Harry Potter and the Man of Unknown
From Fan History Wiki
On September 4, 1999, "Harry Potter and the Man of Unknown" by Gypsy became the first Harry Potter fan fiction posted to FanFiction.Net, what was to become the largest archive of Harry Potter fan fiction on the net.
[edit] Storyline
The fic follows Professor Thomas Erwin, the Transfiguration teacher at Sharadine School of Witchcraft for Girls. In the opening scene, Erwin learns from Professor McGonagall and Sharadine's headmistress Madam Juane Tatooli how Voldemort tried to kill the Potters, but was defeated by one-year-old Harry. Erwin is deeply distressed, especially once he learns Harry has been left in the care of the Dursleys. This makes Erwin so angry he immediately forbids the name "Harry Potter" from so much as being spoken in his presence.
Ten years later, Sharadine has gone coed. In that time, Erwin has become bad-tempered and unpopular with rumors flying that he "hates" Harry Potter. One day, first-year Anna Winterbourne visits him in his office and quietly asks him why he hates Harry Potter so much. Erwin doesn't answer, but is obviously perturbed by the question. Another three years later, Erwin recieves a letter which angers him. He locks himself away in his chambers and becomes sickly. Dumbledore visits him, but Erwin greets him with deep contempt and yells at him to go away. After going back to work, Erwin starts receiving owls from Dumbledore, which he ignores. A few days later, Erwin's behavior is discussed in a staff meeting. Erwin self-righteously defends himself and demands to be left alone. After the meeting, he finally opens Dumbledore's letter and finds a timeline detailing Harry's life over the past fourteen years.
Erwin flies to Hogwarts on his broomstick. McGonagall and Snape tell him Dumbledore is out and try to stop him from entering. He jinxes them and enters anyway, searching for Harry. After McGonagall and Snape are found, the students are sent to their dorms and the teachers meet in the staff room. Erwin does an invisibility spell and eavesdrops as Dumbledore reveals to the other teachers that Erwin is James Potter's half-brother. Erwin makes his presence known and demands to know why Harry was sent to live with the Dursleys instead of him. Dumbledore says he thought Erwin "would be too distraught" and all the teachers point out his abrasive behavior.
Erwin realizes they are right and worries what Harry will think of him. Dumbledore prepares to tell Harry about Erwin, but Erwin, invisible again, threatens to kill Dumbledore if he does so. Erwin returns to Sharadine and remorsefully tells the truth to Anna, who feels sorry for him. The next day, Cornelius Fudge arrives at Sharadine to arrest Erwin for threatening to murder Dumbledore. Erwin escapes and lives out the rest of his life as a hermit. After Erwin's death, a woman, presumably Anna, hands twenty-five-year-old Harry a letter. Harry cries when he reads it, thinking that he will never forgive his uncle, but that he still loves him.
