Chapter Four - Birthday Gift
Julianna hadn't expected it, in fact she had forgotten her birthday. Almost everybody had shook hands with her. She had an impression that everybody had planned it, even Fred and George was there. They all dined together. She had never had a birthday party in her whole life and she was delighted, her thoughts about Sirius was forgotten.
"Didn't see it comin' ei, Julianna?" asked Mundungus.
"You all right, Potter?" grunted Moody then turning to Tonks, "I told you she didn't have a clue."
"You mean what had happened earlier, the lessons, was just a joke to keep me away and all tired while you lot prepare for this?"
"Joke? No, Potter, what we had earlier was for real."
"I tried to stop him from overacting though." said Tonks who was trying to help Ginny served. Mr. Weasley was talking to Bill at the far corner and Mrs. Weasley was serving Hermione more cake. "in case you're wondering, we jinxed the entire room so that we couldn't be heard by… y'know."
"Hey mate, how's it going?" asked George who had come from behind her.
"Here's our present for you." Fred said with a wink, "Don't open it here though or Mum will kill us."
"Here's mine Julianna," said Ron, "open it."
It was a pack of wizard cards. "I was saving it." he said.
Hermione's gift was a homework organizer another version of the homework planner she got from last Christmas. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley gave her a set of knitted sweater and gloves. Mundungus gave her a small black old cauldron, Moody gave her of what seem to be a lie detector, Hagrid had sent her a cake or so she thinks. Lupin gave her a continuation of the book he and Sirius had given her last Christmas entitled, Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts and More.
Yes, it was the best birthday she ever had. After consuming a large amount of butterbeer, Mrs. Weasley called it a day and start sending them upstairs. Julianna was the first one who went upstairs and was making a noise obviously forgetting about the portrait that hung in the corridor. She stumbled at the umbrella stand and -
Mrs. Black with her usual rolling eyes, the yellowing skin of her face and her drooling mouth started screaming. Julianna didn't understand the first words she had said. Covering her ears didn't help much.
"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers - "
It was ear splitting.
"Stains of dishonor, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth…"
Julianna stepped backwards and was having a hard time thinking. The others wouldn't be able to hear her.
"Disgusting mutants, get out of my father's house…"
"STOP IT! WHAT HAD WE DONE TO YOU ANYWAY?"
"Blood traitors… scum…"
"I SAID STOP IT!
"Freaks! Mutants! This family is the noblest family of purebloods, get out half-breeds!"
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING A HALF-BREED? NO WONDER SIRIUS HATES TO BE HERE."
Upon hearing Sirius' name, Mrs. Black's screech became louder..
"Blood traitor! That man… shame of my flesh! Abomination! Disgrace!"
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT TO TALK TO HIM LIKE THAT!"
"Shame of my flesh…disgrace… dishonor to the family name!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"Half-breed lover… get out… do not pollute my family name! Get out!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"Disgrace! Disgrace -"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"Filth-"
"SHUUUUTTTTTT UUUUUUPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!"
Julianna didn't know what happened but Mrs. Black's portrait came to a halt and fell to the floor shattering into pieces. She was breathing hard and shocked to what she had done. She moved towards the shattered portrait then realized that she was not alone. She looked around and saw everybody looking at her. It was dead silent. She felt her sweat run down her face. She opened her mouth to say something but it was Lupin's voice that broke the silence.
"Well done Julianna, we've been meaning to remove that since we got here." He said and with a wave of his wand Mrs. Black's portrait vanished in an instant.
Julianna then felt embarrassed as everyone still continued staring at her. "Uhh…"
"Sorry we didn't hear…" it was Ron, "we were… well… distracted…"
"Now that Ron mentioned it, we have a last minute gift for you Julianna," said Lupin smiling, "from all of us including Dumbledore."
"What do you mean last minute -"
Everybody stand aside forming an aisle in the middle and she saw a man at the end of it. The man walked towards her and Julianna's body froze.
"I was expecting a better welcome." he grinned when Julianna didn't move at all.
That voice. It couldn't be.
It was the same man she saw in the Mirror of Erised.
It was Sirius.
Suddenly everything became black.
Julianna hadn't expected it, in fact she had forgotten her birthday. Almost everybody had shook hands with her. She had an impression that everybody had planned it, even Fred and George was there. They all dined together. She had never had a birthday party in her whole life and she was delighted, her thoughts about Sirius was forgotten.
"Didn't see it comin' ei, Julianna?" asked Mundungus.
"You all right, Potter?" grunted Moody then turning to Tonks, "I told you she didn't have a clue."
"You mean what had happened earlier, the lessons, was just a joke to keep me away and all tired while you lot prepare for this?"
"Joke? No, Potter, what we had earlier was for real."
"I tried to stop him from overacting though." said Tonks who was trying to help Ginny served. Mr. Weasley was talking to Bill at the far corner and Mrs. Weasley was serving Hermione more cake. "in case you're wondering, we jinxed the entire room so that we couldn't be heard by… y'know."
"Hey mate, how's it going?" asked George who had come from behind her.
"Here's our present for you." Fred said with a wink, "Don't open it here though or Mum will kill us."
"Here's mine Julianna," said Ron, "open it."
It was a pack of wizard cards. "I was saving it." he said.
Hermione's gift was a homework organizer another version of the homework planner she got from last Christmas. Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley gave her a set of knitted sweater and gloves. Mundungus gave her a small black old cauldron, Moody gave her of what seem to be a lie detector, Hagrid had sent her a cake or so she thinks. Lupin gave her a continuation of the book he and Sirius had given her last Christmas entitled, Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts and More.
Yes, it was the best birthday she ever had. After consuming a large amount of butterbeer, Mrs. Weasley called it a day and start sending them upstairs. Julianna was the first one who went upstairs and was making a noise obviously forgetting about the portrait that hung in the corridor. She stumbled at the umbrella stand and -
Mrs. Black with her usual rolling eyes, the yellowing skin of her face and her drooling mouth started screaming. Julianna didn't understand the first words she had said. Covering her ears didn't help much.
"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers - "
It was ear splitting.
"Stains of dishonor, filthy half-breeds, blood traitors, children of filth…"
Julianna stepped backwards and was having a hard time thinking. The others wouldn't be able to hear her.
"Disgusting mutants, get out of my father's house…"
"STOP IT! WHAT HAD WE DONE TO YOU ANYWAY?"
"Blood traitors… scum…"
"I SAID STOP IT!
"Freaks! Mutants! This family is the noblest family of purebloods, get out half-breeds!"
"WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING A HALF-BREED? NO WONDER SIRIUS HATES TO BE HERE."
Upon hearing Sirius' name, Mrs. Black's screech became louder..
"Blood traitor! That man… shame of my flesh! Abomination! Disgrace!"
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOT TO TALK TO HIM LIKE THAT!"
"Shame of my flesh…disgrace… dishonor to the family name!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"Half-breed lover… get out… do not pollute my family name! Get out!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"Disgrace! Disgrace -"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"Filth-"
"SHUUUUTTTTTT UUUUUUPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!"
Julianna didn't know what happened but Mrs. Black's portrait came to a halt and fell to the floor shattering into pieces. She was breathing hard and shocked to what she had done. She moved towards the shattered portrait then realized that she was not alone. She looked around and saw everybody looking at her. It was dead silent. She felt her sweat run down her face. She opened her mouth to say something but it was Lupin's voice that broke the silence.
"Well done Julianna, we've been meaning to remove that since we got here." He said and with a wave of his wand Mrs. Black's portrait vanished in an instant.
Julianna then felt embarrassed as everyone still continued staring at her. "Uhh…"
"Sorry we didn't hear…" it was Ron, "we were… well… distracted…"
"Now that Ron mentioned it, we have a last minute gift for you Julianna," said Lupin smiling, "from all of us including Dumbledore."
"What do you mean last minute -"
Everybody stand aside forming an aisle in the middle and she saw a man at the end of it. The man walked towards her and Julianna's body froze.
"I was expecting a better welcome." he grinned when Julianna didn't move at all.
That voice. It couldn't be.
It was the same man she saw in the Mirror of Erised.
It was Sirius.
Suddenly everything became black.