Harry Potter. The Golden Boy, the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived. Ask anyone in the wizarding world, and they'd recognize his name. Which he grew tired of pretty quickly, even as an eleven year old. Being famous was highly overrated, in his humble opinion. But that wasn't exactly on his mind at the moment. In fact, he was trying to figure out exactly where he was.
He appeared to be in a white room, almost like the King's Cross Station he'd seen when Voldemort had killed him two months ago. Harry was fairly certain that he wasn't dead, though.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" He called tentatively. And the door (which Harry hadn't recalled seeing before) swung open.
"Happy birthday!" Harry blinked. Lily and James Potter smiled proudly at him, and his mind could only whirl in confusion.
"Mum… Dad… what are you doing here? Where am I? Am I dead?"
"No, simply dreaming." He turned to see Sirius and Remus.
"So none of this is real? I mean, it's great to see you! And Teddy's grown so much already! But aren't you guys just a figment of my imagination?"
"Well, we don't interfere with the living, but we're making an exception now." Lily touched her son's shoulder, and he felt warmth fill his chest. His parents were really here.
"What about Tonks, and Dumbledore, and—"
"We're here too, Harry." Fred Weasley grinned from his corner. "Professor McGonagall used to look like that whenever George and I walked into her classroom. Vaguely horrified." And quite suddenly, the room was full of people who had been lost.
"I–but…what is going on?" Did every wizard and witch have a dream like this on their eighteenth birthdays?
"Dumbledore'll explain it to you later. But about Teddy, he's healthy?" Tonks made her way over to him, nearly tripping over Dirk Cresswell's foot. Ted Tonks moved to stand by her side.
"Yeah, Andromeda's been taking care of him." Harry peered around the room, feeling his heart twist as he recognized each of the dead. But one figure skulking around behind everyone else grabbed his attention. Severus Snape reluctantly caught his gaze for a moment, before exiting as quickly as he'd appeared. Harry moved to follow him, but Lavender Brown stopped him.
"He didn't even want to come, you'll get nothing out of him." She sighed. "Did Parvati ask out Seamus yet?"
"Not yet." Harry wondered again if this was some sort of odd hallucination.
"Ah, well. He had a shifty look about him anyways. I always did tell her that those Irish blokes drink more whiskey than water." Harry bit back his laughter.
"Alright then. And… I'm sorry that you died." He apologized regretfully.
"Well, I fought the good fight." She smiled briefly before going to talk to Emmeline Vance and Charity Burbage.
"Harry Potter! They said you is being here!" A voice squeaked, and Harry broke into a grin when he saw the House Elf.
"Dobby! You shouldn't have died saving us. You were so good, and it wasn't fair." None of the losses were fair.
"Ah, but it was, sir. And Dobby doesn't regret it. Dobby must ask something, if Harry Potter doesn't mind."
"Of course I don't mind!"
"Is Winky making it through the battle? I is not seeing her anywhere."
"Yes, she did. And she fought bravely."
"That is good news indeed, sir! And a happy birthday as well!" Before Harry could even say goodbye, Dobby had vanished just like Snape did.
"When is Dumbledore coming? No offense, but dreams never end well for me." Harry muttered to Cedric, who shrugged.
"He should be soon now, the old geezer. Not that you'll tell him that I said so, mind you." Sirius answered.
"Are you accusing a Potter of being a tattletale?" James inquired jovially.
"Go plot with the Weasley, Prongs." Sirius waved his hand.
"Harry, are you okay?" His father's smirk dropped off of his face.
"I know you're my dad, but I don't know you. Not well enough. And after this, you guys will be gone again. It feels like you're mocking me. And don't feed me that crap about you always being with me, because when I'm by myself, I feel so, so alone."
"Whoa, count me out." Sirius backed away.
"Look, I know that to you, we're just ghosts. But we're still us, still—"
"I know. You don't have to explain."
"We're proud of you. Always know that." Lily murmured.
"Do you know how Snape feels now? Did you ever figure it out?" Harry demanded.
"What? I don't know what this has to do with Severus…" Lily looked troubled, and Harry realized just how young she really was when she'd died.
"Ask Dumbledore."
"Speak of the devil." James muttered.
"Harry, it is very crucial that you know this, so listen well." The old headmaster began, as if they'd only just seen each other yesterday.
"Why—?"
"You are more important than even you can imagine."
"I have a feeling I've been told so before—"
"As a person, he means. You and your friends, as well as your enemies, leave a legacy that lasts through the ages, for Muggle and Wizard alike." Moody interrupted gruffly.
"I don't understand, Professor. Is this some sort of new prophecy?"
"No. And you won't understand for a long time. But there are always some things that we shouldn't understand. Don't hold it against yourself. But there was never a person that was unimportant, never forget that."
"I know that." Harry replied, offended. He didn't hold any delusions of self importance! Besides, his relationship with Dumbledore had been a rocky one as of late.
"Maybe I phrased it incorrectly. Every person is so very important it is nearly indescribable, whether they be Miss Granger or your Uncle." Seeing the look of distaste on Harry's face, Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Yes, even him. Although the fact would doubtless go to his head."
"I'll remember, sir, I promise."
"Very good, Harry. It is time we must all be going. And this encounter from your mind as well."
"So I won't remember this?"
"You will in your heart."
"I know that sounds wise, but a heart can't truly remember anything." Harry protested.
"You'll see." Remus promised.
"We had the best of times, eh, Harry?" Fred elbowed him.
"George isn't going to recover from losing you, you know." Harry informed him miserably, remembering how Ron's older brother had locked himself in his room for a month, and had yet to say a word to anyone. Fred's smile faltered.
"He doesn't need me to be happy." The redhead's words were uncertain. "He'll figure out that we aren't two halves of the same whole. Just two very similar wholes. So if you remember any of this, tell him that he's a hole. He might take offense, but hey, no pain, no gain." The signature smirk returned.
"I'll hold that thought." Harry promised. He looked around. "I'm sorry I couldn't have done anything more for you all."
"As Miss Brown said, we fought the good fight, and did all that was required of us. In the end, pity the living over the dead, if need there be pity at all." Amelia Bones told him gently.
"I won't ever let you be forgotten, I swear."
"You don't need to swear. We already know." Colin Creevey replied firmly.
Harry looked at all the faces once more. And his eyes fell shut.
"Harry, Harry! Wake up!" He felt Ginny's nails bite into his shoulders and jolted up in his bed, gasping.
"Another nightmare?" She asked sadly. "I heard you shout something from my room." Thank the heavens for the fact that he was staying at the Burrow for the summer.
"No, just a dream." About what, exactly, he had no idea. Probably something trivial.
"Well, happy birthday." She moved away from him and sat on the foot of the bed. "Mom told me not to tell you, but she made an enormous cake, so you should probably skip breakfast."
"Some things never change." Harry put on his glasses.
"Indeed." They stood up together and Ginny tugged him by the hand out of the room. On the stairwell, they nearly bumped into George, was standing, unmoving, at the bottom.
"Morning." He nodded in their direction, voice raspy from disuse, and Ginny made a choking sound, tears welling in her eyes.
"Oh my god, oh my god!" She shrieked, hugging him with such ferocity that he nearly fell over.
"I'd appreciate if you don't squeeze the life out of me before I get any cake." He grunted. "Ron and Hermione are in the backyard."
"Thanks. And you're a hole, you know that?" Harry beamed in relief.
"Yeah, I know. You all stopped moping weeks ago. I should owl Angelina."
"Go do that." Ginny wiped her eyes.
"Oi, happy birthday, Golden One!" Ron clapped him on the back as he emerged into the sunlight. "Mum owled everyone, they're showing up this afternoon."
"Everyone being Luna, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati, Fleur and Bill, Charlie, Percy, even Madam Rosmerta, and some of the Professors—" Hermione explained. "Among others." So it would be a huge party. Next year, Harry was definitely asking for a quieter one, although he was eager to see his friends. It would be the first time since after the war.
"McGonagall's going to give us homework, I'll bet you five sickles on it." Ron groaned.
"Homework? But—"
"You don't know? We can opt to go back as Eighth Years, seeing as we missed a year of education." Hermione's eyes shone.
"Which means—" Harry realized.
"The repairs are nearly finished already. Wizards and witches from all over the world are chipping in to help rebuild." Arthur finished, coming up behind them.
"That's amazing." Harry exclaimed.
"Well, no use showing up to your own birthday party in PJs." Ginny chastised brightly. "I'll be in the kitchen."
"Okay, I won't be long." Harry turned to go up the stairs again, but glanced back. In the reflection of the window, there was an indistinct group of people who were most definitely not actually there. They were smiling and waving, but when Harry blinked, they were gone. He shrugged and continued his ascent.
A/N: I didn't really have much of an idea for this. Still don't. Bit I thought it would be fitting if I posted my first Harry Potter fic on his birthday. So if this lacked a plot, I apologize. But expect Drarry in the future. Thanks for reading, guys, and stay awesome ;)