Harry Potter and the Secret Squib!
Chapter Three: The Sixteenth Birthday
Harry's birthday couldn't come any quicker for him this year, in a few short hours he would most probably be spending his sixteenth birthday with his friends, this would also be the first time he had ever seen anyone but the Dursleys on his birthday.
Harry awoke at exactly six o'clock that day. He turned over quickly in his bed to pick up his black rounded glasses from his bedside table; as he did so the morning sun glinted in Harry's beautiful green eyes. He put on his glasses and moved to the edge of his old broken bed, the same bed that used to belong to Dudley, who was in fact, the reason it was broken. Harry slowly sat up and looked out of his window, where he saw Privet Drive dimly lit by the early morning sun. Harry was hoping with all his heart to see an old blue Ford Anglia speeding towards him with his friends Ron, George and Fred at the helm, waving merrily to him, but Harry knew far too well that the car was now roaming freely around the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.
Harry quietly made his way across his room and over towards the calendar on his wall. He reached for the red pen on his desk and he crossed off today's date, July thirty-first
"Happy Birthday Harry"
He mumbled to himself with a sigh. In just three hours Harry would be hopefully hearing all of his favourite people wishing him a happy birthday, all accept for one; Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, wasn't going to be there how much Harry wished for it.
Harry walked over to Hedwig's cage to see if she was back yet, he put his fingers dully through the bars as if wishing to stroke her; Harry desperately wanted someone to talk to, even if it was just an owl. After a few more moments Harry moved away from the messy empty cage and over to his cupboard, he couldn't believe he was finally allowed to open the doors and take out everything inside it.
One by one he took out his things from the trunk to admire them, then after a few more minutes he would put them back in a new layout. Harry wished so much that he could just get on his Firebolt and fly to Grimmauld Place, instead of waiting for his friends to eventually come for him
By the time nine o'clock rolled around Harry had re-rearranged his school things, changed out of his pyjamas, got washed, changed into his favourite clothes and put his trunk next to his bedroom door so he would be ready when the Order came to pick him up. Finally, after another five boring minutes, there was a knock on his door; it was his aunt Petunia
"Harry, the Order will be here for you with your friends in ten minutes. I am going to take Vernon and Dudley out so they won't be in the way" Petunia said happily, which made Harry slightly nervous "Have a good year, and please, promise me that you won't go after You-Know-Who no matter what happens!"
Harry was amazed at what he just heard; what did she mean by 'no matter what happens'? Was something going to happen to Harry? Harry didn't know what to say once again so he just nodded his head.
Petunia hugged and kissed Harry goodbye and walked back to the door
"Oh, and Harry, I'll keep in touch, okay?" She said as she turned back to face him in the doorway.
After a few minutes Harry saw them drive off through his window, Vernon had the same glum look on his face like always, but Petunia looked more relaxed now that she had finally told Harry her past, as they reversed off the drive Harry saw Petunia catch his eye and smile.
After exactly seven o'clock Harry heard the door bell go. He ran to the window expecting to see some sort of new magical transport, but all he saw sat in the drive way was a great big, white stretch limo. Harry glared through the window at the two people standing by the limo, they were wearing black and white suits with black sun glasses; they both looked some what like Muggle bodyguards. Harry couldn't figure out who they were until the smaller one of the two on the left side looked up at him and scrunched up their face as if sneezing; the guard's hair colour quickly changed from black to baby blue. Harry knew straight away who it was, but he still didn't know who the taller, older looking one was, until he saw a big blue eye wiz quickly around from behind the glasses; It was Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody!
Harry heard the door bell go for a second time, he had completely forgot that it had rung before so he sprinted down to open the door, easily clearing the bottom three stairs as he did so.
As Harry opened the door he saw his friends, smiling happily; Ron, Hermione, Professor Lupin and Mr. Weasley all looked glad Harry opened the door. It was clear that Ron had grown a few more inches over the summer, and that Hermione had once again gotten even prettier. Mr. Weasley looked like he's usual cheery self, and Lupin looked just like normal, except he's hair was a little greyer.
"Harry! It's about time you opened the door! Its good to see'ya mate!!" said Ron instantly, Harry was suddenly on the receiving end of a huge hug from Hermione
"Harry, how are you? Have your Aunt and Uncle been treating you well? What have you been up to? I've really missed you!" said Hermione finally letting go of Harry.
"Yeah, I'm Fine thanks, its good to see you all, I've missed you all too!" Replied Harry
"Harry, have you got your things ready?" asked Lupin
"Um... Yeah, I'll just go get the -"
"Please Harry, let me..." Lupin said as he raised his wand and said "Accio Trunk"
Harry's trunk came soaring down the stairs gracefully
"There, that's the heaviest bit out the way, but I'm afraid you'll have to get Hedwig and the rest yourself" Lupin smiled.
Harry, Ron and Hermione laughed
"Harry, me and Ron will be happy to help you with the rest of your stuff" Hermione said happily while nudging Ron
"Oh, yeah, yeah! We'll be happy to; you can show us your room too!" Said Ron excitedly
"Harry, would you mind if I took a little look around? I'm sure your Aunt wouldn't mind" said Mr. Weasley, who appeared to be itching to look around a real Muggle house
"Yeah, sure, go ahead, just make sure not to move anything, my Uncle might get suspicious or something" laughed Harry as he started to go up stairs with Ron and Hermione.
Just as Harry was about to open the door he heard a little tiny hoot; he opened the door as fast and possible and saw that Hedwig was back, sitting happily on her cage with a tiny little mouse in her beak
"Hedwig! Your back!" said Harry holding out his arm for Hedwig to climb on.
"So, this is your room? The Muggle's don't like you to be too comfortable do they?" said Ron looking around the small room
"Yeah, tell me about it!" laughed Harry "But at least it better than the cupboard under the stairs!"
Hermione looked Horrified
"They kept you... under the s-stairs?!"
"Well, yeah, they used to, but it wasn't too bad, quite comfy really, I mean, the spiders weren't too big" said Harry sarcastically
"S-Spiders..." said Ron looking like he just watched Aragog climb through Harry's window
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and laughed. Harry couldn't believe it; it was just like he was back at Hogwarts already.
Harry suddenly remembered what Petunia had told him the day before; he walked over to the door and closed it quietly
"Hey... um... Guys, I need to tell you something, something big..." said Harry as he started to tell them what Petunia had told him the night before.
"Wow, that's... wow... who would have thought..." said Ron suspiciously five minutes later
"Don't you think its amazing, she knew this whole time, and she used an Unforgivable, and didn't get sent to Azkaban!" said Harry excitedly
"Yeah Harry, that's um... that's really amazing..." replied Hermione
"Ron, Hermione, what's up? I thought you'd be so – wait... did you know?" said Harry fiercely. Neither Ron nor Hermione dared to answer him.
"Did you? Did you know!" Shouted Harry
"... Harry, please, we only – we only knew that she used to go to Hogwarts, we never knew how or why she was expelled, honest..." replied Hermione softly
Harry was furious, he couldn't believe they knew and they didn't tell him
"So how long ago did you find out?" Harry asked angrily
"Well, remember last year when Dumbledore came round when we were all at Sirius' house? Well when you went to your trial? Mrs Weasley and Lupin told us, but they made us promise not to tell you, where were under order's from Dumbledo-"
"Yeah Harry, it's not like we wanted to lie to you..." inturupted Ron
"Yeah, but you still did!" yelled Harry
"Look Harry, we're sorry, okay? We didn't want to lie to you but we had to! We're sorry... friends?" reasoned Ron
"Yeah, alright, I'm sorry, I just – a lot of things have happened lately, I didn't mean to shou-"
"Harry, its okay, really, there's no need to apologise..." said Hermione sweetly
Harry smiled and picked up Hedwig's cage under one arm and opened the door.
The three friends finally returned from Harry's room carrying Hegwid's cage and Harry's Firebolt a few moments later
"Ahh, Harry, you're ready, I take it your aunt has told you where we're going?" asked Lupin
"Yeah, she said we're going to Sirius' – err – I mean – we're going to Grimmuald Place"
Lupin nodded
"So, Mr. Weasley is that your car outside?" asked Harry
"Ahh! Yes! It sure is. She's a beauty isn't she" answered Mr. Weasley while putting down the Pizza slicer and looking amazed
"Yeah, is it – is it like the old one? The one me and Ron – um – lost?" said Harry nervously
"Better! This one doesn't have a mind of its own, and the invisibility booster is one hundred percent reliable... and it's really roomy too!"
Harry and Mr. Weasley smiled
"So, Harry, are you ready? Oh, and don't think we've forgot what today is..." Lupin said with a twinkle in his eye "Happy Birthday! We've got a little celebration for you back at Sirius' – Back at the headquarters. Your owl is quite the remembral you know, wouldn't stop pecking us until we were finished getting everything ready for you"
Harry turned to Hedwig on his solder and stroked her
"Trust me Harry, you've got a very trustworthy owl there" said Lupin happily