HARRY POTTER & THE SECRET ENEMY

Harry Potter and all associated characters and situations are the property of J.K. Rowling. I make no claim to ownership.

CHAPTER 7: Countdown to a Birthday

15 July 1992

Harry remained at the Burrow for another four days. During that time, Ron only made one more all-day trip to Potter Manor, though he took up running and weight-lifting while at home at the Burrow and, to Harry's surprise, finished most of his homework. Even more surprising, he showed a little humility and asked Harry (who was top of their year in DADA) a number of Defense questions that the Slytherin was happy to answer. At the stroke of noon on Wednesday, July 15th, Harry was to use a portkey that Lady Augusta had sent via Artie which would take him directly to Longbottom Manor. There, he would spend the rest of the summer with Neville. But he had one last thing to take care of before he left the Burrow.

On the morning of the 15th, Molly Weasley rose at seven o'clock to make breakfast as usual when, to her surprise, she found it was already in progress. As she descended the stairs, she was surprised by the sound of bacon frying and the smell of fresh coffee already made. And in the middle of her kitchen, whistling cheerfully as he whisked egg yolks into a bowl of fresh milk, was Harry Potter.

"Harry? What in heaven's name are you doing up this early? And cooking breakfast?!"

He turned and smiled at the woman. "Well, it's like this, Mrs. Weasley. This is my last day here, and I wanted to do something to show my appreciation for all the kindnesses you and your family have shown to me. Now, I was four years old when the Dursleys decided I needed to learn to cook for them ... to 'pay them back' as it were for the privilege of being allowed to live under their roof. Simple things when I was little, but increasingly fancy and complicated meals as I got older. And they never gave me any compliments or encouragement, just complaints when everything wasn't absolutely perfect. So I have been waiting over seven years for the chance to cook something nice for people I actually like. And honestly, there aren't many people I like right now better than the Weasleys."

At that, Molly's eyes misted a bit, and she came over and hugged the boy. Harry stiffened at first – he wasn't used to hugs or other displays of affection – but he relaxed into it.

"I know you'll be very happy at Longbottom Manor, but I promise you'll always be welcome here if you ever want to come back, Harry."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."

"Now, what are you making for us?"

"Quiche Lorraine, Eggs Benedict, and Raspberry Scones."

"Goodness me," Molly said in amazement.

As the rest of the Weasleys came down, they were all equally impressed at Harry's skill in the kitchen. Mr. Weasley thought it a kind gesture, but he said that Harry shouldn't have spent money on food for them since he was the guest. Harry's eyes took on a mischievous gleam.

"Well actually, sir, your sons all pitched in with the expense. They each gave me some of their allowance last week, and I used that to buy the ingredients." He turned to the four surprised Weasley sons. "I did tell you it was for a good cause," he said with a smile.

Molly, now convinced that all four of her sons must have known of this surprise breakfast, went around and gave each of the startled boys a bone-crushing hug. Ginny, of course, knew exactly when and why the four had given up money to Harry – to pay off the bet they'd made over her Seeker's contest against Cedric Diggory – and she nearly laughed at the looks they were all giving him, looks that all seemed to say "dammit, now I owe the Slytherin for this." Once breakfast was over, Percy, the Twins and Ron all immediately began clearing the table as Percy told their mother to sit and relax while they took care of the washing up.

Harry rose from the table. "While you're taking care of the dishes, I have one final surprise for you all." He darted upstairs and returned a moment later with paper sack marked with the logo of Flourish & Blotts from which he pulled several wrapped presents.

"Harry," said Molly, "You shouldn't have."

"It's just a small token of my regard, Mrs. Weasley. I hope you'll accept them and enjoy them all."

The Weasleys didn't know what to expect beyond the fact that from the shape of the presents they were all books. Molly was afraid at first that he'd bought the children textbooks. She was concerned about the school expenses but also was afraid her children would be embarrassed by charity. In fact, however, none of the books were school books but instead were more personal gifts. For Ron, it was a copy of Flying With the Cannons. For Percy, Prefects Who Gained Power. The Twins, Harry had said, would have to share their gift, as Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks might be too dangerous for Hogwarts if they each had their own copy. Ginny's gift had no title, as it was just a very nice blank diary so that her parents wouldn't have to buy her one. Arthur was thrilled with his gift which was the only Muggle-written book of the bunch, a layman's introduction to Muggle electrical and automotive technology. Finally, for Molly, Harry had been pleased to find a book at Flourish & Blotts called Mastering the Art of Magical French Cooking. Harry explained to Molly that the original version was written by a famous Muggle named Julia Child who introduced millions of ordinary Muggles to French culinary techniques, explaining them in ways that someone without professional chef training could understand. Thanks to Petunia Dursley, it was literally one of the first books he learned to read. And apparently, Gaston Legard, the legendary head chef of Summerisles, learned about the book at some point and adapted it for the magical cooking techniques used by witches and wizards. All in all, the Weasleys were quite happy with their gifts, even Ron, and Harry was happy to have (hopefully) done a little bit to counteract Slytherin House's poor reputation.

At noon, Harry said his final goodbyes, pulled out the portkey Artie had given him (a small flower vase with a cursive "L" inscribed on it), and said the activation world: "Sanctuary." Portkey travel was a profoundly unpleasant sensation, though he supposed he'd have to get used to it. After he recovered from the feeling of being dragged navel first through a plughole, Harry found himself at the front door of Longbottom Manor. On hand to greet him were Neville and Augusta Longbottom and two house elves.

As Neville stepped forward to welcome his friend, Harry was surprised at the boy's appearance. Since leaving Kings Cross, Neville had grown an inch, his hair had lightened, he'd lost a good bit of baby fat, and he had a tan! Harry hadn't thought the British could even get suntans. Certainly, he'd never managed it in ten years of summertime yard work.

"Neville! Great to see you, friend. And you as well, Lady Augusta. It seems that life in the Amazon agrees with you both."

Both Longbottoms laughed at that, and then Lady Augusta introduced the two house elves as Lumpen and Hoskins and directed them to carry Harry's trunk up to his room. She also reassured Harry that, as house elves bonded directly to the Manor, Lumpen and Hoskins would be able to ward off any unwelcome house elves, as a house elf's power is always greatest within its own domain. Then, she and Neville led Harry to a sunroom where they took lunch. It was the first chance for the boys to talk since they left Kings Cross back in June. Harry was amazed to hear about Neville's remarkable adventures in the Amazon jungle, including an unsuccessful quest for a rare flower which might hold the cure for lycanthropy, an encounter with a mysterious race of leopard people who lived in a city of gold deep within the jungle, and a desperate flight for his life after he accidentally breached the ancient lost temple of the Cult of the Nameless Xoanon! It was all very ... Gryffindorish, surprisingly so for a boy who'd previously expressed a desire to spend his whole summer just puttering around the family greenhouse repotting the venomous tentaculae. In comparison to Neville's holiday, Harry suddenly thought his run-in with a single hyperactive house elf and a storm of doxies seemed somewhat ... boring. Nevertheless, Neville and Augusta were suitably horrified at how close Harry came to dying, so apparently he'd won the "death-defying sweepstakes."

"Alright, then," said Augusta. "That's quite enough about near-fatal experiences. My old heart isn't up to hearing any more." Neville, who'd seen Augusta's impressive dueling skills on display that summer in Brazil, resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. "Now, I understand, Harry, that you found a tutor for the summer break?"

"Yes, Lady Augusta, a former Hufflepuff who's going to the Auror Academy in the fall. She's the daughter of Andromeda and Ted Tonks."

"Ah, yes. I remember their marriage announcement in The Prophet. I think I may have heard Cygnus Black's screams of outrage all the way here in Lancashire. Have you found her satisfactory?"

"Very much so, ma'am, although she's only teaching me in the areas I'll be studying at Hogwarts: Charms, Transfiguration and Defense on the weekends and then Potions on every other Thursday night. I'm also studying estate management, etiquette, wizarding history and ... some other things on Tuesdays and those Thursdays not given over to Potions."

"An ambitious schedule. May I ask the long term goals behind all this self-study?"

Harry exhaled. "Aside from wanting to stay at the top of my class and beat Jim? It's in the back of my mind that if I can take some of my OWLS early and pass at least four of them, I can petition for emancipation. Obviously that's some time away, but if I push myself, it's doable the summer after my Third Year."

Neville whistled, while August merely nodded with some approval.

"As I said, ambitious. Also, and do excuse an old woman's nosiness, but do those 'other things' include Occlumency training?"

Harry glanced over at Neville who blushed and mouthed "Sorry."

"They do, Lady Augusta."

She sighed. "I hope you will proceed cautiously. There is an element of danger in such training, as well as a lifelong distrust from many members of our society if your training becomes common knowledge." She grimaced. "And I must say it angers me that such training is even necessary. Yet another way in which James Potter has failed in his paternal obligations, I suppose."

Harry was surprised at the hostility contained in that last comment. "How so, Lady Augusta?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise for a second. "Oh, of course. How silly of me to have assumed that someone would have actually told you what you have every right to know. You are the Potter Heir Presumptive, Harry. Somewhere in the Potter family vault should be a ring that will be yours when you become Heir Apparent, though your father has the absolute discretion to give it to you early if he chose to do so, as most Lords do for their Heirs. Every Wizengamot House has such rings, one each for the Head of House, the Consort and the Heir Apparent." She raised her left hand to display a gold band with a green stone inscribed with the letter 'L' on the ring finger.

"Among other benefits both magical and mundane, your Heir's ring would help to defend against Legilimency, the Confundus and many other lesser mind-altering spells – though not the Imperius of course – without the need for formal Occlumency training. Naturally, the Wizengamot does not tolerate its members, whether current or future, being subjected to casual psychic manipulation." She turned to Neville who was suddenly very intrigued. "And before you ask, Neville, I plan to present you with the Longbottom Heir's ring as a birthday present. It's presently at Gringotts being refurbished. I only wish it had been ready for you last year, as it might conceivably have protected you from Professor Quirrell's spells."

Neville smiled at that. Harry also smiled for his friend, although it was tinged with sadness. One more thing James Potter had kept from him.

"In the meantime, Neville, I would like for you to rest and enjoy yourself for the next two weeks or so. It was an eventful trip to the Amazon for us both, and you should recover from it. But if you wish to join Harry in receiving additional lessons, I will be happy to arrange it for the month of August. But don't go getting any funny ideas about 'emancipation.' You will take your OWLS during Fifth Year like your father and grandfather before you, and you will do as well on them as they did."

"Yes, Gran," he said respectfully.

"Now, kindly show Harry up to his room and get him situated. After that, I imagine you'll be wanting to show him the pool... assuming you can find something to wear." She laughed loudly at that while Neville made a sour face and shook his head. Then, he rose from the table and led Harry away towards the stairs.

"What was with that crack about the pool?" Harry asked.

Neville snorted. "You remember how Uncle Algie tried to drown me when I was seven? Well, since then, I've always been afraid of large bodies of water ... until I got all my memories back. I decided that this summer was the time to conquer that particular fear, so while we were in Brazil, I learned to swim. Once I got over my jitters and mastered the basics, I really enjoyed it. So Gran sent word to the house elves to get the pool in the backyard cleaned out and filed with water. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Do you swim?"

"Never learned how. I suppose I ought to. The way things are going, I'm sure my life will depend on it at some point. But why did she think the idea was so funny?"

Neville coughed. "Well, you see ... I learned to swim while deep in the jungle from some local boys in one of the indigenous tribes and ... theydidn'tusebathingsuitssoweallwentnaked." He said that last bit as fast as possible, but Harry still understood it and couldn't suppress a bark of laughter.

"I see. So that new tan of yours – it's all over, I take it?" Neville didn't reply, but Harry was amused to realize that having a suntan didn't stop a person from blushing furiously.

Three days later, invitations to Potter Manor as personal guests of Harry Potter on the occasion of his and Jim's joint birthday were sent to the following individuals and/or families (with Hermione and Neville told to simply accept Jim's prior invitation so as to not insult their house-mate):

Miss Hannah Abbot

Amelia Regent Bones and her ward, Miss Susan Bones

Misses Margaret & Millicent Bulstrode

Miss Tracey Davis

The Right Honorable Amos Diggory and family

Sir Malcolm Finch-Fletchley (O.B.E.) and family

Mr. Marcus Flint

Daniel Lord Greengrass and family

The Right Honorable Hestia Jones, Esq.

Miss Olivia Kolumbiko

Samuel Lord McMillan and family

Howard Lord Montague and family

Mr. Madanapala Patil and family

The Right Honorable and Mme. Artemus Podmore, Esq,.

Healers Edward and Andromeda Tonks and family

Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Weasley and family

The Lady Serena Zabini, Dowager Contessa di Provence and her son, Mr. Blaise Zabini

Lady Augusta assisted with the invitation list, guiding Harry through the absurdly overcomplicated process of properly addressing witches and wizards within various strata of British wizarding society. More importantly, she helped him to understand the potential benefits and ramifications of each invitation. Apparently, the Potters had just sent out invitations to Jim's friends, ignoring their families (including siblings attending Hogwarts and several scions of Wizengamot families who would likely be offended at being excluded). According to Augusta, it was a faux pas to invite children to a party at a landed estate without at least a courtesy invitation to their parents and the rest of their immediate families. Most people overlooked it, however, as (a) James Potter had been offending high society with his tactlessness and lack of social graces for so long that most people were used to it and (b) any chance to bask in the reflected glory of the Boy-Who-Lived was aggressively sought by most high society and government types, even if James in years past had insisted on such garish frivolities as a limbo contest and a Muggle bouncy castle.

Harry, however, had no interest in bouncy castles – if he was going to share a birthday party with the Git-Who-Lived, he was going to use the opportunity to network like hell. Consequently, when a friend he wanted to invite was the child of someone who either Augusta or Artie thought might be important to Harry's longterm goals, the entire family got an invitation. Friends not from particularly important wizarding families – like the Bulstrode sisters or Marcus Flint – got regular invitations with the understanding that they'd be allowed to bring family or a date if they wanted. Harry did invite the entire Muggle family of Justin Finch-Fletchley, in part because of their financial connections and in part to rub Jim's nose in the fact that the Slytherin Potter was more open-minded about Muggles than the Gryffindor Potter.

Lady Augusta was also a font of gossip about wizarding high society, much of which would be at the birthday party whether they liked the Potters or not. Initially, Harry assumed that all the attention and gift-giving was what made Jim such a spoiled brat, but Augusta corrected him. Apparently, since Halloween of 1981, Jim received literally hundreds of gifts every year on his birthday and at Christmas. To their credit, James and Lily thought that unseemly in light of their personal wealth, so they placed all gifts of cash or valuables into the Jim Potter Charitable Trust, which did things like raise money for St. Mungo's, Hogwarts and other non-profit wizarding ventures. They also made a big show of donating all the tangible gifts – toys, clothing, etc. – to needy wizarding children. Consequently, Jim's birthday had evolved over the years into a major charity event with wizarding elites of all stripes donating to the less fortunate by way of ceremonially giving something nice to the Boy-Who-Lived who then passed it along through the appropriate non-profit group. Jim himself probably only got presents from his parents and a few select family friends, but even people like the Malfoys who would never be allowed to set foot on the grounds of Potter Manor still sent gifts to the Boy-Who-Lived which he opened once before handing them off to be donated away.

Finally, while Augusta herself had never been to Jim's birthday party before, she had read press accounts and listened to gossip from friends who had gone. Her observation was that, however crude or obnoxious Jim had been during his first year at Hogwarts, he was surprisingly adept at handling himself in front of the press so as to ensure positive coverage. That might change now that he was approaching his teens, an awkward stage for most children, but he'd been giving interviews to journalists for years now. Augusta also noted with visible disdain that there would probably be what she referred to as a "press availability" in which he might conceivably be expected to participate (although she thought it would be madness for the Potters to actually encourage Harry to talk to the press given the state of their relationship). She pulled old Prophet accounts of past birthday parties so that Harry could get a sense of what to expect. He was amazed to learn that Jim Potter had given his first public interview to the Prophet at the age of seven.

30 July 1992

On the day before Harry's official birthday, he attended a much quieter affair at Longbottom Manor to commemorate Neville's birthday. Augusta hosted a small intimate luncheon attended by the rest of the Longbottom family, and Harry was introduced to Cousins Reginald and Enid and their families. None of them seemed to harbor any ill will over Algie Longbottom's banishment the previous year as far as Harry could tell, and they all applauded warmly as Augusta presented Neville with his Heir's ring. He would be eligible to take the Lord's ring after he'd turned fifteen and passed his OWLS.

Later that afternoon, after the Longbottom cousins had departed, another group of well-wishers showed up: Hermione, Blaise and most of the members of their study group. Only Anthony Goldstein and Theo Nott were absent. The former was in Hamburg for the summer with his parents, while the latter was still at Malfoy Manor, though each sent Happy Birthday wishes to both Neville and Harry. The rest arrived around four and had a light afternoon snack, during which Neville and Harry each opened the gifts brought for them by their friends. Neville was delighted to see that Harry had bought him a wand holster similar to the one Harry himself wore. He was much less pleased when, on is first attempt to use it, his wand shot out of his hand and knocked a pitcher of lemonade over onto the table, splashing both Hermione and Padma. A quick Scourgify from Augusta cleaned them both up instantly, however, and Harry assured Neville that with a little practice, he'd soon get the hang of it.

After lunch was over, the group portkeyed together to London, where a large rental van picked them all up up (along with several parents and chaperones) and carried them to the West End for an introduction to British musical theater. Hermione and Justin Finch-Fletchley and their parents saw to the arrangements, and they decided that Phantom of the Opera with its gothic storyline and 19th century setting would be the most accessible show for young Purebloods. The other children were astonished at what Muggle special effects were possible in a theater and how Muggle technology could create what seemed like magic to the uninitiated. For his part, Blaise admitted that he'd enjoyed the show, but he still wished that Hermione had gone with his suggestion of going to the cinema to see the recently-released Batman Returns. However, Hermione and Justin agreed that the Purebloods already looked down on Muggles enough without suggesting to them that Muggle law enforcement consisted of heavily-armed vigilantes dressed in scary animal costumes.

31 July 1992

On the morning of Harry's birthday, he rose early to prepare. The party officially started at noon, but by special arrangement, he was to go over to Potter Manor at nine o'clock. Attire for the day was "Muggle semi-formal" according to the invitation, so Harry dressed in khaki slacks, a blazer, an open collar shirt with a pullover sweater, and loafers. Neville (who deferred to his friend on Muggle fashion choices) and Augusta would accompany him, and Hestia, Artie and Snape would meet him at the Manor. Like all the other guests, their invitations contained special portkeys that were keyed to their blood, names and magic and could not be used either by anyone else or to carry a passenger. At the stroke of nine, the three activated their portkeys. Several disorienting seconds later, Harry was standing in the Great Hall of Potter Manor where, to his surprise, several aurors were on hand to check invitations and verify identities. Also waiting for him were Professor Snape, Hestia, Artie and a second woman. The last three wore slightly anachronistic but still appropriate clothing, but Harry was amused to see that for Snape, "Muggle semi-formal" consisted of the same jet-black robes he wore every day at school.

"Good morning and happy birthday to you both!" said Artie jovially to Harry and Neville. "Harry, I don't believe you've met my wife, Elizabeth." A middle-aged woman with black hair and a warm kindly face stepped forward.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Especially you, Harry. I know from what he's told me that Artie is quite fond of you."

"Thank you, Madame Podmore," said Harry. "The feeling is mutual."

"Oh, please, call me Elizabeth. I know it's short notice, but I was hoping that after this affair is over, you three might come by our house for dinner."

Harry looked back at Lady Augusta who nodded. "We'd be delighted Elizabeth."

Then, Artie stepped forward, bowed and kissed Lady Augusta's hand before turning back to Harry. "Your parents have prepared a light breakfast in the dining room. Most of the guests won't arrive before noon, but a few of their closer friends are already here. I believe they'd like to show you around the grounds before too many people arrive arrive."

Harry nodded at that. He found himself strangely nervous. The last time he'd interacted with the rest of his family, it was when he served them all with legal papers in front of Dumbledore's office. The time before that was when he was still a baby. Reflexively, he started going over various Occlumency exercises in his head. It wouldn't do to get emotional here in enemy territory.

The formal dining hall had a table big enough to seat twenty, which was why the Potters rarely used it except for formal meals. When Harry and his group arrived, his parents and brother were already there. James and Lily were visibly nervous, while Jim seemed aloof. Also present was a doughy man with beady eyes who Artie introduced as Peter Pettigrew, James's own lawyer. Although Pettigrew gave his best shot at a charming first impression, Harry took an immediate and instinctive dislike to him. Everyone took a seat, and after a moment of uncomfortable silence, James finally spoke.

"I would like to begin, if I may, with an apology." James paused to take a deep breath. "Harry, my conduct for the past year has been ... reprehensible. I am deeply sorry for the circumstances that led to your placement with Petunia and Vernon who we now know were completely unfit guardians. I will still say that, at the time, we genuinely believed that you were a squib and that placement with Muggles was advisable because of the potential danger of Death Eaters trying to get to Jim through you. That said, we certainly should have been much more proactive in making sure you were looked after properly. More importantly, the Howler I sent you after your Sorting was completely indefensible. All I can say is that, frankly, I have had a lifelong bias against Slytherin House that was only made worse during the War when the Death Eaters recruited from that House almost to the exclusion of the other three. They weren't all Slytherins, of course, and after all these years, it is still sobering to think that my best friend and a fellow Gryffindor, Sirius Black, was secretly one of You-Know-Who's strongest supporters. But that was over a decade ago, and I need to accept that Slytherin today is not what it was back then. You and your friends have courageously fought directly against You-Know-Who and helped Jim to drive him away even though you had every reason to be bitter enough to leave Jim to his fate. And I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart." He hesitated once more. "In light of everything that's happened, do you see any possibility of forgiving us and reuniting with our family?"

Harry was quiet for a moment. "I suppose that would depend. Do you see a way to accept me as your Heir Presumptive and eventually your Heir Apparent despite my Sorting?"

James swallowed. "Yes. Yes I do."

Harry stared at him for a long time. James Potter wasn't as easy to read as the typical Gryffindor from school, but he was ultimately still a Gryffindor. Frankly, Harry wasn't sure he was being entirely sincere, but if not, at least he was making the effort to fake it. As a Slytherin, he could respect that at least.

"Then perhaps," said Harry slowly, "some token of good faith might be in order? For example, I gather there's an Heir's ring somewhere?"

Before James could say anything, Peter spoke up. "Unfortunately, the ring was lost on the night You-Know-Who attacked the house at Godric's Hollow. James has commissioned a new Heir's ring, but the enchantments are very high level and anyway it will have to be certified by the Wizengamot. We estimate that a new ring will be available sometime next year."

"What was it doing at Godric's Hollow instead of in the Potter vault?" asked Snape sharply.

James took a second to suppress his annoyance at being interrogated by his old school rival. "I still was the Heir when we moved there, Severus. That house was a wedding gift from my parents. I took the Lord's ring after my father died, but I was still in mourning and, as the saying goes, I was 'unwilling to put away childish things' by putting away my Heir's ring and moving back into the Manor. Besides, a Fidelius on the Manor would not have worked properly anyway because of its size and extensive ward scheme, so we still thought Godric's Hollow was safer. Obviously, we were wrong. Anyway, on Halloween Night 1981, the Heir's ring was sitting in a dresser drawer in the nursery Harry shared with Jim. Both the dresser and that whole room were destroyed in the backlash, and the ring wasn't found among the wreckage."

Harry stared at James and Peter with his eyes narrowed while he tried to guess whether they were lying about the ring and, if so, to what purpose. Then, Hestia spoke up.

"Let's pass over the ring for right now. What sort of relationship do you propose to have with Harry going forward in light of everything that's happened? Are you now saying that you want him living here at Potter Manor? Because that's clearly been off the table so far on your part, and at the moment, I think Harry feels the same."

"At some point," said James, "I hope Harry will consider moving back here, but I understand if he feels uncomfortable with that. At the moment, the injunction he got effectively prevents him from living here unless ... well, unless Severus moves in along with him which frankly I don't see happening." Snape's derisive snort registered his agreement. "But right now, Harry, you're living with Augusta Longbottom who I find completely acceptable as an acting guardian if she is willing to fulfill that role. In the meantime, I hope that you will at least consider coming to visit us and perhaps even stay over for Christmas holidays. I know we got off on the wrong foot before and I blame myself entirely for that. But I really do want to get the chance to know my Heir. I hope that we can start with that today."

Harry simply nodded. "Speaking of today, what's the schedule? I know it's a joint birthday party, but up until this year, it was just 'The Boy-Who-Lived's Birthday Party' and also a major social event. Where will I be fitting in?"

Peter spoke up. "The story we'll be presenting to guests and to the press is basically the truth. That you were wrongly identified as a squib in infancy and your parents sought to place you with Muggle relatives for your own health and safety. That your wizarding heritage eventually manifested and you received a Hogwarts letter. That you are still in the process of acclimating to wizarding culture and so did not wish to immediately move back in with your family. While your Sorting was a bit of a shock, you and your father have worked past that, and we ask that the media respect your privacy during this time of transition etcetera etcetera."

Harry's eyes widened. "And that's what you consider ... 'basically the truth'?"

Peter shrugged. "For media purposes, anyway."

"Speaking of which," said Jim, who had been silent up to now, "is Harry talking to any reporters today? The press conference is at eleven. Are you sending him into the meat grinder on his first day back?" Even James and Lily looked at Jim in surprise. There was a harshness to his remarks that he'd never displayed in the past when it came to dealing with the media.

"You have a press conference scheduled on your birthday?" asked Harry in surprise. Lady Augusta had mentioned the possibility, but he'd still thought the idea absurd until now.

"From time to time," Jim said with surprising bitterness, "the Boy-Who-Lived is expected to put on a show for his adoring fans. It's not all about fighting dark lords ... unfortunately." Jim muttered the last word almost too softly for Harry to hear.

The next chapter will be uploaded on Friday, September 18, 2015. "The Birthday Party (Pt 1)." Rita Skeeter! Luna Lovegood! Marcus Flint! Daphne Greengrass! Hell, even Marietta Edgecombe will be there!

AN: If you're curious about the status of the Potter Heir's ring, most of your questions will be answered within the next two chapters. But feel free to speculate wildly between now and then.:)