CHAPTER 4: The Birthday Party

The next few weeks went by with the same ritual, wake up early, run, train the sword and the mind, and at night Harry was given the chance to ask anything he wanted. While Breannan did reserve the right to not answer certain questions, he promised not to lie or leave anything out of the answers he did give.

Harry started by asking about the man's past, his family, past friends and lovers, many things that Harry would have assumed would be too hard to talk about. However the man had absolutely no trouble speaking about all the people he had loved and lost, Harry noticed that this wasn't due to a lack of caring, he just stopped mourning their deaths.

"Breannan," Harry started one night after eating dinner, "every night you tell me about your past wives and friends. But you never seem sad when you-"

"I thought this question might be coming." The Scot said quietly with in his thick brogue. "I choose not to think about their deaths, I choose to remember their lives. Every one of them led a happy life, or at least had happy moments. They all had their own characteristics that made them special, that made me love them. But after losing so many people I started to realize that I can't keep thinking, 'what if they were still here?' I admit that at first I needed to be alone, I needed to think about them. Soon I realized that I just needed to get away from everything, including those thoughts. That is how I found this place, a very wise man once told me about it. I told you how the mist helps rejuvenate your muscles, but it also helps rejuvenate your mind. When I went back into the world I decided to remember what I loved about them, and to keep that with me as I move on. This way a part of them is, truly, always with me."

Harry sat still for a while, reflecting on the words he had just heard. He realized that he hadn't been thinking about all of the problems that faced him back in London, but it felt good. The something dawned on him. "That's why Dumbledore sent me here isn't it? He wanted me to move on, remember Sirius, but let him go?"

"I believe that was part of his reasoning. Aside from being able to begin your training earlier, I believe your headmaster realized what you are going through. He knew I could help."

"I wondered why he didn't have any objections when I said I didn't want to be around my friends. Normally he would've said to stay with them, and to work things out."

The Scot smiled before responding, "Albus never was one to need the rejuvenating Spinners End offers. He is much too wise for that. I'm centuries older than him and he still seems to hold more wisdom than I have at times." He said somberly. Somehow Harry knew that this wasn't necessarily true, but he began to appreciate just how amazing his headmaster was. He knew that he was wrong for blowing up and destroying his office the previous year. Dumbledore was someone that he needed, and Harry knew that no matter how mad he got last year he couldn't hold him away.

"He's a great man, Dumbledore, as long as he is around I'm not too scared." Harry said, remembering what Hagrid had told him after his fourth year.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, Harry." Said a voice from a few feet behind him.

"Professor! What are you doing here?" Harry blurted, seeing the man with a long white beard and twinkling blue eyes that had been sitting in his living room a few weeks ago.

"Breannan, you didn't tell him?" Dumbledore asked the Scot feigning a look off outrage.

"Course not, Albus. I don't care much for calendars. I figured I'd let you tell him."

"Er- Tell me what? I have no idea how long I've been here, or what day it is. I don't really care though."

"Well maybe you should care, considering it is your birthday." Dumbledore said with a smile. Harry hadn't realized how long he had been in Scotland, but it felt like a matter of days, not weeks. "I believe you will find most of your presents in your room. However there are a few that…couldn't fit." Harry wondered what he meant, but quickly forgot his questions as he was quickly ushered into his room where there was definitely more presents than people he knew.

Harry began to rip open the closest presents, ones that were from people he had never heard of. Apparently he had a bit of a fan club, he assumed the presents were making up for all of the ridicule he had received the past year. He was given an assortment of foods, clothes, spell books, and quidditch gear. He had gotten through most of his presents before realizing that he hadn't gotten anything from anyone he actually knew.

"Your friends requested that their presents be saved for last, considering the fact that they wanted nothing more than to be with you today, I thought it was a very reasonable request." Dumbledore said, apparently sensing his student's feelings.

Harry continued through his sea of presents until he reached the back table, where he knew he would find the presents he truly cared about. They could have been socks for all he cared, just the fact that he had the presents meant something to him. He opened the present closest to him, it was very small, and very light. He opened the box and began to laugh hysterically. He guessed who it was from before he even looked at the card, Dumbledore had given him two pairs of socks. When Harry turned to the old man he saw that he was blushing.

"Well, I told you that I always wanted a good pair of socks, I thought you may think the same with the amount of books you must have received." Harry, much to his headmaster's liking, thought the present was brilliant. "I have a slightly better present waiting for later." He whispered as Harry went to open his next present, which was from Hermione.

Hermione had, to nobody's surprise, gotten him a book. However, what was surprising was that Dumbledore told him that the book was very rare, and contained some very powerful spells. Harry made a mental note to thank Hermione, and make up for what must have cost a fortune on Christmas. He went on to open Ron's present, which was a broomstick servicing kit, made especially for the firebolt. Harry had almost forgotten about flying, he had received a life long ban from Professor Umbridge after the first game of last year.

Again Dumbledore answered his question before he could ask it. "Young Mr. Weasley was informed that you had been re-instated to the Gryffindor house team. I guess I forgot to mention it." Harry couldn't help but laugh at his headmaster.

Harry tore open another few books; Mad Eye Moody had given him a book entitled "Advanced spells for the Advanced Wizard." Tonks had sent him a book that, her note assured him, was used by Aurors in training. Fred and George sent him a special package containing a tester of some of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes exclusive items, along with a gift certificate to the store. Ginny, to Harry's surprise, also sent him a present. It was a picture she had taken of all of Harry's friends, including the DA members and Order members. Harry didn't look at it for long, he didn't want to spend too much time looking at pictures, considering he had been doing it all summer. However he was very impressed with the thoughtfulness of Ginny's present. Harry opened Lupin's present, which contained a book and a note. The book was called "The Secrets of the Animagi," the note explained that Lupin wanted Harry to study with Professor McGonagall to learn how to become an animagus. Harry thought that despite the work it required that this was a brilliant present. Hagrid had obviously known about Lupin's idea, considering his present was a book on animals and magical creatures. It gave a detailed description of appearances and traits, Harry assumed it was to be used to pick an animal.

As Harry finished opening his presents Breannan stepped forward with a small package wrapped in a dull green paper. He opened the package carefully to find a lightweight robe, made of a very strong, smooth material. At first Harry thought it was a light grey, but when he looked at it again it seemed to be a different color.

"That's a very special cloak, boy. It will help you when you are trying to sneak around, nobody will realize just why you are so hard to pick out in a crowd, or while you're alone for that matter, but this cloak will be the reason."

"Thank you, this is…amazing" Harry said, stammering to find his voice.

"Harry, I will have to ask you to follow me outside. There are two more presents for you." Dumbledore told him quietly before turning and walking outside. Harry walked outside, his hand subconsciously drifting to the hilt of his sword. "The first present is from Sirius, he had been planning on giving it to you, and even though his will has not been read yet I knew this was supposed to go to you." Dumbledore tossed him a set of keys. Harry looked down and saw that there was a lock button, an unlock button, and where normally there would be a panic button, there was a red button with the word 'call' on it. "Go ahead, hit the call button."

Harry did as he was told and heard an engine roar to life, he could see a single bright light heading towards him through the mist, and thought it would hit him. However it came to a halt just in front of him.

"Sirius' motorcycle!" Harry exclaimed. He had almost forgotten about the bike that Hagrid flew him to the Dursley's on the day his parents were killed. Harry was to busy examining the bike to realize that on the key ring there was not just one key, but two different ones.

"Harry, I told you that I have another gift for you," started Dumbledore, "besides the socks" he added quietly, his cheeks turning slightly red. "That other key is to your new house."

"My- WHAT?"

"No, Harry, not Grimmauld Place. That was left to Remus. This was your old house, the house you lived in with your parents. It was rebuilt after Voldemort destroyed it, it has become somewhat of a shrine. However recently I bought it back, and thought that you may want to use it sometime in the near future."

Harry wasn't sure how to respond. He almost felt like he was going to cry, not because he was forced to remember the deaths of Sirius and his parents, but because these two gifts meant more to him than his own life. Even though he was taking McClaggan's advice to heart, he couldn't help but want something physical, besides presents, to remember his dead family.

"Thank you" Harry managed to say, a single tear running down his face from his emerald green eyes.