It was another summer with the Dursleys. Harry sat on his bed, if you were to call it that, staring at the bedside clock. 11:59 on July 31. One more minuet and-
"BEEP!" The alarm went off, shaking Harry from his almost-nap. As he turned the alarm off, five owls flew through the window that was halfway open. Harry took the letter and package off of the first owl, an important school owl. The letter was his supply list and usual school letter, but he wasn't sure what the package held. He was almost afraid to open it, as he was sure it was from Hagrid. One couldn't be too sure about things from him. Cautiously, he tore off the brown paper wrapping, and laid it down on the bed. To his surprise, the gift was nothing but an old book. There was a letter on top of it. He opened the letter and saw that it read-
'Harry,
How are ye? I'm fine, thanks for asking. Happy birthday! I thought this might
come in handy for next year Care of Magical Creatures. I'm still teaching, but
I've a surprise for ye when you get back to school. You, Ron, and Hermione meet
me down in my hut for a cup o' tea first chance ye get. Don't worry, it's
nothing dangerous.
Hagrid'
So it wasn't anything dangerous. Harry highly doubted that, given Hagrid's history with things. He flipped open the book. A large layer of dust ascended off of it. He sneezed, startling the owls. A small furry one, Pig, jumped of the desk he was sitting on and flew madly around the room.
"Pig! Shh!" Harry whispered, listening for any Dursleys that happened to be awake.
None were. So Harry went back to the book. He was about to read the cover, when an owl gave an impatient hoot.
"Fine!" He took the letter and package from the next owl, which was Hedwig. The gift was from Hermione. He quickly read the letter, which told about her vacation, her schoolwork, wishing him a Happy Birthday, and some things about Ron that made him blush rather crimson. Then he opened her preset, which happened to be a refill for his broomstick servicing kit.
Ron's gift was another book on the Chudley Cannons. The letter was about basically the same thing Hermione's was, only it was about her, not him, and it had nothing to do with schoolwork. Other that the occasional "How can she do homework over the summer?" about Hermione.
Then there was the last owl. It was jet black and Harry couldn't remember ever seeing it before. He took off the letter and read-
'Potter-
Enjoy your light holiday while you can. Hope you like you gift. It won't talk.'
There was no signature. Harry flipped the paper back and forth and the strange letter was the only thing on it. He shrugged it off and proceeded to open the box.
It was by far the strangest gift Harry had ever gotten. It was an aquarium, only there was no water. Instead of a fish or a turtle or any of the normal things you put in a fish tank, there was a dark black snake sitting amongst the leaves and grass. Harry shuddered and set the aquarium on the floor of the closet. He didn't even want to think about it after the boa constrictor at the zoo or the Basilisk in the chamber of secrets.
Harry yawned and moved all of the stuff off of the bed. He put it on the floor and lay down. In a matter of minuets, he was fast asleep.
In the closet, the black snake was not as tired as Harry was. It slowly and quietly slithered out of the aquarium. As Harry snored quietly, the snake climbed up his bedpost and onto the blankets. It reached it'd head far near Harry and raised its head to strikeā¦
And he never even knew it. Harry's sleep was never disturbed. He felt a slight pinch at his neck in his dreaming, but he never woke up.
Like? Please review!
