AN: This chapter is probably not really neccessary and I tossed up whether to leave it in or not. Finally I thought that I should include it since it is about Harry's coming of age anyway here it is, presenting...

Chapter Four: Birthdays and Tests

A week later was Harry's seventeenth birthday, when he would be of age in the wizarding world. He would also be getting his apparation license (hopefully) but he was most looking forward to his party where he could catch up with all his friends in the order.

When he woke up on the day of his birthday it was to a pile of presents at the end of his bed, he tore in to them. Mr and Mrs Weasley had gotten him a silver watch, Fred and George gave him a huge box full of their newest joke products, Ron gave him a bottle of firewhiskey, Hermione gave him, in true Hermione style, a large book called the rise and fall of the dark arts, stating that Harry should get as much knowledge as he could about Voldemort's reign of terror, Tonks and Lupin gave him a small glass sphere with a model of the solar system in it, Bill and Fleur gave him a very nice wizard chess set, Charlie gave him a harness for his broomstick and Hagrid gave him a book full of information about a heap of rare kinds of creature. At his party he thanked everyone over and over again.

Ginny pulled Harry aside after breakfast and handed him a small box wrapped in green paper, Harry opened it. Inside the box was a thin silver necklace with a simple dog tag like charm. Harry picked it up out of the box and read the word that was spelled downwards on it Ginny, he turned it over in his hand on the back were the words love you. He put it around his neck; it was great to receive a present so full of meaning. After he'd thanked Ginny ten times and kissed her she pulled out an almost identical necklace. She had Harry's name also spelled downwards on the front of hers. She showed him the back; there was one word on hers… always. He knew what it meant.

He hugged Ginny tightly and whispered in to her ear "I'll love you always to Gin. The necklace is wonderful I'll never take it off." He then kissed her.

Harry's party was the best he'd ever had it was great to celebrate and de-stress a bit. He got a surprise when Neville Longbottom and a few more of his friends from Hogwarts showed up. The party went well in to the night; by the time everyone had left Harry was exhausted but happy.

Once they'd all had lunch and Fred, George, Bill, Fleur and Charlie had left the next day Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Mr and Mrs Weasley all climbed in to the Ministry car Mr Weasley had borrowed to go in to London. Harry and Ron were going to take their apparation tests; well Ron was going to re-take his. After that they were planning on going to Diagon alley to buy all their new school supplies.

The group all piled in to the out of order phone box that went down to the Ministry of Magic. Mr Weasley dialled 62442.

"Welcome to the Ministry of magic. Please state your name and the nature of your visit." A cool female voice rang in their ears.

"Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger accompanying Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter to their apparation test." Mr Weasley said.

Six badges clanked in to the coin return slot, Mr Weasley handed them around as the phone box slid in to the ground.

"Visitors to the ministry please submit your wands for checking at the far end of the atrium. Have a lovely day." The voice said before everyone climbed out. Several people greeted Mr Weasley, who was on holiday from working at the ministry, as they made their way to the end of the atrium. Their wands were all checked and they stepped in to an elevator. They got off at the floor where the apparation tests were conducted. Harry and Ron walked forwards to a desk with a tall witch sitting behind it while Mr and Mrs Weasley and the girls took seats in the waiting area.

The boys were led in to a long room where there was a wizard waiting for them. "Ok boys." He said "I want you to Apparate to the other end of the room."

Harry went first, focusing on where he wanted to go he turned around, there was a loud CRACK and he instantly felt as though he was being pulled through a rubber tube, the next minute he appeared with another CRACK at the other end of the room. The examiner checked for any sign that he'd splinched himself.

"Very good Mr Potter, ok Mr Weasley you next." The examiner said.

With a CRACK Ron disappeared and reappeared next to Harry. The examiner deemed himself satisfied and said "right, now I want you to Apparate to the visitors entrance. Mr Potter you first."

Harry repeated the motions and with a CRACK the phone box they'd entered through was in front of him, the examiner appeared beside him, checked him over again and went to get Ron.

He was satisfied with Ron's apparation to the visitors' entrance. "Ok boys' final test, please Apparate to the front of the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade." He said.

Harry focussed, turned around, felt the feeling of the rubber tube again. London was gone; he was gazing at the front door to the Three Broomsticks pub in the village of Hogsmeade. The examiner appeared once again to check Harry.

"Congratulations Mr Potter you have passed. Now for Mr Weasley" He said and disapperated. Ron once again appeared next to him; they had no time to say anything because the examiner had appeared once again, and checked Ron "Congratulations Mr Weasley you have passed now back to the Ministry to sort out you licenses."

They all disapperated and they were once again in the long room. "Follow me boys and we'll get you sorted." The examiner said leading the way out of the room. Harry and Ron each signed a piece of parchment and were allowed to go. They beamed at each other and went in to the waiting area.

"We passed!" They said together. Mrs Weasley, Hermione and Ginny all hugged them and Mr Weasley shook their hands and patted them on the back saying "good work lads."

After leaving the Ministry they went in to Diagon Alley to get their school supplies and to say hello to Fred and George who owned a joke shop there even though they'd seen them that morning. There were a lot of boarded up shops but they managed to get everything they needed.

PS. Apologies for spelling and grammer once again... Also I do not own any of the HP universe...