A/N: As everyone already knows, and doesn't really want to hear: none of this is mine (except perhaps the plot)

Chapter Five  ::  The Wonderful Plan

"That was a close call."

"…A few inches either way and that would have been a nasty black eye…"

"Is she OK? She'll come around right?"

What's going on? Why in the world has everyone stopped playing? Why are we back at my house?  Hermione opened her eye so that all she could see was everyone swarmed around her on the couch. 

"Hermione? Are you ok? You took a nasty bludger to the head, we thought you would be knocked out for days."  Ron looked extremely worried.

"What happened? Why did you guys stop playing? Usually, you don't stop just because someone got knocked out by a bludger…"

"Well, the reason Harry wasn't able to congratulate you on your great score was because he was diving for the snitch.  Right as he caught it…"

"I looked up only to see you getting creamed by that bludger.  I'm so sorry, Hermione." Harry replied apologetically.

"Well, it certainly wasn't your fault! It was my own stupidity that got me hit. I wasn't paying attention and that's what I get for losing my guard in a Quidditch game."

"Well, I have to admit, you two girls put on quite a show out there!" Bill said. "I always knew Ginny was hiding a lot of her talent, but man! Hermione! You really know how to fly!"

Ron just looked at Hermione.  He was looking at her in a way she didn't recognize.  His eyes were full of amazement; his grin was as wide as his mouth would allow it to spread.  Harry too was looking at her, but he had more guilt in his face.  He looked like he felt it was his fault the bludger hit her.

"Harry, really it's ok. And look! I'm fine now! No harm done…except for a rather large bump on my head, but it's ok!"

            The rest of the day was very relaxing.  Charlie had conjured a solution that soothed the spot where Hermione was hit, and then bandaged it up.  Bill was talking to the twins about recent happenings at the Gringotts bank in Egypt.  Ginny and Harry were talking about some tough Potions assignments they had received for over the summer, "…Snape is always trying to make things difficult…" while Ron was asleep on the couch in the family room.  Hermione was resting on a blanket out in the grass when a letter was dropped onto her head and she heard a screech above her.  She looked up and saw a huge, brilliant eagle. It landed next to her and watched as she opened the letter.

Dear Hermione,

I wish I would have written you sooner, but I have been very busy practicing with the Bulgarian Quidditch team.  I have told my parents all about you, and they wish to meet you soon.  I am writing in hopes that you can visit me this summer at my home.  I understand if you don't want to come, but I have many things planned that we can do.  Please write me back soon, my eagle would be happy to return your reply to me.. 

With love, Viktor

Hermione was shocked. She had no idea what she would write back to him.  Of course, she would not be able to visit him because of everyone staying at her house, but she felt horrible that he had such high hopes in seeing her.  She ran inside to get some paper and then returned to her blanket outside.  Not knowing what to say, she began to write:

Dear Viktor,

It is very nice to hear from you again. However, I am afraid that I write with bad news.  I can't come to visit you because I have guests staying at my house for the rest of the summer.  I would love to see you again sometime though.  Perhaps if you ever come to England with your Quidditch team, or just on holiday, I could have lunch or dinner with you somewhere.  I apologize again for not being able to stay with you, and I look forward to your reply.

Love, Hermione

That sounds good, she thought to herself.  And she wasn't lying either—she really would enjoy to have dinner with Krum because she found him to be a very kind person. Hermione sent the letter off with Krum's eagle and slowly fell asleep as she watched it fly off.

            After about an hour of light napping, Harry awoke Hermione.

"Hermione, you're gonna want to read this…"

"What is it?" Hermione asked groggily.  Hermione suddenly jumped up. What if they read Viktor's letter?

"It's from Sirius. He's at Lupin's and…just read the letter." Harry said.

Dear Harry (and company),

Don't worry, I'm just fine.  I'm staying at Lupin's house right now, and catching up with him while waiting for Dumbledore to contact me.  Boy, you certainly did have an interesting year at Hogwarts during your third year didn't you? Your father would have loved to know that you found out about our Marauder's Map.  I'm glad it was of service to you. 

            Now, on to serious business.  I'm sorry but I can't tell you anything at this moment.  Dumbledore will inform you of all you need to know, but until then, you will have to wait.  Please don't worry though. Dumbledore has a very good idea in mind that will prepare us to fight against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. 

            I know it isn't for a few more days, but I thought I would send you your birthday present early.  The note inside the package will explain. Write back soon.

Sirius

"What does he mean, 'Prepare us for the fight against Voldemort and the Death Eaters?  We can't fight them! They wouldn't really even fight us! They would just say the Avada Kedavra curse and well, you are the only one who has ever survived that…" Hermione said all of this very quickly.

"Hermione!" Harry said, "Calm down! Dumbledore will just want us to be prepared for the worst."

"What did he give you?"

"I think it will come in handy.  It's a magical shield."
Hermione was expecting Harry to pull out a huge piece of metal like the old, medieval knights used to have, but instead, he pulled out a small disk that fit in the palm of his hand.  It was silver with tiny markings around the edge of it and it had a large blue sapphire in the center. 

"What does it do?" asked Hermione.

"Sirius wrote that if I keep it in my pocket, anytime I am in trouble it will create an invisible wall around me so minor curses will not be able to hit me.  Of course, it can't guard against any of the Unforgivable Curses[BM1] .  Too bad though, but I hope I never have to face those anyway."

"It's really quite amazing," Hermione said as she studied the disk, "I have never read about them in any of my books."  When she looked closer at the little markings around the edges, she noticed that they were little pictures of different types of animals.  The sapphire in the middle created a teardrop shape, and the tip of the drop pointed to one animal in particular: a stag.

"Harry! Look closely at the animal that the tip of the sapphire points to! It's a stag!"

"How peculiar. Do you think it means anything?"

"Maybe it was your father's…"

"Must have been. I'll write Sirius back.  I'm sure he would know."

            Later in the afternoon, Hermione went off to talk to Ron.  She didn't think that he ever got her letter that Hedwig delivered, but it didn't matter since he was here now.

"Ron, what do you think we could do for Harry's birthday? It's next Tuesday you know…I almost forgot, but since Sirius sent Harry that present today, it reminded me that we need to do something for him."

"Hermione! I have a brilliant idea! It's so simple, but it'll work!" Ron said.  He paused for a moment, thinking to himself.

"Well, what is it?" Hermione asked impatiently.

"Harry has never had a birthday party.  Never. The Dursleys most certainly never threw him one, and we never got the opportunity because he was always at the Dursleys! I can't believe how simple this could be!"

"Wow, Ron! You are a genius! And you know it would mean so much to Harry too! Oh, I have to get started right now…we need to get party supplies, a nice big birthday cake, invitations…speaking of which, who are we going to invite?

"Everyone! Do you think your parents would mind? I mean we could invite the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Seamus, Dean, Neville, Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, anyone who would want to come! My mom and dad would come for sure, Bill and Charlie probably wouldn't mind to stay until next week, the twins could put on a good fireworks show…"

            Hermione's heart was overjoyed.  She knew this would be Harry's best birthday ever.  She couldn't wait to surprise Harry.

"Well, this most certainly needs to be a surprise party, but how can we stall Harry

in the meantime?"

Ron stood there for a moment, concentrating hard.

"I got it! Me, Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie will go and play some more Quidditch. You can just say that you aren't satisfied with your History of Magic essay or something like that, so you need to stay back. You know Harry would believe it.  We can go for an hour or two, and you and Ginny can decorate and get everything ready. I'm sure my mom would come and help you out too.  How does that sound?"

"Ron, it's brilliant.  I'll talk to my parents tonight. I'm positive that they won't mind."

            And it was set.  Hermione talked to her parents.  They felt so sorry for Harry, since he had never had a birthday party in his life, that they were willing to come home from work early that day to help get everything ready.  Hermione couldn't wait to do it.  She wrote all the invitations and had Hedwig, Pigwidgeon and a few Post owls mail them all off.  After dinner that night, she made a list of all the things that her parents would need to buy.  She wanted Harry's first party to be extra special.  As she went to bed that night, she talked it over with Ginny.  Ginny was just as excited as Hermione.  She full heartedly agreed to help Hermione set everything up for his party.  They talked into the wee hours of the night, planning ever little detail they could imagine, until they slowly stopped talking, and fell asleep.

A/N: I really liked my idea of the little shield that Sirius gave Harry…and YAY! Harry gets a birthday party! Please R/R and the 6th chapter is on it's way! Merci!

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'"  [BM1] Just in case you forgot: The Unforgivable Curses are the Imperius Curse (the curse giver has mind control over the attacked), the Cruciatus Curse (a pain inflicting, torturous curse), and the Avada Kedavra Curse (the killing curse)