Harry Potter and the Moral Dilemma Chapter 3 The Big Surprise
Harry awoke on his birthday and underwent his usual routine with his bath although Myrtle waited to wish him a good morning until He was all done.
"Myrtle, if you can try to keep Peeves from Trashing the place just in case I decide to invite Ginny over tonight?" Harry requested.
"Sure thing Harry," Myrtle said. "Oh by the way Happy Birthday Harry the big Seventeen huh?"
"You bet Myrtle. The best part is Muggles have certain movies that you can't get into unless you are seventeen so I can watch them now without my invisibility cloak," Harry said.
"Harry, you forget I was Muggle born back when I was alive," Myrtle said. "Ok so movies were a lot different back then.
Harry walked down to breakfast to see Sirius reading the paper. Apparently Hedwig has already been through.
"Morning Harry, your parents would have enjoyed today that is for sure. Too bad Wormtail ruined it by sicking the dark lord on them," Sirius said.
"Sirius, I might invite Ginny over for dinner tonight being a special occasion and I'd rather Peeves not trash the place only I don't think Myrtle can handle him alone and being a Gryffindor I'm not a favorite of the Bloody Baron," Harry said.
"I think I can handle that crazy Poltergeist. Just so you know I gave Dobby a few Galleons and told him to take the day off. HE was excited and figured on visiting Winky over at the school," Sirius said.
"I figured on grabbing breakfast at the Three Broomsticks as it is," Harry said.
Harry then headed for the Three Broomsticks which was a restaurant/Tavern there in town. He took the time to head for the bar.
"Morning Harry," the Wizard behind the bar said. "What's up your cook on strike?"
"He took the day off," Harry said.
"Haven't seen you with the Flaming Red Head lately. Last time I saw you two together was at the end of last term," he said.
"I saw her yesterday when I was in Diagon Alley buying books and then I had dinner with her family," Harry said.
"Next time she is in town you should bring her by," the wizard said.
"Maybe I will," Harry said. "I might have her join me for dinner tonight."
"Excuse me but could someone help me into a stool?" a diminutive wizard asked.
"Sure no problem just give me a second," Harry said. "Wingardium Leviosa."
Harry managed to magically lift the wizard onto the stool next to him.
"Not a bad job Mr. Potter. If it was during the school year I'd probably give Gryffindor fifty points," the wizard said which caused Harry to almost double take. HE took a quick glance at the wizard and immediately placed the face.
"Oh Professor Flitwick I didn't realize it was you," Harry said.
"That's ok Mr. Potter. I didn't think you would use magic to lift me," Prof. Flitwick said.
"If it was a different Student they probably wouldn't except I have special permission to use magic over the summer," Harry said.
"I hope you have your books already," Prof. Flitwick said.
"I bought them earlier this month at Flourish and Blotts in Diagon Alley," Harry said. "Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were with me."
"You getting any better at the various charms?" Flitwick asked. "I remember they used to give you trouble."
"The last couple weeks I've gotten a lot of practice with the Banishing Charm," Harry said.
"It seems every year somebody sends me flying when we do that Charm," Flitwick said.
"Well It doesn't take much for me to get the practice. The minute I drop my guard I can almost guarantee a little practice. You see Peeves is currently in temporary residence at my house here in Hogsmeade," Harry said.
"You felt safe leaving him alone?" The bartender asked.
"Well Myrtle is also on hand and I left word for her to keep an eye on Peeves," Harry said.
"Flitwick, can I get you anything?" the bartender asked.
"Wizard's breakfast, you eaten yet Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked his student.
"Not yet In fact I was getting ready to order up a wizard's breakfast myself," Harry said.
"Harry, your food is on the house but your friend the academic will have to pay," the bartender said. "All day in fact."
During this he placed two jugs of pumpkin juice on the bar along with a couple goblets. Shortly after that he placed two plates of food on the table. AS they emptied their plates it magically refilled. Prof. Flitwick required six fillings but Harry was satisfied after the fourth filling.
"Have your muggle relatives sent your present yet?" Flitwick asked.
"No but how could they Hogsmeade isn't with the Muggle Postal Service and they have no way to send an owl. Hedwig stays close since she has to bring the daily paper to me," Harry said.
"Could they have sent it with a friend who does have access to the Wizard Postal Service?" the Bartender asked.
"Well my Christmas Presents mundane and insulting as they are do tend to reach me how I don't know," Harry said.
"Maybe the school sends an owl to pick up your present," Flitwick said. "I think they do that sometimes for Muggle born students who stay up for Christmas.
"Yeah but in the summer It wouldn't be the school's job to handle those things," Harry said.
"True but you never know what might be going on," the charms professor said.
Prof. Flitwick didn't know how right he was for right then Three figures were exiting the fireplace at Harry's house. Two red heads and a dark curly head. Sirius was keeping an eye on Peeves while they started working away.
Harry meanwhile was having fun hanging with the professor. At one point Just for kicks Harry had picked up his wand and went Accio butterbeer. The bartender had just set a mug of butterbeer on the counter when Harry's wand magically pulled it to him.
"Not bad Harry and I was about to deliver it to you," the bartender said.
Harry ended up having lunch with Prof. Flitwick as well. Afterward he spent the whole afternoon chatting with various townspeople he had come to know over the last four years since first and second year students weren't allowed in Hogsmeade. In fact Harry had used a couple of his father's old tricks a Marauders map and his invisibility cloak to sneak into Hogsmeade during his third year since parental permission was needed to make the trips and he had lacked it. Thankfully Sirius had saved the day at the end of his third year by giving the permission. Around about five o'clock Harry thought he felt something behind him when suddenly a Filibuster firework had gone off right under his seat. He turned to see two Red Headed figures make a run for it.
"Accio Firebolt," Harry called with his wand and soon enough his broom had appeared and he hopped aboard keeping the speed limit within Hogsmeade limits in mind.
"Thought so Fred and George. Why on Earth are they hoping to hide in my house. I should almost report those two to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Harry kept the broom going at safe speed as he finished the journey to his house. When he walked in he was nailed by a cloud of confetti which Peeves had thrown as Everyone there Yelled Real Loud
"SURPRISE"
Harry quickly looked around and Saw Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Ron's older twin brothers Fred and George, Percy and his fiancée Penelope Clearwater, Peeves, Myrtle, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington known among the students as Nearly Headless Nick, Friar Antonio de Baldi better known as the Fat Friar, Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and a number of other residents of Gryffindor Tower. The most obvious guest was Twice as tall as the others and much broader he was known as Rubeus Hagrid. Even Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet Four veterans of the Quidditch Cup team his third year. In fact He had played with all four of them during his first three years on the team.
"Harry, how come you used a Summoning Charm on your broom?" Alicia asked.
"Easy so I could follow a couple crazy beaters," He answered indicating Fred and George the other two members of the team from when he first started playing literally.
"Good thing there weren't any Bludgers to worry about," George said.
"I simply looked at you two as the Golden Snitch," Harry said since according to the rules of Quidditch the seeker's job was to try to catch the Golden Snitch.
"Harry, you really think we your friends would let you be stuck celebrating your birthday alone?" Hagrid asked.
"Of course he wouldn't. The challenge though was sending the invitations out by owl and keeping you from finding out. Thankfully as an animagus I can sneak around unnoticed so I went by the Owl Office and arranged for their owls to handle the grunt work," Sirius said. "Dobby taking the day off was also part of the plan. Your deciding to spend the day at the Three Broomsticks made it even easier."
"Yeah it made it easy for Fred and George to get my attention," Harry said.
"It also gave Ron, Hermione, and I time to decorate," Ginny said with a little giggle. "Of course Sirius and Myrtle helped.
"Myrtle managed to lock up all your valuables with the exception of the Firebolt so I was anxious to throw something when they handed me the confetti," Peeves said. "God it seemed like King's Crossing in here as people were coming left and right through the Fireplace."
"Probably a good thing Myrtle locked up anything you could conceivably throw," Harry said.
"Thankfully we knew Peeves would most likely be around so we could find something for him to safely throw," Hermione said.
Sirius then called everyone to dinner. Thankfully it was a buffet style dinner what with all the guests.
"Harry, lets face it this is a great Party," A girl who the year before had been a first year said.
"I know Ginger, Best part is I didn't know about it. Oh well It's better then I always had to put up with at the Dursleys," Harry said.
"The Dursleys," Ginger said with a confused look on her face.
"Their Muggles. My Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. Petunia was my mom's sister," Harry said.
"Oh," Ginger said.
"I heard some crazy rumor that this was the place to be tonight," A Man with Long Silver hair said from the door as he walked in with a Dark Haired Woman with her hair in a Bun. The Man has on Long Red Wizard Robes and the Woman had Scarlet Robes trimmed with gold on. Pretty much every guest cheered since those were the colors of Gryffindor. Penelope having lived in Ravenclaw simply smiled at the new arrivals. The New Arrivals being Albus Dumbledore the Headmaster of Hogwarts and Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmaster, Transfiguration Professor and the Head of Gryffindor House.
"Certainly looks to be a hoping place," Prof. McGonagall said shortly before Peeves nailed her with a seat cushion he had found laying around.
"Well now we know why Filch has been complaining about how quiet it was around the Castle," Dumbledore said before using a banishing charm on a cushion that was headed for him. He was successful and the cushion ended up flying through Nearly Headless Nick and hitting Ginny in the face.
"OK who threw this. Myrtle, I thought I asked you to lock up anything that Peeves could throw?" Ginny asked looking at the Bespectacled ghost.
"I thought I had locked everything up," Myrtle said. "I checked myself as the guests started arriving."
Ginny looked around and found that a few cushions and pillows were exposed up in Sirius's unused bedroom.
"Here he has the 2nd nicest room in the house and he sleeps in front of the hearth," Ginny said a little sarcastically.
"I occasionally sleep up here but I spend most of my time in my animal form at night. Peeves will sometimes hide in here at night," Sirius said having follower her upstairs.
"Sirius, I hope Peeves returns to Hogwarts soon. I know he is in big trouble with the Ghost Council and with Filch but if he stayed here while Harry is at school the place would be trashed by Halloween," Ginny said.
"I'll still be around and could keep an eye on Peeves if needed. I think Harry is getting ready to open his presents," Sirius said.
As they were walking back downstairs Ginny whispered a little something to Sirius. Harry was just opening a small present from his old Quidditch teammates. Inside was a real fancy Scarlet Robe with the name Potter in gold on the back along with a Gryffindor Lion on it.
"It's for when you are playing Quidditch next year," George said. "The whole team chipped in for it."
Ginny then handed her present to Harry next. Inside was a photo album full of Pictures of the two of them together including ones from shortly after the whole Chamber of Secrets horror. Harry ended up unwrapping all sorts of Wizardry items. The last item he unwrapped was in fancy paper with the Hogwarts crest on it. After Unwrapping it he found a bunch of small banners in gold and scarlet with Letters showing Various times the House Cup was Won and the Quidditch Cup. There was even a Banner with the Hogwarts Crest for his Winning the Triwizard Cup a few years before. Harry went kind of sad as he thought of Cedric Diggory a resident of Hufflepuff who had died shortly after they had tied for the cup.
"Not what you would consider your finest hour huh Harry," Hagrid said as he saw the look on Harry's face.
"Not really Hagrid I was thinking of Cedric as I looked at this last banner," Harry said. "He was a good opponent."
"TO beat you at Quidditch they would have to be good," Oliver said.
The entire team agreed. The party went in for another hour as they played various wizard style party games (Not including Peeves favorite of Dodge Ball). Finally Sirius made a discrete signal to the Weasley Twins shortly before a whole pile of Filibuster Fireworks went off. Right after that the quests started to leave the party. Dumbledore and McGonagall along with Hagrid waited until last before they left. Half an hour after the last guest Floo Powdered home Harry was laying on his bed still thinking about Cedric when a faint knock was heard on his door.
"Come in," Harry said even though he was almost positive it was Sirius in his animal form. He was wrong though as Ginny entered.
"Ginny, I thought you had already Floo Powdered home," Harry said trying to hide his excitement at seeing his girlfriend again.
"I came back because I figured you needed a friend. You don't have all that many happy memories of the Triwizard Tournament do you?"
"Not really. God preparing for the tasks I had to learn a lot. I probably learned more curses and charms on my off time then I had learned that whole year from Professor Moody," Harry said. "Heck It took me hours to get the summoning charm mastered for the first task."
"You've had to use that charm a few times since then," Ginny said. "Harry instead of dwelling on a bad memory think of the good times. Like when Gryffindor has won a Quidditch match or the House Cup. OF the fun things we've done together both at Hogwarts and at the Burrow."
"I'll try Ginny. You probably should get home before you get into trouble with your parents," Harry said. "They might not let you come over."
"Let's see I have until morning for that. Mom knew I was coming back. I just don't think they will look for me before morning. Besides Hermione taught me a great trick she used to use to fool Muggles. Doesn't even require magic," Ginny said a grin forming on her face.
"Like what?" Harry asked.
"Oh putting pillows or some other bulky item under the sheets so it looks like you are actually under there," Ginny said.
"I could have used that trick a few times with the Dursleys," Harry said.
"I can imagine," Ginny said. "I'll be in Sirius's room if you need me."
The next morning Ginny woke up early and commandeered the bathroom so she could clean up before heading home. Myrtle was sitting on the toilet when she walked in.
"Morning Harry," Myrtle said before looking and seeing that it was Ginny. "Sorry Ginny I thought it was Harry at first."
"That's ok you probably didn't realize I had stayed overnight," Ginny said. "For the record nothing happened we weren't even in the same room."
"Mind if I stick around. Harry doesn't like me watching him bath," Myrtle said.
"He's a boy what do you expect," Ginny said. "I'm sure you've known a number of boys like that over the years."
"Well I sort of did," Myrtle said. "Thing is that was before I died because of the basilisk that lived in the Chamber of Secrets."
"Well Cheer up. Your basic job these days is to guard the entrance and make sure it doesn't get opened again unless absolutely necessary," Ginny said.
An hour later Harry was sitting down to Breakfast as Ginny was getting ready to return to The Burrow.
"Well Hot Stuff, I'll see you around," Ginny said before planting a juicy one on Harry's lips and heading for the Fire place. The last thing Harry heard was Ginny's giggly voice going "The Burrow."