Disclaimer: JKR's, not mine.

Training and Travels

Harry awoke to the blaring alarms. He stumbled from the bed, wand in hand as if under attack. It took him a moment to read the message on his watch.

"Ugh, Hermy needs to fix the volume on these stupid things," Ginny grumbled grouchily. She punched in a return message when she noticed her finger. She looked at Harry, who had donned a dressing gown before reaching for something on the shelf.

"Harry, love, what exactly did I sleep through last night?" Ginny queried.

"You don't even remember?"

"If I did, would I be asking?"

"I can't believe you don't remember." He shook his head in mock sadness.

He sent and received a message on his watch, smirked, and tucked his wand in his pocket, scooping up his training clothes on his way out. In the loo, he tapped the door wedge with his wand, practicing his non-verbal magic skills. He watched it glow, then shoved it under the door.

He showered quickly and dressed. He was throwing his laundry in the hamper when he heard "HARRY JAMES POTTER!" echo up from the kitchen.

"That sounded ominous," he sighed. His mirror chuckled.

Down in the kitchen, Harry encountered a vision of fury. Hermione's anger radiated in waves. Even her hair seemed to sizzle.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said innocently.

"What is the meaning of this?" she snarled, inclining her head to indicate the house-elf in the corner, serenely cooking breakfast.

"Hermione, you know Winky, don't you?" Harry asked, pretending to be confused.

"Yes, thank you, we've met," she snapped. "Now, tell me why you paid her master a hundred Galleons for her to come here to work for you?" Harry wondered if her hair could crackle.

"Now here's a real question," he thought. "If electrical fields are affected by magic, what about static electricity? If I touched her arm, would she set off a spark that'd burn down the house?"

Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. Harry blinked. "Oh, er, yes, well..." He almost reached to take her elbow to guide her from the room, but thought better of it and just beckoned her to follow him instead.

"I paid a hundred Galleons for her happiness and self-esteem," he said, when he turned to face her in the hallway. "If anything, I bought her freedom."

Hermione glared at him suspiciously. "How did you pay her master?"

Harry glanced back at the kitchen door, then moved Hermione farther away from it before describing his donation to St. Mungo's.

"So you lied to her as well?"

"Hermione, did you ever take a good look at her at Hogwarts?" Harry scowled. "I mean a really good look? Did you notice how miserable she was? All she wanted was a family and a home of her own. Instead, she was stuck with a bunch of other little elves who thought she was crazy and dangerous and made her an outcast with a fondness for Butterbeer." He regarded her stubbornly.

"I know you meant well," Hermione said, "but you can't own a slave, Harry. It's just wrong."

"I don't own her," Harry defended himself. "She's free to do whatever she wants. She seemed to like the idea of coming here to help us out. I told her she is in charge. If she happens to love cooking and cleaning and taking care of us and the house, who am I to deprive her of that joy?"

"But you aren't paying her."

"Is anyone paying us to go after Voldemort and save the world? Some people don't require payment to help others. I don't own her. I don't have a piece of paper stipulating anything. I gave her a choice and I did things according to her customs. 'When in Rome,' you know. She's deliriously happy now. Why do you want to take that from her?"

"Slavery is wrong, Harry," Hermione insisted.

"Yeah, well, there is more to the definition of slavery than the one you have," Harry snapped back. "I could have stayed at my aunt and uncle's my whole life and been their slave, yet somehow that was legal. It was one of the best days of my life when I was rescued and introduced to magic, and yet what do I face here? Most people would think it's a whole lot worse than what my life was before. Now my goal is becoming some kind of hit man for the wizarding world, or die trying. I've already seen more death than I can stand, and yet I know there's more to come, and that I have to cause some of it. The difference is that I made a choice. I chose to be here and do this." Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair distractedly. "Just leave Winky alone and let her be happy."

Hermione chewed her lip in consternation.

"Everyone's a slave to something, Hermione," he said resignedly. "Everyone has things they have to do with their life. The difference is the attitude you have about doing it."

Ginny came down the stairs then, eyes flickering between the two. "What's going on now?"

"Harry has bought you a house-elf," Hermione said stiffly.

Ginny's eyebrows slid up. She fluttered her eyelashes at Harry. "Oh daahhling! A ring and a house-elf! How you spoil me!"

"A ring?" Hermione asked sharply.

Harry just smiled. "I need breakfast. I have to eat before Moody gets hold of me." He turned to go to the kitchen.

Still in the hallway, Hermione scanned Ginny from head to toe, calculatingly. "Just what did you do last night, anyway?"

"Nothing," Ginny scowled. "I fell asleep on his bed before he was done talking to Lupin. When I woke up, this was on my finger." She showed her friend the mysterious ring.

Hermione squinted at the small stones. "Ruby and peridots… July and August birth stones? Those would be yours and Harry's. Was it an early birthday present?"

"Hmm, that wasn't what I had in mind for my birthday..." she trailed off, pink rising in her cheeks.

"What did you have in mind?" Hermione demanded.

"Oh don't turn into Mum on me, I know you're sleeping with Ron."

It was Hermione's turn to flush. "This isn't about me. We're talking about you and why you're wearing a ring and why Winky called you Mistress Potter and…. How would you know?"

"Winky called me what?"

"Well, she sort of slipped up, then she said 'Miss Ginny' after that." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Now what were you considering regarding your birthday?"

"Well, unlike yours..." she shot Hermione a pointed glance. "My boyfriend is holding out on me. He says it's because I'm not of legal age, but I think he just likes to torment me."

Hermione raised a brow. "Really. How interesting..."

"No, not 'interesting.' Frustrating!"

Hermione hauled Ginny into the library.

"Do you think the age thing is just some excuse?" Ginny asked.

"How does he say it?" Hermione asked. "Without any of the, er, personal details, please."

"Well, it started sort of serious, like one of those 'it's for your own good' discussions, but now it's more of a joke. At one point we were arranging details of a friendly little wager. He's usually kind of impulsive, so I can't quite figure why he's holding back."

"So you think he refuses because he doesn't want to lose his bet?" Hermione looked skeptical. "That doesn't really sound like Harry. You know he's got that nobility streak a mile wide. He probably doesn't want to do anything you might regret someday."

"How would I regret it?" Ginny frowned. "I want to feel closer to him, to show him how I feel."

"I think Harry is afraid of making your bond any stronger," Hermione mused. "He probably thinks if you never take that step, and he… er, dies… it'd be easier for you to move on."

"If he dies, I'd want to die, too," Ginny said flatly. She thought for awhile, then shook her head. "So maybe I should just convince him it's just physical gratification and be flippant about it? Convince him it won't change things?"

"He's smarter than that, Ginny."

Ginny sighed. "Why can't he just be a normal, hormonal teenager?"

"I'm pretty sure he wonders that same thing." Hermione patted her shoulder as they turned to go to the kitchen for breakfast.

The War Room was put to use with Mad-Eye Moody putting them through their paces. Besides his "Constant Vigilance" mantra, he also shouted random bits of clichéd wisdom which he apparently felt to be encouraging.

"Anything you do can get you killed, including nothing!" he snapped as he caught Ron's hesitation before hexing Luna. "There's no such thing as a fair fight – only ones where you win or lose! Remember, war doesn't determine who is right. War determines who is left."

To Harry, he spouted, "There are old wizards and bold wizards, but there are no old, bold wizards!"

Later he quizzed them on defensive strategies. He used Ron's unconventional approach to the silencing of Mrs. Black's portrait as an example. "If it's stupid, but it works, it's not stupid. Use anything you can think of to take down an opponent." He had them fling the most obscure hexes they could think of at each other. Hermione and Luna easily won that round, and spent some time teaching the others the jinxes they had used.

"The price of greatness is knowing that it can't last forever," he lectured, stomping his wooden leg for emphasis. "Voldemort's time is up. Mother Nature always sides with the hidden flaw, and we know Voldemort's flaw." He pointed at Harry. "We have to make his mistake the key to our attack."

"Hermione!" his voice cracked like a whip. "What have you learned in the library?"

Hermione jumped. "Could you be more specific, Professor?"

"What specifically are you researching?" Moody demanded.

"Snakes, Dumbledore's memories of Tom Riddle, ancient languages, spell creation, dementors…" She ticked things off on her fingers.

"Good, good," Moody nodded approvingly. "We will need periodic reports on everything all of you learn. This mission is a joint effort. No stupid heroics." He glared pointedly at Harry. "And yes, boy, I do know about the prophecy. It doesn't say you will do it all alone. Look around you, boy! Has it occurred to you that part of the power Voldemort knows not is your ability to surround yourself with some of the best witches and wizards of the age? Making them realize their potential? Knowing there are things worth fighting for? Voldemort is a bully. He's not a leader. He controls through fear and manipulation. And he only wants certain types of people: pure-bloods, mostly Slytherins and people who are easily swayed. You have your choice of the smartest Ravenclaws, the bravest Gryffindors, the most loyal and diligent Hufflepuffs, and possibly some of the more cunning Slytherins." Moody rapped his cane on the floor. "Seems like we have pretty good odds, if we develop our strengths." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "And learn to fight dirty," he added as an afterthought.

The teens did well demonstrating their spellwork and training. Moody and Tonks teamed up against them in pairs, to show them what trained Aurors were capable of.

Neville and Luna needed to work together more to make a good team, Ron teamed best with Hermione, and likewise Harry with Ginny. Various pairings had been attempted, but that was how they had practiced most often, and it showed. They vowed to practice switching partners because, as Moody pointed out, they may not know who they'd be caught out with.

"Constant vigilance!" he roared warningly again as he headed for the door.

Lupin glanced at his watch. "It's almost time for lunch. Everyone get cleaned up." He turned and caught Harry's arm. "Wear long sleeves and jeans. Your boots and gloves may come in handy as well. I'm not sure what kind of wreckage we'll be wading through."

Harry nodded. The adrenalin high he'd felt after a good training session plummeted. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders as he left to shower and change.

Hermione had asked if he could set out the Pensieve and Dumbledore's memories for them to go through in his absence, so he pulled those out of his trunk and set them on his desk for her. She, her parents and Ginny planned to spend the afternoon in the library, researching and brainstorming. Ron, Neville and Luna decided to do more training in the War Room with Tonks.

The group ate lunch quietly, most of them sneaking glances at Harry, who steadfastly kept his gaze on his plate and picked disinterestedly at his food.

Luna alone seemed serenely unconcerned. "Harry, watch for Snaggletoothed Sungliders, won't you?" she said conversationally. "I'd like to find a nest. They're very loyal."

"Snaggletoothed sungliders?" Ron asked. "What are they, invisible miniature dragons?"

Luna smiled beatifically. "Yes, actually. They aren't invisible all the time, of course."

"You should meet my brother Charlie," Ron suggested. "He's a dragon handler in Romania."

"How exciting."

"Ready, Harry?" Lupin asked.

Harry dropped his fork with a clatter and rose to his feet in a single motion. "Let's go." He caught Ginny's gaze and smiled faintly. "See you in a bit."

Lupin Side-Along Apparated Harry to a small, picturesque village. Professor Flitwick and Moody were waiting for them. Moody promptly Disillusioned Harry, then the rest of the group.

"Any sign of activity?" Lupin asked.

"Seems clear," Moody said cautiously. "Wands out, be alert. Shack is around here somewhere, watching our backs."

Harry felt better, knowing Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt was around, but he didn't dare relax his guard. For all he knew, with Pettigrew as the Secret-Keeper, Voldemort could be using Harry's parents' house as headquarters and the place could be crawling with Death Eaters.

They walked a short distance beyond the outskirts of the village. Harry saw a house with a long, winding driveway. "Is that where we're going?" he asked Lupin.

"Yes. We'll be using the back entrance as it's better camouflaged."

Harry felt a tingling dread numb his insides as they crept closer.

"Where are Moody and Flitwick?" Harry whispered.

"They couldn't see through the charm. We have to go in first, cancel the charm, then they can Apparate up to the house where Flitwick will redo the charm. Now, just stay here a moment while I check inside."

Lupin scanned the house with his wand before peering in a window. Harry could see a slight shimmer when he moved. After a few moments, he saw the door swing open. Still he waited. His gaze traveled over the exterior of the house. It looked like a nice, sprawling Muggle cottage. Some of the windows were broken, and when Harry thought, "Reparo," the glass flew back into the panes. "Oops, didn't mean to do that." He waited a bit longer, then decided to go in, wondering if Lupin needed backup.

Inside, the damage was extensive. Many of the interior walls were crumbling. There were scorch marks and holes blasted through the ceilings. It looked as though there had been a series of explosions throughout the house.

Harry was somewhat disappointed that he felt no immediate sense of recognition. He didn't remember living in the house. He wandered through, lightly grazing his fingers across walls, thinking, "Reparo," over and over, fixing some minor damages. He walked slowly up the stairs, repairing the banister on the way. The numb feeling of dread had gone, and he merely felt an empty hollowness.

His steps slowed as he explored the upper level of the house. His parents' bedroom seemed mostly intact. His heart gave a rather painful squeeze as he curbed the strange, sudden desire he felt to crawl into the bed and hide under the coverlet.

The furniture was untouched, but there were no personal effects. No hairbrush with strands of long, auburn hair on the vanity, no watch or jewelry strewn on the dresser. Harry wondered who had taken those kinds of things. Hagrid? Dumbledore? Who had packed up his parents' effects to be deposited in the family vault? Who had sent the small trunk of things to Aunt Petunia?

He continued his inspection, through a guest bedroom and a well-lit, airy room that looked to have been a small potions laboratory. He picked up a phial and sniffed gingerly. "Wolfsbane," he murmured, wrinkling his nose. His mother must have made it for Lupin. Suddenly, he frowned in puzzlement. "Why isn't it dusty in here?" There were many cobwebs, but no dust.

Lupin's voice came from the doorway. "Your mother put an anti-dust charm on the house," he said, Disillusioning himself and Harry. "She hated dusting."

"Funny it still works," Harry said, running a finger across a pristine shelf.

Lupin shrugged. "She was a very talented witch."

"Apparently she didn't mind spiders," Harry flicked his wand at the cobwebs collected in the corners.

Harry had gone to the final door and paused before turning the knob. Lupin must have repaired the door that had been blasted off its hinges, he decided. He began to suspect Lupin had come up to this room first to spare him the evidence of how his mother had died. Harry opened the door and surveyed the bright, cheerful nursery. The walls were pale yellow, as though infused with sunshine. There was no sign of the violence and death that had taken place. Harry touched the rail of the cot.

"She always said she'd charmed the cot to give you sweet dreams," Lupin commented.

Harry's grip on the rail tightened.

Abruptly, he pulled his hand away. "Was there anything here? Anything that Voldemort could have been planning to turn into a Horcrux?"

"No," Lupin answered softly. Harry swiveled on his heel to leave the room.

Lupin stopped Harry in the doorway and made a mark over his head on the frame.

Harry frowned and blinked questioningly; until he noticed Lupin smile and point to a mark much lower on the same frame. Harry crouched and traced the other mark with his finger. "This was how tall I was on my first birthday?" he asked wonderingly, reading the small inscription next to the hash mark. "Wow, I was a titchy midget."

Lupin chuckled. "No, Harry, actually you were a strapping young lad. Your mum was immeasurably proud of your growth."

"Hard to believe kids are really that small," Harry mused.

"Luckily for your mum, you started out a whole lot smaller than that."

"Please tell me you don't have diagrams of the delivery," Harry winced.

"Ah, no, but I could extract the memory for the Pensieve," Lupin offered.

Harry gave him a look of such alarm, Lupin had to laugh. "No, I wasn't in the delivery room. There are probably photo albums in the vault you could look at though. James got to be quite a shutterbug."

Shaking his head at the thought of his dad acting like Colin Creevey, Harry turned to go down the stairs. "Let's get this charm thing taken care of," he said.

Within minutes, Harry had canceled the charm. Flitwick Apparated to the house and reapplied it with Lupin as the new Secret-Keeper. As an extra protective measure, Moody magically sealed the house. Anything inside would be trapped inside.

"Never know what kind of rodents might be lingering about." His nostrils flared, as if trying to catch the scent of hidden enemies.

"So with the house sealed, we could fumigate?"

"What's 'fumigate'?" Moody asked.

"My aunt was forever having the house fumigated for spiders," Harry explained. "You seal the house up and the exterminator sets off some kind of smoke that poisons insects. After a few hours, you ventilate the house, go back in and clean up the dead bugs."

Lupin nodded approval. "We'll set off some Garroting Gas in here. It's odourless and colourless. Anyone in there would never notice until it was too late to use a Bubble-head Charm."

"I'd venture a guess that the twins have some," Harry suggested. Lupin Apparated away and popped back a few moments later, holding a heavy canister. Moody released the seal on the door, and Lupin, holding his breath, swiftly set the container inside the door and popped the top open. He darted back out the door, pulling it shut.

"How long will this take?" Moody growled.

Lupin did some quick calculations. "Based on the square footage of the house and the amount of pressure inside the canister, combined with the air circulation charm the twins applied to the gas itself, the house should be fairly well saturated by now."

The group quickly applied Bubble-head Charms to themselves as Moody unsealed the door and stepped inside.

"Accio Death Eaters! Accio Death Eater wands! Accio Dark objects!" Moody snapped in swift succession.

"Don't forget, Accio Animagus," Lupin said grimly.

A large beetle landed on the floor at his feet.

Harry snatched up the beetle. "Rita Skeeter, we meet again." He scowled, tempted to crush the unconscious bug.

Flitwick produced a small jar. Harry unceremoniously dropped the bug in and irritably screwed the lid on tightly.

"Skeeter, did you say?" Flitwick squeaked in his little high-pitched voice, squinting at the jar.

"Yes. That's Rita Skeeter. She's an unregistered Animagus with a penchant for eavesdropping. Apparently she's not a Death Eater, since she only came to Lupin's Animagus summons. I suppose she could be under the Imperius, but she's plenty nasty in her own right. Obviously Pettigrew revealed the address to her, and she stayed to spy while we reset the Fidelius. Being in here at the time it was cast included her in the charm, right? So she would have been able to come and go at will." He frowned. "Would Death Eaters Transfigured into animals be considered Death Eaters? Malfoy may be masquerading as a ferret these days."

"Accio Transfigured Death Eaters!" Moody flashed his wand. Nothing else in the house moved. He shrugged. "Just the one then."

"Do you suppose she could have interfered with the charm somehow?" Harry asked.

Flitwick blinked. "Well, that should be impossible, but…we don't dare underestimate You-Know-Who, do we." They all went outside and Flitwick re-did the charm, again designating Lupin as the Secret-Keeper. Lupin pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled the address for Moody and Flitwick. They had been inside the house before, so hadn't needed it.

"Good," Moody nodded once, seeming satisfied. "Now, a few wards." He set to work, making arching motions with his wand as he muttered incantations.

"Harry," Lupin said quietly, pulling him aside. "Your parents are buried near here. There is a private graveyard right over that hill, beyond the house."

Harry nodded and began walking. Lupin trailed behind, unsure if his presence would be a comfort or not, but unwilling to let Harry leave his sight.

Harry stopped suddenly and turned toward the house. "Professor Flitwick?"

"Yes my boy?" the petite professor asked.

"Could you come with us?"

"Certainly, just a moment." He added a few final flourishes, then hurried to catch up to Harry and Lupin.

They trudged up the hill and down the other side. Nestled in the cozy dell, a mausoleum was surrounded by marble headstones.

Lupin scanned the area for traces of magic, but found none. "Harry, be careful. The wards are down."

Harry gave him a sharp glance. "You think Voldemort has been desecrating more graves?"

He uttered, "Accio Death Eater's wands! Accio Death Eaters! Accio Dark objects! Accio Animagus!" Not even a leaf stirred. "Accio transfigured Death Eaters!" Still nothing.

Harry turned to Professor Flitwick. "Can we do some kind of spell to keep all the graves intact? Or even a Fidelius Charm on the whole graveyard?"

Flitwick's brow furrowed. "Yes, we can try the Fidelius," he nodded. "But you should be the Secret-Keeper, Harry. That would be the most secure way to protect your ancestors' remains." Harry nodded and waited for the professor to complete the charm. It was a funny, ticklish feeling when the secret lodged firmly in his mind. He quickly scribbled the location on a piece of parchment and handed it to Lupin.

Professor Flitwick waved off the scrap of paper. "No, no, the less that know, the better, Harry, but thank you for your trust. I will go back and help Alastor finish on the house."

Lupin walked slowly, Harry at his side, pausing to read the names on the headstones. Some of the oldest markers appeared covered in runes. "I should bring Hermione here," Harry said, trailing his fingers over an engraving. "She could probably read these."

Lupin smiled. "I took Ancient Runes too, you know."

"Really?" Harry was surprised. "So you were like our Hermione to the Marauders?"

"I can't say I was as clever, but I did like Runes."

They stopped in front of a large, creamy white marble stone. There were no names or dates engraved on it at all; just carvings of a stag and an ornate flower. A lily, Harry realized.

"They requested the design when they made their wills." Lupin's voice trembled slightly. He inhaled deeply and sighed. "They wanted the dates left off, because they said their love is timeless. They also wanted to keep their identities somewhat private, to make it difficult for anyone who might want to locate their remains for nefarious purposes."

"It's almost like...they knew…" He looked questioningly at Lupin.

"Death was a very real possibility then. Worse than now, even. It was a daily occurrence, so people knew they had to have their affairs in order," Lupin explained. "Voldemort had armies of Inferi as well. Cremation became a very common practice."

"Were mum and dad cremated?"

"No," Lupin said, shaking his head. "Your mother was adamant about that." He flushed slightly. "She thought…in case you might need something from them…someday."

Harry's countenance twisted in horrified disgust. "No way. No, no, no." He shuddered violently.

"It was a good idea to protect this place," Lupin nodded. "I'm not sure why the wards were down. Perhaps they failed when Dumbledore died, but it doesn't seem that anything has been disturbed. I think I shall investigate more closely. You can join me or stay here."

Harry hesitated. "I'll find you in a bit."

Lupin nodded and walked away slowly, wand out. Harry sank to his knees. He placed his hand on the cold marble, but felt nothing. There was no tingle of lingering magic like he'd felt at the house. It was just a stone. He slowly moved his hand to the ground. It was strange to know their bodies were resting mere feet away. He flopped down on his back in the cool grass, parallel and in between where he imagined their coffins would be. He felt no comforting reassurance, no closeness. What he felt was peace. He realized their souls were not restless, not unhappy. They had died fighting for something important. "Someday I'll see you again," he whispered fiercely, staring up at the sky littered liberally with fluffy clouds. "But forgive me if I hope it's not for a long, long time."

He relaxed, listening to the quiet for a few moments. Finally, he stood and used his wand to produce some flowers, which he placed in an urn at the base of the stone.

Lupin returned and studied Harry a moment. "Do you still want to go to Gringotts today? If you're tired, we can go back to Headquarters."

"Gringotts is fine," Harry said. They walked back to the house, where Harry thanked Professor Flitwick and Moody and asked them to pass his gratitude on to Kingsley, who was probably still lurking about, watching their backs.

He grasped Lupin's arm to Side-Along Apparate to Diagon Alley. "Bet you can't wait to get your license, eh Harry?"

Harry shrugged. He never had got used to the feeling of being sucked through a hosepipe. "I'd rather fly, personally."

Lupin handed Harry the parchment they'd used to write his will as they trudged up the steps and entered the bank. Harry spotted Griphook almost immediately and caught his eye.

"Mister Potter," the goblin greeted, walking briskly to meet them. "How can I assist you today?"

"Hello Griphook." Harry bowed slightly. "I hope we're not interrupting your other duties."

"Not at all, sir," the goblin said. "Do you need to visit your vault today?"

"Yes, please," Harry nodded. "But first, I need to have this filed. It's my will."

"Very good, I will take care of it." Griphook took the document and disappeared for a moment. When he reappeared, they climbed into a cart and shot down the steep incline toward the vaults.

The goblin stopped at Harry's vault. Harry handed him the key to open it, then went inside to refill his money pouch. Seeing some of Sirius' things, Harry called Lupin in to look them over. "I'll wait in the cart, you grab anything that looks useful, or any mementos you'd like to have. Nothing of this is very meaningful to me, so take what you want. Sirius would want you to have it."

Harry joined Griphook in the cart and asked about his family, chatting amiably with him while they waited.

Lupin emerged from the vault and Harry handed Griphook the other key. "Do you have time to take us to my parents' vault today? We need to take a look at something that was my mum's. You could drop us off and return later, if you're busy."

"I will wait." Griphook set the cart in motion. A few hair-raising drops and hairpin turns later, the cart came to an abrupt stop and the goblin opened the vault door with the key.

Harry and Lupin entered the vault. Harry headed straight for the Ministry chest he had seen before. He nicked his finger and pressed the drop of blood to the latch, but it didn't open. He frowned and looked at Lupin questioningly. "Griphook? Can I do magic in here?" Harry asked, wand poised at the trunk.

Griphook poked his head inside.

"I think my mum left some important papers in this trunk, but I can't get it open," Harry said.

Griphook inspected the trunk. "I believe it can only be opened when you reach the age of majority," he said finally. "It seems to be restricted by the bindings of this vault."

Harry sighed. "Good thing my birthday is next week then. I can get my Apparition license and come here that day." He turned to Griphook. "Will you be available?"

The goblin nodded curtly. "I will be at your disposal."

"Do you see anything else we should look at in here?" Harry directed his question to Lupin, who was wandering about within the vault.

"I haven't seen some of these things in years. Some of it I've never seen. We can look through it more carefully next week. Sorry, it's not really the big birthday celebration you deserve." He squeezed Harry's shoulder sympathetically.

"Still better than most of my birthdays," Harry shrugged. He didn't suggest waiting until the day after his birthday. He was even a bit relieved, as he did not want a large gathering to make another target for Voldemort.

"Well, let's head back then, I'm sure the others have been busy in our absence."

"Hang on, I'll check to see if anyone needs anything while we're here," Harry said, fiddling with his watch.

His watch glowed with a reply message almost immediately, and as he read it, a dull red flush crept up his neck and ears. He shook his head with a small, embarrassed smile. "Uh, we have a request for some ice cream and chocolate sauce..."

"I'm going to pretend I don't know who made that request."

At the grocer, Lupin went straight for the ice cream freezer before adding a canister and a jar to the basket.

"What're those for?" Harry asked, peering at the items.

"Dessert." Lupin grinned wolfishly and winked.

"I don't want to know, do I," Harry wrinkled his nose.

"What?" Lupin feigned innocence. "You can't have an ice cream sundae without whipped cream and a cherry on top!"