Everything is J.K. Rowlings. I only claim the plot. Everything else is hers, all the characters and the magic, all of it. Please let me know what you think though, I encourage feedback of all kinds, just be nice about it!

So, this is chapter is mainly talking about the house and introductions and what not, not terribly exciting I'm sad to say. But I tried doing up a very, very rough floor plan of the house for your viewing pleasure. I have no idea if the links will actually work, but it's an attempt.

First Floor: floorplan/?lang=en_US&assetId=f9fb58a2-3074-43e7-b316-6cdde3aa07e6

Second Floor: floorplan/?lang=en_US&assetId=a474a1e9-dd1c-4f40-8ac1-f10a94cbcdcb

Third Floor: floorplan/?lang=en_US&assetId=544a4dd9-c0a3-41b6-8b73-9d4dab6f27ba

Chapter Seven

Landing with an undignified thud and stumble, Harry shook himself of the handholds on him before gasping at the view in front of him. This place was breathtaking, an oasis of peace and serenity. The Estate spread out before him from his place on top of a small hill at the outskirts of the property. There was a long road that lead directly to the house. Though it wasn't really a house. More of a mansion made of smooth stone walls of a dark grey color. It was far bigger than anything Harry had ever seen, except Hogwarts and Gringotts.

Suddenly there was a loud pop, senses jumping on alert, he whipped out his wand and stood battle ready. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted that the other Slytherins were also battle poised to varying degrees. The war really had changed them all, he thought grimly. Maybe he and the Slytherins weren't so different after all. They all had their scars and felt the suffering that war brought. Before the could think more on this, his red clouded eyes cleared and blinking he noticed a House Elf standing before him.

Giving a slight cough he righted his feet and dropped his wand. "Um...hello?" he said to the startled elf. The others must have realized that the intruder was merely an elf and all relaxed back into their casually indifferent poses.

"Hello Master Potter! I is Lopsy. Lopsy is so pleased that you have come to visit Master!"

"Right, hi Lopsy. Look it's just Harry."

"Of course, Master Harry."

Sighing and deciding to deal with the matter of names later, he pushed forward. "Lopsy are you the Head Elf here?"

"Yes, Master."

"Great, do you think you could show my…colleagues and I around. And introduce us to the other House Elves? We will be staying here the next couple years."

"Oh yes, Master! Lopsy would loves to be showing Master and his friends around. Lopsy is so happy to be helping Master. Lopsy and the other elves have been so lonely since Mistress Peverell passed."

The little elf then began walking down the road that led to the mansion, as they walked Harry couldn't help but ask more questions of the elf. "Lopsy, when was the last time that a Peverell lived here?"

"Not since Mistress Iolanthe Peverell, Master. But Lopsy believes that was over a couple centuries ago, Master. Mistress Iolanthe married Master Potter but the two still lived here for generations. Until one day the Master Potters decided to live closer to the wizards and left poor Lopsy and the other elves. But Lopsy's ancestors took care of them just like Lopsy will take care of you, Master Harry."

"Thank you Lopsy, I know you will. How long ago did the Potters leave?"

"About seventy years ago Master Potter. But the Masters still visited," Lopsy replied. Harry stayed silent as he walked with the Slytherins onto the grounds of his ancestral home. It was massive. There was a stone wall surrounding the main yard of the house. Outside of the wall was a large forest to the north and then to the south was fields of rolling hills.

"Lopsy, how far does the Estate go?"

"It is two hundred acres, Master Potter. But Bobdy and Holby has been taking good cares of the outside."

"Yeah it certainly looks like it," Harry breathed as they entered the inner area of the stone walled fence. Inside the wall there were fountains and flower bushes everywhere. The walk from the wall to the front entrance was quite the walk but Harry didn't mind, he could feel himself relaxing within these walls, there was something calming about it all. In the center of the wall enclosed yard was a three story mansion.

"Is this really all mine?" Harry breathed quietly to himself.

"It certainly does appear that way," a voice said beside him. Jumping, not realizing he had spoken out loud he saw Daphne Greengrass standing beside him looking at him with a curious tilt in her head. Flushing at having been caught gawking at his own home, Harry averted his eyes which only caused the pretty blonde to giggle. "You know I think you were right in saying you would need our help in the political world. For such a hero, you really wear your emotions on your sleeve."

Not sure how to respond, he was saved by another voice calling to him. "Oi Potter! Daphne! would you hurry up. You'll be living here too, I expect you want to see it," Pansy's shrill voice rang clear through the empty yard and Harry winced at the sound. That voice would take some getting used to. Stepping up the entryway steps and through the solid wooden doors Harry and Daphne walked into the mansion.

Harry could feel his mouth dropping. This place was his new home! He still couldn't grasp that thought. How the hell had this happened? Inwardly he was glad that this wasn't one of the properties that he had acquired from Voldemort. It was too perfect to have been tainted by that madman. "Merlin's beard…" Harry breathed.

"Yeah, it's not a bad lot, you got here Potter," Tracey commented with an approving nod, her eyes roaming around the entrance way. The entrance way encompassed the full three stories and had an elegant chandelier dangling from the high topped ceiling. As beautiful as the chandelier was, Harry couldn't help but feel the memories of the last chandelier he had seen resurface. It had been Dobby's last heroic act back in Malfoy Manor. Feeling the sting of hot tears tickling the backs of his eyes, Harry swallowed down the lump in his throat and tried to avoid Malfoys' anguished gaze.

"Yeah, not bad at all," he whispered. "Lopsy, how about we meet the rest of the Elves before we continue. That way while we get the tour the Elves can gather the belongings of my guests."

Lopsy nodded, her big ears flopping about her head. "Of course, Master, of course." With a snap of her thin fingers there were soon pops of elfin apparition. There were nine elves in total, including Lopsy.

"Wow, there certainly is a lot of you," Harry murmured. "So you...you all work here?"

There was a resounding chorus of 'Yes Master'. "Wow. Ok. So um...it's nice to meet you all. I am Harry-and please, no Master Potter or Master, it's just Harry. These are my guests they will be staying here with me for the next five years. This is Tracey, Gregory, Theodore, Pansy, Astoria, Blaise, Draco, and Daphne," he said pointing to each of the Slytherins as they stood in a staggered line. "Now what are all your names and jobs?"

"I is Kilky, Master Harry. Kilky is the Cook."

"Bobdy is the gardener of outside the wall, Master Harry."

"And Holby is the gardener of inside the wall, Master Harry."

"Zabkey is your personal elf, Master Harry. Zabkey is most honored."

"And Dismey will be the Mistress' elf when you is wed, Master Harry." Harry felt his face go flaming red at the tiny elfs' words. Oh Merlin, what was he getting himself into?

"Rakry-"

"And Nobney-"

"-will be taking cares of your guests, Master Harry."

"-We is so pleased to be having so many, guests."

"And I is Jodkey. Jodkey helps with the general workings of the Estate, Master Harry."

"Merlin, OK….well, are you all alright with going to my guests former residences and gathering their things and then bringing them to their rooms after they have chosen them?"

"Of course, Master. We be most honored to be helping Master Harry and his guests," Lopsy assured him.

"Great, so Lopsy, I'd like you to continue showing us around while the rest of you got get all their things."

"Yes Master," the elves recited before disappearing once more with the pop of apparition.

"Right, so let us continue, Lopsy."

And Lopsy did. The Head Elf gave the nine new residents a lengthy tour.

Just past the entrance way there was a large living room or lobby or...Harry wasn't even certain of the word to place with the room. It was large with a grand staircase at the back of it and multiple doors leading off it all around. In the center there was a circle of chairs and sofas with a large table in the middle. Surprisingly the colors of the furniture were of the Hogwarts houses each house had a chair and a couch representing a color, but the colors were intermingled. It was a red couch, green armchair, blue couch, red chair, yellow couch, blue chair, green couch, and lastly a yellow chair.

On the first floor was the kitchen which was about the size of the whole first floor of the Dursley residence, and then the formal and informal dining rooms. There was the entrance sitting room right off the entrance way which looked incredibly stuffy and frilly. Harry hoped he never had to use it often. There was another small sitting room just off of the informal dining room that only held two couches and two arm chairs with a coffee table. It was incredibly small compared to the other rooms in the house. There was also the two story library that took up the whole back corner of the mansion. Harry could just imagine how Hermione would react when she saw this place. Beside him he heard Daphne stifle and excited gasp and saw her exchanging eager looks with Theodore. The library had scattered tables around the first floor and comfortable armchairs and couches tucked in each other corners with a large fireplace at the back wall, the second floor of it was mostly bookshelves lining the walls with one or two armchairs scattered between them and the center floor was gone opening and connecting the two floors of books. And the ceiling consisted of mainly windows that showed a sunny blue sky with a couple puffs of clouds floating lazily about. The other portion of the first floor held a ballroom, a floo room with three large fireplaces that a full-grown man could stand in easily, an office for the Master to conduct his business, and a den. Harry figured that he could request the den be remade into an office so the Slytherins would also have a place to work on their projects.

The backyard consisted of more gardens with winding paths throughout them and two large greenhouses that Harry couldn't wait to show Neville. The large patio stretched out until it reached a pond that was lined with bushes and flowers. The patio was half covered in shade and the shaded part had a couple benches and lawn chairs paired together and the non-shaded portion of the patio sat a large table that Harry imagined eating meals at in the future accompanied by the sounds of laughter and merriment. That dream would be far later though, Harry couldn't imagine the next time he would hear laughter again. He was sure it would be a year or so at most, at least if the way he felt was anything to go by. There were more fountains and a few tree swings and benches spotted throughout the hedges and flower bushes but overall it was quite peaceful, just standing outside listening to the birds chirping. There was also a shed that Lopsy said would be for the Master and his friends to store their brooms. There wasn't a Quidditch pitch but Lopsy said if Master really desired one then Holby and Bobdy would build him one.

Following the grand staircase up to the second floor, the new residents were introduced to even more rooms. The potions lab and a painting room were held on this floor and while Harry hadn't much liked potions in school he was sure the Slytherins could make a use of it. The painting room looked cozy but a little too bright and cheery. There was also a nursery on this floor, for when the Master and future Mistress brought little ones to the mansion. Again, Harry couldn't stop the heat from rushing to his face and he tried to duck his head away from the eyes of the Slytherins but he heard Daphne giggling and Blaise and Pansy snickering so he doubted that he had succeeded. There were eight bedrooms all of different colors on the second floor as well. All hosting their own bathrooms and walk in closets, and comfortably large bedrooms that could fit a King sized canopy bed, a couch, an armchair and a coffee table. It was more than Harry had ever had at least, and it was just the guest rooms!

The third floor held five more bedrooms, all sporting similar layouts as the ones on the second floor. There was a miniature fourth floor as well but all that it held was the Owlery tower and the observatory. Lopsy explained that the room was dome like and made of all windows and so at night the Master or his guests could watch and chart the stars. Hearing about the Owlery caused Harry's heart to twinge at the thought of his lost owl, Hedwig, he doubted he would ever find a suitable replacement for the dear owl. The last room they ended up in was back on the third floor and tucked into the farthest back corner: the Master's Bedroom. This bedroom was the biggest bedroom that Harry had ever seen. It had its own bathroom and the closet was enormous, Harry doubted he would ever have enough clothes to fit in it fully. He had the same King sized canopy bed, in Gryffindor red and gold, he noted smugly, with matching chair and couch, with a coffee table and fireplace. He also had a little balcony. His room also had its own private library! He couldn't believe it.

"So, now that we've gotten the tour and Potter is showcasing his uncultured youth by flapping his trap like a fish, can we go choose our rooms now?" Theodore drawled.

"Honestly, Potter, it's like you've never seen a Master's bedroom before," Pansy teased.

"I haven't," Harry breathed, not even bothering with getting angry at the Slytherins prodding. He was still in too much shock, so much so that he seemed to have lost control of his own mouth as he continued to speak. "I lived in a cupboard under the stairs up until I went to Hogwarts."

Still staring open mouthed at his huge bed and his own chair and couch, Harry didn't notice the shocked looks and glances that the Slytherins were exchanging.

"So...our rooms?" Tracey asked again.

"Yeah, yeah. Go make yourselves at home."

He faintly heard Lopsy saying something about dinner being at six o'clock in the formal dining room and that upon selection of their rooms a plaque would appear above the door to signify that it was theirs. And then he was alone in his room. His room! It was unbelievable.

"You really are something else, you know that, Potter?" that soft voice from earlier jolted him back to reality. Whirling around, Harry found Daphne Greengrass still standing in his room. So much for being alone, he inwardly sighed.

"What do you mean?" he asked, eyes narrowed, trying to brace himself for a snide Slytherin remark.

"Just everything. The chance you've given us and your reactions to things that are so commonplace to us. It's refreshing really."

Well Harry certainly hadn't been expecting that.

"Err-you're welcome?"

Daphne's lip twitched slightly in an attempt at a smile. "I just want to thank you. And the others, I'm sure they will too in their own time."

"Why are you so willing to talk to me? I know I offered a chance at redemption but we aren't exactly friends and the others...they still haven't seemed to drop their attitudes."

"Let's just say I see hidden opportunities quicker than most. Plus, I'm a Slytherin, I adapt quickly to my new surroundings. I'm a snake who sheds my skin easily."

Her words were not what Harry had expected and this conversation was nothing short of bizarre. Here he was in his brand new mansion sized room in his brand new mansion sized house talking with a Slytherin girl he had never spoken to before now who was now his new housemate. Harry wasn't sure he could handle much more change at the moment.

"That's good to know. I guess. I'll be looking forward to our collaboration on our individual projects then. It's nice to have someone friendlier towards me in this place. I may be a lion in the my own den but this den is crawling with snakes."

Daphne smirked. "Yes you are. And while we are grateful for the opportunity, don't forget who you have surrounded yourself with." With those words, the gorgeous blonde turned on her heel and went in search of her own room.