Chapter 1

Harry lay back on his bed. Looking at the repaired alarm clock next to his bed, he saw that it was two o'clock in the morning. He had woken up about five minutes earlier from a nightmare he had. He had relived the moments of Sirius's death. This time Sirius was blaming Harry for his state and Harry was crying and saying that he didn't mean to. Now he was a little more relaxed, and he assured himself that it was only a dream. Then he realized that he was sixteen today. Only one more year and then he could curse the Dursleys all he wanted. He tried going back to sleep, but it was almost impossible, so he pulled out his homework due when he returned to Hogwarts. Snape's Potions was the only thing left, and he wrinkled his nose at the thought of doing it. But he started to work on it, and by the time he was finished it was six o'clock. As he got dressed, he noticed a tapping. Turning around, he saw five owls at the window. He opened his window to let them in. Two of them he recognized, Pigwidgeon and his own Hedwig, but the other three were both sleek and official. They all dropped their packages and left. He caught Pigwidgeon as the owl zoomed around his head, and took the letter and package from him. He opened it first.

Harry,

Hope the Muggles aren't treating you badly. Happy Birthday! I'll probably be seeing you soon, but if you've read Hermione's letter you'll know what I mean. Hope you like the present, Fred and George gave me a discount.

Ron

Harry hurriedly opened the package and pulled out a ring. Looking at it he noticed that it was slightly blurred around the edges. Wondering was that was, he looked at the back of the box. "Accio Ring. Simply point and say Accio and it will zoom to your hand. Amaze your friends by Summoning without a wand! Made and distributed by Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Harry chuckled at the ring and put it on. He pointed at the mail Hedwig had brought and whispered "Accio." Sure enough, it flew across to him, but it hit him in the chest, not the hand. He opened the letter from Hermione.

Harry,

Happy Birthday! How are the Dursleys? Don't worry, you'll be leaving soon. My mom and dad wanted to go on vacation, and we settled on Valencia, Spain. But I thought it would be more fun if everyone could come. So I talked to Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore, and they said it would be fine. A couple members of the Order are coming too, but the main thing is that all the Weasleys and you are coming. Better get packing; we'll be picking you up tomorrow. Look at the brochure.

Hermione

Harry looked at the brochure and it indeed looked wonderful. He set the card beside Ron's and turned to the next three. One had the Hogwarts seal on it, and it was sure to contain his OWL results. Hurriedly, he opened it

Mr. Potter,

Enclosed are your OWL results, as well as a list of the classes you can take next year.

Astronomy-A

Care of Magical Creatures-O

Defense Against the Dark Arts-O

Divination-D

Herbology-O

History of Magic-A

Potions-O

Harry looked at the list of classes and found that he could take all of the classes to become an Auror. He noticed another piece of parchment in the envelope and pulled it out. He recognized Professor Dumbledore's handwriting.

Harry,

I wanted to know if you would like to do me a favor. I would like to reinstate the DA. Now that the world knows that Voldemort is returned, many people will want to be able to properly defend themselves. I want you to be the leader of the DA as before. I was thinking that we could incorporate some dueling in to the meetings. Anyway, the new responsibility will require some authority. Therefore, if you agree, you will be given the same authority as the prefects. I hope you agree with me that it is important. Oh, by the way, have fun in Spain.

Dumbledore

"Well of course I'll do it. But at least he thought to ask me," Harry said out loud. Turning to the official looking letter, he slit it open. Out fell a key and a letter. Looking closely at the key, he saw that it said 'Black' on it. Curious, he read the letter.

Mr. Harry Potter,

Following the death of a Mister Sirius Black, close examination of his will revealed that all of the Black family fortune has been transferred to you. All money and items would be sent to your vault, but the size of your vault prohibits the movement of all of the property in question. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you come and go over the paperwork, and then visit vault number 16. As none of the money belongs to you until you sign for it, attendance is required. Feel free to stop by at any time.

The last letter was from, of all people, the Minister of Magic. It included an official apology, as well as a reminder that all educational decrees had been withdrawn. Harry lightened at that. He could play Quidditch again! Perusing the rest of the letter, he also found an invitation to press conference on the return of Voldemort. He had no idea whether he should accept or not. He set it aside to answer his other letters.