Harry shook his head and didn't continue to think about it, instead directing his gaze elsewhere.
Carpets, tables, chairs, lights, fireplaces... He had never seen any of these things before, yet he felt a profound sense of familiarity as if they had always been hidden in his memory and were only being unearthed today.
It wasn't just Harry; others experienced a momentary haze when they entered, but thankfully someone quickly remembered their real purpose.
"Hurry up!" Mr. Weasley clapped his hands, "Don't forget, guests arrive at seven."
His words reminded everyone.
This house hadn't been lived in for over a decade; without the aid of memories, there was suddenly a lot to do.
First was the unbearable moldy smell and all the dust, as if someone had dumped a whole bag of flour around the room.
You could say the state here was even worse than the first time they went to No. 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Sirius!" Mrs. Weasley frowned, "Did you really not clean this place even once after buying it?"
Sirius said nothing.
That was obvious; he didn't dare to go near Godric's Hollow, so how could he possibly come here to clean?
"No problem, as long as we're quick, two hours should be enough." Mr. Weasley took out his wand, waved it lightly at the table before him.
"Scourgify."
The dust on the table was immediately caught up by a whirlwind and carried outside; simultaneously, the wind dispelled some of the room's odors.
The others followed suit, using the Scouring Charm to clean the room.
Yet they all tacitly avoided the three-person portrait on the wall, leaving it for Harry.
On it, there was a couple, James and Lily, holding a newborn baby, but at this point, the baby's forehead was still without the ugly scar.
"Cover your face." Mrs. Weasley instinctively bypassed Harry and handed two bottles of black liquid to Ron and Hermione.
They all knew what that was—Doxy Eraser—and didn't expect she brought it here too.
"This house has been vacant for ten years; these pests must have overrun it," Mrs. Weasley said, "Hurry and get moving, Fred, George, if you continue lazing around, go home!"
"Okay, Mum, we'll help right away..."
"Just don't throw us out."
"But give us three more minutes..."
"We've got something to show Harry."
Fred and George peeked delightfully from the upstairs, "Hurry up, Harry, we've got something you're absolutely going to love."
Harry shifted his gaze from the portrait and ascended the stairs with a hint of doubt.
Fred and George stood shoulder to shoulder, and as Harry approached, they simultaneously moved aside revealing a hidden baby's crib.
"We guess this must be yours..."
"Unless you have a sister..."
"Or a brother..."
"Or a sister..."
"But preferably not a younger brother."
"Just look at Ron, he really doesn't ease our minds."
Fred and George joked cheerfully; if it were usual times, Harry might have laughed, but right now he couldn't hear a word, instinctively walking over.
The baby crib had been cleaned in advance, lined with a velvet cushion matching the sofa, above it, a seashell wind chime hung as decoration.
Harry stared intently, occasionally reaching out to touch it.
As for Fred and George, they had slipped away without a sound, finding Kael downstairs as he searched through something near the curtains.
"What are you looking for?"
"Doxy," Kael replied, "Nifflers love them; I'm collecting some as snacks."
"So if we had a dozen Nifflers, we wouldn't need to clean?" George asked with a smile.
"They can't eat that many," Kael said without turning, placing two Doxies into a specially-made box.
Luckily, this place was much smaller than the old Black mansion; everyone worked together for over an hour and finally cleaned the room thoroughly.
Yet gazing at the refreshed room, Sirius and Lupin were caught in memories again, falling into reminiscence.
"Sirius!"
Just then, Harry dashed downstairs excitedly.
"Can I live here after graduation?" Holding the seashell wind chime, he asked full of hope.
Harry initially thought Sirius would definitely agree, but surprisingly he decisively shook his head.
"No, Harry."
"Why?" Harry was taken aback, then shouted loudly, "This is my parents' house; why can't I live here."
"It used to be, but now it's mine," Sirius said, "I have the Magic Contract for this place."
"I'm willing to pay to buy it back," Harry said, "I have money; you can take whatever you want from my vault."
"I'm sorry," Sirius said stiffly, "I can give you anything, be it my vault or No. 12 Grimmauld Place, but not this."
"I..."
"Listen to me, Harry."
Harry wanted to say more, but Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off.
"You have your own life, a new life...this is a part of our memory," Sirius took a deep breath, "I ask you to leave it to me, alright?"