BIRTHDAY PRESENTS
The summer after the second year was just like the last year. The Dursley's mostly ignored the fact that, Natasha was present inside the house. They did not even notice the fact that, Natasha had gotten new clothes after she had returned. But something different did happen that summer. She had received letters from her friends at school except for Simran and Hermione. Simran was now in India for the summer. Hermione was talking to Natasha through telephone that was there in her house as Dursleys had allowed her to communicate with Hermione through the phone. Natasha was happy about the arrangement and called once in every three days. The Dursleys never took a second glance at her when she was doing that. But in the past one week, there was no communication between them as, Hermione had gone to France with her family for vacation. She had sent Hedwig a letter to her just 3 days prior asking about the trip. They were to come back just after 2 more days Natasha was planning to go to their house a week afterwards. The only person she was not in touch with was Simran. She was in India, so she knew that even making a phone call would be really difficult. Owl post was impossible as it was a very large distance.
Presently it was July 30th. The day before her birthday. She lay awake in her bed, just waiting for the clock to ring twelve. Just then the clock struck 12, and Natasha wished herself happy birthday. Natasha knew that the Dursleys will ignore her like any other day, and will not even acknowledge the fact that it was her birthday. She was now reading a muggle book, and was not at all feeling remotely sleepy. In just ten minutes, there was a tap at her window. She saw that it was a group of three owls. She opened the window, and through the window soared three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious. They landed with a soft flump on Natasha's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.
Natasha recognized the unconscious owl at once - her name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family. Natasha dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water. Natasha turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was her own Hedwig. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Natasha an affectionate nip with her beak as she removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.
Natasha didn't recognize the third owl, a handsome tawny one, but she knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Natasha relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the night.
Natasha sat down on her bed and grabbed Errol's package, ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold and her first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, she opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out - a letter and a newspaper clipping.
The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Natasha picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:
MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE
Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.
A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."
The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.
Natasha scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across her face as she saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at her, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny. Natasha was very happy that, Ron was feeling really good after the things that had happened the last year.
Natasha couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and extremely poor. She picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.
Dear Natasha,
Happy birthday!
Hello Natasha. I hope that you are well and good. I hope that the muggles are still treating you good. If not, just write a letter, and we will come for your rescue. It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff. I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.
Natasha was really happy to hear the news, as she knew that Ron's wand was damaged the year before while apparating into Hogwarts grounds.
We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there? I know that, you will be going to Hermione's home after she comes back from France. Please Owl me the date in which you will come to London. Can't wait to see you there. I am seriously missing Simran too. I have no idea when she will be coming here. I hope that she will be in touch with us soon.
, Ron
P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.
Natasha smiled at Ron's mention of Simran. Natasha knew that, Ron had a special kind of place for Simran. Natasha glanced back at the photograph. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug. He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun. Natasha now turned to her present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.
Natasha - this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.
Bye - Ron
Natasha put the Pocket Sneakoscope on her bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. She looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.
Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.
Dear Natasha,
I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you - what if they'd opened it at customs? - but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous - the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.
There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long - it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for. Please tell me how much you have written the next time you meet. I hope that, you have written it till how much the professor has told. We will take you from your home two days after we come back from France. Still having no contact with Simran till now. I hope that she is OK. I want to hear more about Indian wizards. The explanation she gave us last year fascinated me very much.
Love from
Hermione
P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.
Natasha laughed as she put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Natasha guessed it to be some interesting books for her to read- but it wasn't. Her heart gave a huge bound as she ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.
"Wow, Hermione!", Natasha whispered, unzipping the case to look inside. There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare. Apart from her friends, one of the things that Natasha missed about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world - highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks. Natasha happened to be a very good Quidditch player; she had been the youngest person in a century to be picked for one of the Hogwarts House teams. One of Natasha's most prized possessions was her Nimbus Two Thousand racing broom.
Natasha put the leather case aside and picked up her last parcel. She recognized the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. She tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before she could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly - as though it had jaws. Natasha was about to let out a scream, but she knew that if she woke the dursley's up.
Natasha knew that Hagrid would never send her anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin. Natasha poked the parcel nervously. It snapped loudly again. Natasha reached for the lamp on her bedside table, gripped it firmly in one hand, and raised it over her head, ready to strike. Then she seized the rest of the wrapping paper in her other hand and pulled.
And out fell - a book. Natasha just had time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters, before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways along the bed like some weird crab.
"Uh-oh," Natasha muttered. She knew that, this book certainly can make so much sound that other people could wake up. The book toppled off the bed with a loud clunk and shuffled rapidly across the room. Natasha followed it stealthily. The book was hiding in the dark space under her desk. Praying that the Dursleys were still fast asleep, Natasha got down on her hands and knees and reached toward it.
"Ouch!". The book snapped shut on her hand and then flapped past her, still scuttling on its covers. Natasha scrambled around, threw himself forward, and managed to flatten it. Uncle Vernon gave a loud, sleepy grunt in the room next door.
Hedwig and Errol watched interestedly as Natasha clamped the struggling book tightly in her arms, hurried to her chest of drawers, and pulled out a belt, which she buckled tightly around it. The Monster Book shuddered angrily, but could no longer flap and snap, so Natasha threw it down on the bed and reached for Hagrid's card.
Dear Natasha,
Happy Birthday!
Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.
Hope the Muggles are treating you right.
All the best,
Hagrid
It struck Natasha as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful. But then she remembered that she had taken Care of Magical creatures as one of the subjects for the next year.
"Is this the textbook required for that class?", Natasha wondered.
She put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever. Now there was only the letter from Hogwarts left.
Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Natasha slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:
Dear Ms. Potter,
Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.
Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.
A list of books for next year is enclosed.
Yours sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Natasha pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; she knew it was an entirely wizarding village. Now what she had to do was to somehow get either Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign it. Considering their behaviour for the past month, she knew it was not impossible. She looked over at the alarm clock. It was now one o'clock in the morning.
Deciding that she'd worry about the Hogsmeade form when she woke up, Natasha got back into bed. Then she took off her glasses and lay down; eyes open, facing her three birthday cards.
Extremely unusual though she was, at that moment Natasha Potter felt just like everyone else - glad, that it was her birthday.