"Perfect," Ron whispered to Harry. "Hermione's not far."
They had just Apparated in front of Grimmauld Place.
Fred opened the door while George pushed Harry, Ron, and Hermione inside, just as Mrs. Black's portrait burst into furious screams.
"FILTHY BLOOD TRAITORS! YOU DESECRATE THE HOUSE OF"
"Your ancestors, yeah, we know," George cut in lazily.
Lupin appeared from the kitchen.
"Hello, everyone."
They greeted him before heading upstairs.
As they climbed the stairs, Harry caught something unusual.
Fred and George were arguing.
Quietly, but clearly.
It was the first time Harry had ever heard them fight.
He glanced at Ron and Hermione, expecting concern, but they didn't seem surprised.
Later, after the twins had left for their shop, Harry finally asked,
"What's going on with them?"
Ron sighed.
"George thinks Muggles who are close to wizards are in more danger than anyone else."
"That's… not exactly wrong," Harry said.
"Do you remember the Muggle girl who sells newspapers near my village?" Ron asked.
"The one who liked George's magic tricks?" Harry said slowly.
"Yeah. They were together. George broke it off after three Muggles married to witches and wizards were killed by Death Eaters."
"He was trying to protect her," Hermione added, watching Harry closely. "Does that remind you of anything?"
"Vaguely," Harry muttered, avoiding their eyes.
Late that morning, Harry went down to the kitchen.
He was the host now.
It felt strange… but right.
He had been left with simple instructions and several boxes of food from Mrs. Weasley. By half past twelve, everything was ready.
"Lunch!" Harry called through the house.
Even Mrs. Black fell silent for a moment.
Ron arrived first, already curious.
"What's on the menu?"
"The same as the last two days," Harry replied, watching him grimace.
During dessert, Lupin, who was present along with Moody, leaned forward slightly.
"So," he said, "are you planning to tell us what you're hiding from Ron's parents?"
Ron and Hermione looked at Harry.
Harry didn't hesitate.
"Godric's Hollow."
Moody let out a low grunt.
"Of course. You weren't planning to go alone, I hope. Voldemort has likely placed Death Eaters there."
"We were," Harry said.
"When?" Lupin asked.
"This afternoon."
Moody exchanged a glance with Lupin.
"Well, that's convenient. Arthur asked us to stay here today. He suspected you'd try something like this."
That afternoon, the five of them stepped outside and Apparated immediately.
When Harry opened his eyes, he found himself standing in front of a ruined house.
Something about it felt… familiar.
The others stood a few steps behind him. Someone, probably Lupin, had signaled them not to move.
"This is it," Lupin said quietly. "This is where you lived with your parents."
Harry moved forward slowly, stepping onto the remains of what had once been a home.
He walked in silence for several minutes.
Then, without turning,
"And the graves?"
"About four hundred meters down that road," Lupin replied, pointing to a narrow path.
They followed it.
For the first time, Harry noticed the surrounding houses.
Many of them looked new.
Too new.
His parents' house felt like a hole in the world, as if it didn't belong there anymore.
"Who owns it?" Harry asked.
"You do," Lupin said. "Now that you're of age. The paperwork should be in your Gringotts vault. I imagine a lot of buyers will try to contact you soon."
The rest of the walk was silent.
Harry knew Moody's magical eye was scanning everything, even beneath the brim of his hat.
Finally, they reached the cemetery.
Lupin led the way between the rows of gravestones before stopping.
Harry followed his gaze.
And everything went quiet.
The wind disappeared.
The birds stopped.
The world… faded.
He read the names.
Lily Evans PotterJames Potter
Side by side.
Blue flowers grew around them, tall and well-rooted.
They must have been here for years, Harry thought.
He stared at the graves, reading the inscriptions again and again.
On one of the plaques, he saw the words:
"To my sister."
"Did Aunt Petunia come here?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Lupin said softly. "About twenty days after your parents died. When I came back here at the end of November, the plaque was already there."
Harry felt something shift inside him.
"She hid a lot from me," he said quietly.
"You have no idea," Lupin replied.
Suddenly, Moody's hand moved toward his wand.
He paused, then relaxed.
"Thought I saw someone behind a grave," he muttered.
Harry's eyes moved again.
"What about this one?" he asked, pointing to a newer stone. "It looks more recent."
Lupin didn't hesitate.
"That's Sirius."