CHAPTER III -- Birthday Regards
Harry watched the last few seconds of the day tick away on Dudley's old alarm clock. Nearly a month had passed since he had discovered that Mrs. Figg was a witch. During that time, he had spent as many days with her and away from the Dursleys as he could. Mrs. Figg seemed to genuinely enjoy his company.
"I do get lonely without my cats," she had told him on his third visit.
At this very moment Harry was swiftly nearing his fifteenth birthday. 5...4...3...2...1.
"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me..." Harry whispered as he looked over the small pile of cards and gifts that had just been flown through his bedroom window by Hedwig, Ron's owl Pig, and two other owls he didn't recognize.
He picked up a small package and saw what looked like Hagrid's messy scrawl. He tore open the box and found a letter on top of something tiny wrapped in tissue paper.
Dear Harry,
Happy fifteenth birthday! It seems like only yesterday I was giving you your Hogwarts letter.
Your present is in the box. Olympe helped me pick it out. She ain't so bad once you get to know her. Anyway, it's called Thor's Hammer. It's an amulet that keeps you from getting burnt up by fire.
Don't mean to spoil your birthday, but I've got some bad news and I thought it would be better coming from me than if you heard it later from someone else. I won't be teaching Care of Magical Creatures this year. Not to worry though, Harry. I'll be back before you know it. Dumbledore has trusted me and Olympe to do something pretty important this summer. Just keep out of trouble, and don't let Malfoy get you down. Together, you and Ron and Hermione are tough as dragon hide and I know you'll keep an eye out for each other. Someone will be looking after Fang for me while I'm away so you three don't go sneaking out at night to do it. I'll send you an owl or two when I can.
Hagrid
Harry, of course new all about what Hagrid had to do, but was still disappointed that he wouldn't be able to visit him after classes every day. He pulled the tiny wad of tissue paper out of the box and unwrapped it. A thin silvery chain and charm slithered out like water onto his palm. Harry held it up in the dim moonlight. The charm, shaped like a pickaxe, certainly wasn't pretty, but then neither was fire. He smiled into the darkness as he put the chain around his neck.
Ron's gift next. It was a very thick, very wide envelope. Harry carefully tore the paper away at one end and a letter fell out.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! That's awful what your Aunt did to your broomstick. She should be locked up, destroying a Firebolt! I hope it still flies. Charlie says he'll look at it for you to make sure it's okay.
Percy knows someone in the Ministry Historical Society and you will never believe what he found. I hope you like it!
Harry pulled what looked like a large framed photograph out of the envelope and held it in front of his face. He could see movement but couldn't make out anything else in the darkness. He flipped on his desk lamp and gasped in surprise. The photograph was of a Gryffindor quidditch team. Right in the center of the photograph, holding a shiny broomstick and waving was James Potter. Underneath each of the players there was a signature.
"Wow, Ron," Harry whispered in amazement. He pulled the stand out of the back of the frame, placed the photo on his bedside table and picked up the letter again.
Dumbledore wrote and told us it was okay for you to come now, but he's already made arrangements for someone to get you. We're not sure what he meant by that, but you're to meet whoever it is at the end of your street at noon the day after tomorrow. Dad's worried and he says if there's any trouble with the Muggles, send us an owl and we'll come and get you personally.
Here's some great news! Hermione and I have been made prefects. We got our letters today. Mum was crying, she was so happy. There are four new fifth- year prefects chosen every year. Neither of us know who the other two are, so we're hoping one's you.
Angelina Johnson has been writing to Fred a lot, but he won't admit that she's his girlfriend.
Hope to see you soon!
Ron
Harry gazed happily at the photograph on his nightstand as he picked up a package from Hermione. He was glad that Ron had made prefect after years of being overshadowed by his older brothers. Hermione was by far the cleverest witch at Hogwarts and she deserved to be prefect more than anyone.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! Guess what? Ron and I are prefects! Harry, I just know you'll get your letter too. They can't make us prefects without you.
Ron told me about your broomstick. I know I saw something about repairing damage to broomsticks in 1001 Magical Cures For Faulty Magical Instruments. I'll look it up for you when we get back to school.
There hasn't been one single story from Rita Skeeter over the summer. I spent two weeks at Viktor's--
"Viktor's?" Harry thought, confused.
--and when I got back I looked in the Daily Prophet and there was nothing. Apparently she's keeping her word on keeping her quill to herself. There hasn't been anything about the Tournament or Cedric either. The Ministry is still keeping it quiet I suppose. Anyway, I'm going to Ron's at the end of this week. Hope to see you there!
Hermione
Harry realized with a start that Hermione must have accepted Viktor Krum's invitation to visit him over the summer. He wondered vaguely if she had told Ron. He opened her package which turned out to contain one big, sticky chocolate cake with marshmallow icing. Harry ate a piece immediately, blessing Hermione's mother with every rich, gooey bite, before reaching for the final package. It was a smallish package with a thick wad of letters on top tied together with a thin black ribbon. The first letter was from Sirius.
Happy Birthday Harry,
In case this letter is intercepted, I can't tell you where I am, only that you will find out soon enough. I understand you've met Arabella Figg. She has been a dear and trusted friend of mine since my days at Hogwarts when she was the Care of Magical Creatures professor. In light of Hagrid's absence, Dumbledore has asked her to come out of retirement and take over that position until he returns.
Enclosed is your birthday present. It may appear to be a book, but I assure you it is not. The cover is bound in woven unicorn hair which gives the book it's own special power. Place any object between two pages in this book and it will be sucked in. A small picture of the object will appear on one of the pages. To retrieve the object you need only reach in and grab it from the page. The book can carry almost anything you can fit the pages around and will become no heavier, no matter how much you put into it.
Sirius
P.S. - Before you get any bright ideas I should tell you it doesn't work on people.
Harry smiled. How did Sirius know he was thinking maybe he could trap Draco Malfoy between two pages and then carry him to the lake and throw him in? Harry was delighted that he would be seeing Sirius very soon and also to hear that Mrs. Figg would be teaching Care of Magical Creatures. He opened the small package and found the book, bound in smooth shimmery, almost metallic silver material. The book was filled with blank pages. Harry looked around for something to try it on. He seized his desk lamp, opened the book and closed it again around the neck of the lamp. Instantly the lamp was gone and his room was thrown into semi darkness once again.
"Way to go, stupid," he mumbled to himself as stepped over to the window where the bright moonlight was pouring in between the curtains. He opened the book and there on the first page was a tiny silvery picture of his desk lamp. Harry touched the picture, but found that he did not feel the paper. Instead he felt cold metal. He pinched his thumb and forefinger around the now tiny neck of the lamp and pulled. Suddenly he was holding his desk lamp in one hand and the book in the other.
Harry spent the next thirty minutes putting things into the book's pages and pulling them out again. He was just trying to suck up his bed when he remembered that there were other letters with Sirius's present. He flopped down on the bed and untied the ribbon wrapped around the letters. The second letter was not a letter at all, but rather a home-made birthday card from his House Elf friend Dobby. Dobby had finger-painted broomsticks, snitches, a very mean-looking red lion and 'Hapie Birtday Harry" in blue on a blank piece of parchment. Harry chuckled and tacked the card on his wall just beside the calendar he used to keep track of the days left until September first. He turned his attention back to the other envelopes.
One of the remaining letters had the Hogwarts crest stamped on the back. Harry assumed this was his start-of-term letter and left it for last. However, the envelope he now opened contained what he assumed was in the other. His confusion growing, he read over his book list and then threw it aside wondering what could be in the last envelope. He ripped it open and pulled out a very official-looking letter.
Dear Mr. Harry Potter
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Gryffindor prefect for the following school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
As you well know, prefection carries with it certain responsibilities such as upholding and enforcing school rules within your house, bearing aid to the professors and staff when needed and displaying a positive and upstanding example for younger and older students alike.
Enclosed you will find a prefect badge. Congratulations!
Sincerely, Minerva McGonnagal Deputy Headmistress Head of Gryffindor House Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
If the Dursleys hadn't been in the house, Harry would have shouted. He did however, jump off of his bed and do a few silent bounds around the room, dancing in glee. He was a prefect! He, Ron & Hermione were prefects! He dumped the badge out of the envelope, pinned it onto his pajamas and did a sort of half pose, half strut in front of his mirror. He then sat down at his desk and scratched out thank-you letters to Hagrid, Sirius, Ron, Hermione and Dobby. He bound the letters to Sirius and Dobby together with the same ribbon and opened Hedwig's cage.
"I've got a whole bunch of letters for you to deliver, Hedwig," Harry said tying the letters onto her leg and stroking her milky-white back. "I don't know how far away Hagrid is, but if it takes more than two days, I'll be at Ron's."
Anxious for a chance to stretch her wings, Hedwig ruffled her feathers and nipped Harry's elbow reassuringly and then flew out the open window into the starry sky. He watched her out of sight and then, realizing how late it was, went to his desk and gathered up all of the letters. He tied them together with an old shoelace and closed them in the unicorn hair book, grinning as the letters disappeared instantly. He slid the book under his pillow and fell fast asleep still smiling.
Harry watched the last few seconds of the day tick away on Dudley's old alarm clock. Nearly a month had passed since he had discovered that Mrs. Figg was a witch. During that time, he had spent as many days with her and away from the Dursleys as he could. Mrs. Figg seemed to genuinely enjoy his company.
"I do get lonely without my cats," she had told him on his third visit.
At this very moment Harry was swiftly nearing his fifteenth birthday. 5...4...3...2...1.
"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me..." Harry whispered as he looked over the small pile of cards and gifts that had just been flown through his bedroom window by Hedwig, Ron's owl Pig, and two other owls he didn't recognize.
He picked up a small package and saw what looked like Hagrid's messy scrawl. He tore open the box and found a letter on top of something tiny wrapped in tissue paper.
Dear Harry,
Happy fifteenth birthday! It seems like only yesterday I was giving you your Hogwarts letter.
Your present is in the box. Olympe helped me pick it out. She ain't so bad once you get to know her. Anyway, it's called Thor's Hammer. It's an amulet that keeps you from getting burnt up by fire.
Don't mean to spoil your birthday, but I've got some bad news and I thought it would be better coming from me than if you heard it later from someone else. I won't be teaching Care of Magical Creatures this year. Not to worry though, Harry. I'll be back before you know it. Dumbledore has trusted me and Olympe to do something pretty important this summer. Just keep out of trouble, and don't let Malfoy get you down. Together, you and Ron and Hermione are tough as dragon hide and I know you'll keep an eye out for each other. Someone will be looking after Fang for me while I'm away so you three don't go sneaking out at night to do it. I'll send you an owl or two when I can.
Hagrid
Harry, of course new all about what Hagrid had to do, but was still disappointed that he wouldn't be able to visit him after classes every day. He pulled the tiny wad of tissue paper out of the box and unwrapped it. A thin silvery chain and charm slithered out like water onto his palm. Harry held it up in the dim moonlight. The charm, shaped like a pickaxe, certainly wasn't pretty, but then neither was fire. He smiled into the darkness as he put the chain around his neck.
Ron's gift next. It was a very thick, very wide envelope. Harry carefully tore the paper away at one end and a letter fell out.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! That's awful what your Aunt did to your broomstick. She should be locked up, destroying a Firebolt! I hope it still flies. Charlie says he'll look at it for you to make sure it's okay.
Percy knows someone in the Ministry Historical Society and you will never believe what he found. I hope you like it!
Harry pulled what looked like a large framed photograph out of the envelope and held it in front of his face. He could see movement but couldn't make out anything else in the darkness. He flipped on his desk lamp and gasped in surprise. The photograph was of a Gryffindor quidditch team. Right in the center of the photograph, holding a shiny broomstick and waving was James Potter. Underneath each of the players there was a signature.
"Wow, Ron," Harry whispered in amazement. He pulled the stand out of the back of the frame, placed the photo on his bedside table and picked up the letter again.
Dumbledore wrote and told us it was okay for you to come now, but he's already made arrangements for someone to get you. We're not sure what he meant by that, but you're to meet whoever it is at the end of your street at noon the day after tomorrow. Dad's worried and he says if there's any trouble with the Muggles, send us an owl and we'll come and get you personally.
Here's some great news! Hermione and I have been made prefects. We got our letters today. Mum was crying, she was so happy. There are four new fifth- year prefects chosen every year. Neither of us know who the other two are, so we're hoping one's you.
Angelina Johnson has been writing to Fred a lot, but he won't admit that she's his girlfriend.
Hope to see you soon!
Ron
Harry gazed happily at the photograph on his nightstand as he picked up a package from Hermione. He was glad that Ron had made prefect after years of being overshadowed by his older brothers. Hermione was by far the cleverest witch at Hogwarts and she deserved to be prefect more than anyone.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! Guess what? Ron and I are prefects! Harry, I just know you'll get your letter too. They can't make us prefects without you.
Ron told me about your broomstick. I know I saw something about repairing damage to broomsticks in 1001 Magical Cures For Faulty Magical Instruments. I'll look it up for you when we get back to school.
There hasn't been one single story from Rita Skeeter over the summer. I spent two weeks at Viktor's--
"Viktor's?" Harry thought, confused.
--and when I got back I looked in the Daily Prophet and there was nothing. Apparently she's keeping her word on keeping her quill to herself. There hasn't been anything about the Tournament or Cedric either. The Ministry is still keeping it quiet I suppose. Anyway, I'm going to Ron's at the end of this week. Hope to see you there!
Hermione
Harry realized with a start that Hermione must have accepted Viktor Krum's invitation to visit him over the summer. He wondered vaguely if she had told Ron. He opened her package which turned out to contain one big, sticky chocolate cake with marshmallow icing. Harry ate a piece immediately, blessing Hermione's mother with every rich, gooey bite, before reaching for the final package. It was a smallish package with a thick wad of letters on top tied together with a thin black ribbon. The first letter was from Sirius.
Happy Birthday Harry,
In case this letter is intercepted, I can't tell you where I am, only that you will find out soon enough. I understand you've met Arabella Figg. She has been a dear and trusted friend of mine since my days at Hogwarts when she was the Care of Magical Creatures professor. In light of Hagrid's absence, Dumbledore has asked her to come out of retirement and take over that position until he returns.
Enclosed is your birthday present. It may appear to be a book, but I assure you it is not. The cover is bound in woven unicorn hair which gives the book it's own special power. Place any object between two pages in this book and it will be sucked in. A small picture of the object will appear on one of the pages. To retrieve the object you need only reach in and grab it from the page. The book can carry almost anything you can fit the pages around and will become no heavier, no matter how much you put into it.
Sirius
P.S. - Before you get any bright ideas I should tell you it doesn't work on people.
Harry smiled. How did Sirius know he was thinking maybe he could trap Draco Malfoy between two pages and then carry him to the lake and throw him in? Harry was delighted that he would be seeing Sirius very soon and also to hear that Mrs. Figg would be teaching Care of Magical Creatures. He opened the small package and found the book, bound in smooth shimmery, almost metallic silver material. The book was filled with blank pages. Harry looked around for something to try it on. He seized his desk lamp, opened the book and closed it again around the neck of the lamp. Instantly the lamp was gone and his room was thrown into semi darkness once again.
"Way to go, stupid," he mumbled to himself as stepped over to the window where the bright moonlight was pouring in between the curtains. He opened the book and there on the first page was a tiny silvery picture of his desk lamp. Harry touched the picture, but found that he did not feel the paper. Instead he felt cold metal. He pinched his thumb and forefinger around the now tiny neck of the lamp and pulled. Suddenly he was holding his desk lamp in one hand and the book in the other.
Harry spent the next thirty minutes putting things into the book's pages and pulling them out again. He was just trying to suck up his bed when he remembered that there were other letters with Sirius's present. He flopped down on the bed and untied the ribbon wrapped around the letters. The second letter was not a letter at all, but rather a home-made birthday card from his House Elf friend Dobby. Dobby had finger-painted broomsticks, snitches, a very mean-looking red lion and 'Hapie Birtday Harry" in blue on a blank piece of parchment. Harry chuckled and tacked the card on his wall just beside the calendar he used to keep track of the days left until September first. He turned his attention back to the other envelopes.
One of the remaining letters had the Hogwarts crest stamped on the back. Harry assumed this was his start-of-term letter and left it for last. However, the envelope he now opened contained what he assumed was in the other. His confusion growing, he read over his book list and then threw it aside wondering what could be in the last envelope. He ripped it open and pulled out a very official-looking letter.
Dear Mr. Harry Potter
We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as Gryffindor prefect for the following school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
As you well know, prefection carries with it certain responsibilities such as upholding and enforcing school rules within your house, bearing aid to the professors and staff when needed and displaying a positive and upstanding example for younger and older students alike.
Enclosed you will find a prefect badge. Congratulations!
Sincerely, Minerva McGonnagal Deputy Headmistress Head of Gryffindor House Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry
If the Dursleys hadn't been in the house, Harry would have shouted. He did however, jump off of his bed and do a few silent bounds around the room, dancing in glee. He was a prefect! He, Ron & Hermione were prefects! He dumped the badge out of the envelope, pinned it onto his pajamas and did a sort of half pose, half strut in front of his mirror. He then sat down at his desk and scratched out thank-you letters to Hagrid, Sirius, Ron, Hermione and Dobby. He bound the letters to Sirius and Dobby together with the same ribbon and opened Hedwig's cage.
"I've got a whole bunch of letters for you to deliver, Hedwig," Harry said tying the letters onto her leg and stroking her milky-white back. "I don't know how far away Hagrid is, but if it takes more than two days, I'll be at Ron's."
Anxious for a chance to stretch her wings, Hedwig ruffled her feathers and nipped Harry's elbow reassuringly and then flew out the open window into the starry sky. He watched her out of sight and then, realizing how late it was, went to his desk and gathered up all of the letters. He tied them together with an old shoelace and closed them in the unicorn hair book, grinning as the letters disappeared instantly. He slid the book under his pillow and fell fast asleep still smiling.