The Boy Who Lived

Appeasing House-Elves

'You said my magic needed directing, Ossy. I hope you approve.'

'Yes, Master Harry, I is overwhelmed, I is not thinking you could be loving your family house suitably. I is sorry for doubting a Potter, sir.' Ossy looked so sad as he stroked his ears that Harry took immense pity on him.

'Ossy,' Harry knelt before him. 'I'm sorry you thought badly of me. I didn't mean to damage my home in any way, it was accidental, please believe that.' He paused, toying with the troubled idea that he'd been mulling over all morning. 'Ossy, I need to think what to do with all this space. How many bedrooms are there?'

'There is being twenty-seven, Master Harry.'

'Twenty-seven! But Draco, Teddy, Hercules and I only need a few rooms to live in and some space for when our friends come. What do I do with the rest?'

'I is not knowing, sir. Once upon a time, the Potters have many visitors, so I is told. It is being always told by the older House-Elves that their forefathers is telling stories about many people here but that is being an expensive thing to be doing and the Potters is never being decadent so I is not sure how this is being or why more bedrooms is being built. Mostly the families is living only in the east and south wings and is storing things in the other rooms. Apart from Master Fleamont who is wanting his study and potions laboratory in the north wing.'

'The rooms above here, how many was there again?'

'There is being four, three is being in the turrets.'

'I need to talk to Draco about it, but I wonder if we arrange with Kreacher and Ruby to move our studies up there and Draco can have one of the turret rooms as his potions lab. He likes it being at the top of the house in case of any fumes.'

'Yes, Master Harry, Kreacher and Ruby is already being packing up Grimmauld Place and starting to bring over your belongings. I is talking to them.'

'Are the rooms empty upstairs, I can't remember.'

'Yes, Master Harry. Those ones is being mostly empty.'

'Okay, I'll think on it all and let you know. Now, however, I must walk Hercules and pay some attention to poor Teddy, both of whom have been neglected all day and what about a bedroom for Mione, she should stay tonight? Pansy and Luna too.'

'Sir, the family is always living in the main building so there is Master James's and Master Sirius's rooms here...'

'Where did Peter stay,' Harry asked with a shudder.

'Master Peter is not staying very often. His mother is not liking him to be away from home with people she is not knowing. He is only twice staying and sharing with Master James because he is being very nervous about being away from home. We is, traditionally, always using the east and south wings for the family's other friends.'

'Then who am I to break a tradition?' Harry smiled at the elf who was appearing more and more happy with him.

'For Miss Hermione, I is suggesting the room that Miss Lily is using when she is staying?'

'My mother?' Harry's heart thumped wildly. He hadn't realised his mother had stayed here.

'Yes, Master Harry. Before Master James and Miss Lily got married. Perhaps I is showing you now?'

'Please,' his voice came out choked but he followed Ossy down to the gallery that looked down over the hall where he saw Mione, Luna, Pansy, and Draco bent over Merlin's book, with piles of other books building up around them and several notepads covered in scrawls and diagrams and runes they were trying to translate. Draco had said he would be back shortly after lunch as he didn't have an afternoon surgery that day. Harry admired him in his work clothes, pleasant memories returning of walking into his veterinary practice back in April. Draco immediately glanced up as if sensing Harry's presence and they smiled at one another. Harry gave him a cheeky wink and caught up with Ossy as Draco turned back to something Mione was saying.