Harry Potter and Claire Smith's Adventures: Book Four

First Day at Grimmauld Place

Chapter 1: First Day at Grimmauld Place

It was a hot summer morning at Grimmauld Place. It had been a day since Claire had arrived there. The sun seemed to shine brightly through the windows, bringing in much needed light into the run-down, dark house. Claire couldn't help but feel as though the clear blue sky and bright sun were taunting her. You see, while most kids would be out enjoying the fresh summer air, Claire was stuck inside cleaning. She was dressed in a pair of ripped, stained jeans, a short-sleeved black shirt, and beat-up black combat boots. Her long brown curly hair was pulled into her normal hairstyle of a ponytail. She was currently in the living room trying to clean the windows. Claire swore she'd been cleaning the same spot on the window for at least half an hour.

"C'mon," Claire muttered furiously trying to get the stain off the window. "Get off already."

"You know, the first sign that you're insane is that you start talking to inanimate objects," came the voice of her uncle Sirius Black.

"Insane is a strong word, I prefer the words mentally creative," Claire said absentmindedly, still attempting to remove the stain.

After a few more seconds, Claire groaned in frustration.

"I give up!" Claire threw the dirty rag on the floor. "That stain is evil! It doesn't even look like I got a smudge off it! Remind me again why we can't use magic to clean the house?"

"Well," Sirius began, "Your mother is the only one here who can legally use magic. Besides she said it builds character,"

"The only thing that should have character is a house. Building character is so boring!" Claire complained, flopping down onto the tattered black sofa. "Aren't summers suppose to be fun?"

Sirius chuckled. "Not when we have a whole house to get in order."

"I don't see you cleaning," Claire said.

"Well, I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions. Carina is my sister, not my mother. Therefore, I don't have to listen to her." Sirius said simply.

"Don't have to listen to me, eh?" Carina walked into the room.

"Oh, Carina," Sirius's voice slightly crack. "How long have you been standing there?"

Carina rolled her eyes. "Long enough to know that if you don't start cleaning something in the next ten seconds I'll turn you into a broom and sweep the floor with you,"

There was a loud bang from upstairs and the smell of smoke filled the air. Carina groaned in frustration.

"I told him not to work on the TARDIS. Does no one listen?" Carina said.

"FLITHY BLOOD TRAITORS AND HALF-BREEDS IN MY HOUSE!" A shrilly voice echoed throughout the house.

"What is that?" Claire said, covering her ears.

"That is your grandma," Carina said, marching upstairs.

"She sounds lovely," Claire said sarcastically. "I thought she was dead?"

"She is, but there's a portrait of her upstairs." Sirius stated.

"You haven't tried to take it down?" Claire asked.

"Tried?" Sirius scoffed. "That's an understatement. She's magically glued to the wall."

"Why don't you use a silencing charm on her or something?" Claire suggested.

Sirius smiled brightly. "Of course! I don't know why we didn't think about that before."

Sirius disappeared upstairs. Claire then heard her mom yell, "Claire, go check on your father!"