Harry potter, George b'day
It had been 7 years since the Battle of Hogwarts.
7 years since Voldemort was at last destroyed.
And 6 years since one redheaded twin now only got one birthday cake instead of two.
Before Fred Weasly, was murdered during the Battle, one of the best days of the year for George was their birthday (and not just because it was aslo April Fools Day).
They would get up early and whisper what pranks they would pull on their friends and family, then they would get reminded it was also their birthday, so they would go and have breakfast, consisting of a pile of thick pancakes each with a candle in them. Then they would turn their attention to the pile of presents, most of the time it would just be two lots of the same thing in different wrapping paper, but sometimes one twin would get something different from the other.
After presents they would spend their day like anyone else would spend their birthday, and then they would get a birthday cake each as dessert before going to bed.
But all that changed when Fred was killed.
Now, George would sleep in until gone 12 o'clock. Instead of thick pancakes he would have cereal (which most of the time would get soggy because he didn't eat it fast enough). Instead of two lots of the same preset, there was only one lot, and they were simple things that might be useful to him, rather than joke making things. Then he would spend the rest of the day to himself, not minding if no one else gave him their attention, but tried to be happy when someone did come to see him. Next came dinner and the singlar birthday cake which seemed a little smaller than he remembered them being. Then he would go to bed, not needing to change into his pajamas because he didn't change out of them that morning, and went straight to sleep.
Each year his family and friends would try their best to make him happy again, but they had to admit that the only thing that would make him happy again was if Fred Weasly was back, but there was no way to fully bring back the dead, but there is a way to to bring back their shadows, Harry just needed to find it.
Harry Potter, had been going into the Forbidden Forest the past few days looking everywhere for the Resurrection Stone, unfortunately he wasn't really sure where he was when he dropped it, and Accio didn't seem to work on it either.
"One more hour searching, then I'll go back to the castle," he said to himself looking around the area he just got to and spotted a fallen tree that he recognised.
He went over to it and started to carefully search through the leaves covering the ground, soon finding what he wanted.
Smiling, he got up and headed back to the castle to his own office behind the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
That weekend, Harry with his present for George flooed over to The Burrow to spend the day with him and the rest of the Weasley family.
He set his present next to the others and helped Molly Weasley in making a cake for later.
They were just adding the flour to the mix, when George, still in his pajamas, came down from his room.
Giving a mumbly 'Good morning' and receiving a few 'Morning's' and 'Happy Birthday's' back, George got himself some cereal sitting down at the table and slowly eating it.
As he ate, he looked over to the pile of presents frowning.
"I don't think I want any presents this year guys" George finally said.
"Oh come on dear, you say that every year," Molly said as she folded in the flour.
"Well this year I mean it," George said, turning away from them, playing with his soggy cereal a little bit.
"I think you will like my gift" Harry said smiling a little "And it took me a while and some trouble to find," he added as George was about to say something "So before you reject it, just see what it is please?"
"Hmmmm ok…" George said, finishing the cereal as Harry went to grab the little black box.
"Now, before I give it to you," Harry said, slowly choosing his words carefully "You have to promise not to use it too often, ok, just on birthdays and maybe Christmas, ok?"
Nodded George held out his hand and undid the bow holding the box together.
The inside of the box was lined with almost silky fabric underneath which was a block of styrofoam which also had a dent in the middle, in the dent sat an almost ordinary boring black pebble.
"Wow, thanks Harry, a small paper weight for those mini notes on my desk in the joke shop." George said, putting the lid back onto the box.
"Don't be like that, please," Harry said calmly "And don't be put off by how it looks, it's actually the Resurrection Stone."
Silence came over all the Weasleys there - Arthur, Molly, Percy, Ron, and Ginny - all looking either amazed, worried or confused.
George on the other hand looked mad.
"Oh, ha ha Harry, you think that since today is also April Fools Day, you can get away with pranking me like this?!"
"If you think it's a prank, test it." Harry said calmly, used to being yelled at. "If it works, You're welcome, and I want an apology. If not, you can hit me, hex me, jinx me, or whatever else you want. Just calm down, and turn it over in your hand three times."
Frowning, George looked at the stone and calming down, closed his eyes and did as he was told.
Hearing gasps of his after the last turn, George opened his eyes and standing before him was a not quite a ghost, but not quite human version of Fred Weasly looking just as young as he did when he died, he was even wearing the same things.
"F-Fred?" George asked, tears in his eyes as he got up.
"Has it really been so long you don't recognize your own brother?" Fred's spirit asked with a smile on his face.
Tears running down his face now, George ran over to him to try and hug him and although Fred's skin was cold he was solid enough to hug.
Next to hug Fred was Molly who was crying just as much (if slightly more) than George.
Leaving the red-headed family to catch up with each other, Harry went back to the cake, pouring it into the tin and then setting it into the oven.
He was just about to start washing up when he heard George call him over.
Curious Harry came over and looked up at George - still the taller out of the two of them.
Taking a deep breath George looked down at the stone and said "Sorry I didn't believe you Harry, and thank you for the gift."
"You're welcome," Harry said smiling, seeing Molly pulling out the family albums to show Fred's spirit, all the new family members "But like I said don't use it too much, or else you might end up killing yourself just to be with him. He's not fully back, he's a shadow. You understand?"
"I think so," George said, nodding and turning to be back with his family, but looked back when Harry said:
"Oh and Happy Birthday."
