Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

Hogwarts has officially entered summer vacation.

Some students, like Ron, turned their homes upside down, while others, like Harry, were very happy and cheerful during the holidays.

Harry had never felt so happy during a holiday.

He used to study in the Muggle world, and what he hated most was holidays.

Once he's on vacation, he has to spend all his time with his aunt and uncle who hate him, and he also has to endure the torment of the little devil Dudley.

He lived in the basement, half of which was used as a storage room.

I'm always the last one to sit down at the table and the last one to leave, and I also have to wash the dishes.

Other requirements include cleaning the room, washing clothes, and not making any noise.

This situation did not change until he received his Hogwarts acceptance letter.

At school, he learned to grow, be strong, and be brave.

With each holiday, he gradually stopped tolerating the unreasonable demands his aunt and uncle made of him.

This led his aunt and uncle to gradually treat him as if he were invisible.

Only Dudley would occasionally mock and provoke him, yet at the same time, he was also afraid of him.

As time went by, everyone grew up, and Dudley finally stopped showing him the same malice he used to when they were kids.

Dudley probably knew that if you really provoked him, he would really use magic to "go berserk".

Although Harry used magic to defend himself, he still felt aggrieved.

The Muggle world's environment was too restrictive for him, and he had nowhere else to go. If he used magic even slightly, he would receive a warning letter from the Ministry of Magic.

But this summer is destined to be different.

He had a godfather, and Sirius Black also owned his own estate.

During this holiday, he was invited by Sirius Black to stay at his estate.

Harry checked into the manor yesterday, and today he got up early to enjoy the morning view of the manor.

Sirius returned early and tidied up the manor, finally making it look less dilapidated.

The Black family is an aristocratic family, and the manor passed down from their ancestors also inherited the luxurious style of the aristocracy.

However, the family has gradually become more low-key in recent decades, so the manor looks quite unassuming from the outside, but it is very distinctive inside.

The manor is located at 12 Grimmauld Place, London.

In the Islington district of London, nestled between two Muggle houses.

This allowed the manor to blend seamlessly into Muggle territory, resembling the residence of a wealthy man.

Compared to those nobles who were afraid of being found out and therefore concealed their addresses.

Black Manor was completely exposed to Muggles.

Muggles might marvel at its grandeur from the outside, but also lament its dilapidated state.

Yes, while Black Manor's location wasn't shielded from Muggles, its appearance was protected by a Confusion Charm.

From the outside, Muggles would only see a dilapidated scene.

In reality, the manor is much larger inside than it appears from the outside, with a total of 5 floors, including a basement and attic, and each floor has a large number of rooms.

Harry thought the manor was even larger than Malfoy Manor.

At least you can walk to the end of Malfoy Estate; it only takes about ten minutes.

But this manor is different.

Harry went to the bathroom late last night and almost got lost.

I walked for half an hour and still couldn't find my room.

Fortunately, the manor's house-elf Kreacher noticed his predicament and appeared, coldly asking, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Harry then told him, "I'm lost and I need to find my room."

Kerry immediately turned around and led him there.

Harry was somewhat surprised by this attitude.

To be honest, after experiencing such a fervent fan as Dobby, Harry thought every house-elf would be enthusiastic towards him.

But Kerry was an exception.

Harry not only felt that Kreacher disliked him, but was even somewhat hostile towards him.

He didn't know where this hostility came from.

Harry also witnessed Sirius Black interacting with Kreacher, and their master-servant relationship seemed strained.

“Harry, why are you standing by the window looking out? Aren’t you going down into the bushes to play? I remember you brought the latest rocket crossbow I gave you.”

Just as Harry was gazing absently at the view outside the window, he heard Sirius Black's voice.

Harry turned his head and met Sirius's worried gaze.

He said, "I'm worried that I might accidentally use magic while using the rocket crossbow and then receive another warning from the Ministry of Magic."

Harry honestly said, "I've already been warned by the Ministry of Magic once. The Aurors who came told me that if I get warned a second time, the consequences will be severe."

They might face punishment, and might even receive a reprimand from Hogwarts.

Sirius laughed and explained, "Because you were in Muggle territory before, any magical fluctuations were very noticeable."

However, this manor is registered with the Ministry of Magic; it is the ancestral home of the Black family.

It contains many strange artifacts that have been passed down from ancient times. Even the slightest leak of their aura can cause a great fluctuation in magical power.

Therefore, the Ministry of Magic never oversees this place; they don't want to create trouble for themselves.

Sirius winked at Harry and whispered, "Don't worry about using magic here, you won't be watched."

A flicker of excitement crossed Harry's eyes, and he said somewhat shyly, "Can you play with me?"

Sirius Black laughed heartily, “Harry, it’s my honor!”

You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment. Even before you were born, I was already thinking about how I would raise you. I would definitely teach you how to use a flying broomstick first, and train you to be an even better Seeker than your dad.

While Harry and Sirius were playing with their flying brooms on the lawn, Kreacher stood in a dark corner, watching them.

"That despicable traitor! He not only violated the family's beliefs, but also associated with the son of a bloodline traitor! That shameful escapee!"

"How can they have so much fun? This is a desecration of the pure-blooded Black nobility. How can they laugh so loudly in such a sacred manor?"

"If Master Regulus hadn't left, how could Black Manor have been inherited by this traitor? My poor master, you were clearly the Black family's most hoped-for child. It's all those damned Death Eaters' fault!"

Kreacher's expression suddenly turned fierce and menacing.

It clearly provided the Death Eaters with a venue and even secretly took many artifacts from the Black Manor vault for them to use. In the end, they used them for nothing!

The battle launched in Hogsmeade was not only completely thwarted by Hogwarts, but the Ministry of Magic also turned the tables on them, resulting in heavy casualties for the organization.

Some died, some fled, and some were wounded; the Death Eaters organization fell apart.

And none of the promises Bellatrix made to it have been fulfilled!

Thinking of this, Kreacher became saddened again.

"Regulus, my poor master, may your soul no longer wander aimlessly, may you rest in peace."

the other side.

Harry and Sirius were exhausted from playing and lay down on the lawn, panting.

Sirius Black turned his head and asked specifically, "Harry, are you happy?"

Harry nodded excitedly. "It's so much fun! It feels even better than at school!"

Sirius couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You actually compared it to a school? That's just like me!"
When I was in school, I thought school was a lot of fun and never wanted to go back to the manor. I made many changes to the manor; you probably have no idea how terrifying it used to be.”

Sirius briefly touched on the history of the manor, not wanting to delve into it, and instead asked Harry what he wanted for breakfast.

Harry was very curious, but he didn't press the matter further.

Harry said, "Can you make Chinese breakfast? I quite like Eastern food."

Sirius Black pondered, "Hmm... I haven't been back to Hogwarts for too long. It seems the school has introduced a batch of delicacies that have appeared out of nowhere. I'll talk to Kreacherty; maybe he can make them."

At this point, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Don't you and Kreacher get along well? I've noticed you two hardly talk to each other, which is different from other masters and servants with house-elves."

Sirius hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to speak, but finally said:
“Harry, not every family that owns a house-elf has every member who gets along well with the elf.”

“Kreacher has served the Black family for hundreds of years, and some of his ideas are so deeply ingrained that we can’t talk to each other. He prefers my cowardly brother.”

Sirius shrugged. "If my brother hadn't passed away, and according to the wizarding world's inheritance laws, I, as the only bloodline of the Black family, were to inherit the manor, Kreacher might not have been willing to call me master."

Harry said, "Although he's cold to you, he always gets things done. I got lost last night, and it was Kreacher who brought me back."

I wanted to thank it, but it disappeared as soon as it led me to the room. Could you help me find it?
I want to tell it in person that I want to give it a gift.

Harry's request put Sirius in a difficult position.

Only he himself knew how bad his relationship with Kreacher was.

Kreacher was never satisfied with him and considered him a traitor.

They betrayed the spirit that their family had always upheld—pure-blood glory—and their faith.

But Klitsch was not satisfied with him, and he was equally dissatisfied with Klitsch.

The thought of Kreacher's almost pedantic and rigid manners, and his perpetually stern face, always reminded Sirius of the restrictive life he experienced in that manor when he was a child.

He was bound by what Blake called family dogma throughout his childhood.

He was a free spirit by nature, but the aristocracy always held the idea of ​​living in seclusion.

Going to Hogwarts was a form of rebellion on his part.

He didn't originally need to go to Hogwarts; there were plenty of people in the manor to teach him.

Hogwarts is indeed very interesting; it's very free here.

Students can use the Sorting Hat to understand their own hearts. When the Sorting Hat loudly proclaims that he belongs to Gryffindor, Sirius's heart clenches violently, and a strong shock washes over him.

In that instant, he finally understood why, despite growing up at Black Manor, he felt aversion towards the manor, even a sense of suffocation and being unable to breathe.

It turns out he wasn't a Slytherin, but a Gryffindor, the Gryffindor who was always full of hope, courage, and passion!

Later, he not only went to study himself, but also took his younger brother Regulus with him.

Thinking of this, Sirius couldn't help but sigh.

If he hadn't sent Regulus, who had been homeschooled, to Hogwarts, would he have never entered Slytherin and never become friends with Voldemort?

All of this tragedy seems to be avertable.

Sirius said, "Harry, I can take you to Kreacher, but he doesn't like me, and he doesn't like you either."

He had a strong opinion of Potter back then, considering him a degenerate traitor and a betrayer of the glorious bloodline.

You're Potter's child. Once he knows who you are, he might not treat you well.

Harry said sincerely, "Even so, I want to give it a try."

Seeing Harry's resolute attitude, Sirius took him back to the manor first.

The estate was very large; it took them almost an hour to walk there.

During this time, they exchanged many ideas and perspectives.

Sirius knew that Harry had signed up for the school's merit exams, and that the Ministry of Magic would send someone to pick him up in a few days.

Blake laughed and said, "I also took this exam back then, but I didn't participate."

Harry asked, "Why not go?"

Blake: "Because I believe that even if the school doesn't provide me with extra resources, I can find the resources I need just by exploring the school."

Looking back now, I realize I was too arrogant back then.

Since you have the ability to become an outstanding student, why not take the exam for a core skill while you're at it? Outstanding student privileges include discounts when buying many rare magical materials.

The two chatted and laughed as they walked into the manor.

Blackhamlet is so big that it would probably take two summer months to clean it properly.

So Sirius didn't actively seek out the house-elves, but instead called out, "Kreacher!"

The next second, Kreacher appeared in front of the two of them.

Harry thanked Kreacher properly.

Kreacher looked at him with a suspicious gaze the whole time, as if he were wary that Kreacher might pull a bad trick at any moment.

Harry then took out the small gift he had prepared.

"These gifts were meant for other students before the start of the new semester, but I specially brought one for you."

Kreacher accepted the gift in a daze, feeling its weight and the texture of it like touching money.

But how could the wizarding world possibly use the currency that circulates in the human Muggle world?
Kreacher watched Harry's departing figure with a bewildered expression before opening the gift.

They discovered that the bag contained a bulging sock.

Upon seeing the sock, Kreacher didn't see it as a blessing; instead, he screamed loudly:

"No! I won't leave! I've always served and lived at Black Manor, and I will never leave this place. Don't even think about bribing me with money!" (End of Chapter)