2: Birthday Celebrations and Challenges
"Supper was great, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said with a wide grin and a full stomach. Molly Weasley always treated Harry like a son and for his birthday had made a feast with ham and potatoes and some wonderful puddings and pies.
"No problem, Harry. It is your birthday, after all," said the motherly figure.
"Speaking of birthdays, " announced Fred, "we should get out the presents!"
"You guys didn't have to get me anything, really. Just being with the people I love most is the best thing that I could have." Harry said modestly.
"We all chipped in to get a little something for you. It wouldn't be right to have a birthday without presents," said Hermione. "But before presents, I have something that I made for you, Harry." She ducked into the kitchen and came back with a small cake reading 'Happy 16th Harry' in her neat handwriting. She turned out the lights and lit the single tiny candle. "Incendio" she whispered. "Make a wish, Harry. Go on!"
A chorus of this soon aroused and as Harry blew out the single flame he thought, "Please let everyone be safe and let me have the courage to do what the prophecy foretold…"
"Here are the presents!" chorused the beloved Weasley twins. Everyone had eaten a slice of cake and complimented Hermione on her exemplary culinary skills, but returned their attention to Harry as the twins announced their arrival with bushels of packages in their hands.
As some Order members who had come to celebrate went to help the twins, the others were exclaiming, "Open mine first!" or, "Harry will love what I got him!"
"Alright settle down!" Mrs. Weasley shouted above the rest of the crowd. "Harry, choose the present you want to open first." He chose a bright orange package that was poorly wrapped, directly in front of him. The small, dilapidated placard on it read 'From Ron'. Harry swiftly ripped open the covering and saw that there was a box of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and three Chocolate Frogs, as well as a miniature Firebolt. "I hope you like it." Said Ron, his ears red from embarrassment that he had to pay almost all of his savings for the gift. "Its bloody brilliant!" exclaimed Harry, mimicking his best friend's infamous line. "Love it, mate" He stood up and gave Ron a huge hug and then searched for another present.
This next one was obviously from the twins. There was a charm put on it so that whenever the receiver opened the package, it would close back up. After Mr. Weasley took the charm off, Harry noticed that there were two packages of Filibuster's Fireworks and a small slip of paper that said, 'Free Joke Consultation from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes'.
"It's on us mate," said Fred. "And we'll give you some extra supplies if it's for that Umbridge woman," George chimed in. Everyone shuddered as if he had said 'Voldemort', remembering the wretched things she had done this past school term. Harry could still see a faint scar on his hand from the vile detentions that she held. "Don't give me ideas…" Harry said jokingly and he turned to hug the twins.
Half an hour had passed and Harry had opened all of his presents. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione had both knitted Harry something, Hermione a hat (her knitting wasn't so bad now that she had some more practice) and Mrs. Weasley a scarlet sweater with a small black dog on the front. "I made it so that you can remember Sirius…not that you would need much help…"She said this with tears welling in her eyes. "It's great," Harry said with a faint smile.
Mr. Weasley had given Harry an enchanted toaster. "Nothing will burn! Trust me, I tried it" Bill and Charlie shipped some sweets from Egypt and Romania, and Percy stopped being a git and got over himself. He gave Harry a book all about the Ministry of Magic and it's different departments. "I heard you wanted to be an Auror, and the information in this book is phenomenal." Harry responded politely, "Thanks, Percy." Remus Lupin had given him a book on advanced Dark Arts spells and Tonks had given him and enchanted mirror. "It's very much like the Mirror of Erised. It shows what you desire most, but it also gives you some helpful hints on how to get it. I made it myself." Harry gave each person a hug and sat down looking at all the presents. He looked at all of his friends and his adoptive family and he noticed something. One person was missing, and that person was Ginny.
Ginny was sitting on her, bed head in hands and wondering what was going on downstairs. She had been in her room crying for the past hour since her mum came and called her in for supper. "Sounds like great fun," she said as she glared at the small drawing, her gift for Harry. She clutched the drawing to her heart, then realizing what she had to do. "It's his birthday, and I should be down there celebrating with the rest of the family. What am I doing up here?" she thought aloud and she stormed out of the room
Not wanting to disturb the entertaining atmosphere of the room, Ginny tip toed down the ancient stairs and quietly joined the bunch. Harry noticed that she was there and silently crept over to the great comfortable chair she was sitting in. "How are you? I haven't seen you since we were in the garden." Ginny had not come to supper because she 'wasn't hungry'
"I'm fine" In truth she was very tired from the lack of food and she was now regretting not eating supper. "Is there still some cake left?" she asked timidly. "I'll go get some for you. You must be hungry since you didn't eat supper," Harry responded and he got up to get her a slice.
"I'm sorry I wasn't down here earlier. How about we practice some quidditch, just you and me tomorrow? We can celebrate your birthday together, just us." Ginny suggested when Harry came back.
"That sounds great, but you don't need much practice, Miss Weasley. You are quite a good seeker and a great chaser as well. But I have a challenge for you,." Harry said with a smirk coming across his face. "Best two out of three, whoever can catch the snitch first wins and will be declared the best seeker in all of Gryffindor house at the start of the term. So are you going to give me my present?" He said pointing at the small slip of paper she held in her hand. Ginny had, in fact, forgot she had even brought it down.
"Sounds like a plan, Potter. You're on for that challenge," Ginny said with a grin. "As for your present, this is not it." She lied as she tucked it away in her pocket. "It's not ready yet, but I will give it to you tomorrow."
"And why is it not ready yet?" Harry asked curiously "What is it? You know that if I don't find out, I might have to tickle it out of you!" Spending so much time together this summer, trying not to be third and fourth wheels on Ron and Hermione's relationship, Harry had learned almost all of Ginny's secrets and weak spots, and likewise with Ginny.
"Potter, this one even Fred and George couldn't get out of me, so I doubt that you could." Ginny said with a sly grin.
"I have my ways…" He then noticed that party in the small living room was dwindling and they were all that was left aside from some small pieces of wrapping paper that had been neglected. "I am going to bed," he said with a yawn and he turned to Ginny, leaned close to her and said quietly in her ear, "Remember our challenge, Weasley. I'm sure to win."
"Sure, and Wormtail is off rotting in a ditch where he belongs." The red-locked maiden responded with an attitude as fiery as her hair. With this they both went up to their rooms and went to bed.
Harry sat on his bed for a while and stared blankly out the window. He couldn't believe that he had the whole day with Ginny, a snitch, and his Firebolt. "I'm already dreaming," he thought and he lay down on the bed. As he did so he hit his head on the headboard. "Ouch! Maybe I'm not dreaming…" he said and went to sleep with a smile.
Just on the other side of the wall Ginny was staring at the ceiling imagining all the different scenarios that she would like to see happen, all of them ending with Harry scooping her off of her Cleansweep, onto his Firebolt, and the two sailing into the stars. "If only…" she whispered to herself and she fell fast asleep.