A/N: Well, I'm sorry this chapter took so long to post. I've been away from
the computer for a while. I hope you all enjoyed the holidays, and if you
didn't, I hope this can help cheer you up. This chapter is the first we see
of the Boy Who Lived in this story (He has to show up sometime folks. Adam
and Severus will show up again in the next few chapters.) Here it is. In
Which Harry has a Birthday.
Chapter 8:
This story starts out like all other Harry Potter stories; at about three minutes to midnight on July 30th, the day before Harry's birthday. In three minutes, Harry would turn fifteen. The whole street was sleeping, but in many ways, Harry wasn't like everyone else on the street. The most obvious was that he was wide awake, and staring out his window at the clear night sky. His eyes were unfocused due to lack of sleep, and they were blurry from unshed tears. HE had dark purple bags under his eyes, and his face was drawn and pale, even with his tan. Even though his body screamed for sleep, his mind would not let him rest.
He had been that way all summer; not sleeping and working hard in the day until his body couldn't take it any more and he fell in to a deep dreamless sleep. But otherwise he could not close his eyes. Every time he did he was Voldemort, he felt the blade on his arm, and worst of all.
He saw Cedric.
The pain wasn't so bad in the day. Aunt Petunia decided that now was the time to redo the entire garden, and Harry had actually volunteered. The work was mind numbing and kept him from thinking too much, from remembering, from feeling the pain. When he wasn't working in the garden, he was working on the house or on his homework. When he had finished his schoolwork and the entire house was in tiptop shape, he started to run. It didn't matter where, or when, or the weather. When he felt trapped or felt the grief was becoming to great for handling, he was lacing up his sneakers and running out the front door. Anybody who saw him could tell he wasn't running to anything, but was running away from something, and due to his speed, they sensed it was something terrible.
When he didn't run he was at the park, on the outside equipment, doing anything to exert himself, so he could concentrate on something besides the memory. He hadn't grown much over the summer, so he was still on the short side, but the constant strain and activity had left him not only toned, but defined as well. He wasn't huge, like a body-builder, but was built like a gymnast or swimmer, sleek and muscular, with a sinewy strength. His hair was as disorderly as ever, but it seemed to have lost some of its luster. His unusual bright green eyes were the most obvious things affected. They were dull, a muted olive, not the vibrant grass green of a few months ago, and they stared dully from behind his glasses.
He was so focused on not feeling or thinking that he forgot it was his birthday until Hedwig flew in the open window. He had sent her off yesterday with a letter for Ron and she returned with a large brown parcel gripped in her talons. Taking the parcel he fed her some birdseed. He glanced at the clock. 12:03. Well. He had been fifteen for three minutes already and he hadn't even known it. He looked again at the package. It was heave (poor Hedwig) and seemed to contain many smaller parts. He tore open the box and a piece of parchment fell out it read;
Dear Harry,
Hello and Happy Birthday Harry! There's something from everyone in this box. It just seemed more practical than sending Errol with Hedwig. He'd never get there! I hope you like the gifts! Owl Back soon!
Ron
Inside the box there was a tin of cookies and brownies (from Mr. And Mrs. Weasley) A necklace with a dragon's tooth on it, that had strange squiggles on it (from Charlie A/N those squiggles are Runes. You'll hear more about them later) A boomerang (from Bill in Australia. It was a hunting one, magicked to return to your hand alone, no matter where or when or how or by whom it was thrown) a new set of Quiddich Pads and a bracelet which had a gem the exact color of his eyes on it (From Percy and Oliver) replacement oils for his broom repair kit and the newest book by the Chudley Cannon's seeker (from Ron and Hermione) a collection of WWW's newest pranks (who else? From Fred and George) and a new set of good quills and every color ink (Ginny.)
Harry smiled, and eyed the cookies. They smelled really good and he hadn't eaten anything for quite a while. Before he knew it he had devoured half the cookies and almost all the brownies. A little sheepishly (even though there was no one there) he put the cookies away under the floorboard under the bed, along with the quills, pranks, Quiddich gear and boomerang. The bracelet he put on (not really noticing how the gem glowed when he did so. He was really starting to feel the effect of his fatigue.) The book he put on the bedside table to read later, and put the dragon's tooth necklace on as well. It was really cool. (Again, the runes on the necklace glowed as he put it on and again it escaped his notice.)
He yawned real big just as another owl flew in the window. Receiving the package and paying the owl that flew off, he sat down on his bed. There was a note on the package.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! I hope this package finds you well. Padfoot sends his love as well. There are two things in this box. One is the new DADA textbook, of which I will be teaching out of this year. I have been asked by Dumbledore to return as the DADA professor and I accepted. (Yes! Harry cried silently, not wanting to wake the Dursleys.) The other is the present from Padfoot and I. I wish you good luck and stay out of trouble! I'll see you soon!
Love
Moony & Padfoot
PS. Don't you just love it when Moony gets all responsible-like. You would have never thought he could be a Maruder! I'll be seeing you soon as well Harry! PF.
He looked in the box. Sure enough there was a textbook inside. Sliding it out he looked at the plain black cover. Not even words were embossed on the ink black leather. He put it aside. He reached in for the other thing. It was a bag from a Muggle candy shop, Candy Express. Inside there were candies of all sorts, jellybeans, chocolates, hard candies. 'I wonder why they bought me Muggle candy? Oh well. I'll just have to ask Professor Lupin next time I see him.' He yawned.
Harry smiled. He was fifteen. He just got a load of wonderful presents and food! Lupin was coming back, and he would see Sirius soon. Maybe next year won't be so bad after all. With that thought in mind, he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.
TBC.
A/N: Ok. Well. In case you didn't notice his jewelry glowed. IT was because of the protection charms they had. The jewelry he receives was all designed to help ward of Voldemort, and he will now find that even if he wanted to, he could not remove the necklace or the bracelet. It's a good thing. He got the boomerang for a reason too. It comes into play much later in the story. Did I spell Maruder right? All my books are at my father's house and I'm not there, so I can't look it up. He got Muggle candies because Padfoot and Moony were hiding out as Muggles in America. Candy Express is a real store near me, and they have the best candy next to Nagel's Candy Barn in north Jersey. Ok. That's enough from me. Next chapter: Sirius and Remus Mushy- stuff!
Chapter 8:
This story starts out like all other Harry Potter stories; at about three minutes to midnight on July 30th, the day before Harry's birthday. In three minutes, Harry would turn fifteen. The whole street was sleeping, but in many ways, Harry wasn't like everyone else on the street. The most obvious was that he was wide awake, and staring out his window at the clear night sky. His eyes were unfocused due to lack of sleep, and they were blurry from unshed tears. HE had dark purple bags under his eyes, and his face was drawn and pale, even with his tan. Even though his body screamed for sleep, his mind would not let him rest.
He had been that way all summer; not sleeping and working hard in the day until his body couldn't take it any more and he fell in to a deep dreamless sleep. But otherwise he could not close his eyes. Every time he did he was Voldemort, he felt the blade on his arm, and worst of all.
He saw Cedric.
The pain wasn't so bad in the day. Aunt Petunia decided that now was the time to redo the entire garden, and Harry had actually volunteered. The work was mind numbing and kept him from thinking too much, from remembering, from feeling the pain. When he wasn't working in the garden, he was working on the house or on his homework. When he had finished his schoolwork and the entire house was in tiptop shape, he started to run. It didn't matter where, or when, or the weather. When he felt trapped or felt the grief was becoming to great for handling, he was lacing up his sneakers and running out the front door. Anybody who saw him could tell he wasn't running to anything, but was running away from something, and due to his speed, they sensed it was something terrible.
When he didn't run he was at the park, on the outside equipment, doing anything to exert himself, so he could concentrate on something besides the memory. He hadn't grown much over the summer, so he was still on the short side, but the constant strain and activity had left him not only toned, but defined as well. He wasn't huge, like a body-builder, but was built like a gymnast or swimmer, sleek and muscular, with a sinewy strength. His hair was as disorderly as ever, but it seemed to have lost some of its luster. His unusual bright green eyes were the most obvious things affected. They were dull, a muted olive, not the vibrant grass green of a few months ago, and they stared dully from behind his glasses.
He was so focused on not feeling or thinking that he forgot it was his birthday until Hedwig flew in the open window. He had sent her off yesterday with a letter for Ron and she returned with a large brown parcel gripped in her talons. Taking the parcel he fed her some birdseed. He glanced at the clock. 12:03. Well. He had been fifteen for three minutes already and he hadn't even known it. He looked again at the package. It was heave (poor Hedwig) and seemed to contain many smaller parts. He tore open the box and a piece of parchment fell out it read;
Dear Harry,
Hello and Happy Birthday Harry! There's something from everyone in this box. It just seemed more practical than sending Errol with Hedwig. He'd never get there! I hope you like the gifts! Owl Back soon!
Ron
Inside the box there was a tin of cookies and brownies (from Mr. And Mrs. Weasley) A necklace with a dragon's tooth on it, that had strange squiggles on it (from Charlie A/N those squiggles are Runes. You'll hear more about them later) A boomerang (from Bill in Australia. It was a hunting one, magicked to return to your hand alone, no matter where or when or how or by whom it was thrown) a new set of Quiddich Pads and a bracelet which had a gem the exact color of his eyes on it (From Percy and Oliver) replacement oils for his broom repair kit and the newest book by the Chudley Cannon's seeker (from Ron and Hermione) a collection of WWW's newest pranks (who else? From Fred and George) and a new set of good quills and every color ink (Ginny.)
Harry smiled, and eyed the cookies. They smelled really good and he hadn't eaten anything for quite a while. Before he knew it he had devoured half the cookies and almost all the brownies. A little sheepishly (even though there was no one there) he put the cookies away under the floorboard under the bed, along with the quills, pranks, Quiddich gear and boomerang. The bracelet he put on (not really noticing how the gem glowed when he did so. He was really starting to feel the effect of his fatigue.) The book he put on the bedside table to read later, and put the dragon's tooth necklace on as well. It was really cool. (Again, the runes on the necklace glowed as he put it on and again it escaped his notice.)
He yawned real big just as another owl flew in the window. Receiving the package and paying the owl that flew off, he sat down on his bed. There was a note on the package.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! I hope this package finds you well. Padfoot sends his love as well. There are two things in this box. One is the new DADA textbook, of which I will be teaching out of this year. I have been asked by Dumbledore to return as the DADA professor and I accepted. (Yes! Harry cried silently, not wanting to wake the Dursleys.) The other is the present from Padfoot and I. I wish you good luck and stay out of trouble! I'll see you soon!
Love
Moony & Padfoot
PS. Don't you just love it when Moony gets all responsible-like. You would have never thought he could be a Maruder! I'll be seeing you soon as well Harry! PF.
He looked in the box. Sure enough there was a textbook inside. Sliding it out he looked at the plain black cover. Not even words were embossed on the ink black leather. He put it aside. He reached in for the other thing. It was a bag from a Muggle candy shop, Candy Express. Inside there were candies of all sorts, jellybeans, chocolates, hard candies. 'I wonder why they bought me Muggle candy? Oh well. I'll just have to ask Professor Lupin next time I see him.' He yawned.
Harry smiled. He was fifteen. He just got a load of wonderful presents and food! Lupin was coming back, and he would see Sirius soon. Maybe next year won't be so bad after all. With that thought in mind, he drifted off into a dreamless slumber.
TBC.
A/N: Ok. Well. In case you didn't notice his jewelry glowed. IT was because of the protection charms they had. The jewelry he receives was all designed to help ward of Voldemort, and he will now find that even if he wanted to, he could not remove the necklace or the bracelet. It's a good thing. He got the boomerang for a reason too. It comes into play much later in the story. Did I spell Maruder right? All my books are at my father's house and I'm not there, so I can't look it up. He got Muggle candies because Padfoot and Moony were hiding out as Muggles in America. Candy Express is a real store near me, and they have the best candy next to Nagel's Candy Barn in north Jersey. Ok. That's enough from me. Next chapter: Sirius and Remus Mushy- stuff!