Chapter 3 The Party
(A.N. If you haven't read my other story Harry Potter and the Snake Keeper, I recommend that to you. It happens the year before this one)
Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, Ginny, Charlie, Percy, and Bill were crowded into the tiny kitchen. There was a banner above the table that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY AND HERMIONE! Harry looked at Hermione who had a shocked expression written all over her face. Then she frowned.
"But it isn't my birthday," She said.
"Well we've never celebrated your birthday before, and since we're already celebrating Harry's birthday we thought it would be nice to celebrate yours to," said Mrs. Weasley, pulling the two of them out of the entry way.
"Happy Birthday Hermione," Ginny squealed. She looked at Harry and started to blush, "Happy birthday Harry."
"Thanks Ginny," said Harry.
"Happy Birthday, Harry," Said Percy, shaking Harry's had formally.
"Hey Harry!" Ron said, "You were surprised, weren't you?"
"I forgot it was even my birthday!" Harry said. "That's why I was so surprised."
"Oh, I'm so embarrassed," Moaned Hermione. "And I forgot to get you a present Harry!"
"That's alright," said Harry, "I didn't get you one either."
"I'll get you one at Diagon Alley."
"I'll get you one too."
They moved forward to join the festivities. Mrs. Weasley had made a cake with Green and Purple Icing. Ron gave Harry and Hermione their presents. Harry was bombarded by Fred and George, who tried to get him to recap the story of how he survived Voldemort last year. Then Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry away from the twins.
"Don't mind them dear," She said. "They're just excited."
After it got too crowded in the kitchen (Fred and George had set of some Fireworks of their own invention, they were now rocketing around the room) Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys moved out into the back yard.
"Harry," Said Mr. Weasley, pulling Harry aside while the others were eating their cake.
"I've been really worried, about You-Know-who. The last time you and him met, you barely escaped. Anytime now he could be getting his powers back-"
"He already has them back," Harry remembered.
"He does!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "How do you know?"
"I dreamed about it," Harry said, sipping some butterbeer.
Mr. Weasley muttered to himself for a minute or so.
"I should tell the ministry," Mr. Weasley muttered. "No, I'll tell them on Monday."
"I'm pretty sure that he's hiding somewhere near Big Hangleton." Harry continued.
"How do you know that?"
"Well, you see my cousin had a friend who was visiting around there. One day they found his body in the woods. The day before that I had the dream and he was killed in it." Mr. Weasley gaped at Harry.
"Maybe I should tell the ministry now," Mr. Weasley said.
"No, wait until Monday so that they won't get suspicious," Harry said, motioning to the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione. Mr. Weasley nodded.
"And now for the best part!" Exclaimed Ron!
"Presents!" Bellowed Fred and George. They stampeded into the house. A few minutes later they returned with a few small parcels in their arms.
"You didn't have to," Harry and Hermione said.
"Don't be silly," Ron said, thrusting packages into both of their arms. Hermione pulled the wrapping off of her first present. The wrapping revealed a book.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, leafing through the blank pages.
"It's a writing book," Ron said, "You can record all of your favorite spells and potions in it. And if you get bored you can doodle."
"Thanks," Hermione said, picking up a spare quill and sitting down to write in it.
"Open your first one Harry," Ron said. Harry tore off the wrapping. He opened the box that the paper covered. Inside was-a salad bowl.
"Thanks..." Harry said. "What's it for?"
"It's a Pensieve," Ron said, "It's a mini one. I was thinking it would be good to get you for homework and stuff."
"Cool!"
"Do you know how it works?"
"Yeah, but I need my wand."
"Hermione, Harry, open the rest of your presents!" Fred said.
The other gifts had many odd things in them. The next present that Harry opened was a wand. He picked it up and it squawked. With a loud POOF it turned into a miniature goose. With a loud BANG it turned into a wand again. Then into a rubber chicken.
Hermione's next present was another book. When she opened it there was a loud sound and Hermione's face was sprayed with water.
"Very funny," she sputtered.
The rest of Harry's presents contained Dungbombs from Bill and Charlie, A sweater from Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, and a book about Prefects from Percy (Which did Harry no good because he wasn't a prefect.).
As they sat on the benches outside in the garden it started to rain lightly. Crookshanks, who had been sitting on Hermione's lap yowled and bolted for the door.
They picked up their presents and walked into the warm house. They yawned and walked up to their rooms. Harry's trunk had been set in Ron's bedroom, among the four beds that were crammed in there.
"Let me guess," Harry said, pulling on his pajamas, "Fred and George are in here too."
"Yep," said Ron. "Charlie's in their room and Bill has his own house not too far from here."
They crawled into their beds and were almost asleep when Fred and George pounced on them.
"You weren't thinking of going to sleep were you?" Asked George.
Ron was still asleep even though Fred had practically body-slammed him.
Harry pushed George off of his sleeping bag and rolled over.
"Party poopers," Muttered Fred. In a matter of minutes Harry had fallen asleep.
"Is Potter still at the Dursleys?" Asked Voldemort.
"No," Said the man under the cloak. "He has left Vernon and Petunia and he went to some other wizarding house."
"Damn," Voldemort said, "It's going to be a lot harder to keep track of him now that he's gone back into the wizarding world."
"Dumbledore's sending out the school lists to all the students tonight. Soon Harry and his friends will be going to Diagon Alley. I can follow them there."
"No, not you. If anyone were to recognize you they'd ask questions. I'll send Lucius, or Nott. Anyone but you." Voldemort spat.
The man sighed and sat down in a dust covered chair.
"Are you sure you want ME to kill him. I mean, I might not be up to it."
"Does this mean that you might not stay loyal to me?" Voldemort snarled. "You have already witnessed tonight what happens to someone who does not stay loyal to me." Voldemort pointed a long finger to a body that was lying on the floor.
"I have no temptation to leave you Voldemort. I guess you're right, I would be the best person to kill him."
Voldemort glared at the man.
"Except you of course."
Voldemort smiled. "Well, I suppose we should get moving. We have a long journey ahead."
Voldemort and the man in the cloak stood up. They took out their wands out and waved them. In a small pop they were gone.
Harry's eyes blinked open. The dream was still fresh in his mind. He had to watch out for either Lucius Malfoy or Nott. He doubted that he would have to look for Malfoy. After last year his identity as a Death Eater was revealed. From what Harry had heard Malfoy was on the run.
Who is that man that Voldemort is always talking too? Harry asked himself. And why do I seem to know him?
Harry glanced at Ron's clock. It said that the time was 3:30 am. Too early to get up. Harry rolled over and thought about what his dream might have meant. His thoughts finally rolled into dreams once again.
(A.N. If you haven't read my other story Harry Potter and the Snake Keeper, I recommend that to you. It happens the year before this one)
Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, Ginny, Charlie, Percy, and Bill were crowded into the tiny kitchen. There was a banner above the table that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY AND HERMIONE! Harry looked at Hermione who had a shocked expression written all over her face. Then she frowned.
"But it isn't my birthday," She said.
"Well we've never celebrated your birthday before, and since we're already celebrating Harry's birthday we thought it would be nice to celebrate yours to," said Mrs. Weasley, pulling the two of them out of the entry way.
"Happy Birthday Hermione," Ginny squealed. She looked at Harry and started to blush, "Happy birthday Harry."
"Thanks Ginny," said Harry.
"Happy Birthday, Harry," Said Percy, shaking Harry's had formally.
"Hey Harry!" Ron said, "You were surprised, weren't you?"
"I forgot it was even my birthday!" Harry said. "That's why I was so surprised."
"Oh, I'm so embarrassed," Moaned Hermione. "And I forgot to get you a present Harry!"
"That's alright," said Harry, "I didn't get you one either."
"I'll get you one at Diagon Alley."
"I'll get you one too."
They moved forward to join the festivities. Mrs. Weasley had made a cake with Green and Purple Icing. Ron gave Harry and Hermione their presents. Harry was bombarded by Fred and George, who tried to get him to recap the story of how he survived Voldemort last year. Then Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry away from the twins.
"Don't mind them dear," She said. "They're just excited."
After it got too crowded in the kitchen (Fred and George had set of some Fireworks of their own invention, they were now rocketing around the room) Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys moved out into the back yard.
"Harry," Said Mr. Weasley, pulling Harry aside while the others were eating their cake.
"I've been really worried, about You-Know-who. The last time you and him met, you barely escaped. Anytime now he could be getting his powers back-"
"He already has them back," Harry remembered.
"He does!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed. "How do you know?"
"I dreamed about it," Harry said, sipping some butterbeer.
Mr. Weasley muttered to himself for a minute or so.
"I should tell the ministry," Mr. Weasley muttered. "No, I'll tell them on Monday."
"I'm pretty sure that he's hiding somewhere near Big Hangleton." Harry continued.
"How do you know that?"
"Well, you see my cousin had a friend who was visiting around there. One day they found his body in the woods. The day before that I had the dream and he was killed in it." Mr. Weasley gaped at Harry.
"Maybe I should tell the ministry now," Mr. Weasley said.
"No, wait until Monday so that they won't get suspicious," Harry said, motioning to the rest of the Weasley's and Hermione. Mr. Weasley nodded.
"And now for the best part!" Exclaimed Ron!
"Presents!" Bellowed Fred and George. They stampeded into the house. A few minutes later they returned with a few small parcels in their arms.
"You didn't have to," Harry and Hermione said.
"Don't be silly," Ron said, thrusting packages into both of their arms. Hermione pulled the wrapping off of her first present. The wrapping revealed a book.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, leafing through the blank pages.
"It's a writing book," Ron said, "You can record all of your favorite spells and potions in it. And if you get bored you can doodle."
"Thanks," Hermione said, picking up a spare quill and sitting down to write in it.
"Open your first one Harry," Ron said. Harry tore off the wrapping. He opened the box that the paper covered. Inside was-a salad bowl.
"Thanks..." Harry said. "What's it for?"
"It's a Pensieve," Ron said, "It's a mini one. I was thinking it would be good to get you for homework and stuff."
"Cool!"
"Do you know how it works?"
"Yeah, but I need my wand."
"Hermione, Harry, open the rest of your presents!" Fred said.
The other gifts had many odd things in them. The next present that Harry opened was a wand. He picked it up and it squawked. With a loud POOF it turned into a miniature goose. With a loud BANG it turned into a wand again. Then into a rubber chicken.
Hermione's next present was another book. When she opened it there was a loud sound and Hermione's face was sprayed with water.
"Very funny," she sputtered.
The rest of Harry's presents contained Dungbombs from Bill and Charlie, A sweater from Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, and a book about Prefects from Percy (Which did Harry no good because he wasn't a prefect.).
As they sat on the benches outside in the garden it started to rain lightly. Crookshanks, who had been sitting on Hermione's lap yowled and bolted for the door.
They picked up their presents and walked into the warm house. They yawned and walked up to their rooms. Harry's trunk had been set in Ron's bedroom, among the four beds that were crammed in there.
"Let me guess," Harry said, pulling on his pajamas, "Fred and George are in here too."
"Yep," said Ron. "Charlie's in their room and Bill has his own house not too far from here."
They crawled into their beds and were almost asleep when Fred and George pounced on them.
"You weren't thinking of going to sleep were you?" Asked George.
Ron was still asleep even though Fred had practically body-slammed him.
Harry pushed George off of his sleeping bag and rolled over.
"Party poopers," Muttered Fred. In a matter of minutes Harry had fallen asleep.
"Is Potter still at the Dursleys?" Asked Voldemort.
"No," Said the man under the cloak. "He has left Vernon and Petunia and he went to some other wizarding house."
"Damn," Voldemort said, "It's going to be a lot harder to keep track of him now that he's gone back into the wizarding world."
"Dumbledore's sending out the school lists to all the students tonight. Soon Harry and his friends will be going to Diagon Alley. I can follow them there."
"No, not you. If anyone were to recognize you they'd ask questions. I'll send Lucius, or Nott. Anyone but you." Voldemort spat.
The man sighed and sat down in a dust covered chair.
"Are you sure you want ME to kill him. I mean, I might not be up to it."
"Does this mean that you might not stay loyal to me?" Voldemort snarled. "You have already witnessed tonight what happens to someone who does not stay loyal to me." Voldemort pointed a long finger to a body that was lying on the floor.
"I have no temptation to leave you Voldemort. I guess you're right, I would be the best person to kill him."
Voldemort glared at the man.
"Except you of course."
Voldemort smiled. "Well, I suppose we should get moving. We have a long journey ahead."
Voldemort and the man in the cloak stood up. They took out their wands out and waved them. In a small pop they were gone.
Harry's eyes blinked open. The dream was still fresh in his mind. He had to watch out for either Lucius Malfoy or Nott. He doubted that he would have to look for Malfoy. After last year his identity as a Death Eater was revealed. From what Harry had heard Malfoy was on the run.
Who is that man that Voldemort is always talking too? Harry asked himself. And why do I seem to know him?
Harry glanced at Ron's clock. It said that the time was 3:30 am. Too early to get up. Harry rolled over and thought about what his dream might have meant. His thoughts finally rolled into dreams once again.