A/N: This chapter is about Harry's birthday. To put everything in
perspective, Harry met his parents and Sirius about a week before July
31st, his birthday. After the next two or three chapters Harry returns to
Hogwarts.
Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to JKR and her sponsors, publishers, and movie people.
Chapter Six: Not Just Another Birthday
As Harry woke up an array of letters fell off his bed. He picked them up and placed them on his desk. He smiled as he read his Hogwarts letter for the hundredth time.
Dear Mr. Potter, The results of your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are as such:
Transfiguration: Outstanding
Potions: Outstanding
Charms: Excellent
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding
Care of Magical Creatures: Excellent
Astronomy: Acceptable
Divination: Poor
Herbology: Acceptable
We congratulate you on your outstanding performance. We would also like to take this time to announce you have been selected as the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, succeeding Miss. Angelina Johnson. Included with this letter is the list of items you will need for the upcoming terms. The start of the school year will start on September 1st.
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry's dreams of becoming an Auror seemed to be closer than ever. He was particularly amazed at his Potions and Transfiguration grade. He smiled even wider when he remembered his father's reaction to the letter.
"My boys the smartest boy in the world! And Quidditch captain too! You're amazing Harry!" His mother had kissed him on the cheek.
"We're so proud of you honey! These are great OWL scores."
He placed the letter carefully with the others, placing the red and gold Quidditch badge on top of it. He opened his door and went downstairs. All the lights were dark. He glanced down at his watch.
"Weird," he thought, "Someone should be awake by now." Suddenly he turned the corner and all the lights flashed on. Everyone is Grimmauld Place was standing around a large table, which was decked with large packages and a large birthday cake. It hit him. He slapped his hand to his head.
"God! My birthday! I totally forgot!" Hermione ran up to him.
"Well we didn't!" James and Lily embraced him and laughed as he looked at all his presents.
"Happy Birthday darling! I just can't believe your sixteen already!"
"Yeah our wittle baby boy is all grow up," James said in a sarcastic baby voice.
"Dad..."
"Come on mate, open the presents!" Ron pulled him over to the table. He didn't know which one to open. There were so many of them. He grabbed the first one and opened it. He laughed as he a thick black leather case with the gold words, "Firebolt Care Kit." Inside were tiny jars of polish, a brand new set of tweezers in five sizes, and an assortment of other items, including a book labeled If Your Lucky Enough to Own a Firebolt: The Ultimate Broomstick Care Guide. "Thanks Ron, Hermione! My old kit was running out of supplies."
"We both pitched in for it!" Harry put the kit carefully down and picked up the next gift. Soon he had received brand new Quidditch gear from Sirius, which consisted of a particularly nice set of gloves, and a mountain of books from about every member of the Order. He glanced happily at the titles, Wands not Fists: For the Expert Duelers, An Extended Version of Dark Creatures, Defenses from the Dark: A History, along with quite a few new spell books. Finally the packages had turned into masses of colored paper, only a few still standing erect.
"This ones from Alastor," Sirius said, reading the card. As Harry opened the present, they all jumped back as it grew. Ron gasped.
"Wow..." The package was a leather chest, engravings of phoenixes around the edge in red and gold. Harry's name was engraved on a gold plate. It had seven locks, just like Moody's.
"He must really like you Harry." Fred said in an awed voice. A small silver key was attached to the trunk. Harry opened the locks one by one. There was a place to hold potions, wands, books, letters, and clothes. George clasped his hand together.
"It's going to be hard to beat that." Harry looked at their gift and laughed. It was a complete of almost ever Weasly's Wizard Wheezes item ever made, along with a never seen product, handmade for Harry. It was a potion, that who ever drank it would immediately have skin that flashed "SLYTHERIN SUCKS!"
"I now deem you the head of all troublemakers at Hogwarts!" James banged his glass on the table.
"Hear Hear! I agree. To the new Marauders! Now its our turn." Lily placed her hands over Harry's eyes.
"Hold out your hands." He did and he felt a book in his hands. "Open." He did and gasped. It was a beautiful cream-colored book with the green words "Harry's Baby Book" written across it. He opened the pages and gasped again. There were numerous pictures on every page along with different handwritings in different colors. "This book hold every story from when you where little. Everyone wrote in it, Remus, Sirius, us, your grandparents, everyone." Remus looked over Harry's shoulder.
"I was wondering what happened to it. I looked everywhere after..."
"Everything that was salvaged was sent to a vault in Gringotts." Mr. Weasley said. "The Ministry had even sent there as soon as possible." Harry kept staring enraptured by the pictures. There was one of his walking, crying, and riding on Sirius's back.
"This is the best gift ever, Mom, Dad. Thanks!" He kissed them and he let them hold him. Sirius looked at them.
"Come on! I'm starving!" James laughed.
"Fine! Lets eat!" They all sat down and ate the huge cake, handmade by Mrs.Weasley. Harry had never tasted anything so delicious. When they had finished, they turned their heads as they heard the front door open.
"I wonder who that could be?" Remus said curiously. He walked out into the room and they heard him say, "Albus! What are you doing here?" Moments later Dumbledore walked into the room.
"Happy Birthday Harry. Would you care for a lemon drop?" He held out a tiny tin.
"Yes, thank you Professor." Harry took one and popped it into his mouth.
"What brings you here today Albus?" Lily asked.
"Harry's birthday of course," he said as if it were the most obvious reason. "I have a gift to give him. Well, more like two gifts really. Here's the first." He held out a small box. Harry opened it and pulled out a necklace, that held a long, soft, glimmering red phoenix feather.
"That is a feather from Fawkes. She thought you should have something for your birthday." Harry looked up and saw that old twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes.
"Thank you very much Professor. It's beautiful."
"You're very welcome Harry. Now I have another gift, but unfortunately it does not only belong to you. There are two other recipients of this gift as well."
"What is it Professor?"
"You all must come with me." They all walked excitedly outside of the house, where a large Ministry car waited for them. One by one they climbed in, and the car expanded to fit every passenger. The car began to drive slowly away and Harry looked out of the window, the houses melting into rolling plains. After an hour had passed Sirius called up to the Headmaster.
"Albus, isn't there a faster way to get wherever were going?"
"Yes, Sirius, but I thought the suspense would be better if we traveled the Muggle way." Sirius shook his head.
"Albus!" Dumbledore laughed. Suddenly the car speed up and squeezed through all the other cars and zipped quickly through the road.
"That's better." Harry smiled at Sirius as he slumped back in the seat. Minutes later, Dumbledore turned back to them.
"Now, for the interesting part." Harry was shocked as he was suddenly blindfolded.
"Mom? Dad?"
"We know honey, we can't see either. Albus what's going on?"
"You'll see in a second Lily," he answered. The car stopped and the other members got out of the car. Harry heard Sirius's voice scream.
"ALBUS! Oh my god Albus!! How did you pull this off??" Harry's heart leapt as he heard them all laugh with joy. James and Lily held on tightly to Harry.
"Albus, if you don't show us in a minute I swear to god I'll do something drastic!"
"Patience James, patience," Dumbledore said in a calm voice. They were lead and turned to face something. Suddenly Harry and his parents could see and his mother screamed louder than Sirius. James grabbed Harry and twirled him in the air and danced around with Lily and Sirius. Harry looked up, his heart bursting with joy as he saw the house. Lily ran over and touched the sign near the white picket fence. The words said, "Godric's Hollow."
"We're home! But how? It was destroyed, wasn't it?"
"Yes, Lily it was. But the minute we were sure you had come back, some of the members of the Order and myself decided to rebuild it for you. You should find that it is as if it has always been there." Lily hugged him hard.
"Thank you Albus! This is the best gift I could ever want." She and James grabbed Harry's hand and they ran up the path leading to the large manor. Harry immediately fell in love with it. It wasn't too gigantic, but it was in no way small. There was a large yard of green grass that stretched over a vast amount of land, with large trees with knarled branches. They raced up the steps that led to a door, surrounded by a large porch, with a swing and chairs. Lily opened the door and tears sprang to her eyes. As Harry looked inside he knew he was home. He somehow remembered it, and it felt like had never left. There was an entrance hallway, with a small table next to a coat rack. James picked up one of the framed pictures sitting on it.
"Look Lils! They've got all our old pictures!" The kitchen was large and brightly lit with large windows. The countertops were made of a gleaming light wood, and silver pots dangled above them.
"Albus was right. Everything is exactly like we left it."
Right next to the kitchen was the dining room, a long antique table and a tall cabinet, which held shimmering china plates and other dishes.
"Harry, those were your grandmother's. We only used them on special occasions. Normally we used the set in the kitchen." James said as he looked at the china. The family room was even larger, and it held huge comfy couches and chairs a TV stood in the middle and the ceiling arched up high. A fireplace was near the TV and a fresh stock of wood was sitting next to it. Harry was shocked at the shear space of the house.
"How much more is there?"
"There are three more levels, our rooms, the guest rooms, and the attic. And that includes the bathrooms." Lily said happily as she lay down on the rug. James and Harry snuggled up to her.
"We're home Lily. We're finally home." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I hoped you like the chapter. I thought it would be a good gift for the Potter's to get. I'll try to describe the house more in later chapters, but if you don't have too clear a picture, use your imagination. It's the ideal picture of a family's home. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! In the mean time pleas keep R&Ring! Thanks!
Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to JKR and her sponsors, publishers, and movie people.
Chapter Six: Not Just Another Birthday
As Harry woke up an array of letters fell off his bed. He picked them up and placed them on his desk. He smiled as he read his Hogwarts letter for the hundredth time.
Dear Mr. Potter, The results of your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are as such:
Transfiguration: Outstanding
Potions: Outstanding
Charms: Excellent
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding
Care of Magical Creatures: Excellent
Astronomy: Acceptable
Divination: Poor
Herbology: Acceptable
We congratulate you on your outstanding performance. We would also like to take this time to announce you have been selected as the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, succeeding Miss. Angelina Johnson. Included with this letter is the list of items you will need for the upcoming terms. The start of the school year will start on September 1st.
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Harry's dreams of becoming an Auror seemed to be closer than ever. He was particularly amazed at his Potions and Transfiguration grade. He smiled even wider when he remembered his father's reaction to the letter.
"My boys the smartest boy in the world! And Quidditch captain too! You're amazing Harry!" His mother had kissed him on the cheek.
"We're so proud of you honey! These are great OWL scores."
He placed the letter carefully with the others, placing the red and gold Quidditch badge on top of it. He opened his door and went downstairs. All the lights were dark. He glanced down at his watch.
"Weird," he thought, "Someone should be awake by now." Suddenly he turned the corner and all the lights flashed on. Everyone is Grimmauld Place was standing around a large table, which was decked with large packages and a large birthday cake. It hit him. He slapped his hand to his head.
"God! My birthday! I totally forgot!" Hermione ran up to him.
"Well we didn't!" James and Lily embraced him and laughed as he looked at all his presents.
"Happy Birthday darling! I just can't believe your sixteen already!"
"Yeah our wittle baby boy is all grow up," James said in a sarcastic baby voice.
"Dad..."
"Come on mate, open the presents!" Ron pulled him over to the table. He didn't know which one to open. There were so many of them. He grabbed the first one and opened it. He laughed as he a thick black leather case with the gold words, "Firebolt Care Kit." Inside were tiny jars of polish, a brand new set of tweezers in five sizes, and an assortment of other items, including a book labeled If Your Lucky Enough to Own a Firebolt: The Ultimate Broomstick Care Guide. "Thanks Ron, Hermione! My old kit was running out of supplies."
"We both pitched in for it!" Harry put the kit carefully down and picked up the next gift. Soon he had received brand new Quidditch gear from Sirius, which consisted of a particularly nice set of gloves, and a mountain of books from about every member of the Order. He glanced happily at the titles, Wands not Fists: For the Expert Duelers, An Extended Version of Dark Creatures, Defenses from the Dark: A History, along with quite a few new spell books. Finally the packages had turned into masses of colored paper, only a few still standing erect.
"This ones from Alastor," Sirius said, reading the card. As Harry opened the present, they all jumped back as it grew. Ron gasped.
"Wow..." The package was a leather chest, engravings of phoenixes around the edge in red and gold. Harry's name was engraved on a gold plate. It had seven locks, just like Moody's.
"He must really like you Harry." Fred said in an awed voice. A small silver key was attached to the trunk. Harry opened the locks one by one. There was a place to hold potions, wands, books, letters, and clothes. George clasped his hand together.
"It's going to be hard to beat that." Harry looked at their gift and laughed. It was a complete of almost ever Weasly's Wizard Wheezes item ever made, along with a never seen product, handmade for Harry. It was a potion, that who ever drank it would immediately have skin that flashed "SLYTHERIN SUCKS!"
"I now deem you the head of all troublemakers at Hogwarts!" James banged his glass on the table.
"Hear Hear! I agree. To the new Marauders! Now its our turn." Lily placed her hands over Harry's eyes.
"Hold out your hands." He did and he felt a book in his hands. "Open." He did and gasped. It was a beautiful cream-colored book with the green words "Harry's Baby Book" written across it. He opened the pages and gasped again. There were numerous pictures on every page along with different handwritings in different colors. "This book hold every story from when you where little. Everyone wrote in it, Remus, Sirius, us, your grandparents, everyone." Remus looked over Harry's shoulder.
"I was wondering what happened to it. I looked everywhere after..."
"Everything that was salvaged was sent to a vault in Gringotts." Mr. Weasley said. "The Ministry had even sent there as soon as possible." Harry kept staring enraptured by the pictures. There was one of his walking, crying, and riding on Sirius's back.
"This is the best gift ever, Mom, Dad. Thanks!" He kissed them and he let them hold him. Sirius looked at them.
"Come on! I'm starving!" James laughed.
"Fine! Lets eat!" They all sat down and ate the huge cake, handmade by Mrs.Weasley. Harry had never tasted anything so delicious. When they had finished, they turned their heads as they heard the front door open.
"I wonder who that could be?" Remus said curiously. He walked out into the room and they heard him say, "Albus! What are you doing here?" Moments later Dumbledore walked into the room.
"Happy Birthday Harry. Would you care for a lemon drop?" He held out a tiny tin.
"Yes, thank you Professor." Harry took one and popped it into his mouth.
"What brings you here today Albus?" Lily asked.
"Harry's birthday of course," he said as if it were the most obvious reason. "I have a gift to give him. Well, more like two gifts really. Here's the first." He held out a small box. Harry opened it and pulled out a necklace, that held a long, soft, glimmering red phoenix feather.
"That is a feather from Fawkes. She thought you should have something for your birthday." Harry looked up and saw that old twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes.
"Thank you very much Professor. It's beautiful."
"You're very welcome Harry. Now I have another gift, but unfortunately it does not only belong to you. There are two other recipients of this gift as well."
"What is it Professor?"
"You all must come with me." They all walked excitedly outside of the house, where a large Ministry car waited for them. One by one they climbed in, and the car expanded to fit every passenger. The car began to drive slowly away and Harry looked out of the window, the houses melting into rolling plains. After an hour had passed Sirius called up to the Headmaster.
"Albus, isn't there a faster way to get wherever were going?"
"Yes, Sirius, but I thought the suspense would be better if we traveled the Muggle way." Sirius shook his head.
"Albus!" Dumbledore laughed. Suddenly the car speed up and squeezed through all the other cars and zipped quickly through the road.
"That's better." Harry smiled at Sirius as he slumped back in the seat. Minutes later, Dumbledore turned back to them.
"Now, for the interesting part." Harry was shocked as he was suddenly blindfolded.
"Mom? Dad?"
"We know honey, we can't see either. Albus what's going on?"
"You'll see in a second Lily," he answered. The car stopped and the other members got out of the car. Harry heard Sirius's voice scream.
"ALBUS! Oh my god Albus!! How did you pull this off??" Harry's heart leapt as he heard them all laugh with joy. James and Lily held on tightly to Harry.
"Albus, if you don't show us in a minute I swear to god I'll do something drastic!"
"Patience James, patience," Dumbledore said in a calm voice. They were lead and turned to face something. Suddenly Harry and his parents could see and his mother screamed louder than Sirius. James grabbed Harry and twirled him in the air and danced around with Lily and Sirius. Harry looked up, his heart bursting with joy as he saw the house. Lily ran over and touched the sign near the white picket fence. The words said, "Godric's Hollow."
"We're home! But how? It was destroyed, wasn't it?"
"Yes, Lily it was. But the minute we were sure you had come back, some of the members of the Order and myself decided to rebuild it for you. You should find that it is as if it has always been there." Lily hugged him hard.
"Thank you Albus! This is the best gift I could ever want." She and James grabbed Harry's hand and they ran up the path leading to the large manor. Harry immediately fell in love with it. It wasn't too gigantic, but it was in no way small. There was a large yard of green grass that stretched over a vast amount of land, with large trees with knarled branches. They raced up the steps that led to a door, surrounded by a large porch, with a swing and chairs. Lily opened the door and tears sprang to her eyes. As Harry looked inside he knew he was home. He somehow remembered it, and it felt like had never left. There was an entrance hallway, with a small table next to a coat rack. James picked up one of the framed pictures sitting on it.
"Look Lils! They've got all our old pictures!" The kitchen was large and brightly lit with large windows. The countertops were made of a gleaming light wood, and silver pots dangled above them.
"Albus was right. Everything is exactly like we left it."
Right next to the kitchen was the dining room, a long antique table and a tall cabinet, which held shimmering china plates and other dishes.
"Harry, those were your grandmother's. We only used them on special occasions. Normally we used the set in the kitchen." James said as he looked at the china. The family room was even larger, and it held huge comfy couches and chairs a TV stood in the middle and the ceiling arched up high. A fireplace was near the TV and a fresh stock of wood was sitting next to it. Harry was shocked at the shear space of the house.
"How much more is there?"
"There are three more levels, our rooms, the guest rooms, and the attic. And that includes the bathrooms." Lily said happily as she lay down on the rug. James and Harry snuggled up to her.
"We're home Lily. We're finally home." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I hoped you like the chapter. I thought it would be a good gift for the Potter's to get. I'll try to describe the house more in later chapters, but if you don't have too clear a picture, use your imagination. It's the ideal picture of a family's home. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! In the mean time pleas keep R&Ring! Thanks!