Chapter 3: Madrid



Harry awoke the next morning feeling comfortable and happy. The sunlight was streaming in through the curtains that covered
his bedroom window and spilling onto the brightly tiled floor. Harry's eyes rested on the wrapped package which had been 
haphazardly thrown on top of his dresser. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked at it thoughtfully. It IS my
birthday... he mused. He climbed out of bed and picked up the box. Shaking it slightly, he heard a jingling noise. Unwrapping
the box hurriedly, he pulled out a fine golden chain with what appeared to be a few charms attached. Placing one of the
tiny charms in his hand, he held it up to his eye level to examine it, and in doing so, gasped. It was a miniature stag. 

"Prongs," he breathed. He hurriedly examined the other two; one was a shaggy-looking dog, the other clearly a wolf. "Padfoot
and Moony," he whispered to himself. Harry glanced back down into the box and noticed a folded note in the bottom. Weakly,
he reached inside to get it. He unfolded the parchment and smoothed out the creases before reading it.

Dear Harry,

Happy birthday! I have had this for long
enough, and felt it was time to pass it along
to you. Each of us had one of these charms - I
ended up with your father's long ago, and Sirius'
two years ago. Keep it with you as a symbol of 
strength.

I know that at 17 years old, you have become a
legal adult. Instead of giving you cheap advice,
I want you to know that I feel you have become
an outstanding young man. You are mature beyond
your years and have shown bravery and perserverance
where others have given up. It is not the law that
makes you a man, Harry, but life's trials and
past failures which have shaped your future into
a bright one. I am proud of you beyond words.

As you know, I have left, but I promise that I will
return. I hope to see you again sometime soon,
Harry.

Your friend,

Remus

Harry wiped a tear away from his eye as he reread the letter. Wherever Remus was, he hoped he was doing well. He heard a
sharp tap on the glass behind him and turned to see several owls attempting to enter the window. Harry opened it and they
flocked towards him, gathering on his bed.

"One at a time!" he cried, laughing. Hedwig pushed herself to the front, ruffling her feathers at the other birds who were
nestled on the bed, one of which Harry recognized as Pidwidgeon. He opened Hedwig's package first. A letter was attached.

Dear Harry,

Hope you're enjoying your summer holiday! I know
I am. My parents and I have been in Rome for a few
weeks, it's just been lovely. Hedwig showed up
yesterday - she always does! - so I sent this package
along with her. See you soon, and write back!

Love,

Hermione

Harry tore open the package excitedly. He pulled out a stout square box.

"Wow, Hermione," he breathed, running a hand over the box which contained a set of Italian-made Gobstones. It didn't seem like
her to buy something like this - usually he just got books from her, or that horrible homework planner... He shuddered at
the thought. Well, Ron and I will get lots of use out of this, he thought as he set it aside and attempted to catch
Pidwidgeon, who had begun circling his head. "Crazy bird," he muttered as he managed to pulled off the package that was attached
to the owl's leg. He read Ron's note first.

Dear Harry,

Congratulations, you're of age! I'm sure you're
having loads of fun at Rachel's house. I am the
only one at headquarters under the age of 20 (well,
besides Ginny), and it's getting a bit old. I can't
wait until you come. I thought this might come in handy,
since you're in Spain.

Your friend,

Ron

PS - Hermione thought it would be clever for us to
switch birthday presents for you, so in case you're
confused, that's why.

A bit bewildered, Harry tore open the package. It was a book - a Spanish/English dictionary. "Good thing Ron told me that,"
he muttered, laughing a bit. "Otherwise I would have thought they'd both gone insane! Hermione, a game, and Ron, a book?"
He laughed again. The door to his room was suddenly flung open.

"Happy birthday, Harry!" Rachel cried, hugging him and sitting down next to him on his bed. "Well, I see I'm not the first
to wish it to you!" she exclaimed, staring at the presents filling his bed and the owls still carrying unopened packages.
Harry laughed.

"Yeah, really. I haven't even gotten to these yet," he said, gesturing. Rachel's eyes lit up.

"Ooh, open them!" she said. The first package was a collection of candies from Hagrid, including Bertie Bott's Every Flavor
Beans, Fizzing Whisbees, and the usual infamous treacle fudge, which Harry immediately pushed to the side. The enclosed
note wished him happy birthday and also said that he was looking forward to seeing Harry soon. The final packages were from
Fred and George; Rachel gasped as Harry lifted the lid off of the biggest box, which turned out to be filled with pranks and
magical jokes of every kind. Harry snatched up the note and read:

Harry,

Since you're our business partner, we thought you'd like
a few examples of our products. So we enclosed one of each.
We expect to see you in the shop when you buy your school
supplies in Diagon Alley this fall!

Fred & George Weasley

Rachel was still staring at the boxes, her eyes wide. "If this stuff isn't outlawed at Hogwart's now, it will be soon," she said
jokingly. 

"I'm sure," Harry agreed. Rachel glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Let's get ready to go! My aunt's going to drive us in to town as soon as we're ready," she said. Rachel left and Harry
changed his clothes and washed up before heading downstairs for some breakfast. Soon, they were both ready to go. Harry,
Rachel, and Adriana all piled into the car and Aunt Isabel drove them to the city, dropping them off near a huge outdoor
marketplace.

"Rach, this is amazing!" Harry exclaimed, looking around at the colorful wares, smelling the fresh-made foods, and hearing
the music coming from a few booths down. She just laughed.

"come on, let's go!" she said excitedly. Harry stared in amazement as the girls strolled along with him down the narrow
path between the vendors' booths. He was so caught up looking at his surroundings that he barely noticed where they
were going. Rachel and Adriana were headed down a dark and forbidding alley.

"Er... why are we going this way?" he asked doubtfully. Adriana smiled.

"You'll see... the best part of Madrid is right through here!" she said, gesturing towards the alley.

"If you say so," he replied, glancing around nervously. They walked to the other end of the alley, then entered a dingy-looking
building with a cracked sign hanging above the doorway. Pushing aside his anxiety, Harry followed. He was amazed to see 
a clean and shining restaurant inside, filled with people.... wearing robes?? Realization dawned on him - this must be the
wizarding section of the city! He noticed Rachel and Adriana leaving the room through a door on the other side, and hurried
after them. They emerged on a red-bricked, busy street, filled with more vendors; this time, however, they were selling slightly
different wares.

"I've erm, got to go meet a friend. Adios!" Adriana said, scurrying away. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"A 'friend', yeah right," she said sarcastically. "I'm sure it's Miguel... he's more than a friend, she just won't admit it..."
They both laughed. Rachel glanced down the street. "Did you want to shop for a while before we take our apparition tests?"
Harry swallowed nervously; he had forgotten all about taking his test.

"Er... sure, that sounds like a good idea," he said.

"Great," Rachel replied. "Let's start over there," she said, gesturing towards a row of vendors. The first booth they visited
was full of silver jewelry. "Oooh, look at this," Rachel sighed, touching a thin silver bracelet. "¿Cuanto cuesta?" she asked
the vendor. 

"Diez," he grunted. Rachel frowned.

"Siete," she replied.

"Nueve," he grunted again. Harry looked back and forth between them. Rachel considered this for a moment.

"Ocho," she said with finality. The vendor shook his head.

"Nueve," he replied, rearranging some jewelry behind a small table. Rachel shrugged and began walking away. "Senorita - 
senorita!" the man called. "¡Ocho es bien!" She returned, grinning, and slid some money across the table. Harry gaped
at the scene.

"Wha- I don't understand..." he mumbled. "What was that, Rach?" She grinned again.

"Bargaining," she replied. "You have to, at all of these places. It's fun! When you find something you want, you can try."

"Ha! Fat chance," he scoffed. "I don't know any Spanish!" 

"It's not THAT hard!" she exclaimed. "You know the numbers right? Uno, dos, tres, cuatro... When you want to ask how much, 
you say 'cuento cuesta'."

"I guess," Harry muttered as they entered another tent-like booth. This one was full of robes; each one was a different color,
all of them brilliant and exotic-looking. He had never seen anything like them before. Rachel stood on her tip-toes and 
whispered in his ear.

"Pick one out and I'll pay for it. It can be your birthday present from me. You bargain for it, and I'll pay."

"I'm not going to let you pay-" Harry began, but Rachel held up her hand.

"It's a present. A birthday present. Now, let's find one." She began searching up and down the aisles. Harry's eyes rested
upon a brilliant green robe at the end of the second row. He walked over to it, touching the silky fabric between his 
fingers. "Oh, Harry, that's gorgeous," Rachel whispered from behind him. "Try it on!" she urged. He took it off the rack and
walked back to the small compartment where he slipped the garment on. He stepped outside. Rachel gasped.

"Harry, it matches your eyes! Oh, it's perfect!" she exclaimed.

"I like it," he said, smiling. "But when would I ever wear it? I have to wear my Hogwart's robes at school..."

"On the weekends," Rachel suggested. "Or holidays. Or after we graduate, you know, that's coming up within a year, Harry!"
He laughed.

"okay, okay, I'll get it," he said. He changed back into his regular clothes and took the green robe up to the man in charge
of the booth.

"¿Cuanto cuesta?" Harry asked nervously, glancing at Rachel. She grinned.

"Trienta," the man replied. Harry looked at Rachel, bewildered.

"I don't know numbers that high!" he exclaimed. 

"It's thirty," she replied. "Let's try to get him to sell it for 20, shall we?" she smiled. "That would be 'viente', by the
way."

"Viente," Harry told the man. He shook his head.

"Viente y siete", the man said. 

"That's 27," Rachel whispered.

"Viente y dos," Harry said boldly. Rachel looked at him, impressed.

"Great!" she exclaimed. The man didn't agree.

"Viente y cinco," he argued. 

"Viente y cuatro!" Harry exclaimed. 

"Bien, bien," the man mumbled. Harry grinned as Rachel handed him some money.

"That was great!" Harry told her as they left. 

"I know, you did wonderfully. I should try to teach you Spanish," she mused.

"Er, I'm not that good," he replied, laughing. Rachel glanced at her watch.

"Let's head over to the apparition testing site. If we still want to shop after that, we can," she said. Harry nodded nervously.
He followed Rachel through a few streets, coming to a large white building labeled "International Ministry - Spain Division".
They entered and Rachel studied a sign, written in Spanish, before turning right and walking a few doors down. She stopped
at one labeled "Apparition testing."

"This is so exciting!" she squealed. "I can't wait, can you?"

"I'm a little nervous," Harry confessed. Rachel smiled.

"You'll be fine. Don't worry." She pushed open the door and Harry followed behind her. A young witch sat behind a rickety-
looking desk blowing bubbles with her gum and smacking it loudly.

"What can I do for you?" she asked disinterestedly, staring at Harry and Rachel.

"Er, well, we'd like to take our tests..." Harry began nervously. The girl nodded and thrust a couple pieces of paper towards
them. 

"Fill out these forms and then you can take the exam," she replied, picking up a "Teen Witch" magazine from behind her desk.
Harry and Rachel filled out the papers and returned them. "Someone will be out to administer the exam in a moment," she replied,
not looking up from the magazine. They returned to the plastic chairs in the waiting area.

"I hope this goes okay," Harry muttered. A man with a thick mustache and a woman with bobbed black hair entered the room.
The man motioned for Rachel to come with him, and the woman smiled at Harry as Rachel left the room.

"&@191Hablas español?" asked the woman.

"Not really," Harry answered, shrugging. The woman laughed.

"That's okay, this is the International Ministry, we all speak several languages. Please come through this door," she 
instructed. Harry followed. "Please stand there," she told him, pointing to a red "x" on the floor. Harry did as he was told.
"First, you'll be apparating to here," she said, pointing to another "x" on the other side of the room. "Go ahead whenever
you're ready." Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Just like the book had said, he focused all of his attention
on the place he was to apparate to. Please work, he thought desperately. The world around him swirled away and he 
found himself exactly upon the "x" on the other side of the room. He grinned.

"Excellent," the woman said, marking something down on her clipboard."Next, I'd like you to apparate just outside this office - 
to where you came in through the door. Just outside in the hallway is fine." Harry did as he was told and when he opened
his eyes, he was staring at the door he had come in earlier. The woman appeared with a "pop!" next to him.

"Perfect," she muttered, scribbling down something. "Now for the final test. Please apparate to Museo de Prado." Harry's 
stomach dropped.

"I... I don't know where that is..." he mumbled. She smiled sweetly. 

"That's okay, if you can't picture the location, just focus on the name." Harry nodded nervously and closed his eyes. 
Museo de Prado, he thought. Please oh please work... When he opened his eyes, he was on a sidewalk in an area
of the city he didn't recognize. His tester appeared beside him again.

"A block away," she told him, writing on the clipboard. "But not bad - you're pretty close!" she said, pointing towards a
beautiful building just down the street. "Now, apparate back into the testing facility and the exam will be complete."
Harry did this and sat down in one of the hard plastic chairs. Rachel apparated into the room a few moments later, looking
a bit flustered. She sat down beside him. 

"The results will be out in a few minutes," the woman assured them, leaving. Harry smiled weakly at Rachel.

"How did yours go?" he asked. 

"Awful," she groaned, covering her face. "I did the stuff inside okay, but when I had to apparate outside I ended up on top
of the building instead of in front of it!" She groaned.

"I'm sure you'll still get certified," Harry told her, rubbing her back lightly. 

"Not after that," she moaned. "I did horribly." The man with the mustache appeared and gave the girl at the desk a stack
of papers. She shuffled them, looking bored.

"Harry James Potter," she called. Harry stood up nervously and approached the desk. "Congratulations," she told him, handing
him a paper. Harry grinned and walked back to his chair. 

"What's it say?" Rachel whispered, leaning over his shoulder. The paper was a simple certificate, stating that "Harry James
Potter has been internationally recognized as having the ability to apparate and disapparate."

"Rachel Rosa Wheaton," the girl called from the desk. Nervously, she made her way towards the desk. She grasped the paper
and let out a little scream of joy.

"Harry! I made it!" she squealed. He hugged her.

"I knew you would," he replied, kissing her on the cheek.

"Let's go get some lunch and celebrate!" she cried. Holding her hand, Harry grinned as they left the builing. It was barely
noon, but this day had already been the best he had had in several years.

***************

Sorry I took so long to update!! There's more going on right now than I thought there would be. Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed
the latest chappie! Read and review, please!

Thanks to:

siriussnape
Bell
Fairy
Lindsey
Slopper_x
prongs
stevie
snitchcatcher
RavenGryffendor
pearldrop
Bretko
PadfootPotter
Anonymous
Hannah
JuJu
Ash
happy_go_lucky
MarZ

Whew! That's a ton of people! Thanks, everyone!!
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