"Hurry up, Hermione. Let's go," Harry called up the girls' staircase. It was the day when they would board the Hogwarts Express and go home for the summer. It was a time that Harry often dreaded, but now he was excited. He will not be returning to Number 4 Privet Drive this summer. No sir. He was going to live with his newfound godfather, Sirius.
To say that Harry was happy about the new arrangement was an understatement. He had been counting down the days until they would go home, and now he was waiting for his two best friends to come downstairs to the common room so they could go to breakfast.
"I've never seen Harry this happy," Fred whispered to his twin.
George nodded, agreeing. "Yeah, he's like a child on Christmas morning."
Ron joined the group of his two brothers and sister, nearly knocking into Harry as the raven-headed teen came upstairs, ready to drag him down the stairs.
Ron was about to ask what had gotten into Harry when he approached the bottom of the girls' stairs and bellowed, "HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER, YOU BETTER BE DOWN HERE IN TEN SECONDS OR WE'LL LEAVE WITHOUT….."
Hermione cut Harry off by shouting. "I AM COMING HARRY, KEEP YOUR HAIR ON!"
The sound of footsteps and a trunk descending the stairs announced Hermione's presence in the common room.
Hermione barely greeted the group when Harry headed to the portrait hole, his rucksack on his shoulder and Hedwig's cage in his hand.
"Let's go," Harry called over his shoulder, leading the group out of the common room.
They followed for fear that if they didn't, Harry was liable to start hexing. In Defense that year, Remus put on a dueling demonstration with students with the highest scores in his class. It was needless to say, Harry wiped the floor with his opponents.
Remus was beaming with pride, silently wishing James was here to see his son. He had shared the memory with Sirius once the ex-convict was settled in his quarters for the time being. Sirius agreed that Harry was a good and powerful wizard for a third year.
"Somebody is impatient," George muttered, following the rest of the group to breakfast. They noticed that Harry was halfway down the corridor. Ron and Hermione shared a look, happy that, for the first time, Harry was looking forward to going home.
Harry was going to live with Sirius, his newfound godfather. After the Peter Pettigrew situation, the Ministry freed Sirius and gave him a good-sized compensation. Fudge asked if there was anything else he would like. Sirius immediately replied that he wanted custody of Harry. It was granted immediately.
Since there were three weeks, Sirius had time to find a house and fix it up for them to live in.
"I don't think I've seen Harry this happy," Hermione told the group. They entered the Great Hall, where they all sat together to eat breakfast. Ron and Hermione noticed that Harry hadn't piled his plate as full as he had for the last two years before they left for the summer. Hermione sat down next to Harry and across from Ron. What Ron told her last September was ringing in her ears.
"They were starving him, Hermione. You thought he was skinny last year. He's even skinnier now."
The words repeated in her head. Then, without warning, she tackled Harry in a tight hug, surprising the raven-headed teen.
"What?" Harry asked her.
"I'm just happy for you," Hermione explained. Harry knew that this was the first of many hugs he would receive.
They looked up at the Head table and found that Remus was still there—he hadn't left yet. Professor Snape sat at the far end of the table, close to the Slytherin table. He had a scowl on his face.
Remus noticed that Harry was with them and made his way to where the group was sitting.
"Are you riding the train with us again, Professor?" Hermione asked.
"No, and please call me Remus. I'm no longer your professor," he requested. He turned to Harry. "That goes for you too." He handed Harry a bag with some money in it. "That's from Sirius, for the trolley. He'll meet you at the station. I'm going to use Professor Dumbledore's floo and floo to Sirius's."
Harry turned around to face Remus, swallowing the eggs and bacon.
"Are you staying with us?" he asked softly.
"Actually, Sirius insists that I live with you two. Do you mind?" Remus asked.
"No, I don't have a problem with you living with us," Harry assured him.
Remus ruffled Harry's hair.
"Then I'll see you at home." Turning to Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins, he added, "Have a good summer. Sirius wanted me to pass on a message that you are all welcome to visit anytime. Just floo or owl first."
"Okay," Hermione said as Ron and the twins nodded.
Remus returned to his place at the table, smiling as he watched Ron and Harry play Rock Scissors Paper for the last muffin. He chuckled and banished the remaining muffin before him to Harry's plate. He kept from laughing out loud when Harry and Ron jumped. They both examined the muffins and stuffed them in their mouth, ignoring Hermione's reprimands.
When the group finished their breakfast, they got up to head to Gryffindor Tower for one last look around to ensure they had everything. Professor McGonagall approached the group, heading straight for Harry. She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I wanted to let you know, Potter, that I'm happy for you," She said.
Then, without warning, the usually stern and serious Professor McGonagall engulfed Harry in a rare hug. The hug only lasted a minute, and then the Deputy Headmistress ended it.
"Have a good summer, Potter," Professor McGonagall said, then left the Great Hall, leaving a stunned Harry, Hermione, and a group of Weasleys.
"Did she just……" Fred trailed off.
"Yes, Fred, she did," George informed his twin.
Ron and Hermione broke out of their stupor long enough for Hermione to remind everyone they had an hour before they had to be at the train station. Together, they walked to Gryffindor Tower in silence, no one knowing what to say after the display in the Great Hall.
Hermione told the Fat Lady the password to allow them into Gryffindor Tower one final time for the school year. Once inside, they separated, heading to their own dorms. Harry and Ron had, under Hermione's instructions, packed their things the night before. They did one final check before picking up their rucksacks and trunks, and Harry picked up Hedwig's cage. After ensuring they had everything, they headed down to the common room.
The house elves were transporting their trunks down to the train station. Harry collected his things and headed out of the portrait hole.
"I can't believe McGonagall hugged Harry," he heard Fred and George tell their friend Lee of the rare display their head of house gave.
A screech made the students in the corridors jump. The owls belonging to students were flying in the Great Hall, looking for their owners.
Harry spotted Hedwig and whistled for her to come, a little too sharply for Hermione, standing beside Harry.
"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said. Hermione waved him off. Hedwig perched herself on Harry's shoulder before she flew into her cage. Harry closed the door, giving her a few leftover pieces of bacon he and Ron had saved for her.
"We need to go," Hermione informed the boys as she headed outside to get in a carriage.
They shared a carriage with Neville and Ginny, and when they reached the station, Hermione led the boys onto the train and found a compartment in the middle of the train.
Now that they were on their way to London, Harry started to feel nervous about living with Sirius. He bore the scars, both physical and emotional, from the abuse he suffered at the hands of his relatives. He didn't know if he should tell Sirius about the abuse.
Then, a thought occurred to Harry. Would Sirius be like his uncle? Would he go hungry again? The thoughts started to overwhelm Harry. He wondered if he had made a good choice by deciding to live with Sirius. But then, Harry remembered the little time he spent with Sirius after he was declared innocent and stayed with Remus in his quarters.
They got to know each other in that short amount of time. Harry told Sirius some about his life with his relatives. Harry admitted he was scared that Sirius would be like his uncle. Sirius told Harry he would never live like he did with his relatives again.
This is going to be a great summer.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
In a house in Hatfield, England, a town about twenty-two miles outside of London was Sirius and Remus. They were finishing getting the house ready for Harry's arrival. Sirius had spent the day before fixing up Harry's room, deciding he would let Harry choose what color to paint the room and how he wanted to decorate it. All Sirius did was set up the bedroom furniture. He wanted Harry to decide where Quidditch posters went and what colors he wanted in the room.
"Are you ready?" Remus asked. Sirius and Remus were sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea. Sirius and Remus had decided to fix a mixture of James and Lily's favorites along with Sirius's famous chocolate truffle cake.
"Yeah," Sirius sighed with a smile. "Are you ready to live with a teenager?"
Remus smiled. "It's only one."
Sirius smiled back. This was how it was supposed to be. Even though James and Lily should be here to watch their son grow up, Sirius knew they wanted Harry to be raised by him and Remus if they died. Even though Harry was thirteen, almost fourteen, Sirius knew he would have a few years left with Harry before he was grown.
A glance at the clock and Sirius grabbed the keys to the SUV he had purchased. He and James both had a Muggle driver's license under Lily's advisement. Remus had taken his test during the Easter holidays and passed, much to the chagrin of Sirius, who had to take the test twice.
Remus stayed at the house to keep an eye on the food and to finish getting the house ready for Harry's arrival. The drive into London was quiet as Sirius thought of things he and Harry could do over the summer. One of the first things Sirius planned to do was take Harry to a healer. Madam Pomfrey had expressed concern over Harry's health, considering that she didn't have any records of Harry's medical history. She concluded that there wasn't one.
The first part of the summer will be filled with healer appointments for Harry and him both. The remaining summer will be spent however Harry wants. One thing Sirius decided to do was take Harry to the coast. During their talk in the hospital wing, Harry told Sirius that the Dursleys went on trips and holidays with him, leaving him with Miss Figg. That was when Sirius decided to take Harry to the coast. Remus would be coming with them since he had never been.
Sirius made it to Kings Cross with ten minutes to spare. He wondered if he would be rushing Harry here many times until he graduated. Sirius entered the train station, walking straight to the barrier between platforms nine and ten. He looked around, and when he felt he wouldn't be seen, he entered the barrier.
Some parents were already there, waiting for their children. Sirius found Molly and Arthur waiting not far from the barrier.
"Hello, Sirius," Arthur greeted. "Nice to see you out and about."
"It's good to be out and about," Sirius chuckled. He asked Arthur how the graduation went.
"It went as well as expected. Percy will work at the Ministry with Barty Crouch," the proud father replied.
"Great."
"How's the house coming?" Molly inquired.
Sirius had called her to ask about some of the basics one kept in their kitchen. Molly provided a list and a catalog marked with different baking and cooking necessities. She also provided a few recipes for Harry's favorite food. Sirius appreciated her help more than she would ever know.
A few minutes before the train arrived, Sirius turned to the Weasley parents, planning on asking to have Ron over some this summer.
"I thought Harry could have a friend over when he gets settled. Would it be okay for Ron to come over and spend the night? I figured Harry would like to have friends over some."
Molly and Arthur looked at each other. After years of marriage, they were able to communicate with looks alone. Then Molly nodded with a smile.
"That would be great," Molly replied.
When Molly wasn't listening, Arthur asked Sirius if the house was a Muggle house. It was, and Sirius had gotten used to Muggle appliances and the electricity. Sirius then invited Arthur and the rest of the family for dinner.
A whistle pierced the air, announcing the arrival of the Hogwarts Express.
Sirius looked for the familiar, messy, raven-headed teen, only remembering that, with Harry's height, it would not be easy to find him.
Percy was the first to reach his parents, only to be pushed aside by Ginny when she saw that both of her parents were there. She slammed into Arthur's awaiting arms, ignoring her brother's scolding.
Fred and George followed, saying hello to Sirius.
"Would you happen to know where…….?"
That was all Sirius got out when a black blob attacked him. He felt arms around his waist and looked down to find the familiar messy black hair. Harry had found him.
"Miss me already, Harry?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah," Harry admitted, quietly enough for Sirius to hear.
Ron and Hermione paused a few steps behind, smiling at the scene before them. They were happy for Harry and brought smiles to their faces to see Harry happy, finally.
They joined the rest of the group, greeted everyone, and said goodbye to the Weasleys. Harry and Sirius then headed to the Muggle entrance with Hermione to meet her parents.
Robert and Jane Granger were waiting for their daughter on the other side of the barrier. Hermione leaped into her father's arms, much like Ginny did earlier. After the small family reunion, Hermione introduced Sirius to her parents.
"And how are you, Harry?" Jane asked.
"I'm good. Did Hermione tell you I'll be living with my godfather now?"
Jane nodded, and, like her daughter did that morning, she embraced Harry in a loving, tight hug.
"I'm happy for you and hope you have a great summer."
Harry looked at Sirius, who was talking to Robert about arranging for Hermione to visit.
Harry smiled.
"I think I will."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
"Remus, we're here," Sirius called upon entering the house. He carried Harry's trunk while the teen carried Hedwig's cage and rucksack.
Remus came into the hallway, smiling to greet them.
"Hello again, Harry. Welcome home."
"Thanks… Remus." Harry had to stop himself from calling him professor. Since Remus was no longer a professor, he asked Harry to call him Remus.
"The food's ready," Remus told Sirius when he returned downstairs.
"Great." Sirius turned to Harry, who was still standing beside the door. "Leave your rucksack here. You can get it when you head upstairs. There's an Owlery off the scullery. Hedwig could stay there if she wants.
Once Harry opened the cage door, Hedwig flew off to the Owlery.
Sirius led Harry to the downstairs bathroom, where they washed their hands before heading to the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, Harry found the table full of different foods, most of which were his favorite.
They sat down to the meal Remus prepared, casually discussing their plans for the summer.
"After we eat, I'll give you the tour," Sirius announced.
"Um, exactly where are we?" Harry inquired.
"Hatfield, we're about a forty-five to an hour drive from London," Remus replied.
"I found this place when I was out looking for a place. The large grounds and the fact it was in the country was a selling point for me," Sirius explained.
"So, what are my chores?" Harry asked as they began to eat.
The question made Remus and Sirius pause. They shared a look before Sirius cleared his throat.
"Your only responsibility is to keep your room semi-clean. As long as I can navigate my way to your bed without tripping over anything, that is all I ask. Keep your Quidditch gear, including your broom, in the scullery in their proper places. Anything you would like to add, Remus?"
"There are a few rules we should mention," Remus reminded him.
Sirius nodded, remembering their discussion about the full moon, and turned to Harry.
"The main one is that you're not to go outside on the night of the full moon. You'll spend the night with the Weasleys until you're a little older, but we applied the rule now to have it in place."
"The next one is while you're almost fourteen, the curfew will be eleven o'clock. We'll change it to midnight when you turn fifteen, depending on how well the eleven o'clock curfew goes," Remus added.
Sirius cleared his throat.
"While there are wards around the place, you are not to leave the wards unless you have permission from one of us. Lastly, you're not to go into the woods behind the house without Remus or myself. That is all we have for now. Do you have any questions?"
"No," Harry replied, shaking his head.
"Okay."
Dinner had passed in mostly silence, with Sirius adding details about the house.
They walked into the family room set up like a Muggle family room, complete with a television, VCR, and a collection of movies. The room itself wasn't large, but it was big enough that if Harry invited the entire Weasley family, Hermione, Neville, and the Quidditch team, they would have enough room plus room for Remus and Sirius.
Across from the den was the sitting room. It had a fireplace connected to the floo, two armchairs in front of the fire, a couch, and a loveseat.
"Before we head upstairs, I have something to show you outside."
Harry and Sirius headed back to the kitchen, where Sirius led Harry into the scullery. Sirius paused for a second in the scullery to tell Harry this was where he could keep his Quidditch gear and where he was to bring his laundry. Remus would take care of the laundry since Sirius didn't know how to do it, and his one attempt resulted in pink shirts and socks.
Sirius opened the side door, leading Harry outside. Once Harry was out the door, he looked towards the clearing behind the house just before the woods began.
There in front of him was his own Quidditch pitch. It wasn't the size of the pitch at Hogwarts. There was only one hoop, but Harry didn't care. There was more than enough room for him to fly.
"The wards around the Quidditch pitch end at the top of the trees," Sirius explained. "Leave the wards, and your broom stays on the ground for a long time."
Harry nodded, his eyes not leaving the pitch. Then, without warning, he hurled himself into Sirius's arms.
"Thank you, Sirius."
"You haven't seen your room yet," Sirius whispered. Harry looked at his godfather and followed him back into the house. They headed to the stairs, where Harry noticed the pictures on the wall. Most were of James, Sirius, and Remus with Lily, while others were of Remus, Sirius, and James.
"We'll add more later," Remus implied. As they walked upstairs, Sirius pointed out his and Remus's bedrooms.
"Here is the first room up here. This is my room. You may come here if you wake up from a nightmare or need me for anything at night. I don't mind."
Harry nodded, looking around the room from the door. It was considered the master, the largest of the three bedrooms upstairs. The room was painted in a very soothing blue. The king-size bed looked inviting with its fluffy pillows and red comforter.
There were a few pictures of James and Sirius. But the one on Sirius's nightstand drew Harry's attention. It was a picture of Sirius with a baby Harry.
"Your Mum took that picture when I first came to see you after they went into hiding. I visited often, bringing you toys and things."
Harry followed Sirius and Remus to Remus's room.
"This is my room. If you need me at night, you can come here. But I understand if you would prefer Sirius."
The room was painted in a relaxing gray. Harry didn't question why Remus chose gray. The bed was smaller than Sirius's, a queen size, but like Sirius's, it was inviting.
"Ready to see your room?" Sirius asked. Harry nodded and followed Sirius out to the corridor. There were two doors on the right-hand side. Sirius opened the first one.
"This is your bathroom. You can enter it through this door or the door in your room." Sirius moved the second door and opened it. "This is your room."
Harry entered the room, letting his jaw slack. The room was painted Gryffindor red. The bed was a full-size bed with a blue comforter. There was a desk against the wall beside the door that would lead to the bathroom. At the foot of his bed was a blue armchair with a small table beside it. A chest of drawers was against the wall a few inches from the armchair, and beside the door was another door.
"Closet," Remus explained.
Harry looked around the room in awe of the whole thing. "It's perfect."
Sirius smiled.
"I thought you could decorate it however you like. We could go to Diagon Alley, get some posters for the walls or a different lamp. We picked the comforter and sheet set because you needed somewhere to sleep and…"
"Sirius." Harry laid his hand on his godfather's shoulder, causing Sirius to stop talking. "It's fine."
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Later that night, Sirius went to Harry's room to check on him and see how he was doing. He found Harry fast asleep under the covers. He smiled at how cute Harry looked when he was sleeping. It reminded him of when Harry was a baby. He leaned over and kissed his forehead.
"Good night," He whispered.
Sirius turned to leave when he noticed that Harry had dumped his clothes into a laundry basket, sitting in the armchair. He picked them up, carrying them downstairs.
He sorted the clothes, dividing them between whites, darks, and lights, the only part of laundry he knew how to do. While sorting the clothes, he noticed how big some of them were. What he wore home had fit him, unlike his other clothes.
Sirius walked out to the kitchen, where they had written a list of things they needed to pick up when they went out the next day. He added 'clothes for Harry' to the list.
He figured they would have to get everything, judging from the looks of the clothes Sirius found in the basket.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Remus woke up the following morning to a bang from downstairs. He jumped out of bed, wondering what the old mutt was up to. He opened the door to head downstairs, only to come face to face with Sirius. They looked at each other, not saying a word, before they ran downstairs to the kitchen.
They stopped when they reached the doorway from the main hallway to the kitchen.
The bang had been Harry making breakfast. The three were frozen on the spot until Harry broke the silence.
"Breakfast is ready."
Sirius and Remus turned to the table to find a platter of eggs, sausage, and bacon. Another platter had enough waffles for them to each have two.
Remus led Harry to the table after flicking his wand at the mess in the sink.
"Thanks, Cub. But you didn't have to."
"I know. But I wanted to," Harry said.
They sat down to the breakfast Harry had prepared. For the first few minutes, they passed platters to one another and filled cups of tea and a glass of pumpkin juice.
Soon, the only sound in the kitchen was the clacking of forks hitting plates and spoons tapping gently against the sides of bowls or teacups. Sirius took a bite of the eggs and found himself in shock.
"Merlin's beard, Harry, this is good," he complimented.
"Thanks," Harry replied, smiling slightly.
"The waffles are delicious. They melt in my mouth," Remus added.
Harry slowly dug into his breakfast, pausing for a second when Sirius dumped a second helping of eggs on his plate.
"You didn't give yourself enough," Sirius replied.
Remus watched the exchange from across the table. He was still in shock that Harry had made breakfast. Then, realization dawned on him.
"You cooked when you lived with your relatives, didn't you?"
Harry nodded quietly. Sirius hooked his hand under Harry's chin, gently turning his head to face his godfather.
"Unless you want to, you don't have to do the cooking," Sirius told him. He smiled. "I do have to say that this is really good."
"Thanks."
After breakfast, Harry returned to his room to shower and change clothes for the day. He and Sirius were going to Diagon Alley. Sirius remained in the kitchen with Remus.
They sat in silence until Sirius spoke.
"I think we need to make an appointment with a mind healer. Children who are abused seem to have problems, but Harry doesn't seem to."
Remus nodded. Sirius was seeing a mind healer to help him deal with his time in Azkaban and to heal from his childhood trauma finally. They wondered if Healer Simmons would be able to help him with Harry or if he would be someone he could take Harry to.
"We also need to make an appointment with Healer Morris, the healer Poppy recommended. According to her records, Poppy told me that Harry had never been a healer or a doctor. From what I gathered from Harry, he's never gone. Only when it was a had-to."
Remus added the healer appointment to the list of things they needed to do over the next week. Of course, they had other plans over the summer. The World Cup was later in the summer. It was one thing that Sirius was going to do with Harry. They decided to let Harry choose where they went and what they did.
They wanted to give Harry what he was neglected in his childhood, especially love.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Sirius pulled into the car park near the Leaky Cauldron. Harry had asked why they were driving when Sirius said they would also go to a few Muggle shops. Lily had taken Sirius and James shopping in Muggle London many times before and after she married James. Sirius was comfortable walking around Muggle London and had spent some time exploring the city. On his way to King's Cross the day before, he had seen some shops that he thought Harry might like.
They walked to the Leaky, heading straight to the brick wall entrance to Diagon Alley. Their first stop was Gringotts to withdraw money for the purchases they needed to make. After the ride in the cart, Harry and Sirius visited their vaults to withdraw money. Professor Dumbledore had given Sirius a copy of James and Lily's will, which included the number of galleons in Harry's trust vault.
The amount of money in the vault was more than enough for Harry's education. James had put a side note on the slip explaining that pocket money was included in the amount when he got old enough to go to Hogsmeade. Even if Harry bought him and his friends the best racing room and Hermione a library full of books, there would still be a lot of money left.
After they finished in their vaults, they made their way back to the lobby, stopping at the desk where Sirius could convert some of the galleons into Muggle money.
Once they were finished, their first stop was Madam Malkin's for robes and clothes. Sirius looked at the dress robes while Harry was being fitted for his new robes. He remembered Professor Dumbledore saying that fourth year would require dress robes, and he decided to save that for when they came back for school shopping.
Sirius only had purchased two robes since Harry mainly wore Muggle clothing around the house and on the weekends at school. Once the robes were finished, Sirius helped Harry pick out new shirts, pants, and jumpers.
"I figured you needed some new clothes," Sirius said in an undertone voice.
"I did. Most of the clothes that fit were the ones that Mrs. Weasley made, or Hermione had shrunk."
When Harry and Sirius had an armload of clothes, they made their way to the checkout. Sirius paid for them. Once done, he and Harry headed to the other shops in Diagon Alley.
"Quidditch store next?" Sirius asked.
"Read my mind," Harry replied with a smile. Once inside the busy Quidditch store, Harry went to where the posters and books were. He selected a few posters of his favorite team, Puddlemere United. It was a bonus that Oliver Wood made their reserve team.
"You can get a few more if you want."
Harry turned to Sirius after he spoke. The one thing that Harry couldn't get over was that he had a room he could decorate to suit himself. He had a say in what went where and what to put in the room.
"I was thinking of getting a Gryffindor banner," Harry said.
"I figured you did." Sirius pulled out the Gryffindor banner he was holding behind his back. Harry looked it over. It was red with a lion in the middle and the house crest. Nodding, Harry took the banner and added it to his pile.
Two Quidditch Posters, a banner, a schedule for the World Cup, and a toy snitch later, Harry had finished at the Quidditch store.
As they walked around Diagon Alley again, Sirius couldn't help but smile. He was living the life he had been hoping for for twelve years. They stopped at Eeylops to get some things for Hedwig before heading back to the Leaky for lunch and heading into Muggle London.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
Harry hung up the last shirt. He stood back in the middle of the room and turned around, smiling as he looked over his room. His closet and chest of drawers were filled with clothes that fit him, including shoes, socks, and underwear. His face still blushed three shades of crimson when Sirius asked, a little loudly, if he wanted boxers or briefs.
The posters and the banner were hung up on the walls, the picture of his parents was on his nightstand with a new frame, and on his desk was a lamp and a photo of him, Hermione, and Ron taken last year at Christmas.
The room was starting to look like it was lived in. A laundry hamper was added to his bathroom for his dirty clothes. On the door to his room was a funny sign that Sirius found in a shop in Muggle London.
'Warning! This room belongs to a Teenager! Enter at Your Own Risk!'
Harry thought it was funny and added it to the cart, where Sirius placed towels, washcloths, and hand towels for Harry's bathroom, along with a few decorative items.
Lying on his bed, Harry thought of his previous life with his relative. He wouldn't have to worry about starving, the endless chores, the abuse, or anything he had dealt with when he lived with his relatives again.
He had only been living there for forty-eight hours and loved it here. He had a warm bed with warm blankets, sheets, duvet, and quilts. He didn't have to do any chores other than keep his room straightened. He didn't go to bed with an empty stomach. Instead, his stomach was full, like it was right now. Sirius's fried chicken and potatoes were sitting well in his belly. It was just the beginning of a life in which he didn't have to worry about getting beaten, worked to the bone, or starved.
Harry smiled as he thought how much his life had changed, if for the better. It was the beginning of a new life. He placed his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling.
"I think I'm gonna like it here."