The ride back to Kings Cross was to say the least...interesting. Snape caught Draco Malfoy trying to hex Luna Lovegood just for something interesting to do to show off to his friends. Whilst Snape could not give the boy detention due to there not being any more school, he could and did threaten to tell his parents, after all the boy was still his godson. Harry had spent his time playing exploding snap with Neville, Ron and some of the other Gryffindor boys. Simply wondering what was going to happen to him next. But soon he was standing beside Snape (of all people) at Kings Cross.

“Take my arm Harry,” Snape stated. Harry just stood there staring at him. “Do what I say,” he stated and Harry obeyed. The next thing he felt was a sucking sensation starting at his stomach and enveloping his whole body. He closed his eyes for a second hoping that the feeling would just go away.

“You can open your eyes now Harry,” Snape said. Harry obeyed and found himself standing outside the biggest house he had ever seen in his life.

Snape ignored Harry’s look of shock and walked to the front door unlocking it.

“Harry, welcome to Prince Manor. It has been magically passed down through my mother’s family for many generations. Powerful magic dictates Harry, this house must remain the sole home of our family due to some of the incantations made by an ancient relative, a potions master, at the time when housing became short during the Wizarding War of Threstrol. I’m sure you’ve heard about that from Professor Binns,” Snape stated.

Yeah...Harry had heard about that....maybe?....that old boring ghost says a lot of things..who listens?

Snape sighed, “it is both a blessing and a curse, it will be yours one day.”

Harry just couldn’t believe his eyes! Snape’s family must have been very rich!

“Of course the upkeep is hell,” Snape said, “it’s hard to get by on a wizards teaching salary. My mother was disinherited when she married my father, my grandparents wished to not have a muggle in the family. But after their demise, my mother told me on her death bed about this place. I found the key and have been here ever since.”

Harry was paying little to no attention to Snape’s ramble as he was still in shock from the way that things appeared around him.

As he entered through the front door the first thing that he noticed was the walls, pure white marble, the floors covered in dark tile with a massive staircase covered with beautiful mink carpeting. The house itself must have cost a fortune!! The dark colours contrasted well with the pure white walls, and Harry would have always imagined that his potions master would have lived in some ramshackle house covered in different colours due to many mishaps with a cauldron. But then again, even a place like that would be better than living with the Dursleys! But this home...this house..this was beyond his wildest imaginations. Snape started walking up the stair case without a care in the world, taking large strides like he always did. Harry simply walked up behind him.

“Master you are home!” came a voice, Harry looked down and noticed that the voice belonged to a tiny house elf, much smaller than Dobby.

A quiet pop and a larger house elf appeared, “Sorry master,” she stated, “Thistle still has much to learn,”

Thistle put her head down in disgrace.

“Hello!” Harry said to the tiny elf. The elf smiled.

“Yes Pawir,” Snape stated, “please attend to Harry and my things, he is my son and you shall give him the same respect you give me.”

Did....did that just come out of Snape?!? Harry looked and...yes....yes it did!

The first floor presented itself with majestic large stainglass windows. Snape opened the third door on the right, “this shall be your room. I hope it shall do for your needs,” he looked at Harry suspiciously as he walked into the room with a big smile on his face.

WOW! Just a few years ago he lived in a cupboard and now....now....WOW!

“You know, Hermione thinks that keeping house elves is cruel,” Harry stated bluntly trying to find just one thing wrong with his new abode.

“Yes, well,” Snape cleared his throat, “what Miss Granger doesn’t know could possibly fill a library of those precious books of hers. You just ask Pawir what she thinks of being freed.”

Harry decided at that moment that was exactly what he was going to do!

“I shall leave you to get yourself adjusted,” Snape stated as he walked out of the room, “my room is down the hall and to your left, the bathroom is three doors to your right. You can wander the gardens or the house tonight and we shall see to the garden tomorrow. Dinner is promptly at 6.”

Harry just stood there staring at him...he was allowed to do what he wanted? Well this massive house was bound to have plenty of places to explore!

“One thing Potter, if a door is closed. It is meant to be. Don’t open it under any circumstances, I don’t want any of my things disturbed,” he stated as he walked off.