Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Harry had expected something more…well, more. It was his eleventh birthday, finally the year he got to go to Hogwarts, the place his uncles had told him never ending stories about. It was mostly Sirius who did the story telling and Harry suspected half the tales to be made up. He'd expected something more…dramatic like a thousand owls sitting around the house delivering messages or people with pig tales but instead, he'd just gotten one letter, normal as wizard school could be, mostly. He wasn't actually ready for the real world, despite his overestimating imagination's insurances. He'd been raised by his two uncles, Sirius and Remus and had never understood the things people would whisper to him about his dads/uncles. He also never understood the problem with werewolves. Remus was tied for first place as best dad and he was a werewolf, so what was the problem? Sirius was an unregistered animagus and he was okay with werewolves and dirty words that were thrown their family's way so why shouldn't Harry be? He'd had his trunk packed for a week and he was giddy to be off. He hurried down the stairs of Grimmauld Place only to find a massive man talking to his uncles. A grin spread over his face and he hurried to hug the big furry man who chuckled and patted him on the back. "Great to see you Hagrid." Harry smiled up into the face beaming down at him.
"Not every day your young man turns eleven now is it?" He chuckled again before pulling out a box and presenting it to the boy. "Baked it myself, words and all." He said puffing out his chest proudly. Harry opened it to reveal a pink frosted cake with "HAPPEE BIRTHDAE HARRY" written in green ink.
"Cake for breakfast!" Sirius squealed in delight as he poked Remus in the ribs lightly.
"I suppose just this once." Remus sighed, the whisper of a smile on his scarred face as the other three lit up and hurried to the kitchen.
"So we can cut it like this." Sirius said with the biggest knife they had. It was really, unnecessarily big but Harry frowned at the way he'd proposed to cut it.
"Kreacher wants a slice." Harry pouted. The house elf had always been terribly nasty to Harry but that never stopped the boy from trying to please the small creature.
"But then we'll have one slice left over." Sirius pouted.
"Ron should be arriving shortly. I'll check the fireplace." Remus said, solving their problem with ease. In a moment he was returning with the redhead in question who was brushing off his clothes.
"Happy Birthday Harry!" Ron said grinning and enveloping him in a hug. Ron had got his letter a few weeks earlier on his own birthday.
"Thanks Ron." Harry beamed at his friends and family. Sirius finally cut the cake and served the food; Kreacher was not as pleased about the cake as Harry would have liked but he still ate it. While they were sitting around the table eating, Ron scooted closer to Harry.
"My mum signed us up as volunteers to get muggle borns onto the platform." Ron whispered. He was a pureblood but he didn't act like one. Sirius was one too, he had his moments.
"But it's our first year." Harry groaned.
"I know! That's what I said." Ron agreed before they both realized Remus's eyes were on them.
"It's a good place for the two of you to start." He said.
"But it's boring." Harry whined.
"It'll be good for you to meet some people outside of the magical community Harry." He responded.
"Plus there's bound to be some pretty girls." Sirius cooed. Harry thought about telling them he wasn't into pretty girls but decided now wasn't the best time. Only he and Ron knew and for now, it'd stay that way.
When they'd all finished their cake, Remus and Sirius washed up while Hagrid told the boys about how to get to the platform. "Perhaps Sirius will take you to the train station?" Remus offered as be began collecting emptied plates, giving his mate a significant expression.
"Great idea Remmy!" Sirius clasped his hands together and stood abruptly. The wolvish couple gave Hagrid a meaningful glance, as if Harry and Ron could not see them and he stood.
"Well I best be getting off." Hagrid stood and the four left Remus to clean up. Hagrid set off Sirius's old bike while Sirius and the boys clambered into their big old Chevy Impala. It had been fixed up by Arthur Weasley so it could fly and become invisible. The boys were in the back tittering away while Sirius drove, every once in a while smiling at the image of his godson in the back seat. When they got to the train station, they got out and Sirius walked them to the platform, showing them what to do and where. When they were walking back to the car, Ron was ahead of Harry and Sirius.
"Yeah." Harry beamed up at his uncle.
"Moony and I didn't know what to get you." Sirius seemed terribly disappointed in himself. "We were going to take you and your friends to the zoo but Remmy said you might be too old for that." Sirius teased smiling and putting an arm around Harry's shoulders.
"I would love go to the zoo! Can we see the Unicorns? Oh and the Hippogriffs?" Harry was getting excited.
"Maybe we should go to Hagrid's instead." Sirius laughed and ruffled Harry's unruly hair.
"Almost the same thing." Harry laughed.
"We can do both if you want." Sirius smiled as they got to the car. "Would you like to go to the zoo and then Hagrid's for Harry's birthday tomorrow?" Sirius asked Ron.
"I'd love to but I'll have to ask Mum." Ron smiled. Sirius nodded, an understanding look on his face, Molly would be the one to ask of the two parents. Harry didn't ask what they were planning that day because he knew Sirius, never very good at keeping secrets from him, would tell him, even if it was supposed to be a surprise. They were returning to Grimmauld Place in silence, each with something different on their minds. Ron was thinking about how to ask his mother to go to the zoo without her making him bring Ginny, Fred and George. He knew when Sirius had extended the invitation it was to his whole family but he didn't want them to come. Ginny would stare at Harry and the twins would just cause trouble and mischief. The twins had caused the Weasley's to be kicked out of a number of places, including the zoo.
Harry was thinking about all the animals he wanted to see and how excited he was to go to school and wondering what his uncles had planned for the rest of the day. Sirius was ticking off things for Harry's surprise party and hoping Remus was done setting everything up. He took his time getting back home, not going his usual break neck speeds. When Harry noticed, he knew something was up, even more than before. He knew his uncles too well so he finally figured out what was happening. Sirius had said they didn't know what to get him just so he could propose the idea of the zoo when they had, without a doubt bought Harry an unnecessary amount of things. When they got home they would have a surprise party with the order, all of Harry's family and uncle's friends. Then tomorrow would be his already planned birthday party with his friends at the zoo. He smirked at his uncle in the rearview mirror. Sirius's eyes widened and flicked back to the road. Harry repressed a laugh before returning to paying attention to what Ron was saying about the twins and the things they'd done to his underwear.
When the three of them finally arrived back home Harry put on his surprised face at all the smiling faces inside from Mad Eye Moody to Hagrid to Dumbledore himself. Remus and Molly had made enough food for everyone for at least three more days. The party was a blast pun intended because of the twin's fireworks. They all had a good time and the short time Harry had alone with Remus, was spent with smiles. "You knew." Remus said, smile not faltering but Harry noted that his eyes flashed to Sirius with a vengeful glint.
"He didn't tell me." Harry responded, allowing his eyes to travel to his crazier uncle who was waving his arms in some elaborate story he was telling to a seemingly uninterested Mad Eye. "I figured out."
"I'm proud to have such an intuitive little nephew." Remus smiled at Harry lovingly. "And I will never tire of telling you of your parents and how like they you are."
"I will never tire of hearing it." Harry hugged his uncle and Remus smiled softly and hugged him back, missing his best friends who had given him this beautiful baby boy.
When the party had ended and the only people left were the Molly, Ron and the twins, Harry finally had a moment of peace. He sat with Sirius, Ron and Remus in the living room. The twins were being punished for their mischief by being forced to help clean the dishes with Molly who had insisted Remus rest. "Did you have fun Harry?" Sirius asked looking at his nephew.
"Yeah." Harry grinned.
"Ready for your presents?" Remus asked.
"I thought you said you didn't get me anything." Harry said dryly looking at Sirius with an expression said that he knew they'd gotten him presents. Remus sighed heavily and went to fetch Harry's gifts.
"You figured it out?" Sirius asked clearly upset.
"I know you well enough." Harry smiled. Remus returned, levitating the presents they'd gotten their darling nephew.
"Open your presents." Sirius clapped eagerly. Remus's scarred face joined Sirius in an eager smile as Harry began tearing the paper from the carefully wrapped presents. Remus had done a better job each year wrapping the presents by hand. Things soon piled up with the things he'd already received. A how to book on Aurors from Mad Eye, a photo album of his parents from Hagrid, a snitch from Dumbledore, were joined by a tiny broom from Sirius, some framed pictures from Remus of Harry and his friends and family, along with a book on quidditch from Sirius and tickets to a few quidditch matches. Two Chudley Cannons games for just Harry and his uncles, Harry smiled ruefully at the tickets knowing Ron would be terribly jealous. Three games for the Irish with enough tickets for Harry, his uncles, Ron, the twins, Ginny and Mr. Weasley. They had tickets to all of the Bulgarian games with enough tickets for Harry, his uncles, Ron and the twins. He got other things and the mountain of gifts seemed never ending. He got books and other things for school along with clothes and other things. Soon enough the remaining members of the redhead family left and Sirius was tidying up the mess of the place.
"So tomorrow we're going to the zoo and then to Hagrid's. Then We'll take you shopping for school supplies." Remus said as he took out a pad of paper and a quill, using his wand to make it begin writing a list of things Harry would need. When Sirius returned he went over the list, adding a few things before approving it.
"Looks like we got a good schedule of things for the next few days." He smiled and sat next to his godson.
