Chapter 20 – Summer, how pleasant
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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners i.e. J.K. Rawlings, etc. The original characters and plot are the property of the author i.e. J.K. Rawlings, etc. This work is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Not for sale or profit but at least I can give it away.
Grimmauld Place was ancient, it was still grimy but it actually had a surprisingly large interior thanks to magic. There was never a need by most that visited, which were few or even the few that lived there to ever fully explore the house. Everyone knew there was a basement but never went down there. Meetings and meals were held in the kitchen on the ground floor. It came to all as a great surprise that behind a set of shelving in the kitchen and the set of double doors that had been wall papered over in the hallway, was one large dinning room. Who and when it was decided the dining room was of no use could only be guessed at but the dining room was there and it could sit twenty people. The next floor up or the first floor contained mostly bedrooms.
"Dobby, Winky we are home."
Pop pop
Welcome home master what can we's be doing for yous?"
"Dobby you and Winky did a great job on the third floor, how would you two like to remodel the entire house?"
The elves grabbed each other and started hopping up and down and spinning each other around with squeaky sounds of happiness.
"I take that as a yes. Now I want you to tell me what you think would be best or needs adding. We don't want you to have to carry food half way around the house to get to our new dinning room. So if you think a door or a bathroom is needed please tell us. Now here is what I thought we could do..."
Lora added, "We want you to pick out and make rooms for yourselves. We want all new furniture throughout the house unless you think different and we want you to have the best for your rooms just like ours."
Snape walked into the kitchen. "I see you beat me here even though you took the train."
"Ah yes our new resident potion master." I had a large grin after saying that. "Let's clear the air since we will undoubtedly be running into each other. I am Harry, this is Lora and I assume you are Severus unless you have a favorite nickname you prefer." You could see the emotions play over his face.
"That's acceptable." Snape tried hard not to sneer.
"Now I was thinking that you would want a potion lab since your going to be making potions. I was thinking that you might find the basement acceptable, we will of course set it up to your specifications. Your room will be renovated but you can have any room on the first or second floor. The third floor is Lora's and mine."
It looked like Snape was sucking on a lemon, "Harry…should the basement be large enough I would like to make them my quarters also."
"Fine, if it's humanly possible I would like your stay here as comfortable as possible. Winky please take Severus down to the basement and fix it up as he needs. Dobby I need some paper to show you what I would like to do with the rest of the house."
"I gave the attic to the twins. If the were going to have an accidental explosion I preferred the roof to blow off rather that the basement blow upwards. Their owl delivery would be their only income if Voldemort took over Diagon alley so it gave another reason to give them the attic. The Weasley's Et Al were assigned the first floor. Their heavy foot approach to stairs was the reasoning, not to mention their tendency to scream at each other. I figured the Grangers for the second floor. This still gave plenty of rooms for guests or refugees. Neville and Luna could peacefully cohabitate on the same floor with the Grangers should the Longbottom's wards fail.
Dobby and Winky took off like two miniature tornadoes. I however had a couple of problems I would soon have to face. Molly Weasley if she too wanted to reside here was bound to argue over cooking rights. The portrait of Mrs. Black was number two and had to go. The third was Kreacher the house elf.
Kreacher was well beyond the twist. As Lord Black he was my elf. Kreacher refused to answer my call or orders to appear. A fleeting glance was the only thing that let us know he was still lurking in the house or spying.
"I have to figure out how to get rid of the screeching portrait. Tip toeing around it all the time is just plain stupid." Lora was getting the brunt of my frustrations.
"Why don't you just cut out the wall that she is stuck to and dump her somewhere?"
I must have had a really stupid look on my face as Lora started laughing.
It worked better than anyone could imagine. Dobby put up elf silencing charms all round the entranceway to keep Kreatcher from interfering. The wall around the portrait was cut to the endearing curses of Mrs. Black. Transferring into my phoenix form I flashed to the open sea. I was probably lucky to have flashed away from Grimmauld Place before Kreacher could do some elf magic on me. Although a sane elf should not be able to harm their master but this was Kreacher. Now it is not to say that Mrs. Black was shouting obscenities like a sailor. I wonder some time if the "fates" love me or hate me. Did I say I have met them earlier in my life? I dropped the wall/portrait into the sea. Just as the painting was to hit the water Kreacher appeared shouting "Mistress I will save you and tried to grabbed it. As both sank into the sea Kreacher got grabbed by the biggest shark that I have ever seen, it wasn't a pretty scene but I may save the memory to view again later, chomp, and chomp.
I was happy, Lora was happy even Snape was happy or at least not complaining. The elves were apparently having the time of their lives. The basement, while not finished, still had Snape brewing potions and a number of rooms on each floor were ready for habitation. The twins had stopped in and provided their needs to Winky for the attic. They appreciated the forethought as they figured that their shop would be one of the first to be attacked. Everyone was expecting the worst.
Then it started. "Harry are you around?" Neville head was in the fireplace.
"Hi Neville, care to come on through?"
"Yes I'd best, could you authorize Susan and Amelia Bones so I can bring them with me?"
"Just a sec Neville while I upgrade the list."
Neville, Susan and Amelia came through the 'floe' and took a seat in the living room.
"So I assume you have heard." Madam Bones asked.
"Sorry Madam Bones we have been busy around here and the Dailey Profit isn't worth reading."
"Just call me Amelia I think you have earned that. The Deatheaters burnt our Manor to the ground yesterday."
"I am sorry to hear that and not trying to make light of this I must say Voldemort is definitely after you. What is this the second time he tried this?"
"Actually the third time and it definitely was not charming."
"Harry while Longbottom Manor is most happy to give sanctuary to the Bone family I believe your place here is safer."
"But of course you and Susan are more than welcome. I will just have to adjust the wards. Dobby!"
"Yes Master Potter Sir."
"Could you show these two young ladies to the second floor and assist in whatever they might need."
"Yes Master Harry, you are the best for Dobby and Winky." Pop
"You will have to get use to our elves as they are a bit hyper active. I hope that I have not broken any protocols Amelia."
"What are you talking about?"
"The badge you gave me has been vibrating like crazy, were we supposed to do something?"
"No the Aurors have been quite busy but you only had that badge to request help not provide it."
"So, please check out your rooms and here is the address to get you past the Fidelius charm. Give me a shout if you need anything, you will find we are quite busy here preparing for war."
"What do you have to prepare for in this war if you don't mind me asking?" Amelia looked confused.
"I am preparing for Hogwarts to fall and or the Ministry. Oh that reminds me, that is one of the things that you and Susan will be getting shortly, a port-key here."
"Portkeys are only authorized to be made by the Ministry."
"I told you before that rules are part of what I break. With Dumbledore planning his own death while Voldemort is planning to end Dumbledore's existence and Big Mac being part of Hogwarts teaching staff, yea, I break rules to get prepared."
"I think you and I need to talk as soon as you have the time."
"Not a problem Amelia, not a problem."
/SceneBreak/
"How dare you clean this place? How am I to survive with your tiny things cleaning every corner of this place?" Lea was hissing up a storm of expletives and had swelled to her larger size.
"Now just follow me Lea and I will show you your own little paradise."
That was another of the unknown things about Grimmauld Place in that it had a garden out back. No not the little six by twelve little patch but the Amazon jungle's cousin. Maybe Neville could explain how you take a small garden and expand it into a primeval jungle, magic was odd sometimes. All I knew was whether it was a garden or a portal to a primitive forest the place was huge. Lea was so happy she didn't shrink down and speed off looking for a meal. I left her on her own; if she found a water buffalo for lunch, I was sure, I wasn't going to be the one carting her around on my shoulder.
/SceneBreak/
Things were really shaping up in Grimmauld Place. The place looked clean and elegant. That however brought about some interesting changes in the elves.
"Harry Potter will not eat at the kitchen table; he will eat breakfast in his elegant dinning room as a true lord does." I believe I had created a monster or two.
"Lord Potter Black will not leave in those clothes. Yous be a Lord and must look and act like one. Here is yous robes, slacks and shoes." Winky was also demanding.
Lora was laughing until she got told what.
Severus refused to leave the basement under demands to dress as a proper house guest. Life was at least different at Grimmauld Place. A few days later, a very distressed muggle couple portkeyed into Grimmauld Place's ground floor dragging their pissed off daughter.
"Dad I had a prefect shot at the idiot and you activated the dam portkey."
"Pumpkin you blew up three of those deathdingys but there were at least ten more trying to get in to the house." Mr. Granger seemed to be telling his daughter that she done a no-no in killing a few bad guys. Mrs. Granger looked like she was happy to be away form the deathdingys.
"Winky" pop
"Yes Master"
Please escort the Grangers to the second floor and help them as they need."
"Yes Master Harry."
Hermione's anger had just found a new target, "Harry James Potter how dare you slave bond innocent elves into your service."
"Hermione if you don't like the service you can always room downstairs with Severus." I thought that might slow her down.
"I heard that Potter and she is not to be sent down here, do you hear me Potter!"
That got Hermione's attention, "You really have Snape in the basement?"
"No it a Boggart disguised as Voldemort, go clean your room Hermione."
Now if I thought the summer was a bit busy or rough the twins arrived in full force. They had moved their essentials into the attic. "Harry our secret investor the Evil-fart's minions attacked our shop last night so we are moving under your kind protection."
"How much damage did he do?" I was curious.
"Oh, no damage but we are sure they will be back."
"Do I have to buy a Dailey Profit issue to find out, what did they do?"
"Not much, you know the talking caricature with the big top had in front of the store?" Fred asked.
"Yes that great big thing the covers the fount of your store?"
"Well when he lifted his top hat and all the squirrels jumped out."
"Squirrels?
"Animated of course and everything in black robes looks like tree nuts to the squirrels."
"At least they did drive them off, right?"
"Well it would have but that set off the sneeze defense from the nose of the caricature in fount of the store." Fred said.
"That was not supposed to happen just then." George added.
"Explain so I can grasp your pranks results."
"Well the sneeze is sort of a magical super glue sprayer." George stated.
"This glued them to their clothes and shoes and of course to the road." Fred added.
"And?" I had to ask.
"Well when they activated their portkeys they took themselves, the squirrels and the road they were attached to." George laughed.
"The thing is when they banish the glue it will turn all the squirrels loose looking for hanging nuts." Fred laughed and fell into George who was also laughing.
I had to suppress a large laughter myself thinking what had happen. Most likely all the stuck Deatheaters portkeyed into Malfoy Manor along with their part of Diagon alley road. Someone would have banished the glue and turned loose a gazillion squirrels looking for hanging nuts in Voldemort's lair.
/SceneBreak/
Amelia 'floed' into Grimmauld Place and had the bad news, the Ministry had fallen and Fudge was dead. The Wizengemot had voted in absentia to elect the Undersecretary as temporary Miniser, Minister Umbridge. It was now time for summer to get uncomfortably hot for the Deatheaters, Fudge was bad enough.
/Scene Break/
Snape and the Twins had been working together for a few weeks and how can you describe diabolically evil inventions. I had them mix up a trunk size batch of their boom/boom mix and I made a phoenix trip to Voldemort's new hangout. The Ministry of Magic, level one was under Voldemort's direct supervision. He had moved his throne like chair in and was directing his Deatheaters on their next assignment when level one went Boom/boom. We hoped that Voldemort was looking for a new horcrux ritual about that time.
The magical world however did not get a fourteen year break this time as Voldemort had preplanned. He was up and running in a week. However most of his faithful minions were in the Ministry on level one at its destruction, so there was a set back Voldemort had to overcome. Much was said and argued both pro and con about cleaning out the entire Ministry but in the end we only cleaned the first floor. Not to long after our redecorating of the Ministry quite a few of us wished Umbridge was on the 1st floor that day. She was still alive, still ugly and still the Minister of Magic.
/SceneBreak/
"Harry I need you to take me out of this nut house for a few hours." Lora sounded a bit depressed.
"I can see your point, how about we see what the Twins have new in their shop?"
"More would be nice and muggle London would be fantastic."
"Ok, the Twins shop, Gringotts for a few quid and we get lost in downtown London." I could do with the break myself.