"Welcome Harry!" Hermione said throwing her arms around him. Harry
gratefully hugged her back and eased himself into the burrow. Ron stood
behind Hermione, taller then when Harry last saw him. Ron held his hand out
to shake with Harry.
"Bloody hell, George? Or maybe Fred. . ." Harry said examining Ron. Ron began to laugh and shook his longer, red hair.
"No Harry, its me. Ron." Hermione grinned and looked up at Ron.
"He isn't lying Harry." They all began to laugh and Mrs. Weasley came running in.
"Happy birthday Harry!" she cried out throwing her arms around him, much like Hermione. In the excitement of seeing his friends again, he forgot the fact that is was his birthday and that he had his suitcases for Hogwarts ready behind him.
"Oh yes, well thank you for letting me spend the rest of the summer with you," Harry said when she let go of him. Ginny walked in and merely looked him over.
"Hey," she said stiffly, then left. Mrs. Weasley shook her head and grabbed the trunks behind Harry.
"Let me help you with these, oh ARTHUR!" She screamed trying to lift the heaving trunks. Mr. Weasley came running in.
"What is it now? Oh SPELNDID! Harry's here! Did you bring me anything from your aunt and uncles house? Perhaps a copy of the muggle newspaper? Or maybe a . . ."
"Arthur please, get the trunks and bring them to Ron's room for Harry. He's had a long trip, he needs to rest."
"Actually it wasn't so hard. My uncle drove me practically up to the door," Harry said looking out the window. They could just see a little white speck which was the Dursely's car going towards the darkened woods.
"What should we do first? Presents, cake, or partying?" Ron asked. He was taller, but only by a few inches. His deeper voice gave the impression he was much taller then he really was. Harry shrugged and went into the living room and sat in a big chair. The table in the middle of the room was stacked with presents.
"All these for me?" he said eyeing them. Hermione sat down next to him.
"Every last one of them."
"Well I say presents first!" Harry said grinning at Ron. Ron gave him the thumbs up and tossed him a small square one wrapped in paper bag. When Harry opened it, it was just a white box with a red velvet bow on it. Harry took the bow off gently, it looked expensive. When he opened the box he closed the lid right away. "A snitch?" he asked wrapping the bow on it tightly, so it wouldn't fly out on accident.
"Yup. Fred and George stole a few of them through out the year. They gave me a few and you won the game with that one our first year. Not only is it cool, it means something!" Ron said, glad his gift was practical. Hermione grabbed a large square one and dropped it in Harry's lap. It was wrapped in black with elves dancing on the paper. For a moment, he thought it was a huge box filled with good things, but when he opened it, he frowned. It was a book.
"See this book, this is one of five original spell books that the warlock Van Houston the third used in Transylvania. I managed to get three of the five copies. Ron, you'll be getting one for Christmas. Aren't they the best?" Hermione said flipping through the papers. Harry smiled as he put the book aside then picked up the package from Mrs. Weasley. It was a sweater with Harry on the back and it was in a box filled with chocolate frogs. Dumbledor sent him a few rare cards from chocolate frogs. Hagrid sent him a unicorn hoof that he got himself. A few classmates sent him a few small things and Fred and George sent him a box of jokes that would last him a lifetime.
"I think I'll be content," Harry said eating a grass flavored every flavor jellybean. Hermione put her chocolate frog down and leaned over the table and picked up a small box put into a deep purple velvet bag.
"What's this?" she asked holding it up. Ron shrugged and took it from her.
"I don't think it was here this morning."
"I'm positive it wasn't," Hermione said taking it back.
"Well, whose if from?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head, and then slid it across the table to Harry.
"No name, no card, no nothing. There isn't even a string to the bag, you'd have to cut it open," Hermione said, unsure if Harry shook be tinkering with it.
"Go on Harry, tear it open. Lets see what's inside." Ron edged Harry on. Harry started to but he heard a whisper in his ear, 'Open it alone . . .' the voice hissed, sending chills up and down his spine. Slowly, Harry put it back on the table.
"Eh . . .maybe later. Cake anyone?" he asked. Ron shrugged and was the first one in the kitchen. Hermione and Harry stood staring at the gift.
"Odd . . ." Hermione said placing her hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Tell me about it. It's the kind of thing that Si-, the kind of thing that Sirius would do. . ." Harry said thinking of his late godfather. Hermione hugged Harry and led him into the kitchen.
After cake, they went upstairs. Harry left everything downstairs. Everything except the gift that he was told to open alone. When he could hear Ron snoring, he knew it was safe to open it. For several minutes he sat there scratching at it in the dark, trying to find a secret zipper of some sort of opening. He then pulled a small thread by accident, which it slowly began to unravel.
"Aha," he whispered to himself, then unraveled and untangled the whole thing. When he was done, all he had was a note, a small book, and a big ball of purple velvet threads. Harry tried to find his wand so he could see the note. When he found it, he lit the end of his wand with light. The first thing the note said to do was to tap the paper gently with the tip of his wand. Right upon his doing this, the wand went out and the words on the paper glowed. The first instructions were gone and there were new words in its place. Harry read them in a whisper.
"Dear Harry. Thought you might like to know everything now that all your family is gone. I was planning on burning this the night I died, I knew the end was near but I didn't have time. Anyway, enjoy and don't let anything get you down. Love you and miss you Sirius." The note lit into a small fire and the note burned in his hands, leaving a pile of black charcoal on his blanket. Harry picked up the small book, which was covered with pink velvet and sterling silver lock on it. Tied to the lock with a ribbon was a small golden key. Harry picked it up and unlocked the lock, hoping it wasn't some sort of shrieking book Malfoy sent him as a joke. But instead of screaming, the book did nothing. Nothing at all. No tricks or anything.
"Odd," Harry said turning to the first page. In big, bolded letters were the words; Lily Evan's Diary. Harry gasped. "My mom's diary?" He turned the page again and found the first entry. There was no date on it. Ron woke in his sleep and rolled over towards Harry.
"Your moms on fire?" he asked. Ron was obviously half asleep and heard a few things that Harry said.
"Yes, but she'll be fine. Go back to bed Ron," Harry whispered. Ron rolled over again.
"Okay, good." Harry put the lock back on the book, but tied the key around his neck, just in case. He brushed the ashes off of the blanket and rolled over as well. Thought of his mom and dad, a happy couple in love came into his head . . .and sent him into a nice, easy sleep.
"Bloody hell, George? Or maybe Fred. . ." Harry said examining Ron. Ron began to laugh and shook his longer, red hair.
"No Harry, its me. Ron." Hermione grinned and looked up at Ron.
"He isn't lying Harry." They all began to laugh and Mrs. Weasley came running in.
"Happy birthday Harry!" she cried out throwing her arms around him, much like Hermione. In the excitement of seeing his friends again, he forgot the fact that is was his birthday and that he had his suitcases for Hogwarts ready behind him.
"Oh yes, well thank you for letting me spend the rest of the summer with you," Harry said when she let go of him. Ginny walked in and merely looked him over.
"Hey," she said stiffly, then left. Mrs. Weasley shook her head and grabbed the trunks behind Harry.
"Let me help you with these, oh ARTHUR!" She screamed trying to lift the heaving trunks. Mr. Weasley came running in.
"What is it now? Oh SPELNDID! Harry's here! Did you bring me anything from your aunt and uncles house? Perhaps a copy of the muggle newspaper? Or maybe a . . ."
"Arthur please, get the trunks and bring them to Ron's room for Harry. He's had a long trip, he needs to rest."
"Actually it wasn't so hard. My uncle drove me practically up to the door," Harry said looking out the window. They could just see a little white speck which was the Dursely's car going towards the darkened woods.
"What should we do first? Presents, cake, or partying?" Ron asked. He was taller, but only by a few inches. His deeper voice gave the impression he was much taller then he really was. Harry shrugged and went into the living room and sat in a big chair. The table in the middle of the room was stacked with presents.
"All these for me?" he said eyeing them. Hermione sat down next to him.
"Every last one of them."
"Well I say presents first!" Harry said grinning at Ron. Ron gave him the thumbs up and tossed him a small square one wrapped in paper bag. When Harry opened it, it was just a white box with a red velvet bow on it. Harry took the bow off gently, it looked expensive. When he opened the box he closed the lid right away. "A snitch?" he asked wrapping the bow on it tightly, so it wouldn't fly out on accident.
"Yup. Fred and George stole a few of them through out the year. They gave me a few and you won the game with that one our first year. Not only is it cool, it means something!" Ron said, glad his gift was practical. Hermione grabbed a large square one and dropped it in Harry's lap. It was wrapped in black with elves dancing on the paper. For a moment, he thought it was a huge box filled with good things, but when he opened it, he frowned. It was a book.
"See this book, this is one of five original spell books that the warlock Van Houston the third used in Transylvania. I managed to get three of the five copies. Ron, you'll be getting one for Christmas. Aren't they the best?" Hermione said flipping through the papers. Harry smiled as he put the book aside then picked up the package from Mrs. Weasley. It was a sweater with Harry on the back and it was in a box filled with chocolate frogs. Dumbledor sent him a few rare cards from chocolate frogs. Hagrid sent him a unicorn hoof that he got himself. A few classmates sent him a few small things and Fred and George sent him a box of jokes that would last him a lifetime.
"I think I'll be content," Harry said eating a grass flavored every flavor jellybean. Hermione put her chocolate frog down and leaned over the table and picked up a small box put into a deep purple velvet bag.
"What's this?" she asked holding it up. Ron shrugged and took it from her.
"I don't think it was here this morning."
"I'm positive it wasn't," Hermione said taking it back.
"Well, whose if from?" Harry asked. Hermione shook her head, and then slid it across the table to Harry.
"No name, no card, no nothing. There isn't even a string to the bag, you'd have to cut it open," Hermione said, unsure if Harry shook be tinkering with it.
"Go on Harry, tear it open. Lets see what's inside." Ron edged Harry on. Harry started to but he heard a whisper in his ear, 'Open it alone . . .' the voice hissed, sending chills up and down his spine. Slowly, Harry put it back on the table.
"Eh . . .maybe later. Cake anyone?" he asked. Ron shrugged and was the first one in the kitchen. Hermione and Harry stood staring at the gift.
"Odd . . ." Hermione said placing her hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Tell me about it. It's the kind of thing that Si-, the kind of thing that Sirius would do. . ." Harry said thinking of his late godfather. Hermione hugged Harry and led him into the kitchen.
After cake, they went upstairs. Harry left everything downstairs. Everything except the gift that he was told to open alone. When he could hear Ron snoring, he knew it was safe to open it. For several minutes he sat there scratching at it in the dark, trying to find a secret zipper of some sort of opening. He then pulled a small thread by accident, which it slowly began to unravel.
"Aha," he whispered to himself, then unraveled and untangled the whole thing. When he was done, all he had was a note, a small book, and a big ball of purple velvet threads. Harry tried to find his wand so he could see the note. When he found it, he lit the end of his wand with light. The first thing the note said to do was to tap the paper gently with the tip of his wand. Right upon his doing this, the wand went out and the words on the paper glowed. The first instructions were gone and there were new words in its place. Harry read them in a whisper.
"Dear Harry. Thought you might like to know everything now that all your family is gone. I was planning on burning this the night I died, I knew the end was near but I didn't have time. Anyway, enjoy and don't let anything get you down. Love you and miss you Sirius." The note lit into a small fire and the note burned in his hands, leaving a pile of black charcoal on his blanket. Harry picked up the small book, which was covered with pink velvet and sterling silver lock on it. Tied to the lock with a ribbon was a small golden key. Harry picked it up and unlocked the lock, hoping it wasn't some sort of shrieking book Malfoy sent him as a joke. But instead of screaming, the book did nothing. Nothing at all. No tricks or anything.
"Odd," Harry said turning to the first page. In big, bolded letters were the words; Lily Evan's Diary. Harry gasped. "My mom's diary?" He turned the page again and found the first entry. There was no date on it. Ron woke in his sleep and rolled over towards Harry.
"Your moms on fire?" he asked. Ron was obviously half asleep and heard a few things that Harry said.
"Yes, but she'll be fine. Go back to bed Ron," Harry whispered. Ron rolled over again.
"Okay, good." Harry put the lock back on the book, but tied the key around his neck, just in case. He brushed the ashes off of the blanket and rolled over as well. Thought of his mom and dad, a happy couple in love came into his head . . .and sent him into a nice, easy sleep.