Chapter 32: Potter Mansion
Come on I know we can do it, I have the six chapters prepared to release this week instead of the usual 3 so please let's do it, two more Patreons and we will be reaching the goal let's end this month with a bang.
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"Well, she seemed nice," Harry voiced as they walked out of the tower side by side.
"You really think so?" Sirius asked with a chuckle.
"I guess she is a bit a touch and go when it comes to connecting to people on a personal level. But other than that, not so bad," Harry said as he thought of her lovely figure, not so bad indeed. "She is steadfast and reliable so that is what counts in the end."
"Ha, now that is the underestimate of the year," the wizard mused out loud.
"So what was all that about you chasing after her?" Harry asked as he had a wide grin on his lips.
Sighing the animagus answered begrudgingly, "I was young and foolish, so let's just leave it at that."
"You mean you were young and rejected, huh?" Harry quizzed as he elbowed him in the ribs.
"Yes," Sirius answered as he tried his best to give him a stern look, but epically failed since Harry just continued on.
"And here I thought that you were Sirius Black the great playboy who could get any women he wanted," he uttered, painting the same picture that he has been the whole summer.
"Well," Sirius stated "let this be a lesson for you. You can not catch them all."
"Are you just saying that to cover up your deficiencies?" Harry asked with a snort.
"No, no," Sirus said as he held out his finger. Then thinking better of it, he took a deep breath and uttered, "You know what I will not let myself fall for your tricks."
"What tricks?" Harry asked innocently while trying to hold back his laughter.
"Mmm," Sirus said as he looked like he was trying his best to hold himself back as he closed and open his hands. "Don't test me."
"What?" Harry said as he still played the innocent card. "I just thought you were the best there was when it came to women. You know?!"
"Oh, you had this coming, pup, don't blame me," Sirius said as he put his head in a headlock and started to give him a rubdown.
"Okay, okay," Harry said through fits of laughter, "mercy, mercy. I give up!"
Pausing Sirius looked him right in the eyes and announced, "No, you do not look like you are sorry. I think I will just carry on."
"Alright, I promise," Harry said in between chuckles, "that I will show you the proper amount of respect that you deserve."
Letting him go, the older wizard gazed up at him and asked, "see was that so hard now?"
"Yep," Harry answered, "since you deserve none at all."
"Ow, you come back here. This time you shall get no mercy from me," the animagus shouted as he chased after the younger wizard.
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"So," Harry said as he continued his conversation where they left it at. Right now they were in North London where the nice, and affluent neighborhoods resided in. They were making their way over to the Potter Mansion to crash there for the night as the hour was getting very late and they wouldn't be able to visit the remaining properties for the rest of the day.
"Whu.t do u thk f our res-dant mad sci si?" Harry asked through a mouth full of meatballs. SInce they really did not have anything to eat all day except for some snacks and tea that they have been offered along their way, Sirius decided to stop by a food cart and pick some meatball subs for the both of them.
Even if the sandwich was nothing compared to the fine cuisine he has been getting used to thanks to Kreacher, this still tasted like a small piece of heaven. Or maybe it was how hungry he was. Who fucking knew checking up on some properties would work up an appetite.
"Chew and swallow before you speak up," Sirius prompted with a raised eyebrow. "Did I not teach you any better?" he wondered out loud.
Rolling his eyes, Harry could see he was not doing any better when it came to the decorum department as he could see some of the cause dripping down his chin.
"I said what do you make of our resident mad scientist? You know him right?" Harry reiterated once he swallowed his food down.
"Scientist?" Sirius asked as he repeated the word, "is it those muggles who tell the other muggles what to do?"
Staring at him dumbfounded, Harry actually wondered for a moment does he take this stuff right out of his ass. "No, scientists are the same as Livia and Mr. Frankie."
"No, no, no, these muggle scientists and magical researchers are not the same thing. They are totally two separate things that do not fit together."
"Well its potato, potahto to me," Harry said with a shrug.
"Fine," Sirius said seemingly giving up on him. "To answer your question, not really. I came to your family's tower with your father a couple of times and only got to know Livia."
"Well isn't he a bit mad?" Harry asked. He wasn't really too sure that he wanted a man with a screw loose inside of his head leading his family's wizarding tower even if his daughter was making sure to chaperone him.
"First of all to be honest Frankie Newman is a very well respected magical researcher in many circles. His papers on magic inductors was instrumental in magic engines, he also found the Sight Rot thanks to his study on Myconid, plus his magic softening pads revolutionize the Quidditch industry and made all dangerous and deadly falls a breeze."
"You seem to be a fan," Harry voiced with a chuckle.
"No, all I am saying is he might be a little touched but he is a genius so he is an asset to keep."
"Mhm," Harry mused, "then how come he never left? There was nothing there at the tower of years and he still stayed, he could have easy found patronage at another tower."
"I am sure you could have, and I am also sure that many wizarding families extended a hand out to him. However, it all goes back to this mysterious favor he owed your grandfather."
"Well if you say I should keep him, then I should do as you say," Harry nodded his head.
"Good," Sirius said, "and you can find comfort in the fact that most powerful wizards and witches are wither a bit mad or eccentric."
"Really?" Harry asked as he perked up. "I just thought that was all Dumbledore and Voldermort," he said as he mentioned the old flake and the evil psychopath.
"No," Sirius said with a shake of his head, "you will soon find out that all wizards and witches who have a bit too much magic in them fall into those two categories."
"Dang," Harry said, it seems like he just discovered why the wizarding world was so fucked up. It was wackjobs and loonies that were lead everyone down a dark, twisted path! No wonder there isn't an ounce of common sense in this world.
When your leaders were off their rockers, who was there to lead everyone to a brighter future?!
"Looks like we are here," Sirius said as they came to a stop before a large black gate. The barrier seem to stretch on for miles on end, containing the whole property and locking it down from anyone getting in.
Activating his Magic Sight which has become much easier to do thanks to all the practice he put in, Harry no longer had to go into a meditation state to use it now.
Now all that is requires is just a thought from him, and it comes on. Plus he found that his eyes have a very cool glow when he activates it making his eyes look like a shining neon sign.
Looking around the perimeter, Harry saw the glow of countless wards protecting the place like a forcefield shield. There was no way they were getting in here without express permission.
Curiously following behind Sirus, Harry wondered where he was going until they reached a guardhouse and two large closed off gates. Walking up to the guardhouse, they came to the window where a heavyset man sat dozing off.
Not giving the man any chance, Sirius banged against the window which immediately got the man awake. However his startlement also had the effect of dropping him on the ass as he looked around groggily.
"Wh- what's going on?" the man asked to no one in particular but himself as he got up from the floor. "Are there any intruders?!"
"Calm down, Jimmy, it is just me," Sirius said as this time he slowly knocked on the window to get his attention.
Turning to look at him the man's eyes immediately widened and his mouth hanged open, then only anger took over. "You," he shouted as he came out of his guardhouse with a baton in hand.
"How dare you show your face here," the man who Harry assumed was the guard for the mansion said. Coming out of the pen, the man looked ready to charge, but he came to a stop right before Sirius as if he was having a showdown.
"If you think you can waltz in here then you have something else coming for you. I, Jimmy Falcone will never let you get away with your villainy."
Doing a double-take, Harry looked at the man and wondered if he thought that they were in a movie.
Still contouring with his monologue, the guard carried on, "After Lord and Lady Potter treated you so well, raised you like their own son, and gave you everything you could have wanted. You berayed them, and not just them but your best friend and our future Lord."
"Jimmy," Sirius said as he tried to calm the man down.
"DON'T Jimmy me," the guard shouted. "You have no right to call me by my name traitor. I shall defeat you right here and now, and see to it that you get sent back to Azkaban where you belong with your wretched, evil friends."
"Jimmy, I can explain," Sirius said as he held out his hands. "Please."
"I said d.o n.o.t c.a.l.l m.e b.y m.y n.a.m.e, t.r.a.i.t.o.r!"
"Okay, okay," Harry said as he stepped up in between both men. "Everyone calm your horses."
"Aaa, you vile criminal," the man exclaimed as he pointed his finger at Sirius. "You knew you couldn't defeat me one on one, so you brought a child into all this. You knew you couldn't defeat me."
"Okay," Harry said, "first of all I am not a child, and second of all Sirius is innocent for all the crimes that they laid at his feet."
"How disgust," the delusional man said with a sad shake of his head, "you put the poor innocent kid in an imperius curse or you must have confounded him."
Pausing then, he looked at Harry with narrowed eyes and mused out loud, "or he is in on all this. You must want me to let my guard down and then stick from behind. Well I Jimmy Falcone, protector of this sacred abode will not let that happen."
"Would you shut the hell up," Harry shouted, getting sick and tired of this whole act. Presenting his ring as it flashed to his family coat of arms, Harry growled, "I am Harry Potter, Lord and Master of this mansion. Now would you please stand down before I stupefy into oblivion."
"My Lord," the man said as his eyes widened into suasor. "Is that really you? The boy-who-lived, vanquisher of you-know-who, and my lord and master."
"Yes!" Harry sighed out. "That is me."
"It is truly an honor to meet you. I am your humble servant and loyal guard, Jimmy Falcone," he uttered as if he was meeting his idol for the first time. And he guessed he was, Harry was after all, all those things and more, and as much as he hates it, it is who he is.
"Well met," Harry said as he shook the man's hand. It was kind of weird that an adult man looked up to him, a fourteen-year-old kid who still did not know what he wanted to do in life.
"Eeeee," he squealed like a little as he gazed at his hand that Harry just shook. And Harry could have sworn he heard him mutter, "I am never going to wash this hand."
"Well it is good that we have all met," Sirius said as he walked over. "Now could you please let us in, Jimmy?"
Hissing like a snake, the man stepped back, and Harry quickly came in to defuse the situation. "Jimmy it's alright, Sirus is innocent."
"He might have tricked you my Lord, but I will keep my eyes on this snake," the man voiced as he narrowed his eyes at the wizard and made I am watching you gestures.
"Jimmy," Harry said as if he was speaking to a naughty child, "He is my guest so please do not be rude to him."
"My Lord," the guard implored, "everyone knows that he was Lord James and Lady Lily secret keeper. He must have let their location slip so that... that could get ki- killed."
"It was actually Peter who was the secret keeper," Sirius announced as he closed his eye for a moment.
"Peter, as in that sweet little boy," the man asked with a snort. "As if," he uttered, not buying it for a single second.
"He is telling the truth," Harry whispered.
"But you are right, it was my fault. I was the one who said it should have been HIM, and now look at what it got us."
Looking from between them, the chubby man stammered, "but he was such a nice kid."
"More like a two-face bastard," Harry snapped out.
"Well," he said as he turned to look at Sirius, "I am sorry that ever doubted you and said all those mean stuff about you."
"It is alright," Sirius said as he held out his hand, "it is not anything I do not deserve."
Not having any more words to say, the delusional but good intention man pointed ahead, "Well let me permit you in," he said as he walked over to his guardhouse and pressed a button which made the gates swing open.
"Thanks," Harry said with a nod as he passed through with Sirius right behind but in his own little world of depression and misery.
"No problem," he said as he puffed up his chest, "it is after all my sacred duty."
Smiling but saying nothing Harry walked into the perimeter of the mansion.
Walking along the concrete road, Harry couldn't make up what lead along the path even with his Nightvision. So they just carried on silently with no words exchanged between them until Harry finally broke with.
"So quite the character huh?" he asked, trying to create small chat.
"Yes, Jimmy is a fine man indeed even if he can get a bit fanciful," the older wizard uttered with a soft smile which really did not fit in his always cherry face.
"Though do not worry, there are plenty of wards in place which get the job done and your family has a few golems on hand and some other constructs if things ever get a bit dicy."
"Well that is good to know," Harry said as he tried to lighten the mood a bit more, but Sirius did not bite.
Sighing, Harry wished he knew anything that could get his godfather out of his slump, but knew nothing he could say. The always did blame himself for what happened to his parents and would continue to do so for the rest of his life even if it wasn't truly his fault.
Fianlly, they reached the mansion at long last. Looking up at it Harry couldn't make up much about it thanks to the darkness surrounding them, but still, he could see the grandness of it all.
The residence was four stores tall and a ground floor that opened up to a large arch to enter from and long white pristine marble pillars. The bright golden was illuminating out creating a wonderous atmosphere and glow.
Walking up to the intricate doors that were at the height of elegance and taste, Harry pushed them open and entered the mansion.
Immediately he was assaulted with more opulence as he walked into a richly decorated entrance.
Taking in everything, Harry glanced up at the two stairways that led up to the first floor, and he also noticed the door that lead further into the mansion ground floor. Plus the fricking fountain that laid beside the stairs nearly had his jaws dropping.
Glancing over at the wonderful bouquets laid out in the sides on a simple table which could have costed more than the Dursley's house, Harry looked up. Before him was well-garnished walls with rich tapestry, but what took his breath away was the stained glass roof.
It was truly a work of art, and his family must have set it there to astound their guest and show off their wealth.
"It truly is a sight to take in huh?" Sirius asked as he seem to sort out whatever was bothering him, but underneath it all Harry could still see the pain.
"Yea," Harry whispered breathlessly.
"Well this is the Potter Mansion where your family hosts all your guests and throws their parties, so that is its simple job. To wow anyone who comes to see it."
"I guess it did a real nice job."
"Oh, this is nothing, come see what's out back. You will drop your pants when you see the massive swimming pool."
"There is a swimming pool?" Harry asked, of course there was, why wouldn't it be.
"Yep, and upstairs is a sight to behold, plus the dining hall is fabulous, and the reception room is great eye candy."
"Ow, I got to see it all," Harry said as he couldn't wait to explore this place. "Is there food here?" he asked as that meatball sub wasn't nearly enough for his growing body.
"Hell yea," Sirius said, "let's go to the pantry room and grab some stuff, and we can pick up a nice bottle from the wine bottle room."