Authors Note: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. This chapter is pretty long, so I hope you enjoy it. Also, thanks to 'ancient midnight' for catching that I can't even spell Harry in the title. I did change that. I hope my story isn't too full of mistakes. Enjoy, and I hope to have another chapter up soon.

Lily

When Harry had originally stepped into Mrs. Figg's fireplace, he was pleasantly surprised at the warmth of the flames. They weren't too hot, but definitely not something he planned on standing in forever with this August heat. They were however, comfortable for just a few moments to be able to travel. However this was supposed to work. When Albus spoke their destination, Harry made the mistake of opening his own mouth, and his lungs were instantly filled with soot. He didn't have long to think about this however because in another instant, he was whirled away and spinning past several rooms until he finally began to slow, and was expelled out of the fire place so quickly that Albus had to grasp the back of his t-shirt to keep him from landing face first on the living room rug.

Upon regaining his balance, Harry brushed soot off of his clothes before stepping out of the fire place, and looking around. They were in a small, quaint, one floored cabin. Harry didn't know what he had expected a wizard's home to look like, but he could see it wasn't much different than that of a muggle home. The living room was a moderate size with a large adjoining living room and kitchen. On either side of the fireplace was an oak door that obviously led to another room. There were two more oak doors on a wall between the fireplace and the kitchen, and on the wall across from that were two large window's and a giant oak door that was obviously the front. All of the flooring that Harry could see was made of a red cherry wood.

Even a lot of the furnishings looked like something you would find in a normal muggle home. There was a large lazy boy made of dark red leather facing the fireplace, and a matching couch facing the wall with the front door with its loveseat sitting across from it with a large square rug between the three. There were dark wooden book shelves along the walls of the living room full of books, and on top were odd trinkets that Harry could only assume were magical. One of these looked like an odd radio, but it had no wires, and Harry couldn't see any electrical outlets. There was also no television in site. Above the fireplace mantle however, was a normal looking clock that looked like it would chime every hour.

The dining room sported a large oak table, with a bench along one side, 2 hard backed, armless chairs along another, and one more chair at each end of the table. There was a large window over the table that made the entire dining room a very cheery place. The kitchen was the strangest thing about the entire home as far as Harry was concerned. There was no microwave, refrigerator, toaster, or freezer. There were no plug in's what-so-ever. There was a pantry however, and several cupboards and shelves all around the walls, above the sink, oven, and counters. The entire place was clean, but didn't give the impression that it had been scrubbed over constantly to make it absolutely immaculate. Harry loved it.

"It's not much, but it's what I call home." Albus pulled Harry out of his stunned observations, and Harry just smiled. "The door to the right of the fireplace leads to my bedroom, the door to the left, leads to Minerva's." Harry didn't have much time to let it sink in that the couple had separate rooms before Albus continued. "The door closest to Minerva's is a lavatory. I'm afraid it's the only one we have, so everyone will have to share. Your bedroom will be through that door closest to the kitchen Harry. Why don't you head in, get settled, and unwind for a bit. I'll get supper started, and call you when it's time for you to wash up."

Harry was still absolutely astounded that he had escaped the Dursley's, and he had the option of never going back. His dreams were coming true little by little. As soon as he had stepped into his new bedroom his eyes had just about popped out of his head. Even after he had been moved up to Dudley's second bedroom he hadn't gotten new stuff. In fact, it couldn't even be considered gently used. Most of the toys in the room were broken, there were loose floorboards under the bed, part of the bedframe was caving in, the mattress was lumpy, and you could feel springs when laying on it, his sheets and blankets were tattered and thin, his dresser was chipped, his mirror had been cracked, and his window was cracked and didn't shut all the way.

Here however, everything seemed close to new. The floor boards were polished and shiny, though you couldn't see very many of them because there was an elegant, dark blue, braided rug. Against one wall was a dark mahogany four poster bed with dark blue curtains, comforter, and sheets to match the rug. At the foot of the bed, still along the wall, was a matching mahogany desk with a book shelf next to it so that there wasn't any lower wall space along that wall. On the opposite wall were a set of mahogany chest of drawers and a matching bureau that went with the desk and bed. The armless desk chair was also of dark mahogany, and had a dark blue cushion. On the wall across from the oak door was a large window with dark blue drapes that over looked a green field leading down to a beautiful lake. Even before he had stepped fully into the room, Harry had been mesmerized.

Harry's trunk had been set underneath his window. Even though he would just end up packing most everything up again in 2 weeks, Harry was aching to make this wonderful room his. Therefore he had unpacked his entire trunk, and put his few possessions where they belonged. The bookshelf wasn't even close to being full, but all of his new text books were neatly arranged on the top shelf. There wasn't much he could do to the bed, but the desk drawer had his parchment and quills in it, and on top of it lay a bottle of ink. The dresser seemed pathetic since it just held Hedwig's cage, one pair of baggy pajamas, and a pair of fresh underwear, but that was because Dumbledore had told him to just leave his clothes. His bureau however held his new school uniforms and robes, and he had even hung his school bag up in it since it was currently empty.

Now he was flopped down on his four poster bed, just staring at the canopy above him. This was all just too perfect. He was afraid that any moment now he would wake up and be stuck in his cupboard. Maybe he was just truly delusional now and his pretending had taken him too far. For years Harry had gotten past the Dursley's torture by making up stories in his head while he did his work. Now he couldn't help but wonder if he was about to start regretting it because as soon as he left this fantasy world he had dreamed up, it would be absolutely torturous. Usually getting snapped out of his fantasy worlds were depressing, but none of them had ever gone this far. There was no way he could be dreaming all of this up. At least, he hoped so.

There was a knock at the door, and Harry lifted his head up to look as he spoke. "Come in."

Albus Dumbledore walked in, and Harry couldn't help but smile. The old man was just one of those people that you felt at peace around. He wasn't annoyingly cheerful, but his presence just seemed to brighten a room immediately. Harry had never met anyone like that, and he loved it.

"Good evening Harry." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he looked around the room. "I see you've unpacked. If the color isn't to your liking we can change it when we get you some clothes for you. I figured we could go into town tomorrow if you would like."

"That sounds great, but the color is good." Harry looked around. The color wasn't good, it was absolutely brilliant. The entire house was brilliant. The entire situation was just bloody brilliant!

"Alright, well if you ever change your mind, just let us know. This was originally a guest room, but now it's yours, and how it looks is up to you. Are you hungry?"

"A little" If Harry were to be honest with himself, he was absolutely famished. All of this excitement had left him starving. However, this was already too good to be true, so he didn't feel like seeming eager for more.

"Well, supper will be ready in about 5 minutes, so get washed up, and set the table. Then we'll be ready to eat." With that Dumbledore smiled once more at Harry, turned around, and left the room while Harry took a deep breath just to drink everything in. This was really happening.

Harry took one more look around his perfect room, and headed back into the living room to find the rest room, and wash up. It was a simple looking restroom, much as the rest of the house had been, and therefore, Harry loved it. Once Harry had washed his hands, he turned around to find 3 towel racks. Each had a different color of towel set, and above each set was a name. Harry's was the same blue as his bedroom, Minerva's was a dark red, and Albus' was a goldish color. Without hesitating, Harry dried his hands on his blue hand towel, and headed for the kitchen.

Once inside the kitchen, Harry saw some white plates, clear glass cups, and nice silverware waiting for him on the counter. Without hesitating a second, he grabbed the plates, and began setting a proper table for 3, while McGonagall and Dumbledore set food on the table.

They enjoyed a delicious dinner of roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, and corn on the cob. It was all so wonderful that Harry seriously thought he was dreaming at this point. Not only was he full for the first time he could remember, but he wasn't getting the left over scraps that nobody else had wanted. It all tasted wonderful, and Harry was allowed as much as he wanted.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, Harry stood, grabbed his plate, and made to take Dumbledore's and McGonagall's, but they both stood up as well. "In this family, we wash the dishes together Harry." McGonagall spoke sternly, but with a smile as she walked her plate to the sink. "After we get the kitchen squared away, we all need to discuss some things."

Harry nodded, and took his place to help. McGonagall washed the dishes, Harry rinsed and dried them, and Dumbledore put them away while clearing off the table. Once the dishes were done, Dumbledore wiped down the table, McGonagall did the counter, and Harry was left to sweep the floor. In Harry's mind, it was amazing how fast and cheerful things could be when you had someone working together. He had done the dishes alone while he was at the Dursley's, and it seemed to take forever. It was also extremely boring. Here however, Harry didn't mind a bit.

When everything was finished in the kitchen, Albus brought a tray of tea and biscuits to the living room, and everyone sat down to just enjoy the evening. Once again, this was something that Harry had never been able to do. The Dursley's had never offered him tea, and if he so much as looked at a biscuit, Aunt Petunia would tell him to not even think about it. As for sitting and enjoying the evening together, Harry doubted that would happen if he lived to be 100 years old.

Harry was sitting in the arm chair. He wanted to just curl up and tuck his feet beneath him since he had long since ditched his trainers, but he didn't know what the rules were concerning that matter, and he was still getting the feeling that McGonagall was not a woman he wanted to testthe boundaries with. For now at least, he would just have to watch and take his cue from what Dumbledore and McGonagall modeled, and questions that Harry became brave enough to ask.

"I hope you have had a good evening Harry." Dumbledore spoke from the loveseat where he was sitting next to McGonagall.

"Yes sir, it's been lovely." Harry sipped at his sweet tea and loved it. Just like the rest of the afternoon had been, it was perfect.

"I know it will be a change for you to live with us. We aren't exactly young anymore." McGonagall spoke simply, and Dumbledore's eyes just twinkled.

"It's peaceful, and I love it here so far. Everything seems simply perfect." Harry didn't miss McGonagall pursing her lips together as she studied him a moment; and he couldn't help but wonder if he had said something wrong.

"Was it really that bad at your aunt and uncle's Harry?" McGonagall placed her tea cup on the tray as she concentrated on just Harry.

Harry gave a small shrug. "They fed me, clothed me, and kept me fairly warm. I was able to go to the local public school, and I got plenty of fresh air and exercise." Harry took another sip of his tea before looking at the floor. "I didn't care for it though. My aunt and uncle always made it perfectly clear that they didn't want me and that I was a burden. My cousin just liked having me around to use me as a punching bag."

Harry didn't see McGonagall's lips practically disappear as she shot Dumbledore an absolutely livid look, but did hear the forced calm in her clipped tone as she muttered "I see" before picking up her tea again.

They sat in silence a moment and Harry couldn't help but feel at least slightly uncomfortable. He didn't know if it was the fact that these people were complete strangers, that they were professors at the school he was about to start at, that they were a real witch and wizard, or that they were, as McGonagall had put it, old. Either way, the silence was kind of unnerving to Harry.

"Well, you can be sure that we are happy to have you with us Harry." Dumbledore smiled kindly, and behind his half-moon spectacles his eyes were twinkling.

"Most definitely." McGonagall actually smiled, and Harry felt himself relax a bit. "As I was saying before, I know it will be an adjustment to stay with Albus and myself. It will take some getting used to on all of our parts. Now Albus and I explained most of the situation when we were at your aunt and uncles. There is a little more however." McGonagall took another sip of her tea, and Harry didn't take his eyes off of her. "Albus will openly admit that he is twice my age, and I am willing to admit that I am past the age of raising children of my own. Neither Albus, nor I, are married, have ever been married, or ever intend to marry. At least for love."

Harry's eyes grew wide. How was he going to be their son when his adopted parents weren't even married?

"However," McGonagall continued before Harry could speak. "In order for you to have the complete protection you had at your aunt and uncles, you must live with legally bonded family. Therefore, Albus and I have agreed to a marriage of convenience. We will marry in order to create that legal bond."

"What? No, I can't let you do that." Harry interrupted. There was no way he would let two people get married just so they could adopt him. That was crazy talk.

"Hold on Harry." McGonagall spoke firmly as she attempted to calm Harry. Albus and I have both agreed to this. If you decide to stay with us, we will marry, but as far as we are concerned, it will not change a whole lot. In fact, the only true changes are that I will become Minerva McGonagall-Dumbledore, permanently call this home, and legally be the mother of this family. I will still be Professor McGonagall at school; I will have my own room, and in general, be my own person."

"The connection we need Harry, is the connection of a legally bonded family." Dumbledore spoke gently, and Harry was finally recovering from the shock. "By Minerva taking the last name of Dumbledore, we are able to create that connection."

"Alright, as long as you know what you're doing." Harry was still skeptical. He had known this was all too good to be true, and here was the proof. In order for it to happen, Harry would have to force two people that didn't love each other to become husband and wife. Things worked out for him, but what about the forced marriage? The way they made it sound it was no big deal was unnerving to Harry, but at the same time he wanted to leave the Dursley's so bad, and this could be his only chance.

"Trust us Harry, we are alright with it." McGonagall spoke firmly, but it was not unkind. "Things will be kind of topsey turvey for all of us. At least for the first little while. As I said, neither Albus nor I have ever had children of our own. Therefore we have no experience with the matter. We also have different theories, different guidelines, different everything."

Harry could only nod. He thought he understood what she was saying. A family was no easy task. Especially a family thrown together as this one had just been.

"With everyone coming from different aspects, Minerva and I thought it would be a good idea for the three of us to sit down together and come up with the rules as a family." Dumbledore's words made Harry choke on his tea. He was seriously going to get to help come up with the rules? "Minerva and I have different expectations, and I'm sure you would like at least a little say in what goes on around here since this is your home as well."

"Er, brilliant." Harry managed. Immediately a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink appeared on the coffee table before them.

"First off, I believe that a family should eat together." As Dumbledore spoke, McGonagall and Harry nodded, and the quill jumped in the air, dipped itself in the air, and began to jot his words down.

"As I stated before, I believe that a family should clean up the kitchen together, but I also believe that they should all do their part to help with meals. Just as we did this evening." This time McGonagall and Harry nodded and McGonagall's words while the quill continued to write furiously in a very loopy script.

20 minutes later, the new family had finished the rules, and Dumbledore spelled it to stick to the front door where they would all be able to read it whenever they wanted. This was what the master copy looked like.

The Dumbledore House Rules

Eat meals together

Prepare and clean up meals together

Come to meals washed and presentable

Respect each other

No cursing

No yelling

No throwing things

Pick up after yourself

Talk things out

No lying

Knock before entering other bedrooms

No stealing

With that written up, they decided that the rules could be altered as they saw fit. Everyone agreed to a family meeting every Sunday evening, and Harry was expected to receive a list of chores, set aside 2 hours for study time each day, and be in his room by 9 and in bed by 10. All in all, Harry thought it had been a very productive evening.