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Having watched Harry and McGonagle disappear in green flames Lana was really glad she was aparating. Sure she knew the flames didn't hurt, but damn it goes against all her instincts to walk into a burning fireplace.
Potter manor was even grander than Lana had ever imagined. As they "landed" at the path leading up to the front door, the feeling of being welcome greeted them. Lana had always though that a magic infused manor would be an intimidating thing to behold, but this one somehow managed to look welcoming. The whole manor was white and tasteful, with the tiled roof being a spotless black. The columns that stood on either side of the double doors leading into the house was covered in red roses, giving the entrance a bit of color.
Albus and Lana easily walked through the doors and was greeted by McGonagle, Harry and a house elf, in the cutest little flower dress, that was already fussing over baby Harry. As the house elf noticed Dumbledore, she stopped her fussing and bowed deeply, in return Dumbledore gave the house elf a little bow himself and you could see the house elf's eyes shining with gratitude and respect for Dumbledore. Clearly it was a house elf that was used to being treated kindly and with respect from wizards, but still knew of the horrors she could be experiencing being a house elf. As the house elf noticed Lana her eyes narrowed slightly.
Lana quickly stepped forward to introduce herself, she guessed even if Dumbledore had told them she was coming, it was a stranger in Harry's life.
"Hi, I am Lana Erikson, it is lovely to meet you, I hope we will work nicely together in the next couple of days to take care of this little rascal" Lana said and looked over towards Harry and McGonagle. As she said this she made a bow towards the house elf, this seem to at least move some suspicion from the elf's eyes.
"I am a muggle as you guys call it, so I will likely appreciate any help you can offer, you being able to do a lot more than me" Lana explained and it didn't look like the house elf expected a human to put herself below that of a house elf.
"I am Rose, the head elf here at Potter manor, it gives me great joy that a Potter is back in the manor, and I will help with everything you need in taking care of James' little boy" Grief shined in the elf's big eyes as she mentioned James. Rose had clearly been her a while Lana concluded.
"Right then, maybe you can show miss Eri⦠Lana, where she and Harry will be staying?" Dumbledore asked Rose, who happily took Harry from McGonagle. Lana thought it looked a little funny Harry being carried around by someone about the same size as him, Harry clearly thought the same as he looked at Rose with big eyes. But he didn't look scared, so he was probably somewhat used to house elves. Lana followed behind Rose as they walked up the staircase on the right side of the grand entrance hall they had been standing in.
"If it is not to forwards miss Erikson, Dumbledore did inform us, me and the other house elves, that you would be staying here to help take care of Harry until Sirius arrives, but what credentials do you have to be taking care of a child? You do not look like you have carried a child yourself" Rose asked as she scrutinized her. Lana didn't know if she was to take that as some kind of compliment but seeing as one really couldn't see if someone had been pregnant at some point, she chalked it up to elf magic.
"No thankfully I don't have a child of my own, then I don't think I'd be able to stay here, I'd be a sobbing mess doing everything I could to get back home" Lana didn't know if she had said to much seeing as she didn't know what Dumbledore had told the elf about her situation, but Rose didn't seem to react to her slip of the tongue.
"But I do have a bachelors degree which qualifies me as a kindergarten teacher and I've worked in kindergarten for some years now, so technically I am very qualified to take care of Harry. But besides the bachelors degree, I am just a very loving person who believes that every child has the right to be loved, feel loved and feel secure, and that is what I find most important in this instance with Harry, I'm not here to do pedagogical work with him" Lana explained. Rose seemed very happy with Lana's reply, both that she actually was educated on the field but also that she acknowledged the importance of love.
"I very much agree with you miss" Rose said and gave Lana her first smile. Lana had a feeling that the two would get along great.
Downstairs Dumbledore and McGonagle was talking.
"I do feel we can trust miss Lana, but are you sure about this Albus, we did just meet her" McGonagle said and looked towards the upstairs.
"I have complete faith in Lana, and she is a muggle, therefor she wouldn't be able to, under any circumstances, to lie with the veritiserum. Besides Minerva, she had all the opportunity to harm Harry when she had him when she thought she was alone, she didn't, she took care of him. I don't see any deception in her. Also there are about 7 house elves here, she wouldn't be able to do anything even if she tried, but she won't, she doesn't have it in her" Dumbledore replied, putting what little doubt McGonagle had to rest.
"No you're right, besides, she needs protections just as much as Harry"
"Yes I believe she will be of great importance if she stays here, and as of now I believe she will be, unless whatever brought her here brings her back, then I do not know how I can help her. I will reach out and try and get help without revealing her, but I don't have much hope I'm afraid" Dumbledore explained.
"Then we must make her feel welcome here, I don't think I will ever be able to imagine what she must be going through" McGonagle said decidedly.
Lana, Rose and Harry had just finished with the "tour" of her room and connected bathroom, which had, to Lana's great relief, been filled with baby supplies of diapers, wipes, washcloths and so much more, and of course a changing station.
"Has master Harry had anything to eat miss?" Rose asked Lana after she had put Harry down on the floor on a multicolored blanket full of toys. Harry grabbed all the ones within his grasp of where he was sitting. He didn't seem to bother with crawling over to the ones further away.
"Yes he ate about 20 minutes ago, so he is good to go for a little while longer" Lana replied.
"What about you miss Erikson, are you hungry?" Rose asked
"please Rose, call me Lana" just as she said this her stomach made a loud noise reminding Lana that she was in fact starving. Laughing Lana happily agreed to food.
"I can help you, do you also want food or? I'm not really sure how this all works, no offense but I don't really know that much about house elves" Lana said looking a bit embarrassed. She had read the books and seen the films but didn't really know that much about the day to day of a house elf.
"That is okay miss Lana, we house elves eat by ourselves trough out the day" rosa happily replied.
"By yourselves? Wouldn't it be better to eat with us?" Lana replied.
"What I meant was all of us house elves have meals together throughout the day, this is how things work miss, we are very respected and treated very well here at the Potters, but we also like to be a bit by ourselves. But do not misunderstand me, our whole life is the Potter family, and that is a very respectable family to work for, so we are extremely grateful" Rosa explained, it was easy to hear that she was really proud of her work. Lana was not the one to come in and start some kind of S.P.E.W for house elves that loved what they did.
"I am sure they are also very grateful for you as well, I sure am! Don't know how I would deal the next few days all on my own with only a baby in a whole new world for me, I'm only a muggle afterall" Lana expressed her gratitude, Rose was really easy to talk to and she knew she would enjoy her company the next few days, hopefully get her to loosen up a bit to. Maybe get a laugh from the elf.
