Chapter Two: Birthday party for one
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Four year old Harry Potter sat underneath the large table in the backyard. Music was blasting loudly around him and the sound of people laughing was just making him angrier. He frowned rolled onto his belly, peeking out from underneath the long table cloth. He could see his parents over the far side of the back yard, talking with a bunch of grown-ups. Just across from them there were a bunch of kids playing on a mini-quidditch set, the brooms leashed to the ground so they couldn't go too high. He could hear Todd squealing like a girl from here, tossing a large quaffle at a girl across from him.
'Bet he has cooties, probably why he is such a baby.' Harry thought darkly, scrunching up his face. His eyes shifted to the large cake on next to the gift table that he was hiding under. He already knew what it was. Chocolate, Todd's favourite.
Harry hated chocolate.
'We never get the cake I want.' Harry thought glumly. He rolled back into the middle of his hidey-hole and lay on his back. He pulled out the golden snitch he had nicked earlier and began letting it go, watching it fly just above him. He quickly snatched it out of the air again, before repeating. 'This is the most BORING birthday ever.' He thought. 'I hate July 31. Why couldn't we have been born on different days?'
Wizards had come far and wide to help celebrate the birthday of the Boy Who Lived. They all just happened to forget that it was Harry's birthday too. All except for one.
"Harry?" a voice called from above the table. Harry's face broke into a grin and he quickly pocketed the snitch. He crawled out from underneath the table and stood up, dusting his pants off. He looked up and beamed at his godfather.
"Moony!" he said happily, lifting his arms up. Remus obeyed the silent command, bending over and hoisting the small child up onto his shoulders. Harry buried his face into Remus's hair and held on tight. Remus grinned.
"You excited to open your presents Harry?" he asked. Harry shrugged.
"I already opened my presents. Mummy said I should so that other people don't feel bad about not getting me anything. " He said quietly. Remus frowned, sighing quietly. He put on a happy face and looked up at his pup.
"So what did you get?" he asked excitedly.
"I got a new shirt, some crayons, some toys and a book." Harry replied. "Can you read it to me Moony? I don't know what it says yet." He said, embarrassed. Remus smiled sadly.
"I'd love to Harry. Was that all you got?" he asked. Remus found it hard to believe that that was all his friends had given their second born. He knew how much they had spent on presents for Todd. Surely their favouritism wouldn't be so obvious? At least in the past they tried to hide it a little.
"I asked mummy for a new broom, but she said we couldn't afford one because she had to pay for the party." Harry said, turning to the large pile of presents behind him for his brother. Remus felt the small hands on his head clenching at his hair. Remus bottled the anger that was brewing under the surface.
"Well you haven't opened my present yet!" Remus said, turning around and walking into the kitchen. Harry perked up and began bouncing around on Remus's shoulders. The werewolf took them into the lounge and there on the couch was a long present. Harry grinned and Remus pulled him down, standing him on the ground. Harry ran over to the couch and began tearing the paper off the present. Harry nearly squealed when the broom became visible. He picked it up and hugged it to his body.
"Thank you so much Uncle Moony! This is the best present ever! I love you!" he said, ecstatic. Remus laughed, ruffling the hair on the green-eyed child's head.
"I love you too pup. Just make sure you are careful with it."
"I will I promise!" Harry replied, turning to Remus, beaming. The sound of steps echoed from the kitchen, and Lily appeared at the doorway.
"Remus! There you are! I've been looki- oh hi Harry. What's that you have there? What have I told you about stealing your brothers' things." Lily said, scowling. Harry poked his tongue out at her.
"It isn't Todd's, it's mine!" he said rudely. Lily frowned, and Remus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Don't be rude to your mother Harry." Remus said quietly. Harry turned to him, a betrayed look on his face, before nodding. Remus smiled at him and the corners of Harry's mouth turned up. Lily sighed.
"Remus, you shouldn't have given that to him, I'll just have to take it off away. He doesn't have any idea how to fly a broom!" she said.
"Well why don't you get James to teach him? Lord knows he has been spending all his free time teaching Todd how to fly. Can't he teach Harry too?" he asked. Lily rolled her eyes.
"You know how difficult it is to watch one child on a broom, let alone two. James can't teach both and maybe if Harry behaved himself we could get professional lessons. But as it is, Harry simply hasn't shown us that he can be responsible on a broom." She stated. Harry looked up.
"I can be good, I promise! I won't break anything anymore! Can I pleeeease get some lessons? I already have the broom!" he said desperately. Lily sighed.
"I'm sorry Harry, but I can't trust you. Now give it to me." She said firmly. Harry looked up at Remus, who was glaring at Lily.
"Lily, you can't expect me to believe that crock, do you? Give the boy a chance! What if he is good for a week, and then he can get a lesson." Remus asked, trying his hardest not to growl at his friends' wife. Lily looked hardly at the two males.
"Now is not the time to be talking about this, it's Todd's birthday. Now Harry, give me the broom!" she said, punctuating the last four words. Harry's eyes began to well up. He glanced between his mother and his godfather. Remus looked down at him sadly. Tears began to roll down Harry's face. The child turned back to Lily. His face began to go red and the room grew hot. Harry threw the broom onto the ground.
"I hate you!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. The child clenched his fists and ran out of the room and up the stairs. Lily turned to Remus.
"See what you've done? You crushed him! You should check your presents with us from now on Remus, so this doesn't happen." Lily told him condescendingly.
"I'm not the one that crushed him Lils, you are. I can't believe you are that blind to what you are doing to your OWN SON!" Remus shouted, his anger beginning to boil over. His nostrils flared and his eyes took on an animalistic light. Lily took a step back before finding her voice.
"Come on Remus, we are doing the best we can, so calm down. I love Harry as much as you do and it hurts me just as much to see him upset. But that comes hand in hand with parenting. If he gets everything he wants, he will be no better than that Malfoy brat that Lucius totes around. Why don't you come outside and have some cake? Todd is going to open his presents. Today isn't the day for this." Lily tried to cool the werewolf down. Remus sighed, looking very tired all of a sudden.
"This isn't over Lily. You know that." He said. Lily nodded.
"We can talk about it later. Let's just enjoy today, Ok? Come outside." You could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Finally Remus nodded and Lily broke out in a smile. James and Sirius suddenly burst into the room.
"Come on guys, you have to see this! Todd is scoring some amazing goals! He clearly takes after his old man." James said proudly. Sirius elbowed him in the ribs.
"More like his godfather, we both know I'm a much better chaser than you are!" Sirius replied. James laughed in his face.
"Whatever Padfoot, who was the one who got the deciding goal on that last match against Ravenclaw?"
"Only because it rebounded off your face!" Sirius grabbed James in a headlock and began rubbing his knuckles on the crown of his head. James kicked him in the leg and pushed him off. The two faced each other grinning, ready to start an all out war before Lily stepped between them.
"Come on boys, leave the fighting to the children." She said, grinning. James threw his arm around her shoulder.
"Oh Lily-flower, you are the voice of reason." He said before poking his tongue at Sirius behind her head. Sirius grumbled and threw his arm around Remus.
"Moony still loves me, don't you?" Sirius said sadly. Remus snorted.
"Not as much as you love yourself. I've seen you as Padfoot when you think nobody is looking." He replied, pretending to lick the air. James and Lily burst out laughing and Sirius grumbled. The group began to move outside. Remus glanced once more up the stairs, hoping to see his godson standing at the top, before turning and moving into the backyard.
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Harry sat on his bed, looking out the window forlornly. His tears had dried up long ago, and now he was just feeling sorry for himself. He could hear Todd exclaiming with joy as he unwrapped his many presents.
"Stupid smelly head." He mumbled to himself, and then sighed. Deep down he loved his brother. He was always friendly, and they rarely fought. He always shared his toys and tried to include him in his games. Todd absolutely adored Harry. Todd was really Harry's only friend, other than Uncle Moony.
However, on days like today, Harry found it very hard to ignore the obvious favouritism that his parents held for his slightly older brother.
His mum yelled at him. His dad ignored him. Harry closed his eyes once again. Tears would have fallen if he had any left to cry. Even Uncle Padfoot didn't see him.
Harry didn't understand why his parents didn't love him as much as they loved his brother. Sure, he had heard stories about what his brother did when they were babies, but his mind couldn't comprehend how that related to him now. Harry had been there too! He even had a curse scar like his brother. Some of the bad magic that hit his brother bounced off Todd and onto him too, giving him the mark on his forehead.
His dad always said that his brother was special. Todd had to grow up strong so he can fight evil. Late at night, when Harry pretended to be asleep he could hear his parents talking. Sometimes his mum would cry. It used to make Harry sad when he heard it, but now sometimes he wished she would cry more. Once when she was crying, Harry had walked into the room and she had given him a big hug! It was so nice!
Harry tried to make her cry more often so he could get more hugs, but usually it just ended with him being sent to his room with a smacked bottom.
Harry absent-mindedly rubbed at the scar on his forehead. When the bad man attacked his brother, the curse had rebounded back at him. Mr Dumbly told Harry that some of the curse had deflected off his brother and on to him too, which gave him his scar. The twins had been tested when they got to the hospital and both had resounding magic coming off them, though Todd's had been a lot stronger.
However Harry, nor anyone else for that matter, knew that the reason Todd had more ambient magic was because Harry was not only cursed first, but had absorbed more magic into his core. Dumbledore thought that the large V on Todd's chest had been the mark of the prophecy, but fate had a surprise for the Wizarding World. Their saviour was not going to fit into their mould, and they would have no one to blame but themselves.
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There's chapter two, I hope you liked it. I know it's a bit short, but the next one is coming within a week and it will be a little bit longer. Everything is still running a bit slow as while I set up the back story, just bear with me.
NEXT CHAPTER: Harry does some accidental magic, causing Dumbledore to make a decision that changes everything.
PLEASE REVIEW. It won't take you long and i'd love to hear if you guys like it.
