Harry Potter NR.4

Chapter Sixteen – Godric’s Hollow

Harry arrived in the receiving room and said hello to Andrew. They were chatting away when the door opened and Mattie walked in. “Excuse me Andrew, I believe the most important girl in my life just walked in and I had better cut it short so I stay on her good side” Harry said turning to Mattie smiling. “Mattie, you are a sight for sore eyes. If we had not had our monthly meetings like we did I do not think I could have made it. It is always nice to return home to my family.”

“You are turning into quite the charmer, Harry. Have you been practicing on all those pretty girls at Hogwarts?” asked Mattie.

“I wish. I may have grown exponentially knowledge wise this school year, but figuring out how girls work has somehow escaped me. I’m afraid I am just as hopeless as I ever was regarding that subject.”

“No worries young master Harry. We will just have to keep you to ourselves a while longer then.”

“Nothing would please me more Mattie. I have plenty of time in my future for socializing with girls. Right now I need some of Leru’s cooking, some time with Simon, Grandpa, and Grandma and let’s not forget Rolly.”

“Certainly not! Jojo has reported to me that Rolly has been pining for you something awful. I think it best if you go see him as soon as you get settled. I would offer to take your things but you seem to be missing them. I also noticed that Hedwig showed up earlier so I thought I would see you a lot sooner.”

“Oh, that’s right. I sent Hedwig along so she did not have to ride on the train. I rode it to be with my friends and so I could invite their parents for next weekend. I thought they might enjoy that. It looks like the Weasleys and the Grangers may be joining us along with their kids.”

“Excellent Harry! The elves will be quite pleased to have guests again. Do you need me to help you get settled?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I have what I need shrunk down and in my pockets. I will go and drop them off in my bedroom, change my clothes, and then go see Rolly while there is still plenty of daylight left.”

“Okay Harry, I will let you know when Leru has dinner ready. Welcome Home!”

“Thank you Mattie. It is good to be here, even if it is only for a week. See you in a bit.”

Harry went to his room, said hello to Hedwig, and changed into some blue jeans, a flannel shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. He told Hedwig that he was going to ride Rolly and she could join them outside if she wanted. Hedwig hooted letting him know she would think about it after she finished her nap. She had just flown all the way from Hogwarts after all and would likely need to go hunting after dark. Harry did not understand all that but when he saw Hedwig doze back off he got the gist of it, chuckled, and went on his way.

Striding out to the corrals, Harry climbed up on the fence and began looking around for Rolly. Harry had missed last month’s visit due to being busy, plus he knew he would be here for a week this month so it was not that big a deal to miss a visit, that is except for Rolly. Rolly looked forward to the monthly visits because that is when he got to see Harry again. He missed Harry a lot when he was away. Getting to see him once a month was about all that kept Rolly from getting too sad. Now it had been two months since he spent time with Harry and Rolly was really feeling low. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever see Harry again and be able to give him rides. He enjoyed his time with Harry and would do anything to see him again.

Harry spotted Rolly way over in the corner with his head hanging down. He looked very sad. Jojo ambled up to the fence in his chaps and sat next to Harry.

“Hi Harry. It’s good to see you again.”

“Hi Jojo. It’s good to see you again too.”

“Rolly has been very sad for a few weeks now. I have tried everything I can think of but he will not snap out of it. I hope when he sees you he will be okay again.”

“Let’s find out, shall we?” Harry called loudly to his horse, “Rolly, I’m back! Here boy! Come and see me!” Harry then whistled real loud.

Rolly was over in the corner with his head hanging low when he heard Harry’s call. He recognized that voice immediately. Rolly popped his head up with his ears standing erect. He swung his head around in the direction of the sound. He spotted Harry and Jojo across the way sitting on the fence. Rolly whinnied and started bucking and jumping around. He was so excited he could barely contain himself. He stopped all his nonsense and tore off at full speed toward Harry. He stopped about twenty feet away and pranced the rest of the way over. When Rolly closed the gap Harry grabbed him by the head and began rubbing it. He then pulled Rolly into a hug.

“It’s so good to see you Rolly!” said Harry rubbing his neck. “I sure missed you. It looks like you missed me too.” Harry let him go and Rolly nodded his head up and down at Harry.

“I swear that horse understands you Harry” said Jojo.

“It sure seems like it Jojo.” Harry turned back to his horse. “Rolly, you need to understand that I have to go to school and while at school I cannot always get away to come visit. But, don’t worry because I will always come back as soon as I can to see you. So no more getting sad, okay?”

Rolly nodded his head and stood expectantly in front of Harry.

“Rolly, I am going to be here all week so we will get to see each other a lot over the next few days. Plus I have friends coming at the end of the week so we will have to take everyone riding again. Right now though, do you want to just visit or do you want to go for a ride?”

Rolly turned and took off quickly for the stables. A half a minute later he came out carrying his blanket. Harry looked at Jojo. “I guess that answers my question. Would you care to come along with us Jojo?”

“Certainly Harry that would be great. Let me grab a horse that needs some attention and I will join you. You may want to hurry up and saddle up Rolly. He is looking impatient” he said with a grin.

Harry smiled. “Alright, Rolly. Let me have that blanket and we had better go back to the stables for the rest of it.”

Rolly followed Harry into the stables like a puppy. They stopped when they reached Harry’s saddle and bridle. Harry threw the blanket over Rolly’s back then finished getting him bridled and saddled for the ride. Jojo was ready about the same time so they both mounted up and took off. Jojo decided to ride one of the thoroughbreds which was as tall as Rolly but a little longer in the body. The horse was a beautiful chestnut color and looked ready to run. Harry thought the thoroughbred could probably outrun Rolly but after the horses were sufficiently warmed up they took off at a fast clip and Rolly did a fine job of keeping up with the other horse without any real effort. It even looked like Rolly could probably win in a short race but the chestnut would likely take him in a longer one.

“That is a beautiful horse Jojo. Such a nice color as well. What’s her name?”

“She is called Chelsey and she loves to run. She comes from a line of the Kentucky thoroughbreds we bought many years ago. We breed the thoroughbreds for speed and endurance. She is one of the better ones. Her temperament is nice and gentle and not so high strung like a lot of them.”

“I can tell she is very fast.”

“Oh, Rolly could probably beat her in a short race but thoroughbreds are meant to race on mile long tracks so she would likely beat him over that long of a distance. Thoroughbreds really get moving after a bit. Rolly is much like a quarter horse so he has the ability to jump into action a lot quicker and be able to turn on a dime. Quarter horses and stock horses like Rolly are much better for herding cows since they would have to make quick jumps, sometimes back and forth, to keep a cow from running off. That kind of quick speed is good for the short race. Rolly is bigger, faster, and stronger than most and has plenty of stamina so he could give lesser thoroughbreds a run for their money.”

“That is because my Rolly is a very special horse.” Rolly whinnied and nodded his head up and down agreeing. “See, even he thinks so.” Jojo just shook his head smiling.

oo0O0oo

“You guys want to see what I learned at school?”

Simon and Henry looked at Harry from their portraits in the training room. “Well of course Harry, what grandfather would not want to see what his grandson had learned at school? It makes a grandpa proud when he sees his grandson doing so well. Go right ahead and show us.”

“Yes, Harry, we are anxious to see what you have for us” added Simon.

“Okay, here goes.”

Harry turned into his gryphon right before their eyes in about one second. He looked up at his grandfathers in their portraits and saw their surprised expressions. He walked around for a bit so they could see all sides of him. Then he leaped into the air and took off flying around the room. Eventually he came in for a landing in front of the portraits and changed back into himself in about one second.

“How’s that?”

The portraits were speechless.

“Guys?”

“You’re an animagus?” asked Simon.

Harry nodded his head.

“You’re a magical animagus?” asked Henry.

Harry nodded his head again.

Simon and Henry slowly turned and looked at each other with a big grin on both their faces. They then jumped up and started whooping and hollering for joy. They grabbed each other in one portrait and hugged while still jumping up and down. Harry just stared at them in wonder. They finally settled down and went back to their own portraits. They both had big smiles on their faces.

“What was that all about?” asked Harry.

“Pop over and see your grandmother in the study. Show her your animagus and then ask her what hers was” said Henry.

“Come back when you are done” added Simon.

Harry apparated to the study and came back a few minutes later.

“Grandma said she was a phoenix” exclaimed Harry when he arrived back into the training room. “What were you, Grandpa?”

“I was a hippogriff.”

“Whoa!” said Harry. “And you Simon?”

“I was a dragon, a very large Hebridean Black. They are native to the Hebrides Islands of Scotland.”

“That’s fantastic!” exclaimed Harry. “All of us?”

“We were excited because your parents were both regular animagus animals” replied Henry “but we have a bit of a long history in the Potter family of producing magical ones.”

“Why is it so much better to have a magical animagus as opposed to a regular animal?”

“Because, Harry, a magical animagus is capable of using magic and since you are proficient with wandless magic then you can use magic while in your animagus form” replied Simon.

“You’re kidding right?”

“Nope, I wouldn’t lie to you kid. The trick is you have to be able to perform wandless magic extremely well. So if you can’t do wandless magic and your animagus is a magical one then you will not be able to do magic while in your animagus form. However, you do not fall into that category. You can do wandless magic just as easy as you use a wand. Therefore, you will be able to do magic while you are a gryphon.”

“Give it whirl Harry” said Henry.

Harry turned back into his gryphon and started thinking of what spell he wanted to try first. Suddenly he had an idea and cast his first spell as a gryphon. Simon and Henry were watching him carefully when all of a sudden Harry disappeared from view.

Simon and Henry were looking around for Harry when without warning Henry saw a giant eagle’s head appear right in front of his face. He jumped back holding his heart. Harry was reared up on the wall so his head was right in front of Henry’s portrait.

“Merlin Harry, if I were not already dead that would have given me a heart attack” said Henry.

The gryphon started making some strange noises then suddenly it turned back into Harry who fell to the floor laughing. Pretty soon Simon joined him then Henry started laughing as well.

When they got control of themselves Simon congratulated Harry. “Very nice using the invisibility spell. When you go flying as the gryphon you can make yourself invisible so as not to be seen by muggles or anyone else for that matter.”

“I will definitely have to practice some more with that to see what else I can do. Tomorrow I plan on running and flying around the property to get a little more use to my animagus form. I need to fly more anyway to build up more stamina.”

“Excellent Harry” said Henry. “Did any of your friends become an animagus?”

“I am the only one that has managed a full transformation but I did it on my first try just the other day.”

“Your first try and you transformed completely?” asked Henry.

“Yes, Professor McGonagall said I was likely the fastest ever.”

“She may be right about that” said Simon. “The Potters have always found it fairly easy to become an animagus but I do not recall anyone getting it on their first try.”

“The secret Simon is to push your magic toward it. Of course, you cannot do this if you cannot feel your own magic. This is how I am teaching my friends so they can hopefully have a quick transformation too.”

“So your friends all tested positive?” asked Henry.

“Yes they did and they will be here on Friday. I plan to work with them on their transformations some while they are here this weekend. I currently have them working on feeling their magic and trying to cast spells wandlessly. We will see if they are ready this weekend to attempt their transformations.”

“Can you work with them in here where we can watch?” asked Simon. “I would love to see you in action Harry. I have been told you are an excellent teacher.”

“Certainly Simon but I wonder who you have been talking to?” asked Harry. Simon just smiled.

“So what animals are your friends going to be?” asked Henry.

“Well, let’s see…wait a minute. I haven’t told you guys about my vision. Let me tell you about that because you will get a kick out of it, then I will tell you what my friends saw in their visions…”

oo0O0oo

The next morning Harry went exploring around his property and into the various woods in his gryphon form. He practiced several spells while he was about it and spent a good bit of his time flying which was a lot of fun and helped to build up his stamina. He started to go show Rolly his animagus form but decided that might not be a good idea so he squashed that. He was not sure how Rolly would react to a gryphon. Instead he showed up as himself and gave Rolly a bath with water from his wand and a sudsy sponge. He soaked up all the water afterwards and gave Rolly a really good brushing. Rolly, of course, was in heaven.

That afternoon at two o’clock he met in the training room, now dojo, with his sensei Benjamin Preston. The plan was for them to have a lesson and Harry was to be tested to see what level he was now. Ben had given him all the training materials so he could work on his own.

Ben bowed before he entered the dojo. Harry was right behind him and he bowed as well before entering. They walked to the center of the room and began stretching and warming up. Simon and Henry appeared in their portraits to observe. In a short while Ben and Harry both did full middle splits and held it there.

Ben was watching Harry to try and get a reading on how he was doing. He saw Harry place both his thumbs and pointer fingers onto the floor in front of him. Next, Harry started lifting his body up until he was upside down with his arms fully extended but his legs were still in a full middle split. Next, Ben saw Harry lower his legs even more going past the full middle split. Then Harry slowly raised his legs so they came back together and were pointing straight up to the ceiling. All this with Harry only supporting himself with two thumbs and two fingers. Then Harry switched to his full hands supporting him. Next, he bent at the elbow and pushed off hard, twisting his body in a full spin while in the air but somehow landing on his feet, facing his sensei. He then bowed.

“Well, Harry, it looks like I should be bowing to you after that display. You have a tremendous amount of strength and control. What else have you learned?”

“I am anxious to see what belt level I am at Sensei. I have been working very hard with the training materials you provided, which were fantastic by the way. Perfect, even. I was able to follow them without any problem. I made a lot of headway.”

“In that case we should see where you stand. The last time you were tested you were about halfway through your Purple Belt. Let’s start there and see where we end up.”

Ben took Harry through his paces, testing him on everything he was supposed to know and execute flawlessly. He went through the rest of the Purple Belt and then started on the first level of Brown, then the second level of Brown, then the third level of Brown. Ben was wondering when he was going to reach a stopping point. He had no idea Harry could learn this much just using his materials he created. Finally Ben was able to stop him over halfway through the second level of black belt.

“That is superb Harry. I never dreamed you could go that far on your own.”

“Well, I had a great sensei.”

“Do you want to know what belt level you are now?

“Are you kidding? Of course I do.”

“Second Degree Black Belt – you are a very dangerous man, Harry.” Ben went over to his bag and pulled out a black belt. He handed it to Harry. “I hope no one makes the sad mistake of trying to take you on.”

Harry took off his purple belt and started putting on his new black belt. “Thank you Sensei. I owe it all to you. Your teaching is superb. The memories and the pensieve were a tremendous help. The other materials and steps were helpful as well. I am looking forward to advancing further. I will continue to use your materials and will look for additional ones as I get closer to the end of what you have provided so far.”

“In that case I will get busy finishing up to my level, which is ninth degree now by the way.”

“I noticed your belt was mostly red now.”

“You inspired me Harry so I got off the bench and reached the next level fairly quickly. After I complete the tenth level myself I will be able to finish that project. You do me proud Harry. I have taught many students over the course of my career but you are far and away my best student. You are a natural and have the ability to learn quickly and never forget what you have learned. It is a pleasure to be your sensei.” Ben bowed to Harry. Harry bowed back.

“I know it is late Sensei but do you have time for me to show you something I have been working on?” asked Harry. “It will only take a few minutes and I desire your opinion.”

“You bet, Harry. After the impression you just left I am anxious to see more.”

Harry went over and made changes to the room so that it was setup more like the Room of Requirement when he did the demo for his students. He then requested a scenario with ten experienced Death Eaters that would attack him. He would let the room know when he was ready to start.

Harry walked over to Ben. “As you know I have been teaching Isshinryu Karate to my friends and I even have a couple aurors who have joined us. Tonks and Kingsley come as often as they can to our sessions. It was the idea of how the aurors train that got me going this direction. I put together an idea to combine our physical combat with magic. I demonstrated it to my class and we have since then trained in both instead of just Isshinryu. It has slowed down my class a bit on the karate side but given what we are likely to be faced with I think what I am teaching them is more beneficial right now. After I demonstrated it, Kingsley asked me to come train his aurors this summer. I am looking at doing that for him.”

“I am about to show you another demonstration where I combine my karate with my magic. Just watch and hopefully I will not fall on my face. Stand over here and protect yourself at all times just in case a spell flies your way. I will still put up a strong barrier in front of you to be safe.” Harry cast a strong protection spell in front of Ben and then set off to the middle of the room for the demo.

Harry got into position and said “Go!”

Immediately, ten dummies appeared and went into action. A dummy grabbed Harry from behind and a dummy in front of him was casting a spell. Harry grabbed the dummy on his back and flipped him over so that he was hit with the spell. Harry then flicked off a stunner to take down the one in front of him. It put a hole right through his middle. He saw another to his right so he leaped high in the air and kicked the dummy with a roundhouse catching the dummy right in the head which sent him flying a few feet. Before Harry landed he hit him with a stunner that blew his head off. He then fired a stunner at the one he flipped and put a hole through him even though he was already stunned.

When he landed he was close to another dummy. Two spells had already missed Harry because he was moving too fast for them to hit him. However, two more spells were headed his way. Harry picked up the dummy and put his body in front of himself so both spells connected with the dummy. He then turned to his left and threw the dummy at the next one closest to him. Just as it landed Harry cast a stunner that put a whole right through both.

Never stopping Harry quickly jumped over two more spells and then landed with a shield in place that blocked another spell. Seeing three dummies standing too close to each other, Harry hit all three with a stunner in a fraction of a second. All three were disintegrated. Harry turned just in time to see another two spells coming his way. He quickly put up another shield that blocked the spells then performed a spinning back kick that connected with the ninth dummy in a sickening crunch. This put Harry closer to the last dummy that he hit with a spinning back fist.

When Harry came out of the spin he stunned the two last dummies he had just hit without causing any damage this time. These were the Death Eaters who would be saved for questioning in his scenario.

Harry cast reparo on all the dummies and they were fixed right up, except for the three he disintegrated. There was no way of repairing them.

Mattie appeared with water for Harry and Ben then popped back out.

Harry walked back over to Ben and removed the protection spell in front of him. “What did you think? See anything I should have done differently or need to improve on?” He grabbed the water Mattie had brought and swigged it down.

Ben shook his head like he was having to clear some cobwebs.

“That was amazing Harry and no I could not possibly recommend a better way you could have done that. You were not hit with any spells nor were you hurt from any physical attacks. I’d say taking on ten Death Eaters and coming out of it without a scratch is a huge success. I take it the last two that you did not kill were saved for questioning?”

“Correct, in my scenario there were too many of them to let them live so I waited until I only had two left and did not kill them. If all I did was a simple stun then they would have used enervate right behind me and I would be fighting them all twice over. Too risky.”

“Very good. I can see where Kingsley wanted to have you teach his aurors after a demo like that. I might even be interested in your class” he said with a smile.

“I doubt seriously there is anything I can teach you Sensei.”

“On the contrary, Harry. I just learned something from watching your demo. The sad fact is I never thought of combining my karate with my magic. Now that you have shown it to me, it makes perfect sense. If fighting Death Eaters then you will be forced to use magic but you can also use your karate when appropriate. It certainly would throw most of them off their game. By the way, what were those spells you were using on the dummies? You blew holes right through them and completely obliterated three of them using the fastest spell casting I have ever seen.”

“Ben, I am willing to tell you but only if you are agreeable to keeping that information secret for me. I would trust you with my life so I am not worried about telling you my secret. Can you promise to keep this to yourself?”

“Harry I would never break your trust. If you want me to keep something secret then I will keep it secret for you.”

“That is good enough for me, Ben. I used the same spell during the entire exercise – a stunner.”

“Stupefy? But how did you create holes and completely destroy those three?”

“I am very powerful magically. I discovered that my magic had been bound when I was a baby. My parents did it because I was too powerful and they wanted to keep me and others around me safe. They had planned to remove the binding when I turned ten so I could learn to adjust to the extra power over a year’s time before attending Hogwarts. Of course they were murdered when I was just one year old. I did not find out about the binding until last year before you started teaching me. Simon and Grandpa showed me how to remove it and then I had to learn how to control all the extra power. Your lessons gave me the last bit I needed to control it completely.”

“Wow Harry, that is some story but I suppose you being a Potter I should not be so surprised. I have known a lot of Potters but have never met a magically weak one. I know some are stronger than others but it seems Potters almost have a corner on the market for powerful magic users.”

“I know Simon was something to see in his day. He has a reputation in this household as being very powerful and super intelligent.”

“Yes, that is true and his reputation goes far beyond these walls. Your grandpa Henry was no slouch either but every magic user has their own power level. We are all different in that way.”

“Thank you Sensei for your help today. I look forward to more interaction with you as soon as we can work out the schedule.” Harry bowed to Ben.

Ben bowed to Harry. “You are welcome and thank you for that demonstration Harry. I will be pondering that and looking at it over and over in my private pensieve. Don’t worry, no one else will ever see it unless you give me permission. The unspeakables are masters at keeping secrets.”

oo0O0oo

The next day was Sunday and Harry informed Mattie that he was going to take a trip to Godric’s Hollow that morning to see his house there and visit his parent’s graves for the first time. She tried to talk him out of it or at least to let her go with him but he convinced her that he needed to go alone and that it might not be safe since Peter was still the Secret Keeper. He assured her he could handle himself in a bad situation.

Mattie had actually showed up in the training room with drinks yesterday for Harry and Ben when Harry was in the middle of his demonstration. She just waited until he was through before she appeared and gave them the water. However, Mattie had seen plenty of Harry’s demonstration and was quite surprised at how well he handled fighting the dummies. She had no problem with believing Harry when he assured her he could take care of himself.

After breakfast, Harry asked Leru if he would please prepare a sack lunch for him. He was not sure how long he was going to be there but thought it possible he would be out past lunch time. He then went to his room and got together everything he needed including both wands and their holsters. Simon’s wand was on his right arm while his own holly with phoenix feather wand was on his right leg. He dressed in comfortable black jeans, a long-sleeve gray shirt, and black trainers so he would be comfortable. He suspected to have a little work to do at the house.

Harry picked up his sack lunch from Leru, shrunk it, and put that in a pocket. He then pulled out his watch, turned himself invisible, and uttered the phrase “Godric’s Hollow” which ported him away. Harry disappeared from Potter Place and landed in the entry way of his old house where he once lived as a baby. Since he lived there before and had been told the secret, the old Fidelius charm with Peter Pettigrew as the Secret Keeper did not prevent him from seeing the house.

Harry stood there invisible for a moment as he got his bearings. He cast charms on his shoes and clothes so they made no noise when he moved. He was suddenly overcome with emotion knowing he now stood in the house where Voldemort had murdered his parents. However, looking around the room he noticed that it looked a bit lived in. This sobered him up quickly. It was not kept neat but it was not covered in dust either. Suddenly, the front door opened and a wizard in dark robes came through the door and headed for what looked like the kitchen. Harry quickly moved soundlessly to another part of the room to stay out of the way. He then cast a revealing spell to see how many were in the house. The spell revealed that there were six people currently in the house with him.

Obviously, one of them was a wizard. Harry followed the wizard to the kitchen where he heard voices and found three more wizards sitting around the kitchen table. The one that came through the door opened a cabinet and reached up for a cup. When he did the sleeve of his robe fell back and revealed that he had the dark mark. From the looks of all of them Harry suspected they were all Death Eaters who had taken over the house as a place to live and perhaps were here to kill or capture him in case he came back to visit. That was the likely scenario since Peter would have had to tell them the secret. Harry reached out with his magic and could feel the dark mark on all four of them. They were now all sitting around the table drinking tea.

Harry hit all four wandlessly with a simple stunner using both hands in less than a second. He then summoned all four of their wands, placed them in a kitchen drawer, and put a strong magical lock on it. Harry then tied them up quickly using the Incarcerous spell. He knew they would not be waking up anytime soon so Harry left the four Death Eaters and went searching for the other two people his spell revealed.

He looked upstairs and noticed they had not repaired the damage in his bedroom. It was left open to the elements. Harry once again had to push aside his emotions. With Death Eaters about he needed to have a clear head. It looked like they had simply cast a spell to keep the elements out of the rest of the house. He did not find anyone upstairs in the bedrooms or in the attic so headed back downstairs. After he looked in every room on the first floor, he went into a hallway where he found a door that led to the basement. He went down into the basement very carefully looking for the other two people. He was still invisible and very quiet. What he found made him very angry.

Harry found a large cage with two teenage girls locked up inside. One had blonde hair and the other had dark brown hair. They looked to be around sixteen or seventeen years of age. It was obvious from the cuts, abrasions, swelling, and bruises they had been mistreated and since they were completely naked they must have been sexually abused as well. Harry carefully looked around the basement to make sure there was nothing else down here he had to deal with before helping the girls. Both girls appeared to be unconscious when Harry approached the cage removing his invisibility spell.

Harry waved his right hand and the cage was removed completely from existence. He walked over and put a hand on each of the girls. He let his magic flow to see where they needed healing. It became obvious to Harry they were mostly sexually abused and received the other injuries from trying to fight off the Death Eaters when they were attacked. Harry pushed out his healing magic and healed everything. All there pain and soreness vanished and the cuts, bruises, abrasions, and swelling were completely removed and healed.

Harry next performed legilimency on both girls to see how bad their minds might have been effected by the abuse. He viewed their memories of what the Death Eaters did to them. It was all Harry could do to keep his anger under control. He wanted to go back up and give those Death Eaters a beating they would never forget but he calmed himself down and concentrated on helping the girls. He saw from their memories that all four of the Death Eaters he tied up were guilty of the sexual abuse. Harry did not recognize any of the four Death Eaters so assumed they were new recruits added since Voldemort’s return. Harry did not see any bad damage to their minds. They appeared to be coping as best they could. The two girls were obviously muggles.

Harry had just finished his mind probes and was about to try moving them someplace more comfortable when they started waking up. Harry quickly conjured two very soft bath robes for them.

“Hey, who are you? You’re new and just a teenager” said the blonde.

“What happened to the cage?” asked the brunette.

“Please don’t hurt us? We have been hurt enough already” said the blonde tearfully.

“I will not hurt you, I am here to help you. I got rid of the cage and I healed you.” Harry said handing them the bath robes. “Here put these on and I will explain as best I can.”

The girls took the robes from him, stood up, and put them on. They were watching Harry very carefully.

“It looks like you were kidnapped and brought here. My family happens to own this house and when I got here today I found four men and then the both of you. I surprised the men, knocked them out, and then tied them up. They are all up in the kitchen right now. I explored the rest of the house and found you two down here in the basement. You were both unconscious and wounded. I removed the cage and healed you both. You woke up after that.”

“How did you beat up those four men by yourself?” asked the blonde. “They are all bigger than you and you look younger than the both of us.”

“Well, I caught them by surprise and I am a second degree black belt.”

“Oh, well that’s good. Lucky for us I should say” said the brunette.

“By the way, my name is Harry and yes I am a teenager. I am fifteen years old.”

“My name is Mandy” said the blonde “and this is my friend Julie. We are both seventeen. We’re best friends and were together when these men attacked us.”

“It is very nice to meet you both, Mandy and Julie. I wish it could have been under better circumstances. Do you live in Godric’s Hollow?” They both nodded. “Follow me and we will go back upstairs. I need to check on the men I have tied up. Stay behind me just in case.”

Harry led them into the kitchen where the four Death Eaters were still out. Harry pretended to check each one of their ropes but wandlessly stunned each of them again when he checked them.

“Do you recognize these men as the ones who kidnapped you?” asked Harry.

“Yes, they were dressed funny then too in those robes. I thought they must belong to a cult or something” replied Julie.

“Me, too” replied Mandy “but then they started doing things with these sticks that should have been impossible. There was nothing we could do to stop them.” She started crying. The girls hugged and cried together holding on to each other.

Harry did a quick cleaning of the couch in the front room and led the girls in there. “Stay here and I will be right back.” Harry left them and went upstairs where he did some quick work and cleaned up two of the loos and the bedrooms. He made sure all the towels and wash cloths were clean as well. He then made sure there was plenty of soap and shampoo. The girls were both dirty and might want to wash up. Harry came back downstairs to where the girls were waiting.

“There are working facilities here so if you guys want to get cleaned up, I will see if I can locate some clothes for the both of you and then I will see about getting the authorities here so they can lock up those four and take your statements. We can then make sure you get home safely.”

“That would be great Harry if we could get cleaned up. I am very dirty and could use a nice shower” said Julie.

“Two of the bedrooms up there both have attached loos with full facilities. You will find everything you need so help yourself. I will show you where they are. Just follow me.”

Harry put the girls in two of the loos he had cleaned up, shut the doors so they could get started, and immediately began conjuring clothes and trainers for them. He cast the auto-fit charm on all of the clothes and shoes then laid them out on the beds. After going back downstairs, he felt for the magic on the house. He found the Fidelius charm and a couple of wards that had been placed on it. Harry quickly worked his way through them, basically overpowering the wards and the Fidelius charm. In less than five minutes he had the wards and the Fidelius removed. Harry then put up his own Potter wards he had learned from Simon. They were very similar to the wards used at Potter Place. Simon had made sure Harry knew how to cast them. Later he would cast another Fidelius to keep it completely hidden but for now the girls and the aurors would need to be able to see the place.

After completing the wards Harry sent a patronus to Kingsley to let him know of the situation. Kingsley was at home since it was a Sunday. He was sitting on his couch reading when Harry’s patronus showed up. He sat up straight as the very large stag began to speak.

“Kingsley, I went to Godric’s Hollow but found four Death Eaters in the house and two teenage girls they had been abusing. Please send team to collect both. I have removed the Fidelius but will put my own up later.”

Kingsley sent his patronus back to Harry to let him know he received his message and that they would be there shortly. Immediately Kingsley contacted Remus, Tonks and Hestia to let them know the situation. They met at the ministry and took a port key to Godric’s Hollow together.

The girls came back downstairs after twenty minutes with their new clothes on. Their hair was still damp from the showers. They found Harry had cleaned up the living room and was just coming back in from the kitchen.

“Harry, we want to thank you for saving us” said Julie. “I think they were just going to kill us when they were done with us. You saved our lives and I know we were covered in cuts and bruises before. How did you fix all that? I feel great but I know after everything they did to us I should be feeling bad.”

Harry nodded his head. “I have the ability to heal people and when I saw how badly you were both hurt I had to help you.” Harry looked away from them slightly embarrassed when he remembered seeing them naked. “The authorities will be here shortly to collect the men and talk to you. Please make yourselves comfortable. It will not take them that long to get here.”

Harry went back into the kitchen and brought them both some water to drink. He gave them his lunch Leru had packed for him. As usual he packed plenty of food. The girls were both obviously very hungry. They ate the tasty lunch quickly.

“But how did you find all these new clothes that fit perfectly?” asked Mandy. “The trainers are brand new as well and just the right size on both of us. Even the new bras and knickers you provided are the right size.”

“Just another one of my specialties” replied Harry. “It would be best if I do not elaborate on that.”

They started to protest but then there was a knock on the door. Harry went over and checked the window. He saw Kingsley, Tonks, Remus, and Hestia standing outside. He let them all in and introduced everyone to Mandy and Julie.

“Mandy, Julie, these are special officers from the government. They are here because the men who abducted you are very special cases. This is Kingsley, Tonks, Remus, and Hestia. Everyone this is Mandy and Julie. They both live around here in Godric’s Hollow.”

Everyone said their hellos.

“Harry is everyone alright?” asked Remus. Tonks grabbed Harry in a hug. Kingsley looked at him carefully for any damage. Hestia immediately went over and started talking to the girls to get there statements.

“I’m fine. The girls were roughed up pretty bad though but I healed them and they just got cleaned up a little while ago. I found them in the basement in a cage and they were completely naked. I checked for any damage to their minds and found that all four men had sexually abused and beat them. They are pretty strong though and have strong characters. I think they will be okay eventually.”

Tonks joined Hestia after Harry showed them to the kitchen and presented his prisoners. He retrieved their wands from the drawer and handed them to Kingsley who put them in an inside pocket. Kingsley then checked all their arms and every one of them had the dark mark.

After Hestia and Tonks had taken Mandy and Julie’s statements they spent several minutes comforting the girls about the ordeal they had been through. Kingsley came back in and stood behind the girls. When Tonks nodded and gave him the signal he obliviated them both to remove all the memories they had of magic. He replaced the memories with ones that made more sense. Unfortunately, he had to leave the memories of the physical abuse but the girls had been assured that if it became too much to handle they would receive additional help to get over it.

Mandy and Julie hugged Harry, thanked him again for saving them, and said good-bye before Tonks and Hestia walked the girls back to their homes. The parents were told about the four “terrorists” who had abducted their children and abused them. They also advised the girls about talking through all the pain and abuse with their loved ones because it would be very therapeutic. They reassured Mandy and Julie over and over again that they were now safe and those men would never hurt them again. Plus, the girls would not have to face their attackers in court since the “terrorists” were going to be locked away for good any way. Hestia and Tonks returned to Harry’s house when they were done. They left from there after reporting back to Kingsley and after they had all the info they needed. Kingsley, Tonks, and Hestia took the four Death Eaters back with them to the ministry holding cells.

After Harry explained what his original plans were Remus decided he would stay with Harry today and help him fix up the house and also accompany him to the grave site to visit his parents. They sent a patronus to Sirius informing him to meet them there so he could pitch-in as well.

By the time Sirius showed up in the back garden everyone was feeling pretty hungry so decided to take a break and eat before tackling the rest of the work on the house. Harry transfigured Sirius and himself so they would not be recognized. Sirius and Remus approved of his handy work then they apparated to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. They figured it would be less crowded than The Leaky Cauldron right now. Of course Sirius never tired of seeing Madam Rosmerta even if he could not let her know it was him. They all had a nice meal without incident and returned to Godric’s Hollow.

When they arrived back Harry announced that the first thing he needed to do was put his own Fidelius on house and lands, in addition to improving the wards more. Sirius and Remus were anxious to see the young pup’s handiwork so followed him around as he placed the charm then added to the wards. They were very impressed. Harry made himself Secret Keeper then told them the address.

After that was done Harry decided to tackle his old bedroom.

“Are you sure you do not want some help with that?” asked Sirius. “That room is pretty bad off.”

“I think I can handle it. I am going to start with a really strong reparo and then conjure permanent items for whatever else is needed to finish the repair. I have had a lot of practice with building rooms lately.”

“You are starting to scare me kiddo. You are only fifteen years old and can do all this advanced stuff with extreme ease. Don’t let me get in your way. I will go help Remus with the downstairs while you take care of this mess.”

“Alright Sirius, thanks for the offer. I will be done shortly then we can see what else needs to be done.”

Sirius walked back down the stairs and Harry turned to the mess that was once his baby room. He felt for any magic that may have remained on the room but found none. He had evidently removed all of it previously. Harry took out Simon’s wand and cast the strongest cleaning charm on the room that he could muster and immediately saw all the dust, leaves, and other debris disappear. He did not notice the rest of the house becoming spotless as well. Sirius and Remus did though. Next Harry cast the strongest Reparo on the room that he could muster and everything started coming back together perfectly. Some items Sirius and Remus were working on repaired as well in front of them before they could even cast a spell. Harry heard a “Whoa” from a couple of places downstairs.

Harry yelled downstairs “Everything alright down there?”

“Yes, fine” yelled Remus back. “I was just about to repair something and it repaired on its own.”

“We also noticed the entire house becoming spotlessly clean a moment ago” yelled Sirius.

“Oh, sorry. I guess I was using a bit too much power” replied Harry. “I saw this big mess and put a lot into it.”

Harry removed the damaged ceiling, roof, and one bad wall in the small bedroom. He then conjured a new permanent wall that looked just like the others and put it in place. Next he conjured a new roof and ceiling that matched what was already there. This completed closing in the small bedroom. It was no longer exposed to the elements.

Harry called down to Sirius and Remus. “You guys want to come up and see my old baby room now?”

Sirius and Remus rushed up the stairs and came to a sudden stop when they saw the room. They could not believe what Harry was able to do in such a short period of time. The incredible amount of damage was completely removed and everything restored to its original shape and look. It was perfect.

“Harry that is incredible!” exclaimed Remus.

“You continue to amaze me, kiddo” added Sirius.

“I should show you guys sometime what I did to my trunk. You will love my potions lab.”

“You have your own potions lab, Harry?” asked Remus.

“Yes and I am currently trying to teach myself how to make Veritaserum and Wolfsbane…wait a minute, that reminds me. Remus, on the next full moon if you want some company let me know. I will be glad to spend that time with you.”

“But Harry, even if you are very powerful it is still not safe to be so close to me when I am changed, Wolfsbane or not. It is too risky.”

“But you let Snuffles hang out with you and you let Dad, Prongs, hang out with you while you were changed.”

“That is the point though Harry. Both Sirius and James were in their animagus forms. Then it is safe.”

“Hello? That is what I am going to do. I will not be there like this but I will be there in my animagus form.”

“Hang on. You have an animagus?” asked Sirius.

“Yes, didn’t I already tell you guys?”

“NO!” they both replied loudly.

“Sorry, well, let’s get it over with. Come on, let’s go outside behind the house where we have more room.” Harry headed back down the stairs. Sirius and Remus looked at each other worriedly but followed Harry out to the back garden.

“Are you ready?” asked Harry standing in the middle of the back garden facing them.

They both nodded hesitantly.

“It is really cool. Hang onto your socks.”

Harry changed immediately into his gryphon and stood there looking at them. Sirius and Remus both let out a whoop and started laughing. Harry jumped into the air and flew low around the back garden before landing again and walking over to Sirius and Remus who inspected him up close. When they were done Harry changed back into himself.

“So, what do you think? Can I keep you company during the full moon?”

“Yes, as long as your gryphon does not scare my werewolf. That was a very large and dangerous looking animagus Harry. I was most impressed.”

“You Potters and your magical animagus” added Sirius. “I am not sure why James’ animagus was non-magical but Prongs was one magnificent looking stag.”

“That he was Padfoot” replied Remus.

“I saw him in my animagus vision along with Mum right beside him in her doe form. It was so cool. I am not sure how they got into my vision but they helped me find my gryphon who was flying around.”

“Tell us more about your animagus vision where you saw James and Lily” said Sirius.

Harry took them through the story, telling it once again. He then told of his transformation on the first try and working with his friends on theirs. It was late afternoon by the time they finished talking so they decided to call it quits for the day. There really was not much left to do on the inside of the house. Harry planned on asking Dobby to come over to finish anything they missed and to make sure the outside was fixed as well in any place it was needed.

Both Sirius and Remus accompanied Harry to the cemetery by the small church in Godric’s Hollow. Harry’s house was off a little bit from the town itself surrounded by land with some woods behind it. They had to walk about a mile to the church but enjoyed their time together as Sirius and Remus regaled Harry with stories from when he was a baby and they would come to visit him in that very house. Evidently Harry loved to play with Snuffles back then. Sirius told Harry that nearly every time he came over Harry would insist he change into Snuffles so they could play. Sirius said he would change and Harry would just giggle for the longest time. He was never sure though of what Harry found so funny.

They reached the grave site and James and Lily’s graves.

“Harry, we are going to wait over there so you can have some time to yourself this first visit” Remus explained then pulled Sirius with him. They walked off about twenty feet and stood next to a Peverell headstone. They kept a look out for any Death Eaters while they waited.

Harry knelt down in front of his parents graves. There was one wide tombstone that covered the width of both graves and it had their names engraved on it. It also showed their dates of birth and the date they were killed. James Potter was born on March 27, 1960. Lily Potter was born on January 30, 1960. They both died on October 31, 1981. In the middle of the tombstone there was an engraving with the words “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” Harry pondered that for a minute.

“I…I don’t know what to say…except…I…wish…it could have been different. I wish we could have had a normal life together. It would have been great to actually grow up with a real family, maybe even have a brother or sister. Thanks for leaving me the trunk. I made great use of that. Thanks for appearing in my vision as well. I am not sure how you did that but it was very nice to see you. Sirius and Remus are here. They are waiting for me several feet away so we could talk. I’m sorry that this is my first time to visit your graves but I was never told until recently where you were. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon did not treat me well and refused to tell me anything about my family. It wasn’t until I left there that I was able to find out. Sirius and Remus helped me repair the house here and fix it back up. There is also a new Fidelius charm on it to keep Peter and the other Death Eaters out. I will come back again sometime to visit as soon as I can. I am still in school so my time is limited somewhat…. I feel like I am just rambling so I will talk to you later.”

Harry stood back up and walked over to where Sirius and Remus were waiting.

“Thanks guys for showing me where the graves are and thanks for all your help today on the house. I can finish up or have an elf or two go there and finish anything we missed. Do you think Peter will notice he is no longer the Secret Keeper?”

“I am sure he will and he likely will be checking on those four Death Eaters we had locked up” replied Sirius. “Of course he will not be able find the house now. I would still love to get my hands on that little rat.”

“You and me both” replied Harry. “He betrayed my parents to Voldemort and killed Cedric on Voldemort’s orders. He will not get any mercy from me the next time we meet. All I need is his still warm but very dead body so your name can be cleared. I might bring him in alive though just so I can see him get kissed by a dementor.”

There was a small gulp swallowing sound at the edge of the fence surrounding the graveyard on the back side near some trees. The sound was far enough away that neither Harry, Sirius, nor Remus heard it. After all the sound came from a very small rodent. They also did not notice two beady little eyes watching their every move and listening in on their conversation.

Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen – Spring Break

Unknown location…

“Wormtail,” said Voldemort in a raspy voice “what happened at Godric’s Hollow? You are the Secret Keeper. How did we lose it?”

“It had to be Dumbledore, my lord. He is the only one I know of that bunch who could get rid of the Fidelius and replace it with another. They have some very advanced wards placed on the house as well. It will be impossible to get in there again.”

“And what happened to our recruits I had you station there to wait for the boy to show up?”

“Evidently they were captured and sent to the ministry.”

“So they failed?”

“Yes, my lord. If it was Dumbledore they likely did not have much of a chance.”

“And, you lost us the Potter house?”

“My lord, there wasn’t anything I could do. The Fidelius was removed without warning and they completely locked me out. I couldn’t get back in and now I can’t even find the place.”

“This is the job I gave you to do so we could capture the boy and you have failed me.”

“Please, my lord, it wasn’t my fault.”

“Crucio!”

oo0O0oo

The next morning, on Monday, after his exercises and breakfast Harry went back to his house in Godric’s Hollow. He took some tea and a few supplies with him this time. He checked to make sure the place was still empty and no Death Eaters were hanging about looking for the place outside. Finding none, he looked the place over for a bit to find any work still left to be done then decided it would be best if he procured some help.

He wanted to have someone check to make sure all the modifications he made to the house were sound and that no problems existed with the wood and other material the house was built with. Since it had been damaged and left open all these years he wanted to make sure everything was fine. Since Harry had other things on his schedule for the week he thought of someone who would be perfect for the job.

“Dobby?”

Pop!

“The Great Harry Potter has called on Dobby and Dobby is here to help Master Harry Potter sir. How can Dobby help?”

“Dobby, it is very nice to see you again. I was wondering, could you do some work for me?”

“Yes! Master Harry Potter only needs to tell Dobby what he needs Dobby to do.”

“Are you sure you are not too busy at Hogwarts?” Dobby was shaking his head no. “This is a big job and I insist you let me pay you for your services before I let you start.”

Dobby looked constricted at that piece of information. Dobby did not want the Great Harry Potter to have to pay him to work.

“In fact, you may want to get some help with this so it will not take you so long to get it all done. Do you have another elf friend that could help you?”

“Dobby can bring Winky to help. Dobby takes care of Winky because Winky was sad and was drinking too much butterbeer but Winky stopped now that Dobby takes care of her. Winky is a very hard worker and will help if Dobby asks her.”

“Great! I’ve always liked Winky. Can you go get her and bring her back? I will tell you what I need done when you both are here.”

“Yes, Master Harry Potter sir. Dobby will be right back.”

Pop!

Harry went to the kitchen and was about to make him some tea when he heard another pop behind him. He turned and there stood Dobby and Winky.

“Well, hello there Winky. It is very nice to see you again. I was just about to make some tea, would you guys care to join me?”

Dobby started shaking his head no and went over to Harry. He grabbed Harry’s hand and led him to the table where he had Harry sit down. Winky took up where Harry left off and began preparing the tea.

“Winky and Dobby will get the tea for the Great Harry Potter sir.” After Dobby had Harry seated he went back over to help Winky. Harry just smiled at the two elves. In a few minutes, after Dobby had popped away and came back with some items, he and Winky came back over with tea and some biscuits. They set everything on the table for Harry and stood back to the side.

“Would you guys care to join me?” Harry asked but the elves were shaking their heads. “I see. That is too bad. I was really hoping I could have some company at the table while I enjoyed my tea and explained what the job is I have for you to do. It is always nice to sit at the table with friends.”

Dobby remembered eating with Harry last year in his room at Privet Drive and being treated as an equal. He started to sit at the table but noticed a big frown on Winky’s face. He walked back over to Winky and started whispering something in her ear. As he spoke to her the frown on her face slowly began to dissolve and when he finished telling her whatever it was he said they both came and sat at the table with Harry. They were looking a bit apprehensive though, Winky more so than Dobby.

“That is more like it. Would either of you care for some tea? Biscuits? They taste great!”

“No thank you Harry Potter sir. Winky and Dobby are just fine.” Dobby answered for both.

“Very well, let me get down to business. Do you guys know what house you are in?”

“This is the house where Harry Potter was a baby and was attacked by that mean dark wizard” replied Winky.

“That is correct Winky. My parents were killed here and Voldemort was defeated. This is a very important house to me and I would not trust just anyone with it, but I trust you two.”

Both of the elves perked up and had smiles on their faces after they heard that.

“When I came here yesterday I found four Death Eaters here and two teenage girls they were abusing. I captured the Death Eaters and healed the girls. I sent Kingsley Shacklebolt a message and he showed up with help to take the prisoners and make sure the girls got back home safely. Remus Lupin was with him and he decided to stay when I told him I had come here to fix up the place. We sent a message to my godfather Sirius Black and he came and helped us. Between the three of us we fixed most of it I think but I would like you two to go over the place from top to bottom, attic to basement, checking the entire house for any problems.”

“Make sure the Death Eaters did not leave anything dangerous. Make sure the wood and other material that the house is built with is in good condition, with no bugs, etc. in the wood work. Please fix any issues you find. And if you would, make sure the house is clean before you leave. Is this something you would be willing to do?”

Winky was nodding her head. Dobby spoke up. “Dobby would do anything for the Great Harry Potter. Dobby and Winky will have all this work done for Master Harry Potter sir.”

“Good. I am glad you guys are willing to help. Now, let’s discuss your fees.” Dobby and Winky looked at each other then back at Harry. “Since it will likely take you guys two to three days to get all this done I was thinking that 20 galleons each would be fair.”

The elves were shaking their heads. “I cannot accept pay to help Harry Potter” replied Winky.

“Dobby does not need the Great Harry Potter to pay him because Dobby will do anything for Master Harry Potter sir.”

“Are you sure you guys won’t reconsider and take pay to do this job for me? It’s real important that you do.”

They both shook their heads no.

“Well,” Harry thought for a minute “it was nice talking to you then. You can go back to Hogwarts. I will see if I can find two more trusty elves to help me, ones that will accept pay for their services. You both know my friend Hermione and if she found out I had you working for free she would hex me into next week. It was very nice seeing the both of you again and I much appreciate the tea and biscuits you made. Have a good rest of the week at Hogwarts and I will see you next week when I return.” Harry stood up from the table, waved his hand and the dishes all went to the sink and began washing themselves.

Dobby and Winky remained in their seats at the table looking at each other trembling. They felt like they had just been dismissed when they were looking forward to the work. They slowly got up from the table and walked over to Harry and stood before him with their heads bowed.

“Dobby, Winky is there something else you guys needed?”

“Harry Potter sir, Dobby and Winky is so very sorry to disappoint the Great Harry Potter such that he felt he had to dismiss us” said Winky.

“If the Great Harry Potter would be willing to give Dobby and Winky another chance then Dobby and Winky would be willing to do the work for pay” said Dobby.

“Guys,” Harry said kneeling down to their level, “I am not disappointed in you. I just cannot have you do all this work for free. It would not be right. You are both free elves and I am not your master. I am just one lucky wizard to have such great friends like you two who would be willing to do all this work for me. But I have to pay you to be fair and to avoid Hermione’s wrath.”

“Then we will do the work for 10 galleons each, Harry Potter sir” replied Winky. “That is more than enough to be fair.” Dobby looked at Harry with a questionable look on his face.

“Deal! I will pay you guys 10 galleons each when the job is done. Please get in touch with me when you are through and we will settle up. I will likely be at Potter Place when you finish. Just pop over to get me and I will meet you back over here.”

“Yes, Master Harry Potter sir. It will be done” replied Dobby happily.

“Oh, be sure not to overwork yourselves. Take breaks when you need to because there is no reason this has to be done quickly.”

“Thank you sir” replied Winky with smile.

“See you later.” Harry pulled out his watch, held it in the palm of his hand, and muttered “Legends of Potter.”

oo0O0oo

The rest of the week leading up to Friday flew by pretty quickly for Harry since he stayed busy. He made portkeys for the Grangers, the Weasleys, Luna, and Neville then sent them over via Hedwig with instructions to activate any time on Friday when they were ready to show up. He sent an extra one for Arthur to use after he finished at work.

Harry never missed his workouts or karate training but he had spent plenty of time with Rolly, he had also taken advantage of Simon and Henry to learn additional advanced spells, and he spent most of his time under the tutelage of Mattie to learn more about all the dealings at Potter Place and beyond. Harry was amazed at how much there was to keep track of and know. Mattie, of course, had it all under control.

Harry had filled everyone in about the happenings at Godric’s Hollow and his hiring of Dobby and Winky to make sure the place was in tip-top condition. They were happy Harry was not hurt in the ordeal and upset to hear what the Death Eaters did to those poor girls. Harry wondered if he should check up on them sometime to make sure they were doing alright.

On Wednesday, Dobby showed up to let Harry know they had finished so Harry met Dobby and Winky back over at the Godric’s Hollow house to see their handiwork. Harry was very impressed and they did a great job cleaning up everything. It was spotless. There was not a speck of damage anywhere inside or outside the house. They assured Harry that the magic on the house kept all the bugs away so no damage was done in that regard. They did find some rotted wood that they replaced and strengthened some areas that the explosion had weakened. Harry thanked them profusely and paid them their 10 galleons each, promising he would call on them again if he ever needed them. He headed back to Potter Place.

That same day Harry received an owl from Kingsley letting him know that the Death Eaters Harry captured were indeed there waiting for him. They were supposed to capture Harry and take him to Voldemort. “What else is new” thought Harry.

On Friday Harry was in his animagus form flying high around the property when he spotted several people on the ground near the house waving at him. He looked with his eagle eyes and was able to make out clearly all his friends from that distance. He saw Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna. Harry circled back and flew down to land about ten feet away from them before he changed back and walked over to greet them.

“Hey guys! Where are your parents Hermione and where are the rest of the Weasleys?”

“We had them get settled in their rooms. Mattie told just us what you were doing so only we came out to find you in case you did not want anyone else to know this secret” replied Hermione.

“Dad will be here later after work” offered Ron.

“Thanks guys but I think this group is okay to know this. Of course the fewer who know, the better our secret is kept. Let’s head back in so you can get settled then we can figure out what everyone wants to do first.”

They all headed back into the manor and five house elves appeared who took the guests to their individual rooms where they had already placed their bags. Harry went to the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea. He was halfway through making it when Leru came in.

“I am terribly sorry Harry that I was away when you wanted some tea. Let me finish that for you and can I get you something else?”

“Oh, no, no Leru. There is no need for you to bother yourself with this. However, my friends did arrive so if you can make sure they are taken care of when they come back from their rooms I would really appreciate it. They may want something to drink as well and a mid-morning snack perhaps. I am sure Ron will at least.”

“Certainly, Harry” replied Leru smiling. He remembered the young man’s appetite quite vividly.

Harry sat down at the table and was in deep thought enjoying his tea when Mattie came up to him.

“Harry, can I have a word with you?”

“Certainly Mattie. You can tell or ask me anything. You are the most important girl in my life. I would be lost without you. Just spit it out.”

“Okay, I went over earlier to check on the house at Godric’s Hollow. I was not going to tell you this as I did not want you to think I did not trust your judgment, because I do. It’s just that the house was so severely damaged that I wanted to look for myself to see that everything was fixed properly. Dobby and Winky did a marvelous job I am pleased to say and the house is perfect. The reason I am telling you this is because I saw two teenage girls out on the street looking for the house. I assume they are the ones you saved. One had blonde hair and the other had brown.”

“Mattie, first of all do not ever feel bad about checking up on my work. I welcome you having my back.