Chapter 16 – Birthday Surprises
Olivia awoke early the following morning and grabbed a quick breakfast before heading up to the Headmasters office to make her morning visit.
"Good morning Professor Dumbledore." Olivia greeted as she walked into his office.
"Good morning Ms. Stanton…and Happy 16th Birthday." Dumbledore replied.
"Thank you professor I'm sure that it's the only one I will get today. Anyway I'm heading to the Library to do some research and to some homework and I'll be sure to stop by later."
"Very well Ms. Stanton…enjoy your day." Dumbledore watched as Olivia walked out of his office and head towards the library. "And please do say hello to your friends and family for me." Dumbledore added once he was sure Olivia was out of hearing range.
* * *
Olivia walked to the back corner of the library hoping that she could control her power of vision. She sat down in a chair, closed her eyes and willed herself to see the book she was looking for. She sat there and willed for what felt like ten minutes before she became dizzy and had to open her eyes. But as she tried to open her eyes they were forced shut again and her vision took over.
* * *
It was black for a few seconds before a book appeared in front of Olivia. It was a very old looking black leather book with the silver inscription of a title fading into the black abyss. The title of the book was Transportation and You: More than 1000 ways to transport yourself to anywhere in the world. By: Mary Moves. The Book then was put back on a shelf and Olivia found herself in the very same back corner that she was sitting in at that moment. The vision did not end there though. Once Olivia had registered where in the library the book was everything went black then slowly words to and incantation began to float by. Olivia knew that this was her spell to transport herself to America. Once again everything went black and Olivia met the library floor with a soft thud.
* * *
Olivia woke with a slight headache realizing that somewhere during her vision she had fallen to the library floor. She lay there for a few more seconds before getting up knowing that she would still be a little dizzy. When she finally got up she searched her brain for the information and found it with little struggle. She reviewed the information twice before standing up and whispering the incantation under her breath for fear that someone might hear her. Seconds later an exact clone of Olivia appeared in the seat Olivia had been sitting in earlier.
"This is going to be easier then I thought." Olivia thought happily as a wicked smile spread across her face. "I should make sure this clone works before I go."
"Hello."
"Hello" The clone Olivia responded
"What's your name?"
"Olivia Stanton"
"What house are you in?"
"Gryffindor…Why?"
"I was just wondering."
"Is this some sort of game or something?...can't you see I'm trying to study?"
"Sorry…I'll just go then."
Olivia walked away from her temporary clone with a grin the size of the quarter moon upon her face. "This should go extremely well." Olivia thought in satisfaction.
* * *
Professor Dumbledore sat up in his office staring at what looked like a very old piece of parchment with a mischievous smile playing across his graying lips.
"So I see you've found your way out Ms. Stanton." He chuckled to himself before mumbling something and putting the parchment safely away in his desk.
"It's one of the better ways I must say though." He added as an afterthought before disappearing from his office.
* * *
Louise Mayberry sat in her room looking at pictures of her and her best friend Lee Mulberry. Lee had gone to London on a student exchange program over the summer and when that was over she stayed with Louise's family over there until the school year started. Lee had left Louise's family and attended an English Boarding school in Northern England although she did not know exactly where. Of course everyone had been shocked when they found out that Lee would not be coming back, she had written Louise a letter letting her know that she was ok but she wasn't ever sure if she was going to come home for Christmas.
Today happened to be Lee's 16th birthday and Louise missed her terribly. Lee was Louise's best friend and practically her twin sister, in fact ever since they met that had referred to each other as twins.
Just then the doorbell rang throughout the quite house.
"Who could be here? And this early in the morning?" Louise asked herself as she headed to the front door. It was only a little after nine on a Saturday morning.
"Hello how can I…" Louise stopped her usual ramble as a gasp escaped her lips.
"Good morning Louise."
"L-Lee…is…is that you?" Louise stuttered out.
"Yea sis…it's me…I'm home."
Before either one could say anything else Louise gathered Lee into a bone crushing hug. Lee was just as excited as Louise and hugged her right back.
"I've missed you so much!" Louise exclaimed. "You don't know how boring life is without you."
"I could say the same about you. I mean I have great friends at my new school but they're nothing compared to you."
"So why didn't you call to let me know that you were coming home I would have thrown together a welcome home party?"
"I was afraid of that…anyway it was kind of last minute…and I need to leave again in a few hours." Lee responded a little downcast.
"What? Why?" Louise demanded.
"Well Lou you know I gotta go back for school…the years
not up yet."
"Why do you have to go to
school so far away? Can't you go to a boarding school a little closer to home?"
"I could but it wouldn't be the same…plus my school needs me."
"Why?"
"They…they just do."
Lee desperately wanted to let her best friend know everything that was going on with her life and all about Hogwarts but she knew that if she told Louise too much Dumbledore might find out, somehow.
Louise soon moved onto other topics and the girls re-bonded with what little time they had.
* * *
Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the Great Hall eating lunch when Professor Fireoza walked up to them.
"I'd like to see you three in my office when you're done." Professor Fireoza requested.
'Sure." Harry responded for the group
"Wonder what she wants?" Ron questioned after the professor had sat down at the head table.
"I dunno but I hope we're not in trouble." Hermione responded
"I somehow don't think this has anything with us being in trouble." Harry remarked.
"Hey have either of you seen Olivia?" Ron questioned.
"No I haven't seen her since our lesson last night." Hermione remarked
"I thought I saw her in the library earlier but I wasn't sure…she looked like she was asleep." Harry offered.
"I wonder where she went off to?" Ron voiced "She usually never misses a meal unless she has to."
"We'll worry about her later. Right now I think we'd better get to professor Fireoza's office." Hermione advised.
The trio wandered through the hallway's towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom where they knew Professor Fireoza's office would be near. It took them a few minutes but the soon found the door that lead to both Professor Fireoza's and Professor Lupin's private rooms. Hermione knocked lightly on the professor's door announcing their arrival.
"Good I'm glad you three found your way in here." Professor Fireoza greeted. "Please won't you come in?"
Harry and Ron followed Hermione into Professor Fireoza's flat and sat around her cozy living room.
"I bet you're all wondering why I've called you here today?" Professor Fireoza began.
"Well the thought had crossed our minds professor." Harry replied
"I've called you here to let you know that today is Olivia's 16th birthday. I'm letting you know because she refused to tell anyone, she thought that it would be like asking for attention and she didn't want it to look like that."
"We would never think of her like that." Ron protested.
"I know it and she knows it but she still wasn't sure. Anyway I was thinking that the three of you could plan a little surprise party for her for tonight." Professor Fireoza suggested.
"But how will we keep her away from the three of us?" Hermione asked knowing that Olivia was one of them going wherever they went.
"Well if you hadn't noticed Olivia's distanced herself from everyone today because she feel a little alone with no one here knowing it's her birthday and all her friends back home and not being able to see them. She's been in the library all day doing homework and researching some other things. I don't think it will be hard to plan all this while she sits in the library studying."
"Sure Professor we'll do it. It won't take us that long either…at least not after we've told everyone that it's her birthday." Harry answered sounding excited at planning a surprise party for Olivia.
"Oh good…I'm so glad you guys are willing to help out. I'm sure that this will make Olivia feel better especially after all she's been going through." Professor Fireoza gushed.
The trio smiled proudly and left the Professor's private quarters in high spirits. Every Gryffindor that knew Olivia that they passed on the way to their way to the common room was alerted of the surprise party.
* * *
Lee was so busy talking to Louise that she quickly lost track of time. When the clock in Louise's living room struck four.
"Please tell me that, that clock is wrong?" Lee half pleaded.
"It shouldn't be we just got it fixed why?"
"Oh shit…that makes it…well way later then I wanted it to be in England." Lee mumbled to herself.
"Why do you care what time it is in England." Louise asked surprising Lee since she didn't think that anyone could hear what she had said. She quickly brushed the shock aside though and focused on her more pressing problem…getting back without getting in trouble.
"I told you Louise that I needed to go back in a few hours." Lee answered
"I thought that you were just pulling my leg." Louise defended
"I'm sorry Lou but I've gotta go I've overstayed my welcome already…but don't worry I have a feeling that I'll be seeing you sooner then you think."
With that Lee quickly preformed a memory charm while transporting herself both back in time some and back to Hogwarts.
It took Olivia a few seconds to realize that she was standing in the Hogwarts library right where she had been before she left. She looked at her clone and realized that it had done all of her homework and even done a little research on the transportation spell she had used. As soon as the clone noticed her it faded out of sight leaving only one Olivia Stanton in the library. "I've gotta use clones more often." Olivia thought to herself.
Olivia looked at the clock and realized that dinner would be served in about a half hour and seeing as all her work was done she packed all her things up. She then headed up to Dumbledore's office to check in with him and to show him that she had been there the whole time.
* * *
"Very impressive Ms. Stanton…I'm glad to see that you put you time towards furthering your knowledge instead of partying. Although I am sorry that you had to spend you birthday in a library."
"It's ok Professor…I'll be sure to throw a big party next year when everyone knows." Olivia quipped.
"I'm sure you will…Now I suggest that we head down to the Great Hall or else we might miss out on a delicious meal."
"Olivia! Where've you been all day?" Ron exclaimed as Olivia sat down at the Gryffindor table with them.
"I needed to get a few things done and they took longer then I expected. Sorry" Olivia quickly responded before digging into the food, she hadn't eaten since that morning.
The rest of the meal went by in almost a comatose silence. Everyone was either to buys reminding themselves not to say anything or to busy eating to say much. As soon as Dumbledore announced the end of dinner most of the Gryffindor table quickly headed towards their dorms, or at least that's what Olivia thought. The four of them took their time getting to Gryffindor tower, even stopping by the library for Hermione to return a book she no longer needed. When they finally got to the portrait of the fat lady Ron and Hermione rushed in while Harry waited for the distraction to arrive.
"Olivia! Wait up a sec.?" A voice called.
"I'll meet you inside." Harry announced before ducking through the portrait hole.
"Yes?" Olivia called to the approaching voice.
"I was wondering if maybe you could help me with my potions since you're so good in it." The voice asked. Olivia looked harder and found the voice to be Justin Finch-Fetchly of Huffelpuff. Olivia had become friends with him while they studied together in the library over the last few months.
"Sure Justin when did you want to meet up?"
"I was thinking Monday during our free time before lunch?"
"Sure"
"Alright thanks I would've asked you earlier but you looked really busy. Well thanks I'd better get back before Filch or Snape find me. See you Monday!" Justin called as he headed towards the Huffelpuff common room.
Once Justin was out of sight Olivia turned around and headed into the Common room.
"SURPRISE!"
Olivia shrieked as she was assaulted by the 'surprise' that was yelled as she walked through the portrait hole. Olivia looked around the common room in awe to see that it was decorated with confetti that kept magically falling and streamers all over the place with a huge 'Happy 16th Birthday Olivia' sign hanging off the balcony that overlooked the common room. As she slowly took it all in tears of happiness sprung to Olivia's eyes. She never expected anyone to know about her birthday let alone throw her a surprise party.
After Olivia got over her initial shock of it she began to jokingly yell at them all for almost giving her a heart attack. After that the party got into full swing and everyone was enjoying the sweets the seventh years had gone to Hogsmead to get and the prank stuff the Fred and George supplied.
The party lasted well into the next morning and would have gone on longer had it not been for Professor's McGonagall, Lupin, Fireoza, and Dumbledore who finally settled the excited house down around 2 A.M. Olivia went to bed that night thinking that this had been the best birthday she'd had even if she hadn't gotten any presents at least she knew she had friends. The only thing that nagged at Olivia's mind was what Professor Lupin had said to her before he left the common room. 'Happy Birthday Olivia. I just want you to know I'm proud of you and I hope to see more of your birthday's in the future.' She wasn't really sure what he meant by that statement, but she hoped to soon find out.
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OK I know it's a bit of a cliffy but at least its three page's longer then the last chapter (well on word its three pages longer). Anyway it's a bit of a sappy chapter I know but its kind of another one of the transition chapters. I'm gonna try really hard to get another chapter out as soon as possible but I'm not sure how soon I can get one up because of all this snow my internet's been knocked out a few times already so bear with me. Anyway….ENJOY!
Oh and would you be so kind as to REVIEW?????
~Autumn