Chapter 5

Sirius stared at Harry. "Are you kidding? Something happened with that snake on the door and you're not planning on telling us what?"

Harry smirked sheepishly. "Ok. I'll explain." Sirius and Remus looked relieved but their faces fell when Harry pointed to the opening and continued. "Inside."

Dudley went in directly after Harry and began looking at everything.

The first thing they saw was a beautiful piano situated under a grand staircase that led to a hallway which overlooked the entry. Overhead was a wrought iron chandelier. Surrounding the piano and staircase was a semicircle of windows showing a courtyard that contained a flower garden and small waterfall. To either side there was a sitting room with couches and armchairs in small groupings.

Sirius and Remus were able to point things out for their younger companions.

"The staircase leads to the first level of the library with a secret entrance to the family wing." Sirius said gesturing in that direction with a nostalgic smirk. "The public sitting rooms are right off the foyer - through the arches."

"James preferred this one while the three of us visited during holidays from school." Remus nodded with a sigh, his eyes went to a point above and to Harry's right. "The head Potter elf was named..."

"Ziva is being so happy to see Master James' old friends!" A soft feminine voice said. "But Ziva is being most happy to meet Master Harry again!"

Harry whirled around to see the diminutive creature. He'd been expecting an ugly old elf but was met with a sweet smile on a small smooth face. One of her ears was slightly higher than the other and her eyes were mint green. Her nose was on the small side when compared with the other elves he'd met. Her uniform was an adorable mix of fabrics and seemed to be made from curtains and fashioned into a plain dress with a pinafore apron.

"Oh my!" She squeaked and tugged her ear lightly. "You is being my Master Harry, for certainly!"

Harry nodded as he approached her. She curtsied but he just smiled and knelt to be at her level. "You've been with my family for a long time?"

Ziva nodded, her ears flapping. "Oh, yes, Master Harry! I is serving the Potter family for several tens of years! You is looking like your father! So much! Ziva is missing Master James!"

"Did you meet my mother?" Harry asked softly.

"Mistress Lily was lovely! Very kind she was to Ziva!" The elf smiled. "You is being here to stay, Master Harry?"

He nodded slowly. "Sort of. I'm still in school, Ziva, but I will be here or at one of our other properties during the holidays. Will you be taking care of all the properties I now own? I'm sorry. I'm still so unsure of how this all works."

"Ziva is head of Potter elves. I is taking care of all things here and in London." Ziva informed him. "The island has its own team of elves and Master James commanded that Ziva not visit Godric's Hollow after the secrecy spell was cast. Does Master Harry wish Ziva to go back and fix things there?"

"No!" Harry tried with difficulty to swallow the lump in his throat. "Not just yet, Ziva. We have other things to think about for now. For instance, I've inherited several properties that I must inspect. This is only my first stop and we will be here until my birthday."

Ziva nodded sadly. "Ziva will miss Master Harry when he is leaving, but Ziva will care for you and your guests while you are here. Would Master Harry be liking anything?"

"Tea, please." Harry said quietly. "Lemon in mine."

The sweet little elf nodded once. "Ziva will be bringing milk and sugar for Mister Moony and lemon for Master and Lord Sirius. Who is being the other boy, Master Harry?"

"He's my cousin on my mum's side. His name is Dudley." Harry explained. "He likes milk and sugar in his tea."

"Ziva will be right back, Master Harry!" She said before popping out of the room.

"Moony, which sitting room did you say my dad liked best?" Harry asked softly.

Rather than speak, Remus led the way. "See how the four armchairs are positioned? James felt like this room let us all see each other comfortably while we talked and the low table was perfect for doing our holiday homework."

Harry smiled picturing the scene. "So the snake on the door."

Everyone sat and looked at Harry as he spoke.

"His name is Sigmund and he was a gift from Sabelina Slytherin to Godric Gryffindor. He's been passed down through the years as part of the protections here." He explained the conversation he had with the snake.

Remus nodded slowly. "This explains so much! My nightmares were always less violent here."

Sirius grimaced but nodded. "Mine too."

Remus tapped his lips absently. "You know, in ancient Germanic, the name Sigmund actually means victorious defender."

Harry had never thought much about the meanings of names. Perhaps it was time to start.

Tea arrived and Ziva was serving. "Ziva has added a plate of the chocolate biscuits Mister Moony enjoys."

"Thank you, Ziva. That's all for now, but we will call you when we wish to see our rooms." Harry said.

"Ziva will ready them, Master Harry!" She popped off to attend to her duties.

Harry wandered the room restlessly with a biscuit in hand. "The piano...did either of my parents play?"

"No." Sirius said. "But your grandmother did."

Remus smiled. "Yes. James never got the hang of it though she tried to teach him."

"Aunt Petunia tried to make Dudley learn." Harry smirked. "Remember?"

Dudley snorted. "I had no interest and no talent."

"True." Harry chuckled. "Well, I'd like to see my room, so I'll leave you for the moment. I'll ask Ziva to set a time for dinner and see you then." He picked up the rucksack Dudley had been carrying and stepped into the foyer. He only glanced into the other sitting room before calling Ziva. "Please lead me to my room and let us know what time dinner will be ready."

Ziva was only too happy to show him the secret passage from the library to the family wing of the manor. When they arrived at his room the door opened and Harry was met with new elf faces.

He looked at them and smiled as he set the rucksack on the large sleigh bed. "Hello! I'm..."

"Ziva be presenting our new master. Master Harry is to be staying here for two weeks." She said interrupting Harry. "Bisbee and Tilly work the gardens and Kipsey, Landy, and Ziva care for the houses."

"It's wonderful to meet you all." Harry told the small creatures. "Ziva, I'd like to sort my things and rest a while."

She sent the others back to their duties and stayed to help so he gave her his trunk and the new rucksack but kept the older rucksack with him.

With a snap of her fingers the trunk was its normal size. Another snap emptied the trunk and Harry explained that the newer trunks and rucksack were to be used instead of the older ones and his new wardrobe would be here tomorrow.

She made quick work of sorting his belongings and put all his school supplies in the right compartments. Then she placed the muggle clothing into the dresser and the quidditch gear into its special compartment.

"I'll take care of the rucksacks myself. Uhm, I have a snowy owl named Hedwig. I expect her to find her way here soon." Harry instructed the elf. "Please let me know if she arrives?"

"Ziva will open owl wards and fetch perch for your Hedwig, Master Harry." She squeaked before popping out of the room.

As soon as she came back with the perch and placed it beside his desk with sticking and cleaning charms, he asked for a glass of water and some time alone.

"Of course, Master Harry! Dinner will be ready at six pm. Ziva will come to show you the way to the dining room." With that she conjured his glass of water and left.

It was so much to take in! He listened to the silence for a moment, sipping his water but soon gave in to the feelings overwhelming him. Within forty-eight hours he'd gone from being a poor orphaned boy to a rich titled nobleman - from unloved, abused and abandoned to loved and supported - from blissfully ignorant to unpleasantly aware.

Without warning everything he'd learned about himself piled on top of his already stressed brain and he cried. Suddenly he felt movement on the bed beside him and looked up.

"What isss wrong, young ssspeaker?" The snake asked sympathetically as she arranged her coils in a semicircle around him.

"I don't really know." Harry said quietly. He took a deep shuddering breath and used the short sleeves of his shirt to dry his eyes. "I've never felt like this before. I'm angry and confused and frustrated and sad. I don't know what to do."

"You sssaid you wanted to tell me a ssstory, young ssspeaker. Perhapsss I can help you detangle the knot if I can sssee the threadsss." Her voice seemed soothing somehow.

Harry nodded and began to speak. "After my parents were killed, I was raised by muggles - the kind of muggles who give them a bad name. They hated anything that wasn't 'normal'. They hated me and they hated magic."

"Thisss isss terrible to hear, young ssspeaker. I am saddened by thisss."

"For the past four years, I've been attending magic school and the man who killed my parents has attempted to come back to wizarding Britain. The first two years he failed due to efforts by me and a few others. The third year he kind of took a break but this year... he succeeded."Harry explained.

"Oh dear!" She said sounding concerned.

Harry sighed. "He's back and I expected him to kill me but when he had me alone, all he did was talk. I'm so confused. He told me he's not the danger to me. He says that someone else is and that person is someone I've trusted for years."

"I sssee." She said nodding her head. "Do you trust them ssstill?"

Harry shook his head and filled her in on the discoveries he'd made at Gringotts. "At best, he kept my paternal heritage from me and didn't know the rest. At worst, he's sabotaged my health, magic, and well being as well as stealing my money and deceiving the wizarding world about his trustworthiness."

"I can understand why that confuses you, young ssspeaker."She came closer and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Then to top it all off, there's a boy at school who has always hated me...or at least, he's always been antagonistic toward me, and he started being nice at the very end of the year." Harry shrugged. "He wanted to tell me something about his family members that I didn't know and offered me a favor in return for keeping his family name out of any statements I might make to the Ministry or the press."

There was a quiet moment as the snake considered what to say. "I will go backwardss, young ssspeaker."She said. "The boy soundsss sincerely concerned about his family's welfare. Perhapsss he is growing up and realizes he's been foolish to make you an enemy?"

Harry thought about this for a moment and realized that it made some sense. Before he could reply, she continued.

"The man you no longer trust could be either of the options that you suppose or he could be worse. You will not know for certain unless you look into the suggestions made by the man you believe to have killed your parents." The snake blinked at him. "Being angry will get you nowhere but it does no harm to be curious about the history of the wizarding world, young ssspeaker."

Harry nodded thoughtfully.

"Now, why are you sad?" She asked.

"I feel so alone in all this. With my family taken from me and the man I no longer trust possibly against me..." Harry whispered turning to look out the window. "If I tell my friends what's going through my head, they'll think I'm mental or at least not believe me. And now I've got my cousin to protect and worry about! I need help but I don't know where to go or who to ask!"

"If there isss nobody you can trust, perhapss the boy who owesss you a favor could help in sssome way?"She suggested carefully.

Harry pictured Draco's face and considered this as the snake began to wander the room.

She looked out the balcony doors and attempted to use the handle to open it until Harry stood up and opened the doors for her.

"I guess some fresh air might help clear my mind a bit." Harry said.

"The gardens are lovely, young ssspeaker. I wish to wander them." The snake told him.

"Well sure!" Harry said as he noticed a bird flying toward the house. Hoping it might be Hedwig, he made a request of the snake. "I'll join you in a bit. Please don't harm my family or my elves if you come across them?"

"Of course, young ssspeaker. You have done much for me. I would not repay you with sssuch betrayal."She said as she slithered down the trellis.

Hedwig flew into the room and landed on her new perch.

"Hello, girl." Harry said quietly as he reached out to stroke her feathers.

She nipped at him and seemed to glare.

"I'm sorry I left you behind." Harry told her. "It wasn't planned and I have your cage. We have many properties for you to explore now. This perch is yours too, Hedwig, and I'll put one in every bedroom I stay in. I promise!"

He chuckled as she hopped onto his shoulder to nuzzle him before hopping back to the perch and settling down.

"You relax and get settled in. I'm going for a walk." He told her as he closed the door after himself.

"Harry!" Dudley called out from down the hall. "I didn't have the chance to give you this when we got here."

"The nundu spikes!" Harry said shaking his head as he accepted the pouch. "Thanks for reminding me. I'm going for a walk in the garden with the snake. Want to join?"

"Nah. I'm knackered. See you when it's time for dinner." Dudley waved and went into a room nearby.

Harry smiled and tucked the pouch into his pocket before hurrying to meet his snake friend.

"Bisbee? Tilly?" Harry called as he realized he didn't know where to go. When they arrived, he continued. "I'd like to see the part of the gardens that I see from my room. Could one of you lead me there? Oh, and if you see a snake while you're working the garden, please call me. I can talk to them."

Bisbee bowed and popped away but Tilly smiled at him. "Yes, Master Harry! You be following!"

Tilly was extremely helpful. She directed him accurately and informed him about many of the plants that grow in the grove. "The citrus trees are in greenhouses while the forest is made up of evergreen trees - all the way to the hedge fence which is made up of holly and hawthorn and yew."

"Thank you, Tilly." Harry told her. "I'd like to walk a bit by myself."

She nodded and hung back while he strolled down the path.

Harry felt a light breeze and turned into it with a smile, allowing it to ruffle his hair. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Hello, young ssspeaker."The snake said poking her head out of the underbrush.

"Ah! I found you without even trying!" Harry mused. "So, when I healed you, you said you'd like to stay with me to gain strength before attempting to go home ...may I ask? How are you feeling?"

"Thank you, young ssspeaker. I am well. Well enough that I have felt a connection with my home." She told him heading slowly towards the nearest border of the estate.

"Oh?" Harry asked already missing her. "Is it close by? Can I help you get there?"

She stopped and turned to face him. "You wish to help me?"

Harry nodded.

She climbed his leg, quickly bringing her head up to meet his eyes. "You know that I and a group of humansss were hunting the spiked feline creature..."

Harry nodded again.

"I will be welcomed mossst warmly if I bring the spikesss we were sssent for." The snake hissed.

Harry knew that nundu spikes were used in many different types of potions but the ones that came to mind were all dark. Should he give her the pouch of spikes? "I never asked you." Harry procrastinated. "Do you have a human? Are they waiting for you?"

She appeared to blink. "I do have a human that is waiting. He isss likely impatient and worried."

Harry felt a shiver travel up his spine. "If I don't give you the spikes..."

"He will only send more men to hunt another of the spiked felinesss." She informed him. "You have no use for the spikesss. Won't you ssspare the huntersss?"

Harry frowned. On the surface, it seemed like a few simple statements but was it truth or manipulation. He snorted as suspicion crept up his chest with her. If her human was who Harry now thought it was, the answer to his question was both. "The pouch is in my pocket."

Confirming his suspicions, she dipped her tail into his pocket as she whispered. "Thank you, Harry Potter."

"What does he want them for, Nagini!" Harry ground his teeth as she slithered into the hedge. "Nagini!"

"I sssense my master." She said as she slithered into the hedge. "I will sssee you again sssoon, Harry Potter."

Harry chased her and pulled apart the branches of the hedge only to see a familiar blonde instead of the snake. He became mesmerized by the pale skin and golden hair that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight as the person in question sunbathed beside a built-in pool.

Harry's mouth went dry and he backed out of the greenery staggering down the path to a stone bench.

"Hiya, pup." Sirius said coming up on his left.

"Harry?" Remus asked getting worried. "Are you alright?"

Harry made a gesture toward the hedge that he'd messed up so the older men shared a look and wordlessly decided Sirius would check it out.

Harry watched his godfather approach the damaged hedge and pull the branches apart before he grinned.

"Nothing to worry about, Moony." He chuckled shaking his head. "Just a case of puberty hormones at work. My dear cousin seems to be Potter Grove's neighbor."

Remus made a noise of understanding. "Can I assume he's in some state of undress?"

"Yes. But it's not just that, Padfoot." Harry sighed. "There's something I didn't tell you."

Sirius sat beside him and waited.

"When Dudley and I were leaving Privet drive, we came across a dead body and a snake." He looked up at his godfather. "You know - I'm sure I or someone else told you - I'm a parselmouth. I speak to snakes."

Sirius nodded, grimly certain he wasn't going to like hearing this.

"I spoke to the snake and asked Dudley to check the body." Harry explained. "The snake was injured and I healed it. The body provided some money - which got us to London - and a small pouch of nundu spikes. His wand had broken and I didn't recognize his face. It was dark and I didn't pay attention to the markings on the snake. She came with us to the Leaky Cauldron and stayed in my rucksack the whole time."

The older men were stunned by his words but continued to listen.

"When we were alone in my room, the snake came out and we talked a bit. After our talk, she wanted to go outside and wander the garden so I let her out and followed." Harry said, chagrin evident in his voice. "When we met up outside, I asked about her health and she told me she was strong enough to sense her home and wanted to go...she asked about the spikes and since they were in my pocket I told her. She took them and left through that hedge."

"It was his snake." Remus concluded. "Wasn't it, cub?"

Harry sighed and nodded. "After that shock, I tried to chase her through the hedge but lost sight of her when..."

"When you caught a glimpse of the Malfoy boy sunbathing." Sirius smirked, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Harry blushed but nodded.

Sirius and Remus shared another look before cracking up.

"The way I see it, cub, if she was going to hurt you, she would've done it when she had you alone. I don't know what the spikes were for but we have other things to worry about for the moment." Remus reminded him. "It's almost dinnertime and you should wake Dudley."

Harry agreed. If he let his cousin miss dinner he'd be annoyed. As he knocked on the door to Dudley's room, Harry didn't expect it to swing open. "Dudley?"

"Here, Harry. I decided last second to write to mum. Can your owl take it to her?" Dudley asked holding it out hesitantly.

Harry snorted as he took it. "Of course. We'll go to my room on the way to dinner. By the way, I told Sirius and Remus about the snake...after she left."

"Oh." Dudley said, standing up. "Good. What did they say?"

"That I shouldn't worry about it until she turns up because she would've attacked already if it had been her intention." Harry led the way to his room and immediately walked over to Hedwig's perch. "Hi girl. When you're feeling up to it, could you take this Surrey?"

She looked at him skeptically.

"We'll work on another way for Dudley to keep in touch with his mum but for now, he needs your help." Harry spoke softly to her and stroked her chest.

She looked over at Dudley and then back at Harry. Her feathers ruffled and she hid her face under a wing.

Harry left the letter on his desk and exited the room. "C'mon. I'll ask her again later. Ziva?"

"How can Ziva be helping Master Harry?" She asked with a curtsey.

Harry bit his lip. "Well, to start with...the curtsey was nice the first time but you needn't be so formal, Ziva. Truly."

She tilted her head. "As you wish, Master Harry."

"What I actually called you for, was an escort to the dining room." He grinned at the elf.

"Of course, Master Harry!" She squeaked before turning around to lead the way.