Disclaimer: The usual, none of the characters are mine. JKR is the creator, blah, blah, blah. Anything you don't recognize from canon is mine. Anything you may recognize from another fic is either coincidental, meaning it's from a fic I haven't read, accidental, meaning it's from a fic that I have read, but forgot it came from someone else's work, in which case I apologize, or is something that I thought up, but someone else used in a similar way before I had the chance to post this, if that makes sense. Does anybody even read these things?
Even though this story is now officially an A/U, I will continue writing it until I have finished. The real OotP, though not nearly as good as I expected, did give me some ideas. You may notice in near-future chapters that certain elements from OotP have been incorporated into this story, while others have been left out. I won't tell you what they are, though. I will also be slightly modifying everything that I have written after the end of this chapter in order to correspond to information Rowling gave us about general knowledge of the Wizarding world, i.e., Metamorphmagi and the Wizengamut.
(A/N: I know that this chapter is ridiculously late, and though I will not needlessly take up space groveling, I want you all to know that I am more sorry than words can describe. The reasons for the delay are numerous, and I'm sure you don't want to read them. I've kept you waiting too long as it is, so without further adieu, on with the fic.)
Chapter 4: An Unusual BirthdayWhen Harry awoke on his birthday, he momentarily forgot that it was his birthday. He was overjoyed when he finally remembered. He realized that he was fifteen and he would be hearing from his friends that night for the first time since the Hogwarts Express. He would also be contacted by his ancestors again, and his true powers would finally begin to reveal themselves.
Harry didn't have many specifics on his new powers, but he was still a bit overwhelmed by the small description his ancestors gave. He had done more than enough reading over the past few weeks to get a sense of how powerful Godric was, and after remembering what Methos had told him about Heir Loops, Harry realized that he would be eleven times stronger than Gryffindor. Harry couldn't imagine what it would be like to have powers that great, and he was quite nervous about it to say the least.
Harry completed his morning routine, and as usual, his performance was slightly superior to that of the previous day. On the way to work, he managed his full running speed for four and a half miles, compared to the four and a quarter that he'd managed on the return trip the day before. Harry was very pleased with his progress; at this rate, he would be able to run flat-out for the entire twelve-mile journey in about two weeks!
He arrived at the plant and went about his business, occasionally chatting with a friendly co-worker. At the end of the day, Stone called everyone together, saying that he had an announcement to make.
"Alright people," he began, "I've got something very important to tell you, though most of you know already." Harry, the only person who really didn't already know, moved forward, interested. Stone continued:
"I was looking through the employee files last week, and I found some interesting information. It seems that today is Potter's fifteenth birthday, and because of that, I decided that we're gonna throw him a party!"
"What?" Harry stood there in shock for a moment, before he was grabbed by the arms and legs and lifted over the heads of the crowd. The three men holding him began to drag him off to the car they would be taking.
"Hey, guys! Come on, put me down! Please? Hey!" Harry protested. "Guys, please put me down! I've gotta head home. My uncle will kill me if I'm late!"
"Relax,
Potter," said Ed, the man who had him by the ankles. "Stone's calling your
uncle right now and explaining everything to him. He's going to promise to have
you home by 9:30, so we've got about five hours to give you the best damn
birthday you've ever had!" he said with a thick accent, shoving Harry into the
back seat.
"Besides," he added, smiling mischievously enough to rival Fred and George, "Stone's family's gonna be there, including 'is daughter. She's quite pretty, and she's gonna be very interested in you, 'arry."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"'Arry," said Ed, exasperatedly, "I've never met anyone who was so smart, but still so stupid."
"Who?"
"You! She's gonna be hot for yeh, yeh bloody moron! For cryin' out loud, yer fifteen years old, an' yeh don't even realize!"
"Realize what?"
"THAT THE GIRLS WILL BE DROOLING ALL OVER YOU, DAMMIT!!!" Ed shouted. "How could yeh not know? When was the last time yeh looked in a mirror? Hell, when have you seen a girl?" he asked, ignoring the car's other two occupants, who were chuckling, highly amused by both Ed's annoyance and by the cause of it, namely Harry's cluelessness.
"I dunno, about a month ago, I think. And I haven't seen a girl since I got out of school. By the way, why would Stone's family be there?"
"I don' know. Maybe he just asked 'em te come. We all know he's taken a real liking to you, 'arry. Maybe 'e wants 'is daughter te meet you. Or maybe," he said, smirking once more, "'e wants you to meet 'er." He had quickly gotten over the shock of hearing how long ago Harry had looked in the mirror, because his twisted mind had just as quickly thought up some new teasing material.
"If Stone's trying to set me up with his daughter, he's wasting his time," Harry said in a half-annoyed, half-frustrated tone typical of a teenager who has just learned that he was being manipulated.
"An' why would that be, 'arry me boy?" asked one of the other two men.
"Because I'm already very interested in someone else, that's why." Harry answered.
"Really? Who?" They all asked, simultaneously.
"You really expect me to tell you that?" Harry replied.
"Of course we do," Ed answered back. "Why not? I mean, we know yeh have no social life around 'ere, so it's obviously a girl from whatever school yeh go to. There's virtually no chance that any of us know 'er, or will ever even meet 'er, so what's the problem?"
"It's just…the principal of the thing, okay? Just drop it."
Ed and the other passengers backed off the subject, respecting Harry's wishes, and knowing him well enough to know that if he really wanted to keep a secret, it stayed kept. The rest of the short ride passed in silence, except for a brief conversation about where they were going and how long they had been planning the party. Harry was quite surprised to learn that they had been planning to throw a party for him for over a week.
He let his thoughts wander to Hermione for the last few minutes of the ride. He had realized a little over a week ago that his feelings went far beyond a measly little crush. He loved her. It was just that simple. He loved everything about her: her study habits, the frustrated expression she got when she was confused, her determined attitude, and other things too numerous to mention. The thing he loved most, however, was definitely her smile, and not just her every day smile, it was the kind she only used when she was truly happy. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that he loved her, and the hope that she might feel the same way about him was a great comfort whenever he felt depressed. His musings were cut short by Ed's announcement that they had arrived. They were at an average-sized pub where Stone and about two-dozen others had already congregated. When the car had been parked, Harry and the others stepped out and entered the pub.
~*~*~*
A few hours later, Harry sat in the passenger seat of Stone's car, headed back to Privet Drive. His head was resting against the window, as he was too tired to sit up straight. "That," he said, sleepily, "was a great party."
"Thanks, Harry," Stone replied.
"I really meant it, Stone. So far this has been the best birthday I can remember. It's definitely the best since my parents died."
Stone remained silent for a few minutes so Harry let himself remember one of the best days of his life.
~*~*~*
Almost immediately after he entered the pub, Harry nearly lost the ability to stand from dozens of congratulatory hits on his back and shoulders. Once he had cleared the small gauntlet created by his colleagues, Stone pulled Harry aside to a group of three people. Harry assumed they were his family. There was a woman who appeared to be in her mid-to-late-thirties, a pretty girl who was probably a few months younger than Harry, and a small boy Harry thought to be about eleven (Hint-hint). The woman was short, a few inches shorter than Harry, and thin, with blue eyes, and auburn hair down to her shoulders. The girl looked like a younger version of her mother, but was about an inch taller. Her hair was longer, and her eyes were brown. The boy had his mother's eyes, but beyond that, he was a small clone of his father. Small was a relative term, however; the boy was actually only a few inches shorter than Harry. Stone gestured to each of them in turn, "Harry, this is my wife, Lauren, and our kids, Kristi and Ben." Greetings were exchanged, and everyone sat down around the pub.
For the next two hours, the partygoers ate, shot pool, threw darts, chatted, and just had fun. Even though Harry easily beat anyone he went against, he still enjoyed all the games. Several times during the night, he noticed Kristi staring at him in a manner that made him a bit uncomfortable. Ed and a few others were in various states of laughter, having noticed Harry's discomfort, as well as its cause. Some were snickering behind their hands; others were openly howling with laughter. With roughly a half hour before the party would have to end, Stone gathered everyone's attention. "All right, everyone," he began, "as you all know, this is a birthday party, and seeing as it's almost over, I think its time that we give our guest of honor his gifts."
Harry was shocked for a moment. He hadn't expected them to get him gifts, but then again, he didn't expect the party either. "Harry," Stone said, "the lot of us decided to pool our money and get you only a couple of nice gifts instead of many small trinkets. But before we get to the gifts, I would like to give you my word, that whenever you need a job, I will have one for you. Now, it is time for your gifts."
With that, a large portion of the workers Harry had befriended approached him with their gift. It was an elegantly carved stone chess set. One side was off-white, and its opposing side was blood red. The board was made of oak, and the playing tiles were of the same type of stone as the pieces. It was a thing of beauty, and looked quite expensive. Harry thanked them profusely for the gift. He had actually wanted to get a muggle style chess set for quite some time. He found that muggle chess was more appealing because the game was much more peaceful without the shouted input of every playing piece, or the noise made when a piece was taken.
Next, a small group led by Ed came up to Harry with a rather large box. Harry heard a small voice coming from within, "Releasss-ssse me, foul humanss-sss."
Even though he now knew what was inside the box, he decided to let the guys make their little speech. Besides, with Ed giving it, it would probably be funny.
"Harry, my boy, do you remember a few weeks ago when a snake got into the locker room, and you got it out?" With a nod from Harry, Ed continued, "When we asked you how you did it, you mentioned that you had a gift with snakes. We thought that since you have a gift, you might as well use it, so we got you this." As he finished, he opened the box revealing a beautiful young snake. It was a little over a foot long, with black, hunter green, and creamy yellow scales. Harry could somehow tell that it was a female, and by her comments, she was extremely irritated at being confined in the box.
"Yeh don' 'ave te worry about 'im bitin' yeh. The guy who sold 'im said that the venom sacks were removed. He eats a couple of grasshoppers every few days, and sheds 'is skin every few months."
"Thanks a lot guys. I really don't know what to say, except that the snake is really a girl."
"How the hell could you possibly tell that?" Ed asked incredulously.
"I'm not sure, just a feeling. Its part of that gift, I guess."
"Anything else you can do with that gift, Harry?" someone asked.
Thinking that it couldn't hurt to show them, Harry took the snake out the box and began speaking to it. Harry had the snake do a little performance before he set her back in the box.
"Were you just hissing at the snake?"
"Of course I was," Harry replied. "You didn't think it spoke English, did you?"
(A/N: This is not the same kind of Parseltongue as the kind portrayed in the movies, both of which, for the most part, were disappointing. In this story, a person speaking Parsel will just make the same hissing sounds that a snake does: it's less creepy that way.)
Flustered, Ed sputtered, "W—w—well…no, I guess not. Say, Harry, seeing as there is still some time before the party is over, how about we test out that chess set. I was decent at it when I was a lad, but I haven't had a chance to play in ages."
"Sure Ed, sounds like fun," Harry said, eager to get out of the spotlight.
** Two moves later **
"Checkmate," Harry said to a shocked Ed.
"Um, uh, what? How? Wait, that's impossible."
"Tough luck, Ed. Sorry I beat you so quick."
(Yet another A/N: For those of you who play chess and are probably confused about the two moves thing, let me tell you that it is possible to beat someone in just two moves, but only if your opponent makes two very foolish mistakes in his first two moves. How do I know this? I once made those mistakes in a game against my editor, who, as he is doing his job, is probably laughing and reliving his moment of triumph. Glad to have brought some joy to your work, buddy.)
(E/N: I really did laugh at the memory. But I have to admit, he did make some really bad moves.)
(Retaliatory A/N: Shut up.)
As Ed sat and stared at the board, Stone clapped Harry on the back. "How did you get so good, Harry?"
"Well, I play all the time against a friend of mine when I'm at school, and I must have learned something from trying to beat him all the time."
"You mean your friend is even better than you?" Ed asked in utter disbelief.
"Yeah. Ron's an absolute genius when it comes to chess. I've been trying for four years, and I've not beaten him once."
"Well, Harry," Stone said, clapping him on the shoulder "I think it's time I got you home. Your uncle said to have you back by 9:30, so we really should leave right now."
"Alright. Goodbye everyone. Thanks again for the gifts and party."
~*~*~*
'Yes,' Harry thought 'this has been the best birthday that I have ever had. I just hope it stays this good.'
"Here we are, Harry. Goodnight."
"Night, Stone. I'll see you tomorrow."
Stone drove off as Harry walked up to the front door.
As soon as he entered the house, Uncle Vernon greeted him with a "You're late, boy!" Harry, though tired, knew he had to stay up to get his other gifts. Thinking that perhaps a shower would help, Harry went upstairs to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, he walked back downstairs feeling quite awake. He went into the living room where the rest of his 'family' had gathered. Harry's mail was due to arrive in about five minutes. He sat down in one of the armchairs, and joined the Dursleys in watching the clock. It must have been a little slow, because at 9:59, almost twenty owls flew in through the opened window. Aunt Petunia shrieked and Dudley jumped a little bit off the couch. Had he been normal sized, he would have gone at least a foot-and-a-half in the air, but because of his disgustingly porcine bulk, he only managed and inch or two, and upon landing, cracked part of the inside of the sofa.
Harry was shocked as well; he hadn't expected nearly as many owls as there were (He counted at least fifteen.) He knew to expect gifts from Hermione, Sirius, Ron, and Hagrid, as well as a Hogwarts letter, and maybe one from Mrs. Weasley, but that only accounted for six. Who were the others from?
"Popular, aren't you, boy?" Uncle Vernon asked with disbelief in his tone. His narrow mind could not understand how his 'Good-for nothing nephew' could have so many friends. Harry began getting his presents as he answered, "I wasn't expecting anywhere near this many." He finished relieving each owl of its burden, and quickly excused himself, going up to his room and getting an owl treat for each owl and a large water tray. After their meal and a quick drink, five or six of the owls, who must have been on official business, flew off. Harry decided to start with the largest parcel, which had been carried by three owls, all of which were resting in the branches of a nearby tree, exhausted from their onerous load.
The note attached to the parcel was very brief. It read:
To our unanimously elected quidditch captain.
-Gred, Forge, Angelina, Alicia, & Katie
Harry opened the crate to find a set of quidditch balls with the Gryffindor quidditch captain's armband laid across the quaffle. A separate, equally brief note within the armband read:
Congratulations to my replacement.
-Wood
Harry was shocked. He really hadn't expected to be made captain; he was the youngest member of the team. But then, he supposed it made sense. After all, except for himself and probably for whoever the new keeper would be, the entire team would be leaving at the end of this year, so he should have some experience before having to lead a whole new team in his sixth year.
"What's that, boy?" Uncle Vernon asked.
"It's a set of quidditch balls from my team at school. They picked me to be the new captain because the former one finished a year ago." As he said this, Harry picked up another package, which had been carried in by a barn owl with unnatural orange streaks in its tail and wingtips. Inside he found assorted prank items, which he knew were from Fred and George, and a letter explaining that they had been making good use of his donation, and in gratitude, a certificate of ownership of one-third of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, with immunity to all product testing and ten percent of total profit deposited directly to his Gringotts vault. Harry smiled at the thought of the havoc those two would spread with all that money fueling their business.
Harry continued through his gifts. To his great surprise, he had received a present from Fleur Delacour, as well as her younger sister Gabrielle. The two Quarter-Veelas had sent him a crystal sculpture of a Hungarian horntail. It was about a foot long, exquisitely and beautifully detailed, and according to Fleur, unbreakable.
Sirius had sent him a new watch to replace the one that broke during the second task. It had two screens: the first was just a normal clock, but pushing a button on the side revealed that the other was similar to the clock in the Weasleys' kitchen. At the moment, it had only three hands, one for Sirius, one for Lupin, and one for Harry himself, as well as instructions for adding new hands. Harry wondered what the point was in putting a hand on the watch for him? Wouldn't Harry already know where he was anyway? Perhaps he should just save the watch the effort and fix his hand to the "Mortal Peril" position.
Professor Lupin had each sent him a series of three journals, apparently from three separate years at Hogwarts. The diaries had belonged to Harry's mother. In his letter, Lupin explained that of his father's friends, it was he, Remus, whom Lily had been closest to. She had given him her diaries for safekeeping shortly before they had gone into hiding, and Lupin felt that it was time that they were returned to Harry. Harry had nearly cried when he saw them, but didn't. He refused to allow himself to cry in front of the Dursleys, who had stared at all his previous gifts with a mixture of amazement, fear, and disgust, especially the horntail, which shocked them when it moved.
Mrs. Weasley had sent her usual package of a cake, homemade fudge, and meat pies. Ron, together with Ginny, had sent Harry an assortment of his favorite sweets and a small Foe-Glass about the size of a dinner plate. Harry decided to hang the Foe-Glass in his trunk later. Hagrid's gift was a bit of a surprise. In addition to his usual fudge and rock cakes, he had sent Harry a magnificent crossbow, with a stag engraved into one side of the stock, and a lily on the other. In his letter, he offered to teach Harry how to use it when he, Hagrid, returned to Hogwarts in late-September.
The next four, however, were just letters. Each of them bore an unusual seal. The first three were job offers from professional quidditch teams, and the fourth was from the English National Team. All stated that because of his exceptional talent as a seeker, they were willing to give him a position on their team as early as his sixth year at Hogwarts. This shocked Harry so much that he lost control for a moment and bounced around the room, excited, until Vernon bellowed, "What is so bloody exciting, boy?"
"They're job offers!" Harry yelled "Three from professional teams, one from the National team! They say that if I accept, I can get a position next year if I want to! Ha ha! This is great!"
When Harry had finally calmed down, about five minutes later, he noticed the Dursleys were still slack-jawed at the unbelievable (to them) notion that Harry was actually good at anything. Still smiling, Harry picked up an average sized present, one of the last few. It was a book on advanced curses, hexes, jinxes, and protective charms. The note was signed Arabella Figg. Harry remembered that after the third task, Dumbledore had sent Sirius to contact someone by that name, and decided that it must have been her.
Next, Harry picked up an average-sized package that had been delivered by an enormous eagle owl. The ink on the letter was a pale blue that reminded him of Dumbledore's eyes. As he was carting it over to his chair, he couldn't help but notice that it was extremely heavy, even for someone who could lift a hundred pounds as if it was nothing. When he opened it, he was stunned to see a pensive, made of smooth black stone and about the size of a pie tin. It had an intricate series of runes carved into the inner rim, and apart from a flat area at the base, its underside was perfectly curved. Harry also noticed a small scroll of parchment underneath the pensive but decided to read the letter first.
Dear Harry,
I felt that this Pensieve would be of great assistance in your self-imposed mission to sort out your thoughts. It is a much more recently developed model than the one you used in my office towards the end of last year. This more advanced version can 'project' the memories upward in a 'hologram' of sorts, which I find is much better for the back than spending hours hunched over to watch them. I have enclosed the instructions for using the Pensive. They are written on the smaller of the two scrolls in the parcel.
Which brings me to your other gift: the information written on the larger scroll. It is a full list of your inheritance. Your father's family had a very long history, and, though they preferred not to flaunt it, accumulated an astounding amount of wealth over the centuries. You do not actually take ownership of the various estates until your sixteenth birthday, but any money has been transferred back into your first Gringotts vault, and I have enclosed the key to your second, where items of special sentimental or excessive monetary value are kept. You may visit on your next trip to Diagon Ally, which can be at any time during the last week of your holidays.
A very happy birthday to you,
Albus Dumbledore
Intrigued, Harry unrolled the scroll, and nearly fainted in shock as he saw a four-foot list of properties, locations, and numbers. A quick glance down the list left his eyes nearly popping out of his head and his jaw a few inches above the floor. 'All of that is going to be mine next year?' Harry thought in utter disbelief.
He was so stunned that he forgot about his relatives' presence in the room with him. He was reminded, however, when Uncle Vernon, who had been shouting at him for at least two minutes, snatched the list from his hands and began reading:
"The Potter Estates," he began, reading the title of the document first, sneering a little at the thought of a 'Wizarding freak' amassing any amount of property. "One castle in Ireland, two in Scotland; two manors in England, one of which is near the coast in Wales, a house in York, a Flat in London, and a cottage just south of Scotland." At this point, Aunt Petunia fainted, and Dudley's jaw dropped, staring wide-eyed at his cousin. Uncle Vernon continued, slowing down with each progressive line as his shock increased: "A castle in Spain with an orange grove, two chateaus in France, both with very lucrative vineyards adjacent to them, villas in the south and north of Italy, castles, manors, villas, and houses all over the rest of Europe…scattered places in Asia, North Africa, and the middle east…two small Greek islands in the Aegean!? And that's just the homes! There's more here...mines? Gold mines, silver mines, ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamond mines! How in hell could you possibly own this much, boy?"
"Like the letter said, my family is thousands of years old," Harry replied, in a shocked monotone.
Aunt Petunia, who had just woken up, asked Uncle Vernon if there was anything else.
"Yes, Petunia, it says that all of the boy's property is maintained, worked, and cared for by a total of 878…house-elves? With number 879 expected in October in one of the Scottish castles. There is also a statement for the total value of all this. Boy, what does seven-point-nine billion galleons, fourteen sickles, and twenty-three knuts value in normal currency?"
Harry thought for a moment, trying to remember the exchange rates from wizard to muggle money. He had heard Bill mention to Mrs. Weasley at lunch before the third task that the goblins had changed it again, and some customers were unhappy about it. "About ninety-three billion pounds," Harry replied in a dazed tone of voice. There was a small thud and two booming crashes as the three Dursleys fainted simultaneously. (A/N: Come on, picture it in your head. You need a good laugh. I know I do.)
About five minutes later, the Dursleys had been revived, and just as Harry was about to open his Hogwarts letter, which was unusually thick, (hint, hint) another owl flew in with a small package tied to its leg and a note on the other. Deciding to open whatever this owl had brought first, Harry put his still unopened school letter aside and took the small package. Inside he found a deerskin wand holster and a necklace. The necklace was a fine rope with a pewter pendant on it. The pendant was about twice the size of an average muggle coin, with a strange symbol in the center and runes along the edges. Confused, he opened the letter.
Potter,
I thought you could use a wand holster. It's faster than taking it out of a pocket, so it gives you an edge if you need to defend yourself and have little or no warning. As to the necklace, the amulet was made using a special series of charms and potions so that it will mask your magical signature, enabling you to do magic without the ministry's knowledge. Given what the Skeeter woman wrote about you last month, Fudge, that fool, would likely try to arrest and/or expel you, even if he knew that any magic you did was warranted by self-defense. Remember, Potter: sometimes, you need as much protection from your allies as you do your enemies, because the only difference between them is that the enemies stab you in your front, and allies in your back.
-Alastor Moody
P.S- I am the real one.
P.P.S- In case you couldn't figure it out; the amulet only works if you are wearing it. Once it is on, only you can remove it.
(A/N: Believe it or not, I wrote the part about someone suggesting he would be expelled even though it was self-defense before OotP came out. Weird coincidence, eh?)
Harry immediately put the necklace on. It glowed for a second or two, adjusting to fit his neck, tight enough so that it couldn't be lifted over his head, but loose enough for him to barely notice it was there, and also to be concealed under his shirt.
Harry was ecstatic about the amulet. In his readings earlier that month, he had learned about that type of talisman, and eagerly sought out the instructions for making one for himself. He was extremely disappointed, however, to discover that it would be impossible for him to make. A single individual simply could not make the amulet without help: the combination of spells and potions necessary for its creation were all immensely complicated, and though he could perform each of them individually, there was no getting around the fact that the two potions, three spells, and the pendant itself had to be brewed, cast, and carved simultaneously, and even then, it took thirty-six hours for each portion to be done. The amulet was the same type of magical artifact as a Time-Turner; it could only be made by the combined and synchronized efforts of six different people.
Picking up his school letter once again, he broke the seal and opened it. He was surprised and a little confused when a shiny silver badge with a "P" on it fell out. They made him a prefect? After all the rules he had broken, and his grades, Harry was the last person he would expect as a prefect.
Harry pulled the letter out of the envelope and began reading, eager for an explanation.
Dear Mr. Potter,
As head of Gryffindor House, I am pleased to inform you that I have selected you to be a prefect. This position is one of both responsibility and honor, and I know that you will take it seriously. You will be responsible for the conduct of the other students when professors are not present and you will be expected to follow all school rules and regulations. This is an important position of leadership. We expect nothing but the best from our prefects. Both of your parents were prefects during their time at Hogwarts and I know that they would have been proud of you. It may interest you to know that your prefect badge is the same one that your father was given when I named him prefect. Miss Granger has your mother's badge.
As a new school policy, all prefects must return to Hogwarts on August 29 to discuss their responsibilities, duties, and privileges. The Hogwarts Express will depart from platform nine-and-three-quarters at 11:00 sharp on that date.
A list of your fellow fifth-year prefects and your list of supplies for this year are enclosed.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
P.S-Congratulations, Harry! You deserve it!
Placing the letter down, Harry stared at his badge, his father's badge, for a few moments before picking up the prefect list to have a look at it.
Gryffindor
Harry Potter
Hermione Granger
Ravenclaw
Terry Boot
Padma Patil
Hufflepuff
Ernie Macmillan
Susan Bones
Slytherin
Draco Malfoy
Blaise Zabini
Harry read Malfoy's name with disgust, one of the few emotions suitable for anything associated with that spoiled, rodent-faced snob, the others being anger, contempt, and loathing. 'Ferret-boy's daddy buys him a new status symbol!' Harry thought, bitterly.
Harry then directed his attention to the final package, Hermione's, which had been delivered by Hedwig. Opening the beautifully wrapped gift, he found two books: Every Possible Method to Accomplish the Animagus Transformation, by Professors Emeric Switch and Minerva McGonagall, and Broomstick Making For Creative Quidditch Enthusiasts With Way Too Much Free Time, by The Greatest Minds of the Broommaking Industry, Who Are Too Numerous to Fit on the Cover of this Book. He laughed for a moment at the ridiculous title of the second book, but he was still quite excited; these were two books he hadn't read yet, and both were on topics that greatly interested him. He put the books down, and eagerly picked up Hermione's letter.
VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT (A/N: Due to my complete lack of understanding of the female psyche, particularly of those between fourteen and twenty, I will not actually write this letter. However, because its contents are very important to this story, I will provide a summary. She's pissed at him for closing himself off. She is having fun with some of her mother's relatives who are visiting. She confesses that she really likes Harry & has since the end of third year. {Bet you didn't see that one coming, did ya?} She was with Krum to try to make Harry jealous. She broke things off with Krum. She talked to Ron & he accepts it. {How about that? Ron's not a complete ass…yet.} She hopes that even if Harry doesn't feel the same way, they can stay friends. That's about it. Oh yeah, she got him the Animagus book because it covers multiple approaches and he'll find one that works for him. She got him the broomstick book because she thinks it will help him get his mind off things. That is all. I might someday take the time and effort to actually write this letter, but only if I have some great epiphany about the female mind, or a huge burst of inspiration. Also, if any of you feel that you can write a letter of about 300 words that includes all of this information and is written in a believable way, please submit it to me in a review. If it is really good, I will repost this chapter to include it, and I assure you that the letter's author will be acknowledged with my extreme gratitude and respect.)
(A/N: *pants and gasps for breath* Man, that last note was long, wasn't it?)
~*~*~* What follows is the lightly edited work of Rachel A. Prongs~*~*~*
Dear Harry,
I've been writing and re-writing this letter all summer. I hope that with a few words I can express what I am feeling at the moment.
You complete idiot! How dare you close yourself off for an entire summer! Didn't it even cross your tiny little brain that we - that is your friends - would be concerned about you after what happened? Didn't it occur to you that we might wish to help you? Perhaps I wouldn't have been able to, but you could have at least let me try! That's what's friends are supposed to do!
Now, you've had me thinking about you the entire summer, imagining all sorts of horrible depressions you've been going through. Since you shut us all out (don't even try to say it was Dumbledore's idea, I know it was you), I've been forced to spend my time with my mother's relatives who are visiting, instead of worrying about you. It's actually quite fun being with them; at least they don't shut me out like some people do.
To answer your question; no, I'm not with Krum. If you had even a bit of intelligence behind those green eyes of yours, you would have noticed that I have feelings for no one but you!
I realise that it might be cowardly of me to say this in a letter, but as you've given me no choice, and I just can't wait any longer, so be it: I like you Harry Potter, as a lot more than just a friend, and if you have problems with that, then I don't know what to do.
I know it is silly, but I do have this tiny little hope that you might have the teeniest bit of mutual feelings. But if you don't, you can just burn this letter and pretend you never read it. I will continue to be your friend anyway. And before you ask, Ron knows that I don't fancy him. I don't think he was too happy when I told him so after he said he liked me, but he seemed to accept it.
I hope you like your gifts, though. I know that you wanted to spend this summer thinking things over, but take some time off to read the Quidditch book, will you. Also, I hope that you will enjoy 'Every Possible Method to Accomplish the Animagus Transformation'. It doesn't really cover every approach, but it does explain so many ways to become an Animagus that you're bound to find one that will work if you want to try it. I think that it could be a good idea for you; just look at Sirius; he's been hiding for years in his form. Not that you should do anything illegal, though. Maybe if we got Professor McGonagall's permission, we could start trying to become animagi this year, if you want to.
I'm looking forward to meeting you again at school, and I hope you've gotten your senses back by then.
With Love,
Hermione
~*~*Thanks to Rachel A. Prongs for her
contribution~*~*
Harry stared at the letter in a state of shock. Then, the corners of his mouth began to twitch. With only that as warning, it was no surprise that all three of the Dursleys nearly suffered heart attacks, for Harry began shouting, laughing, practically bouncing off the walls, and expressing his glee in any way he saw fit. Once the Dursleys had recovered from the shock of Harry screaming for no reason apparent reason except for the letter, Uncle Vernon put a stop to it by bellowing "WHAT ARE YOU SO BLOODY EXCITED ABOUT, BOY?!?!?"
Harry abruptly stopped his celebration, remembering where he was and whom he was with. Quickly, he told Uncle Vernon that it was none of his business. Using a combination of his internal clock and looking at the one on the wall above the Dursleys' fireplace, Harry realized that he had only three minutes left before the anti-owl wards were put up again. He rushed up to his room, grabbed a parchment and quill, and began a hasty response to Hermione's letter, as that was the most important one.
Dearest Hermione,
I have only two minutes to write and send this letter, so I'll try to make them count. The feelings you have towards me are mutual. Yes, that's right, I really like you, too. I'm sorry I can't write much more, but I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on the twenty-ninth and we can talk more then. Thank you very much for the books; I intend to get a lot of use out of the information in them. Again, I'll see you on the twenty-ninth.
Can't wait to see you,
-Harry
P.S. – I truly am sorry that I couldn't make this any longer, but I will somehow make it up to you when I see you again.
With less than twenty seconds left, Harry tied the note to Hedwig's leg and practically threw her out the window. Hedwig righted herself immediately, gave a rather loud and indignant "hoot", and took off. Harry, still somewhat euphoric after reading Hermione's letter, went downstairs to collect his many gifts. On his tenth, and last, trip, Harry carried the chess set balanced atop the massive glass case containing the snake that the guys at work had given him. He placed the chess set carefully onto his desk; he would take it into the trunk when he next entered it. He opened the box with the snake inside, because its frantic hissing of "Let me out. Let me out. Let me out." was driving him absolutely bonkers.
"Hello," he hissed to the snake.
"Hello," the snake hissed back.
"Ehrm…what isss your name?"
"…What issss a name?"
"It isss what you are known asss. My name isss Harry Potter. A name isss a way for otherssss to know who you are."
"In that cassse, I have no name. Will you give me one? I would like to have a name."
"Okay. Er…how about Isssisss?" ( Isis, as in the Egyptian goddess: Pronounced - Eye-sis.)
"It sssoundsss niccce. It isss decccided. My name isss Isssisss. Thank you, Massster."
"Don't call me massster, Isssisss. I am not your massster, but I am your friend, and my friendsss call me Harry."
"Very well, Harry."
"Goodnight Isssisss. Tomorrow I'll ressstore your venom sssacksss."
"You will? I am forever in your debt. Thank you!"
"You are very welcome. Now pleassse, I need to go to sssleep."
After he had said that, Harry lay down on his bed, and for the first time in a month, fell asleep outside his trunk. The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was the clock, which read 11:53, and his now sleeping mind drifted off to another meeting with his ancestors.
(A/N: I hope that the length helps to make up for the ridiculously long wait. I still need ideas for names and spells, but I feel the need to clarify something: when I said I needed names, I meant that I needed English-sounding last names. I can look up first names in a book or something. When I said that I needed ideas for spells, I meant that I needed ideas for what the spells will do, I can come up with a name and incantation on my own. Chapter 5 is nearly finished and should be up in about two weeks. Please review. Questions, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome.)