Chapter 005 Settling In

It's been a few days since Harry Potter began living in the Potter ancestral house. Well, calling it a modest house is a huge understatement because the place was huge! The inside was even more spacious.

'Definitely space magic' Harry mused.

It was a bit daunting getting from one place to another inside the palacious abode. Harry definitely was getting some much needed practice using Teleport. And good thing too.

On the first day Tilly the house elf introduced him to the other residents of the manor. Passing through the grounds Harry saw beautiful statues that waved at him, ornately carved fountains that spewed clear sparkling water, there were even some magical animals like the winged horse- an Abraxan, Tilly mentioned- he saw freely roaming. It was truly a beautifully preserved estate. They arrived at a grand hallway just inside the huge double doors. The floor was all white marble, polished to a shine. Crystal chandeliers hung high above his head. Numerous paintings of his people were hung on walls and all of them were moving! Tilly said all of them were paintings of Potters. The portraits were all craning their necks excitedly trying to get a glimpse at the new addition to the household. One of them was Charlus and Dorea Potter's .

"Dear! Dear, do you see him? He looks definitely like a Potter!"

"Charlie, dear. You don't have to shout. You might scare the poor lad. Dear, come closer so we can get a look at you. Yes, that's it. What's your name, love?" An elegant dark-haired woman, his grandmother, motioned him over to the left side of the wide hallway.

"My name is Harry James Potter, ma'am." Harry introduced himself politely after stopping a few steps from the portrait of the couple.

"Oh, you look just like our James did when he was younger! Oh, but not the nose and chin, I think. And those eyes! Definitely your mother, Lily's." The old witch exclaimed in delight at her grandson.

"Indeed, lad. Don't you think he has your face, Dorea, dear? It's definitely from your side of the Blacks. Oh, where are our manners have gone to. My name is Charlus Potter and this is my wife, Dorea Potter. We are your grandparents." The couple smiled softly down at him from their frame.

"It's nice to meet you both." Harry grinned. Happy that he was finally meeting his family, even if they're just portraits. Better than the Dursleys, he thought. "Wait…Black? Are you in anyway related to Sirius Black?"

"Oh yes, Sirius. Sigh. I'm his great-aunt. I'm really not too sure what happened to him. Too many rumours and speculations on what occurred that horrible night, you see. But one thing I'm sure of is that he would never have betrayed your family. Sirius and your father were practically siblings and he was, for all intents, one of our sons. Know this young Harry, something happened that night you survived and was the only one found left in the rubble of that cottage." Was grandmother Dorea's solemn words while Charlus reached to comfort his wife.

'Well, that doesn't sound ominous.' Harry thought dryly. After exchanging parting words with his grandparents' portraits and promising to speak with them from time to time , Harry and Tilly continued the tour of the manor. The place was really grand. He was beginning to get overwhelmed. Who would have thought that just this morning he woke up in his cupboard at the Dursleys' and was slaving away and starving only getting scraps. Life could really throw a curveball at you sometimes. Eventually they arrived at a tastefully decorated family room. There was a big fireplace across from the open doorway thaw was currently cold as it was still summer and wasn't needed. The wall was a nice shade of green and the huge floor carpet was a not quite white color. There were big couches surrounding a low coffee table comfortable enough to sleep on. He could see some loveseats dotted around close to the fireplace. He imagined this family room was decorated with numerous family members in mind and now he was the only one left. He smiled sadly.

Shaking off his depressing thoughts he noticed there were four house elves eagerly waiting for him lined on one side of the room. Approaching them Tilly excitedly introduced his elf companions all of them wearing the same white uniform as him.

"Master Harry, all of us elfses were eagerly waiting for a Potter to finally return! This one is Moppy, sir. Moppy is Tilly's mate."Tilly rushed over but carefully embraced a female elf proudly presenting her. Looking at her carefully Harry noted she looked a bit bloated at her mid-section.

"Moppy is being happy that young master has returned." A teary-eyed but happy Moppy daintily curtsied.

"It is nice to meet you Moppy." Harry smiled softly at the obviously heavily-pregnant elf. "I believe congratulations are in order. When are you expecting?"

"Oh! Moppy thanks young master! Little elfses will be here in a few weeks, young master." The soon-to-be mother exchanged a worried glance with her mate, Tilly. Tilly, however, only gave an encouraging nod at her and smiled that it was okay.

"Young master, it mights be presumptuous of Moppy but Moppy be hoping that the little babies can stay when they are born?" Moppy and the other house elves desperately and hopefully looked at him.

"What do you mean, Moppy? Of course they can! Where else would they be?" Harry was confused and looked at Tilly for an explanation. Tilly sadly smiled at him.

"Tilly and Moppy be hearing rumours from other elfses, Master Harry, that house elf babies be being sold to a respectable Pureblooded Wizarding family as soon as they are being born. Tilly and Moppy be worried that as soon as the little elfses are being born that Moppy will be having to give the little elfses away." At that point Moppy couldn't help it any longer and burst into great heaving sobs at the thought of giving her babies away. Tilly and the others tried to comfort the clearly upset mother-to-be.

Harry was horrified. Is this how wizards treated other magical beings? Like a breeding mare? A flash of anger suddenly ignited inside him. How dare they? Harry could certainly imagine a life of servitude these house elves are being subjected to. A life where all they do is live under the mercy of a master. He was probably perhaps one of the few people in the world who perfectly understood these creatures. One, as Harry Potter the malnourished boy who lived under the stairs cupboard breaking his back to do all the house chores for his relatives, only getting food scraps for all his troubles, and then promptly shoved again in his 'room' starving, until the next day when he would be doing it all over again. All the while his relatives enjoyed the lavish feasts he cooked for them everyday. And two, as Mewtwo. A unique Pokemon bred for battle. In the deep repository of memories Mewtwo had he clearly remebered that the creatures called Pokemon in that world were most often than not treat the same as Mewtwo, as fighting dogs, obeying the order of their 'trainer'. Some rare pokemon were also captured if they are rare and powerful enough and were put through a breeding program to sell their Eggs to the greedy and rich. He couldn't help but compare these Wizards Tilly mentioned to greedy Pokemon Trainers. Not under his watch!

Harry didn't notice he closed his eyes in sheer upset and anger and when he opened them Moppy was no loner crying if a bit teary-eyed and all of the elves were looking around in wonder. Harry directed his focus on his surroundings and was only mildly surprised that the couches and tables and various things in the room were lazily floating about.

"Ahem. Sorry about that." Harry smiled a tad embarrassed at his Telekinesis acting up. With a simple gesture of his hand all the furniture and things were put back in their proper places. He scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled. "Sometimes that happens when I feel strongly about something. Don't worry I'm not upset at any of you. I was just really angry that magical beings such as house elves are treated in such a way by wizards."

Harry gently approached the still gaping elves and carefully laid a hand on Moppy's shoulder in assurance and looked at each and every elf squarely in the eyes. "From this day on, everyone under my care I will protect to the best I can. If anyone dares take your babies away from you or hurt any one of you they will have to answer to me. This I promise you."

"Thank you! Thank you, Master Harry!" Impossibly, the elves' awe and adoration for him rose to the greatest heights. Harry was a little uncomfortable with the attention he was getting. He really wasn't used yet to having people show him their gratitude.

"Harry Potter is the greatest wizard in the world!" One of the elves shouted. He was young. Younger than Tilly. Harry chuckled.

"You're welcome but I think introductions are not yet done?" He grinned at the juvenile elf. The elf grinned back unrepentantly.

"Loki! You should be respecting the young master!" The last elf finally spoke. One hand on her hips and her fist in front of Loki's face wagging her finger exactly like a mother would reprimand a misbehaving child. She was an old one. If Harry could describe her he would probably tell you she looked matronly.

"Loki is sorry, young master." The now named Loki the elf apologised sheepishly. Harry only chuckled.

"It's alright. I don't mind. And you are?" He directed his attention in the motherly elf.

"This one is called Shelley, Young Master. I am in charge of assigning tasks to all the Potter elves." The old elf was surprisingly eloquent.

"Well, It is nice to meet all of you and please call me Harry. I hope we all get along. But I really am tired. Could one of you show me to a bed?" He was glad to have met these wonderful little people but he wasn't jesting. It has been a long day full of surprises and emotional highs and lows. He was ready to plonk into a bed.

"Don't think we don't remember, young master. It is your birthday today! Tomorrow we will properly celebrate." There was a determined look on Shelly's face one that brooked no argument.

"…Oh, alright. We'll celebrate tomorrow." He smiled weakly.

"Ohh, it is be a grand celebration, just you wait young master!" Loki clapped excitedly. How can he have so much energy? He just nodded tiredly at the exuberant elf.

"Tilly is showing Master Harry to the master bedroom." The elf must have notice he was really tired and gestured for him to follow. Harry waved at the other elves and bid them good night which they respectfully returned.

The master bedroom was located at the end of a corridor with several bedrooms next to it after a but if a walk and a flight of stairs. Tilly said that his was the family wing and the Potters usually liked their immediate family close to each other.

After a nice soak in the large tub in the bathroom suite Harry finally sighed in relief under the big canopied bed. This was probably the biggest bed he's ever seen to date. It could comfortably bed several people with room to spare. Tilly had to resize a set of sleep clothes for him as they were adult-sized. After Tilly bid him goodnight and dimmed the lighting crystals to soft glow he pulled the soft comforter under his chin and thought of all the things that happened to him so far. Throughout the day he thought something had to go wrong at some point and he would be back at the Dursleys. He couldn't really be blamed, he thought, as everything happened just within a single day. He just wanted to investigate what happened to his parents and somehow if there was a way that he could separate himself from his nasty relatives. The first one was a bust. He didn't really find anything of worth about what happened to his parents from the goblin bank and even from his grandparents' portraits. He would have to do some more digging. As for the second objective, looking into his inheritance which frankly was too much and was still in a daze that all of it was his and his alone. He had more money than what he could think to spend on, a beautiful house that was waiting to be explored, he most importantly he had family! Even if they consisted portraits and some elves at the moment. Hopefully his little family of misfits would grow in the future. He came from a long line of magicals that existed centuries before he was even born. He was a wizard! Finally, Harry thought, my life is finally starting. With that thought he finally went to sleep.