Harry Potter the Power Unknown By Priya Ashok

Chapter 7

It was after midnight as the four of them knocked on the door. It was opened a minute later by an old elf who peered at all of them before its eyes came to rest on Harry's face.

The elf's eyes widened with shock and surprise and turned to delight as it looked at him and look at the others once more.

"How are you Celly?" asked Sirius gently.

"Oh, it is Master Sirius. Have they found out you are innocent after all?" it cried.

Sirius was shocked. "You knew I was innocent, Celly?" he asked.

"Of course, Master Sirius. Mistress Lily had told all of us Peter was the secret keeper and if you and master Remus come to the castle we have to welcome you."

All of them were dumbfounded as they thought to the lengths Lily had gone to protect all of them, if they were alive after nine years and were willing to help Harry.

As Sirius let Harry down he was fiercely hugged by about Celly and then by twenty elves who had popped up from everywhere. Harry was overwhelmed and very scared as he looked at these strange creatures that came from nowhere and everywhere and fell on him ecstatically.

Snape saw the fear expressed in Harry's face and he knelt down and pulled Harry from the exited and squealing elves that were expressing their happiness rather tearfully about a Potter coming back to the castle after nine years.

Snape then told the elves Harry had been raised as a muggle and he was not aware of the magical world. He then softly told the elves to take them to their rooms and Harry to the Master bedroom.

Harry listening to all this was overcome by many emotions. What was Sirius innocent of and why did the elves, gosh! What strange looking things. So scary really! What had happened to his Mummy and Daddy? Why were the elves crying about his grandparents?

Snape held Harry's hand tightly and all four of them went through the hallway and up the stairs and were taken first to the Master bedroom. Harry looked around in wonder. God! It was huge. It was bigger than the whole of No. 4, Privet Drive. It had a bed that was twenty times as big as his camp bed and there was a book shelf in one corner, a dressing table in another and a sitting room as well.

There were two doors set on the right hand side of the room and Harry suddenly did not want to be alone. He looked pleadingly at Snape whose hand he was still holding and hesitated not knowing how to put it into words and very embarrassed about expressing his fear.

It had been too much to take in all at once and Harry's primary thought had been to get away from the Dursleys and these people had been friends of his parents, were a bonus.

He was tired of, now he understood; doing magic and being punished for it by being locked inside his cupboard for days together and when he had seen these strangely dressed men he had gone with them, knowing no one could be worse than the Dursleys.

But to own a wand, jump from place to place and realize, after not owning even a plastic spoon, now he was the owner of a castle and had three costly rings that glowed and vanished when he put them on, was a bit too much to take in all at once. The elves had been the last straw and Harry was understandably confused, scared and not wanting to be alone.

Snape felt an emotion that he did not recognize as he looked down at the frightened face that was pleading with him. It was affection and he felt his heart tug at him as he looked into the small face and he smiled. He just could not help it. He smiled again.