AN/
Thanks all of you for the comments. I love hearing from you.
This is the first of the Christmas chapters. I didn't plan it like this but so much is happening that I thought it would be wise to split the chapter.
The second chapter will come asap so don't worry. We can't have Christmas in August now can we.(LOL) Please leave a comment and a vote. Also if you know other Potter lovers let them read the story.
Happy reading.
Paterdave2
End AN/
Chapter 34 Christmas at the Potters
None of them spoke. Hermione thought they were being pranked and finally spoke.
"Harry what are you saying. I told you in the car I have been here before with my parents. So what is this for bad joke. There is no Potter manor this is Burghley House." When the elves heard her one of them walked over to Harry. "Master Harry why is the Miss saying that this not issis Potter Manor. We elves have served Potter family for centuries in thisses manor." The elf looked at Hermione with a look that challenged her to tell the elf otherwise. "Hermione I know that you are the brightest witch in our year. So think for a while about it and you know the answer." Harry said.
He looked at her and could see she was thinking about it. Harry loved it to see that Hermione was thinking and trying to put it together, when he finally thought it was enough he could see she was putting it together.
"All of what is told is made up and all traces of magic are taken out of the house." Hermione said. "Almost" Said Harry. "The manor has it's own magic that let muggles enter it and see the Burghley house. Well that was until today. Because now I have claimed it again as Potter Manor it will be erased from everybody's memory and all old wards and ancient magic is back in place. You will also see that the interior will look different than the last time you were here." Harry walked over to Hermione and whispered in her ear. "I think you need to apologize to some elves."
He turned to the others. "Shall we go in." They all went inside. When they entered the manor all their jaws dropped. They entered in a big hallway with in the back a big staircase that split-up halfway up to the left and right. When they looked up they could see there was a balcony that went all the way over the length of the hallway. On the balustrade and on the guardrail the could see garlands hanging all the way round.
On both sides of the stair was a Christmas tree.
They all looked at Harry. "If this is only the hallway I wonder what the rest of the house will be." Ron said with envy. Harry looked pleased at the hallway. He had been here 1 time before to see it as he had read about it in the papers he had been given some time ago by a goblin of Gringotts but he never expected that the house would change so much when he claimed it back as Potter manor.
He could see that Hermione was thinking something in the same way.
"Yes this was the main ballroom" he said to her. "or at least I think it was." he added.
"Harry this is wonderful." was the only thing Hermione could say.
Harry looked at the elves who were all standing at the side looking uneasy that all their hard word had been given so much praise in front of them.
Harry walked over to them. "Who is the elf who knows the manor the best?" he asked.
All elves stepped back and an old female elf was standing alone in front of Harry.
He knelt down. "Hi there," He said to the elf. " what is your name?" He than asked.
"My nameses is Vivian but master Jamses calles me Granny." the elf squeaked. At the mentioning of Harry's father he looked sad at the elf. "I am afraid Master James and Mistress Lilly have past away" He said with pain in his hart. "I am Harry their son. I will call you Vivian if thats alright with you. Or you must want me to call you Granny." At the news that her former masters had been dead the elf looked hart broken. "Master Harry can callses Vivian as he chooses." The elf said. Harry looked at her. All of the elves looked at him sitting there on one knee talking to the elderly elf as she was an equal of him. "What would you like than?" he asked. Vivian was shocked by this and looked scared around at the other elves. Never in her long life had a wizard asked her what she had wanted. She looked at Harry if he was trying to trap her in a way that could end up in clothing her so he would be done with her. She looked at him and could see the green eyes she knew so well from her former mistress, and could see he was not trying anything and really wanted to know what she wanted. "Me is always liking howes master James has calles me Granny. Can you calles me that please?" she asked with her head bowed and a low voice so that Harry almost didn't get that.
He puled her face up by her chin and could see the tears in her eyes. He didn't know if they were from grieve or fear but it made him something very clear. This elf had loved his father and mother with all her heart and he would never want her to leave this house again.
"Than Granny it will be." he said to the elf. Who looked with big eyes and a smile at him when he said that. "Granny can you please show us the rest of the house?" he asked the elf. He looked at Kreacher and smiled at his elf. "You did great Kreacher, thank you. Take some rest my friend you deserved it." The elf bowed at this. "Thank you master, but if Master doesses not mind Kreacher wishes to guide Mistress as Vivian guides Master." Before Harry could say anything Ginny walked over to the elf. "Off course you can." She said. "That is very kind of you Kreacher thank you" Harry added.
The whole group walked on from room to room and in every room there were decorations of some kind. They found an inside pool and also a game room and even here the elves had put up decorations and trees.
When the went finally went upstairs it wasn't by the big stair in the entrance hall but by a similar one at a second entrance hall that connected to a big ballroom. The stair started in the middle of the hall and also split up in the middle leaving a gap at the end so when you were on the stairs you could look into the ballroom. At this point Harry had not thought about the sleeping arrangements so he stayed a bit behind to ask Mrs. Weasley how she wanted it so he could tell the elves to change it if needed.
"Harry I wondered when you would ask." she said with a smile. "I think the same arrangements as at our house would do perfectly and than I mean the once after your birthday." Harry smiled at this and asked Granny how the rooms were made up. When he was old that they had put Ron and Hermione in one and him and Ginny in one he was glad he asked before they walked into the rooms.
When they walked into the first bedroom he could swear that this was even bigger than the great hall at Hogwarts. It had it's own bathroom with a large bubble bath and a large walk in shower.
"Master Harry does yous like your and mistresses room?" Granny asked. Harry looked at the old elf.
"You mean this is my room?" He said. "Yes Master," Granny said. "It has always been your room" Harry got what the elf had meant by this. He looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Thank you" He said. All the rooms had their own bathrooms. So there would be no trouble with waiting for each other the next morning. Harry knew he would love it here this Christmas.
Hermione who was following at the end of the group felt terrible at what she had said to the elves. She knew she needed to apologize but did not know how. She could see now that setting them free was a mistake and that made her even feel more sad than she already was. The manor was decorated so nicely she knew that the elves had done it out of love for their masters not because they were ordered to do it. The elves never had seen themselves as slaves or servants, just as helpers. When they were at the end of the tour and sitting in the living room she looked at the elf that had talked to her when they had just arrived. "What is your name?" She asked. The elf looked at her and wanted to walk away. Harry who had seen what was about to happen was not going to allow any of his elves to treat his friends like this. "She asked you a question it is rude to just walk away." he only said. The elf who had not seen that Harry was watching turned around to face his master. "Sorry Master." the elf said and turned to Hermione. "My names is Twinky. House-elf of the proud house of Potter." The elf wanted to turn away again but Hermione staid. "My apologies to you Twinky and all the elves of the proud house of Potter." She said. "I was mistaken in a lot of things as I see here. First I was mistaken about this great house that I thought I knew but I now see is truly Potter Manor. I forgot about the ancient magic that can be used in these cases. Second but just as important I always thought house elves as slaves for the wizarding world. As my only indication was the way the great house elf Dobby was treated. But I see now that you all love it here and don't see yourselves as slaves." she concluded. Twinky looked at Hermione as if she was thinking that the witch had lost her mind. When Hermione kept looking at the elf for a reply she could not see anything wrong with the witch."Thank you miss." Twinky said. "We are proud elves and could not understand why yous would say those things. My guess yous did not know. Please follow Twinky as me wants to show you something." The elf said to Hermione. Hermione followed the elf to the room next to the living room. It was a room similar to the room they just left, but with one big difference the furniture was in elvish size. "Our first masters made this room for when we elves were on our ownes. We can sit and talk to ourselves here. Does you thinks a bad master would makes us this?" the elf told and asked. "No I don't think they would." said Hermione.
They returned to the living room and Hermione sat beside Ron. They all had some drinks and the elves took good care of them. They wanted to give their master a warm welcome and in that they exceeded perfectly.
When it was time for diner Mrs. Weasley asked a elf where the kitchen was so she could start the cooking. "Miss sorry Miss my to say but we elves are almost ready with diner. Master Harry told us to not lets yous in kitchen to cook. Sorry miss." The elf bowed to the floor. "That is alright." said Mrs. Weasley and the elf almost but run out of the room. She looked at Harry. "Now tell me young man what is the meaning of this that you tell your elves that I am not allowed inside the kitchen to cook." She said angrily to Harry. Harry who sat in a very comfortable sofa looked at her. "Very simple dear Molly." He said. "You are my guest and as it is my understanding you don't let your guests cook clean or what so ever it is only normal that I won't allow you to do so here as I was never allowed to when I was your guest." He continued. "yes you could get to make yourself some coffee or something but for the rest there will be no cooking or cleaning when you are here as my guest, do I make myself clear." He said the last part with a strict voice but with a smile around his lips. What Molly did not know is that Harry was dead serious about this. He would not allow her to do any cooking or cleaning when they were staying at Potter Manor.
"You are a sweet boy Harry but don't take away my Christmas diner. I would love to make you all a great meal you know that." said Molly to him. She almost pleaded with him. "We will see." was all Harry said. "For now enjoy your free time here and let the taking care of us all over to me." at that time Granny came walking in and she looked disturbed. She bowed for Harry before she started "Master there are some men at the gates they does not seem to notices us but won't leave. They are trying to break open the gates but not with wands." Harry looked at his friends. Who and how was all he could think off. "Is there a way I can see who is at the gates?" he asked Granny. "We haves a lookout at the gate master. Me could takes you there." The elf said. Harry took out his wand and grabbed the elf by the hands. "Do it." He said. "Harry what is going on?" was all Ginny could say before Harry and Granny were gone with a small crack. "Twinky" she called. When the elf appeared she grabbed her by the hands. "Take me to the lookout please?" She asked the elf. "Yes Mistress." was all that Twinky said and also they were gone.
When they appeared at the lookout above the gate she could see Harry standing near a window. She walked over to him. When Harry had heard the crack he knew an elf had brought some help he turned around to see Ginny. As furious as she was she slapped him in the face. "Harry James Potter, what have I told you at the Burrow you are never gonna leave me behind again. We are in this together. Period!" She snapped.
Harry was stunned by Ginny's reaction. He did not know what to do so Ginny walked past him to look outside. She could see that at the gates it were not people she knew. But at the clothing she could see that they were up to no good. "Come on man open those damn gates." She heard one of them say."I want all that stuff in that house and what I saw yesterday we are making a fortune tonight."This is what we are gonna do." said Harry. "we will transfigure our clothes to match the ones of the muggle police and confront those guys. They don't know what hit them when I am done with them." He said to Ginny. "Kreacher." He called. When the elf appeared he said to him. "Go to the manor and warn Ron and Mr. Weasley to transfigure their clothes to match those muggle police. They can look from this window so they can match the ones I am wearing. They must mask their wands as normal muggle guns also they can look at the ones Ginny and I will be holding. When they are done they must go 200 meters back up the path and walk with their wands out towards us. The best thing would be if they run. Understand and can you remember all?" he asked the elf. Kreacher repeated what Harry had said and was send of. Harry quickly transfigured their clothes and masked their wands with a simple illusion spell. Keep your wand out but don't use it yet. There are four man there and we can not take them with the two of us. We need to stun them all at ones. Ginny nodded and wanted to go down. Harry grabbed her and kissed her. "Sorry love some things I still need to learn. For example that you have my back." He walked out and down. When he was at the door he could hear the cracks of apperation above him. He pushed the door open. When he stepped out he could see that the four men had not expected that. "What is the meaning of this." he bellowed. He was standing on the same side of the gate as the four men and Ginny followed him out. "Sorry Officer, " said the man who was boosting first about the fortune they were gonna make. "but our car broke down and we wanted to use the phone at the house." Harry's blood was boiling "Do you take me for a fool?" he said. "We heard what you were saying when we came down. You are all under arrest." He pointed his wand at the four men and made a step forward. "turn around and face the car NOW." he said. At that point Ron and Mr. Weasley came running down the road wands out also masked as guns. They waited at the gate for the instructions Harry had for them. "Keep those guys at gunpoint. If one of them moves shoot. Shoot to contain not to kill" he said hoping they knew what he meant by that. When he took another step forward the boldest of the four men wanted to take a swing at him. He heard a loud bang like a gun and could see the man drop and grab his ankle. That was a single for the other three to start running. They did not got far. Harry could see Ginny's fast spell casting and could see three stunners fly towards the three men and strike them all in the back. All at the same time at the same spot. Harry stunned the last man. And bound them all with ropes. "He than called Twinky and Kreacher and asked the two elves to get Kingsley. He knew he would have some explaining to do but well he would see that when it was that time.
Just minutes after Harry had send his elves for Kingsley he arrived at the gate with two men Harry had never seen.
"Harry what in Merlin's name are you doing here, why aren't you at the Burrow?"
Kingsley asked. When he noticed Arthur who was his boss for the last few months now he smiled. "Well if you are here sir I think it is alright than." Kingsley had thought he would be head of the office after the war. When he learned Artur Weasley was selected for the spot he was not at all pleased. He thought that the man had never seen any real battle accept for the battle at Hogwarts but he had been an auror all his working life. Arthur got the sneer as it was meant and simply replied. "I was surprised as you are that we went here Kingsley so cut the crap. These four muggles just tried to break in Harry's house so if you please can take them to the office and keep them there because I want to know some things, before we send them to the muggle police. I will see you in a few minutes." Kingsley did not expect this reply from the man who he had always liked. His mind was racing. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean. Yes sir I will see you in a minute at the office. Good evening you three." Kingsley said and he took the four men and was gone with the help of the other two aurors. "What was that all about?" Harry asked. Mr. Weasley looked at him a bit hurt. "Kingsley didn't like it that I became Head of the department." He said. "Well let's get back to the manor. I need to get you three there and get myself to work." They all left and went back to the manor. Arthur went to the ministry and got back just before midnight. The kids were all asleep and Molly was waiting for her husband. "Arthur what took you so long?" she asked when her husband came in through the front door. He had to walk from the road to the manor. He was lucky that he was able to apparate inside the gate or he would have a real problem. "Kingsly happened." was all he said. Mrs. Weasley asked Twinky to get something to eat for her husband and a firewhiskey. He gratefully took the food and drink and talked to his wife about what had happened. He knew he would have to tell it all again the next morning but well he did not want his wife to worry about it for the whole night.
After he had finished his story they also went to bed.
The next morning Harry woke up with Ginny wrapped around him. He never would get enough of this sight. The red hair of the woman he loved more than life itself on his chest and her arm around him.
He snuck out of the bed and went to the bathroom.
When he came back in to get dressed he could see Ginny was still fast asleep. He would let her sleep and quietly dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen to get some coffee.
He was about to make him some coffee when he heard a voice behind him.
"Master is making his coffee, does Twinky did wrong?" Harry turned to see the elf almost at the breaking point. "No Twinky, you did nothing wrong." He said. "I just didn't want to bother you with a simple cup of coffee. That's all. You can ask Kreacher if you don't believe me because I don't always ask him or any of the elves of Hogwarts to get me everything I need. I like doing some things myself." Twinky looked at him. "Kreacher bad elf if his not doing all his master needs." She said. She walked over to the stove got a pan and smacked herself over the had with it. "Bad Twinky. Bad Twinky." she squeaked when she hit herself. "Yoes not talk about masters elves like that." Harry who was stunned grabbed the pan. "You will not ever again punish yourself as long as you are an elf of mine. Do you hear me. Only when I or your mistress say so you may punish yourself in the way we say. You hear me." Harry yelled at her. Twinky did not believe what she was hearing. Not punishing herself for something bad unless she was ordered to was as far as she knew never done in the wizarding world. She had heard the stories about her master and how noble he was but this was something different. She than asked Harry if she could start breakfast and as he approved it she started working at once.
The rest came down as the smell of eggs and pancakes filled the hallway. Harry knew he wanted to talk to Kingsley about the way he treated Mr. Weasley but he didn't want to do it without the mans approval.
They all had breakfast together and went into one of the parlor and talked about last night. Mr. Weasley explained that he wanted to talk to the four men before they were oblivited and given false memories about the way they had found the house.
The strange thing was when he arrived the four men didn't knew what house he was talking about. He than checked the memories of the men and found that they were not obliviated but that the ward finally had kicked in and that they didn't knew anything anymore about the house. When he had talked about it with some of the aurors on duty there they decided that it was safe to let them go because they knew nothing about the magical world. It was just that the wards and spells on the house had needed some time to get to full strength. Harry was glad that his house was now as safe as could be. He talked about his plan to talk to Kingsley but that he only wanted to do it if Mr. Weasley thought it would mater. Mr. Weasley thanked him but thought it would not mater if Harry did it or not. Kingsley just didn't liked it he was chosen over him. Nothing anybody would say would get that feeling away from him.
Harry thought about it and than a small plan came to his mind. He would get it done after his trip and talk with Mr. Weasley about it some more but he thought it would help.
The rest of the day they all spend with talking and having fun drinking hot chocolate and listening to Christmas songs on the radio as it was Christmas eve. Harry could not wait for the next morning and see the faces of everybody when they would open their presents.