Harry led his chitchatting guests from a clearing that served as a convenient Apparition point and deeper into the forest. The trail was mushy after spring rains, but not too badly so, and the distance wasn't great. If one knew where to look, the tower's slanted spire could already be seen between the treetops.

"I reckon I see it now," Sirius said, craning his neck.

Tony, Cedric, Malfoy, and Hermione all quieted and followed his gaze. Su sent Harry an excited look before grasping his hand and pulling him onward. Grinning at her enthusiasm, he followed her along the curving trail until they emerged in another glade and the tower appeared before them in all its glory.

Rugged walls of unassuming grey stone rose four storeys to projecting battlements capped with a wide-brimmed, cone-shaped roof, whose slightly bent spire peaked above the surrounding trees. Small rounded balconies supported by corbels were attached to some of the upper storeys. The windows were latticed and narrow to keep true to the look, but that was only from the outside.

Harry gave the tower a fond once-over and faced the group. His anticipatory smile lessened at the distinct lack of awe on their faces. "There it is. Built to order by questionably legal Eastern European labor and enchanted by yours truly. Not that there's any magic holding this baby up—just good old English stone."

"It's... very nice, Harry," Hermione said neutrally.

"Just nice? Come on, give me your honest impressions. Anything that stands out?" He grinned at her expectantly.

"Um..." Hermione appeared a little panicked as her eyes roved the tower. "The roof—it's very unusual, isn't it?" Her brows furrowed. "Is it meant to sag like that?"

Cedric tilted his head back. "Sort of looks like a pointy hat."

"Well spotted!" Harry said happily. "Pretty cool, right? Got that wizardly motif going and all."

"It looks like some weird mushroom to me." Hermione winced at his fading smile. "Sorry, you asked for honesty."

Scowling, Harry turned to the others.

"Well, it's certainly big," Tony said innocently. "Stone-hard, too."

Sirius barked a laugh. "I did ask if he wasn't compensating for something."

"Yeah, yeah, very witty," Harry grumbled. "You guys suck."

Hermione pursed her lips. "You have to admit, building yourself a tower in the middle of nowhere is unconventional."

"The Lovegoods live in a tower," he said, crossing his arms.

Hermione sent him a flat look. "The Lovegoods aren't exactly the epitome of normalcy."

Harry shook his head; this lot were a lost cause. He looked hopefully at Su, who was staring at the tower with—yes, now there was the awe he had been looking for.

"You like it?" he asked, a little anxious.

She turned his way and breathed, "It's brilliant."

"It is?" He beamed. "I mean, yeah, of course it's brilliant! Designed it myself and all. Just wait till you see inside." He took off toward the entrance.

Tony caught up to him and fell in step. "Gotta say, though, it's more restrained than I expected. No spikes, no skulls, not even a glowy crystal or two? I don't know if I'm relieved or disappointed."

"I was going for that understated look," Harry said in the tone of an expert. "All sophisticated like." He pointedly ignored the snort behind his back.

"How much did this monstrosity cost you, Potter?" Malfoy piped up, eyeing the tower speculatively. "Cheap labor or not, I imagine building something like this would set you back quite an amount."

"Er, you know..." He lowered his voice. "About twenty thousand."

"Muggle pounds, right?" Malfoy asked with a note of hope.

"Galleons, obviously." He ended up going over his budget—a couple of times, in fact—but the result was worth it, if he could say so himself.

Malfoy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Twenty thousand... That's insane. For that much, you could've bought yourself a mansion."

"Bah." Harry jogged up the seven stone steps that lead to a sturdy front door and drew his wand. "You'll change your tune when we go to war with the goblins and your fancy manor lies in shambles while I laugh as I rain fiery death upon them from my battlements."

"Don't be ridiculous," Malfoy scoffed. "Goblin relations are better than they've been in centuries."

"So that's what the public thinks," Su murmured offhandedly.

"What do you mean? Does your department know something we don't?" Draco laughed nervously as the silence stretched on. "Please tell me you're joking, Li."

"I'm joking," she deadpanned.

"Thank god." Malfoy eyed Su's inscrutable expression before leaning in to whisper to Harry. "She is joking, right?"

Harry laughed as he tapped the iron studs on the reinforced door in a special pattern until the lock clicked and it swung inward. He waved everyone through, gave the overgrown glade a critical look, and stepping inside, shut the door.

Smokeless sconces mounted on mortared stone walls lit up of their own accord. A hardwood-floored hallway led to a spiral staircase at the center of the tower before opening into a kitchen that took up most of the ground floor. Two doors along the way opened into a cupboard and a bathroom.

Harry inhaled deeply and smiled at the faint smell of varnish and fresh wood. "Alright, grab some slippers and come on in."

Half a dozen sets of feet pattered across the floor to follow him into the kitchen. The semicircle-shaped room was illuminated by windows that were markedly larger than the slits on the outside.

Hermione hefted a small bag. "I brought some food."

"Brilliant, thanks." Harry took it off her hands and laid it on the counter.

Su produced a fabric-wrapped package. "Me too."

"Cheers, Su." Smiling, he put it next to Hermione's.

Malfoy coughed and offered him a large dark bottle. "Congratulations on moving in, Potter," he said stiffly.

"Aww, Draco, you shouldn't have!" Harry spread his arms for a hug, but Malfoy only stared at him as if he had grown another head, so he settled for a double-handed handshake. "Seriously, that's so sweet of you."

"You're welcome—er, that's quite enough." Malfoy extricated his hand and took a step backward as if fearing Harry would pounce on him.

Su pouted. "Why such a difference in treatment?"

"Because it annoys him." Grinning, he curled an arm around her slim waist and pecked her on the cheek. "Grab a drink from the fridge if you want, and I'll give you a tour."

Sirius and Tony promptly took him up on his offer and raided the refrigerator, while Cedric eyed the Muggle contraption curiously. "You have electricity here?"

"What am I, a barbarian?" he said indignantly. "'Course I have electricity. It's partly why this cost me so much—undergrounding utilities isn't cheap. Anyway, come on up." He made for the spiral staircase, his steps thudding hollowly as he passed over a hidden trapdoor into the basement.

Everyone trooped to the first floor. At a twirl of Harry's wand, the curtains on the windows parted, and daylight flooded into a vast circular room with a large fireplace, curved bookshelves, cushy armchairs, and a sturdy writing desk. A wedge-shaped part of the room that was separated from the rest by sleek glass shelves housed his Muggle paraphernalia.

He swept his arms out. "Living room and study."

"Not bad, not bad at all." Draco walked up to pat his basilisk-hide couch appreciatively. "Too bad the Muggle toys ruin the atmosphere."

"Not everyone can live like it's the eighteenth century," he said without malice. "I have to, like, keep up with the news and educate myself on the current issues."

"That's really admirable," Hermione said, wandering off to his Muggle corner. "It's hard to believe how out of touch wizards can..." She trailed off as she took in the figurines inside the display shelves. "This is, um, quite a collection."

Harry graciously inclined his head. "Thank you."

"Oh, did you get some new ones?" Tony joined Hermione by the shelves and shamelessly stooped to peek under the dress of a blonde girl eating a donut. "No band-aid? Talk about not staying faithful to canon."

Hermione's brow knitted as she regarded the figurine in question. "This girl is hardly wearing anything, and she looks rather... young."

"It's okay," Su said. "She's actually five hundred years old."

Harry glanced at her suspiciously, but she appeared perfectly serious. "Well, she is," he said defensively. "Five hundred and ninety-eight, to be exact."

Hermione sent him a skeptical look before resuming her inspection. "If you say so. Um, what about this one? She's literally naked besides covering herself with her tail."

"You can't apply human standards to a harvest deity." Forcing his lips into a smile, he walked up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Let's move on, shall we?"

Hermione cast an inquisitive glance back at the shelves but allowed herself to be ushered toward the staircase. When he trudged upstairs, she fell back to engage Su in a hushed conversation. He made a mental note to steer Padma away from his collection when he invited her after her trip to the Netherlands. Wouldn't want to shatter her innocent pureblood mind.

"Bedrooms and a bathroom," he said on the second floor. "Not much to see here."

Sirius stuck his head through the bathroom door and whistled. "That's practically a swimming pool."

Su stood on her tiptoes to peek over his shoulder. "Looks familiar."

Harry's gaze lingered on her stockinged legs under the hem of her robes. "Modeled it after the Prefect's Bathroom, minus the pesky enchanted steam." He dropped his voice. "Fancy giving it, uh, a trial run tonight?"

The corners of her mouth quirked up as she faced him and gave a slight nod. Sirius smirked and opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say was cut off by an exclamation from the master bedroom.

"What is that?"

"It's called a body pillow, Diggory," Malfoy said in a knowing tone. "One that Potter happens to be unhealthily attached to."

Questioning his decision to invite the normies, Harry traipsed over to find Cedric staring at the seven meters of clean and soft—if slightly faded—lamia coiled atop his bed.

"Did no one tell you it's rude to gawk at another man's waifu?" Sending the lamia an affectionate look, he gently shut the bedroom door. "Let's go up."

The third floor only had stacks of unopened or empty boxes, abandoned construction tools, and an ornate bird perch, currently unoccupied.

"I'm thinking of building something like a runic workshop here," he said, his voice echoing in the empty space. "Maybe a potions laboratory."

"Didn't take you for a potioneer," Malfoy remarked.

He shrugged. "I just figured a proper wizard tower has to have a potion lab. You know, for the ambience. Creepy ingredients in dusty jars, glowy liquids, fancy bottles, all that jazz."

Su nodded emphatically.

He sent her a surprised look before grinning. "Then it's decided. Now let's go to the roof—I've got something cool to show you."

He climbed the stairs in semi-darkness until his raised hand wedged against a trapdoor. Grunting, he pushed it open. Light streamed in, and a cool wind howled down the staircase. He stepped out into the battlements under the sloped roof and waited for the others to make their way up.

"Check these out," he said, gesturing at the openings in the floor before the merlons. "Machicolations, for when the enemy gets close! Brilliant, isn't it?"

Hermione leaned forward to peer at the distant ground. "Seems a bit dangerous."

"Pfft. To any fool assaulting this place, maybe."

Crouching before a crenel, Sirius took a slurp from the can of pop he had appropriated. "Shame the roof blocks the view."

"Oh, ye of little faith." Harry produced his wand. "Is this a magical tower or not? Hold on to your hats."

He swished his wand. A vertical seam appeared across the roof, widening with a whir of unseen gears until one half of the roof slid over the other to a chorus of suitably impressed oohs and aahs.

He inhaled the crisp air and swept his gaze over the landscape. To the right, the expanse of trees stretched toward the horizon, only broken up by a nearby stream. To the left, the forest eventually gave way to fields, and the spire of the church at Godric's Hollow was just visible behind the treetops.

"Figured I could put a telescope here or whatever," he said, turning to the others. "And it's a large enough landing spot for any flight-minded guests."

Tony said in an undertone, "Do you reckon..."

He smiled wistfully. "Just in case."

Hermione furrowed her brows. "Flight-minded guests?"

"Just a figure of speech," Harry said nonchalantly.

Tony looked out into the forest. "The view is nice, I admit, but I never expected you of all people to want to live in the woods."

He pulled a face. "Compromises had to be made. I planned on London, but Muggles would never leave something disguised as an abandoned water tower alone, and I'd have to be careful about magic. Out here, I still have everything I need and civilization is just one Apparition away."

"Now you're thinking like a wizard," Draco said. "It's beyond me why anyone would willingly cram themselves into those beehives Muggles call cities."

"You sound like my dear mother," Sirius said, chuckling. "Not a day passed without her ranting about Muggles, yet moving out never crossed her mind. I'm convinced she loved having a steady supply of things to bitch about." Shielding his eyes, he peered at the spire in the distance. His expression softened as he faced Harry. "I never expected you to actually go and do this. Can't say I understand, but I'm happy that you're happy."

Harry smiled. "Cheers, Sirius."

Sirius clapped him on the shoulder. "Now, can I get a decent drink in this house? This"—he glanced at his can—"Dr. Pepper is rotting my teeth as we speak."

"The drink of intellectuals is wasted on you," Harry said, shaking his head ruefully. "There's butterbeer down in the pantry. And, uh, water." At Sirius's unimpressed look, he added, "It's good for you."

"Slim pickings, isn't it?" Sirius glanced at Malfoy. "What was that you brought?"

"Elf wine." Malfoy stuck up his nose. "Decade-old vintage."

"It'll have to do." Brightening, Sirius started for the trapdoor. "Let's crack it open and see if Malfoys' cellar deserves its reputation."

"Allow me to handle it," Malfoy said, hurrying after him. "It should be aerated before drinking."

"So it's a really fancy wine?" Hermione asked, sounding intrigued. "I want to see this."

The three of them filed down the trapdoor. Tony glanced at Harry, then at Su, who was leaning on the battlements, and followed suit with a grin. Su didn't seem to have noticed the others leave as she watched the forest with a dreamy expression, the wind tugging at her ponytail.

Walking up to her, Harry hugged her from behind and inhaled the flowery scent of her hair. She gave a soft noise of startlement before leaning into him.

"You seem to like the place," he said.

"Mm."

"Not to complain, but how come? I almost expected you to make fun of it like those plebeians."

She cast him a fleeting glance. "It's silly."

"Oh? Now I have to hear it." He smirked and tightened his hold. "I'm not letting go until you tell me."

She wriggled in his arms and pouted in mock resignation. "I used to sneak mother's romance novels to read under the sheets. One I found particularly... memorable." Her cheeks pinkened as she gazed into the distance. "It was about a farm girl who went into a forest to gather herbs for her sick mother. An evil wizard caught her stealing from his garden, and she ended up serving in his tower to pay him back."

He snorted. "Oh, it's one of those. Let me guess: the wizard was totally handsome, she melted his cold heart, yada yada, they lived happily ever after."

She heaved a sigh. "Something like that." Disengaging from his embrace, she headed for the trapdoor without a backward glance.

Furrowing his brows, he followed her downstairs. What had her so miffed? He opened his mouth but couldn't think of what to say, and before he knew it, they arrived at the kitchen, where the others were already sipping the wine.

Su unwrapped the package she had brought and laid out some finger foods, which everyone dug into with gusto. Hermione's vegan offerings were less well-received, although Tony munched gamely on the cauliflower nuggets while nodding to her lecture on the unsustainability of the meat industry.

Harry tried to catch Su's eye as he got more plates out of the cupboard. Her inscrutable dark eyes met his, and she pinched a spring roll off a plate and proffered it to him. Maybe she wasn't upset after all.

He made a show of crunching down on it. "That's delicious."

She smiled selected another morsel. "Try a steamed bun."

"Mm..." He sucked in air through his mouth to cool the generous bite he had taken. "Nice."

She tutted and dabbed at the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief.

"Ugh," Tony said, "at least you two had the decency to wait until after Hogwarts before getting together. I'd barf if I had to watch this every day."

Harry grabbed a roll and chucked it at Tony, who ducked with a snort. A cold shiver went down his back, and he turned to find Su glaring at him. "Sorry. Force of habit—won't happen again."

She contemplated him, then nodded and offered him another roll. He exhaled in relief and stooped to eat it from her hand, causing her eyes to crinkle in amusement.

"Well, it's obvious who's wearing the trousers in that relationship," Sirius quipped.

Harry flipped him the bird amid general laughter and swallowed the roll. His gaze lingered on Cedric, who had been staring at his half-filled glass without so much as cracking a smile.

"Why the long face? Don't tell me you're getting jitters about our exhibition game."

"Huh?" Cedric lifted his gaze and blinked. "Oh. No, just—just a little distracted, is all."

"Well, you better shape up," Malfoy said snootily. "I put ten Galleons on your team winning by at least fifty points."

"Betting on a charity match? Bad form, mate." Sirius leaned closer and dropped his voice. "What are the odds?"

"Without handicaps, two to one in Puddlemere's favor," Malfoy said. "Can you believe the bookies are rating Potter's ragtag celebrity team that high? There's bank to be made."

Harry crossed his arms. "If you bet on us, maybe. Bagman still has a decent arm on him, believe it or not. He'll keep their Chasers busy long enough for me to trounce this bloke." He jabbed his thumb at Cedric. "No offense."

Cedric laughed nervously. "Go easy on me, mate."

"You can't be serious," Malfoy scoffed. "Potter hasn't played for years, never mind professionally. Stop making me nervous, Diggory."

"Right." Cedric considered his glass, downed it in a couple of gulps, and sprang to his feet. "You know what, I better go."

Harry frowned. "But you just got here."

"Got to rest up before the match," Cedric said, shaking his hand. "Thanks again for inviting me. It's a nice house—um, tower."

He groaned. "Man, Cho's got you by the balls, doesn't she?"

"She's not..." Cedric grimaced. "Something like that. Can I use your Floo?"

"Sure," he said, sighing, "it's just upstairs."

He preceded Cedric up one floor and fired up the Floo. Cedric stepped toward the shimmering emerald flames before pausing.

"Just out of curiosity," he said, "that potion I took... is it possible to redo it? Try for a different animal?"

"If only," Harry said mournfully. "Hang on, why would you want to—"

"Never mind," Cedric said, and stepped into the grate. "See you at the game." Murmuring his destination, he vanished in a whoosh.

Harry frowned at the emerald flames in puzzlement until Sirius's roaring laughter drifted from downstairs. Shrugging, he went to rejoin the others.

It was dark by the time the party winded down and the guests gathered before the fireplace. Sirius bid Harry an emotional farewell, which he returned good-naturedly. After expressing dismay at the state of Harry's (nonexistent) drink cabinet, his godfather had gone to fetch some Firewhisky and valiantly led the effort to finish it, leaving him quite tipsy.

Tony entered the grate alongside Hermione, who was talking his ear off about one pressing issue or another, and they left together, ostensibly to continue their conversation at her place. Under different circumstances, Harry would've found the development intriguing, but given that Su had gone upstairs to run the bath, he was somewhat preoccupied.

The moment the emerald flames died down, he turned around and started for the staircase, only to halt and stare at Malfoy, who was lounging on the basilisk couch.

"You're still here?"

"Evidently," Malfoy drawled, rising to his feet. "Let's get down to business, Potter. We both know why you invited me to your little get-together."

"We do?" he said blankly.

Malfoy eyed him as if to gauge whether he was serious. "The elf? Don't tell me you've forgotten."

"Oh, that." Harry chuckled as Malfoy gave him an incredulous look. "Er, I haven't forgotten. I just trust you not to go back on your word."

Malfoy nodded self-importantly. "As you should. I've discussed the matter with him, and he's... excited at the prospect. Eager to move in and start working for you." He cleared his throat. "Dobby!"

With a soft pop, a child-sized creature with pointy ears and protuberant green eyes appeared before Malfoy. The eyes darted around and grew even wider as they landed on Harry.

"Harry Potter," Dobby said, clasping his spindly hands together. "Dobby is honored to be meeting you again."

"Yes, yes, you'll be able to sing praises to Potter all you want in a minute," Draco said irritably. "What do you think? Will you be alright living in a new place like this?"

Dobby's head whipped side to side, his pencil-thin nose quivering. "The house is too clean, too fresh to have memories..." As if catching himself, he whirled toward Harry. "But it feels sturdy and strong and very wizardly, Dobby thinks!"

Harry grinned. "Good eye, titch."

Draco released a breath. "Then you may come work here." He looked at Harry. "What do you call this place, anyway?"

"Er, I told the Floo witches to keep it as 'Grate Two Thousand Five Hundred Ninety-Six' until I come up with something cool. Does it matter?"

"It's not overly important," Draco said, "but house-elves love homes with history and character. You can't just give this place history, but a name might help for starters."

If Harry had any doubts about the veracity of Malfoy's words, one glance at Dobby was enough to dispel them. The titch was trembling with excitement as he peered up at him.

"Uh, wow, let me think," he said. "Warlock's Tower would be a little on the nose... Arcane Abode? Alliteration's fashionable these days... Grey Obelisk? Lone Spire?" He looked dubiously at Dobby, who tugged on his ears looking like he wanted to speak. "What's up with you?"

"Doesn't like your names, I expect," Draco said. "Elves have a feeling for such things."

"Oh," he said, a little hurt. Dobby shifted on his feet, and realizing he had unconsciously leveled a frown at him, Harry forced his face to smooth out. "What's wrong with them, exactly?"

Dobby fidgeted. "None of them are right, Harry Potter sir."

"It's up to you to decide in the end," Malfoy interjected. "Naming Seers say there's only one appropriate name for everyone and everything, but hardly anyone bothers to consult them these days." He thrust out his hand. "I believe we're done here."

"Alright," Harry said thoughtfully, shaking it. "Thanks, Draco."

Malfoy grimaced. "We had a deal. Just... take care of him." Turning around, he marched toward the fireplace.

Harry considered his stiff posture. "Draco? Don't tell me you actually care—"

"Shut up, Potter," Malfoy said thickly as he palmed some Floo powder. "Malfoy Manor!"

Dobby bowed and did not straighten up until the roar of flames died down. "Young master was not a bad master," he said. "But working for the great Harry Potter has been Dobby's dream for years—ever since Dobby met sir all those years ago and learned of his greatness first-hand."

"Aha!" Harry smacked his fist against his palm. "I knew I'd seen you somewhere! You stole my mail back then, didn't you?"

Dobby clenched his toga-like uniform—a much cleaner one than Harry recalled him wearing years back. "Dobby was foolish for ever doubting Harry Potter. Had Dobby known sir would turn the bad snake into furniture, Dobby would have never tried to block his mail and hurt him."

"Yeah, I showed that overgrown—hang on, hurt me?"

Dobby nodded. "So that sir would be sent away from Hogwarts and the bad snake. Dobby is very sorry."

"It was you?" he said slowly. "When a suit of armor fell on me and Snape took ten points for molesting the castle furnishings?"

Dobby's brow knitted in thought before he happily exclaimed, "It was, sir!"

Scowling, Harry advanced on him. "The time I slipped in the Great Hall and face-planted into a gravy boat right in front of the upper-year girls?"

Dobby opened his mouth, only to gulp at the look on Harry's face and nod jerkily.

He stepped closer, looming over the elf. "When I was sneaking around the girls' showers down in the Quidditch locker room, tripped on the hem of my cloak, and nearly got caught?"

Dobby went still as a statue. "That... wasn't Dobby, sir."

"Oh." Harry blinked and lowered the hands he had been extending toward the cowering elf. "Never mind, then." That failure had been particularly disappointing at the time.

Dobby released a shaky breath. "Harry Potter is most kind. But why was sir sneaking around the witches' showers?"

He snorted. "Isn't it obvious?" Judging by the perplexed tilt of Dobby's head, it wasn't. So naive. "Er, the lock on the door was broken, so I was guarding them from perverts. Can't be too careful."

"Harry Potter is a great wizard," Dobby said, staring at him with adoration.

If Harry felt any guilt about lying (except about the lock—he played a part in its demise), it faded under the praise. "Sure am. Anyway, let's find you a place to settle in, shall we?" He pursed his lips. "Would you prefer the basement or the third floor?"

"Dobby likes high places," the house-elf chirped.

"Third floor it is, then."

Dobby nodded vigorously. "New master is the best!"

He preened. "I am pretty awesome, aren't I?"

"The very awesomest, Harry Potter sir!"

"Cheers, titch." He made for the staircase with Dobby in tow. "Take it easy tonight. Explore the place if you want... uh, except the second floor, stay away from there."

"Dobby will do so. Dobby is honored to be serving the greatest wizard of his age!"

"Alright, alright, let's tone it down a little," Harry said modestly. "Keep the gratuitous flattery to three, maybe four times a day? Wouldn't want it to get old."

Dobby was silent for a minute as he hopped up the stairs. "Dobby wants five, and Dobby tries to invent new ways every week."

"You've got yourself a deal."