His grandparents looked worried by his pause before he was finally able to answer them. It was hard but he did it. He decided to tell his grandparents everything, after all, what's one more time telling people stuff he never wanted to tell anyone. About his parents death, Sirius's imprisonment, a bit about his life at the Dursleys, his years at Hogwarts, Sirius's death, the blood-adoption, the Prophecy and what the goblins told him about the Horcruxes and his three Lordships.
He told them about Augusta Longbottom, Amelia Bones and Andromeda Tonks and the allies and family he found in them. By the time he was done with his life story, Effy had come to bring him a drink twice and it was almost lunch time.
Harry really hoped that this was the last time he had to talk so much about himself. It was not a thing he liked to do but this were his grandparents and he owned them something. He just didn't like talking about all this stuff. It never helped before to talk about his life at the Dursleys or ask for help so it was still so strange for him to do it and it actually helping.
His grandparents were horrified at the way his life had gone but were relieved to hear that at least he had some help now. Harry wished they were still alive so that he could actually touch them but the portrait was still better than the nothing he had before. Portraits were cruel yet lovely things. Like the Wizarding World itself, really. Magic had the chance to be beautiful yet it seemed that human nature just ruined it in most cases.
Goblins seemed to treat magic with respect, House-Elves too if given the freedom to do so but humans treated magic like a tool.
Just like they treated the magical creatures, certain banned branches of magic, and how they all treated their own magic. It like they just all took it for granted. Harry never knew how beautiful it could be before this summer. He had learned so much from the books Sirius had left him and from what Gran and Amelia taught him.
Harry promised his grandparents that he would come back soon but that he had to go to Longbottom Manor now for his lessons. Both Fleamont and Euphemia had known Augusta Longbottom in live and knew she wasn't a woman to keep waiting. They understood the importance of his lessons in Wizarding Culture and combat and wished him luck.
Thay asked to be put to sleep again until Harry could come back to Potter Manor. Harry agreed and soon they were sleeping again. This time they fell asleep with his grandfather holding the hand of his grandmother. He would come back to them as soon as possible. He wanted to take them with him but that wasn't possible. This was a Potter portrait. It couldn't be taken to a Black house.
Harry asked Effy to take him back to Black Manor since he hoped that either Dobby or Kreacher had picked up the letter from Andromeda with her choice. Effy was a bit sad that he would be going so soon but cheered up when he promised to visit everyday. She was such a nice little Elf that Harry was kinda sad to let her go back to Potter Manor all alone. He did give her permission to visit all his properties and Kreacher, Dobby and Winky too.
Honestly, after seeing the Potter Manor Harry really wanted to live there. It was so much more his kind of place than Black Manor could ever be. Hopefully, Kreacher wouldn't be to mad since Tonks was living there and maybe Andromeda and Ted too soon. Potter Manor just felt like it was made for Harry to live there.
Harry popped with Effy, who immediately went back to Potter Manor, back into the living room and was glad to see a few letters waiting for him on the side table. One was from Hermione and Harry was glad when the wards told him that Othello was back with Hedwig. She needed all the help she could get with her three owlets. Who he still needed to name.
But he might have a plan for that. It bore some more thinking but maybe, maybe it could be something.
Another letter was from Gringotts and the last one was from Andromeda. Harry opended that one first.
Dear Harry,
My husband and I have talked about it and we are glad to inform you that we will be accepting your invitation. If you agree, then we will be ready to move to the agreed location later this afternoon. We will see you after your lessons.
Sincerely,
Andromeda
Yes! Harry was relieved that they agreed to move to his place. He really didn't want them to be attacked by Death Eaters and die when he could have offered them a safe place to live. Kreacher would be happy to have even more people to care for in Black Manor. One of them was even a born Black who Kreacher knew from his 'glory days'.
Then he grabbed the letter from Gringotts and opened it.
Lord Black,
We of Gringotts are glad to inform you that the Will of the late James and Lily Potter of the Ancient House of Potter has officially been opened. Do you, as the main benifactorary and Heir, want a public reading of the Will or would you rather have a small copy sent to those who were left something by the late James and Lily Potter?
We have, at your request, made a Trust Vault for Andromeda Tonks nee Black with the dowry she should have recieved had she not been disowned before her marriage. We also made the Trust Vault for a Nymphadora Libra Tonks and her unborn child as you requested.
Sincerely,
Grudgehammer
Assistant Account Manager
Harry was glad to read he had the option to sent everyone a small copy of the Will. He really didn't want to see Remus or Dumbledore right now and he was pretty sure that they would be mentioned and thus invited to his parents Will reading. Could you imagine? He spent all this time in hiding himself and then he would be caught because of the Will reading of his parents. No, he would not risk it. Private Will reading it is.
So that is what he'd write in his reply to the goblin Grudgehammer. He wondered who that was but he was sure that he'd meet him or her soon since they were in charge of the Potter Will. He quickly wrote the letter and put in in an envelope with his wax seal.
Then it was just the letter from Hermione left in which she just cooed over the pictures of the owl chicks he had sent her. He didn't know why she thought they were cute but she also thought that about Crookshanks. Harry supposed it was just a matter of taste. Still weird that she finds newborn baby birds cute through. He was glad that she missed his enough that after such a short time that she'd write him already. It gave him hope.
He liked writing to her anyway. It was an easy way for Harry to talk to her and she seemed to like it too even if they saw each other almost every day now.
But there was one thing that Hermione said in her letter that was something Harry hadn't thought about before and it made him feel very stupid. Hermione had asked him why he wasn't writing to other people like those in the DA.
Harry slapped his forehead. He was so used to not being able to communicate much with the Wizarding World or even having other people to write to that he completely forgot that he could now that he wasn't living with the Dursleys!
Since he had been planning to write a letter for Ron anyway he could now write a few more to Dean, Fred, George, Luna and a few other from the DA. He also should write a letter for Hannah to offer her his condolences for the death of her mother.
Hopefully Othello could deliver them for him. Harry would answer the letter Hermione sent him in person later today. She would come back to Longbottom manor again today and he hoped she had a nice day at the museum with her parents yesterday.
So first he wrote the letter for Ron.
Hi Ron,
How is your summer going? Mine has been great! I have left the Dursley's for a safer and much better place that Sirius made for me before everything happened. Sorry that I can't come to the Burrow this year. It is safer if I stay where I am. I hope you understand.
Have the Chudley Cannons played well this summer?
Say hi to your parents and siblings for me?
Sincerely,
Harry Potter
It wasn't exacly a very deep letter but Harry was happy with it. Ron was still his friend and he wanted to keep in contact with him even if they weren't as close as before. Now the letter for Fred and George.
Dear Fred and George,
You guys probably heard that I played a kinda big prank on Dumbledore and the Order and left my relatives house without telling everyone. Guys, let me tell you, BEST DECISION EVER! Padfood left me a safe-house in which I now live and it's great.
I found some stuff in here that I think you guys might like. Would you be interested in becoming a true Maraunder? Say yes and I will sent you the leaves you will need. Just keep it a secret. No one other than us should know.
Also, Padfoot asked me to play a prank in his honour. Any interest in helping me? I had a few ideas myself but I could use some help fine tuning it.
Sincerely,
Harry
It was probably telling that he wrote more and more honestly in the letter to Fred and George than in the letter he'd sent to Ron. He just wasn't as close to Ron as he was before his fourth year at Hogwarts but that didn't mean he wanted to cut him out of his life completely. They were still friends.
Fred and George however, had become close to him since they were part of the DA. Thay had always looked out for him as if Harry was another little brother, but now they were also truly friends. Harry knew that there was no way that Fred and George would stay out of the war not only with their surname but also with how they were. They would fight and Harry wanted to give them an edge.
He'd also ask Luna if she wanted to become an Animagus with them too. The strange girl had been a big help in the battle of the Ministry and they had gotten a lot closer over the last year. She had become a dear friend to him.
Hi Luna,
How are you doing? Did you have a nice summer? Have you found anything new on the trip with your father?
I have left my relatives house and I'm much happier where I am now. I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me and a few others? If you agree, I can sent you the Mandrake Leaf you will need of it with some instructions.
See you on the train on September the 1st!
Sincerely,
Harry
Now he just had to write a letter for a girl he didn't know very well who had just lost her mother. Well, he did know some things about grief.
Hi Hannah,
How are you doing? My condolences on the death of your mother. Is there anything I or any member of the DA can do for you?
Wishing you and your family wel,
Harry James Potter
He hoped it was alright. It was the first time he had to write a condolences letter and he hoped it woudn't make things worse for Hannah in anyway. She was a kind girl and Susans best friend and he did not want to upset her more than she already is.
The letter for Dean and Seamus were just about the same as the one he wrote for Ron just with some different subjects and the ones for the members of the DA were identical since he just copied the letters. He had decided that he would ask the members if they wanted to continue the lessons after the Summer ended. And so he wrote,
Dear member of the DA,
How is your summer going? Since it is now in the open that Voldemort has returned I wanted to ask the members of the DA if they wanted to continue the lessons as school starts again. Only this time as a legal school club.
If you want to start with the lessons again please notify me with your answer as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Harry put all the letters in an envelope and went to the owlery to find Othello. On the stairs he met with Tonks who looked like she had been working out and just back from a shower. She looked energised and a bit more like the Tonks he was used to.
Tonks greeted him with her usual, "Wotcher, Harry!" As she ruffled his hair on the way down. While Harry tried to smooth his hair down again he explained to Tonks what her mother said in her letter and asked if she wanted to go with him to Longbottom Manor.
Amelia would be there too and then they could have a talk about Tonks her job as an Auror now that she was pregnant. Tonks agreed and Harry walked further up the stairs so he could go to the owlery. Tonks went downstairs so she could sit in the living room with her book about werewolves.
When Harry came into the owlery he could hear both adult owls cooing at their owlets and Harry had to smile at the sound. He was glad that both owls seemed to be good parents. Not that he truly expected anything different with Hedwig. She loved mothering him. If she could have fed him mice like she did her chicks she'd have done so. Hedwig had known he didn't get enough food at the Dursleys.
When he walked into view of the nook where Hedwig had built her nest he could see both owls standing at the edge of the nest cooing down at the chicks. They made such a sweet picture together that Harry had to smile.
The chicks had grown a bit since their birth and Harry was surprised with how quick they seemed to have grown. Did magical owls grow up quicker than muggle ones? The owlets were still small but there was a small layer of fluffy feathers covering them now. It made them a lot cuter than the featherless chicks they had been at their birth.
Two of the owlets were a fluffy light grey and seemed to take a bit more after their mother than their father for what Harry could tell. The last owlet was a brown-ish grey fluff covered owlet and he or she seemed to take more after their father.
Harry greeted both owls and patted the chicks softly on their heads with one finger. They squeaked at him and Harry laughed softly. They were cute little things.
Harry asked Othello if he wanted to deliver the stack of letters for him since Hedwig couldn't leave her nest just yet. Othello agreed and let him tie the letters to his leg. Then Othello hooted at his chicks, rubbed his head against Hedwigs and flew away through one of the windows of the owlery.
Harry turned back to his first friend and said, "You know what, Hedwig? I think you picked a good one. He treats you well, right?" While he scratched Hedwig under her chin. Sue him, he just wanted to make sure that his owl was happy, alright?
Hedwig looked at him like if she could have rolled her eyes, she would have and Harry laughed. So he let this topic go and started telling her about Effy and Potter Manor and how lovely it looked.
After talking to her for a while Harry said goodbye again and cast another warming charm for the owlets and Hedwig. He also promised Hedwig to ask Kreacher to give her some bacon after breakfast since she missed her usual piece of bacon now she didn't deliver his letters anymore.
He went downstairs to find Tonks reading with a great concentration the werewolf book. He hoped that she would find something but he didn't have much hope. But he still asked her, "Did you find anything, Tonks?"
Tonks startled and looked up to Harry and said a bit morosely, "No, I can't find anything about what fits with Remus behavior. There are more books that I haven't read yet so hopefully I will find something in there. But I'm getting kinda afraid that the problem is just with Remus."
Tonks continued with, "What will I tell my baby if their father never gets better?" Shaking her head she put the book away and stood up, "But never mind that, is it time for us to go already?"
Harry nodded and called for Dobby to ask him if he still wanted to take them to Longbottom Manor now that Tessy had accepted another Elf as her partner. But Dobby seemed to be mostly over it already and Harry wondered if a certain Elf called Effy had anything to do with that. Harry was happy for him if that was the case. Effy seemed like a wonderful friend for Dobby if nothing else.
Dobby took both their hands and popped them over to the Longbottoms. They were just in time for lunch and and after it would be time for the lessons with Amelia. She had promised them to teach them how to cast spell chains. It sounded very handy to know in a battle and Harry couldn't wait. Hermione would be able to come to again today so they would all be learning it together.
Today Harry had been given a break from lessons with Gran since he had gone to Potter Manor this morning. He was glad, Harry felt a bit exhausted after that talk with his grandparents. Not physically but mentally exhausted. After lunch Tonks went to speak with Amelia for a private chat. A little while later she came back looking happy and she told Harry she'd get light duty for the time she was pregnant and for some time after the baby was born and still breastfeeding him or her.
Harry pulled a bit of a face with the last one and Tonks laughed at him for it.
Since the breastfeeding bit was a bit much for the teenage boy, Harry was glad when Amelia called him and the other two over to go to the training room and start their lesson. Still, he was happy for his cousin. As Harry was quickly walking away he could still hear Tonks laughing behind him.
When Harry, Neville and Susan arrived in the training room, Amelia and Hermione were already waiting for them. Hermione came to stand next to him so the four of them were standing in front of Amelia. She was standing so close they were almost touching hands. He could smell her shampoo, vanilla and something that smelled like Harry imagined the sea would smell like. Harry didn't dare move in case she would make a bigger distance between them.
Clearing her throat, Amelia looked serious when she told them what they would learn today other than the promised spell chains.
Today she would teach them how to apparate.