Written for the 1991 Challenge (Ernie MacMillan, Seventeen)

Written for the Take a Prompt, Leave a Prompt Challenge (Into the Woods Prologue)

Ernie's Birthday Bash

It was Ernie MacMillan's seventeenth birthday, and when somebody turned seventeen in the MacMillan family it wasn't just any old do. Some would have a small family get together with maybe a few friends; but in that family the whole village would know.

Fireworks would fly from the house, music would blast well into the night, and the ballroom that was only used for special occasions such as this would light up and become the busiest place in the village.

Ernie, however, hated it. He had been through it five years ago when his brother had turned seventeen, and two years after that it had been his sister. While most young witches and wizards looked forward to the day they were officially allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, Ernie had been dreading it.

On his sixteenth birthday his mother had started asking questions about who he wished to invite (of his school friends, for family was up to her) for his seventeenth. Just about every day after that she would ask him a question, or tell him something she'd organised.

He came to hate being seventeen.

"Ernie!"

Flicking his wand at his bedroom door, it locked just as his mother approached. It only took her a moment to take her own wand out and let herself in.

"Ernie, you're not ready! You're the guest of honour!" She busied herself around the room, picking up pieces of the outfit she had picked out. It was the same outfit his brother had worn, as well as his father. She threw them at him, and in her distress, yelled, "Hurry!"

Ernie sighed. "Alright," he told her impatiently. "I'll be out soon." He snatched the clothes from the ground and waited for her to leave before collapsing onto his bed. "He'd never wished more than he did then to be sixteen for just another day.

…

His mother dragged him into the crowd of people. Most he didn't even know the name of, but she made him greet them. With a flutter of hope he spotted Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones in a corner. He waved to them, but his mother had dragged him to a great-great-uncle before he had a chance to see if they'd seen him.

It wasn't exactly how one would define a birthday. It was more a do that satisfied his parents' statuses in the wizarding community. The minority were his own friends, and he wasn't even allowed to talk to them.

He hated it.

"Not a time to be so down."

Ernie looked up from where his head was hung. Before him stood a man he did not recognise. Perfect, he thought. Now I have to pretend to know who I'm talking to.

"It's your birthday after all," the stranger continued brightly.

"Doesn't feel like it," Ernie mumbled.

"That's because you're not trying to make it fun. Sure, there are people here who you wish weren't, but ignore them. You have friends, right?"

What kind of question was that? "Of course I have friends!" Ernie snapped.

"Well I've been watching you and all the people you've spoken to, you've looked miserable. So either, you hate your friends, or you haven't spoken to them."

Ernie glanced miserably over to where he had last seen his school friends, all together and having a good time. He spotted the red hair of Susan over the mob of his family.

"Go on, go and talk to them."

Ernie went to go to them, but stopped, turning back to the stranger. To his surprise, the mysterious man had vanished.

"Most exciting person at this party," he said as he pushed through the crowd out of the sight of his mother.

…

"Finally!" Hannah exclaimed when Ernie appeared to them. "I thought we'd never get to see you. Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," Ernie replied, feeling rather relieved that he was with people he actually knew and liked.

"Are all your parties like this?" Susan asked as her eyes gazed the room.

"Nope," Ernie answered, hanging his head. "Just when we turn seventeen. Horrible, isn't it?"

There's certainly a lot of people here," Hannah commented.

Ernie nodded, agreeing with her.

"Who are they all?"

"No idea, my mum invited them." Ernie shrugged. "I hate turning seventeen. I can't wait until tonight is over."

The girls laughed.

"Never heard anyone say that before," Susan said. "It is now perfectly within your right to make everything go away with magic," she then added with a wink.

"If only," Ernie said.

They all laughed again, before Hannah grabbed his hand.

"Come on! Let's escape this dancefloor and go outside for a while. The boys are out there."

Ernie followed, glancing over his shoulder to make sure his mother had not seen. No, she was in a conversation with some old lady and it didn't look like she was going to stop talking anytime soon.

Feeling the happiest he'd felt all day, Ernie followed his friends into the yard where they met up with some other school friends.

The night was getting better.

…

The stranger appeared along with them. Now that he really thought about it, Ernie was not sure he was even invited. It was like in one of those Muggle stories, where a mysterious stranger would appear from the dark. Most turned out to be murderers, but this bloke hadn't drawn a wand or a knife, or anything of the sort.

"Not so bad, is it?" he asked.

The others glanced up, surprised.

"I guess not," Ernie answered with a shrug. "Thanks."

"You know this person?" Hannah asked, uncertainty gracing her voice. She was eying the man with great scepticism.

"Not really," Ernie said. "What's your name?"

The man remained unspeaking, watching the young group without expression. Finally, he said to them, "Have a good night," and turned and left.

"Strange," Justin Finch-Fletchey said.

Ernie shrugged. "Well, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be with you right now, but still being dragged around by my mother to meet my great-great-great cousin who is now divorced from my other cousin, three times removed."

The others all blinked in unison.

"Never mind," Ernie replied, waving them away. "Anyway, come on, let's enjoy the rest of this night." He took his wand from his pocket. "And, to celebrate being seventeen…." He flicked the wand and sparks flew from them, creating a show of fireworks in the sky.

The others watched on in awe.

The night hadn't turned out so bad after all. That was, of course, until his mother found him.

"Ernie, put that wand away! There are more guests I need you to meet!"

I hope you enjoyed! I will leave you all guessing who the stranger is until I have time to write the companion piece to this that explains it :)