CH 6
HPHPHP
The train ride to school was largely uneventful. The trio wasn't even bothered by Malfoy and his bunch this year, which was a relief to everyone that had taken up room in the same car that Harry had chosen to sit in. He was getting just a little put out about it, but then this gathering was expected behaviour from the usual Gryffindor lot.
He didn't know how to get away from his other House mates, but as soon as he could and this was basically when all the Prefects left for their in-train meeting, he took his backpack with him and left the others there. He registered their reactions, but they weren't students in his year and those that were, were currently in other cars. They also knew that by now Harry was going to revert back to his school mode of protecting his belongings with spells and hexes. It would have been foolish to do anything less with this bunch.
Harry walked up and down several of the train cars and soon found one that had only one other occupant. To his surprise it was Draco Malfoy sitting on his own. He was about to knock on the door, but there was something about the way the other boy was sitting that stopped him from interrupting the blonde's brooding stare out the window of the train car.
He looked left and right and noticing that no one was really paying attention to him, he managed to slip into the compartment with the blonde Slytherin. He spelled the compartment to seem fully occupied without that being the actual fact. It was spell mix of illusion and confundus that worked very well when Harry had needed time to himself in the past.
He pulled out one of his puzzle books and began scratching away with a muggle mechanical pencil. He chose not to say anything in order to wait and see if the blonde Slytherin would even notice that he was there.
Draco was fully aware that someone had joined him in the train compartment, but he wasn't prepared to face whoever it was. He sincerely hoped it wasn't anyone from his House. Even being just the two of them in the car, they were not disturbed for the longest time by any other students, which made the Slytherin curious as to who was there and why they were not being disturbed. He looked up from his contemplation of the passing scenery only to be surprised to find that it was Harry Potter.
Harry had long since finished his puzzle and when he noticed that the Slytherin was still ignoring him, he had shrugged, pulled out his portable desk and began reviewing his online accounts for the newly posted articles that were slowly streaming in. He was very lucky in that the clerk that showed him how to use the machine also showed him how to recharge the device using magic and a few different types of spells, not taught at Hogwarts.
Draco listened to the soft pings coming from the machine, but couldn't see it, so he stood up and sat next to the Boy-Who-Lived. He looked over the Gryffindor's shoulder. Harry only spared him a slight glace, but didn't say anything. The device was strange looking to the Slytherin's mind. He recognized a typewriter-type keypad, but this was different. It had some kind of screen in place of paper and there was an article on the properties of the Greater Redwood trees and other flora found in forests that predominately had Redwoods.
"That's not right, is it?" Draco asked when he read about the pulp from the mashed root of the Redwood trees mixed with Black Forest Fungus. "I've never heard of that combination."
"Redwoods are primarily located on the West Coast of North America," Harry read out loud. He then turned to Draco and said, "Why would they be wrong? This article was published in three or four of the known Potions Web Sites, including in the International Potions Plus - Monthly Magazine."
Draco paused, frowned a bit because he was confused and then asked, "What are web sites?"
"Ah," Harry said. He logged off his personal accounts quickly and then showed the Slytherin a few things that he had learned only a couple days ago about the World Wide Web. "See this device is called a net-book, but this one acts like a personal computer with independent access to the Internet rather than an extension of a personal home computer. I just got this a couple of days ago, so I'm really still learning about it."
"I see," the blonde replied. "How do you look something up?"
"See this is empty line up at the top of the page, it's call the Address Bar," he squiggled the cursor arrow to point at the location and continued his explanation. "In there I could type up what I'm looking for or ask a direct question. I can also call up specific search engines that will only look at sites that I'm interested and I have to use a specific search engine if I'm going to look up anything related to the Wizarding World."
"How?"
Harry showed him how by telling him to ask his question about the Redwood Trees. He showed him the general, Muggle search engines first and then showed him the differences by using the Wizarding World's search engine called '.wiz' (...i...). That particular search landed them on web sites that listed potions that took different parts of a Redwood Tree and how the ingredients basically interacted with others.
Draco was simply mystified by the answers and he wondered if there was a way that he could find out from his godfather, Severus Snape, if these answers were true. "Is there a way to get a copy of that information on paper," he asked. "I'd like to research this information."
Harry looked at him and nodded. "Sure give me a moment," he said. "I've never used this yet, but the clerk in the store assured me that it would work just fine as long as I used the correct scroll paper for it. I bought case of the paper I needed for school work, just in case."
He turned to his backpack and fished out a strange little thing, about the same size as his net-book, but thicker and taller. It had two lids which popped open. He linked it to the net-book with a cord of some kind that's all the Slytherin could see. Then he pulled out a roll of scroll paper. He inserted a thin metal rod in the middle of the scroll, placed the whole scroll at the back of the device and closed that far lid. He fiddled with the scroll pulling it through a section of the other lid and snapped that front lid in place. It had reminded Harry of old paper calculators.
Harry hit a couple of keys on the keypad and then there was a soft whirring sound, followed by a dzip...dzip...dzip sound and the paper was being written on by some hidden ink bottle that Draco couldn't see. "It's testing the connection first," he explained to the curious Slytherin. "See it's only printing up nonsense right now, but the clerk told me that was because it would test the letter and character formation first. Once it finishes a test page, it won't be repeated, unless there's something wrong with either machine and parts in it need to get replaced. He did tell me that it would do this whenever I have to replace the ink in this printer too."
The sheet did indeed have nonsense words on it and a funny little image in black and white. The Gryffindor handed it to the Slytherin once he cut it out of the machine with a tearing sound. The paper was solid and unchanged by the process with the exception of the writing on it. The tear was very clean, as though a paper knife had been used, like it looked when they were using parchment paper for schoolwork.
"What information, do you what me to print," Harry asked.
"What," Draco said looking at him confused.
"You said wanted a copy of the information from the web page," Harry stated. "What do you want me to print up?"
Draco pointed to the screen and said, "That one and the one we read before it. I'd also like to see one with the potions ingredient interactions too, if it's possible?"
"Sure," Harry said, specifically highlighting the sections that Draco wanted. He only printed the selections because he didn't want to print every little thing from the web pages. The clerk had advised him to print in this manner because he had mentioned that printing a full web page used up a lot of ink. The Gryffindor had bought two cases of ink for school work, even though the clerk thought that he might have over done it a bit.
The pages and information were printed up and handed to the Slytherin who looked at the whole thing with a dazed look on his face. "I don't believe it," he said. "It's the same as it was written on that thing."
"It's called a screen or monitor," Harry said. "I'm about to turn it off, did you want me to look up something else before I do?"
"No," Draco said. "I'm going to see if the school's library has this information and if they have a copy of the International Potions Plus - Monthly where you say this article can be found. I'm going to have to see my Head of House about this too." He rolled up the information and placed it in his own backpack.
Harry nodded and logged off his little computer. He shut it down completely, but not before making a mental note that he would have to re-charge it before using it again.
Draco watched as the Gryffindor put the device in a secure cushion drawer of the portable desk and then noted that it was locked by weird looking keys and a couple of very strong locking spells. The legs of the little desk retracted and it was put away in the backpack at the feet of the Boy-Who-Lived.
"Can I send you questions by owl," Malfoy asked, curious to know how long he could impose on the Gryffindor's generosity.
Harry looked surprised, but he nodded and said, "Sure. I'll look them up when I have the time or we can set up a time and a place to meet and then you can use it, if you like?"
"Why don't you tell me where you bought it instead," Draco said. He was hoping that it would be available by Owl Order, but he was severely mistaken when he heard the reply.
"I bought in Muggle London," Harry told him and watched as the Slytherin frowned. "You have to go there physically to make the purchase because they key it to you and your magic alone. It's a measure of protection should it ever be lost or Merlin forbid stolen."
Draco huffed and admitted, "I've never been to Muggle London. I've never even visited the Muggle World."
"I'll admit I haven't seen much of Muggle World either," Harry said truthfully. "This will help me to make plans for my holidays though and I'll definitely see more of it then. I did go to Spain this summer and it was an interesting place to visit."
"Live in your own protected little corner of the world Potter," Draco said in a semi-sneering tone. "Didn't bother to see what else the world had to offer?"
"And you have," Harry asked in an equally patronizing tone. "I sincerely doubt that you saw anymore of the world than I did. I'll give in on the fact that your parents would have shown you exactly what they wanted you to see of it, but no more than that."
"How dare you," Draco said standing up challengingly.
"What's the matter," Harry asked calming down when he noticed that the Slytherin was getting anxious and it obviously had nothing to do with who saw what of the world. "Truly, what is the matter? We were fine until..."
The Slytherin deflated a little and sank down in his seat, "We're almost at Hogsmeade."
"Oh," Harry said. "Is that all?"
"Is that all," Draco exclaimed. "Potter, are you insane? We can't be seen together, it's too dangerous and you've been here unconcerned all this time."
"What makes you think that 'they', whoever 'they' are know that we're in here," Harry said. "I spelled the windows of this compartment to look like it was fully occupied by second and third year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. When we leave all we have to do is temporarily charm our robes and features to blend in with the crowd of small 'Claws and 'Puffs. Once we're far enough away from each other we can change them back to our own House colours."
Draco blinked. He looked away and then back at the Gryffindor, who now had on a robe of Hufflepuff colours. He had temporarily glamoured himself to seem like an innocuous wide-eyed second year 'Puffer. He blinked again and smiled a sincerely amused grin at the other boy's shocked reaction.
"I knew it," the blonde said grinning right back. "You really are a 'Puffer in disguise." He changed his robes to match the Ravenclaw House. He glamoured his features too, in order to hide his Family's distinctive colouring.
"Only because you'd never believe that I could fit in with the Ravens'," Harry said chuckling. "I make the House colours fit me, not the other way around Malfoy."
"Draco," the blonde said. "Call me Draco when we're alone."
Harry looked at him. He nodded and then said, "Harry, just... just call me Harry… please?"
Draco nodded his head. He pulled out a book to read and noticed that the Gryffindor wasn't even offended by that action. In fact he looked at the book with a wry, fond smile which turned to a small disappointed frown, but he pulled out his own book and began to read too. The Slytherin was aware of enough of the goings on with the Gryffindor to know that the disappointed look had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
An hour later when they arrived in Hogsmeade, they had no trouble fooling those around them. They quickly headed into their own House crowds, found empty coaches to climb into and change back into there own self, before heading towards their sixth year of school.
HPHPHP
Harry was met by a distressed Winky at the entrance of the school. He moved out of everyone's way and quickly got the rundown of how she had not been able to set up his rooms because no one would tell her which ones were going to belong to her kind Master for the year. He comforted her and then told her to wait until after the Sorting and evening meal was done. He had a private appointment with his Head of House and he was going to sort that out with her then.
"Go down to the kitchens and wait there," Harry suggested. "Or else find Hedwig and see if any of the owls from Galileo's Spindle are with her and see to their needs for me, will you? I trust their care to you."
Winky glowed with the praise and decided that she'd go to the kitchens for a bit before going to the Owlery. "I's be going to kitchens first," she said. "Winky visit Hedwig when youse be eatin."
"Thank you Winky," Harry said hugging the house-elf briefly, before he stepped into the Great Hall with the last of the students and before the Sorting was due to start. He wasn't able to sit with his supposed best friends, but that didn't matter to him. He was glad with the delay that allowed him to sit more closely to the seventh years rather than the sixth years.
The Sorting Hat still went on and on about House Unity. It told of the qualities cherished by the Houses and then the little ones were soon integrated into Hogwarts' bizarre House and Point System.
The students around Harry were all having a strong discussion about Quidditch, School and general News that occurred in the papers that summer. Katie Bell asked, "Harry will you be playing Quidditch this year?"
"I was banned last year," Harry said. "I don't know. I have a feeling that I'll be too busy studying this year."
"Will you be starting a Defence Association again," Luna asked, looking over from her House table. "I learned a lot during those."
"That will depend," Harry said. "I'd like to open it up to all Houses, but it wasn't an official club or anything to begin with. It was just a gathering in order to learn the missing practicals for Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"I'd join again," Katie said. "I think that there are several of us seventh years who'd love to have a refresher course of the previous years and who better then someone who knows what they're doing." Some of the other seventh years nodded their agreement.
"I'll have to think about it," Harry said. A note appeared near his empty desert plate. It contained a meeting time with his Head of House in her office. He looked up at Professor McGonagall and nodded to indicate that he'd be there. He then scratched a note on it and spelled it to pop by the Potions Master of the school.
Professor Snape wasn't surprised by its appearance. He noted the time and then he signalled for one of his House Prefects to take a message to the others about his delay. He'd be there to 'Welcome' the new Slytherins students, but he'd be slightly delayed and therefore he instructed the Prefects to sort the little ones into rooms before he arrived. He then sent a slight nod to the Gryffindor to indicate that he'd be there.
Half an hour later Harry was standing outside his Head of House's primary office. He was pacing and waiting for his Counsellor. The man was in the shadows wondering why the boy didn't enter the woman's den.
"Mr. Potter," Severus said.
"Thank you for coming," Harry said. He had been aware that the man was there, but it was up to the Potions Master to decide when he appeared. "Counsel me Professor Snape."
"My counsel is yours, Lord Potter," he replied formally.
"Let's, shall we," Harry knocked on the door.
"Come in," Professor McGonagall said. "Harry…and Severus!" She turned a stern eye onto the Gryffindor and asked, "You haven't done anything to lose points or gain a detention have you?"
"No Professor," Harry said. "Professor Snape is here in order to provide me with the best counsel possible. I'm curious ma'am. Did you not receive my request for private quarters for the remainder of my school years here?"
"I did," she said. "That's why I needed to see you. " She sighed and looked away, which to Harry was a clear indication that someone was 'meddling' again. "The Headmaster has stated that you're not to be on your own and therefore you're to remain in the tower dorms."
"He can't do that," Harry said. "Arrangements like this are between the Head of House and the students in the House. That's what the school charter says."
"The boy is correct Minerva," Severus said. "Why must Mr. Potter be exempted when the others are not?"
"The Headmaster stated that the rooms in the tower were not fit for anyone to reside in them," she told them. "Albus feels that you need to have someone to support you this year so he's arranged for you and Mr. Weasley to stay a one of the extra Prefect rooms."
"No," Harry said right away. "I refuse to room with Ron. Others of my House have taken too many of my belongings over the years and I refuse to room with anyone in there anymore."
"Do you have proof," Professor McGonagall asked.
"The spell problems that some of the Gryffindor students had for the last two years were in part from protection spells on my belongings," Harry said. "My rights as a student of this school are going to be violated if I have to room with someone when I specifically made my request for private quarters. Your reply was clear and the money had been accepted for those rooms and now you're telling me that I'm going to be paying for two people when I need privacy to do my business as an Active Member of the Wizengamot."
Professor McGonagall frowned. "Mr. Potter the Headmaster was very clear…"
"Minerva," Severus interrupted. "Albus has no say in these matters, unless there has been a drastic change in the school charter regarding the options permitted for the older students, he can't dictate that any student to reside with another if money has already been paid. Has the money been exchanged, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes," Harry said. "I even have a full Hogwarts receipt stating that I was going to be getting a suite of rooms. The rooms were listed as: one for sleeping, a separate sitting/entrance area, a room for my house-elves, a full bathroom and a second room that was authorized to be converted into a small kitchen with breakfast or snack area." He pulled out the receipt with the details as proof. "Is this incorrect Professor McGonagall?"
She took the paper and looked at it. As soon as she touched it, she realized that she had been confunded to follow Albus' skewed view what was best for Harry. "I'm terribly sorry Mr. Potter," she said sincerely. She sighed and then said, "This is clearly the correct information. I have something different on file," she pulled out the boy's file and showed him. "Yours is the proper one because this one is missing the exchange of moneys and any mention of house-elves. It's also a proper receipt. Could you please make me a copy and I will add it to your file, it will supersede this one. I will make the appropriate corrections right away and make sure that Mr. Weasley is returned to the regular sixth year dorms, although he is a Prefect and entitled to be in the Prefect suite of rooms. Don't worry, I'll make the proper corrections and you can have that suite."
"Professor would it be all right to have a different set of rooms from the ones that Ron has possibly been shown to tonight because I know that he's already up there," Harry said glancing at the clock ticking on the wall behind the professor. "I'd rather not have an argument with him about having 'taken over' a set of rooms that he may have been told would be his for the rest of the year. I'd rather this whole thing look like a clerical error, which is technically what this situation is."
"If the boy makes any loud noises about it," Severus said with a look that clearly stated that, 'of course that hot-headed idiot would.' "You should inform him of the cost of such accommodations. Move him in with the other Prefects and see how that will work out for him."
"You are quite correct, both of you," Professor McGonagall said. "However there is still the issue that all of the supplemental rooms in the tower are not ready for occupancy anytime this year or next. Severus, do you happen to know of a place that will meet these particular requirements?"
"There are a couple near the Hufflepuff Tower, one by the Ravenclaw entrance and four in the dungeons with the Slytherins, although they are located further down and in different corridors," he said. "I'm quite certain that there are alternative routes that Mr. Potter could take to get to his classes, should he choose to reside there."
Harry walked to the window and looked outside at the stars lighting up the sky. "I think I'd like to be near the Hufflepuff tower," he said. "It's lower down than the other towers and it's not in any immediate route commonly used by the Gryffindors or the Slytherins." He turned to give both the Professors a mischievous smile. "Maybe I'll get less detentions if I'm not anywhere near the students of those two Houses."
Severus snorted and Minerva hid her smile behind her hand. It wouldn't do for the boy to know that he had just zinged them with a reluctant truth that they had long since accepted about their respective Houses.
"I believe that this set of rooms will perfect for you Mr. Potter," the Potions Master said. "Being near the Hufflepuffs might teach you something other than looking before you leap, as their Head of House practices the Art of Patience by being an Herbology expert."
Harry gave the man a part nod, part bow in acknowledgement of being zinged back. He looked at the parchment with the rooms and then pointed at a set of rooms near the Hufflepuff area of the school. "What about these ones?" He looked to both the Professors and explained, "They look to be half in the dungeons and half with the Hufflepuff sections. I'd say they look to be the same distance to the offices of either Head of House, should I have need of immediate assistance."
"I would think that you'd still turn to your Head of House, Harry," Professor McGonagall said with pursed lips at the thought of one of her students seeking out another Head of House. "Should you have any problems?"
"Of course I would," the young Gryffindor said with a proud huff. "I was thinking more of emergency accidental type situations, although at the moment an example escapes me."
"Very well," she said. "Now do you have your list of courses figured out?"
"I do," he said and handed her a copy of the results of his summer spent reviewing the long list of classes available. "I realize that you might find it objectionable, that I'm requesting to study Defence Against the Dark Arts independently, but I feel that my time would be better served if I didn't confine myself to just the course materials on the matter."
"But Harry," she said trying to find something that would keep him in the class with his year-mates.
"Professor," Harry said looking at her directly. "Nearly every year I've had to study the subject independently and after receiving a double O on my O.W.L.s I feel that it wouldn't be fair to the other students to be constantly held up as an example. I have a greater need not to be confined to dealing with only Dark Magical Creatures. I need to learn a bit more about strategic battles, using my resources or combat knowledge wisely and maybe I could learn this by scheduling time in the Room of Requirement?"
Professor McGonagall knew when a situation was lost and she knew that Harry was correct regarding the expectations of Professors when a particular student was gifted in a specific area of study. She had her favourites and she was quite certain that Professor Snape had some of his own too.
"Very well Harry," she said. "You'll receive your schedule in the morning. We'll see if you can test out of the third and fourth year pre-requisites for Runes and Arithmancy before placing you in with the fifth years."
"Thank you Professor," Harry said.
"I'll lead him to his new suite of rooms and help him to set up proper passwords and protections," Severus told the Head of Gryffindor and held up his hand stating. "I'm heading in that direction anyway and it will take only a few moments to set it up."
"Very well," she said agreeing because she had plans to go greet her new Gryffindors.
She pulled out a large key, about the size of her hand and gave it to Professor Snape. It needed magical approval from two Heads of House before being tuned to the student's magic. "This is the key to those rooms." She turned to Harry whose eyes had widened and stared at the size of the key. It was like one of those 'Key to the City' types. "The Professors will require access to the rooms, but only to the main room. Your house-elves can announce us, if you're in a private area of the suite."
"You must keep a hold of that key until we reach the rooms," Professor Snape advised, giving the key to Harry so that the magic of the school could link the young man to the suite of rooms that had just been assigned to him. "A door guardian will be chosen by Hogwarts and once it's in place it will absorb the key. You'll have to set up your personal passwords and instructions with it."
"I understand Professor," Harry said holding the large key clenched in his hand.
He felt the tingle of magic and knew that the key was linking itself to him and to the rooms. He was able to sense this and it did help that this was what he had to do for a number of the Black and Potter properties listed with his accounts, even if he hasn't been able to go and physically inspect some of them.
Professor Snape held the door open and Harry said to his Head of House, "See you tomorrow Professor McGonagall."
The two walked silently down the halls of the school. Some of the students were lingering in a few of the places before curfew, even if it was the first night of school. Some noted that Harry was walking near Professor Snape and all sorts of wild tales came from it, but none were even near to the truth.
They stopped at the end of a short corridor, which was at a top branch in a T-section hallway and just off the main section of the Hufflepuff tower. "Going down this hallway will lead you to the dungeons and going back will lead you through what we passed and in that direction you'll reach the main school corridors and classrooms. You should be mostly on your own in this area of the school, but we'll make sure that this section is not visible or inviting to the other students."
"Thank you Professor," Harry said. "So we'll set up a keep-away ward here or a little further down."
"Further down, I should think," Professor Snape said. "We'll set up a false wall here for you." He proceeded to cast various spells that Harry had never heard of before, but that didn't matter. It only took several minutes for another wall to appear. "Come on," his professor called out to him as he walked though the newly created false wall.
Harry stepped through, registering nothing, but a slight magical zing as the wall wasn't really there. It was just a really complex illusion spell. They walked the short way to the door and soon two pillars rose from floor to ceiling. On each pillar was a series of rune symbols in various languages and a slot opened in one brick of the wall between the pillars to allow the key to be inserted.
"Wicked," Harry said. The runes on the pillars twinkled with his comment, but as soon as the key was absorbed into it, the wall the gained a few stone guardians.
Small dragon shaped gargoyles formed at the tops and bottoms of the pillars, laying down in a lazy yawning fashion. Several etchings of ravens flew under the top gargoyles, followed by low flying silhouetted griffons. Above the bottom gargoyles were long stems of grass with badgers and snakes slithering through and creeping up the shape of a tree that was in the centre portion of the pillars. The trees on each pillar were huge and had nesting places for each of the animal carvings.
Harry smiled and said, "Thank you Hogwarts." His professor was looking at the pillars in stunned fascination and he turned to look at his student with a question in his eyes. "I told someone today that I make my House colours fit me," he shrugged and continued. "I thanked Hogwarts because it's obvious that all of these are the representative of the Houses under her roof and the school motto is quite clear by the gargoyles it chose for the columns."
"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus," Severus whispered. "I wonder which idiot actually tickled a sleeping dragon to figure out that it was a bad idea."
"Must have been a Gryffindor," Harry said with mischief in his tone.
"Obviously it must have been one," Severus said haughtily with a smile.
"Of course no Slytherin could be accused of selfless bravery," Harry nodded sagely.
"Of course not," Professor Snape narrowed his eyes at the young man wondering just what could possibly be going through his foolish little head. "What would make you think of any such thing?"
"I wouldn't know how to begin explaining my thoughts on that matter," Harry said, clearly thinking about a certain spy. He was staring that the arched door that formed from in the brickwork in a manner similar to the Diagon Alley entrance found through the Leaky Cauldron.
"I love magic," he stated.
He watched as a stone griffon from one pillar detached itself and flew to the arch above his door. A stone snake did the same from the opposite pillar and squiggled into the stonework at the base of the doorway which was about a foot up from the ground. It was about the same difference in height as the doorway to the Gryffindor tower entrance so the young man was quite used to stepping over such a distance.
Before they could step into the room the brickwork closed back up and within it an alcove formed. The images of a stone griffon and the stone snake merged into a mixed inlaid marble crest. The shield's border had all other forms from the pillars, but inside the main shield form was a tri-sectioned shield where the image on the right was a standard rampant griffon opposite the section containing the coiled readiness of a very large serpent. Under the two combatants was the image of a large stylized tree with a large eagle sitting on a top branch and an equally large badger nesting at the tree's roots.
"Interesting," Professor Snape said. Between the three sections of the shield circle appeared with a hand print shape in its centre. "Place your hand on the shape and state your password."
Harry thought about it for a moment. He slowly put his hand on the recording device and hissed out in Parseltongue, (...I make the colours fit...)
The snake looked at him in wonder and the griffon looked shocked. (...My primary password is 'I make the colours fit' in Parseltongue. The password for the Professors is going to be 'Slytherin Bravery' in regular English until the Christmas Holidays, agreed?...)
They watched the griffon huff, but nod its head. The snake hissed his own opinion in the matter, but also nodded its head. The other animals on the pillars and as part of the door crest were doing a damn good impression of laughing at the disgruntled actions of the two main guardians.
(...I make the colours fit...) Harry hissed this time with the purpose of actually going into the rooms. "I have two house-elves that will be taking care of me and these rooms. Dobby, Winky, please come to me now."
The two Potter house-elves were brimming with excitement. They were eager to fix up the rooms for their beloved Master. "This is Winky," he said to the guardians. "This is Dobby de-Chausette, both of whom are free to come and go as they wish in all these rooms."
Dobby bowed and Winky curtseyed to the door guardians who acknowledge the little helpers. The two house-elves popped away in order to quickly prepare their Master's rooms. The main room and his bedroom had to be done immediately and they were well aware that Harry would forgive them for the lack of the snack nook until they could fix it up proper.
"Only the Professors of this school are granted access, at this time with the password being 'Slytherin Bravery'," Harry told the Potions Master. "It will be valid until Christmas Holidays, of course."
"Of course," Severus said. "I'll leave you to sort yourself out and I'll notify the others during the morning staff meeting. Do remember that you must be in the Great Hall tomorrow morning in order to receive your course schedule!"
"Yes, sir," Harry said. "Your counsel has been invaluable Professor Snape." He handed the man a copy of the day's transaction.
"Mr. Potter," Professor Snape said with a slight nod before twisting around, striding down the corridor to go meet with his new batch of baby Slytherins.
Harry smiled a positively evil grin of mischief for having chosen that particular password for his Professors. However he turned around and stepped into his new rooms for his sixth year of school. He heard the bricks slide back and then he began the fun task of exploring his new surroundings with his magic.
"Winky," he called out. The little female house-elf popped in and listened to her Master's instructions. "Please use a pale yellow for the walls of the bedroom with various shades of blue for the coverings," Harry told her. "This room should be in the darker shades of green and red, with gold and silver accents in the forms of the pillar guardians. Tastefully done please?"
Harry turned to take a look at the main door to his room and noticed that the pillar motif was reflected on the inside of room too. He smiled at this and then began to use magic to install non-functioning pillars in the four corners of his room. This gave the room a Romanesque feeling and he kind of liked it.
Winky checked the main room and then decided on a gingham checked pattern for the pair straight-back, but very comfortable chairs. One in dark blood red with pale shades reds and the opposite in dark forest green with pale greens to off-set the darker colours. There was the loveseat in the middle in dark plain solid cotton fabric of dark brown for the back, but the seat cushions plus the pillow accents matched the colours of the two chairs.
The walls blossomed in the same pale yellow colour from the main bedroom and all accents took the form, just as the Gryffindor requested. It was a very different room from the usual plain brick walls. There were dark brown wood accents everywhere to match the legs, tables and other furnishings in the room.
Harry was pleased with the look and complimented his house-elves. "You guys are wondrous," he said. "Thank you very much. You two can take care to set up your own rooms before tackling anything else here. Dobby, tomorrow I'd like you to look for a desk that I can set up in this room, if not I'll set up my portable desk in one of the corners. Winky, just make sure that the bathroom is ready for me to use in the morning, but don't get too fancy and please, no talking mirrors if you can find one. The breakfast or snack nook can take time to get set up properly because I have a strong feeling that for the first week it will take me a while to remember that I'm no longer living in the Gryffindor tower."
The two house-elves nodding in understanding and Winky waited for Harry to hand over his trunk so the she could finally unpack his belongings for the first time in years. She was going to take charge of his things, especially in the matter of laundry service and this would guarantee that he wouldn't lose his personal things.
Quick as a blink or as a snap from the fingers of a very determined house-elf, Harry's belongings were put away in properly in their drawers and hung in a wardrobe. His school robes and uniform were pressed and ready. All that remained was to see what his course schedule would be like.
Of course he'd have to defend his choices and put up with the sulking that Ron was sure do be doing since he had to be returned to the regular dorm rooms after his bragging about independent accommodations on train, not that Harry knew about any of this until the first day of class.
HPHPHP
TBC...
(...i...) www dot googlemagic dot wiz - Completely made up, I never checked the web to see if it exists and I don't want to, since I'm not a Witch of the Harry Potter world. I also do not know if I had ever seen this in any other Fanfiction. It's highly likely since I read a ton of stories, however I really do not recall where I could have read it and therefore I send my sincere apologies to the originator, however if no one claims it, then I do. ; - )