Chapter four: O.W.L. results

"Harry wake up, wake up!"

"S'matter?" Harry muttered, yawning.

"O.W.L. results!" Harry was suddenly wide awake and saw Hermione leaning over him with a grin from ear to ear.

"Where?" he asked. Hermione shoved an envelope under his nose, and in no time Harry was ripping the paper off of it and reading his O.W.L. results with gusto.

Dear Mr. H. Potter,

You will find your O.W.L results enclosed along with your school list.

O.W.L. results for Mr. H. Potter.

Divination: Poor

Potions: Exceeds expectations

Defense against the Dark Arts: Outstanding

History of Magic: Dreadful

Transfiguration: Exceeds expectations

Charms: Outstanding

Herbology: Exceeds expectations

Astronomy: Acceptable

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding

Congratulations Mr. Potter. You have achieved seven O.W.L.s.

"Awesome, Harry," said Ron, "I got six, but that's three more than Fred and George, so I'm happy."

"Yeah…. Awesome," Harry muttered. Hermione looked at him worriedly.

"What's wrong Harry? Seven O.W.L.s is great!"

"I know, but I can't be an Auror now," he said, "I didn't get an 'Outstanding' in potions."

"That's OK, Harry," said Ron, "Hey—you could be a professional Quidditch player!"

"Yeah, that'd be cool. So how many did you get Hermione?"

Hermione stared at the floor, blushing to the roots of her hair.

"I got twelve."

"TWELVE!" Harry and Ron said in unison. "Hermione, that's fantastic, you can be any thing you want," said Harry.

"Thanks," she said. The three of them spent the next fifteen minutes talking over career paths, when Mrs. Weasley called them down for breakfast.

When the trio arrived in the kitchen no one else was there but Ginny, Luna, and Mrs. Weasley. "Where is everyone," Harry asked.

"They're all at work on an urgent call," Mrs. Weasley said

"Why?" Harry asked hurriedly, "There haven't been anymore attacks, have there?"

"No dear, don't get yourself worked up, Harry. That's how He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named bolsters himself, by scaring people into a fit."

"Kinda like not saying his name?" Harry joked, and Mrs. Weasley turned brick red.

"Hey Mum guess what! Six O.W.L.s!" Ron said with pride. Mrs. Weasley's face glowed brighter than before and she pulled Ron into a bone-crunching hug.

"Oh, Ronniekins," she cooed, "I'm so proud" Ron's face went bright red but Harry knew it wasn't because he was embarrassed—it was because she was suffocating him.

"Mum…p-please," he sputtered, "Let me breathe." Mrs. Weasley released him and they all sat down for a sumptuous meal."

After they breakfasted it was time to get to work on making Headquarters more livable. Harry was terribly wrong when he thought coming to Grimmauld place would take his mind off of Sirius. He was constantly finding little reminders of him. For example: that afternoon when Harry was trying to get rid of a boggart in a closet upstairs he found out that what was banging around in the closet wasn't a boggart, it was Kreacher. A surge of hatred rose up inside of Harry and just before he lashed out at Kreacher Hermione held him back.

"Harry, Harry, stop it! STOP!"

"He lied!" Harry screamed, "He said Sirius was gone. He deserves to die, because it's his fault that Sirius did!" Harry yelled, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Harry it's OK. Everything will be ok," she said holding him in her arms. "Sshhh, it's ok," she whispered. All the while Kreacher was muttering things under his breath. They sat there. For how long? Harry knew not. All he knew was that he never wanted to leave Hermione's arms. Never.

Never came too quickly for Harry as Mrs. Weasley called them for lunch. Harry parted with Hermione, though reluctantly, and headed down to lunch with her. Mrs. Weasley had lain out a huge plate of sandwiches for them. Just as he was going to take a bite out of his sandwich Harry remembered what day it was. Today Harry turned sixteen. When Harry was done singing happy birthday to himself, and was going for a bite of his chicken sandwich, another thought popped in his head. Did they forget my birthday? No one had given any recognition as to what day it was and that annoyed Harry slightly. It wasn't as if he was at Privet Drive so he felt a little hurt that no one had remembered his big day. He shrugged it off, he knew someone would eventually figure it out and until then he wouldn't say a thing.

The next three hours were devoted to Harry and Ron zooming around the house on their broomsticks and having the time of their lives. After that the five teens went up to Harry and Ron's room to play a game of exploding snap. Halfway through the game Fred was sent up with the message to come down for dinner. As Harry walked he grew angrier that no one remembered that it was his birthday. As Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, all anger was lost at the sound that met his ears. A sound that resembled:

"SURPRISE!"

Author note: Hey, next chaps have Sirius' will and a battle on the Hogwarts train R&R and as always, ENJOY!