Child of Azkaban

A Proposal

November 1988

Albus Dumbledore walked through the halls of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. He was on his way to see a very special boy. A boy who did the impossible. Born and survived in Azkaban. For eight years, undetected. Hidden by his mother.

The child had no doubt experienced significant trauma. It had been three months since he was found and removed by Ministry Officials. He had been malnourished, and shown signs of significant abuse- no surprise when he was the child of the worst witch serial killer in a hundred years. For the first month he wouldn't let anyone approach him without attacking them.

By the second month he was talking, even if to warn staff to keep away. He now seemed ready to actually be able to experience the outside world. This is why Albus was particularly annoyed when told the boy had been locked in a padded room for the last week.

He arrived at the office of Dr. Silberman, the head specialist in Magical Trauma at Mungo's and was met there by Silberman and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic.

"Really Albus, you cant be serious. Allowing this boy to wander is a terrible idea. He's a monster". The Minister chose this way to greet him. Albus narrowed his eyes.

"Good morning to you too Cornelius. Harvey, can you tell me why the boy has been locked in a padded cell? He's eight years old."

"Come with me and I'll show you." The grizzled arrogant doctor replied, walking off with a sight limp.

They arrived at the room several minutes later to see the boy, staring out the barred window at the world outside. A world he had never seen.

Dr. Silberman pressed on the intercom and spoke.

"Good morning Y/N". The doctor said with an obviously forced and fake cheerful tone.

The boy slowly turned his head. He glared at the doctor with cold grey eyes.

"Good morning Dr. Silberman. How's the knee?"

"It's fine Y/N" he chuckled nervously. He took his finger off the intercom and turned to the two men with him.

"He stabbed me in the kneecap with my quill a week ago".

"Is this regular, this violence?" Fudge asked with fear in his voice.

Before Silberman could answer Dumbledore interrupted.

"We will see the boy now. Alone. Please unlock the door."

Silberman walked off cursing under his breath.

An orderly with a friendly face came to the door and unlocked it, stepping in before the two senior wizards.

"Hey Y/N."

"Hey Omar".

"These two gentlemen want to have a chat with you. See how you're feeling. I'm gonna leave you with them now. Do you need anything?"

"No I'm fine. Thank you Omar".

The kind orderly left, leaving a smiling Dumbledore and a nervous Fudge. Dumbledore magicked two chairs as Y/N sat on the bed.

"It's nice to meet you Y/N. My name is Albus Dumbledore and..."

"You're the Headmaster of Hogwarts" Y/N answered no emotion on his face.

"That's right and this is Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic. We just wanted to see how you were feeling".

"I've been swapped from one cage to another." He answered coolly, no visible emotion in his voice.

"Why did you stab Dr. Silberman Y/N?" Dumbledore asked.

"It was a warning. He tried to shove a potion down my throat. I told him to back away. He grabbed me so I grabbed his quill."

"A warning. A warning? You stabbed him in the knee" Fudge said quite exasperated.

"Exactly. A warning. If I had meant to hurt him it would have been the throat".

The coolness with which this eight year old boy said this made Fudge's blood run cold.

"I wish to offer you something Y/N. An opportunity. I would like for you to come to Hogwarts in a few years, but prior to that I would like you to be under Hogwarts custodianship. You could stay at a place called the Leaky Cauldron. Have your own room, and then slowly as you are ready, venture out to the see Diagon Alley, a place where we wizards can walk freely. But you must understand, you can't hurt people like you did Dr. Silberman. You have not had a good start in life, but that doesn't mean it has to stay that way. I am a big believer Y/N, that it is not our parents who define us. It is our choices."

Y/N thought long and hard before looking Dumbledore in the eyes.

"I accept your proposal".

Dumbledore and Fudge left with Dumbledore promising to return the next day once the arrangements had been made. As they walked down the hall Fudge spoke up.

"The boy will need to be guarded Dumbledore, and not just in case he is a risk. His parents are the most hated in the wizarding world, and the scars are still fresh".

"I agree Cornelius" Dumbledore said as they shook hands to part. "All too often it is children who pay for the sins of the parents".