Warning: Language
Disclaimer: Don't own
Summary: Harry finds a lost house.
Godric's Hollow
Chapter 3: Thickets
It's kind of crazy now that I think of it. That I didn't run or hide, I mean common sense would have told me he was right on my heels. Though I'm not sure at that moment if it would have stopped me. But still I should have run, should have taken off. Then perhaps I won't have found what I had. Then we, really I, wouldn't have stumbled across it. I wish I had never come across that door.
*******
The overgrown landscape was a terror all on it's own. The trees hung with ancient moss, the land beneath Harry thick with debris. Harry lay there on the red clay ground, the only part of the land with out a weed or grass particle on it. It was a perfect square, as if no living thing could penetrate the ground beneath it and live. He stood slowly, looking around for the fireplace he was to have fallen out of, but there was nothing there. He spun around in all directions, there was nothing at all. No village, or houses for as far as the eye could see. He stood on the top of a small hill that slopped down to a small pond. Where a fishing dock was crumpling into the water. Beyond that was a wild tangle of what he suppose had once been a lush garden.
Where was Godrics Hollow? He had said the words clearly when he jumped into the fireplace. He had expected a village, towns people, shops, something similar to Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley. Harry stared in all directions, 'maybe the Floo shoot had thrown him out? He supposed that could have happened. The Floo dust crystals litter the ground, what little had come threw with him. He hurried them into a neat pile, trying to save as many crystals as possible. He hastily shoved them into his pocket. As soon as he found a village he could just head back to Hogwarts.
Several owls flew overhead, he watched their path as they flew toward an old dead oak tree. He was quite amaze he rarely ever saw owls out side of Hogwarts. A scurry in a bush nearby brought him back to his surroundings. Two garden gnomes ran from a bush down the hill and disappeared. "But gnomes are only in wizarading homes, aren't they".
"Potter" Snape yanked Harry's arm shaking him "What the hells wrong with you? How did you plan on getting back? Dumbledore's going to be pissed".
Snape looked furious, he actually appeared to be foaming at the mouth.
"Where are we?"
"Godrics Hollow?" Snape turned surveying the land. "I believe" he looked around in slight confusion.
"Isn't it a village. Where's the fireplace?"
Snape turned again as the bushes shook and more gnomes ran off.
"It could be the name of the your parents house. As far as the fireplace well, as long as it once stood here and is still connected to the Floo network you'll still drop out of it or where it once was, I suppose" he said this more to himself than to Harry. It was sort of hard to take it all in. The land seemed to sense people were there. The gnomes came up from their gnome hole for a look at them. More owls were arriving. But he just couldn't get over the fact it was just an empty lot. He had been expecting something more, like the remains of a house or a pathway leading to the house. There wasn't even a road or driveway.
"Well don't you know if this was my parents home?"
"How the hell would I know, it's not like they invited me over for tea. I never saw your parents again after school."
Snape turned round and round still trying to figure out how he was going to get Harry back to the castle. He supposed they could hike into a village. There had to be a road here somewhere.
"Where's are my parents buried?"
"I suppose in the garden over there." He gestured across the pond. "You might as well go see it while were here, perhaps Dumbledore will arrive in the mean time with a portkey for you."
*******
They set off down the hill toward the garden. The process was hard and slow. There was no path down the hill. It was over grown with crazy vines and saw grass that kept cutting you, like little paper cuts. Harry was hinder even more so by the over size shoes that he wore, they had once been his cousin Dudley's. The shoes kept getting tangled in the grass. He bent down to tie his shoe, adjusting the other one. Snape took the opportunity to slip out of his robes. He wore underneath black pants, a gray T-shirt. He folded the robes into a tight ball and tapped with his wand, disappearing in thin air.
Harry watched with amusement, it still amazed him after all this time that he was part of this world, of this magic. He wondered often how he ever got on in life with out magic.
Snape lowered his wand arm sticking the wand in his back pocket. Harry saw it for just a moment. The black mark on his inside left arm. A skull with a snake that surrounded it, it was the size of a sickle. Snape straighten his shirt, he watched Harry watching him, his eyes burned black. Harry felt his scar tingle for just a moment, and then it was gone.
They walked in silence for a long time and were almost to the pond, when Harry tripped and fell.
"Oh good God, Potter, you almost as klutzy as Longbottom".
Harry struggled to untangle himself from the grass. He could have sworn it was alive, just like devils snare he had encountered in his first year at Hogwarts. It was covering him. Snape yanked him to his feet. He stood there dusting himself off and picking the tickets from his hair, when Snape bent down. He ripped the grass a way from a piece of wood that lay there on the ground.
He uncovered a mid size piece of wood it appeared to be a door with out a handle. Snape knelt next to it and grasp the wood in an attempt to lift it open. "AHHHHHH" he yelled quickly yanking his hands back. They were blistering as boils appeared on his skin. Just as quickly the boils disappeared and his hands were normal again. Harry stared at Snapes hands.
To this day he doesn't know what made him do it. But he reached down and lay both of his own hands on the door. The door vanished as if it never was. Snapes stared in disbelief.
The hollow opened to a series of steps leading to an underground cavern. "Do you think my parents new this was here?" Harry whispered.
Snape ignored the question. He had his own suspicions at this moment and didn't want to discuss them with Potter. "Wands out Potter you first."
Harry walked slowly down the steps with Snape closely at his heels. The corridor was long and seemed to be in a continuous curve. Nothing lined the stone walls except the torches that lit as a person neared them. Finally the hall ended giving way to a sort of midsize game room.
It had a casual sitting area with 2 sofas placed in front of a small fireplace. A tea table, several other game tables with chess and checkers set on them ready to be played. A wall was lined with books, over stuffed reading chairs sat before it. Harry stood in the middle of the room, "look at that it's the same portrait that's in the teachers dorm" Harry gestured at the painting of the old man above the fireplace. The man had on red robes with gold tassels, he had a large sword tucked in his belt loop. "Hey, it says Godric Gryffindor". Snape came up behind him to read the nameplate under the painting.
"Shit, oh shit" Snape slapped himself in the head.
"What" Harry whorled around to stare at him, but Snape was already backing off toward the door.
"Godric Gryffindor, Godrics Hollow. The Legend of Gryffindor Hollow" Snape was muttering, and almost cry of desperation.
Harry shrugged.
"Don't you get it Potter. Godric Hollow isn't a village like we thought. These tunnels are the Hollows that Godric Gryffindor built hence Godrics Hollow. Only a true Gryffindor could have opened the door. Legend has it that Godric built these hollows under his house, these enchanted tunnels. This must be what Voldemort wants you for."
Harry looked over the room. There were no other paintings in it. He turned to look at Snape again. "That means… I'm a …True Gryffindor… a descendent"
"It would appear so" Snape said slowly, trying to take it all in.
A Small squeal brought both teacher and student out of their thoughts. From the other doorway a small creature took off running. Snape took off after it with his wand pulled. They ran down another corridor. Snape stopped suddenly Harry slammed into the back of him. He grabbed Harry and pulled him in front of him. He held the boy around the chest with one hand, his wand raised in the other.
A small army of house elves stood before them with their own wands pulled. A small staring contest ensued. Finally the smallest of the elves came forward. He appeared to be the ringleader. He climbed on to a kitchen chair, but still barely came even with Harry's chest.
"Who are, ye?"
Snape tighten his grip on Harry as if to silence him. "I'm Professor Snape from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry". He hesitated on giving them Harry's name. So few creatures could be trusted now a day. The elf leaned in to them, " 'nd the boy" he looked directly into Harry's eyes. He lowered his wand, and ran his finger over Harry's scar. Snape was about to slap his hand away when the elf spoke "didn't think we'd see ya to after graduation, Harry Potter".
Chatter broke out among the elves.
"You know me"?
"You were only a ba'by last I saw ye. You 'ook like your father did at your age."
Another elf came forward and guided Harry to a long table and beckoned them both to sit. Other elves brought tea and crumpets to the table. The head elf came and sat down opposite Harry and Professor Snape.
"I'm Gaden, your father left me in charge should anything happen to him. We've kept the chambers clean, neat, organized." He smiled proudly at him while pouring them tea and sat buttering his crumpet.
"Did you come to rebuild the house." He said excitably.
"No' Harry whispered.
"When will ya".
Harry looked at Snape, who was watching the elves as if they were evil. "Well," he finally spoke "I don't really have the money to rebuild right away".
The elf fell off his chair, jumped to his feet and took off from the room. Everyone looked after him in amazement. He reappeared in the doorway, "Well come on".
They followed the elf threw many rooms. Other sitting areas, storage rooms, bedrooms, he ran at such a pace that several times he had to double back so that Harry and Snape could catch up. They finally came through a set of double oak doors that led to a huge library.
The library had high vaulted ceilings, the ceiling actually was a set of glass windows that showed the bottom of the pond they had saw topside. Merpeople and other creatures floated by. The elf led them past rows and rows of books. Some books appeared so brittle. Then there was a row that was nothing but boxes of all shapes and sizes. Library tables stood with hundreds of candles and lit as they neared them. Comfortable reading chairs were scattered here and there. Harry didn't know where to look. Snape refused to put his wand away.
The elf stopped in front of the largest fireplace Harry had ever seen. It took up one whole wall. In a little knob in the corner were several dozen draws. Each draw was a different wood type, all-different sizes and shapes. Harry thought it looked quite lovely, almost enchanting. Each draw was an individual, each had a different handle. Some were metal, jeweled, pull knobs and some were tassels of a variety of different colors.
Harry watched the portrait above the fireplace. It was of a group of men including Godric Gryffindor, they were whispering among themselves. "Pick a d'raw, 'arry Potter".
Harry surveyed each draw, he slowly reached out his hand for one, when Snape slapped his hand away.
"You need to wait for Dumbledore to arrive." He spat at Harry. "We don't know what happens when you open that draw".
"Magic happens, it's 'arry's destiny" the elf replied, "Go on 'arry',
Snape made as if to grab Harry's hand but Harry ducked under him and grasped the handle of the draw of his choice and yanked it open.
There sat a willow wand it was small as if it was a small child's toy wand. It sat upon a red and gold velvet cushion. Harry reached his hand in to pick the wand up when it started to vibrate. Several gold and scarlet sparks emerged form it's tip as he lifted it into the air. The wand turned in his opened hand. It hovered a moment and then took off. It shot out the side door, Harry took off after the wand. Snape followed at the same hurried pace as best he could.
When he reached the 3rd landing gasping the stitch in his side he could see Harry was at least two flights of stairs ahead of him. He reached the finally landing gasping for air.
Harry stood at the foot of the hill. Snape came even with him finally catching his breath. Gone were the tangles of weeds, the hill had become a lush field of green. Flowers stood around the base of trees, a stone path of steps led up the hill. Snape followed Harry's eyes. The wand was moving frantically across the hill.
The wand appeared to be stitching across the skyline. Back and forth it moved, in its wake the beginnings of a house appeared. Stone, wood, glass seemed to magically appear. There stood before them a proper manor house. Gold stars emitted every where. A back porch was finished, the wand now worked furiously on the roof.
The wand finally stopped, emerging from the fog was a white 2-story house, with brown trim
.
Harry stood shaking, he knew this house. This was his parent's house, this is where he lived as a baby. This is where all the Potter families had lived, he could feel it coursing through his blood. This was his house.
Harry took off running for the house. He could hear Snape yelling at him to stop. Harry threw open the back door. A large kitchen appeared before him. He didn't know what he had expected, he crept slowly down a hallway that led to the main parts of the house. Paintings lined the walls small knickknacks here and there. Once in the entranceway he saw the spiral stair case that lead to the second floor, the Potter family crest was set in the tile in the entranceway. He traced the tile with the toe of his shoe.
The double doors on the right side were closed. Harry reached out a shaking hand for the door. He closed his eyes and slowly threw the doors open. Were they here he wondered. He opened one eye spotting the tea table. "Dad" Harry whispered, he had the sudden urge to race from room to room searching for his parents. The room was a study, a large desk sat in the middle of the room. Books lined one whole wall.
He looked back at the tea table he could see it in his minds eye. His father reading the Sunday newspaper, his mother sitting opposite chatting away. He glided his fingertips over the table, chills spilled down his spine. He could see himself sitting at their feet playing happily. Harry grasped the edge of the table, "Mum" he whispered. Tears came to the surface, but he fought them back, like he has his whole life.
Harry turned surveying every aspect of the room
He stopped, hanging over the fireplace was a painting he had seen in his dreams. He inched a step closer, as if he feared the painting that hung above the fireplace. His parents arm in arm, his mother with her flowing red hair and emerald eyes. You have your mothers eyes His fathers unruly black hair, I know your tired of hearing this Harry but you look remarkably like you father, Harry stared at them, they waved at him smiling. He felt his knees go weak, jostled between his parents was a person he rarely thought of. They look at him with such love, such gentle care, concern and admiration. It was him, it was him, as a baby, pre lighting bolt scar. Pre living in a cupboard under the stairs for ten years, pre being under fed, pre uncared for, pre unloved. It was the portrait of a happy family. He could hear it in his head, he could hear it all around him, them, his parents calling him son. Him learning to say mama, dada, he could hear it. It was as if the walls were whispering the words to him. "Mum, Dad," he whispered the words. He had never allowed himself to say the words. Not since he was a 1yr old child had he uttered them.
Harry collapsed to his knees.
Snape stood in the doorway, he watched the Boy Who Lived collapse to the floor. He saw the tears glisten the boys' eyes. He saw the brave boy who was so proud, so strong, he saw him crumble. Snape saw for the first time the boy who was the savior of the wizarding world, was just a child. Snape looked up, the howl that escaped the child was frightening. The pain filled the room. The tears Harry fought to keep in would not be held at bay and longer. The tears of anguish were fighting to free themselves and they did, great gasps of sobs. The child lay withering on the
floor to deal by himself with the fright of being an orphan, of being Harry Potter, of being alone in the world always.
Snape did something he had never done before, he crossed the room in 3 long strides sank to the floor and gathered the child up in his arms and held him.
Harry was half-aware of Snape doing this, half-aware of the arms that held him, of the kind words that came from his potion master. He did feel the man stroke his hair telling him it would be okay. The soft soothing touch of someone who was consoling a child. The touch a parent gives a child. Harry cried into Snapes chest. Snape gave him a squeeze. A real hug.
****
Harry woke in his bed back at Hogwarts. The green curtains were drawn, he pulled them back to see that it was quite late at night. The moonlight shown bright threw the room. He padded downstairs. Snape was sitting in front of the only light in the room, the fireplace. He held a large tumbler of whiskey in his hand. The bottle lay open on the table next to him, half gone. Harry crept over to him and sat down on the sofa. He laid his head down on Snapes knee watching the flickering flames of the fire. Snape woke from his troubled mind, reached down and stroked the child's black hair "It'll be okay Harry" he whispered.
