My Dark Protector

Chapter 1

Before you wonder, wait this is vaguely familiar...you would be right :) plot's the same but its being totally re-written at least the earlier chapters...I'm still not sure about the later chapters that I wrote for it. I also changed its name - I never did like the original one for it! so boring :)

oh and if you get 'already reviewed' then the chances are you already have - it's a very old story.

The Search For Harry Potter

"Have you thought about reconvening the Order and searching for Harry, Albus?" asked Arthur Weasley, staring across at the elder wizard who was worn down over the years by worry and fear. Arthur still wasn't used to seeing him like this; it was rather disconcerting, if he was honest. The old wizard had been searching for Harry alone for a year and half before Arthur had found out and offered himself up for the search. Harry Potter hadn't turned up at Hogwarts, and Albus hadn't been able to find his family, but it wasn't the family he was looking for ― it was Harry himself.

"The Order was created to bring Voldemort down, Arthur, I'm not sure anyone would be impressed if they were called in for something like this," said Albus, smiling sadly, passing over a cup of coffee. It was six am; they had been searching all night, without luck, but that was nothing new to Albus. Regretfully, nowhere he searched brought up any good leads. The Muggles were odd and rude creatures; he'd called in at several places to enquire about the Dursleys, but the doors had just been slammed in his face.

"With others helping the search, we might find him― we might have better luck," suggested Arthur. The Order might not be big in numbers, but they weren't small either. He could think of a few other people who might be willing to help, that weren't Order members. He had been in it during the last war, along with Molly's brothers who, Merlin rest their souls, had died.

"That's true," admitted Albus. He'd never considered using them, but Arthur made it sound like a good thing. It wasn't as if they would be forced to help search, they had a choice of whether or not to help him. After all the years of failure, he quite frankly would do anything.

"Worth a shot," said Arthur, nodding.

"It's Harry's fifteenth birthday today," said Albus, thinking ,'July 31st, as the seventh month dies,' Life hadn't been easy for the child since he was born. Where was he? Why couldn't they find him or any record of him? Even the Aurors had stopped looking three months into the search; speculation was that Harry was studying abroad. He knew that couldn't be the case, he had warned Petunia about the importance of Harry staying in Privet Drive.

"Have you asked Severus to look?" asked Arthur, drinking the coffee with relish. He was cold and tried, so the coffee was the perfect thing for him right now. He knew how old Harry was; he was same age as his youngest son, Ron, and they would have been taking classes together at Hogwarts ― and should have been.

"Severus? I'm not sure I could tolerate his 'I told you so' attitude," sighed Albus. Severus had warned him against putting Harry with Petunia. As had Minerva, come to that, but he had felt the blood wards were far too important to listen to them. Something he had regretted two months into searching for Harry, between Wizengamot meetings and of course running Hogwarts.

"He might have more success than Charity," Arthur told him― for a Muggle Studies teacher, she wasn't very successful. She knew next to nothing about the Muggle world, just like him. Yet she was constantly saying Wizards and Muggles should embrace each other? While he agreed, it shouldn't be coming from a witch who had no idea about the Muggle world beyond the books she'd read.

"Perhaps," murmured Albus, tiredly rubbing his temples. He just wished deeply and profoundly that Harry would be found, that he was alive, well, and happy. Yet he couldn't shake off the horrible feeling that had been constantly with him since Harry was eleven. No letter had addressed itself to him, which had never happened before in all his years as first a teacher, and then Headmaster at Hogwarts. Things had changed a lot; when had Arthur Weasley became a close confidant? Usually it was Minerva, but he honestly didn't want it thrown in his face that this was his fault, he was feeling guilty enough as it was.

"I should get home," said Arthur, looking at the time; he would be able to get two hours sleep before he had to go to work.

"Say hello to Molly for me," said Albus. Regretfully, sleep was something of the past for him, he spent more hours napping in this chair than he managed to get in his bed. The guilt was quite frankly eating him up inside. His tired blue eyes watched as Arthur disappeared in the Floo Network.

"Where are you, Harry?" wondered Albus quietly, leaning back against his chair, "Where can you be?"

His mind couldn't help but drift to the drama that had unfolded over the years, beginning with the whole Philosopher stone debacle. Voldemort had been living on the back of his newly hired Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Quirninus Quirrell had regretfully died down in the bowls of Hogwarts, when in his fury Voldemort had left the wizard; the shock of the separation had killed him. The face of the evil wizard had been imprinted on the back of Quirninus' head, giving away exactly what happened without needing the autopsy to figure it out. The stone had been returned to its owner, safe and unharmed; Nicolas was extremely happy about that. But that should have been during Harry's first year at Hogwarts.

The following year wasn't any better. Fortunately, Ginny Weasley had come to her senses about a very dangerous book in her first year and given it to her parents, begging them not to let 'them' take her away to Azkaban. Silly girl had been corresponding with Voldemort for months; the diary had been quickly destroyed before anything could happen. Knowing Voldemort as he did, he knew it would have only been a matter of time before the Dark Lord had perpetrated some atrocity or other. He was curious how she had come by it; there were only a few options and all of them made him grit his teeth in fury. How dare the Death Eaters plant such an item on an eleven-year-old girl?

Just prior to what would have been Harry's third year, Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban, initiating a massive manhunt for him. Then he was seen at Hogwarts, which of course Albus understood now. Black had seen Peter Pettigrew on the front page of the newspapers, with the Weasleys. In the end, during a Quidditch match, Sirius Black had transformed from a dog back to his human form in front of all their eyes with a rat in his hand, looking crazy. Before anyone could stun the fugitive wizard, and apprehend him, he had stolen a wand and used it to revert Peter Pettigrew to human form. It had been too public for the ministry to try and deny it; a few weeks later he was officially a free man and exonerated of his crimes. Albus had watched the wizard break down when he was informed that Harry was missing.

Harry would have enjoyed the last school year, which should have been his fourth. The different students, the tournament; it had been exactly what the students needed. Alastor had been kind enough to come out of retirement and teach the students Defence for a year. He'd also wanted his friend around for extra security, since Severus' mark had gotten a little darker. Viktor Krum had won for Durmstrang, in what had been a very close competition throughout all the tasks. He didn't know what he was going to do for a Defence teacher this year; thankfully he now had the entire summer to worry about that.

Staring at his desk, taking a deep breath, now and again he was struck with the idea that Harry had passed on to the next great adventure. He hated thinking it, but as a smart man, he knew it was a possibility. While it was possible to stay off the radar, someone as powerful as Harry... he should have been found by this time. The posters were everywhere, Muggle-borns, half-bloods, and purebloods all knew about him; surely someone has seen him by now? It was time to ask Severus. The truth be told, he had a feeling Severus was waiting on him asking; he always had a certain look in his eye.

Later That Evening…

"Ah, Severus, come in," said Albus, before Severus could even knock at the door. He had a small secret smile on his face; he knew it irritated Severus when he did that. He wasn't sure why, since Severus knew how he did it; he probably had since the first time it occurred. Snape was resourceful when it came to finding information.

"What can I do for you, Albus?" asked Severus, sitting down and ignoring the lemon drop the Headmaster was offering him with a curl of his lip. He hated those infernal things and Albus damn well knew that.

"I need your help to find Harry," admitted Albus. He was the most powerful wizard alive, and he needed help to find one underage wizard; yes, life had a way of making sure he didn't get above himself.

Severus smirked in amusement. "I wondered if you would ever ask. Did you think I would be so lax in my vow to keep Harry safe? I have been looking for him. I've found out where the Dursleys are, and I'm going to visit them to see if they have any idea where he is. It is extremely doubtful that they will know, but it's a lead I want to follow. Every angle should be thoroughly investigated."

"Where are they?" cried Albus in surprise. How was it that Severus was getting further than him?

"Prison," stated Severus sharply.

Albus' heart sank deeply into his chest, "Do you know why?" he croaked.

"I will be finding out tomorrow during the visiting hours I've scheduled," replied Severus. The Muggles thought he was 'Detective Smith' and that he was questioning the Dursleys on another case they were implicated in. The database was filled with Smiths, so he knew there would be less chance of him being denied access. There was also the problem that Petunia knew his last name, so he didn't want to use it. He wanted her to be completely unaware when he visited; caught off guard they were more likely to say things they didn't intend to. Not that it mattered; if it came to it he would use Veritaserum to ensure their cooperation.

"Which one are you visiting?" asked Albus, aware that it was unlikely that husband and wife would be in the same prison,.

"Petunia," revealed Severus, grimacing in distaste. He hadn't seen her in years, and it turned his stomach having to see the sour-faced bitch that was somehow related to Lily. Merlin only knows how, the two girls were so different that it was astonishing to see, quite frankly.

"Severus, why didn't you inform me of this?" asked Albus quietly. He didn't know if he was hurt that Severus had kept him out of the loop or relieved that after so long, a solid lead had finally appeared.

"Albus, I did not want to raise your hopes. I've kept quiet a few times now where the leads didn't pan out, and quite frankly it's a good thing I did. I know how desperate you are to bring him here; I will only ever tell you if I find him," said Severus sternly.

"Very well," conceded Albus. He thought he'd come close once, but it had turned into a big bust, so perhaps Severus was right.

"Get some sleep, Albus, you need it," Severus demanded, the old man looked ready to drop down any second. The bags under his eyes were extremely prominent; the weight he'd lost over the years was alarming, and that was even with the potions he'd been sneaking him in his drink every morning. "I'll let you know how it goes. Do not tell Black or Lupin, I really cannot deal with the pair of them."

"When can you ever?" Albus told him, his lips twitching a little. Just knowing Severus was helping had eased the weight that he carried around with him a great deal. He should have asked him sooner, but then he'd already been searching, hadn't he?

"You know me well," said Severus sardonically, he couldn't stand Black or Lupin full stop; some things just couldn't be fixed no matter how old you got. Severus stood up, shaking his head tiredly; normally he would leave for a few hours after curfew and search, but he decided against it tonight. He had a lead, and he would concentrate on that. He was just reaching out for the door when Albus spoke again.

"Thank you, Severus, I appreciate this," confessed Dumbledore, sounding bitter, relieved, tired, and exasperated all in one go.

Severus didn't reply, he merely opened the door and moved down the stairs. For once he didn't roll his eyes at Albus' dramatics. He had been searching for nearly four years as well; there was nothing dramatic about this situation, and it was wearing down everyone.

Edited by Jake and Jordre :) Thank you!