Golden Bones
A week had passed since the twins had integrated into the family; although the first days had felt a bit forced, by now the three of them could talk calmly with one another. Maybe not yet like brothers, but certainly like friends.
They still had a long way to go before truly feeling like a family; although that did not bother them. They could work on it slowly and peacefully, since no one was rushing them.
"Harry, darling, wake up." Wanda's voice traveled from the kitchen through the entire house with an almost magical ease until it reached Harry's room.
He opened his eyes the moment he heard his mother's voice; it was like a powerful spell that pulled him out of sleep no matter how much he wanted to stay in bed. And it was not that Wanda was using magic; it was simply that, after so many years waking him up, she had become a natural alarm clock. Even if the world collapsed or was buried under the deepest silence, Wanda's voice would always make Harry open his eyes.
Harry sat up in bed with his hair completely disheveled, the strands sticking out in every direction, while his eyes took a few seconds to fully focus.
He changed out of his pajamas with slow movements and left the room with an almost tired attitude; it seemed that the previous night he had been busy preparing his things for the trip with Sirius.
Although he did not want to admit it, he was excited; he really enjoyed spending time with his godfather. Besides, he was curious about what exactly Sirius had arranged.
Harry went down to the kitchen, where Wanda was preparing breakfast for everyone. Even though Gris or Liz could do it perfectly, cooking was one of those habits Wanda treasured from the times when she was alone with Harry; and now that she had to prepare breakfast for three, she continued doing it with the same happiness, as if she still lived inside a dream she refused to wake up from.
"Wow, no matter how much magic I use, your hair will always look the same, right?" Wanda said with an amused smile when she saw her half-asleep son.
Harry smiled slightly at the recurring joke, and as he did, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Liz was playing with arranging Wanda's suitcases.
"Are you ready for your spa trip?" Harry asked.
"Yes… I really don't want to leave you. Maybe I should cancel and go on the trip with all of you." Wanda spoke in a serious tone; she had her three children at home, and the idea of going away even for a few days felt uncomfortable to her.
"We talked about this all week. If you do that, we'll feel guilty; you planned this long before Billy and Tommy arrived. Don't worry, I'll take care of them." Harry lifted his chin with the attitude of a responsible older brother.
Wanda had almost canceled several times during the week just to spend more time with them, although she also did not want to overwhelm them by being constantly on top of them.
"Fine, then this sad mother will be sent far away from her poor little ones." Wanda pretended to be heartbroken, although Harry's smile made her laugh softly. "Alright, while I'm gone, take care of your brothers, please. And don't get into trouble. I don't trust Sirius very much, but Edward will be going with you, so you'll be fine. But just in case, don't let Tommy get too attached to Sirius." Her eyes gleamed with a dangerous warning.
It was basically her way of saying she was ready to make someone disappear if her children were endangered because of that someone.
"Yes, Mum, I know. Don't worry. Sirius can be reliable… at unexpected moments." Harry fell silent for a second, not sure if that sentence truly inspired confidence.
"I really want all of you to have fun." Wanda tried to smooth down his hair with her hand, something absolutely impossible without magic.
At that moment the doorbell rang. Gris went to open it, and Susan entered excitedly, wearing comfortable clothes and sunglasses. Beside her came Hermione, who seemed to have no intention of participating in the trip, although she was being dragged along with no chance to complain.
"Wanda, are you ready?" Susan asked the moment she crossed the door, dragging her daughter with determination.
"Yes; just a moment, I'm saying goodbye to Harry and the twins." Wanda answered quickly with a smile.
She kissed Harry's forehead and then went upstairs to the twins' room to say goodbye, while Hermione kept sending Harry pleading looks that he deliberately ignored with amusement.
After the farewells, Wanda, Susan, and Hermione stepped into the fireplace and vanished among green flames.
Harry, Tommy, and Billy remained standing before the fireplace in total silence; as always, when Wanda was not there, starting a random conversation had been… complicated.
"Well, we still have time. Do you want to go to the Potter Manor for a while?" Harry asked.
Tommy and Billy were instantly interested; they had not yet had the chance to go. And from what they had heard from Hermione, it was full of fascinating things. For Tommy, the important part was the alchemical objects and strange potions; for Billy, the enormous library filled with knowledge from both the magical and muggle worlds.
"Sure, that would be great." both answered at the same time.
"Then, Gris, please, if Sirius and the others arrive, send them to the manor." Harry said. The house elf bowed with the manners of a perfect butler.
Harry brought the twins to the fireplace and transported with them.
The moment they stepped out, Billy and Tommy looked around in awe. Magical portraits of Potter relatives greeted them cheerfully as they arrived, ancient objects shone inside reinforced glass cases, and… what looked like a humanoid golem was cleaning the house while whistling.
"Hello, Grandma." Harry said to the golem, which turned around immediately.
The golem turned, and on its face appeared a sort of screen where Euphemia Potter's face was displayed, smiling widely the moment she saw her grandson.
"Harry, dear, it has been so long since you last came that I was starting to think you had forgotten your grandparents." Euphemia said, emotional as she approached to give him a hug. The golem's body was hard, solid like a living statue, but Harry did not complain; for him that hug was still warm.
Ever since he improved the golems to allow portraits to have a physical form with which they could move, of course he created one for each of his grandparents. Some companies already sold similar versions thanks to his development; which sparked debates about immortality, ethics, and whether it was right to give a physical body to portraits that, in essence, were only soulless memories of real people.
But Harry did not think too much about that controversy; when he developed the spell, he directly asked his grandparents' own portraits if they wanted physical bodies.
And both accepted immediately.
Of course, "go out" was just a manner of speaking. They were still tied to the manor; they could not go beyond its boundaries. However, being able to walk through the hallways, sit in the dining room, or visit the workshop was already more than they had ever imagined.
"And Grandpa?" Harry asked as he stepped out of the golem's hug.
"He must be in the workshop. Ah… even after death he is still so obsessed with potions." Euphemia said with a mixture of affection and disapproval.
"You know, Grandma, you really can do whatever you want; you're not…"
"I know, darling." she replied softly. "Caring for the manor is what we want to do. And in your grandfather's case, creating potions is something deeply marked in his memories; that is why he cannot stay away from the workshop."
Before Harry could reply, Euphemia noticed Billy and Tommy.
"So you two are the new members of the family." she said with a kind smile.
"Hello." the twins said politely, though looking a bit confused at the golem with the face of the Potter grandmother.
"Such adorable children." Euphemia quickly walked to a nearby table, picked up a jar, and came back with a plate of freshly baked cookies. "I was going to send them to the house with Liz; but you can have them now."
"Thank you very much." Tommy said excitedly as he looked at the cookies as if they were treasures.
Billy also took one, large and crunchy, and nodded with impeccable manners.
"By the way… isn't Red around? I think I saw him come through the fireplace." Harry asked, looking around for the hyperactive dragon.
Euphemia's face tensed immediately upon hearing the forbidden name.
"That foolish dragon is in the dungeons; I sent him there to see if he calms down for a while." she said quickly, pointing at the surroundings where fresh scratches could be seen; clear marks that Red had decided to scratch the wall near the fireplace "for fun."
"How can Red come here if he can't talk?" Billy asked, confused.
"The fireplace is directly connected." Harry explained calmly. The Potter Manor and his house were bound by ancient magical ties; they were practically extensions of the same home.
Although that week they had not brought Billy and Tommy so as not to overwhelm them with a place so full of magic, today was different; they were ready to learn a little more.
"Come on, first let's find Red and then we can explore until the others arrive." Harry said calmly.
The twins nodded, excited.
…
As Harry guided his brothers toward the manor's dungeon, the hallway became wider, older and stranger. The dungeon was enormous for some reason that even the Potter heirs did not fully know. It had been created by the first Potter, the founder of the family; although it was said that at the beginning it had not been a dungeon at all, but… something else.
In the lower levels, Red happily walked after breaking the bars of his cell with his teeth, as if he had only been playing. He moved forward, wagging his tail from side to side as he explored the corners filled with ancient chains, cells, and enchanted platforms. His face showed a childlike excitement, fascinated by every detail.
Until he reached the last cell.
There, the darkness seemed denser; the air had a different weight. And what was inside was far more striking than anything else he had seen in that dungeon.
A skeleton.
But not a common one; this one was made entirely of gold. The bars of its cell did not resemble any known metal; they were dark, as if absorbing the light, and magic itself seemed unable to pass through them. The cell was also hidden behind a spell that prevented any normal person from seeing it. Only creatures with particularly sensitive eyes… like a dragon.
Red stared at the skull with an expression mixing fascination, ambition, and enthusiasm. In his mind, dozens of ideas appeared at once on how to use that skeleton. In a single instant, he imagined his master Harry sitting on a throne made of golden bones; a vision both glorious and chaotic.
That was enough.
Red approached the bars, gathering energy, preparing to destroy them and claim that shiny treasure for his master.