Phoenix Tears
By Phoenix ash
Rating: T
Spoilers: SS, COS, POA, GOF, OOTP, HBP
Category: action/adventure/romance
A.N. Again, I do not own any of the characters.
Chapter Four
Birthday Surprises
On his birthday, Harry got up to the sun shining through the curtains. He got dressed and went down to breakfast.
"Morning dear." Mrs. Weasley said.
"Morning mum." He replied, sitting at the table and helping himself to some eggs.
Everyone stared at him.
"What?" he asked, halfway through his meal
"You just called mum 'mum'." Ron told him.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Well, I didn't mean to offend you Mrs. Weasley." Harry said.
"No need to worry, dear, you can call me whatever you'd like." Mrs. Weasley replied, teary eyed.
"I'd like that mom."
After breakfast, Mrs. Weasley sent Fred, George, and Harry to fetch some potion supplies from the apothecary while she, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione decorated for his surprise birthday party.
"Ginny dear, will you hand me the other end of that banner?"
"Sure mom." She handed her the banner. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure honey. What's on your mind?"
"What do you do if you like someone and he liked you and you become a couple but he dumps you for absolutely no reason whatsoever?" Ginny asked.
"Oh honey, this is about Harry isn't it?" she nodded. "Ginny, Harry is a special case. In his view, dating you would put you in severe risk."
"I still don't understand."
"Neither of us does. Now let's set up the party."
"-and finally, a couple of eye of newts." Harry read from the list. George got the last item and paid for the ingredients.
"Ready to go home?" Fred asked. Harry nodded and they disapparated with a 'pop!' They apparated into town unnoticed.
When they got home it was quiet. He entered the dark living room and was startled when the light came on to reveal the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks, and all his friends shouting "Surprise!"
"This is for me?" he asked, too grateful for words.
"Yes mate this party is all yours." Ron replied, clapping him on the back. "So what do ya think?"
Harry looked around. "I think it's time to party!" He waved his wand and the Wizarding Wireless Network turned on and he grabbed Luna and went into a complex swing dance and soon everyone followed.
Seeing him being so happy made Ginny feel proud of her contribution. She was still quite distressed over what he had done, but today was his special day so she was going to play happy girl for the day.
She came up to him and kissed his cheek. "Happy birthday." She said coyly and disappeared into the dancing crowd.
"Your attention please." Ron said happily. "It is a Weasley tradition on his seventeenth birthday that he drinks his first bottle of Firewiskey." He held up a bottle of Firewiskey and the crowd cheered.
Harry took a glass and Ron filled it. He looked into its murky interior and downed it in one gulp.
"Ugh, I hate this." He said. "Fill me up." Everyone laughed and the party continued.
What surprised Ginny the most was that Harry had drunk half of the bottle and was still somewhat sober. He was dancing with Parvati as if he didn't drink almost half of the most alcoholic drink in the wizarding world.
On the W.W.N., one of the announcers said, "Today everyone at the studio would like to wish Mr. Harry Potter a happy seventeenth birthday. Mr. Potter, this one's for you." Then the song 'Immortal' by the Weird Sisters sounded on the radio. Harry laughed then started to dance.
Soon the guests urged Harry to open his presents. Everyone gave him a gift and one by one he opened them. He got several Defensive spell books ("are you trying to hint that we start the D.A. again?" He laughed) and Hermione gave him a splendid book entitled, "The physiology of the Phoenix and its Magical properties". Ron gave him a quidditch manual for Captains. Soon Lupin came up and said.
"Harry, Sirius wanted you to have this on your seventeenth birthday." He handed him a small envelope. He opened it and found a letter and a tear drop pendant on a gold chain. He read the letter
Harry,
Congratulations on your special day. James gave this to me shortly before he died. It is a Phoenix Tear captured in the essence of a metal unknown to wizards; it was your fathers and a symbol of the marauders. I now pass it on to you. Happy birthday,
Sirius
Harry's eyes watered and he examined the tear. It was a beautiful mixture of gold and red. In the center was an imprint of a Red jeweled Phoenix with emerald eyes being engulfed in blue fire.
"Wow." He said and put it on. Suddenly Fawkes appeared holding a package.
"Where've you been?" he asked
"Hogwarts. This is for you."
Harry unwrapped it and found two things, a pensive and a book. Tacked on the pensive was a note
Harry,
It is about time that you have this. Enclosed in this note are instructions on how to use the pensive. The book was written by me, enjoy it. Happy birthday,
Albus Dumbledore
"How is that possible?" Ginny asked.
"He might've done this before he died." Harry said. He picked up the book, which was leather bound. Engraved in gold lettering he read the title aloud.
"The Phoenix Lament by Albus Dumbledore."
"He wrote a book?" Ron asked, astounded.
"Apparently so." Harry noticed that everyone was silent. "Well that's it for presents, let's party!"
The wildness started up again and Hermione found her way to Harry, Ron, Ginny and Fawkes.
"I did it!" she said excitedly, "The translation, I mean."
"Well let's hear it." Harry replied.
"Come on."
They climbed the stairs and went into Ron's room.
"I think it's a riddle." She said. "I've only managed to translate the daylight text so far. Here goes, 'Be where treasure seeker, for what you seek is guarded most preciously, the one who is faithful to his master is rewarded in silver. Be where, the rat hides everywhere, for he guards the secret.'"
Everyone looked puzzled except for Harry. His eyes darted at the paper Hermione read off of and said only one word.
"Wormtail."
Here it is the first cliff hanger of the story. The title of Dumbledore's book was inspired by the chapter 'The phoenix lament' in HBP. Please read and review.