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When Harry stopped and heard the kind words from behind him, he smiled happily. It was the first time he felt this way, he didn't feel this way even when he was able to get away from the Dursleys for the first time and make friends, not even when he actually met Sirius.
Looking behind him, Harry smiled at the woman in a painting. She had dark brown hair that was slightly curly and fell in front of her shoulders. Her eyes were a light brown and she was dressed in a nice dark blue witch's robe. This woman had faint wrinkle lines near her eyes, but nothing else that would give away that she was old.
"It's impressive that you can play the piano so well, Harry."
Harry scratched his head gently, feeling a little embarrassed by the woman's words.
"I guess I'm just good at this, Granny."
Euphemia Potter smiled before shaking her head slightly and looking a little sadly at her grandson.
"It would have been wonderful if James had learned to play the piano. But that boy was so unruly. And it didn't help that we spoiled him too much with Fleamont."
Harry grimaced slightly at that information. Only now did he know that his grandparents spoiled his father too much, although this was because the two of them didn't think they could have children. They tried several times, but they had problems. So when James was born, they were so happy that they gave him everything they could.
"Grandpa still hasn't shown up, huh," Harry commented, looking at the painting where there was a room, but Fleamont was missing.
"You have to understand, dear. Hearing that James and Lily died in such a... way, was a shock."
"And for you?" Harry asked softly.
"Of course it's a shock. Even if we are portraits, mere echoes left behind in life, we can still have certain feelings. But I also want to talk to you, because I know you feel alone."
Harry looked at the floor for a few seconds.
"Thank you."
"We're grandson and grandmother, there's no need for you to thank me, not for this."
"Harry..."
"Yes?"
"You haven't told me anything about what's currently going on. When you arrived he seemed attentive to anything, and not expecting good things. And you also told me that you were being watched, what's really going on?"
Harry hesitated for a few moments before he sighed and decided to talk about some things.
He took the coat he left on the piano seat and put it on before saying two words: "Abscondere Morte."
In the next instant, he had completely disappeared, and two seconds later he reappeared.
"I discovered that the invisibility cloak I inherited from dad allows you to hide from everything. From magic, to the senses," Harry shrugged a little.
"Voldemort was revived through a ritual, where he set a trap for me and stole some of my blood. And Dumbledore thought it was a good idea to lock me up with my uncles, who hate magic. I spent several days dreaming about the death of Cedric, a boy I had to compete with in the Tri-Wizard Tournament."
"So when I discovered the use of the cloak, I decided to do several things, including asking the goblins if my parents had left a house for me."
"No one knows about this place, so it's even safer than my uncles' house."
"That's very worrying, especially Dumbledore's ideas."
"Grandma, do you know Dumbledore?"
"Yes, of course. Albus Dumbledore isn't a bad man, but he tends to think he knows more than everyone else."
Harry snorted a little, "Yes, I noticed that."
"And what are you planning to do all this time?"
"Besides enjoying some freedom? Training and learning magic, as well as annoying the old headmaster a bit."
Euphemia sighed a little.
"It seems you inherited your father's pranksterism."
"Although you are more... elegant, to put it one way," a second voice appeared. It came from a portrait that hadn't had anyone in it just a few moments ago, and was standing to Euphemia's right.
It was also a woman, but she looked more refined, if you had to define her in some way. Her hair was black and in a bun on her head. Her eyes were grey and she wore a black dress over a midnight blue robe.
"Great-grandmother..."
Dorea Potter née Black nodded with a small smile, "Listening to you play the piano is somewhat calming, Harry."
"Thank you," Harry smiled a little, never admitting that the piano thing came within the 'important memories' he received from the talisman of his future self. And among those important memories were also Japanese, German, and Spanish, as well as information about certain people, families, and other things.
The memories had been divided into two categories: the magical memories, related to magic (spells, enchantments, talismans, and so on) and the important memories, which also brought information about Horcrux and some details of the future.
"Although you still haven't told us about your years at Hogwarts, dear. I'm very interested in that information," Dorea commented while blinking, she didn't show too many emotions while speaking, unlike Euphemia.
"About that...", Harry had a slightly complicated look on his face. He knew it was best to tell about it, because these portraits had the memories of his family members, and they might have good advice or good information to offer, but he was also insecure about the things he experienced.
"What's wrong? Are you not good at certain classes? That's not too important, we all have something we're good at."
"Ah, it's not about that. I'm not doing badly in classes, although I prefer some over others."
"So?"
Harry sighed a little before letting his shoulders slump a little.
"The thing is... I was close to dying every year I was at Hogwarts. I had to face a possessed teacher, a basilisk hiding in the Chamber of Secrets, dementors, a dragon, and the revived dark lord this last year."
The piano room became completely silent after Harry said that.
Finally, after a few seconds, Dore narrowed his eyes and said quietly, "And what was the headmaster doing at that time?"
Harry simply shrugged.
"I don't even understand it too well. The man simply offered me house points in the first year. I think he's been rather negligent lately."
"That's beyond negligent, Harry! If the Board of Governors knew about this, which I seriously doubt, then Albus Dumbledore would have been fired," Dorea said, almost in a venomous hiss. She was angry at what her great-grandson seemed to have gone through.
"Yes, I heard about that meeting in second year, after the basilisk affair. It seems that Lucius Malfoy had threatened the families of the other governors because he wanted to fire Dumbledore, though I doubt it was for safety, as the man was certainly responsible for the Chamber of Secrets being opened."
"Hmph! Malfoy, no wonder. Those little weaklings are always planning things and stabbing in the back."
"And yet, we're still related to them," Euphemia sighed a little as she said that. Dorea was part of the Black family, and Narcissa, who is part of the Black family, married Lucius, so there really were connections between the families.
"It's a good thing Sirius wasn't like his fool of a father," Dorea said angrily. "And also far removed from anything Walburga taught. Dear Merlin, that woman was infuriating."
Harry chuckled a little at that, "Though it seems she keeps bothering Sirius with her portrait at Grimmauld Place."
Dorea just rolled her eyes for a moment.
"It was nice talking to you, but I think I'll go train and then write a letter for Hedwig to deliver tomorrow."
"Go, I think you'll need to get better if you want to face Voldemort," Euphemia nodded.
"It doesn't bother you."
"Of course it bothers me, but it doesn't bother the fact that it's a portrait. I can't stop you, not really. I can only support you."
"Just go, Harry. We're here if you need any advice or words of support. Your grandfather and great-grandfather are chatting, though I don't think they'll do much for advice."
"It's okay," Harry smiled before leaving the piano room.
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