Lofty Mansions - Warm and Spacious

written by Eldis_

Wizarding Britain has plenty of wealth available. Who could have guessed that being able to perform magic results in cheaper and more productive labour? The Sacred 28, with their long bloodline of magic users, are the most infamous of the top-of-the-top. They have always been their own little bubble of affluence and luxury, but after the announcement of the dissolution of the Sacred 28 by the daughters and wives of those families, published in our Winter '21 edition, these previously inaccessible families have now started to mingle with us common folk. One source was able to inform the Quibbler that St Mungo's has received many more anonymous donations than in previous years, with the notes requesting the funding to go to further education and research rather than the building of impressive but little-used new wings, named after one of the families.

To further their campaign in making the families more approachable, and to end rumours surrounding their continual dabbling in the Dark Arts, Pansy Parkinson, fashion icon of 2021 and, even at her 43 years old, still a most desirable match, opened her doors to our reporters at the Quibbler.

Quibbler: “Hello, thank you so much for welcoming us into your home!”

Pansy Parkinson: “Welcome! Come in, come in, of course.” Q: “So, what prompted you and the other not-Sacred-28-anymore women to send the announcement of the dissolution to the Quibbler?” P: “Well, after everything that happened during the War, the Daily Prophet has lost most of its credibility. Everyone I talk to says they prefer the Quibbler to truly get their trustworthy news, even if it is mixed with- well, Xenophilius' original vision.”

Q: “Thank you, thank you. We truly pride ourselves on our reporting.” P: “In the last couple of years many of the supporters of the darker arts in our families have passed away and through their deaths lost the control they had over their families. Before you bring it up - yes, many of them did spend the last years of their lives in Azkaban, but that did not stop them from exerting their power over us. It is only recently that we have been able to claim our own agency. It was Narcissa Malfoy who was the first to realise this, and the rest is history!” Q: “And the rest is history indeed! Wait- wait, is that electricity?!?!” P: “So you noticed? Yes! In the past couple of years, I have been working really hard to have this mansion outfitted with the latest muggle technology. I have had the plumbing revised and added electricity, and I have solar panels. Did you know muggles can get energy from the sun? This house now runs completely without magic.”

Q: “That is quite the switch! Was that what you have been up to when you disappeared from the wizarding world?” P: “Well, partly.” By the time the conversation comes to this point, we have arrived in a wonderful sitting room. With large windows and many plants, it is hard to believe He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ever held meetings here. In fact, the yellow chairs, soft rug and dark-brown side tables make the room feel more like the Hufflepuff common room. The white curtains add to

the brightness of the place and the light yellow flowery wallpaper that only takes up the first one-third of the wall makes it both spacious and intimate. Wide, glass doors reveal a large patio outside, from which many paths lead into the gardens. As we take a seat on one of the comfortable clutches, a house-elf wearing a warm sweater pops into the room with two mugs of chamomile tea.

P: “Muffle earns fair wages, do not worry. I can do everything by myself, but his family has been in our family for so long that he wanted to stay. He is a free elf. You were wondering what I did when I disappeared for a few years?” Q: “If you're willing to share?!” P: “Yes, of course. After, well, everything, I came into contact with Mr Ashara at the Ministry. He helps Hogwarts graduates get the right papers to enrol in a muggle university. So that is what I did. I left my wand and magic behind during my entire academic career. It became– after the War, magic became tainted to me. I felt awful when using it, even for the smallest things. So many people– so many people lost their lives because they could not do those small things. So I left it all behind for a bit. It was a huge relief. I– Well, shall we continue the tour?" Parkinson gets up as she wipes away a tear. We continue the tour through the house, talking about little things. The living room is filled to the brim with books, a mixture of magical and muggle literature. Brönte's Wuthering Heights is placed next to Bunning's Witching Waterloo.

P: “The books are now more spread throughout the house. They used to be just in the library, 'the domain of the man of the house' and such nonsense. I have no need of any man in my house, I manage myself perfectly alone. There are still a lot of books in the library, of course, but there is more study room there now as well.”

In the dining room, rather than a large, imposing table we are so used to seeing in ancient wizrading houses, a smaller one takes up only a little room.

P: “We moved this wall so the dining room is smaller. I just live here on my own so I do not need such a long, dark table occupying the entire space. This table can be extended so it can seat more people for dinner parties, but for the day-to-day life that is not necessary. This also allowed me to extend the kitchen. That was so small! I do not know how the elves managed to prepare all the food for all the feasts my parents hosted. One of the architects who helped me with this project told me that it seemed like the kitchen was added more as an afterthought. I removed the carpet flooring in the dining room – no idea who came up with the idea of adding carpet flooring to a dining room! Even with magic that is a nightmare to keep clean. And the dark wood flooring that was underneath? I mean, look at it, it is gorgeous!” Q: “It is indeed very beautiful! And the silverware?” P: “All properly de-cursed. I got Gringrotts' best curse breakers on the case. And I had some of the silver melted down to be sold. There is a limit to the number of silver spoons one needs!”

Q: “What would your past self say, if she were to see you, and the house she grew up in, now?” P: “Oh! I think she would hate me. I know you were not at Hogwarts when I was there, so–” Q: “No I was not. but I did read the tellalls of a couple of students who did attend at that time. And, not to be rude, but they don't really portray you that kindly.”

P: “Oh, I was a nightmare. I truly believed my father's nonsense about pureblood superiority. I constantly kept awkwardly flirting with poor Draco because my mum wanted me to marry him. I do not even want to marry! Oh, I was a terrible bully. So when she would look at me now, she would be disgusted. I think she would call me a blood traitor and send a hex my way! It was really difficult for me to navigate the change between past me's values and those of current me. I went to therapy for it. A wonderful woman without magic, but with magical parents. She really helped.”

Q: “So she'd hate the house as we–” P: “No.” Q: “That was a confident, immediate answer!”

P: “Yes, I was never truly happy here. The halls were always so dark and damp, and it always smelled so musty. The first spell I could control as a child, even before I had a wand, was lumos. Just so I would not bump into a door!”

Parkinson laughs it off, but I can see in her eyes that there is some hurt there. With the white walls, wooden floors and occasional plants throughout the hallways, not to mention the warm lights coming from an electric, non-magical source, what she describes seems difficult to imagine. We continue the tour past several empty bedrooms. Well, not empty per se. They contain some basic, but charming and welcoming, furniture. P: “The rooms are empty now, but during the upcoming break they will be filled with Hogwarts students. After everything Mr Potter has told us about V– Vold–. I am sorry. I am trying but it is still difficult.”

Parkinson closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

“About Voldemort's youth, and his own youth, there has been more attention to the home environments of the students. I know we all say that Hogwarts is our home, but for some that is much more true than for others. I joined a couple of other wizards and witches in a recent project, setting up multiple places for kids who do not want to, or can not, go home during the summer and Christmas breaks. Anyone can sign themselves up, no questions asked. They can not stay at Hogwarts, the castle is way too large and the professors also deserve to have a break, so we are here to make sure they have a good and safe home to stay at. Each student gets their own private room, since they already have to share their sleeping quarters during the year. Having some privacy is very valuable. The upcoming summer break will be the first time this system is implemented, we are all very excited to see how it will go!” Q: “There are quite a lot of these rooms… Will there be a student in every single one of them?” P: “As of now, about 75% of the beds will be occupied. That includes not only children who are abused at home, but also a few who just want to join their friends here, some who stay here for only a couple of weeks as a summer break because their parents can not afford to travel abroad during their break, a few whose parents work a lot still… It is a really nice mix.” Q: “And will you take care of all of them? Alone??” P: “Oh no! Not alone! No, I am getting help from some of my friends and some Hogwarts graduates. We make sure we have at least one adult per three children, or one more recent Hogwarts graduate per two students. And we will occasionally have more supervisors when we go on trips. For this summer break, I can reveal that we will attend at least one Quidditch match and we will also visit both some wizarding-only and muggle-only villages. And we have much more fun things planned! It is sure to be an enjoyable break, that I can guarantee.” Q: “Ooh, that sounds like so much fun! And during Christmas break?" P: “Well, it is a bit too soon to start planning for that now, but Christmas break usually means a lot of studying, since the

test week is quite soon after it. We are thinking about hiring some extra tutors from the various wizarding universities to help the students out with whatever they need. And we are working with Madam Pince to grant the students access to books in the Hogwarts library.”

Q: “With all those fun things, aren't you afraid that students who don't need it will want to join, potentially taking the places of those who do need it?” P: “We have discussed this, yes. We do not have that problem yet, luckily, but we are looking into solutions to have at the ready when the problem does pop up. Additionally, we have decided to allow access to those interested to attend during the daytime only, whilst still sleeping at their own home.”

We walk past a couple of bathrooms, which Parkinson tells me will be shared in groups of three. It is not until we move to the stairwell at the back of the house that I finally realise there are almost no paintings throughout the entire house. They all seem to have moved here. P: “Yes. It was quite the trial to get some of the paintings off of their wall. We had to demolish and rebuild some walls before we could remove them. I have donated some paintings to the Institute of Magical Arts for research, they are setting up an interdisciplinary PhD project to study them. Looking at the history of the art, the type of spells imbued in them, etcetera. I did leave up some paintings, after having them thoroughly checked, of course. During the renovations, we found some discarded paintings that were really lovely. Some speaking ones, some pastoral ones… Those are spread throughout the house. We placed most portraits here in this stairwell. They portray the not-so-great side of the wizarding world. We wanted to keep them, well, the less bad of them, up here as a reminder and warning of what we could be. We have kind of ordered them. Over in that corner are all the truly bigoted– eehm, am I allowed to curse?” Q: “Technically yes, as long as it is not too bad, but I think that our readers already know what you mean!”

P: “Hahaha, yes. Well, the more, let me just say, actively bigoted ones are in that corner, covered by a silencing charm, and those who just have some antiquated ideas that are a product of their times are over there. We already had some history researchers come in to chat with those, they have very valuable insights.”

I hope the reader will forgive me that I have removed all of the interjections and comments given by the portrait during this part of the conversation. Via the stairs, we end up in what upon entering immediately makes my heart beat faster: the library.

P: “I see you almost drooling?” Q: “Well, once a Ravenclaw, always a Ravenclaw, I guess. But this is gorgeous! So many ancient manuscripts! And those large stained windows! And the plants! The chairs and couches! Those tables!” P: “Shall I give you a moment?” After plenty of time to gather myself (and after a solemn promise I would be able to access the library later), Parkinson continues her explanation of the changes made in this particular room, elaborating on the restoration necessary to preserve some of the older texts. P: “We have copied Hogwarts' library's sorting system. Madam Pince helped. These are only the safe texts, I have an equivalent of a 'restricted section' with the books speaking of darker subject matters. Aurors have access to those, but the students staying here will not.”

From there, we walk back in the direction of the dining room. A small door I had not noticed when we walked this hallway before grows larger after Parkinson taps it with her wand. The door leads to a wide, large, open kitchen, shining clean with the most modern of appliances.

Q: “The expanded kitchen?” P: “Yes! Fully renovated. I discussed with Muffle what he wanted for the kitchen to function better for him, so instead of a dangerous gas oven, we now have an electric one. The fridges and freezers are also bigger with lighter doors, and there is more countertop space. Plus,” Parkinson walks to one of the taps, presses a button and turns on the water. Instant boiling water comes out. Parkinson smiles.

P: “I drink a lot of tea.” Q: “That looks super convenient! And this kitchen is gorgeous. I can't help but notice that the countertops are human-height?” P: “The floor moves up and down to fit the size of whoever is inside the kitchen. This way I can cook whenever I feel like it, and we can offer cooking and baking classes to the students staying here during the breaks.”

Parkinson explains some of the electrical devices, revealing that her favourite thing to bake is macaroons. One hidden door in the wall reveals a staircase down to the basement, stocked with food. Q: “Will the students cook their own food every day? I know house-elves work miracles, but from the number of rooms I've seen…” P: “Oh no! Muffle is most certainly not going to feed them all, the poor man. No, quite a lot of Hogwarts elves have offered their services as well. Some paid, some voluntary, depending on their own preferences.”

We exit through a different door and, after some confusing turns, stairs, doors and one portrait hole, arrive in a small, light hallway.

P: “These are my private quarters. It is easier to get here from the library or the dining room than it is via the kitchens, but I promised I would show you everything. Full transparency, and all. My bedroom is through here.”

Parkinson opens a door, revealing a relatively small bedroom, primarily taken up by a large, modern-looking bed.

P: “I got rid of the canopy and the curtains. They truly were one big ball of dust. And, after everything that happened, I cannot take dark, enclosed spaces anymore.”

Q: “Hence the large windows?” P: “Yes. They are one-way, so nobody can look in but I can look out. Not that there are that many people there, it is a large forest area and wandering

Muggles are deterred by warning signs stating that this area is a protected nature reserve. There are confounding charms, notice-menot spells and altered versions of the Fidelius charm as well, which ensure that if Muggles try to find their way here, they suddenly remember something very important they have to do elsewhere. Of course, the effects of these can be lifted for specific individuals, which will allow the parents of Muggleborn students to visit the property as well.”

Q: “This is a really cosy bedroom, I love all the plants and the light. But I do not see many closets. I had expected there to be more storage room, you being awarded 'best fashion icon' last year.”

Parkinson smiles and opens up the door to the single wardrobe in the room. Rather than revealing a closet, though, it reveals a whole new room.

P: “Walk-in closet! The room next-door is thrice the size of my actual bedroom. My character and worldview might have changed a lot, but my love for fashion has not!” The closet truly is any fashion-lover's dream, and I make a note to tell Xan all about it. One entire wall is solely taken up by shoes, whilst another is half bags, half jewellery.

Parkinson opens a different door, leading to a bright bathroom reminiscent of the Prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts, but without a giggling mermaid-stained window. After looking around for a bit (and smelling some of the delicious soaps), we return to the sitting room, where Parkinson opens a door I had not noticed yet, taking out two warm coats.

P: “Most of the property is just trees and forest, we wanted to allow nature to do its own thing. Mr Ollivander sometimes visits to harvest some wandwood and Mr Hagrid and Mr Longbottom have promised to do a thorough survey of the gardens and the forest before the students arrive, to ensure their safety. But I can show you the Quidditch Pitch!” I follow her on the winding paths through the more maintained part of the garden. Although little is in bloom, it is clear for anyone to see that the garden will be a delightful sight in summer. Each twist and turn reveals a drastically different style, with dramatically different plants. P: “Each section of the garden is dedicated to a specific magical part of the world. This rock garden, for example, carries many Himalayan plants. That herb over there is used in up to thirty-four potions.” The Quidditch rings shine in the weak sun, the field simple yet elegant. It does not have the potential for full-fledged professional matches, but is certainly more high-tech than what many other wizarding families have in their gardens.

P: “I could lie and say that this is just to facilitate the students visiting here, but I just really like it as well. My friends and I have already flown quite a lot of friendly matches here!”

Q: “I see another roof over there. Do your neighbours live nearby?” P: “Oh, that! No, that is my potions lab. It is far away from the house so if something goes wrong, the house itself is not damaged. Potions can be a risky thing, and although the wonderful Gringrotts team, the DMLA and I have removed all harmful spell work from the mansion, some magic simply slumbers invisibly until it is woken up. I swear on my magic that the house is safe for anyone staying there, do not worry, but it is better for potions to be brewed elsewhere.”

Q: “Is it not a huge inconvenience to walk that much to reach your potions lab?” P: “Walk? Oh, no. I, and anyone I authorise, can apparate on the property. Here, grab my hand, I will apparate us both back inside.”

After a good cup of tea and some home-baked macaroons, I return to my own home in Quibbler Tower. Although I have never seen the Parkinson mansion before this large renovation, I have seen a few other ex-Sacred-28 homes, and the differences between them and the house I have just visited are startling. Given the fact that the second wizarding war is still relatively recent, I understand people's hesitation and mistrust. But I can assure all of my dear readers that at least the Parkinson family truly seem to have turned a new leaf.