The Shadows Solace Book I: The Growing Years Prequel

Chapter VIII: Baby Steps

Within a matter of several days, the reporter had been chosen from the many media businesses that had been at Potter Manor for the original press conference. Unsurprisingly, it had been the young woman who had asked of Petunia for the copy of the letter. Her name was Nyla Forester, a former Slytherin in a family of Ravenclaws, and one who had gone mostly under the radar compared to her older brother and sister.

Half-blood and averagely powerful; she was eager to prove herself in her new contract, and she hadn't even batted an eyelash when told of Rita's involvement; only smirked to the woman with the knowledge she would get to oversee her and her work.

Both women had already begun the work for the first article; mostly detailing the work that had been done to the old mansion to update it to be fit for habitation, and showing off the new home as it was in its restored glory; though Petunia smirked as she remembered one part of the piece she knew some would find discomforting.

Adriana and she; they had originally arranged with Narcissa, to have Harry's nursery decorated in red and gold for Gryffindor; tastefully done and not like what Narcissa described as the mess of the Gryffindor common room to Hogwarts.

That color scheme hadn't lasted more than a few days at best; they didn't know if the colors had bothered Harry, or if it was something entirely else. Tom had also swore that he hadn't had anything to do with the change...though the man was laughing at them for the expressions they wore to seeing the changes that had occurred in so little time. He was and very much had been trying to contain his laughter to their confounded faces to the abrupt switch.

Where everything had been colored scarlet or golden in places around the room with the off-white walls and cream-toned carpet; now it was a very deep and elegant emerald green or purest silver with bits of black and white in places. The walls were now a pure white tone in hue and the carpet had morphed to a very pale-grey hue in coloring. Even the one large metal decorative lion mounted to the wall that had been gold...now it was pure silver.

Adriana then bowed her head and shook with laughter as Petunia eyed her. She formed a humorous smile to her lips, "It's becoming clear to me that our little Lion Prince might be a Snake in disguise. I am betting gold that Harry is a Slytherin when he goes to Hogwarts. If James had been alive to see this; he would have fainted and then tried to spell the room back to normal. Gryffindor Pride, I suppose. Lily would have simply given him a devilish smirk, and then outright refused to turn the nursery back to its original state.

She had friends in all the houses; Slytherin too, to an extent, so she would have found this whole situation hilarious."

They both had decided to leave the changed nursery as it was; finding the iconic lion colored silver to be as amusing as it was disconcerting. They figured that those who read the newspaper would either find it amusing as they did, or gasp in horror as they cried sacrilege to see the Gryffindor Lion colored silver instead of gold. Also, they did not want to antagonize Harry in changing it back and forcing the child to overuse his magic to return it again to how he made into before.

Petunia had only smiled to that and nodded her head; glad to have had photos of the original room done before this; as apparently, Harry was used to getting his way, and if he didn't...he chose to do something about it.

--

Rita was walking herself to the living room to meet with the Lady Dursley; she had the first article draft for her to look at and needed her opinion on it. As she walked past the nursery, Harry made a very happy sounding squeal, and then her ears pricked to the sound of a male voice.

She found it odd to hear another unfamiliar man's voice; Vernon was the only adult male here and this voice was too deep and too rich toned or sounding to have been his. Petunia hadn't mentioned that she had allowed any others to be allowed near the little heir either; not that she was saying that Petunia trusted her enough to tell her all the details.