As Harry and Hermione began to follow the professor up the grand staircase, as soon as they were apart from any of the students moving about on the stairs, the Professor looked to Harry and said, "I apologise for interrupting your conversation, Lord Potter. I thought, once Miss Johnson had departed, your conversation had ended."
"Apology accepted, Professor Babbage," he immediately replied. "However, you should know, both Miss Johnson and Mister MacMillan before her were both interrupting the same conversation that had started between Miss Granger and me and Heir Longbottom almost as soon as I sat. You were just the third to do so."
She just gave a nod and small smile back. So, Harry knew she wasn't too upset about it; unlike how McGonagall would have reacted - with a snooty huff.
Once on the fifth floor she led them along the main corridor in a part of the castle Harry did not often traverse and to quite the fancy wide wooden door. It was almost half again wide as a normal door; about the same width as one of the doors into the Great Hall from the entrance hall, but nowhere near as tall. In the past, he'd normally be one floor up when heading for the Gryffindor tower.
An auror seemed to be standing watch opposite it; watching both directions and the door, itself.
Entering after the Professor, Harry was surprised to see the floor change from bare stone to a carpet runner along a long and wide corridor. There were also skylights in the ceiling, letting in natural sunlight, and silver brackets along the wall just above head height containing gas lamps. The skylights had to be magical, course; as there was another two floors directly above this one.
She walked down past about four doors on either side before she arrived at one numbered '9'.
Turning back to slightly face them, she indicated it and said, "This is it. Lord Potter, you need to claim it as your own by placing your wand hand palm flat on the door, pushing a little with your magic and claiming it."
Harry gave her a nod and put his hand on the door and 'pushed'. "I am Lord Harrison James Potter. I claim this suite for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter."
Harry felt his palm tingle a little before he 'felt' the acceptance.
As he stepped away, the professor said, "Now you, Miss Granger. You just announce yourself and Lord Potter has to again put his hand on the door and announce you're granted access."
Hermione stepped forward, putting her own hand on the door, and firmly said, "I am Hermione Jean Granger, betrothed of Lord Harrison James Potter."
Then she removed her hand and stepped back giving her palm a scratch with her off hand as she did so.
Harry then stepped forward and put his hand back. "I am Lord Harrison James Potter, I grant Hermione Jean Granger access as my betrothed."
As Harry stepped back again, the professor gave a nod and said, "The suite, or apartment, is now keyed to only allow the two of you access. If anyone else touches the doorknob they'll be stunned and the staff will be alerted to that.
"You need to open the door first, Lord Potter."
Harry stepped forward again, gripped the door-handle and gave it a twist before then giving it a push. The door swung inwards and away.
"In you go," said the professor.
As Harry walked through the doorway and inside, Hermione followed right behind; then the Professor. He was surprised to also see the auror, who had been standing guard outside, also step in and begin casting detection charms about the place.
'Really?' he thought, not knowing Hermione was also thinking pretty much the same thing.
Both Dobby and Betsy then appeared with twin flashes and big smiles on their small faces.
"Master Harry! Miss-tress Herm'nee! Welcome!" said an excited Dobby.
The Professor gave a quiet cough to catch their attention.
When both teens immediately turned around and looked towards her, she said, "I'll leave you to quickly explore. Classes start in a little over fifteen minutes and I believe you both have a double of Transfiguration, then morning tea, then a double of Herbology before lunch."
"Thank you, Professor," said Hermione.
"Yes, thank you, Professor," added Harry.
The Professor gave a small smile before she let herself out, pulling the door shut behind her.
As both turned back, Harry looked at Dobby and said, "How about a quick tour? Then we need to collect our books and go."
Less than five minutes later, both teens were walking out, pulling the door shut behind them.
Dobby and Betsy had both loaded their book satchels with the right texts, ink, quills and sufficient parchment.
Hermione looked to Harry and said, "Wow! I don't know what your room is like, but mine feels like 'five star'!"
"The same," he grinned. "We need to bring the others up here, especially Neville, so he can see what it's like, first hand."
"You, too, can live like this?" she smirked.
"Exactly," he grinned.
She gave a nod and said, "We'd best hurry. As Professor Babbling said, we have Transfiguration first, so at least we only have to drop down one floor. But, we'll still be late if we don't get a wriggle-on." Beginning to fret a little, she added, "Ooohh... I hope the new Professor is as good at teaching as Professor McGonagall was."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
The apartment had, as promised, three bedrooms; with each having its own ensuite. The apartment started with a central common room. From that led four doors and an arch. Each of three of the doors led to a bedroom and the fourth led to an office. The arch led to a combined kitchenette with a small dining table that could seat six at a squeeze.
The entire apartment was lavishly appointed though seriously out of date, as expected. However, all the furniture appeared in almost pristine condition and little wear appeared anywhere.
Harry's trunk, his entire collection of personal effects at that, were set up in the clearly master bedroom. Hermione's were in the next largest sized room and Harry was surprised to see just how much stuff was in there.
"How, on Earth, did Betsy manage to fit all that into your trunk?" asked a shocked Harry.
She gave him a wry grin and replied, "She didn't. She got rid of my trunk and replaced it with a, as she claims, 'Noble Ladies' Travelling Trunk' from Pottermore. The inside is wizard-spaced like you wouldn't believe.
"Oh, and that was why I had that loud exclamation, this morning," she blushed, "When you raced upstairs to find out what was wrong, I'd noticed my walk-in wardrobe was basically bare. Betsy had managed to pack the lot."
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