A/N: This is my first time to write on www.fanfiction.net so don't be too harsh on me. I'm more used to writing my own stories (www.fictionpress.net). Also check out my stories on fictionpress. It's under the same pen name.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine.
CHAPTER ONE – PRIVET DRIVE
Harry was lying on his bed when six owls came into his room through his window: his snowy white owl, Hedwig, Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, with three other owls to help him carry a big box Pigwidgeon could obviously not carry alone, and some Hogwarts owl. He untied the parcel attached to the Hogwarts owl first before it took flight. Then he relieved the burdens of Hedwig and Pigwidgeon.
Harry was eager to read the letter that was tied to Hedwig because he thought that it was from his godfather, Sirius Black. But then his hopes went down when he remembered that Sirius was... you know... gone.
The letter and parcel from Hedwig was from Hermione. She was in Switzerland, enjoying her holiday while Harry was stuck at number Four Privet Drive. Harry read her letter first. It said:
Dear Harry,
Happy birthday! (Harry forgot that it was his sixteenth birthday. He couldn't believe that he forgot his own birthday) I hope you get this on time. As you know, I'm in Switzerland with my parents. I'll be back in three weeks time. Would you like to meet me in Diagon Alley when I get back? You have to get your school stuff, too, you know. By the way, how are your O.W.L. results? Mine are excellent (as usual) but I didn't get an E. I got an O (no doubt about that). I've been subscribing to the Daily Prophet to check for news about Sirius'... you know. The Daily Prophet doesn't have anything. I can't believe it. But it has a lot of articles about Voldemort. Hope to see you in Diagon Alley. I already told Ron to meet us there. Bye! Happy birthday again!
Love,
HermioneHarry was certain that he wanted to go to Diagon Alley but he had no clue on how he was going to get there. He decided that he would think about it in the morning and open Hermione's present.
Harry unwrapped a large book of spells. He opened the first page and there was a note from Hermione:
Turn to chapter fifteen, part three. I'm positive that you'll like it. It's pretty complicated but it's worth it.
Hermione
Harry turned to chapter fifteen, part three, and looked for what Hermione was talking about. It was about turning into an Animagus. Harry smiled and closed the book. He wanted to open Ron's package next but first he read the letter:
Happy birthday, Harry!
How's everything going there? Have the Muggles been treating you right? The house is quiet without Fred and George. They live in Diagon Alley, above their joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Lee Jordan also lives with them and he helps them run the shop. Their products are selling like crazy. We should visit them when we go to Diagon Alley with Hermione. I haven't seen the twins since they picked me up from the train station at King's Cross. Mum's asking if you can stay with us for the rest of the holiday. If you can, we'll pick you up on Sunday at around three in the afternoon. Send me an owl as quickly as possible. Bye!
Ron
Harry was dying to get back to the Burrow. He wanted to talk to someone about Sirius. He missed Sirius like crazy because since Harry's father was gone, Sirius was Harry's "father". Harry saw a package from Ron lying on his bed. It was an awfully big package. He unwrapped it and found a big wooden box with the words Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes engraved on the box in gold. There was a note attached to it. It was from Ron:
Complimentary box of jokes from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Fred, George and Lee wanted me to give this to you on your birthday to play a bunch of tricks on your cousin. It's way better than what I'm giving you which is also inside the box, by the way.
Harry opened the box. There were a bunch of Extendable Ears, Venomous Tentacula seeds, Skiving Snackboxes, Nosebleed Nougat, Bulbadox Powder, fake wands, Ton-Tongue Toffees, Blood Blisterpod, Canary Creams, Headless Hats, and new products like Pumpkin Pulp, Vanishing Veins, Floo Dust, Jumping Jellybeans, Farting Food, and lots more. Ron's gift was all the way at the bottom of the box. There were about three packets of instant butterbeer. All you had to do was to mix in melted butter. Harry liked Ron's gift very much.
Harry picked up the parcel from Hagrid. He hoped that Hagrid didn't give him anything dangerous. He unwrapped the parcel to reveal another box from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Aside from the name of the store engraved on the wooden box, the name of the product was engraved in red. Hagrid had given him a box of Farting Food. Harry had an idea to use it on Dudley in the morning. He picked up the letter from Hagrid. It said:
Happy birthday, Harry!
'ope the Muggles are treatin' yeh righ'. I'm off ter Romania fer the rest o' the holidays. I found the joke shop o' Fred an' George in Diagon Alley. 'ope you enjoy playin' with the Fartin' Food. The objec' terns in ter the food on yer table so it looks jus' like the other food. Then when yeh eat it, yeh jus' keep fartin' an' fartin' an' fartin'. Tried it on Dumbledore. We both got a laugh at it. I'll see yeh soon at 'ogwarts. Enjoy the rest of yer holiday.
Hagrid
Harry now had a lot of Farting Food. It was a good idea to use it on Dudley. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon won't know what hit him.
Aunt Petunia had put Harry, Uncle Vernon and Dudley back on the fruit diet. It was impossible for Harry to get any thinner as the Dursleys have been starving him ever since he got back from Hogwarts.
"Petunia, would you pass me the sugar please," Uncle Vernon said at breakfast. Aunt Petunia passed the sugar to Uncle Vernon, and both of them were soon occupied with the day's paper. Dudley wasn't at the table yet but Harry quickly switched Dudley's fruit with Farting Food before he could come. Before long, Dudley burst into the kitchen and immediately sat down at the table and started to eat his "fruit."
Dudley bit his grapefruit. Then he farted. "Excuse me," he said, and then took another bite. He farted even louder. And just kept farting till the whole room stank like a skunk.
Harry couldn't keep his laughter in any longer so he burst. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon ganged up on him.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, BOY!" Uncle Vernon hollered. It was so deafening, one of the next-door neighbors looked outside the window to see where the noise was coming from.
"Nothing. I'm honest!" Harry couldn't keep a straight face. He kept laughing.
"What's so funny, boy?"
"Nothing."
"Then why do you keep laughing?"
Laughter.
"Go to your room NOW! No meals till the end of the holiday for you. Let's see what's so funny about that!"
"Who cares about your stupid diets? I'm leaving. The Weasleys are picking me up tomorrow whether you like it or not." Harry stormed out of the kitchen and up to his room. There was another owl waiting for him.
Harry got the letter from the owl that was standing on his windowsill and got the letter.
It was from Angelina Johnson.
Dear Harry,
I heard it's your birthday so happy birthday! That's not why I'm writing to you. Well you see, I want you to be the Quidditch captain. You're the only one left in the team. I mean, since Wood left. Wait, Dumbledore gave you back your "Quidditch rights" right? Well since you're the only one I really know, I'm appointing you to be Gryffindor Quidditch captain (Harry grinned. He had been waiting for this moment even since he won his first game). I trust you to lead Gryffindor to victory like what I did and like what Wood did. Choose your players carefully. Keep Ginny and Ron on the team but you have to make Ron train harder. Good luck in picking new teammates. I heard Davies made Chang the new captain for Ravenclaw. She's really good, too. And umm... bad news. Malfoy is the captain for Slytherin so you better book the field before he does. Or anyone for that matter. Good luck, Harry!
Angelina
Harry quickly scribbled a note to Angelina:
Dear Angelina,
Thanks a lot. You do not know how much this means to me. I'll try really hard to win the Qudditch cup again this year. And yes, I will train Ron to become like Wood. Thanks again!
Harry
"Can you bring this back to Angelina, please? Thanks," Harry said to the owl while tying the note to its leg before the owl took off.
Harry got another piece of parchment from his drawer. He wanted to write to Ron.
Dear Ron,
Thanks a lot for your present. I haven't tried it yet but I will once my Uncle Vernon leaves for work. I can stay at your house for the rest of the holiday but I don't think Uncle Vernon will be too pleased about it. I tried the Farting Food on Dudley and Uncle Vernon got irritated at me for doing it so he sent me up to my room. By the way, how are you picking me up? Do you plan on using Floo Powder again? I have really good news for you. I'll tell you when I get there. That's all for now. Bye.
Harry
Harry brought the letter over to Pigwidgeon who was sleeping in Hedwig's cage. He poked Pigwidgeon with his quill until the gray owl woke up.
"I need you to send this to Ron," Harry told Pigwidgeon as he tied the letter around his leg.
Harry brought Pigwidgeon to the window to see him off, and then he started to pack his trunk.
He first emptied it out because he found out that he couldn't find a thing in his bag. He dumped everything onto his bed. His schoolbooks, his robes, his broomstick (Dumbledore gave it back to him at the end of the term before boarding the Hogwarts Express), his wand, and other stuff. The last things that came out of his trunk were bits of silver stuff. Harry tried to recall what they were. Then he remembered the time when he threw the mirror that Sirius gave him at his trunk because he was so mad that Sirius didn't appear in his mirror. Harry regretted what he did. He wished he didn't throw the mirror.
Harry neatly packed his trunk. It took him the whole day because he had so much junk. He threw away the bits of parchment that were already used. Harry took forever trying to find the broken pieces of the two-way mirror. The sun was already falling by the time Harry found all of the broken parts of the mirror. His trunk was neatly packed and he was ready to leave. All he had to do was to wait for tomorrow afternoon to come. He was wondering how the Weasleys would pick him up.
