A/n: I'm sorry this took so long to get out, but I am on hols and went to the shore. It was fun…:)
"So Dad, when am I going to fight another demon?" Harry sat on the bed, swinging his legs, and looking very much like his father, who was doing the exact same thing on the opposite bed.
"Soon," said James vaguely, swinging his legs and looking very distracted.
"I can't wait until Quiddtich lessons start." Harry said.
"Mummph," said James intelligently.
"Mum ran off and eloped with Voldemort and Sirius at the same time." Said Harry.
"That's nice…SHE DID WHAT??!" James suddenly shot up from the bed.
"Dad!" said Harry, laughing.
"I wouldn't put it past her, I really wouldn't…" James muttered, sitting back down again.
"The only person that she would run off with is you, and you know it," said Harry, grinning. "Ok, so what is this all about? Hermione and Ron jump when I come into the room, Sirius twitches when you say anything remotely connected to food or July, the Professor started mumbling when he started talking about the eating habits of Mayan cake eaters, and you just believed me when I told you that Mum ran off with Voldemort and Sirius at the same time. The only one who is acting remotely normal is Mum."
"You're Mum isn't normal in any sense of the word, so when she's acting that way, you know something's up," said James. "And no, I won't tell you anything."
"So there is something up…hmmm…" said Harry.
"Oh bloody….Go to your room," said James in exasperation.
"I'm in my room."
"Fine. Go to Hermione or Ron's room. Anywhere but here. This is ridiculous. He's so like me, I'm beginning to think he's me. Gah, I'm as bad as Hagrid…"
"Not quite," said Harry grinning, as he got up from the bed and went to the door. He opened it, walked out, then stuck his head in again. "Almost," he said, grinning all the more, "but not quite," And he shut the door, narrowly escaping being hit by a flying pillow.
~**~
"Ron, shut up!"
"I wasn't the one who was giggling madly," said Ron.
"Hey!" said Lily indignantly, "that was one little giggle. Just one."
"Ouch! Moony, you're on my foot!"
"Well, maybe if your feet weren't so big, Padfoot, I wouldn't be on them."
"James that was my foot!"
"I'm sorry, Lily darling."
"Gah! I hate it when you call me Lily darling."
"Ouch! Ron, that was my head!"
"I'm sorry, Mione darling, but if your head wasn't where my elbows are you wouldn't have gotten hurt."
"Gah! I hate it when you call me Mione darling."
"Couldn't we just turn on the bloody lights and hide under the invisibility cloak? I can't see anything."
"Since when did seven people fit under the cloak, Padfoot?"
"I think," said Professor Dumbledore calmly, "that Harry is coming."
The room grew quiet. The door opened and a beam of light, the first that the occupants of the room had seen in the last fifteen minutes, swept across the stone floor.
"Sirius? Hermione?" Harry looked around. The lights flicked on.
"Surprise!!!" Everybody yelled. Harry looked around, blinking like an owl caught in daylight.
"What's this for?" he asked staring at the cake and the mountain of presents.
"Happy unbirthday, Harry," said Lily. "We wanted to celebrate your birthday when Ron was here, so we had to wait a bit."
"Did you think we forgot?" asked James.
"Well, actually…" Harry blushed. Hermione suddenly understood.
"You're just not used to having a birthday party, are you Harry?" she asked quietly. "The Dursleys always forgot."
Harry nodded uncomfortably. The room grew quiet again.
"One of these days…" James and Sirius muttered in unison.
"Well," said Lily briskly, "We don't forget, at least I certainly won't!" She grinned. "Who's up for cake? I think Sirius stuck his hand in it at one point when we couldn't see but otherwise…"
Sirius looked smug. "It tasted delicious. I can vouch for it."
Harry, who seemed to be coming out of shell-shock, muttered incoherently and put his head in his hands. When he looked up, his eyes were bright with unshed tears.
~**~
"You wanted to see me, Professor?"
"Yes, Harry, I did." Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, looking slightly apprehensive.
"Oh, by the way, I wanted to thank you for those dungbombs you gave me."
"I trust your father approved?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling slightly.
"Oh yes, he's giving me a lesson today on how to set a timer on one so it will go off…" Harry ended with a slight cough. "umm…so, I guess that this isn't about the dungbombs, is it?"
"No, Harry, it's not. And I don't think you will find it pleasant, what I have to tell you. But it is necessary, nonetheless."
"Uh-oh…" Harry muttered quietly.
"Quite so," said Dumbledore. "Unfortunately, in order to maintain the strictest secrecy, we must wipe Mr. Weasley's mind of any memories of your parents being alive."
"What…wipe his memory?" Harry said in disbelief. "Professor, Ron wouldn't tell anyone, he really wouldn't I promise…"
"You cannot promise something for others, Harry. And a promise can be broken in extreme circumstances. And that is what we are on the brink of. Extreme circumstances."
"So in other words," said Harry, with no emotion in his voice, "You are not only asking me to lie to the school, you're asking me to lie to my best friend as well."
"I won't lie to you, Harry. Yes, that is what I'm asking you to do. For the safety of yourself, your parents, and the friend that you are lying to."
"What about Hermione? What about her?"
"She has you, Harry, she is safe. But, you can only protect one person at a time, and Miss Granger is the one who is working with you."
"This feels so wrong," Harry muttered.
"It will feel wrong, for a long time," said Dumbledore, looking intently at him, "Take it from someone who knows. Everything around you will feel like a large masquerade party, no one is who they first appear to be. Everything around you is subject to change. But so are you, Harry. You are the subject. And you are being subject to change. For the good of the world."
"Alright then," said Harry heavily, standing up. "Would you like me to get Ron for you then?"
"If you would be so kind."
"Just please, Professor, would you do me a favour? Explain everything to him before you wipe his memory."
"I will do that, Harry." Harry walked to the door, stopped, and turned around.
"Professor, out of curiosity, who was your friend, that worked with you, when you did this?"
"I don't believe you've ever met him, even though you may think you have," said Dumbledore with a slight smile. "A certain Professor Moody, who was supposed to teach here last year, but got apprehended. You may tell Miss Granger that. Tell her that all these extra lessons will be useful once she graduates, not to mention they are very educational."
"I'll tell her that Professor," said Harry, smiling slightly. "I'll tell her that."
A/N: The next chapter should be out soon!