Chapter 6:
When Harry awoke the next morning, his scar was throbbing painfully. He thought back to his dream. Who was Acacia? What on earth was that dream about? Could it have something to do with Voldemort? Oh well.
Harry sat up and put on his glasses. He peered into the mirror to see that his hair was slightly red, but not too bad. He supposed that the dream was only that; a dream, and that it was nothing to worry about. But why couldn't he get the feeling of nervousness and unrest out of his system? Harry looked at a clock. It was 9:00 in the morning, and he heard several people awake downstairs, so he decided to go eat breakfast.
Harry dressed quietly, so as not to wake Ron, and he slipped downstairs, meeting nothing unusual on the way downstairs, which was unusual for the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. He entered the kitchen to see a large group around the kitchen table already. Mrs. Weasley was serving breakfast to Lenore and Hermione, Fred, George, and Neville, while Lupin read the Daily prophet and sipped some tea and Tonks frowned at a large calendar-looking thing.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!" yelled Mrs. Weasley the moment she saw him as she enveloped him in a warm hug. "You're sixteen today, it's amazing how fast time flies!" Harry started at first. Today was his birthday? So it was, July 31st. He had completely forgotten!
"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry happily as he sat down to the table.
A chorus of "Happy Birthday's" came Harry's way and he grinned- this was his first birthday surrounded by friends and the people he considered family. Lupin patted Harry on the back fondly, Hermione and Lenore each hugged him, and Tonks, Fred, and George burst into song, conjuring balloons and confetti.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!" said Lenore, and Harry suddenly remembered that they were born on the same day. Oh, no. I forgot to get her a present! Thought Harry.
"You, too, Lenore!" Suddenly the twins began singing again.
"Happy Birthday to you-"
"Happy Birthday to you-"
"Cha cha cha-"
"Happy BIRTHDAY to Harryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy and Lenorreeeeeeeeee"
"……Cha Cha Cha-"
"Happy Birthday to you!"
Confetti was still pouring out of each of the twins' wands and it began to cover the floor. "That's enough, you two," said Mrs. Weasley as a handful of confetti landed in her hair. It was gold and scarlet, the Gryffindor colors.
"All right, Mum," said Fred, "Just let us spray the birthday boy and girl!"
Before Harry could duck, Fred's wand was pointed at him and a load of glittery confetti sprayed into his face. Harry looked at Lenore; it had gotten all in her chestnut curls.
"George!" she exclaimed.
"Don't be mad, 'Nore; it looks good! You look excellent in the Gryffindor colors, really, you do."
"Yeah," replied Fred to George, "Only your eyes don't match. Shall we die them? Yours can be scarlet and Harry's gold-"
"No!" squealed Lenore as she ran and his behind Hermione.
"Now, really, Fred and George," began Mrs. Weasley. "The kitchen's six inches high in confetti; turn your wands off!"
"All right, all right!" exclaimed George. "This house is no fun! What's the counter-curse, again, Fred?"
"Um… I thought you made that one up, George…"
"What?"
"Remember? I make the spell, you make the counter curse?"
"Oops."
Lupin chuckled, turning the page of his paper.
Mrs. Weasley turned around, hands on her hips. "Do you two mean to tell me that you haven't a counter-curse?"
George backed away cautiously. "Mum, Mum… It'll only be a few hours…Don't be mad! We can help decorate for Harry and Lenore's birthday…right?" Mrs. Weasley looked plain dangerous. She looked as if she was about to breathe steam.
"OUT! MAKE A COUNTER-CURSE THIS INSTANT! ALL WE NEED IS CONFETTI ALL OVER THE HOUSE, THEN THE GRIFFIN WILL PROBABLY EAT IT….OUT!" she shrieked at her sons, infuriated.
"But what do we do with the wands?"
"And the confetti."
"I don't care, I honestly don't. Go decorate Diagon Alley, for all I care. Just- Get- OUT!"
"All right then, see ya tonight!" yelled George, and he and Fred ran outside where they could apparate safely, trailing bouts of confetti the whole way.
"Ooh, they infuriate me!" said Mrs. Weasley, doing a scourgify charm on the confetti. To her greater disgust, only one piece would disappear at a time.
"Oh Bloody HELL! I am going to hex those two into next week!" Mrs. Weasley then turned to Harry, Lenore, Hermione, and Neville. "What would you like for breakfast, dears?" She tried to smile.
Suddenly Ginny walked into the room in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a purple tank top. "What-what- What was all the noise?" she asked, yawning hugely and rubbing her eyes. Suddenly, though, upon seeing the confetti, her eyes grew large. "Whoa! Brilliant! Can we keep it, Mum? Can we? This stuff is so cool!" Ginny smiled and kicked a pile of confetti across the room. She then laid down on the floor and began making a snow angel. She smiled.
"Fred and George did it, Ginny," laughed Lenore. "And your Mum isn't too happy, needless to say." Hermione and Ginny laughed.
"Oh, yeah," said Ginny suddenly. She ran up to Harry and hugged him standing on her tiptoes. "Happy Birthday, Harry!" She then turned to Lenore. "You, too, Lenore!" Harry and Lenore grinned happily.
All of the sudden, Harry's scar gave a sharp pain. "Ouch!" he said loudly.
"You all right?" asked Lenore concertedly.
"yeah…I'm fine," said Harry. After breakfast, Lupin came up to Harry.
"Harry? Could I have a word?"
"'Course. I'll be right back, everyone," said Harry to his friends. He followed Lupin into the parlor and sat down on a sofa.
"Is anything bothering you Harry? Do you need to talk?"
Harry wondered if he should tell Lupin about the dream. He decided not to, it was no big deal. "Nothing, really, Moony. My scar is just hurting. Nothing new." Harry sighed. "And being in this house reminds me of- Padfoot. A lot. I really miss him."
Lupin sighed sadly. "So do I, Harry, so do I. I'm the only one left of the Marauders now, besides that worthless rat. They've left me alone here. Even your mother's best friend, who I was in love with is gone. And this has left me with such a great and terrible hatred of Voldemort. You're all I have left of the Marauders. And now Lenore's here. If her hair was red, she'd look exactly like Lily. Exactly. She acts like Lily too. It's painful, watching the two of you grow up and going into the world. If only we knew the Prophecy."
"I know the prophecy, Moony," Harry whispered. Lupin looked at him with wide eyes. "In the end, I either must kill or be murdered. By Voldemort. I know I should be scared, but I really am not. I just feel so empty. I know that even if I defeat him, those he has taken away will always be gone. And if he kills me, than I will see Mum and Dad sooner. And Cedric. And Sirius. But then I will have just as well have murdered everyone else. It's a heavy burden, you know?"
"I understand, Harry. Now, what would you like to do for your birthday? I can take you and Ron and Hermione somewhere if you'd like. All of you lot, actually. Anyplace you'd like to go in particular? We just have to be back by seven. No sooner, no later."
"All right," said Harry, brightening up. "How about Diagon Alley? And then maybe into Muggle London?"
"Sounds good," said Lupin, smiling. "And Harry?"
"Yes?"
"You aren't in this alone. We're all going to fight by your side until the end. You can come to us for anything, Harry. And even after all is lost, we will see each other again. So be brave. We all need to be brave." Harry hugged Lupin, and a tear fell from Lupin's eye.