"What do you think's going to happen now?"
Harry didn't really know where he was being led, choosing to follow Sirius through a small park. He'd been on the Hogwarts Express in the morning, making the long trip down to London, and was growing tired with not being told where they were. The park was surrounded by iron fencing, though there was thankfully a rusted gate that they were heading towards. It wasn't the sort of setting that he'd expected to find his godfather in, a truly Muggle area with no sign of magic. Then again, he had to remember that his mum had likely influenced their friendship group over the years, bringing her non-magical background with her. It was something that he tended to forget, mainly because the sole reminder of that part of his lineage had come in the form of the Dursleys. That was enough to put anyone off from that line of thinking. But Hermione had shown how many amazing things could come from the Muggle world, whilst Matthew embraced it more than most wizards.
"With what?" Sirius asked, apparently lost in his own head.
Harry rolled his eyes, which was the sort of easy and relaxed interaction he'd never had with a grown up before. "With Fudge. And Voldemort ." He lowered his voice slightly. You could never know who was lurking around the corner, no matter where they were. And the return of the Dark Lord had also brought back some of the fear in uttering his name, at least in public. "People can't avoid it. It's been on the front page of the Prophet for the last fortnight, at least."
Sirius was slowly nodding his head as he listened. "It certainly wasn't something that I thought ol' Fudge had in him. I've always seen him as someone who was too meek to make such a strong stand. I'm glad to be proven wrong though."
"I don't think even he could deny it after Dumbledore spoke to him."
"The fortunate thing was how quickly the Ministry acted. They have their faults, don't get me wrong. And a lot of them. But when one of their own is potentially in trouble, especially someone with a lot of power and prestige, they can be decisive. They were searching for Crouch the same night that you were attacked. It's a miracle that they found him alive and in one piece." Sirius stroked his scruffy beard, silently contemplating whether to grow it out longer. "I've heard some people saying that he was locked in a trunk. Junior was keeping him just enough alive so that he'd have a constant supply for his polyjuice potion."
"But it was Crouch who was able to confirm the stories? He supported Dumbledore?"
"They viewed his memories, as damaged and ragged as they must have been. Fudge could easily have ignored Dumbledore. They've never really gotten along. But Crouch is another prospect entirely. One he was part of the conspiracy, it was too big for the Minister to push under the carpet."
"Thank god they found him then. I dread to think what could have happened if Fudge had buried his head in the sand."
"Voldemort made a mistake, which is something that very rarely happens. We were able to take advantage of him and his Death Eaters being in momentary disarray. That evening, everything went wrong for him, besides the fact that he was brought back to life. In the chaos, they completely forgot to deal with that loose end."
"I doubt he was expecting a blue box to fall out of the sky and halt him from killing me."
"Or you having access to powers that can still stand in his way. He's been put on the backfoot, that's for sure."
"You don't sound as pleased as I thought you'd be."
"We can't allow ourselves to get carried away. We've had a small victory, which is always nice. But you weren't there the first time this happened. Voldemort doesn't give up. He'll be licking his wounds as we speak, planning a way on how to announce his return in a fashion he'd prefer. It's up to us to do as much as possible in this brief window, which includes letting everyone know that he's back. That way, he can't operate in the shadows. Fudge has already sent representatives to the giants on Dumbledore's orders. Hopefully that means they'll be persuaded to stay out of this conflict." Sirius' face was grave and pale. "If they were to side with Voldemort, they could easily turn the tide in his favour."
Harry rubbed his hands together. "What do I do then?"
Sirius looked at him carefully. "You…enjoy your summer holidays. They were always the best part about school from what I can remember. You've had a stressful year, which is a colossal understatement. You need to relax, at least for a short while."
"But…you just said that Voldemort will be clamouring for more power!" Harry looked aghast at the instructions he was receiving. "I need to be doing something! You can't expect me to just sit around and wait for him to do something. I'm involved in this, more than anyone else. I can help. I deserve to help."
"You're still a child, Harry."
"I'm sick and tired of people telling me that after the things I've been through."
Sirius dusted the lapels of his jacket. "Well, I'm your guardian now, so you have to listen to me."
Harry scowled. "You're not going to ruin this by being overly protective, are you?"
"I can always take you back to the Dursleys if you'd prefer that," his godfather suggested slyly. "I'm sure they'd love to have you living with them again so soon after getting rid of you."
"No!" Harry quickly blurted out. "No! I definitely don't want to go back there."
He could still remember the moment he'd told them, mainly because it was so fresh in his memory. He hadn't made his uncle pick him up from the train station in order to ensure that he was in a good mood. Harry had done most of the explaining on the doorstep, telling them that he no longer needed to see them again. Vernon didn't seem to care who he ended up living with, as long as they didn't have to think about him anymore. Harry had begrudgingly thanked them, which had gone more towards his aunt, who had appeared genuinely upset that he was leaving. That had come as a surprise more than anything, that there had been some compassion under the surface all along. It hadn't taken him long at all to pack the few belongings he'd kept there, before he was walking away from the Privet Drive. He doubted that his relatives would have finished celebrating his departure yet.
"Good. That's good to hear." Sirius had what looked like a shy smile on his face. "I still get worried sometimes that you're going to change your mind. You know…you might decide it's too early for this or something. I'd understand. We haven't been able to spend as much time together as I would have liked."
"I'm not backing out of this," Harry assured him. "This is what I've wanted for years, to be living with a family that actually cares about me. The Dursleys began to tolerate me slightly, especially when Dumbledore intervened during our first year. But there was never any love there. I couldn't have gotten out of there sooner."
"Well, it's a big relief to hear you say that. Not just because Dumbledore gave me a massive lecture about the safety you gained by being with that side of your family, so it took ages to finally convince him to let us do this." Sirius wrinkled his nose. "That it was really ever his decision. I'm your legal guardian after all. It's going to take some time before that sinks into his old head, I reckon."
"He said that?" Harry considered what the headmaster could have meant by that. "He's always told me that I was protected from Voldemort because of what my mum did, and that was bound by blood. Maybe…maybe, by living with my mum's sister, I was still being guarded by that magic. No wonder he was so adamant that I stay there."
"Blood magic is certainly potent, as you've seen over the years. And extremely unpredictable, which gave you the edge over Voldemort."
"But that's the thing. The ritual he performed to bring himself back…it removed the barrier that my mum created. Surely that means the Dursleys can't protect me now."
"I can't claim to fathom the intricacies of such old magic. But perhaps that's why Dumbledore gave in eventually to this request. And he said something that is probably the only thing I've ever respected him for. He agreed to you living here because, more than anything, he wants you to be happy. There's a cold darkness approaching, Harry, and you've got to make the most of any joy you can get. That's why I want you to relax over these coming weeks. Besides doing all your homework promptly and to a high standard." He changed his voice with the last point, becoming more pompous and haughty, as if he thought that was expected of him now that he was a guardian.
"You're already changing. I've already got Hermione to remind me about homework. Then again, she's been influenced so much by me and Matthew that sometimes, very rarely, we have to remind her."
Sirius chuckled. "It's one of the best parts of surrounding yourself with good people, Harry. The way they can shape you without even knowing. You never got that with the Dursleys. I can understand why Dumbledore made you live there, even if I wish it could have been anyone other than them . I had the misfortune of meeting them once or twice. You shouldn't have suffered with them for so long. That's one of my biggest regrets in life."
"You couldn't have changed anything."
"I could have thought rationally. I could have chosen not to chase Pettigrew and given him the opportunity to deceive the entire world. Then we could have lived together for the majority of your life, instead of us starting now."
"We'll just have to make up for lost time."
Sirius clapped him on the back. "That's exactly the spirit I want to see."
"We'll only be able to do that once you actually show me where your house is," Harry pointed out.
They were just stepping out of the park, coming to a quiet road. There were cars parked beside the pavement, with terraced housing lining the over side of the street. Harry thought it looked rather innocuous and was wondering why Sirius had come to a stop, a playful glint on his eye. The issue was that Harry didn't really know what sorts of houses wizards and witches tended to live in. All he'd known was Hogwarts. Hermione obviously lived in the Muggle world and Matthew's housing arrangement was as unorthodox as they came. He was starting to ponder whether they simply lived in normal buildings, though felt that was far too mundane after what he'd seen the magical community produce. They normally preferred much more of a song and dance than that.
"You're going to love this," Sirius said.
He discreetly brought out his wand, looking both ways down the street to ensure that no one was nearby, and then knocked it twice against his knuckles. For one, brief second, nothing happened, and Harry started to question whether his godfather was playing a prank on him. He'd been famous for that sort of thing when he'd been at school so it wouldn't have surprised him too much. But Sirius appeared too cocky for what could have been a strange joke, watching Harry as if he really wanted to capture his reaction to whatever was supposed to happen.
Harry reckoned his look of awe and surprise would have been exactly what Sirius was looking for as soon as he saw the bricks begin to move. The row of terraced housing, which looked so unbelievably normal to anyone who happened to be passing by, began to spread out, forming a gap between two of the individual buildings. In the space created, a new structure slowly formed, looking exactly the same as the others. Harry was most amazed by the fact that he could see other residents in their homes, seemingly not reacting to the building moving on its own volition.
"Have I told you how much I love magic?" Harry said, his voice almost failing him.
"You might have mentioned it once or twice, yes." Sirius was smiling widely now, evidently pleased with the response. "Welcome to twelve Grimmauld Place."
He crossed the road quickly, leaving Harry behind for a few seconds whilst the boy struggled to get his legs working again. There were a set of steps leading up to the front door which his godfather took two at a time, opening the door and proudly gesturing inside, allowing Harry to enter first. He couldn't believe that this was actually about to happen. He was stepping into a home. Number Four, Privet Drive had been nothing more than a house to him, a place where he was forced to exist. Grimmauld Place had the feeling that it was somewhere where he'd be allowed to live .
Harry didn't really know what to make of it at first as he wandered inside. The hallway was rather dark and gloomy, though he was still able to spot the faded marks on the wallpaper that signified portraits had been hung there for quite some time. He noted the staircase leading to the upper floors, instantly curious about what else the house contained and how far it reached up. There were no limits when it came to magic. Sirius was hovering by the now closed door, still observing his godson closely. The small lanterns hanging on the wall weren't providing a great deal of light and Harry was worried that he'd trip over something at any given moment.
"It's not finished, of course," Sirius explained, feeling as if he needed to come up with excuses for the appearance. "You wouldn't believe how much time it's taken to just reach this point. You don't know much about my family, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. They were dark wizards, to put it lightly. Which meant that there were plenty of curses lurking behind practically every corner in this place. My main priority was ensuring it was safe to have you in here."
"I'm kind of interested in what these curses were…"
Sirius grimaced. "That's what I was worried about, which is another reason why I got rid of them." He was still looking at Harry nervously. "What do you think?"
"I haven't seen most of it yet."
"Of course, of course! What am I like? I don't know what's wrong with me. I just…want you to like it, that's all. As much as I hate my family, they left me with a great deal of money and properties. There are houses like this all over the world that have been left to go into disrepair whilst I was locked away. Grimmauld Place was probably the most solid, and the location is obviously ideal for you. All those years weren't kind to it. It needs sprucing up majorly. The thing is…I was kind of hoping…that we could do that together."
Harry looked at him eagerly. "Really?"
"I want this to be your home as much as mine. I've done my best to get rid of all the traces of the Black name so that we can start afresh. It's a blank campus. It's why I've waited until now to start properly decorating, so that you can have a proper input."
"I'd like that. Although I don't think I have much of an eye for interior designing."
"Hmm…that's the problem. Because neither do I."
"Is that you, Sirius?"
Harry was surprised to hear the familiar voice, even more so when the door to the kitchen opened, finally providing some much needed light. Lupin walked into view, an apron tied around his midriff that didn't suit him at all. There was a delightful smell emanating from the room beyond that was incredibly enticing, moving Harry's feet towards it without him really noticing.
"Professor?" he asked, having not expected this development when it really shouldn't have come as much of a surprise.
"What have I told you before now, Harry? When we're not at school, you can call me Remus. It's going to be a long summer if you carry on with that."
"Sorry…it's just…I didn't expect you to be here, that's all."
"I should have told you," Sirius murmured. "I should have asked beforehand really. I've given Remus a room in Grimmauld place. I've seen the hovel that he was holed up in when he's away from Hogwarts, and I wasn't going to allow my best friend to stay in that place for any longer."
"I've tried getting him to accept a monthly rate but he goes suspiciously deaf whenever I bring it up," Lupin commented.
"I'm sorry…did you say something?"
"Your humour has always been your worst trait, Sirius?"
"You're not fooling anyone. I can see the slight smirk on your face."
"A trick of the light, I'm sure."
Sirius nudged Harry, fearful that the boy hadn't said anything for a short while. "Are you okay with this? I know it was billed to just be us two spending time together…"
"Why would I say no to this?" Harry countered, dumbfounded by the mere notion. "My favourite professor and my godfather. And there's plenty of space from what I can tell. This has made things even better, not the other way around."
Lupin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Otherwise I probably would have been asking Dumbledore if I could stay in my private quarters over the summer. Hogwarts is a gigantic place even when it's filled to the brim with students. It can be achingly empty over these months."
"Well, if the food you're cooking tastes as good as it smells, then I'm never going to allow you to leave."
The werewolf grinned. "I thought I'd prepare a meal for you, to welcome you home. But it's not finished yet." He eyed his friend carefully. "Before you get any ideas and try sneaking a few mouthfuls before it's done."
Sirius looked aghast at the accusation. "I would never! I don't know what you think of me…"
"I don't think you want me to go into any details in front of Harry. There would certainly be some choice words. Not to mention that you're still in the phase of trying to impress the boy, and I've got a back catalogue of embarrassing stories that I'm unbelievably excited to share."
"You wouldn't dare." Sirius' face had gone ashen and pale.
Harry was more excited than ever. "I definitely want to hear these tales."
"No you don't."
"Yes I do."
"Is this what it's going to be like from now on? The both of you joining together to take me down?"
"I'm sure we'll all take it in turns to be teased," Lupin said. "I dread to think what stories you have about me. I'd like to take this opportunity to remind Harry that I was a foolish young boy a long time ago and you're not to repeat anything you hear about. It's a miracle that we survived at times."
"Now I'm really interested to hear about this," Harry replied.
Sirius shook his head. "What are you talking about, Remus? Harry has already done more rule-breaking and partaken in more general shenanigans than even we managed in our seven years at Hogwarts. And I couldn't be prouder. It almost brings a tear to my eyes."
Lupin gave him a pointed look. "As his guardian, you're not supposed to encourage that sort of behaviour."
"I'm still in the learning phase."
"Carry on with that attitude and you'll be finding your own food for tonight."
"You wouldn't do that to me."
"You know it's exactly the sort of thing I'd do. Because Harry would find it hilarious and I'm also trying to become his favourite."
Sirius put himself between Harry and Lupin as if he were protecting his godson. "This isn't a competition."
"Because you're already losing."
He was starting to lead Harry away. "I'm going to give him the grand tour of the house just so he can remember who the best bloke is here."
"And then, once you're done, it should be just in time for the splendid meal I've made to remind him who's really the best."
Harry wasn't saying much only because he was trying to take it all in. The easy banter and playful interactions that he never saw at the Dursleys. This was a completely new way of living, a much more enjoyable one. He just wanted to appreciate this moment, where it was just the three of them. Their own private life, with no one else watching or interfering. Harry knew that such moments would be few and far between, meaning he had to properly put himself in the moment. Maybe he was starting to realise why Sirius had made such a big point about enjoying the summer - because no one knew when the good moments came to an end.
He was being gently pushed up the stairs. "Have you ever noticed how you're both just two big kids?"
Sirius laughed softly. "There's nothing wrong with being childish sometimes. People tend to expect that sort of thing from me. Well, those who know me anyway. Most of the public still remember my face from the wanted posters. But no one ever believes that Remus could be just as mischievous. Yes, growing up, he was always the quietest of our group. But the silent, clever minds are usually the most creative."
"Hermione's exactly like that. Everyone else sees her as this bookish girl who has to stick to the rules, but we knew that she's actually a lot more rebellious than that."
"It's always good to have one of them around. Mainly because they usually get into less trouble, even when they're the mastermind of one of your plots. They've got the brilliant ability of sweet talking even the strictest of professors."
"Besides Snape."
"Don't be mentioning that greasy haired git's name in this house, mister."
"An instruction I can definitely follow." Harry noticed something odd along the staircase, small alcoves built into the wall at measured intervals. There were rings of dust visible, suggesting that something had been recently moved. "What are all those spaces for?"
Sirius' face darkened considerably at the question. "You don't want to know."
"If I'm living here, that should mean I don't have any secrets kept from me. That's how I want it to work. Both ways."
"So you're going to come running to me with every secret you have?"
"...maybe not every single one." There were some things that never needed sharing.
"Thank goodness. It's going to take me a while to learn how to cope with all the…you know…mushy, sensitive conversations that we're going to have. Not that I'm complaining! I want to be there for you, Harry. That's my job now. Not a job. That makes it sound like I don't want to do it. An obligation? No, that's the same problem. That's my responsibility."
Harry placed a hand on his arm to stop him talking. "Sirius? Quit rambling. I understand. And I'm sure I'll come to you whenever I need a bit of advice. Now…" He gave him a nudge. "...you were about to tell me about what's been taken out of the house…"
Sirius sighed heavily. "I've already told you that my family did things that I strongly disapproved of. One such pattern of behaviour was owning house-elves. I don't know whether you know…"
"I do, trust me. A house elf saved my life in second year."
"Did it now? That's a story you've failed to mention before."
"It involved Lucius Malfoy being thrown across a corridor."
Sirius clutched his chest. "I feel personally insulted that I haven't been told this. But that can wait. Something to share when we're sitting around the table. I never enjoyed the fact that the Blacks owned a lot of the creatures, mainly because of the way they treated them. Worst of all was when one of them would die…worked so hard that their bodies just gave up. It became a tradition to place their heads in those alcoves you've spotted. As you can guess, I wanted them out of here as soon as I returned. It's the sort of thing I want to move the Black name away from."
Harry shuddered at the mental image forming in his head. "I can imagine."
"There was an old house elf that was still alive when I arrived, who had been looking after the house over the years. But he was incredibly devoted to the Blacks, which meant he didn't like me in the slightest. He refused to serve me and I didn't want him here either. I…found his body a day later after my return. Good riddance, I say. He'd been warped by the dark magic in this place."
"But…that's been removed?" Harry was quickly coming to regret ever asking the question. "The magic?"
"...I'll just advise you to be careful. Particularly in the library. I haven't got round to clearing out the worst of the books yet."
They came onto the landing, though the staircase continued onto another floor above. There were multiple doors on that particular level, all making Harry wonder what lay inside. He was being patient however. Sirius had wanted to give him the tour and he wasn't going to ruin his special moment. And, the longer this took, the more time they got to spend together. He was already starting to see how his godfather was a much more complicated man than what appeared on the surface. Usually so jovial, there was a darkness there that had been present even before his stint in Azkaban. And yet it was only bringing Harry closer to him, because he could see how much he had grown away from his haunted youth.
"Want to see your room?"
"I've got a room?"
"Of course you've got one! Where did you think you'd be sleeping? On the sofa? Because I've tried that and it's not comfortable."
"Which one is it?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Second door on the left…yep…that's the one."
Harry basically ran over to the door, swinging it open. There wasn't much inside, though his trunk had already been placed by the end of his new bed and Hedwig's cage sat on a desk by the window. The bed had been made with a simple duvet, with a blanket set on top too. Most people would have considered it bland, yet Harry was already brimming with ideas about how he could make it his own. Just as Sirius had said with the house, the bedroom was a blank canvas for him to showcase his personality, something he'd also never had before.
"I let your owl out of its cage," Sirius explained, coming up behind him. "I bet she's going to love the park across the road." He watched as Harry continued to smile at his surroundings. "It obviously needs decorating but I thought I'd let you do that. Don't worry about the cost. I want this to be your favourite place on the planet! You could have a comfy chair over there, a cool lamp that changes colours, you could hang up a poster of your favourite quidditch team."
"I'm not…really interested in quidditch."
Sirius paused at that. "Well…we can change that over time…"
"Thank you for this."
"It's really not a lot. But it'll be great in no time."
"It's already brilliant as it is though."
Sirius looked at him sadly before bringing him close. "I'll forever hate that family for making you feel as if you don't deserve the best the world has got to offer. But I'm going to change that, mark my words. Now…fancy looking in the library before Remus calls us down?"
"I thought you said there was dangerous stuff in there…"
"Only a tiny amount, if I keep you away from certain things…I can show you Matthew's room too, and Hermione's. I put her upstairs, next to the library because, from all accounts, I've heard she rather likes books."
"They've got rooms too?"
"As if they wouldn't! They'll be staying at some point, I'm sure of it. You can barely be separated, you three. And, like I said, there's plenty of space. They're a big part of your life and I want to bring that here. I want to be a part of it. I've already been talking to the Grangers about taking Hermione off their hands for a while."
"How did you do that?"
"I may have asked Matthew how to work a telephone."
Harry snorted with laughter as he followed Sirius out the room, looking forward to exploring more and starting to think that this had the making of the best summer to date.
