Chapter 9: Celebrations
After the awards were given to Fred and George, the Weasley family plus Harry and Hermione headed back to the Burrow. Mrs.Weasley served the feast that she had prepared, and everyone sat down to eat.
"Fred, George, I don't think that Mum's ever been so proud," Ron told them around a mouthful of chicken.
Ginny set her fork down, "She fainted when Fudge announced your Order of Merlin First Class," she paused and looked around the table. "Okay, now tell me about the box you gave Harry."
Fred and George laughed, "We're staying here tonight, and we'll show you all of the new inventions. That's what was in the box, top secret Auror Wheezes. We've been working on them for months," George told her. "And we've been sending a little of everything to Dumbledore, he said that he would try to get them to let us take our N.E.W.T.S."
"Instead, he had the stuff examined and they passed us, I still can't believe it," Fred told them. "I never expected the First Class and Graduation Certificates. They only told us about the award for helping in Diagon Alley."
They finished eating and Bill and Charlie set off some of the Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs that they had purchased from their brothers shop a few days before. "These things are incredible," Bill shouted as he watched the dragons, Catherine wheels, flying saucers and rockets soaring around the garden.
"The two of you are brilliant," Charlie crowed, lighting a few more.
Fred and George smiled at each other, "Thank you, Thank you," they said, bowing repeatedly.
***********************************
Harry woke late the next morning, completely forgetting that it was his birthday as he got dressed and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!!!!" everyone shouted as he walked into the kitchen.
Ron came over and clapped him on the back, "How about a game of Quidditch after breakfast?" he asked. They walked over to the table and sat down. Mrs.Weasley placed a plate heaped with eggs, sausages and bacon in front of him.
"Would you like tea or pumpkin juice?" she asked, passing him a plate of toast.
"Pumpkin juice would be good, Mrs.Weasley. Thank you," he said. He took a few bites of his breakfast, and watched Ginny out of the corner of his eye. Mrs.Weasley handed him the glass of pumpkin juice and went back over to the stove.
"Would you like some more sausages, Harry dear?" she questioned, turning with the frying pan full of sausage.
"No thank you, Mrs.Weasley. I'm sure that what I have here will be plenty," he answered, quickly finishing his breakfast and heading up the stairs to get his broom.
**************************************
Four hours later, the six teens headed back to the burrow, ready for lunch. Hermione was the first one in the door, and she squealed with delight when she saw who was sitting at the table. "Professor Lupin, it's so great to see you," she told him.
Harry came into the kitchen quickly when he heard her greet his parent's old friend. "Professor Lupin," he said. He walked over and hugged him. "I'm happy to see you, why are you here?" Harry asked.
"Did you really think that I would forget your birthday?" he asked, a small smile on his face. "When Molly told me that you were going to be here, and that they were going to have a small birthday party for you, I had to come."
"Thank you," Harry told him, a sad smile on his face.
"Why don't we take a walk, Harry?" he asked. "There are some things that I want to discuss with you." Harry followed him out the kitchen door, and out into the garden. "How are you holding up, Harry?"
"I miss him," he paused and looked at his old professor. "If I had just learned how to block him, Sirius would still be alive."
Remus stopped and put his arm around Harry's shoulders, "Harry, you don't know that. He could have been killed in any confrontation with the Death Eaters."
"He died because I have what Hermione calls a 'hero complex'," Harry answered, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Remus pulled him down onto a bench, "Harry, he died because Bellatrix Lestrange killed him, not because of you."
Harry continued sobbing, "He died because of me, my friends almost died because of me, I'm a danger to everyone."
"Harry, I think that we need to talk to Dumbledore. This has gone quite far enough," Remus said forcefully. With a pop, Dobby appeared. "Dobby, please go and tell Professor Dumbledore that Harry and I need to see him. And tell him that I no longer agree with his decision."
"Yes sir, Mr. Lupin sir. Dobby will go and tell Professor Dumbledore," the house elf told them. With a pop, he disappeared.
****************************************
Inside the house, Fred and George were preparing the entertainment for Harry's party, while Ginny, Hermione and Winky were assisting Mrs.Weasley with the food.
"Boys, will everything be ready by dinnertime?" she asked. She sat the large four tiered cake on the table and began decorating it.
"Yes, mum. It will be a birthday Harry will never forget," George answered.
"You are quite right, Mr.Weasley. It is a birthday that Harry will never forget," Dumbledore said from the fireplace.
Molly shrieked, "Albus, you just scared the magic out of me. What are you doing here?"
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to leave the cliffie so that the next chapter would be an even bigger surprise! Thanks once again to all of my wonderful reviewers, because of your encouraging reviews I am no longer stuck and have almost outlined the next four chapters. I will be working on chapter ten tonight (The OC is on and my husband and daughter are big fans, so that leaves me with a lot of time to write) and I might just get it posted!
After the awards were given to Fred and George, the Weasley family plus Harry and Hermione headed back to the Burrow. Mrs.Weasley served the feast that she had prepared, and everyone sat down to eat.
"Fred, George, I don't think that Mum's ever been so proud," Ron told them around a mouthful of chicken.
Ginny set her fork down, "She fainted when Fudge announced your Order of Merlin First Class," she paused and looked around the table. "Okay, now tell me about the box you gave Harry."
Fred and George laughed, "We're staying here tonight, and we'll show you all of the new inventions. That's what was in the box, top secret Auror Wheezes. We've been working on them for months," George told her. "And we've been sending a little of everything to Dumbledore, he said that he would try to get them to let us take our N.E.W.T.S."
"Instead, he had the stuff examined and they passed us, I still can't believe it," Fred told them. "I never expected the First Class and Graduation Certificates. They only told us about the award for helping in Diagon Alley."
They finished eating and Bill and Charlie set off some of the Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-bangs that they had purchased from their brothers shop a few days before. "These things are incredible," Bill shouted as he watched the dragons, Catherine wheels, flying saucers and rockets soaring around the garden.
"The two of you are brilliant," Charlie crowed, lighting a few more.
Fred and George smiled at each other, "Thank you, Thank you," they said, bowing repeatedly.
***********************************
Harry woke late the next morning, completely forgetting that it was his birthday as he got dressed and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!!!!" everyone shouted as he walked into the kitchen.
Ron came over and clapped him on the back, "How about a game of Quidditch after breakfast?" he asked. They walked over to the table and sat down. Mrs.Weasley placed a plate heaped with eggs, sausages and bacon in front of him.
"Would you like tea or pumpkin juice?" she asked, passing him a plate of toast.
"Pumpkin juice would be good, Mrs.Weasley. Thank you," he said. He took a few bites of his breakfast, and watched Ginny out of the corner of his eye. Mrs.Weasley handed him the glass of pumpkin juice and went back over to the stove.
"Would you like some more sausages, Harry dear?" she questioned, turning with the frying pan full of sausage.
"No thank you, Mrs.Weasley. I'm sure that what I have here will be plenty," he answered, quickly finishing his breakfast and heading up the stairs to get his broom.
**************************************
Four hours later, the six teens headed back to the burrow, ready for lunch. Hermione was the first one in the door, and she squealed with delight when she saw who was sitting at the table. "Professor Lupin, it's so great to see you," she told him.
Harry came into the kitchen quickly when he heard her greet his parent's old friend. "Professor Lupin," he said. He walked over and hugged him. "I'm happy to see you, why are you here?" Harry asked.
"Did you really think that I would forget your birthday?" he asked, a small smile on his face. "When Molly told me that you were going to be here, and that they were going to have a small birthday party for you, I had to come."
"Thank you," Harry told him, a sad smile on his face.
"Why don't we take a walk, Harry?" he asked. "There are some things that I want to discuss with you." Harry followed him out the kitchen door, and out into the garden. "How are you holding up, Harry?"
"I miss him," he paused and looked at his old professor. "If I had just learned how to block him, Sirius would still be alive."
Remus stopped and put his arm around Harry's shoulders, "Harry, you don't know that. He could have been killed in any confrontation with the Death Eaters."
"He died because I have what Hermione calls a 'hero complex'," Harry answered, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Remus pulled him down onto a bench, "Harry, he died because Bellatrix Lestrange killed him, not because of you."
Harry continued sobbing, "He died because of me, my friends almost died because of me, I'm a danger to everyone."
"Harry, I think that we need to talk to Dumbledore. This has gone quite far enough," Remus said forcefully. With a pop, Dobby appeared. "Dobby, please go and tell Professor Dumbledore that Harry and I need to see him. And tell him that I no longer agree with his decision."
"Yes sir, Mr. Lupin sir. Dobby will go and tell Professor Dumbledore," the house elf told them. With a pop, he disappeared.
****************************************
Inside the house, Fred and George were preparing the entertainment for Harry's party, while Ginny, Hermione and Winky were assisting Mrs.Weasley with the food.
"Boys, will everything be ready by dinnertime?" she asked. She sat the large four tiered cake on the table and began decorating it.
"Yes, mum. It will be a birthday Harry will never forget," George answered.
"You are quite right, Mr.Weasley. It is a birthday that Harry will never forget," Dumbledore said from the fireplace.
Molly shrieked, "Albus, you just scared the magic out of me. What are you doing here?"
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to leave the cliffie so that the next chapter would be an even bigger surprise! Thanks once again to all of my wonderful reviewers, because of your encouraging reviews I am no longer stuck and have almost outlined the next four chapters. I will be working on chapter ten tonight (The OC is on and my husband and daughter are big fans, so that leaves me with a lot of time to write) and I might just get it posted!