Chapter 16
"Happy birthday, Harry!"
Harry opened one eye and groaned. Sirius and Remus stood at the foot of his bed, wide smiles on their faces. Harry closed his eye and buried his face deeper into the pillow. "Go 'way," he muttered indistinctly.
"Come on, Harry!" Sirius said, tapping him on the shoulder, "We have to get going. Dumbledore has allowed us a few hours break from ward-weaving so we have to do our best with the time we have." Harry's only reply was a loud snore. Sirius yanked the blanket off of the bed and Harry considered reaching for his wand. Remus muttered something and Harry suddenly felt a splash of cold water on his face.
"Okay! Okay! I'm up."
Harry stifled a yawn as he stood up and glared at his two grinning tormenters. "If you two are simply going to stand there, get me some breakfast while I take a shower," he said groggily as he grabbed some clothes on the way to the lavatory. Once awake under the hot water, Harry started to look forward to the few hours he could spend with Remus and Sirius. Quickly, he washed his now chin length hair and stepping out, performed a quick drying charm. It was only after standing in front of the mirror while brushing his teeth he realized he didn't have his glasses on. The world was strangely clear and focused as if he did have them on.
"Weird," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He made a mental note to ask Madam Pomfrey if a wizard's eyes could correct themselves as he was pulling on his black Hogwarts robes.
As he stepped out, Sirius held up his forgotten glasses with a grin. "Forget something?" Remus, however, frowned at Harry as if not recognizing him.
Harry shook his head, causing some of his black mop of hair to fall into his eyes. "I don't need them. My eyes got better."
"Got better?" repeated Remus, "What do you mean?"
Harry shrugged. "I mean they got better. I can see perfectly well without them." Sirius looked confused and Remus looked concerned. Harry grabbed a few bites of bacon from the tray that had appeared while he was in the shower.
"Perhaps you should see Madam Pomfrey before going anywhere today," suggested Remus, watching Harry with a worried frown.
Harry swallowed and scowled. "No way! You guys only have a few hours and I'm not going to waste part of that just to ask if my eyes are okay. They feel fine," he insisted, "Besides, this isn't the first time I've fixed something over night. Aunt Petunia cut my hair really bad once and it grew back to its normal length overnight. This is probably the same thing."
Remus still looked unconvinced but Sirius shrugged and grinned. "Well, grab your broom then, Harry. Your sixteenth birthday celebration has officially begun."
* * *
For the next hour, they played on the Quidditch field. Sirius played Keeper at one point, guarding the round goal posts from Harry and Remus. Remus proved to be a capable Chaser, easily dodging Harry's attempts to get the Quaffle nestled safely under his arm and scoring nearly every time.
"Perhaps you took too much of your aging potion, Sirius," joked Remus, jauntily tossing the Quaffle in the air and catching it neatly. "You're getting slow in your old age."
"Not as slow as you!" Harry quipped, diving under the Quaffle as Remus tossed it again and grabbing it.
"Hey!" exclaimed Remus, nearly falling off his borrowed school broom. "Theif!"
Sirius started to laugh and belatedly became aware that Harry was speeding towards him. Before Sirius had a chance to prepare himself, Harry scored a goal. Whooping jubilantly, Harry flew a victory lap around the field. Remus and Sirius flew after him and a race ensued but both of the older men were soundly beaten by Harry's Firebolt.
Winded, Sirius and Remus declared a truce. They didn't have very much time left so they took their brooms back to Hogwarts and walked to Hogsmeade. After getting a birthday butterbeer from The Three Broomsticks, they travelled by the Floo Network to Diagon Alley. Once there, Harry was pleased to discover a table already set at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and Florean Fortescue herself waited on them and wished Harry a happy birthday. Ginny came over too from the Apothecary and although Harry had to introduce Sirius as Wideric White, she didn't seem to question why he was there and he was able to relax again. She had looked questioningly at the absence of his glasses but seemed to get used to it after awhile.
While they were in the middle of eating their ice cream, a distant twittering sound Harry had been ignoring grew louder. Finally Pigwidgeon fell out of the sky, dropped a package in Harry's lap, and landed in Harry's double-fudge ripple sundae, splashing ice cream on everyone.
"Pig!" exclaimed Ginny, "You silly owl!" She gingerly picked up the sticky ball of feathers that was still hooting with annoyance. "I'll be right back. I think the pet store can clean him up," she said apologetically.
Sirius and Remus watched her disappear down the street and hurriedly took out a package from underneath the table. "Harry, it would be best if you didn't open this here but we'll tell you what it is." Harry curiously took the square box from Sirius. "Do you know what a Pensieve is?" Harry nodded. "Well, you may not know this," smiled Remus, "but there is a way to store memories permanently. Although this way doesn't hold as much as a Pensieve, you don't have to deal with unpleasant memories. Sirius and I siphoned off some of our best memories with Lily and James. We wanted you to see them as they were, as you should have known them."
Harry swallowed and suddenly found it hard to speak. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely, putting the box carefully down beside his chair underneath the slightly smaller package from Romania. Ms. Fortescue saved them all from speaking as she cleaned up the mess Pig had made and gave Harry a new sundae. Right after she left, a larger owl with black-flecked grey wings fluttered down from the sky and landed on the back of an empty chair, holding out a letter in Harry's direction.
"Whose owl is that?" wondered Remus as Harry curiously took the envelope. The owl screeched angrily and Harry hurriedly gave it a few knuts.
"It's from Gringotts," said Harry, glancing at the postmark and putting the envelope in a pocket without opening it, "It's probably something about my account. I'll open it later."
Ginny finally returned, but the owl was nowhere in sight. "Pig is on his way back to Romania," explained Ginny, "I hope he-" She stopped suddenly, her mouth gaping open in shock.
"Ginny? What--?" asked Harry or started to ask. Because when Harry turned around, he saw what she had been staring at: Professor Severus Snape. He was standing stock still in a frayed black robe, looking at them all as if he had never seen them before in his entire life.
"Happy birthday, Harry!"
Harry opened one eye and groaned. Sirius and Remus stood at the foot of his bed, wide smiles on their faces. Harry closed his eye and buried his face deeper into the pillow. "Go 'way," he muttered indistinctly.
"Come on, Harry!" Sirius said, tapping him on the shoulder, "We have to get going. Dumbledore has allowed us a few hours break from ward-weaving so we have to do our best with the time we have." Harry's only reply was a loud snore. Sirius yanked the blanket off of the bed and Harry considered reaching for his wand. Remus muttered something and Harry suddenly felt a splash of cold water on his face.
"Okay! Okay! I'm up."
Harry stifled a yawn as he stood up and glared at his two grinning tormenters. "If you two are simply going to stand there, get me some breakfast while I take a shower," he said groggily as he grabbed some clothes on the way to the lavatory. Once awake under the hot water, Harry started to look forward to the few hours he could spend with Remus and Sirius. Quickly, he washed his now chin length hair and stepping out, performed a quick drying charm. It was only after standing in front of the mirror while brushing his teeth he realized he didn't have his glasses on. The world was strangely clear and focused as if he did have them on.
"Weird," he muttered, rubbing his eyes. He made a mental note to ask Madam Pomfrey if a wizard's eyes could correct themselves as he was pulling on his black Hogwarts robes.
As he stepped out, Sirius held up his forgotten glasses with a grin. "Forget something?" Remus, however, frowned at Harry as if not recognizing him.
Harry shook his head, causing some of his black mop of hair to fall into his eyes. "I don't need them. My eyes got better."
"Got better?" repeated Remus, "What do you mean?"
Harry shrugged. "I mean they got better. I can see perfectly well without them." Sirius looked confused and Remus looked concerned. Harry grabbed a few bites of bacon from the tray that had appeared while he was in the shower.
"Perhaps you should see Madam Pomfrey before going anywhere today," suggested Remus, watching Harry with a worried frown.
Harry swallowed and scowled. "No way! You guys only have a few hours and I'm not going to waste part of that just to ask if my eyes are okay. They feel fine," he insisted, "Besides, this isn't the first time I've fixed something over night. Aunt Petunia cut my hair really bad once and it grew back to its normal length overnight. This is probably the same thing."
Remus still looked unconvinced but Sirius shrugged and grinned. "Well, grab your broom then, Harry. Your sixteenth birthday celebration has officially begun."
For the next hour, they played on the Quidditch field. Sirius played Keeper at one point, guarding the round goal posts from Harry and Remus. Remus proved to be a capable Chaser, easily dodging Harry's attempts to get the Quaffle nestled safely under his arm and scoring nearly every time.
"Perhaps you took too much of your aging potion, Sirius," joked Remus, jauntily tossing the Quaffle in the air and catching it neatly. "You're getting slow in your old age."
"Not as slow as you!" Harry quipped, diving under the Quaffle as Remus tossed it again and grabbing it.
"Hey!" exclaimed Remus, nearly falling off his borrowed school broom. "Theif!"
Sirius started to laugh and belatedly became aware that Harry was speeding towards him. Before Sirius had a chance to prepare himself, Harry scored a goal. Whooping jubilantly, Harry flew a victory lap around the field. Remus and Sirius flew after him and a race ensued but both of the older men were soundly beaten by Harry's Firebolt.
Winded, Sirius and Remus declared a truce. They didn't have very much time left so they took their brooms back to Hogwarts and walked to Hogsmeade. After getting a birthday butterbeer from The Three Broomsticks, they travelled by the Floo Network to Diagon Alley. Once there, Harry was pleased to discover a table already set at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and Florean Fortescue herself waited on them and wished Harry a happy birthday. Ginny came over too from the Apothecary and although Harry had to introduce Sirius as Wideric White, she didn't seem to question why he was there and he was able to relax again. She had looked questioningly at the absence of his glasses but seemed to get used to it after awhile.
While they were in the middle of eating their ice cream, a distant twittering sound Harry had been ignoring grew louder. Finally Pigwidgeon fell out of the sky, dropped a package in Harry's lap, and landed in Harry's double-fudge ripple sundae, splashing ice cream on everyone.
"Pig!" exclaimed Ginny, "You silly owl!" She gingerly picked up the sticky ball of feathers that was still hooting with annoyance. "I'll be right back. I think the pet store can clean him up," she said apologetically.
Sirius and Remus watched her disappear down the street and hurriedly took out a package from underneath the table. "Harry, it would be best if you didn't open this here but we'll tell you what it is." Harry curiously took the square box from Sirius. "Do you know what a Pensieve is?" Harry nodded. "Well, you may not know this," smiled Remus, "but there is a way to store memories permanently. Although this way doesn't hold as much as a Pensieve, you don't have to deal with unpleasant memories. Sirius and I siphoned off some of our best memories with Lily and James. We wanted you to see them as they were, as you should have known them."
Harry swallowed and suddenly found it hard to speak. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely, putting the box carefully down beside his chair underneath the slightly smaller package from Romania. Ms. Fortescue saved them all from speaking as she cleaned up the mess Pig had made and gave Harry a new sundae. Right after she left, a larger owl with black-flecked grey wings fluttered down from the sky and landed on the back of an empty chair, holding out a letter in Harry's direction.
"Whose owl is that?" wondered Remus as Harry curiously took the envelope. The owl screeched angrily and Harry hurriedly gave it a few knuts.
"It's from Gringotts," said Harry, glancing at the postmark and putting the envelope in a pocket without opening it, "It's probably something about my account. I'll open it later."
Ginny finally returned, but the owl was nowhere in sight. "Pig is on his way back to Romania," explained Ginny, "I hope he-" She stopped suddenly, her mouth gaping open in shock.
"Ginny? What--?" asked Harry or started to ask. Because when Harry turned around, he saw what she had been staring at: Professor Severus Snape. He was standing stock still in a frayed black robe, looking at them all as if he had never seen them before in his entire life.