“So, Harry, who’s going where?” Ellie asked. The whole family had hauled their luggage up to the third floor of Potter Hall and they were now assembled on the landing awaiting further instructions.
“Erm…I don’t know…” he looked at her for help. She sighed loudly at him.
“I suppose you’d like me to tell everyone where to go?” He nodded guiltily at her. “Right-o, as master of the house and someone whose name begins with H, why don’t you, Ron, and Ginny take H Wing?” She signalled to her left.
“Sounds good to me,” Harry nodded.
“Moony, maybe you should go with them?” Ellie asked with a persuasive glint in her eye.
“A very good idea I should wager,” Remus said agreeably.
“Molly, Arthur, Bill and Fleur, would you like to take J Wing?” Ellie waved a hand at the archway behind her.
“That would be lovely, Elizabeth,” Molly cooed, she then smiled warmly at Harry.
“Fred and George, you can stay in A Wing with me and Charlie if you like?” This time Ellie pointed to her right.
“Sounds ace to me!” Fred and George replied in unison.
“I’ve just got one condition,” she said as she watched the twins carefully.
“What’s that?” George asked suspiciously.
“If you want to blow anything up can you do it down in the cellar? If you break anything in these rooms then I would have to break you and we wouldn’t want that now, would we?” Although there was a perfectly pleasant smile on Ellie’s face and a sort of singsong quality to her voice, Harry was fairly certain that she was deadly serious.
“As long as you show us where the cellar is, we’ll be only too happy to blow it up instead,” Fred consented enthusiastically.
Everyone set about unpacking in his or her respective rooms; Harry had decided to take up residence in what was once his grandparent’s bedroom. It was similar to his parent’s room in J Wing in that it was located at the top of a tower but the décor was much statelier in this room. The colours were much warmer, there was a sort of pale green on the walls and the bedcovers were made from a darker forest-like shade of the colour. The furniture content was much the same, there was a large wardrobe, who’s inside was actually thrice the size of the outside, a dressing table which was covered in ornate perfume bottles, and a couple of chairs arranged around the large, black marble fireplace. A long mirror stood beside the wardrobe and every time Harry looked at him it insulted him. “Fix your hair,” it shouted at him the first time he walked past it and “Tuck that t-shirt in!” not long after. When Ginny floated a trunk of his belongings from Grimmauld Place in to him, the mirror took the opportunity to voice its opinion on her appearance. “What a lovely looking young lady. How did a rascal like that get a girl like you?” it inquired.
“Just lucky I guess,” Harry mumbled with irritation in the background. Why did every mirror in this house seem to hate him?
“Well it certainly wasn’t your charming personality,” it scolded him as Ginny left the room. She bumped right into Ellie on the way out.
“Did you leave him in one piece?” the older female joked.
“I always leave him in one piece!” Ginny protested. “I wouldn’t go in there just now, he’s having a bit of a domestic with the mirror,” she chuckled.
“Insulting him like mad is it?” Ellie grinned knowingly.
“Yeah, and it praised me up instead, so he’s a bit annoyed.”
“Just between you and me, all the mirrors in this house are enchanted to abuse Potter men, one of Granny Potter’s many brilliant ideas,” she said proudly.
“Well, you might want to dilute the spell a little because at this rate Harry’ll smash them all.”
“That’s okay, they’ll repair themselves,” Ellie was now practically doubled over with laughter.
“Granny Potter certainly was a devious little witch, wasn’t she?”
“She managed to put up with my grandfather for twenty odd years, not to mention raise two boys that were every bit as cunning as him, she’d have to be devious!” Ellie chuckled.
“I think I would have liked her,” Ginny smiled devilishly, Granny Potter sounded like just her type of person.
“You would have got on like a house on fire!” Ellie threw back over her shoulder as she left the wing.
When everyone was settled they gathered together in the second floor kitchen, Molly had nearly fainted at the sight of it, it was easily three or four times the size of the kitchen that she had at The Burrow. It was equipped with just about anything and everything that you could ever need. “We’ll have to get some food in,” she commented as her eyes glazed over the empty larder that was the size of a small bedroom.
“The masters and misses is needing food?” Dobby asked as he and Winky appeared with a crack. “Dobby and Winky will get the food,” he sang as he and Winky vanished again.
“That elf really is an angel,” Molly smiled.
An hour or so later Dobby and Winky had returned with enough food to feed the five thousand and had dinner bubbling away gently. “Ellie, I need a quick word,” Harry whispered to his cousin over Ginny’s head.
“Let’s step outside.” Ellie rose from the table and exited the kitchen with light grace. “What can I do for you?”
“I need a hand with a couple of Christmas presents I’m after,” he whispered to her.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked instantaneously.
“How do I go about getting deeds changed?”
“Deeds?” She gave him a thoroughly questioning look.
“I’ve had some good ideas.”
“Well, you’ll need to go to Forensis Aquila’s office in Diagon Alley for that.”
“Can you arrange that?”
“I’ll see what I can do, I may need to organize a guard, who shouldn’t I ask?” Ellie had a devious Marauderesque glint in her eye.
“Moony, Tonks, Molly or Arthur,” he said extra quietly.
“Remus won’t take it well…”
“He will when he sees what we’re giving him,” Harry assured her.
“We?”
“I’d really like these things to come from the both of us, is that okay?”
“So long as you tell me exactly what it is that you’re doing.” She gave him a look that was scarily reminiscent of McGonagall. Harry leaned forward and outlined his plans to her; she gazed at him with sheer and utter amazement. “Wow, Harry! Did you really come up with that all on your own?” She surveyed him suspiciously.
“Erm…yeah.”
“Now if you could just harness that genius and put it towards to bringing up your Potions marks, I would be delighted,” she said emphatically.
“Sorry, Ellie, it’s not going to happen,” he apologized with a smile.
The next morning Ellie woke Harry at what he assumed was a scandalously early hour but actually turned out to be half past nine. He could see from the long windows in the kitchen that the grounds of Potter Hall were still shrouded in darkness. Nobody else was awake at this time, the kitchen was unusually empty, not even Dobby was pottering away. Harry found all this strangely suspect. “Where is everyone?” he asked Ellie.
“Shhh!” she hissed with a finger on her lips. Once she had shut the kitchen door behind them she began to whisper. “I may have accidentally slipped some Sleeping Draught into everyone’s pumpkin juice last night,” she grinned guiltily.
“May?” he queried.
“All right! Definitely did, everyone but you and me, I thought that would be the best way to keep our little trip as quiet as possible. We’ve got four hours before it wears off,” she said, taking a quick glance at her watch.
“So who’s going to be our guard?”
“Mad-Eye.”
“Is that it?” It wasn’t that Harry liked to go everywhere with a guard of twenty, but there was a certain feeling of safety involved in the large number that one ex-Auror could not fulfil.
“We’re trying to be inconspicuous; nobody would expect us to be out this close to Christmas. You’ve never seen Diagon Alley two days before the big day; it’s not pretty. Everybody’s out trying to get their last minute presents and their prepared to hex you for that last pair of Quidditch goggles; believe me. We are the Order of The Phoenix and we have very tight security. We are not stupid enough to go gallivanting in a crowded street two days before Christmas with no guard, or at least that’s what the enemy thinks. Never overestimate the intelligence of your opposition, Harry,” she said confidently. “So it’ll just be you and me with Mad-Eye circling us like a constantly vigilant vulture that’s hidden under an invisibility cloak,” she chuckled. “We’re just waiting for the signal.” Sure enough, as soon as she had mentioned the signal a gnarly hand with a wand clasped within its grasp appeared in the kitchen’s fire and shot sparks into the empty, cavernous room. The young pair jumped in to the fire and very soon found themselves stepping out into The Leaky Cauldron.
Harry had never seen the place so full; there wasn’t room to swing a Pixie, let alone a cat. It was strictly standing room only, every single seat was full and all the gaps in between the tables were filling up too. With a great amount of effort Ellie and Harry managed to shuffle their way through the throng and out to the back door that kept the entrance to Diagon Alley hidden. Harry watched as Ellie tapped the bricks that he had once seen Hagrid rap with his pink umbrella. The wall parted to allow them passage, but unfortunately there was nowhere to go.
The street was packed to capacity, even more so than the pub, people barely had room to breathe and there was the constant rumble of packages colliding with other packages and shoppers’ limbs. If pushing their way through the pub had been difficult, pushing their way through this horde was nigh on impossible. Yet somehow they managed it, and they were nearly at Gringotts when Ellie suddenly started pushing through the people to her left, they ended up squeezed between the shoppers and a black, wrought iron door. Ellie found what Harry assumed was a bell but turned out to be an intercom. “Please state your name,” a very polite voice requested.
“Mr. Harry Potter and Mrs. Elizabeth Weasley,” Ellie muttered as quietly as she could without being overheard by the people around them but loud enough for the polite voice to hear what she had said.
“Of course, come on up, Mrs. Weasley,” the voice replied. There was a loud click and the door swung open.
“Up you go, Harry,” Ellie ushered him forward to the staircase that was revealed and followed him after shutting the door sharply.
They emerged on the slightly less busy street two hours later, although the mass had thinned somewhat, it still didn’t allow for free flowing passage. It took them nearly half an hour just to push their way back to The Leaky Cauldron and by the time they jumped out of the fire back at Potter Hall the kitchen was still deserted. “It’s too quiet, it just feels weird,” Harry said uncomfortably.
“I don’t like it either,” Ellie shivered and made her way for the door.
“Where are you going?” Harry asked.
“Back to bed, it’ll look odd if Charlie wakes up and I’m not there. You should probably go too, I know how Ginny likes to pay you a morning visit,” she said with a suggestive smile.
“What…how…!” Harry spluttered.
“I had hoped that you would have realized by now that I’m not quite so oblivious as some of the other people in this house.” She gave a picture of Molly and Arthur that she had hung the previous day a surreptitious look.
“How do you do that?”
“It’s a Dumbledore thing.” She smiled warmly before slipping out of the kitchen and back to her beloved husband. Harry, realizing that Ellie was right about Ginny enjoying a morning visit to his room, followed suit.
The two days leading up to Christmas were a hazy blur of activity. When everyone had finally arisen from their lengthy slumber on the day of Harry and Ellie’s trip to Diagon Alley the men gathered in the Entrance Hall. “Right chaps,” Arthur said jovially to the group assembled before him. “Today we are going to go and get ourselves a Christmas tree the Muggle way!” he said in a voice that positively skipped with excitement.
“You what?” Ron immediately yelled. He did so right in Bill’s ear and caused his older brother to jump out of his skin and right on to Remus’s toes. So while Remus wobbled on one leg to massage the toes of his other foot, Bill took a swipe at Ron, who ducked so that Harry cleverly caught Bill’s hand with his face. His glasses flew off his nose and landed on the floor, shattering the glass.
“Sorry, Harry!” Bill said apologetically. “I meant to get him.” He plonked a large and heavy fist on the top of Ron’s head; he was quite possibly the only person tall enough to reach the top of Ron’s hairy cranium. The tall and lanky boy immediately reached up to rub the point of impact tenderly.
“Don’t look so worried, Ron, I’m sure one of your new girlfriends will kiss it better for you,” Harry said coldly. A bunch of surprised eyes fell on Ron and his ears burned red.
“Sod this, I’m off to help the girls with the other decorations,” he grumbled and marched off in the direction of the formal dinning room where the girls were currently plastering tinsel to everything.
After a little more discussion, the men that were left behind put on their heavy cloaks, gloves and big rubber wellies. They stepped out into the crisp December air and began marching through the foot of snow that had settled over the land. Arthur and Remus were leading them towards what looked like a small wood at the very edge of the grounds. When they arrived there they began sizing up trees, thankfully it wasn’t too long before they found a suitable candidate. Arthur conjured a chainsaw that he promptly handed to Harry for instruction, having seen a man do this on television once, he fired it up and handed it back to Mr. Weasley. Harry, Fred and George lined up to one side of the woods and watched the other three men with considerable interest. Bill and Remus were stood a good bit away from the tree with their wands pointed at it accusingly, while Arthur proceeded to swipe the chainsaw through its trunk. After almost ten minutes the tree fell to the ground with a resounding thud. The six men then managed to hoist it on to their shoulders and carry it back up to the house.
The next day had been spent deciding exactly where to put the tree, after much debate between the two Mrs.Weasleys, it was settled in the centre of the Entrance Hall. Everybody got involved with adding the baubles and tinsel to it, Dobby even baked some sweets that they could attach string to and hang from the branches. To complete the spectacle they put a little model of Merlin right at the top, where he was able to sparkle down brightly on everyone because of the light from a candelabrum that was hanging only a few feet away from him. When they eventually reached bedtime on Christmas Eve everybody was well and truly tired; they all disappeared off to bed and slept soundly.
This year Harry was spared Ron bursting into his room at an ungodly hour, but didn’t escape Ginny’s early rising. It was just after nine when his petite girlfriend dragged him from the warmth and comfort of his large bed. She towed him all the way from his room down into the family sitting room on the floor below. Because the tree was down in the entrance hall the presents were piled on either side of the blazing fire. Everybody was now awake and the present opening began, the sound of ripping and tearing reverberated through the air, as did subsequent squeals of delight.
Ginny was delighted with the emerald encrusted ring that Harry had bought for her, once he had assured her that he wasn’t trying to propose. He was equally happy with the cherry wood picture frame she had bought for him, especially because it had a picture of the two of them in it. Ellie was happy with the pair of shoes Charlie bought her and the lovely necklace that Remus had gifted her with. They kept shooting furtive glances at each other, both of them knew about the two rolls of parchment that were currently residing in the pocket of Harry’s dressing gown. He was just waiting for the right moment to hand them over.
The moment presented itself just after Winky had cleaned up the bits and pieces of destroyed wrapping paper. Everybody was lounging in the living room admiring their new possessions and waiting for breakfast to be ready. “Hem-hem,” Harry coughed, it never ceased to amaze him how well that got people’s attention. “There are two more presents to give out, these are from me and Ellie,” he said as he handed a roll to Remus and another to Arthur and Molly. The three adults looked at him oddly before untying the little piece of festive ribbon that kept the parchment rolled up, and reading them carefully. Their jaws dropped progressively lower. “Ha “ Harry, Elizabeth, I can’t accept this…” Remus muttered with astonishment.
“You bloody well can, Remus Lupin, it’s about time that we gave something back to you. Besides if you don’t accept it then I shall take it as personal insult and we will be forced to duel,” Ellie said seriously but with a smile.
“What’s the matter? What have they done?” Charlie was mildly amused by Remus’s reaction.
“They’ve given me Potter House…” He continued to stare at the parchment in his hand with shock. Then in one fluid movement he swept out of his chair and wrapped his arms around both of them. “I don’t know what to say…this is too generous…you’re far too kind…too kind…” he mumbled.
“Ellie’s right, you deserve it,” Harry told him. Now that Remus’s special present had been exposed everyone turned their attention back to Arthur and Molly, tears were streaming down the plump woman’s face. Arthur looked up at them with his mouth flapping in silent words; Harry held his hand up to prevent any protestations that may or may not have been building. “It’s because of me that you don’t have a home anymore, if you hadn’t been so close to me then The Burrow would still be here. My family is not going to be homeless, Mum, I won’t have it,” he vowed. Molly wrapped her arms around him and sobbed in to his shoulder heartily.
“Your mother would be so proud of you. You’re such a good boy!” she cried.
“What did you do?” Bill asked as he whipped the parchment out of the hand of his still silent father.
“In the name of Merlin! They’ve given us Grimmauld Place!” Bill exclaimed. His siblings then crowded around him to get a look at the piece of paper.
“I’ve got one request though, Molly,” Ellie said in her soothing voice.
“Anything at all, dear,” Molly sniffed.
“Promise you’ll make it a proper Weasley home, just like The Burrow?”
“Of course! Oh, Elizabeth! Such a wonderful girl, just like your mother!” Molly continued her weeping.
“I have to tell you something, Ginny,” Arthur said when he eventually found his voice.
“Yes, Dad?” Ginny replied. She was currently sneaking her way back to Harry.
“If you don’t marry this young man, I shall be thoroughly disappointed,” he said. Harry began to flush fuchsia but Ginny just grinned madly.
“I’ll keep that in mind when he asks me,” she said as she snuggled in closer to his shoulder. Harry just wished that the floor beneath him would swallow him up before he had the chance to get anymore embarrassed.
They were just sitting down to breakfast when Fawkes materialized out of the air in front of Ellie. He dropped a letter into her lap and disappeared in a flash of fire. Ellie ripped open the letter and let out a strange sort of strangled note. “We need to go now!” she screamed and raced towards the fire. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Fred, George, Remus and Arthur followed her. Harry looked down at the parchment that now lay discarded on Ellie’s breakfast plate. There, in his headmaster’s loopy scrawl, was a very short and frightening message.
A/N: Is that a big enough cliffy for you all?
The next chapter is going to be...actually, I'm not going to tell you because it'll give the game away. Hang in there for me!