Hey Everyone! I'm trying to get my creative juices FLOWING by writing this one shot. This is my first one shot, and my first Harry Potter story, so BE NICE! and Please REVIEW!
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and other characters belong to JK Rowling, and the song You'll Be In My Heart belongs to Phil Collins. But I do own Milton Zueflius (insert laugh here)
This is kinda sad, it's post OOTP, pre HBP. Enjoy.
Thunder was the sound he woke up to. Rolling over to glance at his alarm clock, the brightness of the digits seemed to scream at him. 12:01. Waking up a bit more, he realised that it was his 16th birthday. 'Joy,' he thought with bitter sarcasm, 'guess that's one less present this year. God, I miss you Sirius.' It was then that he heard a knock on his bedroom door. 'What does he want now?' he thought before rising out of bed and throwing open the door. Expecting to see Uncle Vernon, Harry was shocked to see someone much more welcome standing at his door.
"Happy birthday Harry." Remus Lupin said with a soft smile.
"Professor Lupin. Er- thank you. What are you doing here?"
"I'm here do deliver your presents of course!" Lupin exclaimed, his smile growing. "And you know Harry, I am no longer your teacher. Remus, or perhaps Moony will do just fine."
"Thanks... Remus. You know, you really didn't have to come all the way out here to give me my gift, you actually didn't have to get me anything at all."
"Of course I'm giving you a gift. And it's my pleasure to deliver it personally. The second part of my gift would need to be given personally anyways. It's far too precious and irreplaceable to go by post."
Harry was now quite curious as to what it would be. "Alright... um, would you like to have a seat?"
"Yes, thank you. As you might know, the full moon was just two nights ago, and I am quite fatigued." Harry and Remus sat opposite of each other, Remus on the chair at Harry's desk, and Harry sitting at the edge of his bed. Remus passed Harry a package. "I'll give this to you first, because after the next thing, anything else would look like worthless garbage." Remus said with a smile.
Harry raised an eyebrow before ripping open the package. Inside was an old torn book with the title:
SO YOU WANT TO BE AN ANIMAGUS
a step-by-step guide
by: Milton Zueflius
Harry looked up with an awed smile on his face.
"That was my book. Your father, Sirius, Peter and I had always planned to give it to you for your 16th birthday. That was the very same book that we used in our fifth year to become Animagi. If you flip through it, you'll find our notes everywhere, plus Happy Birthday notes from all four of us on the inside of the front cover."
Harry immediately opened the book. Sure enough, on the inside of the front cover was:
HEY HARRY!
This is Dad, by the way. I can't believe you're 16! (I look over and see you crawling around wearing only a diaper) No wonder why I can't picture you as a teen! I love you Harry. Haha, it's going to be fun reading this over your shoulder when you're 16. AHH! Sirius is attacking me wanting his turn to right, so, I'll leave this message here. Once again, I love you!
Dad
Hey Kiddo.
I finally got the damn book away from your crazy father. Yes, that means you James. Dear lord, 16! Unimaginable! You enjoy these years. AND THAT'S AN ORDER! Being 16 was the best year of my LIFE! It's quite amusing, really, Peter is attempting to get the book away from me, but he's so short I'm leaning the book high up against the wall to write and he's jumping like a fricken bean to get it. OW! He turned into a rat and BIT MY FOOT! Stupid wormtail. Well, I'll pass the book along now, to the CRAZY RAT-MAN. I love you Harry. In my heart you will always be my son.
All my love,
Sirius/Padfoot/Uncle Paddy
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!
Wow, from diapers to a teenager, I think I need to sit down! Hehehe. I'm so very proud of you, Harry! The best of luck to you in everything you do. Cheers!
-Peter/Wormtail
Hello Harry,
Well, an hour and a half after we started writing in this book it's finally my turn. 16 years old. Wow. Congratulations. I- oh great. THANKS FOR VOMITING ON MY LAP HARRY! Well, I can't say that I don't love you anyways! I'm proud of you, and so thankful that I'm going to be privileged enough to watch you grow from birth into the wonderful young man that I know you are as you're reading this today. Thanks to Sirius and your father, I am now out of room, so I will end with this: HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Remus/Moony
Harry looked up with tears in his eyes. "Thank you..." Harry whispered.
By this point Remus was all but beaming. "My pleasure, Harry. But, if I were you, I wouldn't thank me just yet. Not until you've seen my next gift." He pulled out a small package and handed it to Harry.
Opening the gift, Harry looked at Remus in confusion, "It's a muggle cassette tape. What..."
"Tell me, Harry, to you have a cassette player?" Harry could've sworn that Remus was on the verge of giddy from excitement.
"My cousin Dudley does."
"Is he asleep?"
"Yes."
"Use the invisibility cloak and go get it, please."
"Ok..." Harry said with a mixture of about 10 nervousness and about 90 curiosity. Harry left his room, and upon opening his cousin's door, was welcomes by the reassuring sound of snores. It was very easy to quickly swipe the cassette player and go back to the safety of his room. Harry removed the cloak, placed the player on his desk, and sat back down on his bed. He looked at Remus expectantly.
"This is a gift from Sirius," he took Harry's look of hopeful confusion as a sign to continue, "He found this in the ruins of your house in Godric's Hollow. He planed to give it to you for your birthday this year, it was originally going to be given to you at any chosen point of time in your teen years...well, just listen. You'll understand." Remus popped in the tape and pressed play.
There was static before the voices came in.
"So... we're going to talk slash sing and then in over a decade Harry can listen to us?" Sirius sounded very confused.
"Yes, oh bright one. An hour later he finally gets it! Halleluiah!" it dawned on Harry that this was his father.
"You guys!" a woman's voice came in that could only be none other than Lily Potter. "We're recording right now!"
"Really? SWEET! I love muggle technology." exclaimed James. There was a pause, "Oh, right... HI HARRY!"
"Hey kiddo! This is me, Sirius, and your Dad. We're making this tape for some future birthday, like when you turn 16 or 17, which you are now, as you're listening to this tape."
"16 or 17...dear lord. My baby boy's going to grow up...NO FAIR!" whined James.
"Yo, ADD boy, can we stay focussed please?" came in Sirius's sarcastic voice.
"And this comment is coming from you? Mr. I-can't-stay-focussed-for-more-than-one-second-unless-it-involves-women-or-my-SON!" exclaimed James.
"Aww... he thinks that Harry is his son. How cute. We all know you're mine, don't we Harry."A babyish giggle could be heard. "See?"
"Stuff it, Black." said James in an obviously false-angry voice. It seemed that they had played this little 'game' before. Especially since they both burst out laughing. "Ok. Seriously, Sirius, let's get started... no pun intended, of course"
Sirius chose to ignore this comment. "ANYWAYS... as I was TRYING to say, Happy whatever-th Birthday, Harry."
"Yeah. Happy Birthday son. So. This is the song that Sirius and I wrote for you. We sing you to sleep with it, you probably won't remember by the time you get this tape, but, yeah..."
"Here we go!" Harry could almost see Sirius's smile at this point.
There was a guitar, keyboard, and drum intro before the singing came in.
(SIRIUS: bold)
(JAMES: italics)
(BOTH: bold italics)
Come stop your crying
it will be alright.
Just take my hand
hold it tight.
I will protect you from
all around you.
I will be here
don't you cry.
For one so small
you seem so strong.
My arms will hold you
keep you safe and warm.
This bond between us
can't be broken.
I will be here
don't you cry
Cause you'll be in my heart.
Yes, you'll be in my heart.
From this day on
now and forever more.
You'll be in my heart.
No matter what they say.
You'll be here in my heart.
Always.
Why can't they understand
the way we feel.
They just don't trust
what they can't explain.
I know we're different but
deep inside us.
We're not that different
at all.
And you'll be in my heart.
Yes, you'll be in my heart.
From this day on
now and forever more.
Don't listen to them
cause what do they know. (What do they know)
We need each other
to have to hold
They'll see in time
I know.
When destiny calls you
you must be strong. (you gotta be strong)
I may not be with you
but you gotta hold on.
They'll see in time
I know
We'll show them together...
Cause you'll be in my heart.
Believe me
You'll be in my heart.
I'll be there
From this day on
now and forever more.
Oooh.
You'll be in my heart.(You'll be here in my heart)
No matter what they say. (I'll be with...)
You'll be here in my heart.
I'll be there
always.
Always.
I'll be with you.
I'll be there for you always.
Always and always.
Just look over your shoulder.
Just look over your shoulder.
Just look over your shoulder.
I'll be there.
Always.
There was a final cord before the music stoped. And then
"I love you Harry." said James with the upmost sincerity.
"I love you too, Harry" the same tone of voice from Sirius.
A couple of coughs were heard.
"Your mother loves you too, who's manning the tape recorder. And Remus loves you too, who is working the instruments, with Magic." James quickly added.
"And, the end. HAPPY BIRTHDAY." yelled Sirius and James.
The tape stoped.
Harry had yet to notice the tears pouring down his face, and the fact that he was shaking. He looked up to see Remus' eyes shining with unshed tears.
"Happy Birthday Harry."