Grimmauld Place
Several days later, Severus’ potion class with the Fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins were interrupted by Colin Creevy, stating that Harry and Severus’ himself were needed for the Weighing of the Wands Ceremony and photos, relating to the Triwizard Tournament. It took Severus quite some time to get the boy to understand that it wouldn’t be happening at this point in time, as Severus was teaching a class and Harry didn’t have anything to do with the Tournament any longer and wouldn’t be joining any of the Tournament events at all. In the end he had to send a Patronus to Albus.
His doe stood quietly shimmering, as she always did, even though she was less solid now than he was used to. “Albus, if you and your fellow Tournament administrators are unwise enough to place an event during the school day, I hope you understand that I will not participate, as I’m a teacher and here to teach, just as the students are here to learn. Also, Harry will not, now or ever, participate in any Tournament event. Attempt to call him to such again and I will contact my solicitor, before I’m out of patience with you and end up killing you all for trying to endanger him!” The last part came out as a growl, but as Harry had become quite pale at Creevy’s insistence on Harry’s participation in the event, he felt he was justified, both in his words and his tone.
The whole event ended up being moved to after dinner the same day. There Severus took great pleasure in informing the judges and administrators that he was first and foremost a teacher, and the fact they had made Tournament events during school days was despicable and didn’t speak well for how serious they took their tasks as educators. He added, for good measure and more witnesses, that if they did try to wrangle Harry into participating in any way in the Tournament again, he would really contact his solicitor, and in the worst-case scenario, remove Harry from the school completely for the rest of the year. Albus protested and said that Harry surely wouldn’t want that, and that Severus couldn’t become a tyrant over Harry’s life. Severus informed him that while Harry did in fact not want that, he wanted any kind of participation in the Tournament even less, and he had agreed to be removed from the school, if that should become necessary to remain safe. Albus had finally shut up at that.
When Mister Ollivander wanted to start the Wand Weighing Ceremony with Severus’ wand, and held out a hand for it, Severus raised a brow.
“If you think that I will hand over my wand at your request, you are gravely mistaken, Mister Ollivander, as you should have been able to fathom yourself. Wands are personal. I will let you inspect it and cast magic at it, but I will not relinquish it to you for even a moment and you will not comment on my wand other than to state that it is in full working order, or not.”
Of course, people had to protest at that too, but in the end, it happened as Severus had said. For all of the participants.
Afterwards, while people were still milling about and talking about interviews and photos that Severus knew he had to remain for, unfortunately, before he could leave with the excuse of having homework to grade, Mister Diggory stepped up to him.
“Thank you, Professor. I didn’t even know I could refuse Mister Ollivander and would have let him handle my wand, no matter how uncomfortable the thought made me.”
“Another reason for why this Tournament is a bad idea,” Severus said stiffly. “Life was different when it was created, different values, different rules, different teaching methods. Back at the Tournament’s inception eleven-year-olds had at the very least three years of active learning behind them, while someone your age was on their way to a Mastery, or already there. Those who could get chosen by the Goblet were already chosen by their school for their prowess, like the classes from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were, and like Hogwarts most definitely was not. That’s not meant as disparaging towards you personally, Mister Diggory, just at the process, or lack thereof. This ceremony’s origin is far younger than the Tournament itself and more an excuse the administrators can use when people die, than anything else. The participants had a functioning wand, thus it’s not the administrator’s fault that anyone got hurt or killed.
“Also, the Tournament wasn’t nearly as dangerous at its creation as it was towards the end of its bloody reign. I fear that it’s too much to hope that they will get their inspiration from the beginning of it all, and not from the end where people more or less got slaughtered for blood sport.”
Mister Diggory swallowed hard. “I did read about the Tournament beforehand, I really did, but I … I also believed the Headmaster when he said that it would be safer now than in the past.”
“You will note, Mister Diggory, that the Headmaster did not mention whom the Tournament would be safer for. The Tournament has killed both Champions, spectators, and judges in the past. If I were you, I would do my best to accomplish the Tournament's supposed ambition and begin an alliance with your co-Champions. Thus, you will not be alone in this.”
Mister Diggory hesitated. “What about you, Professor?”
“I will be amenable to help you all, if you should require it. After all, in this I’m not your Professor, I’m your co-Champion too, and there are no rules against Champions helping each other. Though, I will request that all three of you decide to ask me together, as I do want you to collaborate.”
Mister Krum stepped up to them and gave Severus a deep bow. “Alpha, may I introduce myself properly?” His voice had a heavy accent, but the words flowed easier than the last time Severus had heard him speak.
“You may.” Severus nodded, intrigued.
“I’m Victor Dragomir Krum, from the Bulgarian branch of the Noble House of Konstantin. The Noble House of Konstantin and the House of Krum both live by the Old Ways and the Old Laws.” He bowed deeply again, his right fist over his heart. “I’m honoured to meet an Alpha, or do you prefer another honorific?”
“As I’m a teacher at this school, Professor Snape will do, Mister Krum, or is it Heir Krum?” After all, Mister Krum had just admitted to belonging to a branch of a Noble family, and even if Severus was far from fluent in that kind of etiquette, he had grown up amongst people who were and now taught various Heirs and Heiresses, and thus he had picked up quite a bit.
“It’s Heir Krum, sir.”
Severus nodded. “As for Alpha, my Wyrd and I have decided that we prefer the terms Wyrd and Warder to Omega and Alpha.”
Heir Krum smiled. “My people use those terms also, in our own language, of course.”
Severus nodded to that. Those were far preferable terms to Alpha and Omega and all the consequences those terms brought with them. He did not get the opportunity to ask Heir Krum about the significance of his comment about following the Old Ways and Old Laws, because just then they were finally ready for both pictures and interviews. Severus knew what the Old Ways were, or he knew what they were in Britain, but he could not remember ever hearing about the Old Laws and he wondered if they had anything to do with Heir Krum’s obvious reverence for him as a Warder.
Later that day he found Harry in his quarters, reading one of the books on the Old Ways that he had eagerly started on, as soon as Kreacher came with them from the Black Library. It seemed he had begun another since Severus saw him read last, the evening before. Harry only got to read the books in Severus’ quarters as the books were heavily controlled by the Ministry, even if not all of them were outright banned. If anyone saw Harry reading them, they risked the books being taken away at minimum and Harry might even end up being fined or prosecuted for having the books. Harry also had yet to tell any of his friends about his new reading material. He had stated that he wanted to know more himself, to be able to explain better and defend his beliefs and choices, if necessary. Severus had no intention of pushing him about it. This was his choice, and his choice alone, even if, he suspected, his Wyrd instincts did push him, at least some.
Severus remembered how Harry had gotten to observe his first Sabbath at Halloween, or Samhain as Harry now insisted that they call it, at least in private, in a small, but meaningful way. According to Andromeda what they did was most often what people did if they observed the Sabbath alone, as they needed at the very least three people to do a ritual, and preferably four or more.
After Kreacher had left with orders to take care of himself, they had talked about Samhain celebrations, and Andromeda had suggested a very simple, but also impactful act to observe the Sabbath. She had Flooed home and come back with several white candles in silver or black candlesticks. One by one they went around the table and lit their candles. If they wanted, they said something aloud to remember their lost ones, but no one had to. Most said their prayers only in their thoughts.
Not long after that, everyone else left and Severus gently shooed Harry to bed in his bedroom, and ended up sitting by his bedside watching their candles slowly burn down, even hours after Harry fell asleep.
The next day Severus could have sworn that he had dreamed of Lily and that it had been one of those very rare and good dreams.
Two days later Kreacher had showed up, clean and with such a dashing uniform that it made Harry grin and clap his hands in enthusiasm. He had also brought the books Harry had wanted and Harry had been reading as much as possible since then. Now Harry closed his book and looked at Severus.
“Was it very horrible, that ceremony you couldn’t get out of?” he asked cautiously.
“It was stupid, not horrible,” Severus answered and hung up his heavy teaching robes by the door. “A stupid ceremony for a stupid Tournament, but I at least began the process of getting the three Champions to cooperate, I hope. That would make the Tournament much more worthwhile for them and everyone else. They have to lead by example if we want the three schools to mingle and make friendships and alliances.”
Harry nodded and drummed his fingers against the cover of the book while Severus sat down in his wingback chair across from the couch Harry sat in. One of the elves supplied them with tea without being asked and Severus prepared their beverages. Harry bit his lip but took his cup with a smile, but then sat it down on the table and frowned.
“Severus, I spoke to Kreacher and I already know from Sirius … The Black Ancestral House in London is a … I’m not going to say what Sirius wrote about it, but in short, it’s a mess. It’s really dirty and old and full of cursed objects and magical pests, and … Sirius doesn't want to do anything because he doesn’t want to live there or go back there at all. But it’s a Black house and I’m the Heir and it’s a house, a big one, just standing there and crumbling even more as time goes by and no one does anything about it. According to Kreacher it’s more like a castle disguised as a house, can you imagine that! Magic is incredible!”
“Harry, did you have an actual point to this?” Severus lifted an eyebrow in question.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t …”
“It’s quite alright, but it seemed like you were going off on a tangent.”
Harry blushed, looked down and took a deep breath. “It will be my house, in time. It’s even possible that Sirius might give it over to me now, if I should ask. I have never seen it, but … I want a home, a real home, for me and the people I care about, for my family.” He swallowed. “Do you have a home where you want to live, or …?”
“I have a place where we can live, yes. A home, not so much, no.”
“I was wondering about getting the townhouse cleaned up and in order again, make it safe and refurbish it; make it a home, for us. If that is something you think you would like, living there, in London, with me? And other people too, of course, if we want. It’s big, really, really big. Kreacher said that it has a main part that can house a very big family, but that it also has several wings and towers. It’s like several enormous apartments or something like that, it was meant as a generational home for all the branches of the family, back when it was an actual castle that hadn’t yet disguised itself as a townhouse. It still has all the space of that castle, it just looks different from the outside, if I understood it right.”
Harry was prattling on again and Severus just smiled, leaned back, drank his tea and listened to the child’s excitement. It seemed like the place had potential. There would be enough space, without a doubt, and certainly there had to be rooms that could be made into potions labs, if there wasn’t already a fully equipped lab, or three. The gardens Harry mentioned would be able to grow potion ingredients as well as other useful plants and vegetables.
Harry finally wound down after telling Severus everything Kreacher had told him and everything Harry had thought about it.
“There is one problem, though,” Harry said, “or, there are probably several, but one in particular that I can see. The job of cleaning the house up, making it safe and restoring it is a far too big job for just one elf, even if Tonks and Remus should stop by and help with the creatures and such. I wondered; do you know … can I hire an elf to help Kreacher? Or more than one, if that is possible?”
“Dobby, the elf that almost killed you in your second year?” Severus guessed.
Harry nodded guardedly.
“As long as he understands that protecting you is my job now, and that it will be his very life if he endangers you in any way, I have no problem with you hiring him, or bonding with him, to help Kreacher.”
Harry nodded eagerly. “I will make sure he understands. Most elves seem to understand anyway, about me and you and our bond.” He hesitated. “I will ask Kreacher what he thinks, first.”
Severus nodded and Harry called the elf, who was just as well dressed as the last time Severus had seen him. He also seemed strangely younger now, not so hunched and grey.
“Young Master called Kreacher,” he said with a bow.
“Hi, Kreacher. I have been thinking about what you have told me about Grimmauld Place and how it just stands there with no one to live in it. I’m thinking about getting Sirius to give me the place, I don’t really think it will be hard, and if he later should wish to live there anyway, it’s big enough for several families without any of us having to step on each other, so … I wondered, if I should get the place, I would want to clean it up, make it safe and renovate it. That is probably a task too big for just one elf. How would you feel about having other elves to work with? Would that work? Maybe in a hierarchy where you are Head Elf?”
Kreacher looked at Harry with big eyes. “Yong Master wants to restore the Black Ancestral Home?”
“Yes, I want to do that, and live there myself with my Warder and probably other people too, at least sometimes.”
“Kreacher likes that very much! Kreacher can work with other elves, but there be no other Black elves.”
“I would hire some, or bond them, or however it works.”
Kreacher nodded vigorously. “Kreacher needs much help. Is being big, big castle! And old, and all alone for so long.”
“Alright. Then I will write to Sirius and ask if he will give me Grimmauld Place now, on paper, properly.”
Severus nodded to that. It was best to have a paper trail to avoid problems and misunderstandings later.
“Kreacher will take a letter to bad Master Sirius at once, yes he will!”
“Oh, alright.” Harry blinked a bit surprised at him, but found parchment and quill to write to the mutt.
An hour and one surprise visit from Ted and Black later, Harry was the proud owner of the Black Ancestral Home. Black had been more than willing to give it over to Harry, with the understanding that Harry wouldn’t even put a toe in the place before Severus found it safe and that since the restoration would happen in stages and not all at once, he would also just visit those parts of the castle that were deemed safe and not try for any exploration in the unsafe part of the castle. It had been put in the contract too, at Severus’ request. Harry had rolled his eyes, but agreed easily enough. Severus suspected that Harry was still a bit overwhelmed by the fact that he had an adult who truly cared for him and his safety, to protest, just yet. Severus knew that it would probably change at some point. Harry was a teenager after all.
Ted gave them several names for companies that could help with the renovations, after Curse Breakers had been through the whole place and cleaned it for all dangerous objects and found all traps and secret passages and rooms. Black had had to agree to help with that part, as such a task needed the Heir or Lord Apparent - or whatever Black was and refused to truly be and act like - present, or the House would refuse to give up its secrets at all. Something Harry found wicked cool, until reminded that it meant that he wouldn’t be able to live there if Black didn’t help. There also was a Gringotts vault specifically for upkeep of the Black properties, so Harry didn’t even have to use his own money to restore the castle, as long as he didn’t give away or sell the castle, out of the Black family. That, too, was in the contract.
After Ted and Black had left, Severus was entertained with a meeting between Harry, Dobby and Kreacher, where Dobby immediately swore to serve his Great Harry Potter sir! with a ferocity that was mildly terrifying. Dobby didn’t even blink when Harry told him that Severus would take care of Harry’s safety, and if Dobby heard or saw something suspicious or dangerous, he had to go straight to Severus and not try to deal with it himself.
The next part was not nearly as fun. Dobby had a friend, Winky, who had been dismissed that summer, through no fault of her own, according to Dobby. Now the elf was a drunken wretch. Harry recognised the elf because of a story Miss Granger and Mister Weasley had told him about the Quidditch World Cup Finale that Harry had been prohibited from attending, naturally, as Harry at that point had been close to death. Harry looked from the crying elf on the floor to Severus with pleading eyes.
“It’s your choice, Harry. You can certainly use the help and you will have no trouble with holding two bonds, when the elves live at Grimmauld Place. The place is both highly magical in itself and it’s placed on a magical node. Under those circumstances you would be able to hold several more elf bonds than what is common. That’s not even considering your Wyrd powers.”
Harry smiled at him and looked at Winky. “Winky, I would like to bond with you, to have you work at my new home. It needs a lot of work and it’s very big and so far, there will be only three elves and quite a few humans that will work there to restore the place to its former glory, or better. How does that sound, Winky?”
“Young Master wants Winky? Even if Winky is a disgraced elf? A bad, bad elf?”
“I don’t think you are a bad elf at all, Winky, and I would very much like you in my family. You have to stop drinking, though, and get a uniform like the one Kreacher has.”
Winky sat up from her little drunken heap of despair and looked from Harry to Kreacher in his three-piece uniform with jewellery, and back at Harry.
“You can either have one just like Kreacher’s with trousers, or you can have a different one with a skirt or a dress, or whatever suits you best, as long as it’s a uniform befitting a house elf of the House of Black,” Harry said in a mild voice and with kind eyes. “And even if I know Dobby is a special case, I have to ask if you want to get paid …”
“Nooo!” She wailed immediately. “Winky be bad elf, but not so bad! No!” She shook her head so her big ears flapped.
“Alright, then you will not get paid. You will just get orders to always dress correctly in uniform and to always take care of yourself and eat and sleep and rest properly. For the hard, dirty work I think you all should have another uniform, something that’s fine if it gets really dirty or even destroyed. Then, when you are working on easier and cleaner tasks, you can use your proper, nice uniform again. But all uniforms must fit you and be comfortable to wear and work in, no exceptions.” Harry looked intensely at Kreacher and Dobby, the elves that were bound to him or to House Black. Then he looked at Winky again. “Is this something that you would want?”
“Yes, young Master, Winky wants that very much.” She got to her feet and stood there swaying in front of Harry. As Harry already had bound Dobby, it took only a few moments for him to bind Winky to him too. The difference in the broken little elf was immediate. She stood straighter, her face became clean and her eyes clear. The little sundress and hat she was wearing became clean and crisp and it didn’t at all look like she had been drunk on the floor some minutes before.
“Welcome to the family, Winky,” Harry said with a smile. “So, what you need to begin with is general cleaning in the main part of Grimmauld Place. Just make it possible for people to move around and get to the different rooms and floors without getting covered in muck or choking on dust, or anything else. If any rooms are too dangerous for you to clean, just mark the door clearly and let it be for the Curse Breakers.
“Remove all portraits. Sirius said that there is both a Black portrait vault and a Black artefact vault and even a separate Black furniture vault. Put all the portraits in the correct vault. Everything that is destroyed beyond repair gets vanished, that includes wallpaper and carpets and such. Not anything that will risk the structure itself, of course. Repair what you can, but your chief task for now is to get the main part, I think Sirius called it the Keep, clean. This order, or any other order, does not supersede,” he looked at Severus who nodded at the correct use of the word, “your order to take care of yourself. That is the most important order, always. You are always to get enough food, rest and sleep. And you are never, ever to punish yourself, ever. If you think you have done something wrong, come to me and we will talk. No one is allowed to punish you!”
All three elves nodded, and all of them looked a little like they had died and gone to the Summerland. A Master that cared, that truly cared, was rare.
“Good, you are dismissed. Kreacher will show you where to begin.”
The elves disappeared with three separate pops and Harry sat looking at the place where they had been. Then he got up and stalked as fast as he could with his cane into his room and closed the door behind him. Severus could hear his muffled sobs, but waited for ten minutes before following.
The teenager was curled up on his bed, hiding his face in both the black dog plushie and the white owl plushie he had gotten from Tonks. Severus made sure to make noise while he walked over the floor before he carefully sat down on the side of the bed. Just as carefully he put a hand on Harry’s shoulder, feeling it shake with his sobs.
“Harry?”
Harry stretched out a hand and put it over Severus’ own. A sign that his presence was welcome, even if Harry wasn’t able to say it.
“Is there anything I can do? If you feel that restoring Grimmauld Place is too much work, you know that both Ted, Andromeda, Tonks and I will help you with your burden. So will Lupin and Black, I’m certain. You are not alone, even if it was a decision you made for yourself.”
Harry shook his head, sniffled and slowly turned his head to look at Severus with watery eyes.
“I have a home now,” he said in a hoarse whisper meeting Severus’ gaze. “A true home, for myself. I have a home that no one can throw me out of, where I can be safe, for the rest of my life. Sirius said that the Black wards are unparalleled. That I will be even safer there than at Hogwarts, and that I will hold the wards myself so I will know what’s going on in my home. I have a home! A big home, Severus, that I can invite my friends to or leave to visit my friends from, whenever I want to. A home, my own home, mine.” Tears ran down his cheeks. “Mine, and no one I don’t want there will be able to get in and no one can hurt me and …” He sobbed. “I have a home, my own home, where I will be safe.”
Severus gently gathered the boy into his arms. Harry went willingly and curled up in his lap.
“Yes, you have your own home now, and you will be safe there. I and everyone else who cares for you will make sure of it. You will be safe in your home, behind the famously vicious Black wards and so will everyone you invite to live there with you. And you will make it your home, exactly as you want it.”
Harry nodded even as he sobbed into Severus’ chest and Severus hugged him closer. Severus had known that Harry would never go back to the Dursleys, and he had hoped that Harry truly believed him when he said that. Now he suspected that it was easier to really believe for Harry when he knew where he was going, when he wasn’t going to the Dursleys. Having a destination, a true home, would make it easier to believe.
Harry Potter would never return to the Dursleys, he would move into Grimmauld Place, the Black Ancestral House, at the very first opportunity.