Lost and Better Off Not Found

Chapter 1

AN: This is another chaptered story I've been working on. I don't update as much, but once in a while I do. Keep an eye on it. Enjoy!

Albus Dumbledore sat behind his worn oak desk in the most comfortable chair that he could conjure at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was known as the strongest most powerful wizard alive in this age. Was Supreme Mugwump, defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald, and was awarded Order of Merlin, First Class. People came to him for advice and wisdom; to solve their problems and looked to him with respect and awe. And as Headmaster he was the epitome of what all the young witches and wizards aspire to be when they pass through the famed walls of Hogwarts.

And yet...he had lost one boy.

And not just any boy, the boy-who-lived! The "savior" of the wizarding world, Harry Potter.

He had assumed that he would be safe with his relatives. Grow up away from the fame that the defeat of Lord Voldemort had brought and safe from any of his loyal followers who decided to exact revenge for their Lord. And when he turned 11, Harry would be ready to re-enter the wizarding world with fresh eyes and a healthy appetite for knowledge.

Instead, all of the school owls that had been sent to give young Harry Potter his letter had returned, unopened, with his address as "unknown." At first, Albus had thought nothing of it, thinking that the wards were keeping the owls out and he sent more with spells to get through them, yet they returned again. So he had the brilliant idea to send Hagrid to fetch him. It was only fitting since he was the one to take him out of the wizarding world that he would be the one to bring him back in. So he sent the friendly half-giant to the Dursley's. But Hagrid came back with the most devastating news.

Harry Potter was not there. And not just at that moment, no. It was worse - he was not even living there. Hadn't been for the past eight years!

How could he have not have known that? How could he have let the most precious boy in the wizarding world to slip unnoticed through his fingers? He should have checked up on him. He should have kept in touch. So many things Albus could have done to prevent this from happening, yet he had done nothing. He had just assumed Harry would be fine. And when he turned 11 he would be ready to be picked up, only that was not what he found.

But Albus was not the only one who did nothing. The Dursley's had known that Harry was missing and had neglected to say anything or to contact him. Their reason: they had no way to get in touch with him. This was not true. Albus had given Petunia Dursley a piece of parchment that was enchanted to connect with a piece of parchment that he kept with him at all times. If she had wanted to contact him, she could have. The simple fact was that they just didn't care that Harry was gone.

Albus was shocked and appalled by this when he had met with them. There were no pictures or belongings of Harry's throughout the house. It was like he never even existed, which was probably what they wanted. He understood that dropping Harry off at the Dursley's for them to raise was probably a burden to them, at least in the beginning it would, but that they would, in time, love him like their own. Instead, they did not even have an ounce of remorse that he was gone, they were ashamed that they had gotten caught but other than that, there was nothing.

The only thing Albus had found out from those appalling muggles was that one day Harry was there, the next he was gone, along with all of his belongings. So it was not that he was taken, he had left, on his own. A four-year-old toddler out there on the streets by himself. Merlin, have mercy. The boy could be dead!

No. No. He mustn't think that way. The Potters were always smart and resourceful, it was in his blood. Harry would be fine, had to be fine. Yet as he sat there in his office pouring over maps of London his torturous mind supplied him with vivid images of young Harry in disastrous situations. Ragged and starved out on the streets, diseased, taken in as a circus freak, turned to, heaven forbid, prostitution, captured by Death Eaters...

When all this came to light, Albus gathered up the old crowd and explained what happened. They had all been rightfully outraged and scandalized, but they were all willing to help. They also understood their need for discretion. The Ministry couldn't know of this unfortunate accident, not only because the whole wizarding world would find out but because then they would be involved and Albus knew that Cornelius would take advantage of the situation and if he found Harry, he would take him and use him for political reasons. Albus couldn't subject Harry to that.

So he and the Order scoured the muggle and wizarding world for any sign of Harry Potter. And they found nothing. Not a trace. But they didn't give up, they couldn't give up. But now, three years later and they were starting to lose hope. The boy, now 14 years old, at the peak of his magical powers and there was nothing. No sign of accidental magic, no trace of a boy with bright green eyes, and a lightning bolt scar. It was impossible to believe that they were unable to produce any results, unless...

Albus refused to think on it, refused to think on how he had failed Lily and James, failed to protect their only child.

It was all starting to become too much. With his duties as Headmaster and as Supreme Mugwump in the Wizengamot, plus the search for Harry he was becoming rather swamped. But not only that the public and the Ministry were becoming suspicious. Everyone had been expecting Harry to make his debut at Hogwarts when he was eleven, but he had not shown up. Albus had made his excuses: Harry was shy and didn't want to come out, was frightened of all the new things around him, his relatives didn't want him to leave...and it worked, for the first year at least. But now three years later and still no Harry Potter.... The masses were demanding to know where their savior was and the Ministry was starting to breathe down his neck.

If only-

His door suddenly banged open and Minerva stood there panting, hair falling out of her bun and robes eschew.

"Minerva. What brings you by?" he asked pleasantly, "Lemon dr-"

"We found him!" she gasped out, interrupting him, "We found Potter!"