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NOTE: I'm going to update only once a week now because I've got summer school and I can't get on the computer during the day. In three weeks I should be updating normally again.

Chapter 3

Grimmauld Place was not the same worn down, moldy old house when Harry had left it back in his 5th year. It was buzzing with people, in and out, and it was once again restored to what it must have looked like in its glory days. The outside, though it couldn't be seen by anyone who didn't know about it, was sparkling clean and shiny. The steps were polished and the inside of the house clean and cobweb free. It looked like a place a lawyer would work in, fine and ordered with everything filed away under something appropriate.

Hermione Granger, a bushy haired girl in Harry's year, also his best friend, was standing next to Nymphadora Tonks, talking rather rapidly while filing some things away in a filing cabinet. Fred and George Weasley, the twins that followed in the Marauder footsteps, and their brother Ron, who was Harry's other best friend, were sitting at a table with their older brothers, Bill and Charlie, one of which who worked in Gringotts, the other which worked in Romania with dragons.

"Harry," Hermione shouted as soon as she got a glimpse of her best friends unkempt hair. She thrust all the remaining files at Tonks and rushed at him.

He barely got his arms open in time to accept the running girl but he managed. He hugged her as she gave him her trademark bone-crushing hug. "Hey, 'Mione," he said, holding her at arms length and drinking in her smiling face.

"How did you like my gift," she asked, a mischievous look in her eyes.

He smiled slightly but shook his head. "I didn't get to look at anyone's gift, 'Mione. Sorry. I read your letter and Ron's letter and then passed out. I was getting around to it though."

She stared at him searchingly for a few moments before shrugging it off. "I think you'll like it," she said. "It took me ages to find and I had to get it through a lot of unsavory people." Her eyes flicked to Mundungus Fletcher.

"Hermione, what did you do," Harry asked in a serious tone.

Hermione shrugged and looked back to him. "Nothing. It's just that they are really hard to find. It's not illegal or anything so don't worry about it." She paused and a thoughtful look came over her face. "Or at least I don't think it's illegal."

"If I get caught, I'm blaming you," he said over his shoulder as he walked off in the direction of the Weasleys. He smiled playfully at her as the stunned look vanished from her face as she realized he had only been joking.

"Hey, Ron, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie," Harry said in a long breath as he plopped down at the table with them. A chorus of hello's were greeted back.

"How's your summer been, Harry," Charlie asked, turning away from his conversation with Bill.

Harry shrugged. "Muggles weren't so bad so it was all right, I suppose. How about you all? How long have you been here?"

"Well," Ron started, "Charlie and Bill have been here off and on all summer. Fred, George, and I have only just got her last night. Hermione, too. Any idea why we were called?"

"Something to do with Voldemort, I suppose," he said offhandedly as he gazed pointedly at the back of Dumbledore's head.

Dumbledore was talking rapidly to McGonagall and a black haired kid that Harry didn't recognize at all, at least by looking at the back of his head also. The old Headmaster seemed to feel Harry's gaze and raised piercing blue eyes on his student. The look was penetrating but Harry couldn't seem to look away. It wasn't until Ron started shaking him that he came back to himself.

"Hey, mate, what's wrong," Ron asked, looking at him oddly. Fred and the others seemed oblivious to the conversation.

Harry shrugged. "Nothing, Ron. Just got lost there a minute," he lied. He looked back to Dumbledore but found him gone, along with McGonagall and the other boy.

"Well, fancy a game of chess," Ron asked, pulling a board from the other table.

"Sure," Harry said as he shook his head.

"Sorry, Ron," Sirius said, appearing by Harry's side. "Harry has some things to sort out at the moment."

Ron looked a little crestfallen but nodded. "Rain check," Harry asked.

Ron brightened. "Sure. Anytime."

Sirius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and began directing him up the stairs. The halls were brightly lit, it seemed not a crack was dark. The floor was so polished that you could see your reflection in it. Harry smiled at the situation of it and chuckled softly.

"What's so funny, Harry," Sirius asked, smiling and slowing his pace so that he was walking beside Harry in the huge hallways.

Harry shook his head as his smile widened. "Nothing, Sirius. Just thinking about how this house used to look. It's just like you tore the old one down and put up this shiny new one."

Sirius smiled slightly. "We've all gone to hell and back to restore and erase this house. Especially Moony and me. All the Hogwarts staff has been around helping also. Except that Divination woman."

Harry laughed, a sound of joy. "Do you know how many times she predicts my death each year? She once said that you were going to kill me in third year."

Sirius gave a dramatic gasp and put a hand to his heart and mock hurt. "I, the all around lovable, devastatingly handsome, Sirius Black? No."

Harry burst out into uncontrollable fits of laughter. When he finally managed to stop laughing both he and Sirius clapped each other on the back and smiled fondly. "Thanks, Sirius. I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

Sirius gave Harry a sort of half hug and smiled. "That's what I'm here for, Harry. I'm always here if you need me."

Harry looked up suddenly and frowned. "Where are we going?"

"To your room."

"My own room?"

He chuckled. "Harry, Harry, Harry. Come now, if you are going to be living with me you are going to have a room. No more sharing." He stopped at a door and flung the door open. "Voila."

Harry stepped into the room and looked around in awe. There was a huge bed in middle of the room covered in red and gold. The carpet was a deep red, and the walls gold. It was like someone just took two colors of paint and threw them around in the room. There wasn't any other color in the room except red and gold. Well, except the colors of the brooms and snitches painted on the walls. It was any Gryffindor's idea bedroom, complete with a comfortable looking squishy arm chair next to the fire place.

Sirius broke the silence first, seemingly unnerved by Harry's long silence. He had expected any kind of reaction, just not silence. "What do you think, Harry," he asked. "It's only temporary, you know. You can do it any which way you like."

Harry turned to Sirius with tears shining in his eyes. "It's wonderful, Sirius," he said, fighting to hold back the tears. "I've never seen anything so wonderful… And it's mine…"

Sirius seemed at a loss for words as the young Gryffindor flung himself into his Godfather's arms, where he promptly burst into tears. Sirius looked up just in time to see Remus in the doorway.

"What did you do," Remus mouthed, concern and worry flashing over his face.

Sirius's face turned indignant. "I didn't do anything," he mouthed back, a little angry. "Help me."

Remus's face broke out into a smile and he shook his head. "Nope, you're on your own on this one, Padfoot," he mouthed and backed away from the doorway and continued on to his own room up the hall.

Sirius shifted awkwardly and patted Harry on the back. "Of course, it's yours, buddy," Sirius said quietly. "Come on, dry those eyes. We've got to get back downstairs."

Harry pulled away and quickly dried his face. "Sorry," he mumbled, blushing.

"Don't worry about it, kiddo." His own eyes wandered around the room and fell on the pile of letters and presents by the bed. "You still haven't opened your things yet?"

Harry shook his head. "Nope. I got Dumbledore's letter after I read Hermione's letter and just packed it all up. I'm getting around to it."

"Don't let me forget, but I have something that I think you should have now. Mind you, I've just now found it while cleaning out the attic. It was very important to Lily and James, and I have no doubt that they would want you to have it now. Remus and I will give it to you together."

"When?"

"After you get some shut-eye," Sirius said, eyeing Harry as he yawned widely. "I don't think you got much sleep, did you?"

"Not much," Harry said.

"Well, get to sleep. We'll talk later." Harry nodded as he climbed on his new bed and fell right to sleep.

NOTE: This chapter was mainly to eastablish Harry's place in Grimmauld Place.

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