Silver Blood
Epilogue: A New Day
The beautiful glorious sun began to break through the clouds as dawn came forth. For the first time in a while the sky was lit up with the luminous rays, reflecting the blue color of the sky. The darkness had subsided and the mysterious hole in the sky that had been above the Ministry building had vanished without a trace.
The sun rose just over the large lake that belonged to Hogwarts. The rays reached inside the partly-opened window, creeping in to lie on the sleeping figure. The figure stirred a bit until a pair of bright green eyes opened to the light of the morning. Sitting up, Harry unconsciously reached for the bedside for his glasses, but stopped mid-way and blinked, realizing that his vision was perfectly clear.
He rubbed his eyes, making sure he hadn't fallen asleep with his glasses. Sure enough, he wasn't wearing anything but he could see everything. He squinted as he tried to remember what had happened nearly two days ago. He remembered the Ministry building collapsing, and he remembered being relieved that Sirius was alive. After that, Sirius had apparated him outside of Hogwarts and took him to madam Pomprey. By that time his vision had all ready blurred, Sirius' spell having wore off. Madam Pomprey was able to find a small potion that cleared his vision and was more powerful than the temporary spell. Sirius told him he'd buy him a new pair later on.
Sirius had left for St. Mungos in order to see if there were any serious side-effects of such an intense power on him. Harry had remained in the Hospital Wing the rest of the night, or morning since it was well past midnight after the fight with Voldemort and the Death Eaters had ended. He had slept most of the day afterward, only getting up at night to eat dinner. Ron and Hermione had brought him food from the Great Hall. Now, it was the next morning after and Harry felt much more refreshed, though still a little sore and not back to his normal strength.
Harry covered his mouth as he yawned, taking the covers off his body as he rose out of the bed. He heard footsteps nearby and turned to see Madam Pomprey walking into view, carrying bottles and other items in her arms.
"Good morning, Harry," she greeted him with a smile. "I see the medicine I gave you has helped."
Harry nodded, "Yeah, it did. I feel better."
She smiled, "Good. Well, you better get down to the Great Hall if you don't want to miss breakfast."
Harry smiled and nodded as she walked away, probably setting things up for when the next term started up. It had been a strange summer, and felt like a much longer one, but luckily school was able to start up at the same time. There was still a few weeks left of summer, to which Harry was grateful. He needed time to recover before starting up again.
He grabbed the clothes lying on the chair nearby and got dressed before heading down toward the Great Hall. When he reached it, he noticed that Ron and Hermione were all ready there chatting and eating quietly. The teacher's table was full as the professors sat idly chatting with one another over their breakfast. Harry also noticed that many of the members from the Ministry and Order were also present, enjoying themselves.
Harry walked over and seated himself by Ron, smiling at his friends.
"Hey Harry! You're up!" Hermione grinned.
"Yeah, I'm feeling better."
"Good to hear," Ron said, clapping a hand on his back.
Harry smiled and scooped some food onto his plate, "So, what have you two been talking about?"
"About lots of things," Ron answered. "Sirius told us he got you the newest edition of brooms! Is that true, Harry?"
"Sure is," Harry grinned. "The Snitch2005 broom edition."
"Bloody hell! The Slytherins will really be in it this year! Not even Malfoy's father can get him that broom."
"That's because Malfoy's father isn't friends with the Minister," Hermione said, smiling at Ron, who beamed in return.
"That and he's still got his trial coming up," Hermione finished.
"Trial?" Harry asked, staring at her in surprise.
"Oh, while you were resting we overheard Ron's dad talking about it. Apparently a numerous amount of Death Eaters had been caught, including Malfoy's father. He hasn't been sent to Azkaban yet, but he's being charged with lying to the Ministry about having seen his ways and murder."
"That's the best news I've heard in a long time," Ron sighed happily.
Harry grinned, his eyes lighting up, "Definitely. I just hope that he doesn't try and worm his way out of it."
"If he isn't sent to Azkaban he'll still have to do a lot of community service and will be watched closely by Dumbledore and the members of the Ministry or Order. There's no way he'd be able to do even the slightest thing without us finding out," Hermione said brightly. "So believe me, Lucius Malfoy will be harmless from now on. Unless he wants to go crazy with eternal life in Azkaban prison or worse, a Kiss from a Dementor."
"Good," Harry sighed, relieved. "Where's Sirius?" he asked, looking around.
"Oh, he's with Dumbledore," Hermione said. "We're supposed to meet in Dumbledore's office after breakfast."
Ron glanced at Harry and rose his eyebrows, "That doesn't sound good."
Harry shrugged lightly and went back to eating, knowing that whatever Dumbledore had to tell them couldn't possibly be any worse than what they'd been through. He glanced over at the teacher's table again to see if Remus was over there. He didn't notice him, which meant he was probably with Sirius. His eyes stopped as his gaze locked with Snape's, staring at him. Snape's eyes bore into his as he continued to eat slowly, not taking his gaze off of Harry.
He gulped, knowing he couldn't possibly be mean to Snape after he had saved his life…again. Harry gave him a weak smile and turned back to his food, not wanting to think about what work he would have to do. Snape would most likely want the repayment to be through hard work.
After breakfast, the three of them headed to Dumbledore's office. When they entered they saw that Sirius and Remus were all ready seated, drinking a cup of tea with Dumbledore, who was sitting idly behind his desk with Fawkes perched beside him.
"Ah, please have a seat," Dumbledore beamed, spotting them as they entered.
Three chairs appeared and they took their seats. They waited patiently as they were offered Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean. Harry and Hermione declined but Ron eagerly took one.
"As you may have guessed, there will be some changes for the next term," Dumbledore began. "The first is that Professor Lupin will be joining us again, from a popular vote," Dumbledore's eyebrows rose. "It has been discussed with the parents and after convincing them there is medication brewed by our finest potions-master, they have agreed to it wholeheartedly."
Ron and Hermione exchanged excited glances with Harry, who grinned over at Remus, earning a smile in return. Dumbledore too had the familiar twinkle in his eye, but he continued calmly.
"Several other changes will be ensured. As you know, you will have much more difficult classes this year; new classes that you have never experienced which will prepare you for your N.E.W.T.s. And Harry," Dumbledore noted, glancing at him, "I am aware that your Occulmancy lessons with Snape haven't been working out so I have opted for you to take some very advanced classes in place of it. They will happen no more than three times a week, for they are fairly intense, and will substitute for your normal classes on those days.
"They will either be administered by myself, Professor McGonagall or any other I see fit to teach you. I will send all the information you'll need on it to Sirius before the term begins," Dumbledore explained.
Harry nodded, "Yes sir."
"However important these classes are, you must remember it will take a while for you to recover from the dark curse placed on you by Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore continued seriously. "He drained your powers and had nearly drained your remaining life."
Ron's face turned sour as he swallowed thickly, coughing a bit.
"Ron, are you all right?" Hermione asked, concerned.
He nodded quickly, "Fine," he croaked. "I um…booger-flavored," he said, referring to the Bertie Bott's bean he chose.
Hermione huffed with a roll of her eyes and turned back to Dumbledore who was looking at him with amusement, obviously having chosen a bad one himself at one time or another.
"So, does that mean my powers won't be as strong?" Harry asked, feeling his stomach flip.
"Yes, your powers will take a while to get back to their normal strength. If you keep working at the advanced classes and keep up with your schoolwork, it will pay off," he said, barely covering a small smile. "You will not have to do them on any holidays or vacations, in which you are allowed to leave to go back to your home or with your friends, unless there are pressing matters," he added.
"I understand," Harry said, cheering up at the thought of spending Christmas with Sirius in their own home.
"Wait, I have a question," Ron interrupted before any more could be said.
"And what's that, Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.
"Will the parents let their kids come back here after what just happened? I mean, with the creatures and all…they did manage to get inside the castle."
"Ah, yes, but that is no problem," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling yet again. "Everyone minus those present in this room, and the Ministry and Order, have had their minds erased of the events that have happened this summer."
Ron's mouth dropped open and Harry's eyes widened. Hermione didn't seem very surprised.
"You…erased their memories?" Harry asked, stunned.
"Yes, you see otherwise they would be consumed by their fear. Everyone is afraid that darkness will rise again as before and only panic would arise. Panic is not something that will help. The students are safe here, more safe than in their own homes," Dumbledore explained. "The muggles too will not recall anything. They have been healed as best as possible and those that are still being healed will have their memories erased and it will seem all but a bad dream to them."
"Wish it was a bad dream for us," Ron muttered.
Harry glanced at him, but turned to Dumbledore, "And the Ministry building?"
"Yes, that has caused some commotion, but a new one is being built as we speak. It will be in the papers for some time, but the Minister himself has all ready prepared what to say to the public."
Ron grinned at the mention of his dad as the Minister and straightened his back a little higher.
"Now, are there any questions?" Dumbledore asked, leaning back in his seat.
Harry looked up, "So…My powers have been weakened, but I still have to study hard to prepare for the N.E.W.T.S. and take advanced classes?"
"It would be a wise decision, Harry, since this will be your last year with me. I haven't had much time to teach you everything I've wanted and hopefully it will prepare you for life as well. There are several sorcerer courses you could take after school if you wanted to learn sorcery before continuing on to a career, but yes, this year will be your most difficult," Dumbledore said, smiling.
Harry slumped back in his chair and Ron put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"It shouldn't be too bad," Dumbledore continued. "After all, you also have a sorceress in training to help you out," Dumbledore's eyes glistened toward Hermione, who looked up in surprise.
"Hermione! You…?" Harry trailed off in surprise.
She smiled guiltily, "Yeah, that's where I've been for most of the summer. I've been taking classes with a sorceress to learn how to become one. They say you can reach your full potential in magic, but most people don't do it because of the intensity of it. It's constant work and you have to work for years at it, but it does pay off," she smiled.
"That it does," Dumbledore beamed.
"Well that works. You're always giving schoolwork more than a hundred percent anyway," Ron stated factually, in which Hermione smiled brightly.
"Wow…I never knew," Harry said in awe. "We could train together!"
"You can help one another," Dumbledore corrected. "Your training, Harry, won't be that of a normal sorcerer in training, it will have a few…quirks to it because of your consistent run-ins with Lord Voldemort. One of the advanced courses will have the same effect as Occulmancy except much more intense and effective. The others will help you in case he appears again."
"Can't he ever die?!" Ron exclaimed.
Dumbledore's eyes flickered, "The Order and I are working on finding out his weakness; the one thing that can destroy him. It was hinted in the prophecy, but we will have to work on finding it out. Until then, just do your best."
"This year is going to be the longest year ever," Ron groaned, hitting his head on the back of the chair.
Dumbledore's smile lit up his face again, "We do have some trips to Hogsmeade planned as well as some other activities to help out. A change of scenery perhaps, or a new place. The professors and I agree that it would help the stress level."
Ron grinned, "Definitely!"
Sirius, who had remained quiet while listening, finally spoke up.
"Quidditch is still going on, isn't it?" he asked.
Harry turned to him, his features lighting up at the mention.
"Ah, yes, indeed," Dumbledore smiled.
Sirius grinned and turned to Harry, "Can't wait to see you out there on your new broom. And you too Ron," he said, glancing at Ron with a smile.
"Gryffindor is going to win the Hogwart's Cup!" Ron exclaimed in excitement. "There's no way Slytherin is going to beat us our seventh year!"
"Well, Mr. Weasley, Gryffindor has been doing exceptional," Dumbledore smiled. "But the Slytherins too have been catching up."
"Yeah, but Sirius bought our team all Firebolts," Ron grinned. "Ever since third year, Malfoy has wanted his dad to buy it for him, but since all the stores closed because of the Dark Lord rising, he couldn't! And now that his father might end up on probation or in Azkaban, the Slytherin team is still stuck with Nimbus2001 brooms!"
Harry beamed and turned to Sirius who was also smiling widely. He remembered asking Sirius to get money out of his vault near the end of their sixth year. Sirius had wondered why and Harry told him he wanted to buy the Quidditch team a gift, but instead Sirius got the money from his own vault and Harry had been extremely happy about it. The memory was still fresh in his mind.
"Plus Harry's got the fastest broom there is! They haven't even come out with it yet!" Ron grinned. "It's only because my dad helped them get the only one available from the company who created it and good thing they could afford it! Man, we're going to be bloody brilliant out there this year!"
"Yes, but we've also got to spend lots of time studying too," Hermione interjected, earning a scowl from Ron. "Fine, fine, if you want to fail and not graduate then that's fine by me."
Ron muttered something that sounded like "you win." Harry just grinned and shook his head. His smile faded slightly and he looked up at Dumbledore who was looking down at him expectantly, as if knowing something was bothering him.
"Dumbledore…Um, how much of a chance is there that Voldemort could come back?" Harry asked, lowering his voice.
"I am not sure yet, Harry. Even I don't know if he escaped with his life or not," Dumbledore said.
"Isn't he immortal?" Ron exclaimed, his eyes widening.
"Yes, that's true, Mr. Weasley, but you are forgetting that he also needed Harry's powers because he didn't have much of his own. Since the Orb was destroyed the powers he used to beckon it have been set free, however, there is no telling at this point if he had enough of Harry's powers to keep him alive afterwards," Dumbledore said seriously.
Sirius shifted in his seat while leaning forward, "Are you saying he could still be alive after everything that has happened over the past six years?!"
"I'm afraid so, Sirius," Dumbledore said grimly. "Voldemort is not easy to get rid of."
"Not easy?! More like impossible!" Ron said slumping into his chair as he leaned back.
Dumbledore sighed, "There is not much we can do now. I will alert you if I have found any signs that he may have survived. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer," he said, his expression more cheerful.
Harry nodded, forcing a smile as he rose. He felt a hand grip his shoulder gently and turned to see Sirius standing beside him, smiling comfortingly. The five of them walked out of the office with a simple wave to Dumbledore.
"See you when the term starts," he said, grinning expectantly behind his spectacles.
Harry sighed heavily as they walked down the spiraling staircase from Dumbledore's office. He had survived another unexpected encounter with Voldemort. Usually it was during the school year he attacked, but this time, after his sixth year, Voldemort decided to attack right away while Harry was defenseless. He felt an arm wrap around his shoulder just as a soft voice spoke by his ear.
"You all right?" Sirius asked quietly.
Harry nodded silently, "Yeah, I just have a feeling my last year is going to be much more intense than any of my years here."
"Don't worry, if you get too stressed from homework I'm always here for you," Sirius smiled.
"It's not just that," Harry smiled weakly. "It's that…Well, each year Voldemort's plan to destroy me and take over have gotten more complex and difficult. If he has managed to survive and he comes back during my last year, I mean, anything more than what just happened…I don't think I'll be able to handle it."
Sirius knelt down, staring at him in the eyes, "Harry, you're not alone. You've got your friends, me and Remus, and Dumbledore who will be training you all throughout the year. You've got to have more confidence in yourself. You've proven you aren't going to suffer the same fate as…your parents," he said quietly. "And I believe you're not. You're gifted, Harry, whether you choose to believe it or not. You fight with all your heart because you know what's right, and that's what matters. Don't ever give up on yourself, or anyone else. We will get through your last year and you will have the best graduation ever, I promise."
Harry smiled widely, his eyes shining, "Thanks Sirius."
"No problem," Sirius grinned, ruffling his hair gently. "I believe we have a birthday to celebrate, don't we?"
Harry groaned and slumped his head against Sirius' chest, "Do I have to?"
Sirius' eyebrows rose, "Well, you could always begin your training early…"
"Nope, absolutely not, let's go," Harry said, grabbing his hand to catch up with Remus, Ron and Hermione, who had walked on ahead.
"So, Harry, how does it feel to be seventeen?" Sirius asked, grinning.
"Bloody hell! I nearly forgot!" Ron exclaimed, slapping his forehead as they continued down the flights of stairs toward the main entrance.
"Oh, Harry," Hermione said, turning to face him, "we're sorry it turned out like this."
Harry shrugged with a small smile, "It's not your fault. We'll put full blame on Voldemort."
Hermione smiled softly and nodded, "We'll make it up to you, promise."
Harry nodded with an encouraging smile toward her as they approached the gates, and opened them to find their brooms waiting. How Dumbledore did it, Harry hoped he'd find out his last year.
"We'll see you soon," Hermione said, hugging him tightly. "Get some rest, you'll need it."
Harry smiled, "I will. I still have three weeks before summer ends. It's a good thing Voldemort planned this early in the summer. It was quite a…finale for my birthday."
Ron shook his head, "He must be all right if he's making jokes like that. Well, I'll see you later," he said giving him a quick one-armed hug. "I want to test out that new broom of yours."
"We'll do," Harry answered, waving at them as they flew off on separate brooms.
He felt someone brush up against his side and turned to see Remus standing next to him. He turned and smiled down at him.
"I'll see you soon, but for now I'd better get started on planning my lessons for the final year," he said, gripping a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Harry smiled and nodded, "Good luck."
Remus patted the top of his head before turning around and walking back inside. Sirius approached him with his new broom in hand.
"You ready to go home?"
Harry nodded wistfully, forcing what he hoped looked like a sincere smile. Sirius got in front of him on the broom, allowing him to relax as they sped off toward their home. Harry closed his eyes as he leaned against Sirius' back, but couldn't manage to fall asleep even as drained as he was. He felt the broom slow down until it stopped just outside their house. Harry climbed off, blinking from the bright sunlight as he followed Sirius inside.
Relief washed over him as he walked inside, feeling like everything had been a bad nightmare. He was safe again inside his home with no worries except for the difficult year coming up. He slumped down on one of the floating chairs, sighing contently as it floated several feet and slowly came back down only brushing across the floor before going up again. Sirius walked into the room with two glasses of water, smiling at him. He set the water down on the table nearby for Harry, who quietly murmured his thanks.
"Are you too tired to do anything?" Sirius asked him, taking a sip of his water.
Harry looked down at him from where he was floating, with raised eyebrows and shrugged, "I guess not. I wouldn't be able to get to sleep anyway, even if I wanted to. Why, what have you got planned?"
"Just wanted to take you out for lunch, that's all. I haven't had time to get more groceries so we're running low. I figured going out would be nice for a change," Sirius smiled.
"Sure," Harry said, leaning forward, "where are we going?"
"It's a new place. I heard about your visit to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor (1). Hermione said that was one of your favorite shops in Diagon Alley, besides the Three Broomsticks," Sirius winked.
Harry rose his eyebrows, "When exactly did you talk to Hermione and learn everything about me?"
"Oh, before my name was cleared. When you guys came to visit that one Christmas at my…old house, I asked her to tell me about you for when the day came that I would take care of you. After all, I needed to know what you liked and disliked, right?" Sirius asked, sipping his water casually.
Harry's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "What else did she tell you?"
"How about we discuss that later," Sirius grinned widely, reaching over to ruffle Harry's hair only to find him rising up out of his reach.
Harry grinned down at him, "Missed me."
"I'll get you later. We should probably get going now, anyway," he said, waving his wand in the air to tell the time.
"Wait, Sirius!" Harry jumped up, nearly falling out of the chair that was now five feet off the floor. "I don't have my wand! I remember using yours in the Ministry against Voldemort, but he still had mine!"
"Calm down, Harry, it's all been worked out," Sirius said, smiling serenely. "Yes, I managed to get my wand back from you when you were resting in the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore told me they found your wand beneath the rubble of the Ministry building. Unfortunately, it has to be repaired. It had been damaged, but luckily not so bad that you need a new one."
"How can they get a new one? I thought only one wand suit's a person," Harry said.
Sirius nodded, "That is true, but in case of emergencies the Ministry can summon a wand nearly identical to the first, based on what your wand was. People's wands get broken a lot more than they wish to let on. That's why they're also working on a coating you can polish a wand with to keep it from breaking or getting damaged. It'll be expensive, but it's worth it. Don't worry about your wand, though. Dumbledore said it'll be fixed in just a couple days so we can go pick it up."
Harry nodded, "All right."
"You ready to go get something to eat then?" Sirius asked, standing up.
Harry waited until the chair floated back down before slipping out. He began walking but was stopped when he felt a tug on his arm.
"You might want to change into something a little more formal than jeans," Sirius said, smiling slyly.
The smile was the same smile he wore when he was hiding something, which meant that Sirius wasn't telling him everything. Harry frowned in thought, trying to figure out if maybe he was just thinking how amusing it would be for Harry to walk in the restaurant in jeans while everyone else was dressed in formal clothing.
"Fine, I'll go get dressed," he said, glancing at Sirius' attire, noting with some annoyance that he had magically changed within five minutes and Harry hadn't even noticed. He was wearing black dress pants with a white-cuffed blouse that buttoned up. He left the two top buttons undone and had also magically shaved.
Harry glared, "When did you do that?"
"Do what?" Sirius asked innocently. He saw Harry's glare and just smiled, "While you had turned around. Now go get dressed."
"Why can't you just teach me that spell you used?" Harry asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
"Because you'll get lazy and I don't want you to be too completely dependent on magic," Sirius said.
Harry rolled his eyes, "You're one to talk."
"I'm an adult. You're still a teenager. You can take the extra walk up to your room to change," Sirius retorted with a grin.
"Fine," Harry huffed, walking up the stairs in mock-annoyance. He entered his room to see Hedwig sleeping peacefully. "Nice of you to sleep through everything, including an apocalypse, Hedwig," he muttered.
Moving quickly, Harry opened his closet and pulled out the silk-black dress pants Sirius had bought him last Christmas and a dark forest green shirt that went with it. It was cuffed like Sirius' shirt, but it didn't button. Instead it was a v-cut shirt that allowed his neck to be exposed instead of suffocated. He rolled up his cuffed sleeves to his elbows and then marched back down the stairs, mock-glaring at Sirius as he came back into the kitchen.
Sirius rose an eyebrow, "Is that glare going to go? Because I don't think that's formal."
"Ha ha. Can you perform a minor spell in order to fix my hair and everything like you did before when we were invited to spend Christmas with the Weasleys last year? I would do it, but I'm wandless."
Sirius smiled and nodded, waving his wand. Immediately, Harry's hair neatened as much as it could and didn't seem so disheveled. Any sleep marks were wiped off his face. He still didn't have any glasses, but Madam Pomprey's potion was still working so he could see.
"There, now we can go," Sirius smiled, gesturing for Harry to walk out first.
Harry got on his new broom as Sirius got on his own. He waited for Sirius to go first since he had no idea where they were headed. They soared up together and Harry followed closely behind, watching as they passed over the familiar scenery of houses he had grown accommodated to. They entered into Diagon Alley not from the wall that Hagrid had first shown him, but the main entrance near the Leaky Cauldron since they were all ready in the wizard world. Instead of stopping there they continued on, flying overhead toward the direction of Hogsmeade. It was true Harry had been to some of the shops in Hogsmeade, but he'd only been to a few. Hogsmeade was a large shopping area and new shops were added nearly every month.
Sirius finally began to slow down as they neared their destination. Harry slowed down with him until they came to a complete stop, sliding swiftly off their brooms. Harry's feet touched the ground and he waited as Sirius shrunk their brooms and pocketed them. He led him past the Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes. Harry was looking around not paying attention and bumped into the back of Sirius, not realizing he had stopped. Harry stumbled backward but Sirius managed to help him stay upright.
"Now, close your eyes," Sirius said turning to him.
"What? Why?" Harry asked, blinking up at him.
"It's a custom when you enter it of course," Sirius stated casually.
Harry stared at him suspiciously but closed his eyes anyway. Sirius directed him by placing his hands on his shoulders, entering the unknown place. He felt Sirius stop him.
"All right, open."
Harry opened his eyes curiously and wasn't expecting what was in front of him.
"SURPRISE!" a loud cheer echoed around him.
He blinked, noticing that the people in the place were familiar. Ron and Hermione were grinning widely at the table, dressed nicely but not as formally as he was. Remus was also there, standing there beside Hermione's parents, Mr. And Mrs. Weasley and other parents he recognized. Harry gaped, his eyes ranking over the colorfully decorated place to see that there were flashing colored words floating in the air that read Happy Birthday Harry! Nearby the words were Neville, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Fred and George, and even Luna Lovegood, who was dressed more normally compared to her usual attire at Hogwarts.
Harry shook his head, attempting to clear his head from the shock and smiled widely, his eyes shimmering with happiness.
"This…I can't believe it! A surprise party?!" he exclaimed, grinning at them.
"Well, we had to, Harry. You're our friend and besides, after what you've been through we thought you needed something extra," Hermione said, smiling. "This was the perfect place to do your party."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"It's the Hogsmeade Pub," Luna spoke up, her voice still naturally dazed but easy to hear the friendship and kindness.
Although most thought of her as weird or "looney" she was an incredibly smart and loyal friend, which Harry, Ron and Hermione had found out during their fifth year. They had remained friends since, but Harry hadn't seen her since the end of sixth year at the last feast. He hadn't had any classes with her sixth year but she always sat with Ginny and her friends during meals. Harry was glad he had met a new friend, despite her unusual customs. She was someone to talk to and was very descent once known for a while. He was even enjoying having a class with her just to get to know her better. After all, her father who was editor of The Quibbler had saved Harry's reputation and helped the world find out about Voldemort's return.
Harry turned to her curiously, "The Hogsmeade Pub?"
Luna nodded, her silvery-grey eyes never blinking as she stared at him, "It's one of the main attractions at Hogsmeade, especially for birthdays or other celebrations. I had my birthday a couple times here. Hogsmeade appreciates my father's compliments about this pub and the other shops in his magazine, so often times we get good deals," she explained. "For birthdays they make a special free dessert that usual includes a show."
Harry blinked, "Wow…What kind of show?"
"You'll find out soon enough, Harry," Sirius said before Luna could casually answer his question. "How about we all sit down and order lunch first. Then we'll get on with the party."
Harry was led to the head of the large table, that began expanding magically to seat the number of people there were. Ron and Hermione sat on either side of him. Ginny sat next to Ron and Luna sat next to Ginny. Fred and George sat next to Hermione and Neville, Dean and Seamus sat next to them, each smiling at Harry in greeting. The adults sat at the other end of the table, giving room for the teens to talk amongst themselves.
Ron immediately began to the conversation, not surprising Harry in the least when it was Quidditch he was talking about.
"Did you guys hear? Harry's got a wicked broom this year!" he announced cheerfully. "He's got the Snitch2005!"
"No way, Harry!" Dean's mouth dropped open. "Is that true?"
Harry smiled, "Yeah, it's true. Sirius bought it for me for an early birthday gift."
"Incredible!" Seamus exclaimed. "It had to have been extremely expensive since it's not on the market."
"Sirius can get good deals," Harry said, glancing at Ron with a knowing smile.
"Can we see it sometime?" Neville asked.
Over the years, Neville had began to finally open up a little more and wasn't so quiet and nervous all the time. Harry still hadn't the heart to ask him if he wanted to talk about his parents, but ever since the known defeat of Lord Voldemort that had been in all the papers by the end of his sixth year, Neville had been more relaxed.
"Sure, Neville. You guys can test it out if you want," Harry said.
"Awesome!" Dean grinned.
Ginny just glanced at Hermione and the two rolled their eyes. They of course attended all the Quidditch games, but couldn't stand talking about it for more than five minutes ever day. As they talked, they also decided to look through the menu.
"Have any of you decided what classes to take?" Hermione asked.
Most of them shook their heads, all except one.
"Luna?" Hermione asked, surprised.
She smiled, her eyes appearing a little dazed, "My father told me it's best to pick classes ahead of time. I picked some classes out."
"Well, good. At least you did," she said, glancing at the boys who looked down at their plates.
"I heard we'll have to take an advanced potions class," Neville spoke up a little quieter.
"What?!" Ron exclaimed. "I thought Snape was only taking those that passed his class."
"He changed his mind. He said everyone should be required to take it as a seventh year," Dean answered.
"Why that…," Ron scowled darkly. "He's only doing it to make our last year miserable."
Hermione glanced at him, "Well, don't let him then."
He grumbled but didn't say anymore. When it was time to order the adults let them know. Harry noticed that no one came over to take their orders. Instead, they announced it into the device that was floating above their table. Their orders appeared in neon letters on the outside of it, turning it clear to alert the cooks and anyone working in the pub.
Their lunches were served only minutes later and they all began eating. Harry glanced up while eating to see Luna staring at him. He swallowed and smiled at her and she smiled in return, but didn't turn her gaze away.
"What is it?" Harry asked and several others looked up at him.
Luna stared at him, not caring about the others looking in her direction, "Are you going to continue the DA club?" she asked.
Harry looked surprised, but sat thoughtfully, "I don't think I can this year. I might have too much on my hands."
"I could teach it," Hermione spoke up.
Ron turned to her with raised eyebrows.
"Well I could! I am learning to be a sorceress after all."
"Really?" Neville piped up.
Ginny smiled knowingly and nodded, "That would be good."
Ginny had heard about their club and had wanted to join herself, but there hadn't been any time the last year. Harry had still trained them but they hadn't gone on a real mission, like at the Ministry during their fifth year, since.
"That way, Harry, you can come if you do get a chance, but that way I could even help with the training and preparing for the N.E.W.T.S," Hermione smiled.
"Like a study group!" Ginny exclaimed in excitement.
Hermione nodded, "Exactly."
There were murmurs of agreement and Harry smiled at her, "Sounds good to me."
Moments later their dishes were cleared and the clear device above them burst into colors, showering them with ribbons and flowers that burst into dust before hitting the table. Ron had nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise. Harry found out just what show Luna had been talking about. Several dishes of desserts were created right in front of their eyes out of what looked like magic dust. The birthday boy, as they called him, was able to say what he liked and they created a special dessert for him. The dishes then floated down to each one of them and did strange things, like turn colors or make them levitate as they took each bite. Harry had taken the first bite and Ron had nearly screamed from shock. He had vanished into thin air, his fork being held up by an invisible hand as he took the second bite. Dean and Seamus had burst into laughter at the look on Ron's face, as did Hermione and Ginny.
Fred and George were too busy watching the effects of their desserts and writing things down on a notepad to really pay attention. Hermione had taken a bite of her chocolate-raspberry truffle cake and Ron had nearly fell out of his chair in laughter as her hair started changing colors. Harry was laughing with them, fully enjoying himself as they continued to watch the effects of each of their desserts. The adults too were joining in the laughter, having not chosen any desserts for that reason and instead all drank different flavors of butterbeer.
Sirius, knowing what Harry liked, had ordered him a honey-flavored butterbeer, which he got for free. The laughter rang on for hours as the day slowly turned into early evening. Games were brought out to play like wizard snaps and chess, but also new games Harry had never seen before. There was one where one person would try and guess which famous wizard card (ones from the chocolate frog collection) was in their opponent's hand using the clues they received each turn. Each time they guessed wrong something would happen, like their tongue would turn blue, or they would lose a clue. Harry beat Ron at it, and was proud since he usually lost to him when they played wizard chess, but then lost the game to Hermione.
As they began to settle down Sirius announced it was time to open presents. Harry was grinning as he sat down in his seat, now covered in prizes he had won from the games, as he began to open his gifts. The first gift he opened was from Ron. It was a very rare wizard card of Godric Gryffindor and a special mirror. It resembled that of a communicating mirror (like the one Sirius lent him to keep in touch when he had still been in hiding), but it could also turn invisible. They could easily spy on the Slytherins or talk to each other from different sides of Hogwarts. Harry thanked him gratefully, carefully setting it beside and continued on.
The next gift was from Hermione. She gave him a special quill, which she said could write by itself and the person can tell it what to write.
"It will save a lot of pain in your wrist if Snape is especially mean to you, since you don't have Occulmancy anymore," she said with a soft smile.
"Thanks a lot Hermione! It will really come in handy!" Harry grinned.
Ginny smiled at him as she handed him the present she had gotten him all by herself. It seemed a big deal to her, since she wasn't the "little sister" anymore, now that she was nearing her sixteenth birthday, even though she was technically the youngest. Harry unwrapped it and found it was a very unique broom-kit he had never seen before.
"What is it, Ginny?" He asked, intrigued.
"It's a broom-kit for your new broom, and if you want to share it with the Quidditch team! The polish is to protect any broom its put on from curses, hexes or anything the Slytherins might be thinking of using, including potions!"
"Awesome! I'll need some of that!" Ron grinned.
Harry nodded, "Yeah, now that Sirius bought the team Firebolts and Malfoy's dad didn't get a chance. The Slytherin team will really try and mess it up this year."
"Oy, that's right!" Dean gaped. "I can't believe the whole team has a Firebolt!"
"And Harry has a Snitch2005! No one stands a chance against Gryffindor this year!" Seamus piped in.
Harry nodded excitedly in agreement and thanked Ginny for her gift. She blushed shyly but nodded, getting better at expressing herself in front of him. Mr. And Mrs. Weasley both chipped in and got him a wizard watch. Harry had never before heard of one and they explained to him that he can speak to it and ask the time and numbers will appear in the air before him. Not only that but if he has no idea what a spell or word is he can ask the watch, "like a dictionary", Hermione pointed out. Only Dean and Harry understood what she meant by that.
He thanked them and moved on to his other presents in which he got many things like new joke sweets from Fred and George, who whispered to him that the magenta-colored candies could turn him invisible for nearly an hour. And the blue ones could allow him to turn transparent for a little over fifteen minutes in order to go through walls or locked doors.
"Wow…that's incredible. Your joke shop will be a real hit this year!" Harry exclaimed, referring to their business that was continuing to grow each year.
"Thanks Harry!" Fred beamed.
"Yes, all thanks to you!" George added with a wink.
Harry smiled and shook his head, but continued on opening presents. Neville gave him a new type of Remembrall, one that was clear and not only changed color inside, but words formed reminding the person of what they were forgetting. Harry thanked him sincerely, even telling him he was doing great without one, and Neville blushed in embarrassment of being complimented. The rest of the adults had given him things for school, and even something to help study for the N.E.W.T.s.
Finally, Sirius' present came last and he was smiling at Harry as he opened it. There were several things inside. The first thing that caught his eye was a large pouch of shimmering pink dust, or powder. Harry recalled what it was, his eyes widening. It was very expensive, a much more rare and valuable form of floo-powder, but it could be thrown against any solid object, not just in a fireplace and a person didn't have to throw the powder around them but rather in front of them so they could clearly state their destination.
Also, it was more like a portal, just stepping through it and they were there, without having to actually spin around, feeling like they had touched a portkey. The other special effect of it was that they could call people to them just by throwing it even against a door and that person would appear, usually, as long as there were no spells binding them from being called.
"Wow, thanks Sirius! Are you sure you trust me with this?" he said, holding up the pouch.
Sirius grinned, "Yes, I do, and if you don't mind I'd like to use it as well."
Laughter was the response and Sirius smirked and winked at him. Harry smiled and looked at the other object. The other thing inside was a very, very light round object that resembled a marble. It was so light Harry could throw it up and it would come slowly down, like it was floating. It was, Sirius said, a wizard camera. It could fit in a pocket and even take clear pictures through someone's pocket. In order to work it the person had to say clearly what they wanted a picture of.
"Thanks Sirius! I love it!" Harry grinned.
Sirius nodded with a large grin, "This way, we can make our own memories."
Harry's smile faded slightly, "Yeah, but…this is my last year, what about all the other years we've been together?"
Sirius winked, "I took care of that. After all, you can put it on a silence mode while taking pictures through your robe."
Harry's eyes lit up, as well as his smile, "I love you, Sirius!"
"I know, and you can make it up to me by cooking dinner for the next month," he smirked, receiving laughs from everyone including Harry. "There's one last surprise in there."
Curiously, he peeked inside and saw his last present. Harry blinked uncertainly, wondering if he was seeing things or not. Since he hadn't pulled it out, no one else could see it and they were waiting patiently. Harry looked up, shock written on his face.
"Sirius," Harry whispered, opening and closing his mouth, "…what…Is this…?"
"What is it?!" Ron asked impatiently.
"Yeah, show us, Harry," Dean insisted.
Harry carefully pulled it out and many gasps were heard. Hermione covered her mouth in surprise and turned to stare wide-eyed at Sirius. Mr. Weasley was sputtering, as if trying to form words but couldn't.
"Is that…can it be a…a…," Ron muttered, having seen it somewhere in the Ministry of Magic when his dad took him there, but not remembering the name of it.
Hermione's eyes were still wide as she stared at it, "It's a Time Turner," she whispered.
"A Time Turner?" Ron asked, awed. "You mean it can really take you back in time?"
Harry and Hermione exchanged glances. Ron hadn't known about Hermione's Time Turner during their third year. It was best to keep it a secret since they had used the item illegally in order to save Sirius' life.
Mr. Weasley gaped a few times and then looked to Sirius with a shocked expression.
"S-Sirius! You can't give him that! Those are illegal…forbidden in the Wizard world! Only a specific section in the Ministry of Magic department for illegal or rare magical items are in control of those! They shouldn't even be around, or out anywhere!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed, as the room suddenly became more quiet. "I mean…you know why it's strictly controlled! You know what could happen…"
"I do too, Mr. Weasley," Harry spoke up. "I've used it before."
Mr. Weasley gaped at him with wide eyes. Sirius patted his shoulder, a slight smile still on his face.
"I know all about that Mr. Weasley, and I know about Harry using one," he said, winking at him. "But I also know he can handle it. It's all ready been taken care of, don't worry. I got permission from Dumbledore for him to keep it."
"But…but why…when would he ever need it?" Mr. Weasley asked, flabbergasted.
Sirius shrugged, "I'm not sure, but it wasn't safe in Hogwarts anymore. And it wasn't needed either," he said glancing down at Hermione who rose her eyebrows as she stared back. "Dumbledore needed it to be kept safe, and the Ministry isn't to know he was ever in possession of one. It was used for an emergency purpose, I assure you. And the only safe place that we agreed on was with Harry. He's been through tough times fighting Voldemort, he's used advanced magic in his training, and even has used time traveling before."
Mr. Weasley still looked skeptical.
"I promise I won't use it unless it's absolutely necessary," Harry assured him.
Sighing, he finally gave in, "Well, if Dumbledore think it's safest with you then I guess I'll go along with it."
Harry smiled and put it back inside the box carefully, along with the other two things he received.
"Thanks Sirius!" Harry said, grinning.
Sirius nodded, smiling gently, "You're welcome."
Everyone had gotten over the shock of Sirius' gift to him nearly right after and it went back to the constant chatter and laughter around. Harry showed off his new gifts, allowing his friends to test some out. They played several more games before it was nearing evening. People started leaving, giving Harry more congratulations and hugging him goodbye.
"See you on the train, Harry!" Dean called out, as he waved.
"Yeah, can't wait to test out your new broom with some of that polish!" Seamus grinned, waving too.
Harry waved to them, "Thanks for coming. I had a blast!"
"Me too, Harry," Neville said, smiling.
"Yeah, thanks! I loved your gift. See you next term and don't worry about Snape's class, we'll handle it together," Harry smiled brightly.
Neville's mood seemed to perk up a bit more and he smiled enthusiastically, waving goodbye as he left with his grandma. Luna walked over to him, smiling serenely, even with her unblinking eyes and opened her arms. Harry awkwardly stepped up to give her a hug, knowing it was just hard for him to become so close to people so fast but accepting her friendship wholeheartedly. She squeezed him tightly, and smiled.
"Happy birthday," she said.
"Thanks," Harry smiled back. "I guess I'll see you on the train."
She nodded, "Yes, me and Ginny will save you guys a compartment."
Harry smiled, "Great."
She waved at him as her dad smiled, shaking his hand excitedly and wishing him a happy birthday before leaving with her. Next came the Weasley and Granger family, who were also leaving about the same time. Harry smiled at them, hugging his best friends, and then giving Ginny a quick hug and nearly being suffocated by Fred and George. Mr. Granger shook his hand and Mrs. Granger reached down and hugged him tightly. Mrs. Weasley was next, giving him a hug then a kiss on the cheek and dabbing at her eyes saying something along the lines of "Can't believe they're all growing up so fast." Mr. Weasley smiled down at him, and although Harry could sense some unease still in the illegal gift, being since he was the Minister, he smiled encouragingly and shook his hand tightly as a sign of endearment.
"Thanks for everything," Harry said, smiling at them all.
Ginny smiled politely, nodding before she walked out behind her parents, after they had said their goodbyes. The Grangers walked out next, waving at Harry and Sirius as they went. Fred and George patted Harry's back playfully, telling him to use their newest tricks wisely, and he promised to do so. He was sure Ron had some too. After they left to step outside, Harry was left with Ron, Hermione and Sirius.
"This was a great birthday," Harry smiled.
"Glad you liked it," Hermione stated, a soft smile lighting up her expression.
"Sorry it wasn't everything we planned, mate," Ron said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We tried to make up for it, since we couldn't do it that day…," he trailed off.
Harry nodded in understanding, "It's all right. It was a really great make-up!"
They both beamed at him and gave him one last hug before they went on their way outside to meet their families. Harry sighed, a smile still on his face. Sirius slung an arm around him and turned to look down at him.
"Well, birthday boy, I guess it's time to go."
Harry smiled, his eyes shimmering with joy, "Yes, let's go home."
The End