"Good morning, sunshine!" James shouted, the door to his son's room practically flying off its hinges in his excitement. "Turning seven today, aren't you?" He picked Harry up and spun him around, the latter shrieking with joy.
"Dad! Dad!"
"Happy birthday, Harry!" James said, rumpling Harry's hair, glasses askew. "Big man now, aren't you?"
At that moment, Lily waltzed in, scooping up Harry in her arms and peppered his face with kisses. "Happy birthday, Harry! Oh, you're such a big boy now, seven years old, practically a grown man," she said, beaming widely. She cupped her hand around Harry's face and looked at him lovingly. "Now hurry up and get dressed, I've made treacle tart and cake, and all your uncles are coming over for tea. And," she added, walking out the door, "there are presents waiting for you downstairs."
True to her word, a heap of festively wrapped parcels lay at the foot of the couch, the cat happily perched on top. It meowed softly and rubbed by Harry's leg as it went by, almost as if to wish him a happy birthday itself. The sun was shining, a fry up was sizzling in the kitchen, and he was having the grandest birthday of his life—Harry was the happiest seven-year-old he knew.
"Hungry?" Lily asked, waving her wand and setting down a plate loaded with beans, grilled tomato, toast, eggs, and bacon in front of him and James. "There's more in the pan if you want more."
"Thanks, Evans," James said, leaning to kiss Lily.
"They'll be here in a few hours," Lily said, still blushing when she pulled away. "I'll not see either of you pantsless, right?"
"No ma'am," both boys echoed.
It was very fortunate for the Potters that the magical residents of Godric's Hollow saw phenomena like shaggy black dogs that were six feet tall on their hind legs on a regular basis. Especially since this shaggy black dog had put its front paws on the door and barked so loudly and suddenly, Harry nearly dropped his slice of (stolen) treacle tart in fright.
"My goodness, Sirius, must you always make such a fuss?" This was from Peter, who had also been sufficiently frightened by the dog's barking.
"Remember the time Sirius insisted we Floo into Harry's birthday party so he could dramatically walk out of the smoke?" Remus said. "This is nothing."
"It's unlocked," Lily called over her shoulder from the kitchen. She wiped her hands on a cloth and hugged the newly arrived guests—Peter, Sirius, and Remus. "Oh, I'm so glad all of you could come."
Bright chatter of "we wouldn't miss it" and "of course we could come, are you daft?" exploded through the air, and amidst all the commotion, James quite literally flew down the stairs and grabbed all of them in a bear hug.
"Well then, where's the birthday lad?" Sirius asked. "It'd be a right shame to not—oi!" His sentence was cut off by Harry excitedly jumping on his back and wrapping his arms and legs around Sirius's neck and waist.
"Uncle Sirius!" Sirius hurriedly thrust Harry's birthday present into Lily's hands, whose eyes went wide. Remus and Peter were quick to do the same as Harry was passed from person to person in order to bestow hugs and kisses upon him.
"Happy birthday to my favorite nephew," Sirius said, beaming from ear to ear and smothering Harry in kisses.
"And your only one," Harry reminded him.
"You're a big man now, aren't you?"
"'Course I am," Harry said, running his hand through his disheveled hair. "I'm seven. Seven's the most powerful magical number."
"Heard there was a birthday party," a loud voice from above thundered. Black eyes twinkled merrily down at Harry.
"Hagrid!" Harry shouted, and Hagrid picked him up with one arm and lifted him so the boy could give him a proper hug.
"'S'not every day yer young man turns seven," he said. He produced a slightly squashed white box that emitted an delicious sugary scent. "Might be a little squished, but I imagine it'll taste fine just the same." He gave Harry a friendly swat on the back that nearly sent him flying across the room.
"Chocolate cake!" he exclaimed, opening the box. "It's my favorite! I mean…after Mum's treacle tart, that is," he amended, upon catching Lily's eye.
"That's right," Lily said, walking into the kitchen to fetch said treacle tart. "Harry Potter! Did you nick a slice of your own treacle tart?"
"No Mum, Dad did," Harry said, pointing at James. James dropped Harry's armful of presents to clasp them to his breast and gasp loudly.
"My own son dares accuse me of thievery?" he asked in mock horror. "I've never been so offended!"
"I can't tell if Harry's telling the truth or not," Lily teased.
"And you too?" James asked, striding towards Lily. "Will this change your mind?" He kissed her soundly on the lips, causing Sirius to roll his eyes.
"Da-a-a-d," Harry said. "You're being embarrassing again."
"It's not the first time," Sirius whispered to Harry.
"Alright then," Lily said, "who wants tea and cake?"
The general consensus of 'yes' led them to sit at every place in the dining table, with Hagrid taking up most of a side and two chairs.
The group kept lively conversation and ate, Sirius having a particular fondness for the chicken salad sandwiches and Remus for the chocolate chip scones. They recounted the Hogwarts days, bright days spent by the Black Lake and potion-brewing gone slightly—and disastrously—wrong.
"You'll be off soon, now won't you, Harry?" Remus asked, clapping him on the shoulder. "You'll love Hogwarts, I assure you." Harry nodded, mouth full of cucumber sandwich.
"Who wants cake?" asked Lily, carrying out an enormous one shaped like a Chocolate Frog, Harry's favorite candy. Seven tall candles dotted the top of the Frog's head, burning brightly.
James cleared his throat loudly and started warbling, "Happy birthday to you," followed by Peter, Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Hagrid. "Happy birthday dear Harry, happy birthday to you!"
"Go on, make a wish," Remus encouraged him.
Harry leaned in close to the Frog's head, closed his eyes for a moment, thought about the sort of wish he'd like to make, and blew out the candles.
Cheering and applause ensued, and James let out a loud bang! of bright red and gold sparks from his wand.
"What'd you wish for, Harry?" James asked, hugging him around the shoulders affectionately.
"Mum says it won't come true if I tell anyone," Harry said reproachfully, glancing at Lily to confirm this statement. She smiled and nodded, handing out dishes of cake to everyone. Harry received the Frog's head, slathered generously in chocolate frosting and filled with strawberry jam.
"May I go open my presents now?" Harry asked Lily, after polishing off his slice of cake. There was a peculiarly shaped package in the back, long and thin. He wondered what it was.
First, Hagrid had sent him perhaps all of Honeydukes in a box containing an assortment of Droobles, Licorice Wands, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pasties, a tidal wave of Every Flavor Beans, and more. Peter fretted that Harry would get a cavity, but James and Lily just grinned broadly.
Remus had gifted him a blanket made of a curious material. "It changes temperature according to the weather," he explained. "And it's got an enchantment on it to make sure it never unravels or gets a hole in it."
Peter's parcel contained a Grow-Your-Own-Dragon kit, a dragon that expanded underwater to be over ten times its size. "Perfect for the pool!" he chirped.
James and Lily sat amongst the scraps of torn off wrapping paper while Harry tore into their gift. "A model Quidditch set," he gasped, gently removing the paper off delicately crafted metal hoops. "And it's the Harpies against Puddlemere!" he said, revealing one of the players, who circled around the hoops and beamed at Harry. "It's wicked!" He tackled James and Lily with an enormous hug.
"Aren't you forgetting one?" Sirius teased. He gently nudged the oddly shaped parcel at the back. It was broom shaped, but Lily didn't let Harry ride one on the grounds that he might hurt himself.
"No…" Lily whispered, eyes going wide as Harry untied the strings and peeled away the paper. "Sirius Black, you did not send Harry a—"
"—a kid-sized Flamelight," James said in awe.
"Well why didn't you get me one on my birthday?" Lily teased Sirius. "I've always wanted one of these." She knelt next to Harry, who, mouth agape, was carefully and lovingly caressing the smooth, silky finish of the wood. "May I?" she asked, and gently picked up the broomstick. It was passed to James, who kissed it when he thought nobody was looking. Sirius snorted.
"Can I have a go on it, Mum, please?" Harry begged. "You can get your broom and Dad can get his and we could all fly out in the orchard."
"A fantastic idea!" James cried, rushing to get his from the shed, Lily following suit.
As soon as Harry had put his shoes on, he clambered onto the broomstick, warmth surging through him.
"Now, lean forward to go faster, lean down to go down, and pull up to go up. Easy enough, you'll be a natural," James said, patting Harry on the back. "Oh, and you kick off to get yourself off the ground. Give it a shot, there's a boy."
Harry pushed off the ground and soared above the apple tree, grabbing a fruit as he zoomed by. The feeling was exhilarating, being up this high with the wind in his hair. "Whoo!" he shouted. "Dad, catch!" He threw the apple at James, who threw it at Lily.
"Take a picture of us, will you, Hagrid?" Lily asked, flying up to be beside Harry and James.
"Hagrid, you're crying again," Remus said politely, pointing at a dark patch on his shirt.
"Sorry 'bout that," he sniffled, wiping his eyes on a tablecloth sized handkerchief. "Alright, everyone say cheese!"
"Cheese!" the Potters chorused as Hagrid snapped some pictures of them hovering above the apple tree.
"This is the best birthday ever," Harry confided to his parents happily as they raced around the trees.
After all, the whole family was here, he had a broom to fly on, and a belly full of cake and treacle tart. Really, there's very little that could be better than that for a birthday party.
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