Tidy Time

Tidy Time

Part 3

Playland

The attic room was dusty and filled with cobwebs, but even in this state Harry could tell this was a child's paradise. Magical toys were scattered around the room, and a frieze of legendary creatures in a forest adorned the walls. Narcissa and Andromeda were standing in the middle of the room transfixed. Harry could tell they were both lost in their memories.

"You grew up in this room, didn't you?" Ginny asked.

"Not quite, but we did spend a good deal of our early years in here. Look, Cissy, Bella's unicorn is still here," said Andromeda.

She went to a dusty lump that was just hip high, and pulled off the sheet covering it. The stuffed unicorn was still as a stone for several moments, then it blinked its bright blue glass eyes, and stretched as if it had just awoken from a long sleep. Narcissa performed the cleansing spell on it, and the now snow white toy pranced around the room coming to a stop in front of Ginny.

"Well, that answers one question," Andromeda said to a chuckling Narcissa.

"What?" said Harry.

"I think I know," said Hermione, as she knelt next to the unicorn and scratched behind its ears.

The unicorn leaned into her, and Harry thought if it was a cat it would purr.

"And another," said Narcissa, grinning.

Harry looked puzzled.

"Virgins, Harry. Unicorns and virgins," Hermione said pointedly.

"Oh, okay well, um ... is there anything up here we should deal with?" Harry asked Andromeda and Narcissa.

"We should probably check the toy boxes for anything that may have taken up residence in them, but this should be the least contaminated room in the house," said Andromeda.

"Well, we'll just head back downstairs then?" said Ron.

"Yeah, you just do that," Harry said to Ron. "But bear in mind we've got a little naughtiness detector here now so..."

"You remember that too, mate," said Ron, looking from Harry to Ginny.

"Just get to work, you two," said Ginny as she practically shoved Ron back down the stairs.

Narcissa and Andromeda took a great deal of pleasure in cleaning the cobwebs and dust from the childhood sanctuary. The two round windows at the gable ends were so encrusted with dust and grime that it took both of them several passes before the windows gleamed and bathed the room in warm sunlight. After the general cleaning was done, they started on the cabinets and boxes. Most were filled with toys and games; Ginny squealed with delight when she found an old rag doll that laughed and cooed when she picked it up. There was an ancient box of Exploding Snap cards that, to everyone's amazement, still worked. Only one toy box seemed to have been infested with Puffskeins, and they had died long ago.

As Narcissa was opening and clearing the last of the cabinets that lined a wall, she came across one set that resisted. Alohomora and Difodio didn't open the lock. As Harry knelt to look more closely at the catch, he noticed a small snake coiled around it, locking it in place.

"Got an idea, hang on." He dashed down the stairs.

A few minutes later Ginny, Narcissa, and Andromeda heard Ron's and Harry's voices coming back.

"...leave you two alone for five minutes..." That was Harry's voice.

"Nothing below the waist mate, and not that much above, so relax. Besides you and--" Ron came to an abrupt halt as he cleared the stairs and found the three women, arms crossed, staring at him. "What?" Ron's face made an attempt to match the colour of his hair.

"Besides Harry and..." Ginny said snidely.

"Alright, alright, I didn't bring him up here for abuse," said Harry.

"Aw, but it's such fun," replied Ginny.

"Yeah, yeah. Ron, can you still say 'open' in Parseltongue?"

"I can try. On what?"

"That cabinet," said Harry, pointing at it.

Ron made the hissing choking noise a few times; on the fourth try the snake spiraled into a coil, and the lock clicked open.

"Wands out," Harry ordered, and it was a good thing he did. When Ginny cast Alohomora, a beast erupted from the cabinet. It was all grey fur and snarling teeth, and as it leapt for Ginny's throat Harry's shield charm deflected it. It wheeled and went for Andromeda, who hit it full in the face with a Stupify, which barely stopped the whirling mass of teeth and claws. The thing dashed back into the cabinet and the doors slammed shut behind it.

"What the bloody hell was that?" shouted Ron.

"Dunno. Anyone else got any ideas?" Harry asked.

"I've never seen anything like it. You Cissy?"

"No."

Ginny just shook her head.

"Ron, would you mind sending Luna up?"

"No problem; I think I heard her and Dean in Mrs. Black's room," he said as he headed for the stairs.

"And could you and Hermione try to do something besides snogging all day?" said Harry as Ron headed down the stairs.

"We can try," said Ron, laughing as he disappeared.

"There's at least six years of pent up frustration there, Harry, on both sides, so it'll be a while before it slows down," said Ginny.

"It's been over three months and I haven't seen it slacken at all!"

"Young love, ahh..., you remember what that was like, Cissy?" said Andromeda to her sister.

"Oh yes, Lucius was quite the charmer. Still is really," she said, smiling.

Harry suppressed a shudder. "Andy, why would something like that be in a play room?"

"This wasn't always our play place; Aunt Walburga set it up when Sirius was born. Before that it was just storage, I think. I bet they never opened that cabinet; the last Parselmouth Black was Great Great Aunt Titania, and she died over a hundred and fifty years ago."

"You mean that thing's been in there for a hundred and fifty years? No wonder it's a little testy," said Ginny.

"Hello all," Luna said brightly as she cleared the stairs. "My, this is a marvelous room. Ron says you need me?"

"Yeah, Luna. There's something in this cabinet, and we need your help identifying it. It's about the size of a medium dog, all grey fur and very sharp teeth," said Harry.

"Interesting. Well there are several possibilities; did it have any black down its back?"

Ginny looked at the others and answered, "Not that we saw."

"Hmm, not a lestike then. Short snout or long and thin?"

"Kind of medium and wide," said Harry.

"Long tail?"

"I didn't see a tail at all," Ginny answered. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Really," said Luna with wonder in her voice. "It sounds as though it could be a badgewonk," she said, growing more eager by the moment. "It's a sort of guardian. Malock, the great warlock from the fifteenth century, formed them from badgers and ciliwonks. I've never seen a live one; no one has. This should be fun."

"It's been in there for over a century and a half. How would it survive?" Andromeda asked.

"I believe they hibernate, though if it's been that long I'm sure it's very hungry. Let's get some food for it, and I think I can tame it," Luna finished excitedly.

"Kreacher!" Harry called.

The elf appeared almost immediately. "Yes, master Harry?"

"Could you please get us... what's this thing eat, Luna?"

"Pretty much anything, but they are predators, so meat would be good."

"Could you please bring us a chunk of that roast beef if there's some left?" Harry asked the elf.

"Certainly, master Harry." He Disapparated with a crack.

Seconds later he was back with a large piece of the roast on a dinner plate.

"Thanks, Kreacher. You probably don't want to stay," Harry told him.

"As the master wishes; the lunch meal will be ready shortly." And he was gone.

"Alright, let's get some shields up," Harry instructed.

Narcissa and Andromeda erected shield charms, and Ginny prepared to open the cabinet again, while Luna and Harry stood ready.

Harry nodded to Ginny. "Alohomora," she said.

The cabinet flew open again and the badgewonk jumped at them, bouncing off the shields. Luna gasped in delight and began to sing.

My darling little elf

Why do you cry

The cauldron of night

Holds all the stars of the sky

We drift on the clouds

And fly on dreams

Where all our wishes

Are granted it seems

As she sang the lullaby the creature calmed. Slowly and carefully she inched her way forward, singing the whole time. While she was singing the lyric for the fourth time, sitting on the floor a few feet from the badgewonk, she motioned for them to drop the shields. Luna pulled a small knife from her pocket, cut a chunk from the meat, and gently rolled it to the animal. As it sat back on its haunches and began to eat, with surprising daintiness, they got their first real look at it.

The badgewonk had the body, mostly, of a badger and the hands of a monkey. Its feet were also prehensile, and it held the piece of meat with them while it tore small bits from it with both of its claw tipped hands. Its face was surprisingly expressive, and when it had finished it looked expectantly at Luna. She cut another piece and held it out to the creature. It took the offering carefully and began to eat again.

Luna was so engrossed in the badgewonk she barely heard the conversation behind her.

"I had no idea she sang that well," Harry said in a whisper.

"I didn't either," replied Ginny quietly.

"I knew," Narcissa said. "Did you know she can play piano just as well?"

Harry and Ginny looked at her and shook their heads, and then looked back at Luna in admiration.

Narcissa ran her hand down the back of Luna's head, stroking her hair. "This one is a treasure, always remember that." Luna looked up at her and smiled.

"Were you disappointed Draco wasn't a girl, Cissy?" Andromeda asked.

"Honestly, a little at first, but I wouldn't trade him for the world. Thank you for saving him, Harry. I..."

"Hey, I saved him; you saved me. There was a lot of saving going on this last year," said Harry with a chuckle.

"What's that in the cabinet?" Andromeda asked.

For the first time they noticed that the badgewonk hadn't been alone. A small stone statue resided in the cabinet with it.

"Luna, can we take that out of the cabinet, or will he attack if we try?" asked Harry.

"She, Harry. She's female," Luna corrected. "They are guardians, but you're master of the house so she should defer to you." She looked at the badgewonk. "This is Harry. He's the master of the house, and he would like to have the object you protect."

The badgewonk looked Harry up and down, and apparently decided he was entitled. With what sounded like a contented sigh it shoved its way into Luna's lap and continued to pluck bits from the shrinking piece of meat it held.

Luna laughed a little. "I believe that was a yes."

Harry, having learned never to touch something without thoroughly checking it out first, put on a glove, knelt next to the cabinet, and retrieved what appeared to be an idol of an elf.

"Anyone know what this is?" he asked.

No one did, so Harry tucked it into the bag they had brought for just this kind of occurrence, and looked around the room.

"You think we're done here?" he asked Andromeda.

"Well, that's the only locked cabinet, and I think it's ready for Teddy in a year or so. Yes I think we're done here." She replied.

"This is a great room for kids. I can't wait to see it used," said Ginny. "You two were so lucky."

"It wasn't entirely magnanimous on Aunt Walburga's part; she mostly didn't want Sirius and Regulus playing in the rest of the house; even then it wasn't particularly safe for kids. That's why she put them up here at the top of the house, probably trying to keep them as far from the tombs as possible." Andromeda said.

"Tombs? What tombs?" asked Harry.

Narcissa and Andromeda looked at each other and turned to Harry.

"The Black family tombs are below the house. Sirius didn't mention that either?" Narcissa asked.

"Not to any of us," said Harry. "Well that should be interesting. How do you get to them?"

"The arch at the back of the pantry," said Andromeda.

"She seems to be sated, but I'm a bit peckish," said Luna from the floor. "If you don't mind I think I'll head down for lunch. May I take Pelly with me?"

"Pelly?" Ginny asked.

"It's her name. She told me." Luna said.

Ginny nodded. She was sure Luna was right. Luna's sensitivity was astonishing at times.

"Yeah, I could eat. Let's all take a break," said Harry.

They turned for the stairs, and as Luna rose to her feet the badgewonk let out a little sigh and headed for the cabinet.

"You don't have to go back in there," said Luna. "Come on, Pelly, come with us."

The badgewonk looked up at her with obvious glee and pranced around her feet. Luna reached down and stroked its back. "I'm happy you're coming too," she said.