The days and weeks flew by with Harry barely noticing that June had disappeared and July was passing with almost impossible speed. Before he had realised it there was only a week until his birthday. Mrs. Weasley brought it to his attention one afternoon by asking what he would like as a present. As quickly as the weeks before it had passed the days flew in. Mrs. Weasley became more frantic with her preparations and by the morning of his birthday he was banned from the kitchen altogether. This didn't bother him too much, he spent the day in the room he and Ron shared playing wizard's chess and exploding snap. Hermione and Ginny sat with them; Hermione had her nose in the Standard Book of Spells Grade 6. She was already studying for NEWT's and she didn't even know for definite what subjects she was taking.

Their OWL results were due any day and Hermione was close to exploding with anxiety, up until now Harry hadn't been that nervous but watching Hermione jump every time an owl arrived was starting to give him a horrible twinge down in his stomach. She was actively encouraging Ron and Harry to begin their studying, so far they had managed to fob her off with a silent nodding of the head but they knew that before long that would not be enough.

As the day drew on Fred and George joined them and they had a sidesplitting time, Fred and George had brought some of their latest inventions and Harry and Ron had a lot of fun trying them out and seeing the incredible effects that they had. One turned Ron's hair bubblegum pink, a sight that had the rest of them in stitches for almost half and hour. Before they realised the time, Ellie arrived at the bedroom door looking a little bit red in the face and slightly out of puff. She was wearing robes of pastel pink that continued to sway vigorously even when she had come to a stand still.

"Okay everyone, it's time for dinner," she immediately spun on her heel and headed back down the stairs, everyone one stared at the doorway where she had been and shrugged their shoulders. They pushed themselves up off the floor and followed after the hazy blur that was Elizabeth Dumbledore.

The sight that greeted them in the kitchen was perhaps the most spectacular thing that Harry had ever seen, which said a lot considering that just two years ago he had been witness to a Christmas ball at Hogwarts. The ceiling mirrored the night sky but the brightest stars had been gathered together to spell "Happy 16th Birthday Harry!" in big bright shining dots. He counted 16 enormous candles floating above their heads providing ample light for the cavernous kitchen. At the other end of the room beside the fire stood the most enormous pile of birthday presents that Harry had ever seen in his life, it was even bigger than the piles that Dudley was used to getting. In the middle of the sideboard to his left was a beautiful birthday cake shaped into the number sixteen, Mrs. Weasley had made little snitches and broomsticks in the icing. Harry felt his heart expand with the rush of affection. He looked round at her and found that she was watching his expression closely.

"Do you like it Harry?" she asked cautiously.

"I love it. Thank you so much," he propelled himself forward into her arms. She smelled of fresh baking, it was a wonderful motherly aroma.

"Now," she said wiping her eyes, "tuck in everyone."

Harry was sure that he couldn't possibly know everyone in the room; it was full and overflowing with people. He noticed Moody's magical eye twinkling at him from a far corner and smiled, he was almost certain that he got a smile in return. He noticed Ellie watching him closely from her position perched on the sideboard next to the sink; she was half hiding behind Charlie, who was stood in front of her. She had her arms looped around his waist and her chin resting on one of his broad shoulders. Her overwhelming beauty again struck Harry, it was instantly understandable why Charlie was so taken by her. She must have been just as extraordinary as a child if Charlie had proposed at nine. She snapped out of her trance-like state, realising that he was watching her and grinned warmly at him. It was an expression that warmed him right to his very toes; he felt that he could look at that smile forever.

The fire suddenly roared and out stepped the Hogwarts headmaster. Elizabeth slid from her perch and carefully stepped her way around the mass of people in the room, to wrap her arms around her grandfather, he responded by kissing the top of her head. He was greeted with a chorus of Hello's from the people around them. Meanwhile Molly had shuffled towards him,

"So glad you could make it Albus," she said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"As am I Molly," he headed for Harry with the swift grace that echoed his granddaughter's movements. "Happy birthday Harry, are the celebrations to your liking?"

"Very much so sir. Mrs. Weasley has outdone herself this time."

"She always does," Ellie crept up behind Molly and wrapped her arms playfully and lovingly around the woman in front of her.

"I had rather a lot of help from you Ellie dear and from the boys of course," she added quickly seeing the accusatory glares she was receiving from Bill, Charlie, Fred and George.

"But we couldn't have done it without you," Ellie beamed at her and Molly blushed the colour of her blazing hair.

So the afternoon went on, everyone ate until they could eat no more. Once they were done Dumbledore waved his hand and all the empty plates disappeared. Everyone turned their attention to the pile of presents next to the fire; Remus pulled a chair up next to the pile and glanced up to Harry.

"Go on Harry open them," Ron shouted right in Harry's ear. Everyone shifted so that Harry could find his way to the seat. He picked up the first present that said that it was from Mad-Eye; he began to pick carefully at the wrapping paper that enclosed it.

"Come on laddy! The paper was just a formality. Get stuck in," Moody himself shouted over the crowd. At his instruction Harry began to tear at the wrapping to a wave of cheering. He looked down at a black box, puzzled he took the lid off to find a dragon-hide wand holster. It was magnificent to look at.

"Thanks Moody it's great!" Harry immediately put it on and shoved his wand into it.

"I don't expect to see that wand of yours in your back pocket ever again," he chastised, despite the fact he was smiling.

Harry proceeded to rip through the pile in front of him, as every present was opened he thanked the giver graciously and sat it on the table beside the others. He had received several Defence books from members of the Order including Shacklebolt and Tonks. Professor McGonagall provided him with a copy of A Guide To Advanced Transfiguration, although she assured him she wasn't making any predictions, she did it with a slight flicker in her eye. As the pile got smaller he got down to the presents from his family. Fred and George had supplied him with yet another box of supplies from their shop. Along with the very helpful advice that he should be careful because they weren't 100 sure what some of them did. Bill and Charlie had clubbed together to get him a pair of dragon-hide gloves that matched his wand holster perfectly. Hermione had brought him a new watch.

"I knew you needed one so I thought it might be a good idea," she added.

"Thanks 'Mione. Just what I needed," he smiled up at her. It was very true he hadn't had a working watch since the second tri-wizard task. He had worn his watch into the lake without checking that it was waterproof, evidently it wasn't and so no longer worked.

Ron had bought him yet another Quidditch book entitled 'For Those Who Love Quidditch And Want To Know More.'

"Thanks mate. Never can know too much about Quidditch," which was true because Harry had been brought up away from the Wizarding world there was so much he didn't know about Quidditch but he was eager to learn.

To his surprise Ginny had also got him a present. He opened it to find a picture with two figures wandering around a Christmas tree. It was himself and Sirius, they were decorating the tree in preparation for last Christmas. Upon seeing the camera Sirius beamed and immediately pulled Harry into his side, although a little reluctant at first, Harry soon got into the spirit of things and grinned cheerily whilst trying to hang a bauble from the end of Sirius's nose. Harry felt his eyes well with tears; he looked up at Ginny, who was staring at her feet.

"Ginny it's… it's wonderful. Thank you," he sat it up on the table for everyone to see, all agreed it was an excellent choice of present. Yet another Weasley blush ensued. Positive that none of his other presents could surpass this Harry continued. He was wrong the next present came from Mr and Mrs Weasley and contained a wall clock. At first he was quite baffled but then he looked at it properly and found that it was almost identical to the one that resided in the Burrow. Instead of telling the time, the clock told where each member of the family was at all times. Around the edges were things like; Home, School, Work, Travelling and where twelve would be on the normal clock were the words Mortal Peril. The hands bore the faces of each member of the family, only this clock no longer only bore the faces of the 9 Weasley's, it also had Harry, Hermione, Elizabeth and Remus on it. Harry's eyes glazed over the surface again and again.

"It's brilliant! Thank you," he once again rushed forwards into Mrs. Weasley's arms.

"I'm so glad you like it," she whispered.

He was left with three presents to open, he lifted the one nearest to himself and saw that it was from Remus. He opened it quickly but carefully and inside found a wooden box. Carved into the lid was the name James William Potter. He opened the box gingerly and saw that settled into the middle of a plush velvet cushion was a gleaming golden snitch with J.P scratched into its surface. Harry felt his eyes beginning to fill again.

"It was your fathers, he stole it in his seventh year. He said that he ought to 'have something to remember jolly old Hogwarts by'" Remus's face bubbled with happiness and sadness at the same time. Harry understood the tear of emotions. A happy memory marred by the knowledge that there was an empty space where his dad should have been.

"Thank you Remus. It's wonderful. I appreciate it," Harry let the snitch soar into the air where it flew around the kitchen for a few moments. He noticed that most people were unable to follow it's speeding movements but he also noticed that Ginny, Charlie and Elizabeth were sat with narrowed eyes, following it's every movement. It flew back within Harry's reach and he was able to pluck it out of the air with ease. "Are you a Quidditch player Ellie?" he asked with sudden interest.

"As it happens I am. I played seeker for my house team at school," Charlie smirked at Ellie as she spoke.

"She's another one that could have played for England," he reliably told Harry while Ellie blushed.

"My Mum was a chaser and my Dad was a keeper so Quidditch was in my blood."

"Cool," Harry began to eye his last two presents. He saw from the labelling that one was from Ellie and the other was from Dumbledore. He was silently debating which one to open first and finally settled on opening Dumbledore's as it was nearest to him. The man himself watched him carefully from the other end of the table. Harry tore of the wrapping to find his very own pensieve. "Thank you Professor. I really wanted one of these," Harry allowed his fingers to trace the edges of the bowl.

"I thought that perhaps you might need one. Perhaps it will end your fascination with other peoples," although it sounded as though he was reprimanding Harry, the twinkle in his eye and the smile playing around his lips told him that the headmaster knew for a fact that having his own pensieve was not going to quell Harry's curiosity. "It should help with your sleeping, any unsavoury memories can be deposited into it before sleep. I would be happy to show you how to use it."

"Thank you. I'd like that," he'd almost forgotten that there was another present waiting to be opened until George called out to him,

"Open your last one Harry then you can sit and stare at them all to your hearts content!"

Harry reached out and pulled the small parcel towards him. Once the wrapping was dispensed of it became clear that it was a box for jewellery. Harry heard his mind working overtime he wasn't a jewellery kind of person but at the same time Ellie had gone to the bother of buying him a present. He opened up the box and was momentarily blinded by the glint of gold, the box contained a necklace, the pendant of which was a coin. It had an outer circle and an inner circle, the outer circle had what looked like an ancient language inscribed on it and the inner circle was white marble with the image of a large black dog and a sliver stag galloping around each other in the very centre. Harry flipped the coin over to find that the back bore an inscription.

"Those who love us never truly leave us.

James Potter 1960 -1981

Lily Potter 1960-1981

Sirius Black 1960-1996

Out of sight but never out of mind"

Harry sat staring at it for some time before he was able to speak, "I don't know what to say. Thank you just doesn't seem enough."

"Thank you is more than enough Harry. As long as you like it. If you ever get in trouble and need help hold it in your palm and say my name, I have a similar one, mine will heat up and summon me to you. You don't ever have to be alone again," she smiled at him with a deeper sadness in her eyes than Harry had ever seen in before.

"I more than like it, I love it. I think it's the best present that I've ever had," Harry was trying as hard as he possible could to stop himself from crying but he could hear his voice trembling with emotion. Ellie's face also showed the strains of emotional control.

"I think what my granddaughter is trying to say is Happy birthday Harry," Dumbledore was patting his granddaughter's hand as he spoke.

"Thank you, every one. Thank you," Harry could find no other words.

He went to bed that night knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had just enjoyed the best birthday that he could ever have hoped for. Safe in the knowledge that the people around him were the kindest and most wonderful people to ever grace the earth. For a moment or two he felt the pain of Sirius's loss but he remembered the words his Godfather had spoken to him in his will;

If anything bring them closer, you cannot and will not make it without them.

It was in that moment that he remembered this that he made one of his most important decisions