Chapter 10
Potter’s Cove
“But Professor Dumbledore,” Harry stammered out as they walked into the hallway, “what about the place we saw last night? Wasn’t that my parent’s house?”
“No. That cottage was owned by a friend in the village who volunteered it to your parents when they went into hiding. We felt it would be best to place them in a separate location, and retain this house as…a decoy, if you will,” he said with an odd emphasis on the word “decoy”.
“This is your family’s house, Harry,” Dumbledore said as they strolled down the hallway. “It has been in your family for generations. Your father grew up here, as did his father. This is also where Sirius stayed once he ran away from his own family. Sometime in his 6th year, I believe. Your grandparents kindly took him in”welcomed him as a second son.”
Harry looked around, amazed. It was strange to think that his father and Sirius had once lived in the very house he was walking through. They would have been about the same age he was now. The thought of Sirius living with his family brought a smile to his face”he knew what it was like to live with a horrible family and be taken in by another, the Weasley’s had done the same thing for him. His grandparents must have been great people…
“Did you know my grandparents, Professor?” Harry asked curiously. Despite all he had heard about his parents, he couldn’t ever remember hearing anyone mention his grandparents.
“Only by reputation, although I did meet them once. Very kind, very open people. Truly fit in at Godric’s Hollow,” Dumbledore said.
They continued exploring the house; a wide, two storied building made mainly from stone and the dark, smooth wood Harry had noticed in the bedroom. Large oaken beams supported high, vaulted ceilings. The rough stone walls gave the house a rustic, earthy feeling that reminded Harry of a Muggle hunting lodge.
They peered into at least 10 different rooms, some of which were empty, the rest full of various personal belongings, as if they previous inhabitants would come back at any moment. Harry took in very little, however, still dazed by all that had happened in the last few days. The main thing he was aware of was a warm feeling of comfort that continued to swell in his heart as they saw more and more of the house”he had thought that any trace of his family had been destroyed with the cottage he had seen the previous night, but here he was, walking around in the actual house his family had inhabited, a solid remnant of the family he had never known.
At length they came to a large, open room at the front of the house that appeared to be the entrance hall. The ceilings here were higher than anywhere else, and Harry noticed that the hallway with the wooden banister on the second floor looked out on this room. A large, empty fireplace stood against the left wall, and on the right was a large wooden display case full of objects of different sizes and shapes. Harry’s attention was instantly drawn to the center of the room, however, where about 8 or 9 mismatched chairs were placed around the fireplace in a crude half-circle. Each one was of a different make than the others, the styles ranging from an enormous, oaken rocking chair to a tiny cushioned seat that looked as though it had been made for a child. Each chair looked well used, as though the occupants were in a regular habit of gathering together in the entry hall.
“And now you have seen Potter’s Cove, or, at least what can be seen on the surface,” Dumbledore said as he sat in a large, comfy chintz chair not unlike the one Harry had seen him conjure at the ministry a year before. “I’d wager there is quite a bit more to it. Perhaps some thorough exploring can unlock its secrets.”
Picking his way through the jumble of chairs, Harry sat in the wooden rocking chair. It turned out to be larger than he thought; he could barely touch the floor. “But Professor Dumbledore, there’s one thing I don’t understand.”
“Just one, Harry?” Dumbledore asked with a small smile.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me about this place? Why couldn’t I have come here before?”
“A good question. Allow me to respond with one of my own. If you had known of this house’s existence before now, knew that you would inherit it one day, would you have ever returned willingly to Privet Drive?”
“Well, no,” he admitted.
“You would have desired to return here every summer, quite understandably, and would not have had the protection that your mother’s blood provided you at Privet Drive,” Dumbledore stated simply.
The headmaster suddenly leaned forward in his chair and spoke in a more sober tone.
“I know your distaste for secrets Harry, but I believed it best to reveal this information only when you were ready.”
Harry blanched inwardly. Although he was sick of hearing things like “when you are ready” or “when you are old enough”, he could see the wisdom in Dumbledore’s reasoning. He wouldn’t have wanted to return to Privet Drive, and knowing that Potter’s Cove existed would have made it that much harder to go back.
“I understand,” he replied grudgingly. Suddenly, the meaning of the headmaster’s words sunk in.
“Wait”are you saying I don’t need that protection anymore?”
“At the moment, no. Lord Voldemort suffered great loss after the events at the Ministry: first, he was thwarted in his goal of retrieving the prophecy; second, many of his most faithful Death Eaters were taken from him, and he has yet to gain them back; finally, you repelled him so forcefully when he attempted to possess you that he has no desire to attempt a direct attack on you any time soon. Voldemort has been put on defensive for the moment, and I feel that, with some precautions of course, you will be safe here.”
Harry silently digested the information. What Dumbledore had said was surprising, but it explained quite a bit. He had been expecting another attack from Voldemort, but the summer had been surprisingly uneventful. Apparently he hadn’t needed the extra Occlumency practice after all.
“So, Voldemort is in hiding again?”
“Oh, he has made a few token attacks on the public, of course,” Dumbledore said, “but for the most part he is lying low, trying to recover his losses. For the moment his focus is off you, which must be a welcome change, I am sure.”
“I read about the attacks over the summer,” Harry added, thinking of the Daily Prophet articles. “They were all on Muggles and it seemed like he was trying to scare people more than to hurt anyone.”
“A very astute observation, Harry. You see the brilliance behind it, of course. By attacking large groups of Muggles, Voldemort forces the Ministry to expend their time and efforts covering it up rather than fighting him. It buys him time to regroup and grow in strength, as well as recruit new followers. As you are already aware, the dementors of Azkaban have joined his cause, as have a number of the giants Hagrid was sent to visit last summer.” Harry grimaced. He wasn’t supposed to know about Hagrid and Madame Maxime’s visit to the giants the previous year, but he, along with Ron and Hermione, had coaxed it out of him.
“Err…sorry.”
“It’s quite all right Harry,” Dumbledore waved his hand dismissively. “You, Miss Granger, and young Mr. Weasley have a knack for figuring out things you are not supposed to. I learned a long time ago not to fight against it, but…channel it in more productive directions.”
Harry thought he saw a sly grin on the headmaster’s face, but it vanished in a second.
“On top of the giants and the dementors, we also have reason to believe the goblins may soon join him.”
Harry was taken aback. He had very little experience with the goblins”the only time he had really been around them was when he went to Gringotts and pestering Ludo Bagman during his fourth year. They had always seemed small, harmless creatures”kind of a surly, temperamental House Elf. He said as much to Dumbledore.
“But, are the goblins really that big of a threat?”
Dumbledore nodded his head as if expecting the question. “It seems strange to hear goblins listed with frightful creatures like dementors and giants, I know. But think, Harry. Goblins control Gringotts bank, the largest financial institution in the wizarding world, and with it, the economy. On top of that, they also possess a powerful brand of magic unique to their kind, much like House Elves and Centaurs. If they were to join Voldemort the consequences would be disastrous.”
Harry was about to ask more when Dumbledore raised a hand to interrupt him.
“But let us speak no more of this for now, Harry. You have earned a break from these concerns for a while. For now I want you to relax. I think you will find that some time alone will do wonders. You are the new master of this house, and I suggest you take some time to become familiar with it. Your personal belongings have been brought here, and you will find the kitchen well stocked with food courtesy of your friend Dobby.”
“I have only one request. Please limit your exploring to this house and the area around it, and do not venture into the village. While the inhabitants of Godric’s Hollow would be overjoyed to see you, I feel it best to not bring any attention to your staying here.”
Harry readily nodded his acknowledgement.
Dumbledore stood, looking at his pocket watch. “Now, Harry, I have other urgent business to attend to and must be off. Relax. Have fun. You will be safe here. Think of it as being on holiday. You certainly deserve it,” he said with a fatherly smile. “I will return this time tomorrow to see how you are doing.”
With that, the headmaster turned and made his way towards the front door. He was just about there when Harry remembered something.
“Wait, professor, one more thing!”
“Yes Harry?” Dumbledore turned around. His face was focused and he looked anxious to be going, as if he were late for something important. Harry decided to not waste any of his time.
“The letter to Uncle Vernon you wrote a couple days ago. Err….what did it say?”
Dumbledore paused and looked at him curiously. “You mean he didn’t tell you?”
“Well, no,” Harry replied, confused.
The intent, hardened look on Dumbledore’s face suddenly melted as he shook his head and gave a small laugh. “After all these years I still underestimate that man,” he muttered to himself. He then looked at Harry, an amused look on his face.
“I thanked him for watching over and providing for you and informed him that after this summer,” here he paused dramatically, watching Harry’s face as though he was anticipating the expression that would follow the next piece of news, “you will no longer need to return to Privet Drive.”