Chapter Twenty: Happy Birthday!

Emmalie awoke the next day in the same room she had in summer. She was back in the Hogwarts hospital wing. She carefully got up and looked around. Seeing no one, she got up and made her way back to her common room.

The castle was quiet and as Emmalie looked out a passing window the sun was still barely rising. It had to be somewhere around five in the morning. She made her way pass a grumpy Fat Lady and went up to her bed. She fell on her bed and knocked out.

She awoke just three hours later and hurried to get dress as Hermione was leaving the room. It was the last day before holidays, she would have plenty of time to sleep but now she still had classes. She went down for breakfast.

She nibbled on a piece of toast, as she looked up at the staff table, Snape was looking down into his food, though she was sure he was staring at her just moment before.

She went through the day, her classes passing in a tired haze. Once she exited her last class, she ate dinner quickly and went up to bed. She wasn't looking forward to the holiday, she had her birthday and she was all alone in Gryffindor Tower.

Emmalie awoke the next morning, to her surprise there were birthday presents at the foot of her bed. She smiled down at them; her family had sent her gifts. She opened her presents. Her mother and father had got her muggle clothes and a watch. She had told them it was traditional for one to get a watch when one comes of age it was a very beautiful silver moon phase watch, with a black strap, engraved on the back was "Dearest Emmalie, our little witch, we are very proud of you, love Mom and Dad". Emmalie burst out laughing at the thought of the muggle who engraved it and the look on their face when her parents told them to engrave the word "Witch" upon the watch. Her presents were muggle items but she didn't mind, no one magical knew it was her birthday.

She went down to breakfast to find that the Great Hall was practically deserted. There were two Hufflepuffs, an older Ravenclaw boy, and three Slytherins. The morning post came and to her surprise Pendragon came to her, carry a pink box.

He landed gracefully in front of her and put the package down. He took a drink of her orange juice and then a piece of bacon from her plate. He stayed at the table, eating and looking at her. She giggled, "alright, all right you little brat, I'll open it."

She pointed her wand at the box and the four sides came down gracefully revealing a cake. "Hey Pendragon mom made me a cake. But I guess you already knew that." He took another piece of bacon and continued eating without commenting. "Well aren't we feeling a bit rude…"

Emmalie looked down into her cake and sighed. She had no one to share, all the friends she made were gone…off with their families. She absentmindedly looked up at the staff table and had an idea. The only ones left were her teachers; she counted them off her finger, there was Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Dumbledore, and Hagrid (though he wasn't present).

She flicked her wand and her cake split up in seven pieces leaving one a bit larger than the others. Taking a deep breath, she got up; Pendragon flew unto her shoulder, and went up to the staff table. She was very thankful that no one was really here because the few that were, were looking at her.

She reached Dumbledore first and gave him a small smile. "Good morning Headmaster."

"Good morning Emmalie and I believe a Happy Birthday is in order."

"Yes sir, and I wondered if you and the other Professor's would like some of my um cake…my mom made it."

Dumbledore smiled at her, "Well I for one would love some." He turned to his left, "Minerva?"

Professor McGonagall looked shock for a second and recovered. She nodded briskly. He gently took the cake from her. "I see you have already cut it. I assume this larger piece is for Professor Hagrid."

"Yes sir. Is it okay, to visit him?"

"I think he would love a piece of cake." Dumbledore raised his wand; five pieces of cake rose up and landed in front of her very surprised Professor's.

"Thank you my dear!" squeaked Professor Flitwick.

"Wonderful," exclaimed Professor Sprout.

Professor McGonagall had a small smile on her face, "Thank you."

Dumbledore smiled at her, "Thank you for your generosity."

"It's nothing," she muttered a bit embarrassed. But she looked at her potions master, looking for his approval. His face was quite unreadable; he just gave her a small nod.

Dumbledore handed her back the box. "Thank you sir," she took it back and walked away. She snuck a peek at Umbridge who had watched the whole scene. She smiled to herself as she caught the look on Umbridge's face. As the Professor's ate their cake happily, and commented how wonderful it was, Umbridge looked like a sulky child who hadn't gotten what she wanted most.

Serves the toad right, Emmalie thought, for her hand was still bandaged. She walked down to Hagrid's hut. She knocked on the door and heard the barking first then Hagrid's rough voice, "Who could that be? Don't tell me…"

He opened the door, what little Emmalie could see of his bruised face, surprised was etched into it.

"Oh I thought yeh were…"

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione?" Emmalie finished for him. "Well I guess you didn't hear about Mr. Weasley?"

"Arthur? Wha' happen, he okay?"

"He was attacked by a snake, you know which one….he's fine, he'll be okay. They all left to see him. But on a brighter note….it's my birthday and I wondered if well you wanted some of my cake?"

Hagrid brighten up, "I'd love some. Come in…"

Emmalie entered the small one roomed hut. "Want a cuppa?" Hagrid asked. She nodded in response. He went to the fire and placed a copper kettle over it.

"Is yer birthday today?"

"Yes"

He placed a large mug in front of her. She opened the box as he sat down. "Here you go, Professor… I saved you a piece, my mom made it and sent it over…."

She stopped talking as he gave her a look. She could barely make it out through all the bruising. "Um…did I say something?"

"You called me Professor."

"Well you are, aren't you? I mean you teach Care of Magical Creatures."

"Yeah, yeah I just…well no one evers called me that before…"

"Oh well…" Emmalie blushed, "You don't mind do you…I mean you are a Professor."

"No, no…"

"Good, well here I save you a big piece and um myself one….I thought you know if you didn't mind we could share…"

He smiled at her, "I like that."

"Good…" she smiled and gave him his piece. She spent most of the after noon there, while Hagrid told her about all the creatures that lived in the Forbidden Forest. At dinner time she bade Hagrid a farewell and left to the castle.