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The last of the Potters

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A house elf appeared at the open door. "Master Harry! You is grown up so much!"

Both Harry and Minerva were shocked but the woman recovered first. "Ah Teemy, I didn't realise you stayed here."

"It was the last wish of your parents Master Harry. Do you need anything?"

"Err a tour of this place would be helpful."

"Of course sir, follow me."

Minerva stayed on the steps. "Harry." He turned to look at her. "I'll leave you now as you're in Teemy's capable hands."

He smiled a her. "Thanks for bringing me here." She nodded and disapparated. He closed the door. "Lead the way Teemy." The elf showed him every nook and cranny of the enormous house, it might have only been two stories but the house had six Bedrooms, four Bathrooms and an huge dining room with windows all along the outer wall that looked into the garden. When he walked into the library his mouth dropped open, it was easily as large as the dining room with a seconds mezzanine level that joined to the floor above. The wood panelled walls rose all the way to the roof with high windows, though it was too dark to see how the light would stream in through them.

There were three plush couches that formed a U in front of the fireplace. Just next to the fireplace sat an overlarge armchair, it looked ridiculously comfortable. An image of Hermione curled up there reading a tomb of some sort brought a smile to his face. The Library fairly looked similar to the Gryffindor common room, he was liking this place already. Even if it did feel rather empty. Maybe I should have my friends over?

"Is Master hungry?" asked Teemy as they stood in the Library.

His stomach rumbled. "That'd be great Teemy."

"Dinner will be ready in half an hour, you will have the time to wash up."

Harry nodded and tried to find his way to the Master Bedroom, halfway there he realised he would need to grab his stuff from Hermione's place. If he wanted to wear something different after his shower that is. So concentrating hard he sent a message via Patronus to her asking if it would be fine to come round quickly after dinner. When he did find his room he washed up, only startled by the patronus returning with her answer while he was washing his hair. As he couldn't open his eyes for the fear of shampoo getting in to them he had to listen hard to hear her reply. "That's fine Harry, drop by after dinner. You'll have to tell me where you're staying when you get here."

When he managed to wash all the shampoo out of his long hair, he stepped out and used one of the fluffy white Towels available. It still felt surreal, all of this. A huge home was now his, and the fact that he was going to sleep in the same room his parents did just felt... weird. This place already felt like home but he reckoned it would take some time to get used to. When he left the ensuite to put his clothes back on he was shocked to find that they had disappeared. Teemy must have taken them to wash. Does he expect me to turn up to dinner naked!? Deciding that this probably wasn't the case, he looked around and found a wardrobe. Opening it he found it filled with clothes, he noticed quite a few leather jackets and this made him think. These are all my fathers clothes!

He eventually decided to bite the bullet and wear some of it, as he didn't have much choice. To his surprise the dark brown leather jacket he wore fit him rather well. He and his father must have been the same stature, this brought a smile to his lips. It was... comforting to wear the same clothes his father had worn. Buoyed but this new comforting feeling he took a keener interest in the house as he made his way to the kitchen. This would be interesting.

...

"Teemy? Could I apparate from inside the house?"

"Only from inside the Entrance Hall Maste-sir."

"Thanks, I just need to head out for a bit but I'll be back in maybe an hour or two." The house elf nodded and he rose from the table. "I'm a fan of your chicken soup, but I need to go."

"If you need anything sir, just call."

Harry slipped into his jacket as he exited the room. "I will." Once he reached the Hall he summoned the memory of Hermione's address and turned into nothingness.

His feet found grass and he looked up at the two story Townhouse in front of him. Happy to see them again so soon he strode to the door and knocked. Dan answered. "Ah. Hello Harry, long time no see. Come in." He crossed the threshold and stood in the hallway looking around. Dan pointed the way. "Just to the left there." He entered the sitting room to find Jane, who gave him a hug.

"Good to see you Harry. Hermione's just up stairs sorting your stuff out."

He looked around the room. "It looks like you've settled in already."

"We have just about. Was painful getting the beds sorted out but having a witch makes things a lot easier."

"Well having the most talented witch of her year would make it easier, I don't know half the stuff she does."

Jane beamed as Dan moved to her side. "We did try. Go and take your stuff back, if she's finished with the sorting."

Harry smiled. "I might as well while I'm here." He left the room and trudged up the stairs. The first room on the left had a light on and the door open so he peaked in. What he saw confused him. Hermione was sitting cross-legged on the bed with stuff piled around her, staring at a letter in her hand. "Mione?"

She jumped. "It's the day after tomorrow."

"What is?"

"The Service For the Fallen." She looked thoroughly sad now. "I just got an invitation, did you not get one?

"Well I've only just moved into Potter Manor so maybe owls can't find me?" he sighed. "Well this puts a dampener on my plans."

"What do you mean?"

"I was thinking of having friends over, it's been so long since I've seen everyone. But now this has come up-"

"Have it after."

"What?"

"Have everyone over after the service. It'll be good for them, and you. I miss our friends too, it feels like it's been forever since we've seen them last."

He nodded slowly, good mood evaporated. "I'll let Teemy know."

"Who's Teemy?"

"He's the Family Elf, he lives at the Manor. Is this my stuff?" She pushed a pile towards him. "Thanks Mione. I'll head off."

She looked at him in surprise. "You sure you don't want to stay for tea?"

"Nah better not." He grabbed the pile and disapparated.

When he appeared back in the Hall of the Manor he carried the pile up to his room and dumped them on the floor. Barely a week had passed since the Final Battle and he had to go back and see the people who had come to mourn their dead friends and family. Sacrificed for him. Just as things were beginning to look up too. Now he didn't know what to do, so he figured he would explore the house on his own.

...

He was wandering through the upper halls trying to rid his mind of guilt, but could not. Everyone looked to him as their saviour, but looked at himself as the man who had lead so many to their deaths. If he was so powerful why couldn't he save them all? There has to be a way to get this feeling out of my stomach. He turned, he knew a way. "Accio Firewhisky." After a short while a bottle zoomed into his hand, the last time he had had this stuff was at one of the Gryffindor Common Room parties. It made him feel happy then, it'll make him feel better now. He uncorked it and took a swig, coughing as it burnt his throat. And kept walking. Taking a swig at regular intervals as he wandered through the rooms, until he found a room that Teemy didn't show him earlier.

Opening to door he found a study, furnished rather like the library was. "Harry? Is that you? He whirled around and stumbled staring at what he saw was a portrait. A portrait of his parents. For a long time he couldn't speak, this could not be them. After staring at a couple of random pictures of them for years knew it was them in the painting. He just couldn't believe it.

"Mum? Dad?"

They smiled. James answered "In the flesh, or not quite. But figuratively yes, in the flesh."

Lily smiled at her husband, then look at her son. "How old are you Harry?"

"Seventeen." He croaked.

Lily's mouth fell open. "But you haven't finished school yet! Where's Sirius?"

"He's dead."

James's mouth now fell open. "Dead? But who's looking after you now?!"

"No one. He died two years ago and Dumbledore died last year."

Lily took over after James's loss of words. "If you're seventeen, how come you've only just visited? I thought Sirius would have let you visit this place."

Harry sighed. "I never got to stay with him. He went to Azkaban for a murder he did not commit. Then after he escaped after twelve years he had to stay in Grimmerauld Place. I Lived with your sister until this year."

She gasped. "Petunia?"

"It was Dumbledore, he let Sirius go to Azkaban without a trial, so I could live with the Dursley's as he thought it was the safest place after you saved me." His eye's started to water. "You saved me mum. Then I lived with them for ten years not knowing I was a wizard until Hagrid turned up."

James spoke up. "But why the need to protect you? What happened to Voldemort?"

"The curse backfired and nearly killed him. Thirteen years later he was resurrected with my own blood. Though I still went back to the Dursley's every summer. He's dead now, that's why I'm here. I only just found out about yours and Sirius's wills."

"Who killed him?"

A deep breath. "I did, But I had to... die first." Lily's eyes were wide. "I so nearly got to be with you. It killed me to go back. I doubted I could kill him but I went back anyway, if he killed me then I would have been with you-" Tears started to fall from his eyes. "-And that's that only place I've ever wanted to be." He took a swig of the Firewhisky.

Lily looked at her Husband, then searched Harry's eyes. "Tell us everything, from the start."

...