Return of the Stag :: Book One #wattys2016

Chapter 10 - Christmas pt. 1

Fred and George came down soon after finding the table quiet besides the small conversations between James and Sirius, and Ginny and Hermione. Both Ron and Harry were quiet while they ate their breakfast. Fred and George sat down next to Harry and Ron, one across from the other. "What's got Ginny all twisted in a knot? We heard her yelling at someone." Fred asked the two boys. Ron didn't answer merely shoved more food in his mouth. "Ron dumped water on her," Harry said whichever caused the two twins to smile at their younger brother. "Good job Ron. Finally picking up on our ways. Don't know how you got prefect though." Fred and George said alternating when they spoke. This cause Ron to flush bright red. "Don't bring that up. I'm not happy about it." Ron snaps. Molly had given Ron a talk about how to wake someone up. And Ron had just shrugged his shoulders in response.

James stood up clearing his plate from the table before exiting the room. He walked up the stairs to his room to make sure that everything was ready. He was going to ask the trio whether they wanted to travel by floo powder or apperation but decided against it because he wants them, especially Harry, to see the outside of the mansion. He was looking at something he had found in the house. It had been wrapped in a plain box and was sitting on his parents' bed when he'd explored the mansion to see if anything was different in the mansion. When he looked at the note from his parents he had teared up and had cried when he saw what was in the box. It had been a photo album of pictures from his years at Hogwarts and the two years after it with Lily, Sirius and Remus. Peter was only in a few of them as he had been busy most of the time. James now knew why. He had cut Peter out of all the photos not wanting to remember the traitor. He had visited his parents' house one night while everyone was asleep. He remembered the house-elves being overly excited to see him again. Penny, Miki, Sasha, Nobska and Rudy. The two had been so happy. He had talked with them for over an hour before returning to Grimmauld Place. They had made him promise to bring Harry next time he returned to the mansion. He smiled seeing the picture of him and Lily at their wedding.

Harry had noticed his father's absence at the table after a couple of minutes. Harry got up after Mrs Weasley had cleared the table when they were done and walked upstairs looking for his father. He looked in all of the rooms he could find. When he came upon the room that Harry hadn't seen before he pushed it open seeing his father sitting on the bed looking at something. "Dad?" Harry said in a questioning voice watching his father. "Harry," James said his head snapping up. He closed the book pushing it aside. "Are you guys ready to go?" He asks him. Harry shakes his head. "What were you looking at?" He asks James. James flushes red. "Just something my parents left me." He mumbled trying to shove the book under the pillow but Harry was faster and grabbed it before James had a chance to hide it. Harry looked at the cover of the book seeing a picture of James, Sirius, Remus and Lily. "A photo album," Harry said sitting down on the edge of the bed. James moved to sit down next to him. Harry and James flipped through the pictures in the book. James pointed out some of them saying what was happening. Especially the one of a mad Lily and him looking shocked and slightly pained, whilst he held his face, blood covering his hands. "Lily got so annoyed at me she punched me. She broke my nose." James said with a laugh. Harry smiled. Before he could speak however Ron and Hermione appeared this time both properly clothes. They held their coats. Hermione handed Harry his coat, gloves, hat and scarf and Harry thanked her.

James smiled at them. "You guys ready?" He asked. They all nodded. "Grab my arm, Harry." He said. Harry nodded and placed his hand on his dad's arm. "Hermione, Ron. One of you grab Harry's hand the other one grab my other arm." He said. He had his coat with him. As soon as Ron and Hermione had a hold on either him or Harry,(Hermione holding Harry's hand, Ron on James' other arm) they apparated to potter mansion. When they appeared outside the mansion the three of them all were slightly dizzy. James steadied Ron and Harry before helping Hermione. "Apperation. It's like that every time. It gets better once you're used to it." He explained. Once the three had recovered they looked up the mansion. It was covered in snow as were the grounds. "Welcome to the potter manor you three. It was my parents' house, and the place where I grew up." He said. Harry was shocked that this was where his father had grown up. "Wow.." It was Ron. He was staring up at the mansion. Yes, it was like a spread out burrow but still bigger. James smiled at their awestruck faces before starting for the gates. The three followed James through the snow. James pushed open one of the gates letting them through before closing them. He led them up the path to the house. He opened the door to the entrance and let the other three into the warm mansion, closing the door. He took off his coat and shoes leaving them by the door. The others did the same as to not track the snow through the house. Harry, Ron and Hermione's head snapped up at the sound of little footsteps. "Dad..?" Harry says questioningly. Before James could say anything two house-elves appeared answering Harry's question. "Master James!" One squealed delightedly. James smiled at the little elf. "Hey, Penny. And it's just James for you two. Okay?" He said with a wide smile. They both nodded. Before the other elf squealed in delight as well seeing the three teenagers standing behind James. "Oh, Master Harry! Master Harry's friends!" He squealed. "Rudy, again no master or mistress nonsense. This is Ron and Hermione, Harry's friends from Hogwarts." James said. Both of the elves were happy to meet the three. "Dad, you never told me that you had house-elves," Harry said watching as Ron talked with one and Hermione with the other. James shrugged. "Well, Penny and Rudy are both free and earn wages. My parents did that. They both choose to work for us still." James said. He walked over to the two. "Okay. I'm going to take these three on a tour of the mansion. Rudy, Penny. It'll be near lunch by the time we finish and we'll have to be going soon." James said. Penny frowned. "But James. Please stay for lunch. We'll give you and Harry a welcome home lunch. Then you can go." She said. Her big round eyes pleading with James. "Oh, alright." He said giving into her. Both elves looked happy before running off to the kitchen to start working on the lunch. Hermione looked happy that they were free and paid but sad that they choose to work.

James gave the trio a tour of the first floor. The kitchen, a living room, bathroom and a dining area, all very large. "My parents liked to entertain a lot. Always had guests over. This place was also used as headquarters at one point during the first war." James explained to them as the walked up the stairs to the second floor. On the floor and the next floor was the bedrooms. His parents had several bedrooms in the house which he never understood, even as a kid. He showed them his room first. The brightly coloured room was themed to match the Gryffindor house. There were pictures on shelves and books that were there as well. The wardrobe was still full and the bed looked freshly cared for. There were papers scattered over the desk. Harry had walked over to look at them. He saw they were mostly letters. "Dad? What are these letter doing out like this?" He asks James. James comes over to Harry to look at them. "They're from your mother, Sirius and Remus. I threw out the ones from Peter when I first came here." James said. Harry nodded picking one up from his mother. James looked at it over his shoulder. It was Lily explaining to him that her parents had just been killed by deatheaters and that Petunia wasn't letting her stay with her and that she had nowhere to go. James had offered her to stay with him, Sirius and his parents, which she gladly accepted. "Come on you three. Next room." He says. Ron walks away from the quidditch books that James had and Hermione walks away from the spellbooks.

James leads Harry away from the desk and across the hall. "This was Lily's room. After her parents were killed I offered her a place to live." He said looking around the room. Hermione looked at the shelves of books excitedly. James noticed and smiled. "You can come here over the summer and read them, Hermione," Harry said with a laugh. Hermione shot him a stern glare but followed them out of the room. James showed them Sirius' old room before showing them the one guest room on this floor and then proceeding up to the third and last floor. "This is the last floor. But outside there's a small quidditch pitch and a pool for the summer." James said. He showed them the view of the yard from a window before showing them around the rooms. Three guest rooms and then his parents' room, plus two bathrooms. They started walking back downstairs. Ron and Hermione arguing like usual. Harry and James walked behind them talking. "This summer right? I can move in here?" Harry said eagerly. "Of course Harry. I'm not letting you stay at the Dursley's." James said. "And Ron and Hermione can come over along with other friends, right?" He asked to think of his friends from the DA. James laughed at Harry. "Of course. You'll have the room across from Sirius' and next door to Lily's." James said. He liked leaving the floor that his parents' room was I alone as it had been special for only guests to be one that floor.

The four entered the kitchen to be greeted by a wonderful aroma. "Mmm." Ron and Harry said sitting down on either side of the small table. Hermione sat down next to Ron, James next to Harry. The two elves served them a very delicious stew with hot cocoa or tea of their choice. Before the four knew it was time to go and they were standing back out in the cold, wrapped in their coats and scarves. They pushed through the storm to outside the gates before James took them back to Grimmauld place with side along apperation.

A/N
I updated!! Yeah!! I know you guys have been asking me to update constantly and I finally did. What did you think about the first part of Christmas for the trio?

Next chapter will be Christmas Day and then the chapter after that will be back at Hogwarts and the da lessons. Then detention and on to the owls, vision about Sirius and what happens after that is still undecided.

Hope you like this chapter and I want to thank everyone who's read my story!!

Thanks,
-Sky