A/N: Thank you all for reviewing I'm glad that so many of you have enjoyed the story so far. I'll address your questions at the end of the chapter. Here is Chapter 3 and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as my other readers have.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing from the world of HP, it all belongs to the fabulous JK Rowling.

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Chapter 3 ~ Gryffindor Manor

Harry went to bed early, full of excitement. He couldn't wait to leave the Burrow the next day and see for the first time the home that had once been his parents'.

Dumbledore had stayed in the kitchen to explain how things stood to the others. He looked forward to spending his birthday, which was three days away, at the Manor.

He fell asleep with visions of a welcoming house. He didn't care if was big or small, the only thing he cared about was the fact that it was his.

Harry awoke earlier than anybody else. The sun's rays were beginning to peek in the horizon, only Minnie seemed to be the only other being stirring at that hour.

"Minnie." Hissed Harry as he notice the small elf cleaning the water in the fish tank where a large frog sat atop a big rock.

"Yes, Master Harry?" Minnie hopped eagerly toward Harry.

"Are all my things, packed? I forgot to do it last night." Harry whispered, he didn't want to wake Ron up.

"Minnie did it, Master Harry." The elf piped happily.

"Good. Thank you Minnie. How long do we have to wait, do you think?" Harry looked out the open window, it was clear that they wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"Minnie heard Professor Dumbledore say the car arrives at noon, Master Harry." Minnie replied as she started to straighten the sheets on Harry's bed.

Harry was standing by the window looking down at the backyard, where he could see Crookshanks run after the gnomes. He knew that he should return to bed, there was no reason for him to stay up, but he was too excited he knew that he wasn't going to be able to fall asleep once more. He wished he could go outside and run a lap in the backyard, it would serve as a way to get rid of his anxiety. But he had orders to stay inside and not to leave the house on his own. He was sure that the fact that everybody was sleeping inside wouldn't serve as an excuse if he stepped out and he didn't want to get into trouble, especially on this day when he was leaving for his new home.

He heard Ron stirring in his bed.

"What time is it?" Ron mumbled as he tried to keep a yawn from escaping.

"Is still early." Harry said.

Ron groaned and lay back down on the bed. "Why you up?"

"Couldn't sleep any longer." Replied Harry.

"Hmmm."

"Go back to sleep, there still a few hours of sleep to go." Harry said.

"Uh-huh." Yawned Ron.

Harry turned back to look out the window, he was sure that Ron was fast asleep. He stood by the window watching the sun getting higher and higher on the horizon.

He didn't know how long he stayed in front of the window, but at some time he heard somebody climbing down the stairs down to the kitchen. The sun was shining brightly upon the land and the golden rays streamed through the open window lighting up the room.

Harry finally moved from the window, his bed had been straightened and his trunk was set by the door waiting to be moved later. Minnie was no longer in the room. He was sure that she was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast for them.

He walked up to the trunk and opened it to search for some clothes. Minnie had put everything in order and Harry was sure that she had also cleaned all his things. He dressed hurriedly and stuffed his pajamas in his trunk.

Ron was stirring again. "What's happening?" He mumbled as he opened his eyes slowly and looked around the room in sleepy confusion.

"I'm going down to breakfast." Said Harry.

"Right." Ron groaned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Harry hurried down the stairs, he could hear voices in the kitchen, and the smells of food drifted up to him.

"Good morning." He exclaimed as he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning."

"Good morning Harry!" Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley greeted him.

"Slept well?" Asked Mr. Weasley smiling down at the eager expression that graced Harry's countenance.

"Yes, thank you." Harry replied and sat down at the table.

Minnie promptly served him a plate and hopped back to the stove to prepare more food.

"Excited about today?" Asked Mr. Weasley.

"Yes, very." Harry smiled looking up at him.

"I'm sure you'll like the Manor, I've heard that it is one of the most productive estates in England." Said Mr. Weasley.

Harry looked at Mr. Weasley with surprise. "How do you know?"

"Somebody mentioned it." Mr. Weasley said thoughtfully. "Can't remember now who was it, but I believe you can find information about it in the Ministry's library."

"Is it very big?" Harry asked curiously. Now that he knew that it belonged to him, he was curious about it.

"I'm not sure, I've heard that it is. Can't tell you if it's true. You should ask Remus, he is bound to know more about it than I do." Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

Harry nodded excitedly, how had he forgotten about Professor Lupin? He had been one of his father's best friends, he must have been in the Manor at some time. Mr. Weasley was right, Professor Lupin was the only one he knew who could tell him about Gryffindor Manor. He wondered if he should send Hedwig to Professor Lupin, asking for him to come this morning. Harry wasn't sure if he would be among those who would accompany him to the Manor and he didn't want to wait to know more about his father's home.

No sooner had he decided to send Hedwig that a pop was heard in the sitting room and Lupin's voice had drifted back to them. "Hello!"

"In here Remus." Mrs. Weasley called back.

Remus Lupin walked into the Weasley's kitchen, with a bright smile on his face. "Good morning. It seems that it's going to be a good day."

He was clearly in a good mood that morning, Harry thought.

"Good morning." The Weasleys answered.

"Good morning, Professor. I wonder if I could speak to you for a moment." Harry said.

"Of course, if you wish." Lupin said a little surprised. He sat beside Harry and Minnie was soon at his side with a plate in her hands. "Thank you Minnie. How can I help you, Harry?"

Harry looked nervously at his former professor. Now that he was at his side, he didn't know how to begin. "Hmmm"

Lupin looked questioningly at him. "Something on your mind, Harry?"

"Well. I wondered Professor, if.if you could tell me about he Manor." Harry finally said.

Lupin smiled at Harry and turned to look out the window, with a dreamy look in his eyes. "It is a wonderful place Harry, I'm sure you'll love it. Your father did. He loved the land, he loved the people, he loved everything about it." He said after a moment in thought.

"Is it big?" Harry asked eagerly.

"The house itself is very large, Harry. A large central area holds all the public rooms, there are two wings at each end, one holds the family quarters while the other one holds the guest rooms. There are fifty bedrooms total, twenty of which are in the private wing. The central block holds the entrance hall, which leads to the book room at one side and the sitting room and dining room at the other, a large staircase leads up to the second floor. A dome is centered above the hall. There is a gallery around the dome, looking down at the hall. At the landing above the stairs are two large doors, they open into the ballroom." Lupin said, thinking dreamily about his friend's house.

Harry listened attentively, trying to picture the house as Lupin described it.

"That is a new thing." Lupin said abruptly. "It was the last change James approved before you had to go into hiding. There was nothing there before, only two corridors at each end of the gallery leading to the wings. The ballroom used to be beside the dinning room, two large doors used to lead into it. The kitchens were behind the stairs, there was not entrance into them of course, only a small corridor between the ballroom and the kitchens led to the dinning room, I think there was also a narrow door into the entrance hall."

"Why did he change the ballroom above the staircase?" Harry asked with curiosity.

Lupin looked thoughtful at this question, whether considering what to say. Finally, with a sigh, he answered. "There was a fire that began in the nursery early in the summer of that year. The family rooms suffered greatly and the ballroom ceiling was scorched. Your father then decided to move the ballroom into its present position. The move made the ballroom and the dinning room larger than they were before. A small conservatory was built into the remaining space that had been the ballroom." Lupin explained.

Harry was silent, Lupin had not said what had caused the fire, but he had a feeling that Voldemort was behind it. Especially since the fire had begun in the nursery, there was only one person who would occupy the nursery, Harry.

Lupin sighed sadly before continuing. "The grounds are extensive. There are kitchen gardens and green houses behind the house, on the west side of the estate is a lake. Not as big as Hogwarts, but it is large enough, there is a small island in the middle, your grandfather built a folly in it, in the greek, classical style. Columns all around holding up a dome. There are benches and sofas inside. Between the public rooms and the lake are several gardens, even a couple of mazes. On the east side is a topiary, it leads into a some enclosed gardens, but the doors connecting them are always open. Farther east is a vast orchard. You'll like what it's in the middle of it." Lupin smiled and looked mischievously at Harry.

"What is it?" Asked Harry, he liked what he heard so far, he couldn't wait to see it all.

"You'll see, I think I'll leave it for you to find." Laughed Lupin.

"What about the neighbors?" Harry asked.

"Hmmm.Not many bordering the estate, that's what makes it a little isolated, but there is the village a few miles away." Lupin said.

"Was it there that my parents married? Professor Dumbledore said that it was at the Manor that they said their vows." Harry said.

"Not in the village. There's a small chapel in the estate about a mile from the Manor near the surrounding woods. The Dower House is about a mile from it." Lupin said.

"The Dower House?" Harry asked in confusion.

"It's a small house in the grounds, a little farther from the Manor, to make it more private. Your grandmothers lived there after Lily and James married. It's the custom if the mother survives the father of the heir of the house." Lupin explained.

"When did they die?" softly, Harry asked. He assumed that they were dead, as he couldn't imagine Dumbledore leaving him with Aunt Petunia if any of his grandparents had been alive at the time.

Lupin looked sadly down at Harry. "They died in the fire." He said softly.

Harry looked down at his plate. It was empty, he had eaten without notice as he listened to Lupin describe the Manor.

"Wow, that's smells great!" Ron's voice cut through the silence.

"Sit down Ron!" Mrs. Weasley said as they heard other footsteps coming down the stairs.

Lupin fell silent as the rest of the Weasleys appeared in the kitchen ready to begin their day. Fred and George had decided to close the store for the day, as it had been decided that they would accompany Harry to his new home. Dumbledore had made Mr. and Mrs. Weasley along with Remus Lupin, temporary guardians to Harry and as such, they would live with him as long as he stayed in the Manor.

"When are we leaving?" Asked Ginny as she chewed her toast carefully.

"The cars should be here at noon. I hope you're all packed." Mrs. Weasley said, looking sternly down at her children.

"All done." Said the twins. "I hope there is a room we can use for our experiments Harry." They said looking hopefully at Harry.

"I'm sure we can find one for you to use." Said Harry looking questioningly at Lupin.

"I'm sure there's one." Smiled Lupin.

Fred and George looked satisfied at this and turned their attention to their food.

"I hope the elves are treated fairly." Said Hermione in a stern tone. Harry and Ron looked at each other with suffering looks, while Ginny groaned and Fred and George rolled their eyes. Even Minnie looked at Hermione with a worried expression.

Lupin smiled at Hermione. "There is nothing to worry about Hermione, the elves belonging to the Potter estate have more freedom than any other. They receive wages, even though they had never touched them and are just accumulating in a Gringotts vault. When they get sick, the estate pays for their care. They even have days off, I think it's once a week, if they care to take it. The only thing they don't have is clothes, but that's because they don't wish for it." Lupin explained.

Everybody turned to look at him with surprise.

"Well! I'm glad one wizard family knows how to care for their servants." Said Hermione happily. "I'm sorry Harry," she said turning to look at Harry, "for thinking that your family didn't care for their elves. I should've known that your family would know the difference between slavery and service." She smiled brightly at Harry.

"They are different from other wizards, indeed. I have never heard of a family caring so for their elves." Exclaimed Mr. Weasley.

"The Potters were very aware of their place in the Wizarding World. But they also have a strong sense of justice, and do what they must to do what is right." Lupin replied.

"They have their own vault?" Exclaimed Ron, who was obviously stricken by the idea of elves having gold accumulating in Gringotts.

"Yes, it was first opened a few hundred years ago, each elf has a key to it. But as far as I know, they have never touched it and it has been allowed to accumulate all this long." Lupin said.

Fred and George whistled in awe.

"Can you imagine how much gold there is in that vault if they haven't touched it for hundreds of years." Asked Fred looking at his twin in surprise.

"There would be enough to open a Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes store in every country in the world." Said George.

"Now, boys." Exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, even though Harry was sure that she was also thinking of all that gold lying unused in a dark vault.

"Well, they deserve it." Exclaimed Hermione. "They have worked hard for centuries, they deserved to be paid for their labor, if they don't wish to touch it, that's their concern."

"We're not begrudging the money, Hermione." Said Ron. "But aren't you a little curious about how much there might be after a few hundred years? Just imagine how much gold it's in there."

"Well, I suppose I am a little curious." Hermione said grudgingly.

"How many elves are there?" Asked Ginny.

Lupin seemed to think about it before answering. "There are the three personal elves, Lotty, Otty and Minnie. Then there are about eight house elves, I don't know the exact number. Some were lost in a fire fifteen years ago." He said.

"That's more than enough for a large house." Said Mr. Weasley.

"Well, they only work in the kitchen and light the fires and clean the private rooms only. The public rooms and guest rooms are cleaned by the human servants." Lupin explained.

"There are human servants too!" Exclaimed Harry, who had listened in silence as the others had made their questions.

"There are three chamber maids that take care of the guest rooms. Two parlor maids that clean the public areas along with the footmen, there are two of them, then there is Mrs. Nichols, she's the housekeeper, and Mr. Roberts, the butler." Lupin said as he pushed aside his plate and leaned back on his chair. He seemed happy to answer all their questions. For fifteen years he had kept quiet about it, now he seemed to have a need to talk about the Manor.

"Wow, mum. You won't have to do any more cleaning for a while." Ron exclaimed.

"Oh, dear, I don't know if I can cope." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.

"Don't worry about it." Said Lupin. "Lily wasn't used to it either and she did good. You'll like Mrs. Nichols, great woman. She'll report to you and you'll chose the menus and the rooms that need cleaning."

"Are they the only servants?" Asked Hermione with curiosity, it was clear that this was a subject that she hadn't learned from a book.

"They are the ones that you'll encounter inside the house. There are the gardeners and the tenants." Lupin said.

"How many total?" Asked Mr. Weasley with curiosity. Dumbledore had assured him that he wouldn't be in charge of the estate business, he knew that he would never make the wise decisions that came with the position, and hearing Lupin describe it all, he was glad that he wasn't expected to care for it.

"Let me see." Lupin seemed thoughtful. "There are ten tenant families living in the grounds, they care for five acres of land each. Then there are the hands that work the remaining hundred acres, twenty-five of them. There is the caretaker and his three assistants to care for the woods separating the land around the house from the agricultural land. The gardeners, five of them. There are the kennels, Steward took charge of it after his father died ten years ago, he has two assistants. The stables and the garage. Not a lot of cattle, only a few, two grooms to care for them, and the driver for the cars. And the servants in the house. About a hundred, if not more."

Harry sat in silence. A hundred people, living on his land; and all of them depending on him for their living. He finally understood what Dumbledore meant the night before. He was indeed too young for such responsibility. For the first time since the news that he had a home, he was afraid of what it all meant for him. He was afraid that he would make a mistake and a hundred people would suffer for it.

Lupin seemed to understand how he felt. "You have nothing to worry about, Harry." He said. "There's also Mr. Stuart and he's the estate manager, he has been in charge of all the responsibilities in the estate for the past thirty-five years and he will teach you what you need to learn to care for your land. James learned more from him than he did from his own father and he did great, and he was no older than you when he started learning about the estate with Mr. Stuart."

Harry smiled with relief. It was good to know, he thought, that his father had the same troubles he was about to encounter. Although, Harry thought, his father had an advantage for having grown up in the Manor, Harry had only just learned of it.

"I'm glad I'm not you Harry." Ron said. "I don't think I can take that much responsibility."

"Humph!" Hermione glared at Ron. "You can't take any kind of responsibility."

"Hey! I'm a prefect, in case you have forgotten." Ron exclaimed.

"Much good that is, you were no help whatsoever." Hermioned yelled back.

Harry sighed with exasperation. He knew they were going to continue arguing for a while yet.

Everybody seemed to have lost their curiosity about the Manor as they all started to talk about the things they were taking and what was being left behind. Harry looked around for the first time since he had entered the kitchen and noticed several crates piled against the walls. Some had been sealed and waited to be moved while others stood open waiting to be filled. He noticed Minnie puling everything from the shelves and pegs in the wall and placing them into some of the waiting boxes and crates.

Harry noticed Mrs. Weasley motioning with her wand at several things around the room and packing them in boxes around the kitchen. Harry turned to look at Mr. Weasley, who was smiling as he watched his wife complete her packing. He might have sensed Harry's eyes on him because he turned to look at him.

"Some things are going to go into storage, only our personal items and family heirlooms are going to move with us." Said he.

Harry nodded his understanding and watched as Mrs. Weasley shrunk the large clock before rolling it in paper and packing it safely into a small box. Harry knew that the clock was very special for Mrs. Weasley.

"Come you lot. Bill is busy in the sitting room finishing with his packing. Are you all done?'' Mr. Weasley asked to his children.

"I'm done. I just need help with the boxes." Said Ginny.

"We're done. We brought all our boxes down last night." Said Fred.

"Minnie did mine, I guess she did them when she did Harry's." Said Ron.

Hermione glared at Ron. "I only have my trunk." She said.

"Very well. We only have a couple of hours left, so if you still need to pack, you must do it now. Make sure you don't forget anything, please. We're not going to be returning any time soon." Mr. Weasley said.

The family broke into groups and for the next couple of hours boxes, crates and trunks were brought down and divided into two sets, those that were being taken to the Manor and those that would stay in storage. Lupin took Minnie and disapparated. "I'll see if things are ready for your arrival." He explained to Harry before he left.

Harry helped Ron and Ginny move the boxes and crates from their rooms, down to the sitting room, where everything was being placed. Hermione was in the yard trying to get Crookshanks to step into his basket and tried to keep Hedwig and Pig's cages out of the way. The Burrow was in chaos until at last everything settled down and the time to depart was near.

A cart had been brought in front of the house and all the crates and boxes for storage were piled into it. Harry stood by the window watching the cart driving away with many shrunken crates and boxes and bouncing down the lane. Bill and Mr. Weasley had gone along with the driver.

"I hope it doesn't take them long." Whispered Ginny as she stood by Harry watching the cart disappear round the bend.

"I'm sure they'll come back presently." Hermione said behind her.

"Why are they going in a cart?" Harry asked Ron. He was surprised to see the muggle vehicle packed with their boxes.

"Mum and dad are using a muggle building to store the furniture. Dad thought it would be safer if they used a muggle cart instead of any magical form of transportation." Ron explained.

The sitting room behind them was almost empty. The furniture had been stored and only the trunks and boxes that would accompany the family to Gryffindor Manor were piled against one of the walls.

"Where's mum?" Asked Ginny as she looked around the room.

Harry shrugged.

"Last time I saw her, she was upstairs checking the rooms." Hermione replied.

They didn't remain alone for long. Fred and George stumbled into the room, bearing in their arms several boxes.

"Phew! I thought we were never going to be done." Sighed Fred.

George nodded and looked at the others. "What are you lot doing?"

"Waiting." Said Ginny.

"I wish the furniture hadn't been sent to storage yet." Exclaimed Ron as he entered the room and looked around the floor, as if searching for something.

"Why?" Asked Hermione as she sat on the floor with her legs crossed.

"Because I don't want to sit on the floor." Ron replied.

"Honestly!" Many voices exclaimed at once.

"What?" Ron exclaimed back. "I just don't want to."

There were several groans in the room that were promptly stifled as the footsteps of Mrs. Weasley were heard in the kitchen.

"Are you all ready?" She asked.

"Yes." They all answered.

"Good. The cars should be here soon."

"What kind of cars are they sending?" Asked Ginny. "I don't think all this can fit in any cars."

"They can be squeezed in Ginny." Fred said in a mocking tone.

"They said they would send a truck for the boxes." Replied Mrs. Weasley.

"What about dad and Bill. They're not back yet?" Said Ron.

"They won't be long." Mrs. Weasley answered. "And we can wait for them if the cars come before they do." Said Mrs. Weasley.

Harry turned to look out the window once more. He didn't care if they had to wait outside, inside or any other place, he just couldn't wait to drive off.

Loud pops snapped him out of his thoughts and turned to see Mr. Weasley and Bill talking softly to Mrs. Weasley.

The sounds of an engine was heard and everybody turned to the window to watch a couple of cars and vans stop before the house.

"Please hurry, everybody grab a box and pile it into a van." Mrs. Weasley called over the chaos that broke instantly as the time for departure arrived.

Harry grabbed his trunk and Hedwig's cage and stepped into the yard. He saw the driver that had driven him and his guard to the Burrow a few days ago.

"Here Master Harry, give those to me." The driver said eagerly and quickly disposed of the trunk and cage.

"Thanks." Murmured Harry as he watched the rest of the Weasleys trudging down the yard with their boxes and trunks in their arms or floating behind them.

"Harry, help me with this, would you?" Exclaimed Ron behind a couple of boxes in his arms. The boxes were big enough to cover his eye from seeing anything before him.

Harry hurried to Ron and took one of the boxes.

"Thanks." Sighed Ron as both walked to the van waiting further down the lane.

Several people appeared around the vehicles. Harry stopped abruptly looking wildly around. For an instant he thought they were being attacked before he noticed Tonks waving excitedly at them.

"Wondered when they would get here." Said Ron smiling at Harry.

"You knew they were coming?" Harry asked with surprise.

"Of course, you didn't think Dumbledore was going to let us go without your guard, did you?" Ron said walking rapidly to the waiting vans.

Harry didn't respond. He should've known that the guard would come with them. He just never thought about it, he was much too excited about the idea of going to the Manor that for a while he had forgotten about Voldemort, the Order and about Sirius.

"You lot go into the cars. We'll help with the packing." Ordered Lupin as he waited Harry and Ron to arrive at the van with their boxes. "How are you doing?" He asked Harry as he took the box in Harry's arms.

"Fine." Harry said. He didn't want to confess that he was very nervous.

Lupin peered closely at him. To Harry's relief he didn't say anything more, he nodded and motioned them to the standing cars. "You go in the first car, Harry. Ron and Hermione can go with you."

"Come on." Said Ron as he pulled Harry to the first car before them.

The driver had finished with Harry's and Hermione's luggage. Hedwig and Pig's cages stood by the open door and Hermione stood waiting with Crookshank's basket in her arms.

"Let's get in." Said Harry and climbed into the waiting car.

The car was the same one he rode on his way to the Burrow. Martin, the driver sat waiting behind the wheel.

"Wow!" Exclaimed Ron as he entered the car and settled by Harry on one of the side seats. "I could get used to this." He smiled at Harry.

Harry smiled back. So could he.

"Honestly, Ron. You sound like you have never ridden in a car before." Hermione said as she placed the basket by Hedwig's cage on the back seat.

"Not in one like this." Ron shot back.

"Well, this one does look to be rather elegant." Hermione said as she looked around.

"Elegant? This is more than elegant, Hermione. This is expensive." Ron replied as he started to open the compartments under the seat. "Look, it even has a cooler."

"The only thing missing is a TV." Laughed Harry.

Ron looked confused for a minute, before Hermione exclaimed with exasperation. "You really should have taken Muggle Studies! A TV is a television, kind of like a box with an antenna, that allows you to receive radio waves and lets you see a picture that it's actually taken somewhere else." She explained.

Harry smiled at Ron's face of utter confusion, it seemed that Hermione's explanation didn't help at all.

"Never mind. It's a muggle thing." Harry said.

There was no time for further discussion as Lupin and Tonks climbed into the car.

"All set?" Tonks asked with a sunny smile.

"Yes. We have all our things." Hermione said.

"Martin, you can start the car." Lupin ordered the driver.

The engine started and a few seconds later the car drove down the lane. Harry and Ron turned back to watch the Burrow disappear round the bend.

*~*~*~*

The ride was uneventful. Harry and Ron played several games of chess while Hermione pulled a book and sat in silence. The rest of the Weasleys were riding with Moody in a car behind them and there were two vans full of boxes that followed closely. A few hours into their trip, they stopped in a small inn and had a large meal. They drank, ate and laughed as if they had no concern in the world. They continued their trip as soon as everyone had been refreshed.

It wasn't long after that when Lupin touched Harry's shoulder and motioned to the window. "If you take a close look Harry," he said as he nodded to the lane they had turned into, "you will see Gryffindor Town and soon after that, you will see the gatehouse into Gryffindor Manor."

Harry lost all concentration from their chess game and looked eagerly out of the window. Ron didn't mind as he too turned with eagerness to look out of the window. Hermione closed her book slowly and put it away before she turned to look at the lane leading them to Harry's home.

It didn't take long for the lane to turn into a busy street lined with shops and small cottages. They passed a squared plaza, which Harry assumed showed where the center of the village stood. Several people stepped out of their shops and houses as they watched the caravan pass through the village. But as soon as they passed, cheers filled the air.

Harry smiled brightly as he turned to look at Professor Lupin. He was home.

The street gave way to a narrow lane. The lane was paved and trees lined the avenue. A short distance passes and these trees turned into bushes of roses of all colors. Soon, Harry saw in the distance a golden gate. A large G with a P in the middle was sculpted in the middle of the arch around the gate.

Excitement took hold of Harry's body.

The gate opened and the cars passed through. Harry turned to see if he could catch a glimpse of somebody by the gate. But the gate stood open, and closed by itself as the last van had crossed under the stone arch.

Harry sat on the seat behind the driver's and looked eager through the front window. What he saw made his eyes open with surprise.

He turned to look at Professor Lupin who had followed him and sat next to him. "Who are they?" He asked in awe.

"Those are your tenants Harry, every single one of them. They are here to welcome you into your home." Lupin smiled down at Harry's surprised countenance.

"There are so many." Harry whispered.

"There are." Lupin said softly. "But they all know you, they have been waiting for you for fifteen years. This is as important to them, as it is to you."

Harry turned back to see the lane.

It was lined by people of all sizes and ages. Children stood hand in hand with their parents. All of them were waiving at the cars as they neared. Harry chocked tears down his throat. He knew that nobody would think badly of him if he cried, but his pride couldn't allow him to do so. He wanted to have a clear vision of his home, not one distorted by his tears.

He took a couple of deep breaths. He knew that Professor Lupin was watching him closely, thankfully, he didn't say anything and eventually, Harry got his emotions under control.

The lane eventually turned and Harry got his first glimpse of the Manor. He looked at it with a hunger that overwhelmed him.

The house was large. He could see the ivy-covered façade, allowing the large windows peer through the clinging vines. The large door was open wide a couple stood on the doorway waiting for the cars to make their way to the front drive.

Harry looked at Lupin with curiosity.

"The butler, Roberts, and his sister, Mrs. Nichols, she's the housekeeper." Lupin explained understanding the question in Harry's eyes.

Harry turned back to see the cars drive up through the formal gardens and go around the drive, until they stopped in front of the house steps.

"Come, Harry. There are a lot of people who want to see you." Lupin smiled.

The driver had stepped out of the car. He walked back to open the door.

"You go first Harry." Hermione said, putting a hand on Ron's arm to hold him back as he tried to get out of the car. "This is your home. You should go first."

Ron seemed to have followed Hermione's thought, he nodded and smiled at Harry. "She's right, Harry. You go first."

Harry nodded and climbed out of his seat. He straitened his body and turned to look at the house. There was a sharp intake of breath from the couple on the steps. Harry looked nervously back at the car. Professor Lupin stepped out and put his arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Come," he said, "it's time for you to meet the people who had been serving your family for years. If it hadn't been for them, the house would be in total disarray now. They have been taking care of the house as they had always done. The gardens have been pruned, the rooms cleaned and I'm sure that if we go to the attics, we'll find that every single particle of dust has been obliterated by their skillful hands." As he spoke, Lupin had led Harry up the steps to the door. "Roberts, Mrs. Nichols, I'm glad to find you well." He greeted the couple.

"We're well, Master Remus." The man Lupin had called Roberts said with a bow and turned to look at Harry with an air of high expectancy.

Lupin smiled down at Harry. "Harry, allow me to introduce to you Mr. Roberts. He has served the Potters as butler since your grandfather's time. How long has it been Roberts? Twenty-five years I think, after your father passed away, is it not?"

"Indeed, sir. Welcome home, Master Harry. We have been waiting for you." Roberts said as he bowed proudly before Harry.

Harry didn't know what to say. He had never had any servants, on the contrary, he always felt that he was a servant of the Dursleys. Now, here was a man who had served his family faithfully for many years. What could he say to him? He nodded and murmured "Thanks."

Roberts seemed to be happy with this and turned to the woman at his side. "This is my sister, Mrs. Nichols, she has been housekeeper to the Manor for just as long." He said.

"Oh, Master Harry! I'm so glad that you're back home." She exclaimed and hugged Harry tightly in her arms. Harry looked at Lupin very surprised. What should he do now?

Professor Lupin took pity of him and patted Mrs. Nichols' shoulder. "Now, now, Mrs. Nichols. You're going to take the breath out of Harry." He laughed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, Master Harry. But I have been waiting for this moment for so long." She sniffed into a large, white handkerchief, which she had taken out from her sleeve as soon as she had let Harry go from her embrace.

"I know, Mrs. Nichols. We all have been waiting to see Harry back in the Manor. But now he is here. Let's introduce the rest of the household to him. I'm sure there are others that are eager to make his acquaintance." Lupin said.

"Oh, goodness me. Of course there are. Lotty and Otty have been chafing at the bits ever since Minnie made her way to his side." Mrs. Nichols exclaimed. The tears had been sliding down her cheeks since she first saw Harry, were now dry and she turned he back on them as she led them into the house.

Harry now saw that the servants were lined up in the entrance hall, just like the tenants had been in the lane.

Mrs. Nichols stood by the head of the line as Mr. Roberts stayed by the door to greet the others.

Harry watched the line with wary eyes. He could see three elves standing at the head of the line. He thought these might be the personal elves as he glimpsed Minnie among them. There were seven human servants at their side and at the end were five more elves.

Professor Lupin pushed Harry forward, as Harry seemed to have been rooted to the spot, near the door, as if in readiness to run out.

"Come Harry." Lupin whispered as they slowly followed Mrs. Nichols to the line.

Mrs. Nichols smiled brightly at Harry, she seemed unaware of Harry's nervousness. "These are Lotty, Otty, and Minnie. You are acquainted with Minnie of course, but Lotty and Otty have been eager to see you." She said as she pointed at the two elves standing before them.

"Hello." Said Harry eyeing the two elves with care.

"Lotty is gladdened to see Master Harry." The older elf said with an eager bow.

"Otty is too, glad. Master Harry must tell Otty what foods Master Harry wants." The other elf said. Harry noticed that he was a little fatter than the other elves and smiled. It was very clear that he was the cook elf.

"I'll do so." Harry smiled. The elves smiled brightly at him.

Minnie was happily hopping beside them. She was clearly the youngest of the three.

"Hello, Minnie." Harry smiled at her eagerness.

"Master Harry, sir. Minnie has helped Lotty with your room, Master Harry." The tiny elf reported.

"Thank you Minnie, and you too Lotty." Harry said.

Lupin pulled Harry forward as Mrs. Nichols turned to the human servants.

"The two footmen. They help Roberts with the cleaning and care of the public rooms. Edward and George." The housekeeper introduced the two men standing by the elves.

"Welcome home, sir." They both said as they bowed to Harry.

Harry nodded and looked apprehensively to Professor Lupin. He was sure that it would be much easier for him to deal with the elves than with the human servants, at least he had some experience with house elves.

"You're doing all right." Lupin whispered.

Harry nodded and looked back at the line. Mrs. Nichols was now standing by a pair of young women who looked eager to meet him.

"The parlor maids. They're in charge of the cleaning of the public rooms. Mary and Angela." Mrs. Nichols said.

"Welcome home, Master Harry." Both girls curtsied.

"Thank you." Mumbled Harry as his face flushed with consternation. He felt as if he was a celebrity or royalty. He certainly never had anybody curtsy or bow before him before.

Mrs. Nichols proceeded down the line. The next three women proved to be the chamber maids, who were in charge of the guest rooms, Sylvia, Dora, and Melly. Next to the chamber maids were five house-elves. All grinned happily as they bowed to their master.

With the introductions done, Harry sighed with relief as he watched the Weasleys and Hermione make their way down the line as Roberts led them down to where Harry stood.

"Come, Master Harry. Otty has prepared a light dinner for you and your friends. Do you want it to be served in the family dinning room or in the formal dinning room?" Asked Mrs. Nichols.

Harry turned to look at Professor Lupin for advice.

"I'm sure that you'll feel more comfortable in the smaller dinning room. The formal rooms are a little stuffy sometimes." Lupin said.

Harry nodded his agreement.

Mrs. Nichols smiled and led them down a corridor to the right of the large staircase in the middle of the entrance hall.

"The bookroom is through that door." Pointed Lupin as Ron and Hermione hurried to join them. "You'll find many books of interest to you there." He smiled at Hermione.

"I'll see what I can find." Hermione seemed impressed by what she had seen so far.

There was a large corridor. There were large pictures of old people hanging in the walls. All of them looked like muggle paintings, as the subjects remained motionless in their canvases.

"Who are they?" Asked Ron as he looked at the pictures as they passed.

Harry was glad that he asked the question that was at the tip of his tongue.

"Harry's ancestors. You must ask Roberts to tell you their names, Harry. I could never get them straight." Lupin said as they followed Mrs. Nichols down the corridor.

Harry looked at each picture with care. If these were paintings of his ancestors, there was bound to be one of his grandparents and maybe one of his parents.

He didn't see any, but he thought that maybe he had passed by without seeing it. He promised himself to look for it after dinner. He had his whole life to get acquainted with the rest of the house.

The walls gave way to large windows on either side. Each window looked out to gardens. Harry thought about what Professor Lupin had described. The gardens in the inner court must be the kitchen gardens, as he could see only a few flower shrubs among the greener beds. Through the other window, he could see a series of shrubs and walls, and he thought about the mazes and enclosed gardens that Lupin that talked about. The corridor continued down until they were enclosed by walls once more. A couple of doors stood opposite each other, while another stood at the very end.

Mrs. Nichols led them through the door at the left. They found themselves in a cozy dinning room. There were large windows across two of the walls, while one held a wide glass door, leading to the gardens in the inner court, behind the kitchens.

The table was large enough to hold all the Weasleys as well as a dozen more if they wished. Gas lamps burned brightly on the walls as a large fireplace graced the longer wall, beside the door.

"Wow." Exclaimed Ron as he looked around.

Harry was just as impressed as his friend was. He had known that his family had been well-to-do, after all, his parents had had the foresight to open a vault for him at Gringotts. But he had never imagined that his family had possessed this much wealth.

Harry turned to look at the walls, there were many pictures around the walls, and unlike the ones in the corridor, these were magical, as the fruit and animals in the paintings moved around their frames.

"Come Harry, you should see this one." Lupin said as he pulled him to the front of the fireplace.

Harry looked at the wall above the mantel and understood why Lupin wanted him to see it. It was a painting of his parents. His mother was sitting in a chair at an angle, his father stood behind her. His hands were on her shoulders, while hers patted his. They were both smiling at him.

His throat constricted as tears threatened to spill down his face. The voices of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley saved him from such a display of emotion.

"Oh, Harry. I never thought that the Potters owned such a grand house." Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she led the rest of her family into the room.

"Neither did I." Said Harry. But it seemed that nobody had heard him except for Hermione and Ron who had come to stand by his side while he watched his parents' painting.

"Don't let it disturb you, Harry. You'll get used to it." Whispered Hermione.

"Yeah. And we're here to keep you company. We'll all get used to it along with you." Said Ron.

Harry nodded and walked to the table where everybody had rallied.

"Master Harry." Roberts said as he held the chair at the head of the table ready for him.

Harry looked at the others, they were smiling at him. He nodded and sat. The others sat around the table, following his example.

Roberts nodded at Mrs. Nichols. She stepped out to the corridor for a moment. The footmen made their way into the room with large trays balanced in their arms. Roberts and the footmen went around the table serving Harry and his guests.

Harry was feeling as a fish out of water. He was not accustomed to this sort of service. At the Dursleys, he had been the one to clean, and when Aunt Petunia wanted, to cook. At Hogwarts, there had been house elves to clean and cook for him, but he had never seen them do so, they did their work in silence without letting the students or teachers see them as they did so. This was a whole new experience for him, and he didn't know if he could get used to it.

He looked at the painting above the mantel. His father stood proudly behind his mother. He didn't know much about their past, except for those glimpses of memories others had told him about. But he knew they would be expecting him to do the best he could.

He nodded with determination. This was his father's house, he had been in charge of it for years, just as his ancestors had done. If they could do it, so could he. He would make his family proud. Even if they weren't there to see him do it.

With this thought in mind, he turned his attention back to his food.

The meal was a noisy one. Harry was glad that it was so. It took his attention from everything around him.

He couldn't believe that he was finally in the house of his ancestors. For so long he had been aware of only the Dursleys that he could easily forget that there had been other members of his family. Now, he had come to the house were many of those members had been born and grown. Where his parents spent the last few years of their lives.

The meal soon ended and everybody looked at Harry. He could easily see that they were waiting to see what he wanted to do.

"Er." Harry looked questioningly to Professor Lupin.

Lupin gave him an understanding smile. "Why don't I take you around the ground floor? You can see all the public rooms. Tomorrow I'll take you over the rest of the house." He said.

Harry sighed with relief and nodded in agreement.

The scrape of chairs sliding down the floor was heard. Roberts stood by the door while the footmen went around the table gathering all the dirty plates.

Mrs. Weasley looked at them with guilt. "Oh, maybe I should help." She said.

The footmen looked at her with surprise and consternation in their faces, only Roberts seemed to be unfazed but his eyes clearly expressed his surprise.

"Molly, they wouldn't appreciate it if you do." Said Lupin.

"Oh, but." Continued Mrs. Weasley.

"Molly, dear. You wouldn't want them to lose their job, do you?" Her husband said pulling her away from the table. "Come, let's see the other rooms in this floor."

"If you say so." Mrs. Weasley said before turning back to see both footmen sigh with relief and continue gathering the used plates.

Roberts held the door open for them.

"Are all the lamps lit in the rooms, Roberts?" Asked Lupin as he passed by the unflappable butler.

"They are, sir." Responded the dignified man.

"Thank you, tell Mrs. Nichols that we might need some tea before going up to our rooms." Said Lupin.

"I will, Sir." Roberts bowed.

The others looked at Roberts and Lupin with a countenance full of awe. Harry was happy to notice that he wouldn't be the only one feeling out of place in this enormous household.

Professor Lupin led them to the room opposite from the one they had just occupied. "This is the family parlor." He announced as he opened the door.

It was a cozy room. Comfortable looking chairs and sofas surrounded the room. A large fireplace stood in place of honor, covering one half of a wall. Large French windows covered two walls, on one of these a glass door led to a veranda leading down to the topiary and the enclosed gardens.

"Wow." Exclaimed Ron.

They all seemed to be as surprised as he was, even Hermione looked around the room with awe. But Harry didn't pay any attention to anything other than the fireplace.

He walked slowly to it and looked up the mantel. On the wall was a large painting. A happy couple stood there with pride and a small infant was held lovingly in the woman's arms. Two older women stood at the each end. Both looked tenderly at the couple.

Harry didn't hear what the others were saying, he only looked up the picture. But he knew he was not alone in front of the fireplace. He sensed Lupin's presence near him.

"The two older ladies are your grandmothers. Mrs. Potter is next to James and Mrs. Evans is next to Lily. The painting was done a couple of months after your birth." Lupin said.

Harry nodded and lowered his eyes to see at the pictures on the mantel, below the painting. They were magical pictures. He smiled at the sight of Sirius, Lupin, and his parents in several of the pictures there. But there were also other people he didn't recognized.

"Who are they?" Asked Harry as he pointed to a picture of two young girls waiving happily at him.

Lupin smiled sadly before answering. "They're your cousins." He said.

Harry looked at his former professor with surprise. "My cousins? Where are they now?" He asked eagerly. He always thought that the Dursleys were the only family left to him, but here he saw pictures of so many others, he was sure that some might be still living, he refused to think that he was the only Potter left.

Lupin sighed sadly. "They died in the fire. Your grandmothers and cousins were in the nursery when the fire broke out."

Harry looked back at the picture. The ebullient feeling that had invaded his chest at the thought of other family members was receding, leaving in its wake a hollow feeling that had become rather familiar to him in the last year.

"What about their parents?" He asked quietly.

Lupin looked determined when he started his story. "Your father had one sister. Elizabeth." He said pointing to a picture of a pretty, raven- haired woman. She looked young and happy, and Harry could easily recognized the lake at Hogwarts in the background. "She was older by five years. The summer before her seventh year, old Mr. Potter took the family to Italy. He was going as ambassador from the Ministry to meet with the Italian Minister. Elizabeth met a young man there. He was the Italian Minister's youngest brother, only a few years older than Elizabeth, he had just finished his training and had joined his brother in the Ministry. They fell in love, but decided to wait until Elizabeth had finished her training before making plans. After she returned to Hogwarts, they wrote constantly. James liked to tease her, but she didn't seem to mind. They married a few months after she left Hogwarts. A year later she gave birth to twin girls. Francesca and Cassandra." He said pointing to the picture of the twin girls.

"On our second semester of seventh year, Mr. Potter had to go to Italy to a Ministry convention, Elizabeth and her husband opened their house to him and went to him to the Ministry Ball. There was a Death Eater attack that night. There were not many survivors." Lupin said sadly. "In their will, Elizabeth and her husband had named James as the twins' guardians. James had to leave school for a month to take care of things. He went to Italy and brought the girls to England. After graduation, James stayed close to the Manor. The twins were only three at the time of Elizabeth's death." Lupin said.

Harry looked at the pictures intensely. He had come to dread the mention of an attack. It seemed that his whole family had been decimated by the Death Eaters and Voldemort. "The fire, was it an attack?" He asked. He had a feeling that the fire that had killed his grandmothers and cousins had not been an accident.

Professor Lupin seemed hesitant for a minute before responding. "Yes, it was."

Harry nodded. "What about my mother's father? Was he killed by the Death Eaters too?" He asked.

"No, he had a bad heart." Lupin responded quickly.

Harry sighed with relief, at least not all his family had been killed by the Death Eaters.

He finally became alert of the silence in the room. It seemed the others had kept silent listening to Lupin's story as attentively as he had been.

"Well, let's see the other rooms. Or you can stay here if you prefer." Lupin said turning back to the others.

"I'll remain here. A nice rest after that large dinner will do me good." Said Mrs. Weasley as she took a seat at the sofa in front of one of the windows. "You can on ahead." She said to the others.

"I'll go with Harry, I want to see the other rooms too." Said Ron looking at Harry with a question in his eyes.

Harry nodded, he knew that Ron wanted to see if he didn't mind them tagging along. If he was truthful to himself, he didn't want to be by himself with Lupin. He didn't want to hear anymore about his family. Not for the moment, at least.

"All right. Let's go. If you want anything, Molly, just ring for Roberts. There's a bell pull next to the fireplace." Lupin said as he led the younger crowd out the room. Mr. Weasley, Tonks and Moody remained in the parlor with Mrs. Weasley.

Lupin led them out the room. "You'll like this room." He said to the young people as he walked toward the last door at the end of the corridor. "We used to spend a lot of time here in our younger days." He laughed.

He opened the door to a large room. There was a bar at one end of the room, a pool table, video games and at one corner a large TV with a few chairs and sofas in front of it.

"Ooh." Breathed Ginny. "These are all Muggle."

"Dad will like this." Ron said as he neared the TV with eagerness. "How do you run this?" Hermione quickly went to his side and showed him where the control was and how to use it.

"Isn't there any wizard games?" Asked Fred as he peered into one of the pockets of the pool table.

"Yeah, I thought the Potters were purebloods." George said as he peered around one of the video games.

Lupin smiled pleasantly. "They are, but there are many muggles in the area and the Potters have always been very sociable. The house is kept as in constant anticipation of muggle visitors. That means that you must keep all your magical things in your private rooms, and keep only muggle things in the public ones." The Weasleys looked at him in horror. He chuckled. "Don't worry, that doesn't mean you have to live like a muggle." He turned to one of the walls. It was lined with wooden shelves, full of video tapes and cassettes. A large stereo stood in the middle. "It needs to be modernized. You might want to shop for some new music, Harry." He said before touching a small rose at the top of the upper shelf. The wall wriggled a bit before turning to show a wall full of magical games. A golden set of magical chess stood in place of honor, while a stack of cards shuffled themselves on a small table. There were other things humming and vibrating on shelves on the wall, but Harry only saw the chess set. It seemed to be made of gold and silver pieces. Several stood yawning on their squares, while the king and queen pieces shrieked as they chased each other around the board.

"Oh, wow." Ron Exclaimed at the sight of the chess set.

"This is more like it." Said George as he made to grab at the shuffling cards.

"Just make sure to turn the wall back every time you leave the room. It wouldn't do to have muggle visitors and let them see any of it." Lupin said as he allowed the young people to look around the room.

"Why haven't the tapes and videos been updated?" Asked Hermione to Lupin. "The TV and the stereo seemed to be newly acquired."

"Because the tapes and videos are the family's collection. The TV and the stereo can be easily replaced by the estate's agent, but the collection can only be augmented by the members of the family. After all, it is the music and movies they like that are added to the collection." Lupin explained.

"I see. That makes sense, I suppose." Said Hermione.

They stayed in the room for a few minutes more, before Lupin changed the wall once more and led them out to the corridor.

They walked back through the corridor they had crossed before dinner. Harry looked before him instead of the paintings along the walls. Hermione and Ron walked alongside him.

"Are you all right, Harry?" Hermione asked silently.

Harry nodded.

"You could go to bed, if you want." Said Ron. "I'm sure nobody would mind."

"I'm not tired." Harry said. He sensed his two friends share a glance. He knew they were worried about him. This was going to fast, after all. A week ago, he had been brooding in Privet Drive, waiting for the time when he would leave it. Now, he was in his father's home, a home that belonged to him. "I'm fine." He murmured.

Neither Ron nor Hermione said a thing, but Harry knew that they were still worried.

The group stepped out of the corridor into the entrance hall. It was empty now, and their footsteps echoed in the silence.

"I'm sure you're going to like this, Hermione." Said Lupin as he led them to the double doors at the end of the corridor. He opened the doors wide and allowed the others to enter. It was a large room, larger than the dining room and the parlor room together. The walls were lined from top to bottom with bookshelves. A gallery ran around the room, a sturdy ladder stood at one corner leading up to it, where more shelves lined the walls. A large window covered one wall, heavy curtains were drawn across it. A large desk stood before it, and three chairs stood around it.

"Oh." Exclaimed Hermione as she looked around the room. "This is wonderful."

Ron groaned. "You know she's going to read every book in this room." He whispered to Harry.

Harry smiled. "At least we'll know where to find her."

"Are all these muggle books too?" Asked Ginny as she read some of the titles on the nearest shelf.

"The ones below are. The books on magical subjects are in the gallery." Said Lupin. "You might want to take a look around those books, Harry. The Potters always had one of the best collection on Defense Against the Dark Arts literature."

"Really?" Asked Harry with eagerness. He would like to see those, if nothing else.

"I'll show them to you another time." Lupin said with a smile. "We should move on, you'll have more time to look around later." He said when Hermione seemed ready to argue.

"Yes, well, that's true." She mumbled and moved with the rest as they left the room.

They crossed the entrance hall to the room opposite the book room. It was a parlor, but unlike the family parlor, this parlor room seemed more elegant and formal than the other.

"This is the formal parlor." Said Lupin, "this is where the visitors are received, only close friends and family members are received in the family parlor."

Harry was looking around. He thought the chairs and loveseats seemed so fragile, he was sure that they couldn't possibly held the weight of a grown man. Of course, he thought, most visitors could be women, in that case, the furniture was dainty enough to held their weight.

There were several glass and porcelain figurines around the room. The walls were covered by paintings, Harry was sure, were made by masters. The thick brocade curtains fluttered gently in the evening breeze.

"It looks stuffy." Mumbled Ron, who was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable by all the elegance found in Harry's new home.

Harry heard him and even though he didn't say it, he agreed with Ron. He didn't think it would be easy to get used to this sort of elegance.

Lupin had walked to a second door, on the wall adjacent to the one they had passed through, he threw it open and peered inside as if checking if the room was ready.

He turned to look at the young people, who stood quietly behind him. "I was just checking if the room had been lit." He answered to their unspoken question. "Come, let me show you the formal dinning room." He led them through the door.

The room was long and very luminous. A table that could clearly seat up to thirty people was at the center of the room. Long tables stood along one of the walls, underneath long windows through which the formal gardens could be clearly seen. There was a double door along the wall leading through the entrance hall and another at the other end of the room. The paintings in this room were full of flowers and fruits, which were clearly muggle as no kind of movement could be detected from them.

"There must have been a lot of dinner parties in this house." Exclaimed Hermione as she looked in awe at the large chandelier at the center of the ceiling.

"The Potters were very sociable at one time." Lupin conceded. "The table can be enlarged to seat up to fifty people."

"I don't think we'll be using it for some time yet." Said Harry as he looked around the room with consternation. He hoped he wasn't expected to open the house to guests, other than the Weasleys and Hermione that is. He wasn't up to hosting any sort of parties.

"You will in time. Don't worry, nobody is expecting you to take things up from where your parents left it." Lupin smiled at Harry as if understanding Harry's worries.

The sun had set and the darkness of night enveloped the land. Harry looked out the windows of the dinning room, he could see the shadows of the bushes and trees in the gardens. The day was almost over and he had barely seen part of the house.

"The conservatory is through that door." Lupin said as he pointed at the door across the room. "It's better to see it during the day, the plants and flowers are more colorful then." He said. "I'll show you the ballroom before we go back to the family parlor."

He opened the doors leading to the entrance hall and started to climb up the stairs. At the landing, was a double door. The golden knobs glistened in the candlelight. Lupin grasped one of these knobs and pulled open the door.

They stepped into a large room, two times bigger than the entrance hall, the ceiling was made of glass. Harry was reminded of the ceiling at Hogwarts' Great Hall, even though this ceiling was clearly not magical. Golden scones glistened along the walls, upon each a large candle was lit. French windows surrounded three of the walls. Along the longest wall, two glass doors opened to balcony, looking out to the kitchen gardens and the lake was clearly seen in the distance. There were benches and chairs along the walls, but the center was cleared and the floor shone after its thorough cleaning. Next to the entrance doors was a narrow staircase against the wall, it led to an oval platform where small chairs and stands could be clearly seen.

"That's where the band seats during the dance." Lupin explained as he noticed Harry looking up to the platform.

"It's very big." Mumbled Ginny.

"It was designed to hold up to a thousand people." Lupin said. "Not that there are any expectations for this room to hold that many."

"Only if all students at Hogwarts are invited to come for a party." Said Fred.

"There's not that many students at Hogwarts." Said Hermione. "A few hundred maybe, but not a thousand."

"Well, it feels like that many sometimes." Said George.

Hermione shook her head in exasperation, but she wisely held her tongue.

"We should return to the parlor, I'm sure that tea is ready to be served." Lupin said as he led them back out the door.

Harry seemed thoughtful as they crossed the corridor leading to the family rooms. He didn't even notice the paintings, which had held his curiosity before.

The tea tray was waiting for them.

"How did you like the rooms?" Asked Mrs. Weasley as she poured tea for each of them.

"They're big." Said Ron.

"I expected as much." Said Mr. Weasley. "The house itself looks large enough."

"Harry, something wrong?" Whispered Hermione as she passed him a cup of tea.

Harry looked at his friend, wondering how much could he say about what he was feeling. He sighed. "It's just that I don't know what it's expected of me." He finally said. Ron, who was sitting beside him stopped looking at the twins, who were eagerly telling their mother what they had seen. "I mean," Harry continued, "this house belonged to my father and his family for centuries, but I don't know what to do with it. I was expecting something smaller. Even Godric's Hollow would seem more welcome now."

Hermione and Ron shared a look full of worry. It was clear that they didn't know what to say.

"Maybe you will feel more comfortable with time." Said Ron.

"Ron's right, Harry. This is all new to you, in time you'll know how to care for it." Hermione said.

Harry knew that they were trying to make him feel better, but somehow, it wasn't working. He was overwhelmed by the size of the rooms he had seen, and he knew that there was more he hadn't seen yet.

"It's time for us to retire." Said Lupin as he tried to stifle a yawn and failing at it.

"Oh, yes. I'm sure that there's so much for us to do tomorrow." Said Mrs. Weasley.

Roberts and Mrs. Nichols were waiting by the door. Lupin turned to look at them. "I'll take Harry to his room." He said. "You can show the others where they'll be staying."

"If the gentlemen will follow me, I'll show them to their rooms." Said Roberts in his serious tone of voice.

"I'll show the ladies to their rooms." Announced Mrs. Nichols.

"Thank you." Said Mrs. Weasley as she gathered her children around her. "Make sure that you behave. I don't want to hear any complaints about you." She admonished her youngsters.

"We'll be fine, mum." Said Fred as he kissed her cheek.

"Night." George kissed her cheek as well before following his twin out the door.

Everybody said goodnight as they filed out of the room, until only Harry and Lupin were left in the parlor.

"Where are they staying?" Asked Harry as Lupin led him out of the room.

"They had been given rooms in the family wing, so they won't be far away from you." Lupin said with a smile.

"What about you?" Harry asked with curiosity.

"I'll be staying in the room I've always stayed when I came to visit." Lupin responded. "Also in the family wing."

"How long are staying with us?" Harry asked. He didn't understand why Lupin was staying with them, he hadn't done so last year when they stayed at Grimmauld Place. He only stayed for short periods of time, at least, he had done so while Harry was in the house.

"As long as you'll need me." Said Lupin. "Dumbledore thought that you might need some time to adjust to your new surroundings, and as I'm the closest person available to give you information about he Manor, he imagined that I could be of great help to you." He said as he looked down at Harry. "I don't have to stay if you rather I didn't"

"Oh no! I'll love it for you to stay." Exclaimed Harry. "It could be helpful."

Lupin smiled sadly at Harry. "I know it's hard for you Harry. It's hard for me too. I spent many summers here with James and Sirius. It brings a lot of sad memories." He whispered as he looked around the corridor. "A lot of sad memories." He said once more.

Harry looked at Lupin with new eyes. He had seem so energetic and excited as he showed them the rooms in the first floor, but now Harry knew that it had been hard for him to look at all the rooms that he and his friends had used in past years.

Harry saw the house in a new light. He had forgotten for a second that his former professor had been in this house while his parents had lived here, it had been easier to think of it just as a house that was under his care. He had been so busy worrying about what was expected of him, than in thinking about the memories that lived in the house.

They started up the staircase from the entrance hall, and turned right on the landing. They started down a wide corridor. There were paintings of people along the wall, but unlike the ones in the lower floor, these were clearly magical, as the subjects waved and greeted them as they passed.

"Welcome home, Harry!" Some said.

"Glad to see you home, where you belong." Others said.

"Hi Harry." A few uttered.

Harry looked at them with gladness. In some ways, these pictures brought life to the people he had lost in the past. He was back in his family's arms.

Several sets of doors were seen through the corridor.

"There are some chambers here, but yours are in the upper floor." Lupin said as he pointed to the staircase along the wall in the middle of the corridor.

They started to climb the stairs.

"How many floors are there?" Asked Harry.

"The public rooms are in the first floor. There are twelve in the second floor. The major rooms are in the third floor, those are for the immediate family and for important members of the family. The nursery is on the third floor. And the attics and servant quarters are in the third and fourth floors." He explained.

"Aren't those a lot of stairs to climb?" Asked Harry. The servants must be in good shape after all the climbing, he thought.

"They are, that's why your mother had James install a lift. There's one on each wing at the end of the corridor." He said.

They had turned toward the front of the house. Some of the doors they passed where open and Harry could see some of the Weasleys settling in for the night. Finally, they reached the end of the corridor. A set of double doors stood at the end of the corridor. Lupin promptly opened them.

Harry stepped into a large bedroom. Two large windows, covered by thick curtains stood at each end of the wall across from them. A large fireplace stood along the wall next to them and a large, four-poster bed stood along the wall next to the door. Another door stood in an adjacent wall.

"This door leads to the bathroom." Said Lupin, opening the next door.

Harry looked around, the carpet looked new along with the curtains across the windows and around the bed.

"Everything was redesigned in this wing. The nursery is just upstairs, so these rooms were damaged a great deal during the fire." Lupin said. "There used to be two dressing rooms at each end of the room, but James changed it to just one, large enough to divide in two. There's a door in the bathroom leading to it. There's another door that leads to a sitting room. Lily used to sit there with her friends when they visited." Harry noticed that Lupin had said the word friends in an odd tone. "Well, I'll leave you to rest. If you need anything during the night, just pull that string by your bed. Lotty will come instantly." Lupin said. "I asked the elves to go to their rooms instead of waiting for you, I thought that you would rather be on your own on your first night."

"Thank you Professor." Said Harry as Lupin closed the door behind him. With a sigh, Harry turned to look around the room. Professor Lupin didn't have to say it for him to know that this had been the room that his parents once shared.

Harry saw his pajamas on the bed. He changed quickly and settled himself in bed. He didn't mind staying in the room that had once belonged to his mother and father. He felt like he was being embraced by his parents.

*~*~*~*

A/N: There you go. I hope you enjoyed it. I've been away on a trip for a week so I didn't get a chance to prepare this chapter for you until now, even though I finished it before I left. I've barely started on the next chapter and I'll uploaded once it's done. Now to answer some of your questions.

Exodus - When it came time for Harry to return to the Manor, I thought it better that he wouldn't go alone. Harry is a minor, as thus, he cannot live in the Manor without a guardian, that's where Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley come in. Remus went along because Harry needs somebody to tell him about his family, somehow I feel that the servants wouldn't have been the right people to do this. Harry would feel more comfortable learning about his family and the Manor from somebody he has trusted for years. And let's face it, if Harry wants to be on his own he can easily find the place to do so as the Manor is big enough to keep everybody entertained on their own things.

Obsessed with Snuffles - About Katie's age, I'm not entirely sure but I always thought that she was at least two years older than Harry as on the first book when they're playing for the first time Lee says that she had been part of the team on the previous year, even though it was as a back up. We know that Harry was the youngest player to play in the House team for over a century, I'm assuming that also include back up players, that means that if Katie started to play for the team the year before Harry joined that means that on Harry's first year she was at least in her third year. That's why I'm not including her in my current player's list.

Samsam - Harry will have a relationship but I don't think it will be with any of the current characters in the story. I still haven't decided completely with whom yet.

Tanya J. Potter - I'm a great fan of Hermione and Ron romances, so I'll definitely paired them in this story. I can't say I feel the same about Ginny and Harry, but I still haven't decided yet what I'll do with Harry yet, as I told Samsam. Emma and Katie will make an appearance once more. I had thought to bring Katie back before Harry's sixth year before OotP came out but with Sirius' death, I've changed my mind, I haven't figured out how I'm going to bring her back. You'll see Emma later in the story.

Thank you to all of you who reviewed, Carmine, Candor, November Falls, Lady Reaper of the Shadows, Harryforeva, Blueangel9812, Ruthie, Doomspell, val, JJP9090, sjs, TBK, Sabreen, and Sirius gyal (What's the name of your story?) and of course to those of you who had questions. I hope you all continue enjoying the rest of the story.