DISCLAIMER: Yeah, I know this is going to come as a big shock to everyone, but I do not in fact own Harry Potter… I know… I know… please control your audible gasps. I am so very sorry to disappoint you… Yeah… onward…

AUTHOR'S NOTE: OMG! I am soOooooOooo sorry! I know it has been forever since I have updated, but I've been really busy!! AHHH!! Sorry! Don't hate me…. T.T

Chapter Eight: Belated Birthday

After breakfast, the Potter family entered the sitting room. They all sat down and got comfortable.

"So your mother and I need explanations," said James, with no trace of humor in his voice.

"Well… s-so do I-I," replied Harry trying to match his tone, unsuccessfully. "I-I mean I w-would like to know h-how you got back to the living world," he added, as to keep his parents from being mad at him for being so rude and talking back like that.

Lily smiled sweetly and gave her son the same explanation she had given Remus and Dumbledore. (I didn't feel like writing it again… sorry)

Harry sat dazed for a moment, trying to take it all in, before he said, "I knew there was something fishy about that veil."

"Alright, mister, no more stalling. Start explaining," James instructed, almost teasing. Almost.

Harry started off into the story of his first year. His parents interrupted him with comments like: "A TROLL?" or "THREE HEADED DOG?" or "HOLY CRAP!" countless times.

At the end of year one, Harry stopped for a moment, trying to decide if his parents could handle anymore by their expressions.

"All that in year ONE?" Lily said.

"Yeah," said Harry, looking down.

"Man! And I thought becoming an illegal animagus in 5th year was exciting!" said James, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Well keep going, baby. What happened in your 2nd year?" Lily asked, anxious to know how much more trouble Dumbledore could get in.

Harry was about to begin on his second year, when there was a sudden knock on the door. All three Potters jumped, startled.

James grabbed his wand and started toward the door, ready to attack in an instant's notice.

"Who's there?" he called.

"Albus Dumbledore," came a cheery voice. "My favorite jam is blueberry!" (Is that right? If not let me know and I'll fix it. I let someone borrow my 6th book so I can't look it up myself).

"What?" James asked completely confused. He opened the door to find a beaming Albus Dumbledore.

"I take you didn't receive the lovely leaflet on how to tell if someone is a friend or foe from the ministry?"

"Er…no?" said James completely bewildered.

"Well, it's alright. It wasn't very helpful anyhow!" said Dumbledore cheerfully.

"Okay, I'll be sure to ignore its advice if I ever do read it," James told him, not sure on whether to be confused or amused at his old headmaster.

"That would be a wise decision, old boy!" said Dumbledore happily, though James could have sworn he heard a real warning behind it.

"Well Albus how are you?" asked Lily, smiling.

"I'm just fine, thank you. I have only just finished the wards around Remus' house. How are you this afternoon, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, his attention suddenly jerking to the teen.

"I'm doing alright, sir," Harry replied respectfully.

"I'm very glad to hear that, my boy!" he merrily.

"Oh! That reminds me!" exclaimed Lily, suddenly. "Harry's been telling us all about his many adventures at Hogwarts ONLY IN HIS FIRST YEAR!"

"Oh yes! That was an eventful year! Wasn't it, Harry?" Dumbledore said, chuckling.

"I suppose so, sir…" Harry admitted very quietly.

"A VERY EVENTFUL YEAR?" Lily screamed. "ARE YOU BLOODY INSANE?"

"Now, now, Lily," said Dumbledore said calmly.

"Lily dear, let me handle this," said James gently. Then, he turned to Dumbledore. "YOU SENT HIM TO LIVE WITH THOSE ANIMALS AND THEN WHEN HE WAS AT SCHOOL, YOU DIDN'T CARE TO PROTECT HIM FROM VOLDEMORT?"

"James…" Dumbledore tried to interrupt.

"NO! I'M NOT FINISHED! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT? HOW COULD YOU LET AN ELEVEN YEAR OLD BOY FIGHT VOLDEMORT ON HIS OWN?"

"I wasn't on m-my own. Ron and Hermione were with me," Harry pointed out timidly.

"Yes, I know, son. But you said that you had to actually face Voldemort on your own," James said gently.

Harry looked down. That was true.

"However, I did not allow Harry and his friends to go after Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "As a matter of fact, I was completely ignorant of their plans until I was halfway to London."

Harry nodded. "And if he hadn't come down there and saved me I wouldn't have been able to hang on much longer. So really he saved my life technically."

"Well I wouldn't go that far. You were holding up quite well when I arrived."

"I was nearly dead and barely conscious!" said Harry flabbergasted.

"Yes but any other person at that age would have been dead," Dumbledore told him.

Harry looked down again. He wanted very much to say that wasn't true, but no one else he knew had a mother that gave her life to protect him or her from harm.

"I suppose all in all Lily saved you, Harry," Dumbledore said smiling.

"Me?" said Lily, completely bewildered at the old man's statement.

"Yes," Dumbledore answered. "You died to protect Harry from harm, so that act of selfless love kept Voldemort form getting to him."

"That's why, when Quirrell touched me he got burned," Harry finished up.

"Wow, I had no idea that love had that kind of power," said Lily surprised.

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore. "Now, seeing as I am in somewhat of a rush, I need to begin getting these wards up, like I promised."

"Oh, um… okay?" said James. "Do you need us to do anything?"

"No I just need you to stand back and don't break my concentration, please," replied Dumbledore, smiling.

"Whatever you need," James said, sitting on the couch with Lily and Harry. They watched Dumbledore as he placed the complicated wards around the house to make it undetectable, with the exception, of course of whomever the Potter's, themselves decided to tell, like Remus and Sirius. When that was finished Dumbledore turned to the newly reunited family.

"That's that! I'll be taking my leave now. So long!" And with that he swept form the room and out the front door.

"He's mad, I swear!" Harry stated quite plainly, startling his parents with the uncharacteristic boldness.

"I think so too, son," said James chuckling at the teens outburst.

"Now continue with your story, dear!" Lily said sweetly, barely holding back her eagerness.

" Right um second year… Oh yeah! That year really started out at the Dursley's" Harry stated.

He told them all about how Dobby and thrown the pudding on the floor and how the Dursleys had locked him in his room for it.

"So let me get this straight. My sister and her husband locked you up in you room and put bars on your window, AND fed you through a cat flap?" Lily asked, shocked.

"Uh… yeah… I guess it sounds pretty bad when you put it like that," said Harry.

"It sounds bad no matter how you put it!" James chimed in.

"It really wasn't t-that bad… it's not like they s-starved me or anything," Harry stated awkwardly.

"That's close enough!" said Lily. "They basically held you prisoner!"

"All right, son," James sighed. "Continue…"

(Enter really awesome explanation of the rest of Harry's years at Hogwarts ending with Sirius' "death." I'm just too lazy… Sorry :) Continue with the story, please).

"And that's about it," said Harry in conclusion.

"Wow… you've been through… though… s-so much," said Lily mopping her eyes.

"Yeah! That's the understatement of the year!" James agreed.

Harry looked down (yes I know he does that a lot) embarrassed.

"Well there has to be a time when you had a good childhood memory… right?" Lily said, hopefully.

"Yeah! What about birthdays? You at least had a good day then, right?" said James desperately. 'He to at least have a birthday!' he thought.

"Well the Dursleys never really liked the fact that I was born, so my birthday wasn't exactly celebrated, you know?"

"You mean you've never had a birthday?" Lily cried.

"Not really. I mean if the Dursleys were feeling nice might get me a hanger or give me a pair of old socks and give me a light beating instead of a normal one," Harry explained.

"I-bu- wh- you- YOU'VE NEVER HAD A BIRTHDAY?!" Lily shrieked.

"Um…n-no?" he said.

"All right then, it's settled!" James stated.

"W-what's settled?" Harry asked.

"We're throwing you a birthday party!" he said, as if it was obvious.

"B-but… my birthday is… er… over," Harry said quietly.

"That's okay, sweetie! We can make it a belated birthday!" Lily said.

"T-that's okay… y-you don't have to do that," Harry told them. He hated when people fussed over him.

"We know we don't have to, sweetheart, but we want to!" she said.

Suddenly, there were two loud 'pops' and Sirius and Remus were standing in the sitting room, smiling.

"Did we interrupt something?" Remus asked.

"Oh no! Not at all! We've just decided to give Harry a belated birthday!" said Lily, happily

"A belated birthday?"

--Once again I am truly sorry about the delay. The next chapter shouldn't take as long to get up… Hopefully… However I am in the middle of writing my own novel. So be on the look out for The Light Alchemist by: Devin Rachell Ogden

-BeautifulllDisaster09