Chapter 4
A Surprise for Harry
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A friend is a gift you give to yourself.
Robert Louis Stevenson
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Harry woke before all the other inhabitants in the Dursley home that morning. His trunk was already packed for the trip ahead and Hedwig was secured safely in her cage. Harry left his room and went down to the kitchen for a small breakfast, making sure to walk quietly in front of his aunt and uncle's room.
By the time Harry finished his breakfast of cereal and orange juice, his aunt and uncle had woken up and were slowly making their way downstairs. Uncle Vernon was dressed in his work suit with his favorite red tie and Aunt Petunia was wearing a simple house dress. Dudley's snoring could still be heard from upstairs. Neither Uncle Vernon nor Aunt Petunia said anything to Harry or each other. Harry, feeling very uncomfortable in such a quiet atmosphere, slipped out of the kitchen and upstairs to his room. There, he waited, silently pacing the room, until someone knocked on the front door.
Harry ran out of his room and downstairs towards the front door. He ran past Uncle Vernon, who was walking slowly towards the door as well, and got to it before his uncle. Harry threw open the latch, unbolted the lock, and swung open the door...
...and was greeted by the milk man.
Harry's shoulders slumped. He turned around and went back up to his room. He sat down on his bed, his right hand impulsively straying up to his forehead to rub his scar.
'I really need to relax,' he thought to himself. 'Jumping to every sound that I heard as though it's Hermione isn't going to make her get here any faster.'
Strangely enough, just Harry was finishing this thought, the door bell rang again. And just like before, Harry rushed down to open the door. He threw open the latch, unbolted the lock, and swung open the door...
There was Hermione, a smile on her face.
"Hey Harry," said Hermione. "Are you ready to go?"
"Uh, yeah," stammered Harry. "Let me go get my stuff."
Once Harry had retrieved his luggage and had stowed it in the Granger's car, Harry was ready to leave. However, Hermione's parents seemed to think it necessary to introduce themselves to the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were straight-lipped as the Grangers walked towards the house with a large gift basket in their hands.
"I hope you enjoy these," said Mr. Granger, lifting the cover of the basket. Inside were several dozen boxes of sugar free candy and snacks. Hermione's parents were both dentists.
After names, nods, gifts, and handshakes had been exchanged, Harry climbed into the back of Grangers' car with Hermione. As the car pulled out of the driveway and began to travel down Privet Drive, Harry began to frown in confusion.
"What is it?" asked Hermione.
"I just don't understand," Harry said. "In the past five years, I don't think that my departure from the Dursleys has ever been that uneventful."
Hermione and Harry turned their heads and looked at each other for several moments before both of them burst out laughing.
Several hours later, the car pulled into the driveway of the Granger household. Harry got out of the car and proceeded to the trunk to get his luggage. Although Mr. Granger had offered to carry his luggage for him, Harry had denied the offer. Now, Harry was beginning to wish he had accepted, having forgotten just how heavy the large trunk was. He finally dragged the bulky thing to the front door where his hosts waited patiently. It was not until Harry arrived on the porch that Mr. Granger opened the door.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!"
Harry threw his hands to his ears in the shock of the deafening cry. Looking inside the house, Harry saw the entire Weasley family, smiling and wearing party hats. The walls were decked with banners and streamers which also read "Happy Birthday Harry!" Ron rushed out and tackled Harry in a giant bear hug, causing Harry to stagger under Ron's greater weight. The Grangers were ushering Harry into the house, where everyone began to clap and cheer.
"How's it going, old chap?" asked Fred Weasley.
"Haven't spent all summer with your nose in a book, I hope?" chimed in Fred's twin brother George, who was clapping Harry on the back.
Glitter and confetti were streaming in the air. Feeling something fall on his shoulders and head, Harry looked to see that the twins had put a small, green crown and cape on Harry, emblazoned with the phrase, "Harry's #1!" Off to the side, Harry could see that even Percy, the quietest of the lot, was cheering loudly and clapping his hands.
Presently the noise quieted down. Everybody looked at Harry, waiting to see what he would say.
"Uh..." stammered Harry.
"Go on," squeaked Ginny from behind her mother.
"Um, this might not be the best thing to say under the circumstances- " started Harry.
"Oh come, George and I have a bet over what you're gonna say," interrupted Fred. "Go on and get on with it."
Harry brought a hand up to his head and began to scratch it. He could feel himself turning red.
"Well, what I was going to say was..." Harry said very quietly. Everyone leaned close to hear what he would say. "Today's not my birthday."
For second, everyone kept the smile on their faces. Then their mouths hit the floor.
"WHAT!?" yelled Mrs. Weasley. Her lower lip was trembling. "Well, when is your birthday?"
"Three days from now," Harry said, his head down. Harry sorely wished he had his invisibility cloak on. "Who...who told you it was today?"
Slowly everyone turned their heads to look at the culprit.
Ron's face was, by this time, almost as red as his hair.
"I thought it was today!" he said indignantly.
"You should have made sure!" yelled his mother.
"What were you thinking?!" added Mr. Weasley.
Everyone was either yelling or shaking a finger at Ron. No, actually, everyone was just yelling at him. Behind the group, Harry's shoulders began to shake as a fit of laughter came over him. It grew and grew in intensity until everyone turned to look at Harry.
"What's so funny?" asked Hermione.
"It's...it's..." Harry said slowly through tears of laughter. "It's just to funny."
By this time, Harry was laughing hysterically. Then entire assembly stared at him like he was mad. Then slowly they began to laugh with him, and Ron's fault was soon forgotten.
The party went on as though it was Harry's real birthday. For many hours, they sang, laughed, cheered, played, and ate, and ate, and ate, and ate Mrs. Wesley's homemade food. And there was plenty left over. The festivity played on long into the night, until the laughs of joy drowned out the sounds of the night.
At some point in all the hubbub, Harry drew Ron and Hermione away from the rest of the group.
"What is it Harry?" asked Ron through a mouthful of cake.
"I just wanted to tell you guys thanks," said Harry, a huge smile on his face.
"Ah, don't mention it," said Ron.
"What are friends for?" said Hermione, who had a large amount of frosting smeared on her lips.
Harry continued to smile at them until he could no longer hold back. He grabbed his two friends around the neck and pulled them into a group hug. The three of them cried and laughed until a bright flash revealed to them that Mr. Granger was snapping photos. He handed the Polaroid to Harry, who ran over to his luggage and slipped it into his photo album. Harry looked at the picture, which was beginning to become clearer, and let his aching jaws pull his lips into another monster of a smile.
In all the happiness and joy in the household, none of them could know that darkness was gathering on the horizon.
A Surprise for Harry
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
A friend is a gift you give to yourself.
Robert Louis Stevenson
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------
Harry woke before all the other inhabitants in the Dursley home that morning. His trunk was already packed for the trip ahead and Hedwig was secured safely in her cage. Harry left his room and went down to the kitchen for a small breakfast, making sure to walk quietly in front of his aunt and uncle's room.
By the time Harry finished his breakfast of cereal and orange juice, his aunt and uncle had woken up and were slowly making their way downstairs. Uncle Vernon was dressed in his work suit with his favorite red tie and Aunt Petunia was wearing a simple house dress. Dudley's snoring could still be heard from upstairs. Neither Uncle Vernon nor Aunt Petunia said anything to Harry or each other. Harry, feeling very uncomfortable in such a quiet atmosphere, slipped out of the kitchen and upstairs to his room. There, he waited, silently pacing the room, until someone knocked on the front door.
Harry ran out of his room and downstairs towards the front door. He ran past Uncle Vernon, who was walking slowly towards the door as well, and got to it before his uncle. Harry threw open the latch, unbolted the lock, and swung open the door...
...and was greeted by the milk man.
Harry's shoulders slumped. He turned around and went back up to his room. He sat down on his bed, his right hand impulsively straying up to his forehead to rub his scar.
'I really need to relax,' he thought to himself. 'Jumping to every sound that I heard as though it's Hermione isn't going to make her get here any faster.'
Strangely enough, just Harry was finishing this thought, the door bell rang again. And just like before, Harry rushed down to open the door. He threw open the latch, unbolted the lock, and swung open the door...
There was Hermione, a smile on her face.
"Hey Harry," said Hermione. "Are you ready to go?"
"Uh, yeah," stammered Harry. "Let me go get my stuff."
Once Harry had retrieved his luggage and had stowed it in the Granger's car, Harry was ready to leave. However, Hermione's parents seemed to think it necessary to introduce themselves to the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were straight-lipped as the Grangers walked towards the house with a large gift basket in their hands.
"I hope you enjoy these," said Mr. Granger, lifting the cover of the basket. Inside were several dozen boxes of sugar free candy and snacks. Hermione's parents were both dentists.
After names, nods, gifts, and handshakes had been exchanged, Harry climbed into the back of Grangers' car with Hermione. As the car pulled out of the driveway and began to travel down Privet Drive, Harry began to frown in confusion.
"What is it?" asked Hermione.
"I just don't understand," Harry said. "In the past five years, I don't think that my departure from the Dursleys has ever been that uneventful."
Hermione and Harry turned their heads and looked at each other for several moments before both of them burst out laughing.
Several hours later, the car pulled into the driveway of the Granger household. Harry got out of the car and proceeded to the trunk to get his luggage. Although Mr. Granger had offered to carry his luggage for him, Harry had denied the offer. Now, Harry was beginning to wish he had accepted, having forgotten just how heavy the large trunk was. He finally dragged the bulky thing to the front door where his hosts waited patiently. It was not until Harry arrived on the porch that Mr. Granger opened the door.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!"
Harry threw his hands to his ears in the shock of the deafening cry. Looking inside the house, Harry saw the entire Weasley family, smiling and wearing party hats. The walls were decked with banners and streamers which also read "Happy Birthday Harry!" Ron rushed out and tackled Harry in a giant bear hug, causing Harry to stagger under Ron's greater weight. The Grangers were ushering Harry into the house, where everyone began to clap and cheer.
"How's it going, old chap?" asked Fred Weasley.
"Haven't spent all summer with your nose in a book, I hope?" chimed in Fred's twin brother George, who was clapping Harry on the back.
Glitter and confetti were streaming in the air. Feeling something fall on his shoulders and head, Harry looked to see that the twins had put a small, green crown and cape on Harry, emblazoned with the phrase, "Harry's #1!" Off to the side, Harry could see that even Percy, the quietest of the lot, was cheering loudly and clapping his hands.
Presently the noise quieted down. Everybody looked at Harry, waiting to see what he would say.
"Uh..." stammered Harry.
"Go on," squeaked Ginny from behind her mother.
"Um, this might not be the best thing to say under the circumstances- " started Harry.
"Oh come, George and I have a bet over what you're gonna say," interrupted Fred. "Go on and get on with it."
Harry brought a hand up to his head and began to scratch it. He could feel himself turning red.
"Well, what I was going to say was..." Harry said very quietly. Everyone leaned close to hear what he would say. "Today's not my birthday."
For second, everyone kept the smile on their faces. Then their mouths hit the floor.
"WHAT!?" yelled Mrs. Weasley. Her lower lip was trembling. "Well, when is your birthday?"
"Three days from now," Harry said, his head down. Harry sorely wished he had his invisibility cloak on. "Who...who told you it was today?"
Slowly everyone turned their heads to look at the culprit.
Ron's face was, by this time, almost as red as his hair.
"I thought it was today!" he said indignantly.
"You should have made sure!" yelled his mother.
"What were you thinking?!" added Mr. Weasley.
Everyone was either yelling or shaking a finger at Ron. No, actually, everyone was just yelling at him. Behind the group, Harry's shoulders began to shake as a fit of laughter came over him. It grew and grew in intensity until everyone turned to look at Harry.
"What's so funny?" asked Hermione.
"It's...it's..." Harry said slowly through tears of laughter. "It's just to funny."
By this time, Harry was laughing hysterically. Then entire assembly stared at him like he was mad. Then slowly they began to laugh with him, and Ron's fault was soon forgotten.
The party went on as though it was Harry's real birthday. For many hours, they sang, laughed, cheered, played, and ate, and ate, and ate, and ate Mrs. Wesley's homemade food. And there was plenty left over. The festivity played on long into the night, until the laughs of joy drowned out the sounds of the night.
At some point in all the hubbub, Harry drew Ron and Hermione away from the rest of the group.
"What is it Harry?" asked Ron through a mouthful of cake.
"I just wanted to tell you guys thanks," said Harry, a huge smile on his face.
"Ah, don't mention it," said Ron.
"What are friends for?" said Hermione, who had a large amount of frosting smeared on her lips.
Harry continued to smile at them until he could no longer hold back. He grabbed his two friends around the neck and pulled them into a group hug. The three of them cried and laughed until a bright flash revealed to them that Mr. Granger was snapping photos. He handed the Polaroid to Harry, who ran over to his luggage and slipped it into his photo album. Harry looked at the picture, which was beginning to become clearer, and let his aching jaws pull his lips into another monster of a smile.
In all the happiness and joy in the household, none of them could know that darkness was gathering on the horizon.