older kids"

"What sort of problems?" McGonagall asked

"Well, from what I and the rest of the staff have been able to gather, the other kids bothered him in some way and ended up hurt"

"Hurt?" Albus repeated

"Burnt, injured" The woman replied "now, most of the kids leave him alone. The younger ones keep him company sometimes but I just think he has a soft spot for them, he doesn't hurt anyone unless they bother him too much. A few weeks ago, one new kid came and tried to 'assert his dominance' on everyone. From what I've heard he tried that on Harry and the next day he was found crying in the basement. Jumps whenever Harry enters a room. The only other people Harry talks to is a family that lives nearby, he visits them from time to time and from what I understand, he is good friends with their daughter. Alright, Harry's room is the third on the left. Have fun" The woman turned and left