I have not gained the rights to Harry Potter since last week.

The Potter family struggled over the fortnight after school was let out. Sirius' death cast a shadow over the whole house, especially James and Harry. But, as Lily had told them, Sirius wouldn't have wanted them to grieve too long. Honestly, Sirius probably would have made a joke about it, but Lily hadn't mentioned that. As it was, they were handling it fairly well, even if it would take a while for the pain to recede.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore was coming tonight to talk to Harry, and then take him on some kind of mission. Afterwards, Hermione and Ron were coming to stay for a few weeks, then they would meet the rest of the Weasley's at Diagon Alley, and the trio would spend the rest of vacation at the Burrow.

There was a knock at the door. Lily opened the door. "Good evening," said Professor Dumbledore.

"Hello, Professor," said Lily, moving out of the way while holding open the door. "Please come in."

"It is unwise to linger on doorsteps these days," Dumbledore agreed, "Although, that could be considered an improvement on Voldemort operating in secret."

Lily nodded, escorting Dumbledore to the living room and sitting down across from him.

Dumbledore examined her over her half-moon spectacles. "How are you all?"

"We're coping," Lily said, "We have our good days and bad days."

Dumbledore nodded. James and Harry entered the room. Greetings were exchanged.

"Well, Harry, a difficulty has arisen which I hope you will be able to solve for us," said Dumbledore, once everyone was settled. "By us I mean the Order of the Phoenix. But first I must tell you that Sirius' will was discovered recently." Lily and James looked up. The Order had had to move out of Grimmauld Place until Sirius' will could be found to see who truly owned the house. This was the first they had heard of success. "He left you everything he owned, Harry."

"Oh," said Harry, looking like he had no idea what to do with that information. "Right."

"This is in the main fairly straightforward," Dumbledore continued, "You add a reasonable amount of gold to your account at Gringotts, and you inherit all of Sirius' personal possessions. The slightly problematic part of the legacy is that Sirius also left you Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

"You can keep using it as headquarters," Harry said, at once, "I don't care. You can have it, I don't really want it."

"That is generous," said Dumbledore. "However, we have temporarily vacated the building."

"Why?"

"Well, according to Black family tradition, the house was passed down the direct line to the next male with the name Black," Dumbledore explained, "Sirius was the very last of that line as his younger brother Regulus pre-deceased him and both were childless. While his will makes perfectly clear that he wants you to inherit the house, it is possible that some spell or enchantment was placed upon the premises to ensure they could not be owned by anyone but a pureblood."

Lily, thinking of Sirius' mother's portrait, agreed that this was very possible.

Harry, apparently thinking along the same lines, said, "I bet there has."

"Quite," said Dumbledore, "and if such an enchantment exists the house will likely be passed down to the oldest of Sirius' living relatives, which would be his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange."

Harry leapt to his feet. "No!"

James had had quite a similar reaction when the idea was first broached, as Lily remembered.

"Well, obviously, we would prefer if she did not get it either," said Dumbledore, "The situation is fraught with complication. We don't know if any of the enchantments we placed upon it will hold now that ownership has passed from Sirius. It could be Bellatrix will turn up on the front door at any moment. Naturally, we have moved out until we have clarified the situation."

"How exactly are we going to do that if the will doesn't clear it up?" James asked.

"Fortunately, there is a simple test," said Dumbledore to James before turning back to Harry. "You see, if you have indeed inherited the house, you have also inherited," he flicked his wand, "Kreacher."

Kreacher himself appeared on the carpet. James jumped to his feet. Lily startled. None of the family had any love for the house elf after his role in Sirius' death.

"Kreacher won't, Kreacher won't, Kreacher won't!" Kreacher shouted, stamping his feet and pulling his ears. Apparently, the feeling was mutual. "Kreacher belongs to miss Bellatrix, oh yes, Kreacher belongs to the Blacks. Kreacher wants to go to his new mistress, Kreacher won't go to the Potter brat, Kreacher won't, won't, won't..."

"As you can see," said Dumbledore over Kreacher's continued won't's, "Kreacher is showing a certain reluctance to pass into your ownership."

The look of disgust that passed over James' face at the idea of his family owning the house elf would have been comical if Lily didn't whole heartedly agree with the sentiment.

"I don't care," said Harry, "I don't want him."

"Won't, won't, won't, won't..."

"You would prefer for him to pass into the ownership of Bellatrix Lestrange? Bearing in mind that he has lived at headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix for the past year?"

James sat down. Lily groaned. Looked like they were stuck with the house elf.

"Give him an order," said Dumbledore. "If he is yours, then he will have to obey. If not, we will have to device some other way to keep him from his rightful mistress."

"Won't, won't, won't, WON'T!"

Lily put her hands over her ears.

"Kreacher, shut up!" Harry shouted.

Blessed silence fell over the room. Kreacher clutched his throat, mouth still forming words, than threw himself on the floor and started beating it with his fists and feet in a violent but completely silent tantrum.

"Well, I suppose that's good news," said James, in a tone that said it was anything but.

"It certainly simplifies matters," said Dumbledore, cheerfully. "It seems Sirius knew what he was doing. You are the rightful owner of number 12, Grimmauld Place and of Kreacher."

"He doesn't have to stay here, does he?" Lily asked, a little desperately. She wasn't sure if she could stand having Kreacher around the house all the time, especially when Harry was at school, and James would surely commit homicide before long.

"If I could make a suggestion," said Dumbledore to the room at large. "You could send him to Hogwarts to work in the kitchen. That way the other house elves could keep an eye on him."

"I'll do that then," said Harry, with obvious relief, and he gave Kreacher the order.

"Good," said Dumbledore as Kreacher vanished. "There is also the matter of the hippogriff, Buckbeak. He is currently staying with Hagrid, but of course, he is yours now, so if you wish to make different arrangements?"

"No," said Harry, "He can stay with Hagrid. I think Buckbeak would prefer that."

"Hagrid will be pleased," said Dumbledore. "In the interest of Buckbeak's safety, we have rechristened him Witherwings, although I do not think the ministry would make the connection. Now, it is time to be off." He stood up. So, did the Potters.

"Good luck," said Lily, as her son and the Headmaster left. Dumbledore had asked her to talk to Slughorn about returning, but she thought her old teacher would need a new reason to return to Hogwarts rather than the word of an old student. She had no doubt that they would be successful.

Some of the dialogue is lifted directly from this scene in the book. If you recognize it, it's probably not mine.