Harry awoke late that morning.
The sun was nearly above them, so he guessed that it was around noon. He
stretched and began looking around. The sleeping bags appeared useless,
since it was so warm outside. Both Ron and Ginny had kicked them off in
their sleep.
The waves crashed against the
shore weakly, and a soft breeze began to bend the leaves on the willow
trees. The cabin looked uninhabited and silent. Harry got up off the ground
and headed towards it.
As he was about to touch the
door, he realized that there was a piece of paper taped to his shirt. He
pulled it off with little effort and read.
Dear Harry,
Your godfather and I are
not in the safe highland any longer. We've decided it was for the best
if we left you alone to be with your friends. You will find everything
you need in the cabin, if you want to get anywhere their is Floo Powder
in my large Chinese flower pot.
Be careful for the magical
creatures. All their food has been fed to them so you need not worry over
their well-being. But they can become restless DO NOT LET THEM OUT OF THEIR
CAGE!
If you run out of Floo
Powder (for any particular reason), just push the button on the bottom
of the settee, it'll refill my pot. Your birthday cake is in the refrigerator,
eat it whenever you like. And if you must know, I got you a present. It's
underneath of silverware in the drawer next to the sink.
Harry looked over at the drawer
and continued to read;
We will meet again, in
less time then you think. If you want to invite your friend Hermione Granger
feel free (I heard about her from Ginny). But she'll have to use the Floo
Powder and say the password; tell her in advance that the password is 'Prongs'.
He paused again and reread
the word 'Prongs' it was his father's nickname back at Hogwarts.
You might have to send
her some Floo Powder too. There are small boxes in the closet in the bedroom.
If you have any questions,
just send your owl. She knows where to find me. -Yorkshire and Sirius
Harry was still pondering the
thought of his fathers name, but ignored it temporarily, and looked inside
the silverware drawer. True enough, once he lifted the spoons and forks
up, there was a handle to a door that could be pulled open.
There was an elegant box inside,
wrapped in gold paper. There was a small card on top of a large emerald
green shimmering bow. He tore the paper off quickly to reveal a message
like the others he'd received.
You'll have to find the next
clue to get closer to your present;
Think of a place where people
could hide,
where a first touchdown meant
nothing but a surprise.
Harry thought it over quickly
and read it again, he recognized 'touchdown' was where one of them was
'touched down', not a rugby touchdown.
"Well, Ron was on the carpet,
Ginny was on the counter, and I was in there," Harry repeated, thinking
aloud. Nothing but surprise could mean his present, and someone could hide
underneath a bed.
He walked into the bedroom,
and pulled up the blankets. Sure enough, there was another identical package.
He ripped off the paper and again there was a little card with another
clue on it.
These clues made Harry go to
the oddest places one would think to find a package, one was on top of
the ceiling fan, and another underneath the refrigerator, but when he was
getting closer the clues grew harder until finally he reached the last
poem.
This will be the last of my messages
your present will appear before you once you can solve it.
If I had known what trouble you
were bearing;
What griefs were in the silence
of your face;
I would have been more gentle,
and more caring,
And tried to give you gladness
for a space.
I would have brought you warmth
into the place
If I had known.
Just answer this and your present
will appear.
Harry thought about the poem
and read it over, he didn't know who had hurt him at one time, or who'd
hurt him and would feel sorry for it.
A loud yawn came from behind
Harry, and he turned quickly to see Ron coming through the sliding glass
door.
"Hey Harry," Ron said, stretching,
"Did York make breakfast?"
"She's not here anymore," Harry
said, reading the poem again.
"She's not here?" Ron asked,
trying to confirm what he'd heard.
Harry handed him the letter, and
Ron read it with another yawn, "So we're all alone, then?" Ron asked, rubbing
sleep out of his eyes.
"Uh huh," Harry nodded quietly,
still staring down at the card, "Do you understand this?"
Ron read the poem and his eyes
looked slightly confused, "Well, someone that wants to care about you...
maybe Ginny sent it?" Ron said with a chuckle.
Harry blushed. He hadn't thought
about Ginny, but he knew York sent it, but unsure if he should tell Ron.
"Um.... I don't think it was
her," Harry said, as Ron gave him the card back. There was a long pause,
"York sent it to me."
Ron looked irritated, "Really?
She did?"
"Yeah. I just have to solve
it and I'll get my birthday present," Harry explained.
"Oh yeah, your birthday!" Ron
said, "It's this Monday isn't it?"
"Yeah, I think so," Harry said.
He hadn't been counting down to his birthday really, "There's a cake in
the fridge."
Ron headed over towards the
fridge, yanked to door open, and stood there rather shocked. Harry looked
through it over his shoulder and was too rather impressed.
There were three cakes inside
the refrigerator (which was charmed to magically expand). One with Harry's
head on it, one with Ron's, and one with Ginny's. Each little frosting
picture moved, and shouted Happy Birthday!
There was a small note taped
onto the shelf in the fridge;
I've
been making cakes all my life, this is nothing. - Yorkshire
"You hungry?" Ron asked reaching
for his cake.
"Let's eat!" Harry and Ron
took their cakes out of the fridge and proceeded to eat them with their
hands.