The Phoenix's Prophesy
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
~*~*~*~
"Harry?"
"Harry, wake up!"
"HARRY!!!"
"Gahhhh!!!" Harry sat up with a jolt, staring into the eyes of five amused people.
"Finally. I thought you were going to be sleeping forever." Ron grumbled. Harry blinked, and then blinked again.
"What time is it?" He asked brokenly, trying to piece things out in his sleep-muddled mind. It was a few days after he had arrived, and he and Ron had stayed up late into the night, talking.
"Time for you to get up."
"Time for you to get dressed."
"Time to par-tay!" The twins finished in unison. Harry couldn't help but laugh with the others as Fred and George posed at the end of this speech.
"No really. What time is it, and why are you all in this room?" Harry asked, still a little confused.
"Well, my watch says it's nine-thirty, and we are all here to wake you and Ron up."
"Why?" Harry asked. At this, five blank faces stared back at him. Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"What?"
"Harry, don't you remember?" Ginny asked softly, her eyes confused. Harry frowned and shook his head, but that was stopped as something tiny came speeding through Ron's open window, landing gracefully on his leg.
"PIG?!?!"
"Kaya!" Harry exclaimed at the same time as Ron, picking up the little bird and smiling at it. A roll of parchment was tied to Kaya's leg, and Harry quickly pulled it off, setting the little owl down carefully as he opened it. The tiny animal gave an affectionate hoot, and then snuggled down into his lap, looking like a ball of feathers with two eyes peeping out.
//Dearest Harry:
I miss you already! We just got home and all I can think about is you and all the fun you must be having. Neville liked the plane ride, and he especially liked the movie they showed in the middle of it! ^__^ Jackson, Shane, Shirah, and Raya were at the airport with May, waiting for us. Apparently, they missed me, because Jackson refused to let go of me until we got into the car!
Anyway, I am just writing to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And I hope that you have a great day, spending it with your friends! Neville says Happy Birthday too, though he is pretty excited about his own! We are all going to Raya's house to celebrate it, and they are planning on giving Neville a huge cake, so we'd better go hungry! ^__^
I'd better go. Jackson wants me to help him with something!
Again, Happy Birthday, Harry!
Lovingly yours,
Rose//
"Oh. I forgot my birthday was today." Harry said, matter-of-factly. This caused Ron to hit his forehead with his hand, and Hermione and Ginny to wince. The twins, however, seemed to think this was brilliant of Harry, to forget his own birthday, and told him so.
"Anyway, what is that?" Hermione asked, looking curiously at the letter. Harry quickly shook his head and moved to hide the note.
"Nothing. It is just..."
"A *LOVE* note!" Fred yelped, pulling the letter from Harry and reading it quickly, George looking over his shoulder.
"Dearest Harry? Lovingly yours? Bloody...she has it bad for you! What have you been hiding from us, Harry?" Fred began to laugh hysterically, as George sniggered behind him. Harry glowered at them and pulled the note from Fred's hands, ignoring the disbelieving looks from Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.
"It is *NOT* a love note." Harry hissed, folding up the note and then helping Kaya into Pig's cage. The two birds began to twitter back and forth, something they had done a lot when Kaya and Pig delivered letters at the same time to him at the Dursleys.
"Then what is it, Harry?" Hermione asked gently. Harry sighed and turned his gaze to his lap.
"It's from Rose." He muttered. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione gasped.
"B...but Harry! She's a muggle! You're not supposed to tell muggles..." Ginny's hesitant words were cut off as Hedwig sailed in the window, sweeping over her head as she moved to land on the bed next to Harry. Harry sighed in relief at the intrusion, and turned his attention to his owl.
"Hold that thought." He mumbled, pulling the package that Hedwig had tied to her leg, off. He nearly choked when he saw who it was from, and quickly tore the wrapping away, and opened the box. Inside, there was another note, along with some photos, and another small package. Harry quickly opened the note, and grinned.
//Harry:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I didn't think the note was enough, so I decided to send you some presents as well. And just as I was trying to think of how to send them, Hedwig arrived. I am sure she wanted me to send you *something*, sweet of her, huh? Well, here is an extra treat. The others have added their own Birthday greetings for you, and we decided to just make them into one long letter! Brilliant, huh?
Well, my turn is over! Happy Birthday again! I miss you!
*Rose*//
Harry grinned as he read this, but the note was not over. The words to Rose's note began to disappear, but in their place, another note flashed into view. Harry read this one, and began to laugh.
//Harry:
Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to both of us, we live in a zoo! (This is a song Jackson sang to me!)
All right, enough with that! How are you, mate? Did you get to the Weasley's in one piece? Did Gram bother you too much? I hope not. Did Tonks tell you why she was so eager to get to the Weasleys? (You'd better tell me everything. I know something is not quite right with her eagerness to go there!) How are Ron, Hermione, and Ginny? Have the twins pranked you, yet?
Well, I'd better leave it at this. Jackson's nearly strangling me to get his turn! -__-;
Happy Birthday!!!
-Neville//
By now, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins were all gathered around behind him, to read what the letter was saying.
//Harry (aka. Prongs Jr.):
I've never met you. I'd never even heard of you before dad came here. But now I do, and you can't escape me!!! HEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!! Ok, enough with the maniac-like laughter. -__-;
Anywho (^__^), how are you, buddy-to-be? Are you up to being a Marauder Jr.? Neville seems to be all for it, but Shane is a little skeptical. What about your friend Ron? He up to making a little mischief? Not that you haven't before, according to Rosie...and all the rumors that fly around our school!
Guess what! I know a secret that you don't! Even Rose doesn't know. But...I can't tell you, because...IT'S A SECRET, DUH!!! But you'll find out soon enough...
Rose says that my turns over, the little party-pooper! I'd better go before she tries to pelt me with pillows.
Oops! Too late.
Yours with a pain in the head,
^Jackson^
P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
P.P.S. Par-TAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!//
By the end of this note, the twins, Ron, and Ginny were laughing hard, while Hermione tried to hide a smile. Harry was grinning.
//Harry:
Hi. You don't know me, and I don't know you. But I'll write to wish you a Happy Birthday. Plus, Rose has told us enough about you to fill a 'Harry Potter for Dummies' book, so we know enough about you to *feel* like we know you. Although, with the way Jackson's acting right now, I think he needs a 'Calming Hyperactive People for Dummies' book. Oy, he's something else, let me tell you. -__-;
Well, I'd better go.
Have a *very* Happy Birthday, all right? And don't forget to send Jackson a sedative when his Birthday rolls around! (Maybe even before that!)
Sincerely, (I never know what to put here)
Shane//
"Note to self. Buy this Jackson kid a sedative, whatever that is." Ron chuckled. Harry grinned.
"It would take more than that to calm Jackson, according to Rose. Make it a tranquilizer dart." Harry joked, looking back at his letter.
//Harry:
Don't know you, but I'm sure you know that. So I have only one thing to say.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Sincerely,
Shirah
P.S. Note the excitement in my voice.//
"What's her problem?" Fred asked, looking taken-aback. Harry grinned.
"She's just very...talkative." He stated with a grin, as the last note came onto the paper.
//Dear Harry:
Happy Birthday! According to Rose, this makes you sixteen, just like Neville. Isn't it a strange coincidence that your birthday and Neville's reside on the same day? Oh, well.
I don't really have much more to say, but I do hope that your Birthday is a happy one, and I hope that our presents make your day that much brighter!
Sincerely yours,
Rayana (aka. Raya)//
"Now she sounded nice." Hermione put in. Harry nodded absentmindedly, putting down the letter as it flashed back to Rose's note.
"But Harry, isn't she a muggle?" Ginny asked in a weak voice.
"No. You see, the exchange program was so that magic-born students could get a feeling for muggle life. Rose came here, so she could experience muggle living. Luckily, my aunt and uncle never found out about her being a witch. Rose and her friends go to Salem Academy for Witches and Wizards. It is one of the best Wizarding schools in America." Harry explained. The others nodded with understanding, but Harry noticed that Ginny looked slightly hurt.
"I wonder what they sent you." Fred said, eyeing the box greedily. Harry smiled and took out the tiny box.
"I'll open this first." He murmured. They all watched as he opened the box, and a gasp was heard as a tiny, crystalline stag stepped out of the box and into Harry's hand. It stared up at them in curiosity, and then began to move around on Harry's hand, as if searching for something.
"Prongs." Ron said softly, eyeing the stag enviously. Harry smiled and nodded, unable to say anything. He gently handed the stag to Ron, and then peered into the bigger box and pulled out the sheaf of photos that had been sent.
At the sight of the first one, Harry burst into laughter and held it up for everyone to see. It was the picture of Dudley, with mud on the seat of his pants. This caused the Weasleys and Hermione to laugh right along with him.
"I took this one with Rose's camera. And she took this one..." Harry went through the pile, showing this picture and that one. Harry laughing at Dudley for doing something stupid, Dudley making a funny face at what he thought was a normal camera, Rose and Harry sitting side by side...
"Oh! No, Harry. There's absolutely *nothing* going on between you and this Rose, girl." Fred said sarcastically as he stared at this picture, causing Harry to blanch. He turned a deathly serious face towards Fred, and all humor disappeared from the other boy's eyes as he caught the look.
"No, Fred. There is *NOTHING* going on between us. Rose is very special to me, yes. But not like that. *Never* like that." Harry stated calmly, his voice becoming surprisingly deep as he spoke. Everyone stared at him, shocked. Harry ignored their looks, and looked at the picture that was on the bottom of the pile.
There was Rose, staring up at him and laughing, surrounded by a group of five other people. Neville was on one side of her, smiling up at him, with his hand around her waist. On her other side was another boy, with longish black hair, that fell luxuriously across his forehead, and sometimes, into his chocolate-colored eyes. Harry didn't need any other proof that this boy was Jackson McBride-Black, son of Sirius Black; the boy was a complete clone of his father, right down to the regal high-and-mightiness that Sirius had had at that age. Jackson too, had his arm around Rose.
On Jackson's other side was another boy, this one was blonde with startling blue eyes that sparkled up at him kindly, but with a sense of humor. Harry smiled as he recognized this boy as Shane. There was a girl with long blond hair and unbelievably blue eyes, that held a little bit of sly satire in them, on Shane's other side and Harry decided that this must be Shirah, Shane's cousin.
And finally, on Neville's other side, was another girl. She had shoulder length black hair that curled at the ends, and amber eyes like Neville's, that twinkled happily up at him. She was the smallest of the lot, about an inch shorter than Rose, but what she lacked in height, she evidently made up for in kindness. This must have been Rayana.
The picture was, of course, a moving one. The group was alternately waving up at him, and doing random things like breaking into dance (Jackson), plus a few other things.
A small smile appeared on Harry's lips as he watched the figures in the picture. There was obviously some music playing when the picture was taken, because many a time, the occupants could be seen nodding their heads in a certain rhythm, or even going so far as to do small dance moves, though Jackson usually did everything a little enthusiastically. Harry grinned as Jackson moved into doing a sort-of disco move, causing Shirah to bop him on the head. This made the other occupants laugh.
"That kid looks familiar." Fred murmured, obviously still put off by Harry's former words. Harry nodded and smirked. Fred was pointing at the boy on Rose's right.
"He should. That's Neville Longbottom."
"WHAT?!?!"
"Neville?!"
"That clumsy, forgetful boy?"
"Not to mention, chubby."
"That isn't Neville."
This last thing, said by Hermione, caused Harry to stare at her for a moment. She looked at him in amazement, as she realized he was not kidding, and then back at the picture.
"Are you sure, Harry?" She asked suspiciously. Harry nodded.
"I saw him at the airport, when Rose and I went. He went back to America with her, until school starts."
"Huh? Why?" Ron asked, apparently not phased by Neville's striking change.
"Because that girl there, Rayana, is his cousin. He goes there to visit her, occasionally, and that's where he met Rose and her friends. They are...a gang, of sorts." Harry murmured, then he began to explain about 'the family' and its members. None of them noticed that he quickly hid the picture under his pillow, hiding it from view. None of the others had seen the picture, and Harry didn't feel ready to share it with them.
~*~*~*~
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!"
Harry looked around the full tables, grinning. It was later that day, and they had all just finished eating the wonderful dinner Molly Weasley had prepared just for Harry. Now it was time for the cake, and presents, of course.
Harry looked around the table, smiling at each person in turn. To one side of him sat Ron, with Hermione just beyond him, and to Harry's other side was Ginny, with Bill next to her, and Fleur just beyond that. The blond girl had been absolutely thrilled when Bill had invited her to the birthday of the famous Harry Potter, and had been delighted to see all of them again.
Next to Fleur was Tonks, and Charlie was just beyond her. Harry noticed that their chairs were a little closer together than was necessary, but he didn't complain. The twins were further down the table, Fred talking animatedly to his girlfriend, Angelina, and George looking rather lonely as he sat listening to them. Percy was still absent from the Weasley gatherings, though Harry didn't dare ask why.
"All right, Harry! Presents first!" Mrs. Weasley called, as Mr. Weasley carried a pile of presents over to Harry, who laughed and obediently began to open them.
There were the normal 'oohhs', 'ahhhs', etc. from the watching crowd, but with each present, Harry felt his heart drop a little more, though he refused to show it and plastered smiles to his face as he opened each one. He had realized with every present he opened, there would be one missing. Sirius's. Never again would he open a present from his godfather. Never again would he laugh at the funny things Sirius said in his letters.
Harry quickly finished opening his presents, and Mr. Weasley did a spell that made them all disappear into Ron's room. Then the cake was brought out, a huge, chocolate on chocolate cake that Molly had made herself. Harry forced himself to smile again as he was handed a rather large piece. Through the lump of emotion that was now stuck in his throat, he forced down the cake, smiling painfully the whole time. No one seemed to notice his silence, until:
"Harry?" Ginny whispered softly, leaning over. Harry winced slightly, pulled from his thoughts.
"What?"
"Are you all right?" She asked, her voice still quiet. Harry frowned slightly.
"I'm fine." He said shortly, turning himself back to his cake.
"No you're not." She whispered. Harry felt a prickling at the corners of his eyes, and was relieved when Charlie stood up and suggested a game of Quidditch. Ron, Ginny, Bill, and the twins eagerly agreed, as did Tonks.
"Harry? Aren't you going to play?" Hermione called, causing everyone to look eagerly at him. Harry forced another smile.
"I need to use the lavatory. Too much butterbeer!" Harry managed a laugh, and everyone laughed along with him.
"Well, join us when your through!" Charlie insisted, as he and the twins rushed to the shed to retrieve their brooms. While the others' attention was elsewhere, Harry made a quick exit and dashed up to Ron's room, where he promptly buried his face in his pillow and tried to keep his tears at bay. The sudden realization of all the things he was missing, without Sirius, was only now taking a full effect on him. And he only knew one way to make it go away.
With the quick agility of a Quidditch player, he bounded off the bed and pulled a roll of parchment out of his trunk, along with some ink and his quill. Then he sat down at Ron's dresser to write.
//Dear Rose:
Thank you for all the presents. It was a real treat to receive your joint letter, as well. And that picture of you and the 'family' made my day...for a while.
I thought of Sirius again, as I was opening my presents. It hit me that I would never get another present from Sirius...and never another letter. It hurt a lot when I realized that, and it still hasn't gone away. I miss him so much. I miss you. I wish you were here, because just your presence would be a comfort to me right now. But since you can't be here, I will have to do with this.
Well, enough with my problems (and don't you dare roll your eyes). How was Neville's Birthday party? Were the girls ogling at him again? Honestly. I can't see why he doesn't understand why they stare. What is he, five? ^__^;
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know, that I am letting my pain out (at least a little), so you don't have to worry about me. I'll just unload all of my problems onto you! (Just kidding, by the way!)
Goodbye until we write again!
Lovingly yours,
~Harry//
~*~*~*~
"Harry?" Harry turned from watching Hedwig fly away, to see a hesitant Ron standing in the doorway.
"Yeah?" Harry asked, distractedly. Ron moved into the room, looking upset.
"You never came down to the pitch. We were worried..."
"I'm fine, Ron. I just didn't feel like playing. I decided to write a 'thank you" letter, instead." Harry informed him, motioning to Hedwig's empty cage. Ron was still frowning as he nodded.
"Well, I'd better go down and tell mum...she is nearing a conniption fit, because we couldn't find you." Ron's voice trailed away as he shut the door behind him.
Harry sighed and decided to follow him down, to apologize for his absence. But as he got nearer to the foot of the stairs, he heard voices talking softly among one another.
"He was in my room. He sent a letter."
"What was he doing up there? I thought he only had to go to the loo." Came Fred's voice.
"He said he didn't feel like playing."
"Harry?! Not feel like playing? Is he sick?" Came Hermione's voice. Harry growled and sat on the stairs, listening. He knew that he shouldn't do it, but he was sick and tired of people worrying over him all the time.
"He was acting strange at dinner, too." Came Ginny's soft murmur. Harry mentally snorted. The little traitor.
"How so?" Charlie asked.
"Well, after he opened his presents, he went really silent, and when I asked him what was wrong, he practically snapped at me." Ginny answered.
"Do you think we got him something he didn't like? Or we didn't get him something he wanted? Oh, dear!" Molly murmured.
"That's not it, mum. Harry...I just know that's not it. It was in the way he was...well...eating. Like he wanted to murder the cake, but was holding himself back."
"He didn't like the cake?"
"NO! I'm sure he did, mum, its just that...something was bothering him. I'm positive." Ginny stated. Harry rolled his eyes. She was just a genius today, wasn't she?
"But what?" Molly asked. There was a short pause then:
"I think I know. I was talking to him about...well...Sirius, the day he arrived, and he got really defensive. He said he had talked to some people, and it made him feel better. The problem is, who would he talk to?" Hermione asked. Then Harry heard Ron growl.
"What does he think we are, daft? We are his friends! We'd listen! So why doesn't he talk to us?" The red-head snapped.
"I don't know, Ron." Hermione said in a soothing voice.
"Harry is in pain, right now, and we have to show him that we are there for him, no matter what." Arthur's voice came. Harry forced himself not to roll his eyes again, and then he slowly got up and crept back up the stairs.
"Why don't they listen, Pig? I am fine. I have Rose to talk to. I don't need them to baby me. I'm fine!" Harry sighed, as he quickly dressed in his pajamas, and then climbed into bed. The little owl, who was the only other living thing in the room (as far as Harry knew), gave a soft hoot in answer.
"That's what I thought." Harry groaned tiredly, as his eyes drooped and he fell into a restless sleep.
He never even awoke when Ron came in, stood looking at him for several minutes, and then got into his own pajamas and went to bed.
~*~*~*~
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 6.
~*~*~*~
"Harry?"
"Harry, wake up!"
"HARRY!!!"
"Gahhhh!!!" Harry sat up with a jolt, staring into the eyes of five amused people.
"Finally. I thought you were going to be sleeping forever." Ron grumbled. Harry blinked, and then blinked again.
"What time is it?" He asked brokenly, trying to piece things out in his sleep-muddled mind. It was a few days after he had arrived, and he and Ron had stayed up late into the night, talking.
"Time for you to get up."
"Time for you to get dressed."
"Time to par-tay!" The twins finished in unison. Harry couldn't help but laugh with the others as Fred and George posed at the end of this speech.
"No really. What time is it, and why are you all in this room?" Harry asked, still a little confused.
"Well, my watch says it's nine-thirty, and we are all here to wake you and Ron up."
"Why?" Harry asked. At this, five blank faces stared back at him. Harry shifted uncomfortably.
"What?"
"Harry, don't you remember?" Ginny asked softly, her eyes confused. Harry frowned and shook his head, but that was stopped as something tiny came speeding through Ron's open window, landing gracefully on his leg.
"PIG?!?!"
"Kaya!" Harry exclaimed at the same time as Ron, picking up the little bird and smiling at it. A roll of parchment was tied to Kaya's leg, and Harry quickly pulled it off, setting the little owl down carefully as he opened it. The tiny animal gave an affectionate hoot, and then snuggled down into his lap, looking like a ball of feathers with two eyes peeping out.
//Dearest Harry:
I miss you already! We just got home and all I can think about is you and all the fun you must be having. Neville liked the plane ride, and he especially liked the movie they showed in the middle of it! ^__^ Jackson, Shane, Shirah, and Raya were at the airport with May, waiting for us. Apparently, they missed me, because Jackson refused to let go of me until we got into the car!
Anyway, I am just writing to wish you a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And I hope that you have a great day, spending it with your friends! Neville says Happy Birthday too, though he is pretty excited about his own! We are all going to Raya's house to celebrate it, and they are planning on giving Neville a huge cake, so we'd better go hungry! ^__^
I'd better go. Jackson wants me to help him with something!
Again, Happy Birthday, Harry!
Lovingly yours,
Rose//
"Oh. I forgot my birthday was today." Harry said, matter-of-factly. This caused Ron to hit his forehead with his hand, and Hermione and Ginny to wince. The twins, however, seemed to think this was brilliant of Harry, to forget his own birthday, and told him so.
"Anyway, what is that?" Hermione asked, looking curiously at the letter. Harry quickly shook his head and moved to hide the note.
"Nothing. It is just..."
"A *LOVE* note!" Fred yelped, pulling the letter from Harry and reading it quickly, George looking over his shoulder.
"Dearest Harry? Lovingly yours? Bloody...she has it bad for you! What have you been hiding from us, Harry?" Fred began to laugh hysterically, as George sniggered behind him. Harry glowered at them and pulled the note from Fred's hands, ignoring the disbelieving looks from Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.
"It is *NOT* a love note." Harry hissed, folding up the note and then helping Kaya into Pig's cage. The two birds began to twitter back and forth, something they had done a lot when Kaya and Pig delivered letters at the same time to him at the Dursleys.
"Then what is it, Harry?" Hermione asked gently. Harry sighed and turned his gaze to his lap.
"It's from Rose." He muttered. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione gasped.
"B...but Harry! She's a muggle! You're not supposed to tell muggles..." Ginny's hesitant words were cut off as Hedwig sailed in the window, sweeping over her head as she moved to land on the bed next to Harry. Harry sighed in relief at the intrusion, and turned his attention to his owl.
"Hold that thought." He mumbled, pulling the package that Hedwig had tied to her leg, off. He nearly choked when he saw who it was from, and quickly tore the wrapping away, and opened the box. Inside, there was another note, along with some photos, and another small package. Harry quickly opened the note, and grinned.
//Harry:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I didn't think the note was enough, so I decided to send you some presents as well. And just as I was trying to think of how to send them, Hedwig arrived. I am sure she wanted me to send you *something*, sweet of her, huh? Well, here is an extra treat. The others have added their own Birthday greetings for you, and we decided to just make them into one long letter! Brilliant, huh?
Well, my turn is over! Happy Birthday again! I miss you!
*Rose*//
Harry grinned as he read this, but the note was not over. The words to Rose's note began to disappear, but in their place, another note flashed into view. Harry read this one, and began to laugh.
//Harry:
Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to both of us, we live in a zoo! (This is a song Jackson sang to me!)
All right, enough with that! How are you, mate? Did you get to the Weasley's in one piece? Did Gram bother you too much? I hope not. Did Tonks tell you why she was so eager to get to the Weasleys? (You'd better tell me everything. I know something is not quite right with her eagerness to go there!) How are Ron, Hermione, and Ginny? Have the twins pranked you, yet?
Well, I'd better leave it at this. Jackson's nearly strangling me to get his turn! -__-;
Happy Birthday!!!
-Neville//
By now, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins were all gathered around behind him, to read what the letter was saying.
//Harry (aka. Prongs Jr.):
I've never met you. I'd never even heard of you before dad came here. But now I do, and you can't escape me!!! HEHEHEHEHEHEHE!!! Ok, enough with the maniac-like laughter. -__-;
Anywho (^__^), how are you, buddy-to-be? Are you up to being a Marauder Jr.? Neville seems to be all for it, but Shane is a little skeptical. What about your friend Ron? He up to making a little mischief? Not that you haven't before, according to Rosie...and all the rumors that fly around our school!
Guess what! I know a secret that you don't! Even Rose doesn't know. But...I can't tell you, because...IT'S A SECRET, DUH!!! But you'll find out soon enough...
Rose says that my turns over, the little party-pooper! I'd better go before she tries to pelt me with pillows.
Oops! Too late.
Yours with a pain in the head,
^Jackson^
P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
P.P.S. Par-TAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!//
By the end of this note, the twins, Ron, and Ginny were laughing hard, while Hermione tried to hide a smile. Harry was grinning.
//Harry:
Hi. You don't know me, and I don't know you. But I'll write to wish you a Happy Birthday. Plus, Rose has told us enough about you to fill a 'Harry Potter for Dummies' book, so we know enough about you to *feel* like we know you. Although, with the way Jackson's acting right now, I think he needs a 'Calming Hyperactive People for Dummies' book. Oy, he's something else, let me tell you. -__-;
Well, I'd better go.
Have a *very* Happy Birthday, all right? And don't forget to send Jackson a sedative when his Birthday rolls around! (Maybe even before that!)
Sincerely, (I never know what to put here)
Shane//
"Note to self. Buy this Jackson kid a sedative, whatever that is." Ron chuckled. Harry grinned.
"It would take more than that to calm Jackson, according to Rose. Make it a tranquilizer dart." Harry joked, looking back at his letter.
//Harry:
Don't know you, but I'm sure you know that. So I have only one thing to say.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
Sincerely,
Shirah
P.S. Note the excitement in my voice.//
"What's her problem?" Fred asked, looking taken-aback. Harry grinned.
"She's just very...talkative." He stated with a grin, as the last note came onto the paper.
//Dear Harry:
Happy Birthday! According to Rose, this makes you sixteen, just like Neville. Isn't it a strange coincidence that your birthday and Neville's reside on the same day? Oh, well.
I don't really have much more to say, but I do hope that your Birthday is a happy one, and I hope that our presents make your day that much brighter!
Sincerely yours,
Rayana (aka. Raya)//
"Now she sounded nice." Hermione put in. Harry nodded absentmindedly, putting down the letter as it flashed back to Rose's note.
"But Harry, isn't she a muggle?" Ginny asked in a weak voice.
"No. You see, the exchange program was so that magic-born students could get a feeling for muggle life. Rose came here, so she could experience muggle living. Luckily, my aunt and uncle never found out about her being a witch. Rose and her friends go to Salem Academy for Witches and Wizards. It is one of the best Wizarding schools in America." Harry explained. The others nodded with understanding, but Harry noticed that Ginny looked slightly hurt.
"I wonder what they sent you." Fred said, eyeing the box greedily. Harry smiled and took out the tiny box.
"I'll open this first." He murmured. They all watched as he opened the box, and a gasp was heard as a tiny, crystalline stag stepped out of the box and into Harry's hand. It stared up at them in curiosity, and then began to move around on Harry's hand, as if searching for something.
"Prongs." Ron said softly, eyeing the stag enviously. Harry smiled and nodded, unable to say anything. He gently handed the stag to Ron, and then peered into the bigger box and pulled out the sheaf of photos that had been sent.
At the sight of the first one, Harry burst into laughter and held it up for everyone to see. It was the picture of Dudley, with mud on the seat of his pants. This caused the Weasleys and Hermione to laugh right along with him.
"I took this one with Rose's camera. And she took this one..." Harry went through the pile, showing this picture and that one. Harry laughing at Dudley for doing something stupid, Dudley making a funny face at what he thought was a normal camera, Rose and Harry sitting side by side...
"Oh! No, Harry. There's absolutely *nothing* going on between you and this Rose, girl." Fred said sarcastically as he stared at this picture, causing Harry to blanch. He turned a deathly serious face towards Fred, and all humor disappeared from the other boy's eyes as he caught the look.
"No, Fred. There is *NOTHING* going on between us. Rose is very special to me, yes. But not like that. *Never* like that." Harry stated calmly, his voice becoming surprisingly deep as he spoke. Everyone stared at him, shocked. Harry ignored their looks, and looked at the picture that was on the bottom of the pile.
There was Rose, staring up at him and laughing, surrounded by a group of five other people. Neville was on one side of her, smiling up at him, with his hand around her waist. On her other side was another boy, with longish black hair, that fell luxuriously across his forehead, and sometimes, into his chocolate-colored eyes. Harry didn't need any other proof that this boy was Jackson McBride-Black, son of Sirius Black; the boy was a complete clone of his father, right down to the regal high-and-mightiness that Sirius had had at that age. Jackson too, had his arm around Rose.
On Jackson's other side was another boy, this one was blonde with startling blue eyes that sparkled up at him kindly, but with a sense of humor. Harry smiled as he recognized this boy as Shane. There was a girl with long blond hair and unbelievably blue eyes, that held a little bit of sly satire in them, on Shane's other side and Harry decided that this must be Shirah, Shane's cousin.
And finally, on Neville's other side, was another girl. She had shoulder length black hair that curled at the ends, and amber eyes like Neville's, that twinkled happily up at him. She was the smallest of the lot, about an inch shorter than Rose, but what she lacked in height, she evidently made up for in kindness. This must have been Rayana.
The picture was, of course, a moving one. The group was alternately waving up at him, and doing random things like breaking into dance (Jackson), plus a few other things.
A small smile appeared on Harry's lips as he watched the figures in the picture. There was obviously some music playing when the picture was taken, because many a time, the occupants could be seen nodding their heads in a certain rhythm, or even going so far as to do small dance moves, though Jackson usually did everything a little enthusiastically. Harry grinned as Jackson moved into doing a sort-of disco move, causing Shirah to bop him on the head. This made the other occupants laugh.
"That kid looks familiar." Fred murmured, obviously still put off by Harry's former words. Harry nodded and smirked. Fred was pointing at the boy on Rose's right.
"He should. That's Neville Longbottom."
"WHAT?!?!"
"Neville?!"
"That clumsy, forgetful boy?"
"Not to mention, chubby."
"That isn't Neville."
This last thing, said by Hermione, caused Harry to stare at her for a moment. She looked at him in amazement, as she realized he was not kidding, and then back at the picture.
"Are you sure, Harry?" She asked suspiciously. Harry nodded.
"I saw him at the airport, when Rose and I went. He went back to America with her, until school starts."
"Huh? Why?" Ron asked, apparently not phased by Neville's striking change.
"Because that girl there, Rayana, is his cousin. He goes there to visit her, occasionally, and that's where he met Rose and her friends. They are...a gang, of sorts." Harry murmured, then he began to explain about 'the family' and its members. None of them noticed that he quickly hid the picture under his pillow, hiding it from view. None of the others had seen the picture, and Harry didn't feel ready to share it with them.
~*~*~*~
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!"
Harry looked around the full tables, grinning. It was later that day, and they had all just finished eating the wonderful dinner Molly Weasley had prepared just for Harry. Now it was time for the cake, and presents, of course.
Harry looked around the table, smiling at each person in turn. To one side of him sat Ron, with Hermione just beyond him, and to Harry's other side was Ginny, with Bill next to her, and Fleur just beyond that. The blond girl had been absolutely thrilled when Bill had invited her to the birthday of the famous Harry Potter, and had been delighted to see all of them again.
Next to Fleur was Tonks, and Charlie was just beyond her. Harry noticed that their chairs were a little closer together than was necessary, but he didn't complain. The twins were further down the table, Fred talking animatedly to his girlfriend, Angelina, and George looking rather lonely as he sat listening to them. Percy was still absent from the Weasley gatherings, though Harry didn't dare ask why.
"All right, Harry! Presents first!" Mrs. Weasley called, as Mr. Weasley carried a pile of presents over to Harry, who laughed and obediently began to open them.
There were the normal 'oohhs', 'ahhhs', etc. from the watching crowd, but with each present, Harry felt his heart drop a little more, though he refused to show it and plastered smiles to his face as he opened each one. He had realized with every present he opened, there would be one missing. Sirius's. Never again would he open a present from his godfather. Never again would he laugh at the funny things Sirius said in his letters.
Harry quickly finished opening his presents, and Mr. Weasley did a spell that made them all disappear into Ron's room. Then the cake was brought out, a huge, chocolate on chocolate cake that Molly had made herself. Harry forced himself to smile again as he was handed a rather large piece. Through the lump of emotion that was now stuck in his throat, he forced down the cake, smiling painfully the whole time. No one seemed to notice his silence, until:
"Harry?" Ginny whispered softly, leaning over. Harry winced slightly, pulled from his thoughts.
"What?"
"Are you all right?" She asked, her voice still quiet. Harry frowned slightly.
"I'm fine." He said shortly, turning himself back to his cake.
"No you're not." She whispered. Harry felt a prickling at the corners of his eyes, and was relieved when Charlie stood up and suggested a game of Quidditch. Ron, Ginny, Bill, and the twins eagerly agreed, as did Tonks.
"Harry? Aren't you going to play?" Hermione called, causing everyone to look eagerly at him. Harry forced another smile.
"I need to use the lavatory. Too much butterbeer!" Harry managed a laugh, and everyone laughed along with him.
"Well, join us when your through!" Charlie insisted, as he and the twins rushed to the shed to retrieve their brooms. While the others' attention was elsewhere, Harry made a quick exit and dashed up to Ron's room, where he promptly buried his face in his pillow and tried to keep his tears at bay. The sudden realization of all the things he was missing, without Sirius, was only now taking a full effect on him. And he only knew one way to make it go away.
With the quick agility of a Quidditch player, he bounded off the bed and pulled a roll of parchment out of his trunk, along with some ink and his quill. Then he sat down at Ron's dresser to write.
//Dear Rose:
Thank you for all the presents. It was a real treat to receive your joint letter, as well. And that picture of you and the 'family' made my day...for a while.
I thought of Sirius again, as I was opening my presents. It hit me that I would never get another present from Sirius...and never another letter. It hurt a lot when I realized that, and it still hasn't gone away. I miss him so much. I miss you. I wish you were here, because just your presence would be a comfort to me right now. But since you can't be here, I will have to do with this.
Well, enough with my problems (and don't you dare roll your eyes). How was Neville's Birthday party? Were the girls ogling at him again? Honestly. I can't see why he doesn't understand why they stare. What is he, five? ^__^;
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know, that I am letting my pain out (at least a little), so you don't have to worry about me. I'll just unload all of my problems onto you! (Just kidding, by the way!)
Goodbye until we write again!
Lovingly yours,
~Harry//
~*~*~*~
"Harry?" Harry turned from watching Hedwig fly away, to see a hesitant Ron standing in the doorway.
"Yeah?" Harry asked, distractedly. Ron moved into the room, looking upset.
"You never came down to the pitch. We were worried..."
"I'm fine, Ron. I just didn't feel like playing. I decided to write a 'thank you" letter, instead." Harry informed him, motioning to Hedwig's empty cage. Ron was still frowning as he nodded.
"Well, I'd better go down and tell mum...she is nearing a conniption fit, because we couldn't find you." Ron's voice trailed away as he shut the door behind him.
Harry sighed and decided to follow him down, to apologize for his absence. But as he got nearer to the foot of the stairs, he heard voices talking softly among one another.
"He was in my room. He sent a letter."
"What was he doing up there? I thought he only had to go to the loo." Came Fred's voice.
"He said he didn't feel like playing."
"Harry?! Not feel like playing? Is he sick?" Came Hermione's voice. Harry growled and sat on the stairs, listening. He knew that he shouldn't do it, but he was sick and tired of people worrying over him all the time.
"He was acting strange at dinner, too." Came Ginny's soft murmur. Harry mentally snorted. The little traitor.
"How so?" Charlie asked.
"Well, after he opened his presents, he went really silent, and when I asked him what was wrong, he practically snapped at me." Ginny answered.
"Do you think we got him something he didn't like? Or we didn't get him something he wanted? Oh, dear!" Molly murmured.
"That's not it, mum. Harry...I just know that's not it. It was in the way he was...well...eating. Like he wanted to murder the cake, but was holding himself back."
"He didn't like the cake?"
"NO! I'm sure he did, mum, its just that...something was bothering him. I'm positive." Ginny stated. Harry rolled his eyes. She was just a genius today, wasn't she?
"But what?" Molly asked. There was a short pause then:
"I think I know. I was talking to him about...well...Sirius, the day he arrived, and he got really defensive. He said he had talked to some people, and it made him feel better. The problem is, who would he talk to?" Hermione asked. Then Harry heard Ron growl.
"What does he think we are, daft? We are his friends! We'd listen! So why doesn't he talk to us?" The red-head snapped.
"I don't know, Ron." Hermione said in a soothing voice.
"Harry is in pain, right now, and we have to show him that we are there for him, no matter what." Arthur's voice came. Harry forced himself not to roll his eyes again, and then he slowly got up and crept back up the stairs.
"Why don't they listen, Pig? I am fine. I have Rose to talk to. I don't need them to baby me. I'm fine!" Harry sighed, as he quickly dressed in his pajamas, and then climbed into bed. The little owl, who was the only other living thing in the room (as far as Harry knew), gave a soft hoot in answer.
"That's what I thought." Harry groaned tiredly, as his eyes drooped and he fell into a restless sleep.
He never even awoke when Ron came in, stood looking at him for several minutes, and then got into his own pajamas and went to bed.
~*~*~*~