Chapter 2 Diagon Alley and Harry's Birthday

Ten years later

Harry was sleeping soundly until he was woken up by a large red headed object that launched herself onto his bed like a human missile. Bouncing up and down roughly on his bed, stepping on his legs and arms several times in her excitement.

"Get up get up get up! Sirius said to get up and come downstairs." Sarah yelled while she woke him up quite roughly before jumping off of his bed and running out of the door.

"Can't a lad have a lie in on his own birthday?" Harry asked out loud as he fumbled for his glasses before siting up and rubbing the bruises that he would have till at least lunch.

"Not today. You're eleven now dear. It's a special day. There is a special letter downstairs for you. It looks very official." Tamara said sitting down on his bed running her wand over his body healing his bruises before they even had a chance to form.

"Could it be my Hogwarts letter?" Harry asked pleadingly.

"Best go see befor Sirius comes up here." Tamara smiled as she left the roof closing the door behind him to afford him the privacy every boy needs.

Streaching to the sky Harry climbed outta bed and began rummaging around looking for something appropriate to wear. Pulling on q pair of pants and a shirt Harry couldn't help but think apon the last ten years of his life. Harry had been living with his Godparents Sirius and Tamara Black. Sirius had started out as a Junior Auror only to rise hroughthe ranks to Assistant Head of the Auror Office underneath Amelia Bones. Tamara was a Healer at St Mugos. After Sirius had told Harry and Sarah about how their parents died and that they were in fact their Godparents Sarah and Harry had unanimously agreed to call them both mom and dad. Walking downstairs Harry was unsurprised to find several large presents wrapped in shiny paper.

"Hurry up and eat pup. We have a date at Diagonal Alley."

"What do you mean?" Harry then noticed the open letter on the table. "You opened my mail? Dad how could you!"

"Take it easy pup. Here." Sirius handed the letter to Harry which he eagerly tore into.

[italics] Mr. Potter-Black [end]

"Potter-Black? Why does it say that?"

"After Tamara and I married we decided to formally adopt you and your sister into the Ancient and Noble House of Black that is why it says Potter-Black. In public you are Potter but in formal occasions you are Potter-Black. That's all." Sirius explained.

"Oh okay" Harry started again not quite understanding.

Mr. Potter-Black,

It is my pleasure to announce that you are here by invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the upcoming semester. If you agree to attend you must reply no later thenJune 1st. But due to the proximity of your birthday to the closing date for acceptance you will have untilJune 15thto reply. Enclosed you will find a list of your required course material for a first year student, as well as your ticket to board theHogwarts Expresslocated at Platform 9 3/4. The train leaves at precisely 11:00 on September 1st. We hope to see you on the Hogwarts Express come September first.

Professor Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry immediately started grinning from ear to ear. "When do we leave?" He asked while he was waiting anxiously.

"Right now if you want." Sirius replied as anxious as Harry.

"Breakfast first." Tamara stated firmly in her Disobey-me-at-your-own-risk voice as she set a plate of breakfast down in front of both Sirius and Harry.

"Yes ma'am" both Sirius and Harry replied

While they were eating Sarah started to clean up her own dishes despite the many protestations from the house elves. Upon finishing and being gently evicted from the kitchen by the elves Sarah immediately went to Tamara and began to beg for her friends to floo over. "Mummy please I haven't seen Noah, Ginny, or Jonathan since last week. Please can they come over?"

"I don't see a reason why. You're going to see them later this evening when we go over to The Burrow for Harry's party." Tamara tried to reason.

"But mummy then it's going to be all about Harry and I won't be able to play with them. Please!" Sarah begged.

"Oh alright. You can floo over to The Burrow. When Harry and Sirius are gone. But make sure to help Molly with the preparation."

"Yay! Thanks mummy." Sarah quickly hugged Tamara before running off to the fireplace to floo her friends. Meanwhile Sirius and Harry finished eating and were on their way out. After hugging both Tamara and Sarah goodbye Sirius side-along apparated him and Harry to Gringotts.

"First thing first you need to wait here whilst I go collect some gold. Form the vault." With that Sirius walked over to the main desk to speak with the goblins. Knowing that it would take Sirius a while to get down to his vault and back Harry immediately went to look for his secret friend. Obviously one no one knew about. Ducking through a side door hidden behind an ancient goblin tapestry Harry quickly climbed up a flight of stairs before coming to a small opening. Harry crawled through the opening and reached a wooden door. Knocking Harry announced who it was at the tiny door.

"Ragnor. Its me Harry."

"Ahh young Harry a pleasure it is to see you again. Come in. Come in."

Opening the door Harry crawled into the large office occupied by the head of Gringotts. Before sitting on a small chair behind Ragnor's desk that was put there just for Harry.

"I take it the either Lord or Lady Black is making a withdrawal right now." Ragnor asked a gleam in his eyes.

"Yep. I just got my Hogwarts letter so we are about to go shopping for all of my school supplies."

"Really? Well congradulations are in order then. Hogwarts is a fine wizarding school. May today by any chance be your 11th birthday as well?"

"You know that it is. After all don't the goblins know everything about their clients?"

"We make it a priority to moinitor our more…wealthy clients to make sure that we are investing their gold wisely. But that is not why I asked. I asked because it makes giving you this a lot easier." Ragnor pulled a small ring out of his desk. "This ring is very important. It once belonged to the most trusted wizards in the ages. The Head of Gringotts only gives it out to those they trust above all others. You see this ring allows you all of the priveldges associated with the Head Goblin. A very precious gift." Ragnor's eyes watched Harrys expression closely. The wrong word on Harry's part could lose all of the respect he had for the little boy.

"As wonderful as a gift that is wouldn't it be too much of a temptation for a wizard. He would be allowed into any vault in Gringotts. I don't think I can accept it." Harry replied though deep down he wanted to accept Ragnor's gift.

"And there young Harry shows that you are worthy of this gift." Ragnor said while pressing the ring into Harrys hand. "Now you must be going. I believe that Lord Black should be coming up from his vault about now.

"Bye Ragnor. I'll write to you from Hogwarts." Harry said after returning to the small passageway from whence he came.

"Goodbye young Harry. I shall be seeing more of you. Of that I am sure."

Upon reaching the main lobby of the bank Harry immediately ran up to Sirius.

"Ready to go Harry?"

Slipping the ring onto his right hand Harry was amazed to feel it shrink to fit his small fingers. "Yeah. Where to first?"


At the Burrow

Emerald green fire flared into the fireplace of the Burrow and Sarah tumbled out of the fire. Upon standing up and dusting herself of she was immediately tackled by 2 red haired girls her age.

"Sarah!" Both of the girls screamed while they squeezed her in a hug that reminded her of their mothers.

"Ginny. Noah. Can't…breathe." Looking at the two girls Sarah could tell that as much as they were similar there were several differences between the two girls. Both had long red hair but where Ginny had freckles Noah had smooth skin. Ginny was just slightly taller then Noah. Looking up into the doorway Sarah saw Jonathan. He was leaning against the doorframe watching the girls with a smile on his face. Sarah smiled back at him noticing that his hair always looked as if the wind had decided to blow through it. The best parts about Jonathan were that no matter the weather outside if you stood close enough to him it would feel as cool as a spring day. Sarah rememebered back to the time when Fred, George, and Ron, Harry knew better then to anger the three redheads, had pranked the 3 girls. They had dumped water on them from Ron's bedroom window. The three girls immediately started crying but Jonathan in a show of strong accidental magic literally ran up the side of the house and pulled water from the pond and threw it onto the boys before landing safely on the ground besides the girls who immediately started giggling.

Smiling Sarah finnaly managed to get outta the hug. "So whats first on the agenda." Sarah asked.

"We are gonna be setting up out back for the party. Then we are gonna have to pull weeds. But at least you're here. That'll make the job more fun." Ginny replied.

"And by we Gin means you, her and I. Jonathan has other chores." Noah replied sadly.

So the three girls went about setting up tables and chairs before they began to pull weeds. Anyone who walked by would swear that the three girls sounded like squirrels on a suger high because they were talking so fast.

As soon as they finished their assigned chores the girls started walking back into the house for lunch when they heard the sound of a window opening upstairs. Just then several buckets of soapy water fell on them from the window. Drenched they walked into the kitchen to find Mrs. Weasley setting the table.

"What happened to you girls? Your sopping wet." Mrs Weasley asked as she waved her wand drying the girls and cleaning up the puddles they left behind just as Gred and Forge came down the stairs laughing uproarishly. That is until Mrs. Weasley laid her eyes upon them,

"And what are you too laughing about?" Her eyes would narrow causeing both Fred and George to shudder.

"Um.. we didn't…"Fred started.

"That is to say…" George continued.

"May have dropped a bucket…"

"Of soap water on them." George finished.

"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY! How many times do I have to tell you to leave your sisters and their friends alone. The birthday boy will be here in just a few moments. Ill not have you ruining Harry's party. Both of you will be degnoming the garden tomorrow."

"But Mum!" The twins exclaimed

"No buts. Not sit down and eat"

The twins sat down and started eating just as the fire flared green for the third time. This time Harry stepped out followed by Sirius and Tamara. Harry immediately went to the table and sat down at the only empty seat right next to Ginny.

"Yes! Mrs. Weasley has lunch ready. Im starved." Harry quickly made a plate before he started to eat. Ginny immediately started blushing before asking.

"Harry. I was wondering…if I could see your wand."

"Sure Ginny." Harry pulled his wand outta a wand holder strapped to his right forearm. For some reason he couldn't deny her anything when she blushed like that. Shaking his head dispelling the thought that nearly crossed his mind he handed his wand out as Ginny reached out hesitantly. Smiling to himself Harry set the wand in her hand and watched her eyes widen in surprise. Harry had actually let her hold his wand. His brand new wand.

"What is it made with?"

"Holly. With phoenix tail feather." Slowly Ginny handed the wand back to him. Slipping the wand back into the holster Sirius had given him he noticed a small look of pain cross her face before she smiled and left the table. Harry knew that the Weasleys couldn't afford to buy new things and most of their belongings were second hand. Harry made a mental note to buy Ginny a brand new wand for her birthday.

After he had finished eating Harry met the other quidditch fanatics out at the weasley's quidditch pitch. Tamara and Sirius had got him a new Nibus 2000 for his birthday and he was eager to try it out. Pushing off he could feel the difference almost immediately. He couldn't wait till his second year when he could try out for the quidditch team. Soaring around Harry took count. There was Fred and George(they were beaters on the Gryffindor quidditch team. Ron was hoving in front of the rings on one side of the pitch while Charlie (who was home visiting the family on vacation form the dragon reserve in Romania was hovering in front of the other rings. They were one player short. Looking around on the ground Harry saw Noah and Jonathan leaning against a tree talking. All those two did was talk it seemed. Ginny was watching the boys soar around and Harry could see Sarah talking to Tamara and Mrs. Weasley. Looking closely at Ginny's face he could see a longing to be up there with the boys. Making a quick decision he flew down beside her and whispered something to her quickly. Her face lit up and she immediately ran into the house only to emerge a few mionutes later with Harry's old cleansweep.

"Harry what are you doing letting Ginny use your old broom? You know she can't fly. I do not want her on my team." Ron complained.

"That's fine. You can be on Fred and George's team. Charlie and I'll take Ginny. Right Charlie?" Harry stated looking from Ron to Charlie.

"Sure and when we win it'll show Ron a thing or two about underestimating new players." Charlie joked with a wink. He and his father had once caught Ginny riding Charlie's old broom one night. Seeing the look of pleasure on her face they couldn't interrupt her and watched as she soared with a grace neither believed that she had.

Pushing up from the ground Ginny soared over to Harry and gave him a big hug thanking him for letting her play. She then turned clumsily to face Fred, George and Ron. Sarah came running over yelling!

"Hey I'll ref for you. I don't really feel like getting sweaty today." Grabbing Bill's broom outta the tool shed she rose up holding the quaffle. "So a three on three. No bludgers and no snitch." Tossing the quaffle up into the air the game started. Several Hours later the seven of them began to walk back to the house with half of the boys ranting the whole way.

"There is no way Ginny is that good. She was better than both of you two!" Ron yelled at Fred and George who were still shocked that they lost by over 140 points.

Upon reaching the house Harry was amazed to see that it was completely decorated. This was shaping up to be the best birthday ever.

AN: I am a little behind this week but I finally got it finished. sorry for the partial postings. And to my loyal readers the few of you and those growing numbers who have yet to find my little sandcastle. Thank you and Enjoy. And remember read and review. Your opinions matter and it makes a writer happy to see reviews. Also your ideas just might join the story.