September 18th, 1989, London, Privet Drive, 8:05 PM
Albus had been informed of Harry's runaway shortly by Mrs. Arabella Doreen Figg. Yet he still believed everything was still fully under control; reports given by these wards that tie to Harry didn't give off anything amiss—that was until just this evening.
The blood ward was an extremely powerful and ancient spell that was formed when a person sacrificed themselves for a family member out of deep and pure love. The sacrifice created lingering protection in the blood of the person who was saved. It was not activated, however, until the charm was actually cast, and it was not sealed and functioning until another member of the family accepted the saved person as their own.
However, to his surprise, this spell had been broken! Along with a few other wards that make sure Harry will return to 'his home' regardless of the circumstances, this made Albus very concerned over the identity perpetrator. Who could have pulled off this feat as a follower of Him? Not very possible.
Most importantly, he needed to get to Harry before this got worse. A simple tracking ward placed on Harry was still active, as it showed that Harry was still in the vicinity of 4 Privet Drive.
When he apparated there, what greeted him wasn't what he could have expected. A gentleman stood in front of 4 Privet Drive, on the edge of the streetlamp, which allowed darkness to envelop most of his appearance, but Albus could still make out his overall outfit: a stylist black half-top hat and a knee-length dark overcoat fluttered in the night wind. On the inside, he was clad in a formal white shirt, a dark vest, and dark trousers.
'An interesting choice of fashion'. Albus remarked inwardly.
As Albus took a few steps further, his wand had long clutched between his, embracing any mishaps. Then, it was the gentleman who extended the greetings first.
A slight amusement flashed on Albus's face as he examined the gentleman's scholarly facial features, delicate yet bearing hidden prowess. It could be said to be too generic; his whole aura spoke for himself as it bears some similarities with Dumbledore.
'Sigh, a man of true determination, focus, patience, and sheer will. This could get difficult.' Albus prepared himself to have a long conversation with this unfamiliar gentleman.
Until Albus caught sight of those glorious dark-amber eyes behind those elegant silverish square-frame glasses, with a signature faraway look on them. He was struck with astonishment.
"A true seer!?" Dumbledore blurted out. 'This feeling is just like Grindelwald. No! It's far more potent than Grindelwald could have ever achieved. However, most importantly, how much does he know? what are his goals?'
Seeing Mr Headmaster's puzzled looks did bring a smile to Ethan's face, for this was a rather rare expression coming from one of the most powerful wizards of the age.
"I have been looking forward to seeing you, Headmaster. I believe without a doubt the reason for your presence here is Harry, the Boy Who Lived." Ethan took the initiative, as he intended to lead the old fox out.
"Ah yes, Harry, may I ask how's the boy, Mr...." Albus shot a look of curiosity.
"Ethan Esther, sir."
"Please, call me Albus."
Ethan chuckled slightly as he spoke in a flat tone. "I prefer to address people by their respective titles as a way to show my respect. As for your question, Harry is better than ever, as the boy has just escaped his misery."
His words did put a grimace on the old Headmaster's face, albeit briefly, before Dumbledore returned to his usual grandfatherly expression.
"Very intriguing, Mr. Esther; could you elaborate more on Harry's condition?"
The gentleman tilted his head slightly as he beamed a cold smile. "I believe you must be more aware than anyone since you are practically the one who sent him this house, or perhaps you didn't even bother, as I assume. At your position, it was indeed difficult to keep track of everything."
Albus narrowed his eyes at Ethan's words. "Pardon?"
"Oh, so Mr. Headmaster here didn't even recognise that he had just put the hero of our wizarding world into one hellhole." Ethan's voice turned solemn.
"The boy had been admitted to years of abuse, so much so that he is now experiencing social anxiety, trauma, severe malnutrition, as well as being unstable mentally. You made a mistake this time, Headmaster."
Albus was taken aback by the amount of information. 'What was Mrs Figg doing, Could this be the reason for the spell collapse, Let's just hope that it wasn't too late for the bone to be reconnected.'
"You have my sincere gratitude for this information; let me handle it from here. As you may not know, for the sake of the boy's safety from any retaliation, he must stay with his relative for this ancient blood spell that I cast to take effect. However, by no means will the boy be treated like that; I will have a word with his guardians. Thank you once again," Albus said calmly.
Ethan's eyes widen at the old fox's words; it seems like his impression of the old Headmaster back in his school days wasn't wrong. This was a man of ambition and very likely the type who lived by 'the end justifies the mean'. He was anything but a simple, grandfatherly figure. Ethan believed he was a control freak to a certain extent; he was also a somewhat Machiavellian figure, calm, collected, resourceful, and on solid moral ground, but by no means prevented him from resorting to drastic measures when the time came.
Ethan shook his head slightly, as he did share a few traits with the 'greatest wizard of all time'. 'Merlin, he didn't even admit his mistake and apologised.'
"There is no need for you to be concerned anymore; Harry's problem has been dealt with as his formal 'guardians' will meet what they deserve, as I have already contacted the corresponding Authority on the Muggle's side as well as the Magical side…" Ethan paused for a mere second as he closely observed Dumbledore's reaction.
"With all due respect, Headmaster, why did I find your traces all over the place? It's quite amusing, isn't it? Given your position, I assume you had much more urgent matters to attend to."
Albus replied calmly, as if it were as natural as the sun rising in the east.
"Harry's parents were my dearest friends; it was natural for me to look after their greatest treasure. It was a tragedy that happened to them and to Harry; therefore, it is my obligation to ensure Harry's safety. That is why Harry must stay with his relatives for this to be done. I'm truly sorry for what happened to Harry. Like you said, men in my position do have a little too much on their plate." Dumbledore presented a look of utmost sympathy, though it posed no effect on shaking Ethan's resolve to give up Harry.
Ethan tried his best not to scoff at the old fox's words. "I'm certain you've done enough regarding Harry's adoptions," Ethan said with a smirk. "Although I must clarify that from now on Harry will be placed under my protection, I'm confident in my ability to protect Harry better than that ancient blood spell, which affects him more badly than you think, Headmaster."
Ethan's eyes turned cold as he mentioned the blood ward. There were no doubts about its advanced protectiveness, but that was still dark art, for it was even strong enough to tie Harry's fate to 'his home' by any means. Had it not been for Ethan, a true seer who was well versed in the realm of mysticism, divination would have allowed him to push back the ward's subtle influence. Anyone would have a slim chance of getting Harry out of that house.
"Sigh, as much as I'm grateful for your righteousness and hospitality. Harry will be better if he is with me, for I fear that you have underestimated what the boy will bring with him." Albus hoped that Ethan would cooperate, but to his disappointment, Ethan's determination was far more than he expected.
"Oh, it seemed like Harry played a vital role in your grand schemes; you're preparing the boy for whatever will come in the future, am I right? However, I must remind you that one must shape their destiny; no one has the right to control another's fate."
"Mr. Esther, you may not believe what I'm about to say next, but Voldemort is still alive, partially, out there somewhere. There is more to that faithful day that is not suitable for the masses to know, and I believe a civil man like you will understand. This implies that the dark lord will be back, as he'll come for Harry. Could you prepare to deal with that?" Albus said in a stoic, unhurried tone as he awaited Ethan's expression.
Once again, Dumbledore was slightly taken aback as he spotted a sinister smile blooming briefly on the gentleman's face as he fixed his glasses.
"Thank you for your information, sir. I keep that dearly in mind. As I have already told you, I'm now Harry's official legal guardian, and I can assure you that Harry will be prepared for what comes next. Now I must take my leave; I should not let the boy wait too long." Ethan presented a business smile as he nudged the brim of his hat and turned to leave.
"Oh, one last thing, Headmaster, I suggest you take a good look at how his supposed family has taken care of him for 9 years. The only formidable threat here is the savageness and utter jealousy of the Dursleys…" Ethan continued forward as his words echoed through the quiet town. "You've made the wrong judgement this time, Headmaster… and good evening."
Just like that, the gentleman left for the brown car, where his lawyers and Harry had been waiting for a while.
This left Dumbledore a little bit dumbfounded, as the man needed no more explanation for what everyone else considered to be shocking information, or did he exude absolutely no worry but rather cheerful expectation? Now Dumbledore was intrigued to know who this gentleman was to have such confidence. The headmaster turned his attention towards 4 Privet Drive as he ventured forth.
…
The moment Ethan saw Harry, it was like his darkness was swathed away by the boy's compassion. Harry immediately rushes into Ethan's embrace, for this was his most solid evidence to prove that all of this wasn't just his blissful dream.
Lawyer Anton showed a pleasing smile at the heartfelt scene. Harry's would be better now. Then he proceeded to drive back to 221B Baker Street. Along the way, Harry held on tightly to Ethan as Ethen caressed the boy's unruly hair. The boy almost dozed off from time to time, but Harry was determined to stay awake by slapping both his cheeks, not wanting to let go of this wonderful life-changing moment. In turn, Harry managed to squeeze out a smile from both his guardian and the lawyer.
Finally, Mr. Hawthorne dropped them off in front of the door. He told Ethan that the paperwork would be done by tomorrow morning and that he would only need to sign the final contract. The lawyer then said good night to both of them.
As Harry watched the brown car drive away, Ethan conjured a magic-fueled camera and motioned for Harry to take a memorial picture celebrating this day. The picture was taken right outside the building's door.
Harry smiled brightly as he held the moving picture with finesse, showing a smiling petite boy wearing oversized, hand-me-down clothes, unruly jet-black hair, round glasses, and mesmerising emerald eyes. He was holding the hand of a gentleman standing alongside.
The man wore a charming, honest smile on his delicate complexion; he wore an exquisite half-top hat, a stylist overcoat, a linen shirt, a dark blue vest, and dark trousers, One could see an exquisite golden pocket watch tucked in. There was this distinct, mysterious atmosphere to the 19th-century gentleman. The background was the 221B building, simple yet homely.
Ethan then took off his outerwear as he led Harry to his study. Harry was playing with his thumb when he saw Ethan kneel before him. The man looked at the boy with a look full of compassion.
"Harry, welcome to your new home. I know it's not that much, but I promise to do my best to take care of you. I admit that I possess little knowledge of how to raise a child, and I hope that you can bear with me. I want you to know that I regret nothing about taking you under my wing. Harry, you brought a glimmer of hope into my dark days." Ethan ruffled Harry's head as he wore a self-deprecating smile. Harry could feel genuine happiness in Ethan's words, but also a tinge of sadness mixed in them.
The boy immediately burst into happy tears as he threw his hand over Ethan's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Harry mutters endlessly among his sobbing, "Thank you… thank you…"
"It's alright, Harry; it's all over now." Ethan gently caressed the boy's back, his dull, dark-amber eyes turning bright as if they had regained their long-lost sense of life for the longest time.
For a while, they just hugged each other like that, giving each other the warmth of belonging. Ethan broke off a chuckle and let Harry go to bed.
"Now that I have become your official guardian, you can call me Uncle Ethan!" Ethan said with a triumphant grin as he rose to his feet.
Harry also composed himself as he replied with an exaggerated smile for the first time "Yes, Uncle Ethan". However, there was this subtle disappointment hidden beneath the boy's façade, as Harry was hoping to call Ethan "Dad".
Ethan's heart ached a little at the boy's adoration as he heard him calling out to him like that. "Goodnight, Harry." Ethan kissed the boy's forehead as he turned off the light and ventured downstairs.
Now there was still one more thing to be done. Ethan had used his Sight to pry on Harry on their way back home, as his intuition told him that could be the answer to Dumbledore's motive for keeping Harry under his supervision as well as Harry's upcoming adversaries.
Ethan saw an insidious, dark thread rooted in Harry's scar; that thing emitted an overwhelming sinister aura, which took Ethan by surprise, for he hadn't seen anything like a side of the dark lord himself.
Ethan's mind began to race with speculations on what exactly happened on that faithful Halloween night.
Ethen was standing with her face towards the door, hidden carefully underneath the stairs. That door led to a spacious basement that could be used for various purposes.
For now, the basement looked rather mysterious, with just a simple violet-clothed round table and an armchair.
Ethan prepared three lit candles, a mottled bowl, a blue and purple vile with a fragrant smell, a few leaves, and petals. Ethan then put on a hooded, old blue robe.
He pulled out his golden pocket watch in one hand and his wand in the other hand as he began to perform a true divination.
Anyone with sufficient knowledge regarding Wandlore would be highly surprised to see Ethan's distinguished wand right now, for this was 12 inches and flexible; it used Sycamore as wand wood, for they were meant for questing and are eager to do things they have not done before.
They excelled in the arts of Divination, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes and tended to become quite bored doing mundane things day after day.
These wands tended to catch fire if their master asked them to do the same thing day in and day out. Their 'ideal' master was curious and adventurous, and when they found someone of that description, their capacity to learn and adapt placed them as one of the most prized.
The wand core was an Augurey (Irish phoenix) tail feather, for they were skilled with the art of Divination. They were incorrectly assumed to be Dark cores because the large green bird's cry was thought to indicate that someone was going to die soon. The cry of the Irish phoenix meant that it was going to rain soon.
Wands with this core often choose students who are misunderstood, like the birds themselves were.
As the preparation had been done, Ethan began by igniting selected herbs, dropping a few drops from the vile, and lastly, burning a few strands of Harry's hair as an indicator of the ritual. Ethen held the pocket watch out in front as he began to chant in ancient Latin.
"Harry James Potter's Fate"
"Harry James Potter's Fate"
"Harry James Potter's Fate"
For the seventh time, the whole room broom turned eerily silent; there was only the tickling sound of the pocket watch in his hand and the steady breathing of the hooded man.
Suddenly, a gust of wind came from nowhere, causing the candle flame to flicker before turning into a ghostly pale blue colour.
Ethan's eye is shown with a glimmer of thousands of stars. Images flashed through his mind as his facial expression turned grimmer and more painful.