Declaration: I write for my own pleasure and not for profit. I do not own Harry Potter Universe.

Three to Triumph

Chapter 7

Looking down into the opening with a little bit of apprehension, the three children stared at each other willing the other to be the first to get down the stairs. They were also afraid that they had entered someone's home without permission and that person could be waiting downstairs and were not sure of their reception. Three children hungry and dirty may not be a threat to the person hiding out but may not also be welcome, especially if food was scarce.

Taking a deep breath and with nerves taut with tension, Harry called the two to wait and let himself down the stairs and into a narrow room just as long as the one above ground. The stairs led to the center of the room but along one of the walls. The room had four doors on each of the four walls and he could see that the house was much larger here than that on the surface. Luna suggested that the house was designed in such a way that in times of trouble the people could seal off the top floor and then hide in the rooms underneath the main house. If that was the case, the hidden rooms should be much more lavish than the ones on the top and just by a glance at the four doors he could guess that the house was indeed much larger.

Harry got off the stairs and turned back to see that his girls were already half way down the stairs and were descending at a rapid rate, probably frightened to be left alone. He tried to open the door on his right but his efforts were futile and his heart sank that after everything they went through, they may still be left in the deserted house without any hopes of surviving. Though the lamps in the small room were bright enough, the doors were sunken and so partly hidden in shadows and that was the reason he could not spot an intricately carved symbol on the inside of the door frame.

"That is a rune Harry; they are used to channel magical energy from the surroundings and used to work magic. Even if a person does not have magic, the runes can still be used to do simple tasks, in this case like opening the door" with that she pressed the symbol with her finger for a couple of seconds letting it charge. When the rune glowed in a soft orange light, the door slid to the top creating an opening, surprising Harry and Hermione. The two of them expected a normal door with hinges but this was very different.

The room was dark and this time Hermione was up to the task and cried out for the lights to switch on. Inside was a fully equipped kitchen with a four burner stove occupying the center stage on the raised platform. The room also contained an oven, mechanical grinder not the one they were used to running on electricity but apparently contained a set of knives that could shred or a pestle that could pound and worked on magic. There was even a small table that could easily seat four people without any problem and a cupboard full of crockery and silverware. It was definitely a rich man's kitchen and hopefully they would be able to use it.

"Does the stove work on gas, Luna?" Hermione wanted to know. It was still fascinating to Harry and her, learning about all the new things that magic could do. The shape and function of the appliances were the same as that in a normal house but still everything was different.

"No Hermione, there is no gas or what did you call that, Ekelictricy?"

"No, Electricity" supplied Harry. He knew that he would be the designated cook as both the girls never even boiled milk and so he was keen to understand how to operate all the amazing stuff in the kitchen. It was better equipped than the one he used at his aunt's house and everything was magic!

"Yes that, all of these have runes to use the magic around us and do their functions. Even if runes are not there, wizards could use magic to create fire but you need a wand for that and as I told you children like us cannot use wands. So everything in a magical home uses runes to create things like water, heat and fire."

"WOW!" exclaimed Harry and Hermione. Hermione was a little sad that she could not use all the amazing stuff that she was learning, but at least with Luna and Harry, she was getting a chance to experience magic. Their excitement was dampened by the fact that they could not see anything edible in the kitchen, Luna was still a little optimistic as she knew that a lot of food could be stored under charms that allowed it to be fresh and that meant a separate room for storing it, they just have to find it.

Harry led the way back and opened the door exactly opposite to the one they exited and immediately called out for light barely managing to beat the girls. They burst out giggling at the silly game they have unconsciously started and it was a relief for them to be worrying about things like that rather than for survival. The sight that greeted them drew gasps from all the three; the room was lined on all the four sides with huge bookcases containing what looked like thousands of books. All the three of them loved to read but in the case of Harry never had the opportunity to do so, if they would be staying in the house, Harry was determined to read as many books as he could. He was more than sure that the books were about magic and that increased his excitement. The room had a fairly large fire place and a good sized couch which could hold the three of them comfortably, near the fire. In the center of the room was a huge table with six chairs all around it and also held writing implements and what Luna called parchment for writing on.

Hermione was literally drooling at the sight of the many books but even she knew that it would be useless for her to stay there without being able to feed themselves. Yes, the house was warm and it would be safe for them to spend the winter away from the cold, but no amount of reading would beat off hunger and so reluctantly followed the other two out.

The door on the right from the library led into a huge bedroom with a king sized four poster bed. The sight of the mattress and the comforter on top was enough to start them dreaming about curling up for the night. A door led into a closet stocked with clothes for both a man and a woman several sizes too large for them. Another door inside the room led to an attached bath room complete with a shower and a bath tub big enough for the three of them to use at the same time. They noticed that the taps also had runes on them, one for hot water, one for cold water and apparently the third for dispensing soap or shampoo depending on the rune that is activated.

The final door to the right of the kitchen nearly transported them into heaven. Right in front of them arranged in neat shelves were rows and rows of food. Different kinds of meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits and even the occasional fish were neatly packed in transparent plastic, labeled and sorted according to their kind. One wall also had different kinds of liquor which they were sure to stay away from.

The food was probably enough for two adults for a month but for the three children it would probably last two months. If they were careful it may even be more than three months before they would run out and Harry was determined to make it last as long as possible, at least till the end of winter before they were forced to leave the house and move on. For, leave the house they must as the stored food would not last them forever and he was not sure if there are any places nearby so that they could work for their meals.

Harry and Hermione automatically moved to touch the food just to make sure that they were not dreaming but were stopped short by a warning from Luna. "Don't touch them you two, food is kept under what is called as a stasis charm to prevent them from getting spoilt. When you touch the food, the charm is removed and you will have to use it up soon. So only take whatever is needed."

The two immediately nodded their heads in understanding and moved to a cooler box on one side of the room. With permission from Luna, they looked inside to see a bottle of milk and a few bottles of different juices and strangely one of pumpkin juice. A small shelf on the side also contained various kind of cheese and butter.

"Pumpkin juice is the most commonly used juice in the magical world. It does taste funny when you drink it for the first time but the taste grows on you, or at least that's what my dad told me" she finished with a sad smile. The constant company of Harry and Hermione alleviated some of the hurt but occasionally brought up memories which were painful to her. She was immediately engulfed in a hug from both the sides and held in their embrace which helped her some and allowed her to focus on the task ahead.

The cooler box was a different concept; not only would it keep things cool and preserve them, once a bottle is emptied or near empty, its gets filled back to the brim as soon as it was placed back into the box. Same was with the cartons of cheese and butter. Harry was not sure if he wanted to drink the pumpkin juice but the sight of apple, orange, and pineapple juices made him happy, while at the same time Hermione decided she was game to try the new flavour.

Once they exited the storage room, they had a brief debate regarding what to do first, eat or bathe. In the end they decided on a compromise purely on Harry's insistence that he did not have enough energy to stay upright any longer. He was running on pure magical energy and the girls were no better. While the girls went to the bathroom to fill the tub with warm water and soap suds, Harry grabbed a few pieces of chicken breast for a quick and easy to digest salad. He knew that they would have to take care since they would be eating solid food after more than a week.

Harry mixed a big bowl of salad with pieces of boiled chicken, cut tomato, carrot, onion and strawberry. A dash of lemon, pinch of salt and pepper along with a few herbs that he found went into the salad before garnishing it with olive oil. The hungry kids dug into the small but filling meal washing it down with juice. Juice was something that they managed to drink a lot as that would not only be filling their bellies but would also be easy to digest and nourishing to boot.

Leaving the dishes in the sink, Harry and Hermione watched in fascination as they washed themselves clean before being dried by a blast of hot air. It was way cooler and quicker than any dishwasher. Putting away the clean dishes and silverware, the kids dashed into the bathroom. Stripping naked they jumped into the tub together and watched in amazement as the spilt water was siphoned off without even touching the floor. They took their time in washing themselves clean and helped each other in washing their hair.

Finally ridding themselves of grime that had been accumulated over days, they dried themselves with fluffy white towels hanging from a rack. When they returned the towels to dry out hanging, they were immediately cleaned and dried too.

"I love magic" gushed Harry and Hermione in unison.

The three children with filled bellies and tired bodies flopped onto the big bed naked as they have been doing till now. Even though they were not interested in looking for night clothes, they were too tired to even think about it and besides they grew accustomed to cuddle up without a stitch on them. With the girls hugging him from both sides and his arms encircling them, the three weary kids fell into a relaxed sleep, warm and snug under a comforter for the first time in more than a week. For Harry it was the first time ever on a proper bed for as long as he could remember.

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The three children did not want to move from their warm cocoon but the need to relieve themselves forced them to get up. Harry especially was enjoying the feeling of a wonderful mattress below him and the warm embrace of his girls. They were determined to enjoy their time inside the house for however long it would be.

Harry being the only one who could cook was unanimously voted to use the toilet first and did so with a feeling of bliss much to the amusement of Hermione and Luna. They were all in the same boat but Harry suffered the most and so could very well understand his elation at finally being able to use modern amenities without the feeling of being a savage. But Harry would never begrudge the time he spent on the streets as that had made him into a very tough boy, one who would not need to rely on adults to make his way in the world and even had a chance to help out two others struck by misfortune.

While Luna was using the facilities, Hermione and Harry rooted out around in the closet for something for them to wear. Though the house was warm, there was a chill in the air probably due to the fact that their bodies were resting and so had no warmth in the muscles. The wardrobe was fully stocked but to their disappointment could only find clothes that would fit an adult. The pretty dresses made Hermione long for a chance to wear them but she had to concede that they would be of no use. Maybe Luna and she could try them on just to see how they would look. The only things that they could safely wear were the men's full sleeved shirts and there were quite a few of them. That would mean that all the three of them would be without any shorts or skirts to wear but that was of no consequence to them seeing that they were very comfortable in the other's presence even without that.

Harry decided to make a huge breakfast with plenty of fat so settled on bacon and eggs to be eaten with toast and a glass of warm milk. Harry knew that they had to conserve their food but he was also aware that they were starving for a long time and they needed to top up their reserves. He was prepared to gorge for maybe a week before cutting down on their intake.

After breakfast and a quick shower later, Luna and Hermione wanted to curl up on the couch inside the library with a book, Hermione was especially hard to restrain from tearing into the library. Harry however wanted to explore the area they were in so that they could be sure about their safety and a way to get out of there quickly if they needed it. So with obvious reluctance they agreed to accompany him on a reconnaissance trip outside.

There was a spattering of snow on the ground and now that they had a safe place to return to, the cold was enjoyable. They took care to dress warmly with each one wearing about three of the long dress like articles that Luna called as robes. With the judicious use of hair pins the robes were pinned up to come up to just above their ankles, lest they trip on them. The view they were faced with was spectacular to say the least. The glade that the house was in was totally impervious to outside sounds and it was a picture of peace and quiet. The three kids felt as if they were transported to an outwardly place and dared not to even breathe out loud for fear of disrupting the silence.

The yard bordered by the hedgerow was nothing remarkable except for the small shed that was almost on the edge of the marked boundary. With nothing to really see they passed through the wicker gate and roamed around the small glade. Even that turned out to be nothing of importance and felt as if the entire glade was shrouded in secrecy, which according to Luna was entirely possible and was planted for the specific purpose of hiding the house.

"Well now can we go back inside and read?" whined Luna. She was probably the one least accustomed to toughen it outdoors.

"I am more interested in checking out the shed. We now know that this is a magical home and does not need any fire wood, so what could be the purpose of that?" Harry was intrigued by the lonely shed; he really wanted to explore it and was hoping that it held more secrets. Magic was certainly fascinating and even the small shed may hold enormous secrets.

With determined strides Harry led the way to the shed with Hermione following him eagerly. She also was hoping to find something intriguing and experience more magic. Learning about magic but also the fact that Luna could not show them any magic that wizards could do due to being underage and having no wand was a disappointment for Hermione. Any opportunity to see magic was always welcome to her.

Harry reached the door but did not see anything resembling a rune that could be used to open the door. Even Luna could not provide an answer as to how to open the door. Finally Harry tried brute force and leaned on the door pushing it in, but being woefully under nourished and scrawny, the door did not even budge. Deciding to humor him, Hermione and Luna also tried to push the door in. However, unknown to either of them they were unconsciously commanding the door to open for them. In a rush of magical energy the door simply disappeared causing the three to tumble onto the floor.

Hermione and Luna were however cushioned on Harry and were uninjured. The hard landing on the stone floor with two girls on top of him however, left Harry with an angry bruise on both his elbows luckily for him there were no broken bones.

The girls jumped off him and pulled him up and tried to apologize but Harry brushed it off, "I have always healed very soon. Even broken bones did not last long, so no problem. I have a little pain but will be fine in a few hours, don't worry" he assured the two worried girls.

Hermione however was looked at her palm in incredulity, "I felt a tingling sensation in my hand just before the door disappeared. Do you think that I felt your magic working on the door?"

"If you are not magical, you cannot feel magic even in a very highly magical place" Luna bit her lip seeing the excited look on her friend's face. She did not want to disappoint her but getting her hopes high was also not correct, "I am not sure Hermione, I do not know about that because I did not feel anything. It is also possible that you have imagined it." Harry also supported Luna's view much to Hermione's disappointment but she bore it with grace correctly guessing that the two were only trying to console her.

The room was littered with bones of small animals and most of them looked like the bones of rodents. Thankfully there was no smell or half eaten rats and so helped settle the girls' nerves rather than freaking them out.

"Looks like a kennel for animals" Luna commented. "Quite a few people take to breeding rare animals and sell them for ingredients in potions. That also explains why the house was so well hidden; they might have been breeding some rare or dangerous animals. One thing I do not understand is how we were able to enter the house."

The other two agreed with her assessment as Luna explained about wards and the various protections that usually make a magical house unapproachable by strangers. They however thanked their stars that they were able to not only see the house but were also able to enter it.

The only thing of interest in the kennel was a huge egg in what looked like a nest made of earth. The nest was almost three feet high nearly covering the egg while leaving only a small hole on the top, enough for a child to put their hand through. They had no idea what the egg was or even if the animal or bird inside was still alive. With no option, Harry broke open the nest to see that the egg was unnaturally larger than any egg he had seen.

"That has to be a magical animal" commented Hermione unnecessarily.

The egg was perfectly spherical and almost the size of a small water melon, about a foot in diameter. Harry nearly dropped the egg when he hefted it into his hands due to the unexpected weight. He gently placed it back on the ground and observed it closely for any indication that it contained a developing and still alive animal. The egg was a pale green in colour and radiated warmth that did not dissipate even in the cold.

"What do we do with this?" Harry asked no one in particular. Hermione and Luna seemed lost in thought and so he added, "it would be nice to know if whatever was inside was still alive."

Hermione voiced her opinion, "I seem to remember reading that if the animal is developed enough you could hear the heartbeat through the shell."

So Harry did just that and felt a strange sensation starting from near his heart. "I think I hear a heartbeat, I also felt as if a wave of… something… something nice started from near my heart and travelled through my body and then connected with the egg. I don't know what but it felt nice."

They looked at the other for a few moments before shrugging their shoulders. Harry picked the egg up and they started to move back into the house hoping that the books inside the house would give them an idea about both his and Hermione's experiences.

No sooner than they stepped out of the nursery, they were confronted by a large wolf. It however was no ordinary wolf; just looking at the animal through their fear was a difficult task to the three. The wolf was nearly four feet in height at the shoulders and about seven feet long. The pale grey fur was more like bristles struck to it rather than a soft covering. The jet black eyes were like bottomless pits and they felt as if the animal was peering into their souls almost as if judging them, and probably it was. The aura of fear that the wolf radiated was immediately replaced by a sense of calm and safety as soon as the wolf scrutinized them and found them deserving.

The wolf stared unblinking into Hermione's eyes and forged a connection, "I have found you at last human child, together we are powerful, alone we cannot win. You are just like the messenger said, noble, brave, intelligent and above all compassionate but with a sense of justice and certain ruthlessness when dealing with tyrants."

Hermione could not stifle the gasp that came out of her mouth. This pulled Harry out of his stupor; he remembered his promise to Hermione about protecting and taking care of her. Faced with an animal larger than him and one ferocious enough to give him nightmares, shocked him into immobility, Harry was in bind. There was no way he could even move a muscle let alone fight such a beast. Added to that, Luna was cowering behind him and trying to make herself as small as she could. The three children were terrified but felt as if they were made of stone when the wolf padded up to Hermione.

"Do not fear me my child, I cannot harm you. I am your companion, protector, teacher and a friend. Your mate and sister mate would need all the help they could get and with time we would grow into a powerful force to combat darkness" the wolf projected into Hermione's mind.

Hermione tentatively reached out and placed her hand on the snout of the wolf. A tiny spark of magic danced between her hand and the wolf's snout which caused her to giggle despite the situation. Beside her Harry and Luna were watching the spectacle with mouths agape. Hermione began scratching the wolf behind its ears and spoke out loud, "What do you mean that you are my teacher? Who is this messenger that you are talking about? What do you mean by mate?"

The expression on the wolf was the equivalent of a grin and answered her, "All in good time my dear. Suffice to know that from now on I am always there for you, your mate and your sister."

Hermione huffed, "Again with that mate. Anyway this is Harry and Luna, and I am Hermione. Do you have a name?"

"I am called 'Needa' in Elvin tongue. It means shadow in your language."

Hermione turned to her friends and introduced Needa and told them everything that he said. Luna understood the implications of the word sister mate but even though she was blushing brightly at that, she refused to answer Harry and Hermione's persistent questioning saying that they should wait till Needa tells them about that. By this time Harry and Luna were also petting Needa and he was lapping up the attention.

Hermione suddenly had a wide grin on her face, "Does that mean I am magic?"

Harry and Luna burst out laughing more out of relief rather than anything else. Harry was hugging her while Luna was trying to drag her out of the embrace, "No Silly, you are a witch" she nearly screamed in happiness.

With their arms linked, Hermione and Luna twirled and skipped around the yard with shouts of "I am a witch" repeated over and over again punctuated with laughter.

They soon followed Harry towards the house they were staying in, only to stop and kiss him on either cheek simultaneously before pulling him inside amidst peals of laughter.