Disclaimer- I do not in any way, shape, or form own or make money on the original Harry Potter universe as portrayed by J.K Rowling or Warner Bros. And just to clarify I don't make money period.
Warning- This fic may or may not include material you may not like, agree to, or support; Like all my other fics, it may or may not include one or more of the following; There is no major character death, manXman, womanXwoman, Weasley bashing, Dumbledore bashing, Snape living, Lucius/Draco good guy, Voldemort good guy/ return, dark Harry, neutral Harry, fem Harry, abuse, depression, smart Harry, etc. My suggestion to you is that if this ever occurs, at any point, you stop reading. On your way out of the page, DO NOT hit review. I do not want to listen to your flaming garbage if this does include anything you do not like. You have been warned, if you don't like it or any of my other fics please just don't read it. Be smart enough to do that please.
Summary- Harry follows the path laid before him like it was the most natural thing in the world, but things start to change. And he starts to learn more things about himself and others that he wished he had before. Will he do what everyone else wants or will he have a change of heart and do what he himself wants?
A/N This is new, I didn't get much sleep last night and in my sleep deprived state I had this idea, not sure what I'm actually doing with it but we will see where it goes. Not sure of the pairing, whether it's male on male, or het, or if Harry decides in his revelations to himself if he changes more physically or not. Not sure, this story will write itself I guess. And please don't slap me for not updating everything else but yet again, posting ANOTHER fic. I'm still here… and hopefully I will be updating and posting more. This first chapter includes much of the last chapter from the Seventh book. Minus the 19 years later ending, I hated that. I was half tempted to burn the last couple pages just because of that. But didn't. Well review and let me know what you think. Alright to the story Allons-y!
Chapter I
"That thing that was hidden in the snitch," Harry began "I dropped it in the forest. I don't know exactly where, but I'm not going to go looking for it again. Do you agree?"
"My dear boy, I do," Said Dumbledore, while his fellow portraits looked confused and curious. "A Wise and courageous decision. No less than I would have expected of you. Does anyone else know where it fell?"
"No one," Dumbledore nodded his head in satisfaction. "I'm going to keep Ignotus's present, though." Dumbledore beamed.
"But of course, Harry, it is yours forever, until you pass it on."
"And then there's this"
Harry held up the elder wand, and Ron and Hermione looked at it in reverence, that in his befuddled and sleep deprived state Harry did not see.
"I don't want it."
"What?" Ron yelled. "Are you mental?"
"I know it's powerful," Harry sighed warily. "But I was happier with mine. So…"
He rummaged through the pouch hung around his neck and pulled out the two halves of his original holly wand, only barely connected by the finest thread of phoenix feather. Hermione had said that they could not be repaired, that the damage was too severe. All he knew was that if this didn't work, nothing would. He laid the damaged wand on the headmasters' desk and touched it with the tip of the Elder Wand.
"Reparo."
As the wand repaired, red sparks flew out of the end and Harry knew that he had succeeded. He picked up his wand and slipped it into the wand holster on his wrist.
"I'm putting the Elder wand back where it came from. It can stay there. If I die a natural death like Ignotus, its power will be broken, won't it? The previous master will never have been defeated. That'll be the end of it."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Are you sure?" there was the faintest hint of longing in his voice Ron looked at the elder wand.
"I think Harry's right." Hermione said quietly.
"The wands more trouble than its worth," Harry said. " And quite honestly," He turned away from the painted portraits, thinking now only of the four poster bed lying waiting for him in Gryffindor tower, and wondering if Kreacher might bring him a sandwich there, " I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."
Harry stared at the marble for a moment before carefully laying the elder wand in the tomb. He turned away and started back up the path he had came.
His fingers tingled of loss but he just put it to the temptation of the wand. It really was too much trouble than it was worth. But one question kept coming back up; what if its power never fades. what would happen then, it would just keep attracting trouble wouldn't it? He stopped walking and was tempted to look back. He shook his head. It could only be temptation, and this feeling of loss could only be that.
Break
Harry sat on the couch the next day, in the floo room at Grimmauld place, which he had learned was the room the Order was using as a hang out or living area. It was clear to Harry now that Grimmuald place was a lot bigger than anyone had thought. His holly and phoenix feather wand sat innocently on the table in front of him. He had come here the day before after placing the elder wand in its rightful place. But he had noticed one thing, something was different.
And it started with his wand.
It had been a simple spell. and his wand still felt like his, and sure the spell worked; but it felt strange in his hands. and he had dusted not just the room he had been in but the entire house.
and the house. It felt welcoming, and the shadows that he had once felt were following him remained still, complacent. Kreacher cleaned, cooked, he did not speak ill of Harry either. Harry chalked that up to him being the Black heir.
and that was another thing. He was a Black. On his grandmothers side that is, and there was Sirius' will which he had found sitting on the kitchen table the order used, it seemed o one else had been in the house. Sirius had left him everything. He had planned on coming here and cleaning it out. if he was going to live here it would need to be cleaned, as it was it was the first thing on a long list of things he planned on getting done. But after that one spell he had sat down and had not moved. It just boggled him. what had changed?
He shook himself and checked the watch around wrist. it was only 3 in the morning. He just wasn't used to it anymore, that had to be the best explanation he had. He stood and stretched his arms above his head looking around the room. It was a nice enough room now that it seemed so menacing. The walls were a aged gray, he made a mental note that that needed to change, probably a steel or blue gray. The edging was split and missing in some areas, that would also need to go. any plants that had once been in the room were long dead and needed to be replaced. a large chandelier hung from the tall ceiling. without the dust it lit the room nicely, and itself seemed to look a load better; the silver was formed like vines crawling up a wall with dew drop like lights on it. at first with the dust and them giving off a orange glow they seemed electric but now they were clear it was also through the wards that he just knew that it was magic that ran through the house that lit up when needed. He had to admit besides the chandelier his favorite piece was the fireplace. It was made with emerald marble. so it was a dark, almost black, green stone with silver/ white veins running through it. The Fireplace itself was huge standing about as tall as Hagrid and about as wide. the Top looked like some intricate arch, it was matching the chandelier only in the way the arch seemed to be made of vines twisting in and out of the other forming some type of celtic knot. on one side of the archway was a woman her hands reaching into the branches above as if holding it up, she gave the illusion of long hair that covered her bodice. she looked to her left at the the man in the same place across from her. they both wore simple marriage robs and seemed to be staring at the other. Harry took it as a symbol of love; that it takes a partnership for things to work, to hold the roof. Maybe at one time his extended family had been about family or love, but he didn't know when that changed, or what caused it.
his hands fell to his side, his eyes still focused on the fireplace, he did want to stay here. Maybe he could find out more that people just assumed. He started with that room; a floating self-inked, dicta quill and parchment followed him around the room taking everything he said. He banished the dead plants listing good alternatives, he cleaned the walls and floor by hand. He noted the color and grain of the wood lining to purchase more. he liked the wood itself and it looked to be the same as the floor. He banished the garish red rug that had holes and was worn from many people walking over it. Kreacher came in the room about the time he was listing the furniture, what he would like to keep and what would happen to the other ones. he asked them to take them to the basement so he could go over them later. after that he mopped and waxed the floor and moved onto the next room. By lunch he had finished the main floor which included the floo room, dining room (which they did have) main hall, part of the stair case and the kitchen. At that time Kreacher made him eat something and take a nap before he finished the rest of the house. As Harry walked up the stairs he looked through the couple of feet of parchment, it listed a lot of good ideas he wanted to do with the house, but also things he wanted to do with himself. he went to the first door on his left, and stopped for a second this had been Sirius' room. he almost went inside but for the moment dared not to. It was something he wanted to do eventually, but right now after everything else he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
As he made his way up the stairs he passed by a shadowed corner. unlike the rest of the house, this one corner was unwelcoming, threatening. And this made him curious enough to stop. he raised his wand to it and he could literally feel the magic in the corner react to him. This magic to him felt familiar, he lowered his wand. He took a step forward into the shadow, he felt the magic try to push him out, distract him, point him in another direction; as he pushed forward Harry believed he knew what it was. He reached his hand forward and grasped the door handle in front of him and the complicated disillusionment spell broke revealing the rosewood door. He didn't really remember this door during the times he had been here, but then again there seemed to be much about this place he didn't know. As he turned the handle and pushed the door open he felt the wards set on the room flow over him, letting him enter into the last place he would expect to be.
Harry recognized the room from the memories, It was Snapes'. The room itself was clean, organized; it seemed as if no one ever stayed there. But Harry knew he did, it was weird being in here, but this place felt familiar. And out of everywhere else, he thought he could stay here at east for a little while. Because out of everywhere else in the house it seemed to be the only place he didn't feel like he needed to clean it didn't have bad memories attached. But in the end he also felt like he was intruding. there was a single black chair against the window, it looked comfortable enough. resting his head against the back of it he felt his eyes slip closed and for the briefest of moments he felt peaceful.
There was a small sound outside the door that made him startle from the sleep he had slipped into. rising his wand he checked the time and noticed it really hadn't been a slight sleep. He had in fact slept several hours. Standing from the chair he took the steps to the door, listening intently to the sounds that were coming from the other side of the door. There was another scuffle right outside and then the sounds of steps going down the stairs. He opened the door slowly and stood just inside the wards as he watched the shadow of a person walk down the stairs. As quietly as he could he shut the door and pointed his wand at the person who stood in front of him, and for a moment he wanted to curse them. The notion itself surprised him, so he lowered his wand and followed the shadow of a man. The man reached the bottom of the stairs and walked into the kitchen, Harry hung back in the shadows that once felt menacing and now wrapped around him. The man looked around the room, a sound of surprise escaping his throat. Before he turned into the dining room, something about the way the person walked was familiar as well as the gait.
Harry followed him though the dining room and back into the hall before the man went into the floo room. It was there Harry recognized the golden brown hair, when he stepped out of the shadows the man flipped around, his golden eyes wide.
"Harry where have you been, I've been looking all through the house, it looks great by the way. at least what I've seen of it." His gold eyes looked at him warily as Harry scanned his face. He looked good, the stress lines had seemed to have faded a bit, had it really only been a couple of days?
"Remus, what brings you here?" The older man stood in a slightly defensive position, his arms stiff at his side. "Did I startle you?" Harry raised his eyebrows, the corners of his mouth twitching. Remus looked at him a moment more before he smiled seeming to relax.
"I just didn't catch your sent is all. I came by to see how you were doing, nobody had heard from you in a couple of days." Harry looked at him a moment more before smiling.
"I'm perfectly fine, just been cleaning a bit. tea?" He swept his arm towards the kitchen. Remus hesitated a moment before moving in that direction. it was his hesitation that made Harry pause and think as he followed behind. what had Remus acting this way. Remus entered the kitchen and sat at one of bar stools as Harry walked to the cupboard and started to prepare the tea. "I got tired of looking at the same dark rooms. This place is a lot bigger than i imagined. did you know the room they were using as a living room was a floo room?" Remus shook his head. Harry just looked him a moment before taking a sip. "I would say it looks much better then it did previously."
"I agree."
Harry chuckled. "Am I that different from two days ago?" Remus looked startled for a moment, before looking towards the hall.
"It's not that you're different Harry. I guess I was just thrown off by you managing to sneak up on me." Remus still hadn't turned to look back at him. and that disturbed Harry.
"I apologize, Remus. I had just woken up and was surprised that someone was here." Remus turned to look at him and smiled. But Harry analyzed the man in front of him. He may have looked a bit better but there was something about Remus that was nagging at the back of his head. And after tea and Remus asking how he was again Harry walked him back to the floo. Even after the man had left Harry stood there and thought about it. He looked around the room as he turned and stopped. Remus may have been here to check after him but he had also looked around first.
So what had he been looking for?
Harry pushed the thought to the back of her mind and pushed himself into cleaning the rest of the house. He soon found out that the library that Mrs. Weasley had insisted on cleaning was only an office, the real library was about 5 times larger and like Snapes' room had been inaccessible to everyone except who the house had wanted. He had also noticed after three days of being in the house, that he had heard nothing from the notorious portrait of the late Madame Black. and upon inspection she was not in that portrait in the main entrance. Hell neither was the portrait. What he first thought was a cupboard under the stairs, and avoided like the plague, was an entrance to the basement; which was about the size of the main floor and consisted of 5 rooms: an extensive potions lab, A ritual room, A dark artifacts room, the elf quarters, and a room that he could not get into. The room itself did not ward anybody out, the only wards on the room were anti apparating and ones that prevented probing. otherwise the door was simply locked by a key. Where that key was the question.
Upstairs on the third level were that office, the library, and a portrait hall which looked kept up so he didn't bother with it at the moment. The next floor held 4 suits each decorated a bit different. after that, that were two more floors; the very top was the attic that was split in two for storage and an astronomy room. The floor below that held the master suit and after some fixing up Harry decided he would use this as his rooms.
Harry sat in the kitchen eating a light lunch that consisted of a spinach salad and some water. much more and he would most likely make himself sick. it had been a little less than a week and he decided that the house was clean, it still needed to be updated and restored, but still clean. Kreacher popped in and handed him the paper, he scanned it before throwing it into the bin next to him. It was all rubbish anyway. After eating Kreacher shooed him up the stairs for some sleep, and still he could not sleep in any room but the Potions masters room, and even then he could not get himself to sleep on the bed. this also raised questions. Why should he feel so reserved to sleep in a bed of a man who no longer needed it?
Since the start of him cleaning the house it had raised many questions. But before he got around to the questions he had some other things he needed to do. And before he could do anything that required a trip to Gringotts for a withdrawal.
A/N so another day gone. another story added. You probably all hate me. That's okay, it would be boring if the world was only full of love... and maybe a little sickening. not that I think peace would be great... but everyone making kissy faces at each other. I think I would gag. repeatedly. anyway beyond that review, do as you like. though I would like some response if even to tell me i need to focus and stop adding more. Loves TTFN