Creature Comforts (h.p.)

6

Meqik had lowered the apparition ward for a few moments to allow Harry and poppy leave to the Dursley's. Harry now looked like his former self and there were charms masking his newly strengthened magic. When they arrived in the front room with a pop, Dudley – who had been watching the tv they were in the way of – dropped his plate of food, the contents splattering on the floor. Petunia rushed in at the noise to clear away the mess, only to let out a shriek as she saw the two robed individuals in her living room.

"Boy, what are you doing here? And what have you done to my Vernon?" She all but screamed, her shrill voice making madam Pomfrey wince.

"His name, woman, is Harry. And your fat lump of a husband is... under containment for his crimes. Now, if you'll excuse us-" Petunia squeaked and jumped out of their way, scared to get too close. Harry was more than comfortable with this arrangement. He led the healer up the stairs to his room, where Hedwig was, he realised with a jolt. The bird hooted with relief and anger, that Harry had escaped the brutal punishment and that harry'd had the audacity to leave her in this hellhole. He busted the lock Petunia had put on the cage in his absence and let the bird flutter to his shoulder. She nipped his earlobe affectionately.

Gathering the minimal belongings that were in the room, he explained that most of his possessions were locked in the cupboard under the stairs. To his dismay, they'd managed to confiscate his wand this summer, too. Poppy was disgusted to hear this. They retrieved these items and packed it all into his trunk. When they were finally set to go, Petunia confronted them.

"On what grounds do you remove this boy from this household?" her voice had a surprisingly confident edge, Harry thought, and looking into her eyes which were clouded over, he realised that she was being controlled remotely. Dumbledore was trying to work out what he knew. Madam Pomfrey responded.

"I have seen that Harry has been abused, as have the ministry and the goblins of gringotts. On that evidence, this home is deemed unsuitable for the boy to remain, and he is being brought to different accommodation." At that, she turned on her heel briskly and they disapparated. With the key he'd collected and the address given to him by Meqik, Harry flooed to potter manor.

The place was rather wonderful, Harry thought; modest but grand at the same time. the entryway was a nice, wallpapered hall with a conical lampshade hanging from the ceiling. The whole home was light and decorated with natural light taken into account. While the place was big, the bulk of the rooms consisted of spare bedrooms with personal ensuites attached. The biggest and gaudiest room by far was the vast ballroom, but it wouldn't be getting much use while Harry stayed there. He wandered the vaguely dusty halls, going from room to room and looking in each one. It took a good while.

At one point, he came across his late father's childhood room. He should have anticipated it, really. But he was completely unprepared. The walls were a shocking Gryffindor red and a Gryffindor quidditch team logo was emblazoned on the wall to his right. On the windowsill sat a very dead plant, so old and crumbled that he could not identify what it had once been. The bed matched the walls, the bedsheets a deep red. There were posters and pictures taped messily to the wall above the bed, some of quidditch teams and wizard bands, and some of the marauders. There was one that caught his eye in particular.

On the wall pasted over everything else was an a5 glossy photo of the marauders and Lily in their sixth year, his father's arms wrapped around his mother's shoulders. He watched as the photo James waved to him, and placed a cheeky kiss on Lily's temple. The girl shook her head, her shocking hair rippling magnificently, and she punched him in the arm. James winced and cradled his arm, looking highly offended at Lily, who scoffed. James's face broke into a wide grin and he embraced her once more. Lily's eyes were full of joy as she beamed out at Harry. Slightly further back in the image, he watched Remus and Sirius bickering over a textbook. Sirius kept pushing it down so that Remus would pay attention to him, and Remus would reply and go back to his book. On the other side of the frame stood a tense Peter Pettigrew. If any of the others looked over he would plaster on a carefree grin, but when they paid him no mind his face filled with sorrow and regret, glancing to his friends forlornly.