Even though Dumbledore had taken care of the bills and Dobby was there to
cook and clean, Dudley and Harry kept their jobs. They worked through the
summer. Most of it was pretty uneventful. Dudley and Hermione wrote back
and forth, as well as getting letters from other friends, and Harry had
recieved and written letters as well. Summer was quickly coming to a close,
they still hadn't heard anything of the Dursley's, and it was almost
Harry's birthday.
It wasn't in Harry's nature to expect anything for his birthday, so when he and Dudley came home from work and everyone he knew jumped out and yelled "Surprise!" he was quite shaken. "Wha...what are you all doing here?" He asked stuttering in amazement as he looked around. Hermione, Ron and his whole family, Hagrid, Dumbledore, and some other kids from school were all there. There were streamers and Dobby bustled around adding tons of trays of food to an all ready full table.
"You didn't think we'd go and miss your birthday, no did ya?" said George as he slapped him on the back.
"Yeah, did ya?" Fred said also slapping him on the back.
"Well, umm...no, but what are you all doing here?" Harry said again. Mrs. Weasley came over and handed Harry a huge plate of food.
"It was all Dudley's idea. Quite a sweet boy. Oh professor..." She gave him an enveloping hug and headed off towards Dumbledore.
"You didn't have to go and do this," Harry said to Dudley while staring in amazement at all the food he was about to gulp down.
"I know, I wated to, plus it's about time you had a decent birthday." Dudley said shrugging.
"Well," Harry said scratching the back of his neck, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, now if you'll excuse me there's a large stack of pumpki pasties over there with my name on it." Dudley said as he walked over to the food table and engaged in a conversation with Hermione. After Harry had his fair share of food, Mrs. Weasley came and guided him to the couch. "Present time everyone." She said as everyone came piling gifts around Harry. The Weasley's hade gotten him a very nice set of new cauldrons, "They were on the school list," Mrs. Wealey said blushing.
"They're perfect," Harry said while giving her a kiss on the cheek. From Hermione he got a much expected but welcomed book all about the mysterious creatures that were believed to live in the Forbidden Forrest, from Dudley he got a home quidditch set.
"I thought you could use it to practice with," Dudley said to the look of gratitude on Harry's face.
From Dumbledore he got a miniture pensive, "I thought you could use it to put all the extra knowledge you'll gain this year in," he said with a wink. He got an array of other gifts from muggle money and candy to a wizard's chess set and a new kit for broom management.
Not long after Mrs. Weasley came in from the kitchen with a huge cake, much to the dissatisfaction of Dobby, as everyone bega singing happy birthday. Ron leaned forward and whispered, "Mom wouldn't let him make the cake, she thought it was her official duty to make your birthday cake." They both tried hard not to laugh and when Harry blew out the candles he couldn't think of a wish that could out do today.
When Harry had seen almost all of his friends and Professore Dumbledore and Hagrid out, he tried to help Dobby clean up, but he wouldn't have it.
"First Mrs. Whezzy wont let me make cake, now you trying to take away my job," he said sarcastically to Harry and he burst into laughter but suddenly stopped when a familiar figure apparated into the living room.
"Sirius," Harry yelled as he ran over to him and embraced him.
"Did I miss all the festivities already? Hope there's some food left." He said smiling.
"What are you doing here? Nevermind, I'm glad you came," Harry said as Dudley brought over a heaping plate of food. After he had finished eating, he gave Harry his present which was, too Harry's dissapointment, a cloak. At the look on Harry's face, Sirius said, "It's not just any cloak. It's a magic food cloak. It's directly linked to the kitchen at Hogwart's. All you have to do is think of what you want, reach in your pocket, and there it is. I think it should come in handy if you need a late night snack or when you visit me during the school year."
"It's great," Harry said wrapping his arms around Sirius, "Sirius, you have to stay here with us for the rest of the summer."
"I don't know, what if your aunt and uncle.." he began.
"They won't, come on, please?" Harry begged.
"Well, if it's alright with Dudley , I'll stay." Sirius said. Harry looked pleadingly at Dudley.
"It's fine by me," he said, kind of said that Harry was going to be spending more time with Sirius and less time with him.
"Then it's settled. Come on, you can stay in Vernon's room," he grabbed Sirius's hand and lead him up the stairs leaving Dudley alone with Dobby, who was paying him no mind as he happily went around cleaning up the mess.
It wasn't in Harry's nature to expect anything for his birthday, so when he and Dudley came home from work and everyone he knew jumped out and yelled "Surprise!" he was quite shaken. "Wha...what are you all doing here?" He asked stuttering in amazement as he looked around. Hermione, Ron and his whole family, Hagrid, Dumbledore, and some other kids from school were all there. There were streamers and Dobby bustled around adding tons of trays of food to an all ready full table.
"You didn't think we'd go and miss your birthday, no did ya?" said George as he slapped him on the back.
"Yeah, did ya?" Fred said also slapping him on the back.
"Well, umm...no, but what are you all doing here?" Harry said again. Mrs. Weasley came over and handed Harry a huge plate of food.
"It was all Dudley's idea. Quite a sweet boy. Oh professor..." She gave him an enveloping hug and headed off towards Dumbledore.
"You didn't have to go and do this," Harry said to Dudley while staring in amazement at all the food he was about to gulp down.
"I know, I wated to, plus it's about time you had a decent birthday." Dudley said shrugging.
"Well," Harry said scratching the back of his neck, "Thank you."
"Don't mention it, now if you'll excuse me there's a large stack of pumpki pasties over there with my name on it." Dudley said as he walked over to the food table and engaged in a conversation with Hermione. After Harry had his fair share of food, Mrs. Weasley came and guided him to the couch. "Present time everyone." She said as everyone came piling gifts around Harry. The Weasley's hade gotten him a very nice set of new cauldrons, "They were on the school list," Mrs. Wealey said blushing.
"They're perfect," Harry said while giving her a kiss on the cheek. From Hermione he got a much expected but welcomed book all about the mysterious creatures that were believed to live in the Forbidden Forrest, from Dudley he got a home quidditch set.
"I thought you could use it to practice with," Dudley said to the look of gratitude on Harry's face.
From Dumbledore he got a miniture pensive, "I thought you could use it to put all the extra knowledge you'll gain this year in," he said with a wink. He got an array of other gifts from muggle money and candy to a wizard's chess set and a new kit for broom management.
Not long after Mrs. Weasley came in from the kitchen with a huge cake, much to the dissatisfaction of Dobby, as everyone bega singing happy birthday. Ron leaned forward and whispered, "Mom wouldn't let him make the cake, she thought it was her official duty to make your birthday cake." They both tried hard not to laugh and when Harry blew out the candles he couldn't think of a wish that could out do today.
When Harry had seen almost all of his friends and Professore Dumbledore and Hagrid out, he tried to help Dobby clean up, but he wouldn't have it.
"First Mrs. Whezzy wont let me make cake, now you trying to take away my job," he said sarcastically to Harry and he burst into laughter but suddenly stopped when a familiar figure apparated into the living room.
"Sirius," Harry yelled as he ran over to him and embraced him.
"Did I miss all the festivities already? Hope there's some food left." He said smiling.
"What are you doing here? Nevermind, I'm glad you came," Harry said as Dudley brought over a heaping plate of food. After he had finished eating, he gave Harry his present which was, too Harry's dissapointment, a cloak. At the look on Harry's face, Sirius said, "It's not just any cloak. It's a magic food cloak. It's directly linked to the kitchen at Hogwart's. All you have to do is think of what you want, reach in your pocket, and there it is. I think it should come in handy if you need a late night snack or when you visit me during the school year."
"It's great," Harry said wrapping his arms around Sirius, "Sirius, you have to stay here with us for the rest of the summer."
"I don't know, what if your aunt and uncle.." he began.
"They won't, come on, please?" Harry begged.
"Well, if it's alright with Dudley , I'll stay." Sirius said. Harry looked pleadingly at Dudley.
"It's fine by me," he said, kind of said that Harry was going to be spending more time with Sirius and less time with him.
"Then it's settled. Come on, you can stay in Vernon's room," he grabbed Sirius's hand and lead him up the stairs leaving Dudley alone with Dobby, who was paying him no mind as he happily went around cleaning up the mess.