Harry awoke with a jerk as the Knight Bus screeched to a halt right in front of the Burrow, the Weasleys' home. As always, it looked as though the only thing keeping it standing was magic (which it was). Harry grinned at the sight of the old building. A wave of old, happy memories swept over him.
As he entered the house behind Ron and Hermione, trunk in tow, Harry was struck with the familiar smells and noises he always acquainted with The Burrow.
The entire house was in a flurry of excitement, and people were just blurs as they hurried about to get things ready for Harry's birthday party.
In the centre of all the excitement was Molly Weasley, Ron's mother. She was just a blur, stringing up decorations, yet at the same time keeping an eye on the pots and pans as they cooked something on the stove, occasionally reprimanding one of the twins for being a nuisance, or Tonks for knocking something over as she tried to help. It was already 11:00 AM.
Glimpsing them, Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek and ran to Harry, giving him a rib-breaking hug.
"Harry! It's so nice to see you! Happy Birthday. We were just getting everything ready for you. You're looking so thin! Haven't those muggles been feeding you? We really must fatten you up!"
With a great deal of difficulty, Harry managed to disentangle himself from Mrs. Weasley's embrace, feebly uttering objections.
"I…really…there's no need -,"
"No need? Nonsense! It's your seventeenth birthday, Harry! We're glad to be able to throw this party for you!" said Mr. Weasley, catching sight of the group and coming towards them. "By the way, happy birthday Harry," he added, shaking Harry's hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," replied Harry, grinning despite himself. "And congratulations to you too, for the wedding."
By now, everyone had gathered around Harry, congratulating him on his coming-of-age.
"Remus!" exclaimed Harry, catching sight of the werewolf.
"How…W-what…" he stuttered, unable to form a proper sentence.
Lupin laughed. "Why are you so surprised? It's your birthday. You didn't think we'd just ignore it and go on, did you? It's the least we could do!"
Harry looked around, at all the people he knew and loved, and who loved him back, all his friends. There were Molly and Arthur Weasley, Bill and Charlie, the two eldest; the twins, Fred and George; the two youngest Weasleys, Ron and Ginny, and then Hermione, his other best friend; Remus, the last of the Marauders; Tonks; even Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody, and everyone else.
Love. Now he understood.
Power the Dark Lord knows not.
He finally understood, at least partly, what Dumbledore had meant when he had said that the one thing, which made Harry different from Voldemort, was the fact that he could love.
"Thanks." he managed to croak, a small lump in his throat.
At exactly twelve 'o clock that day, the celebration began.
There were streamers of every colour decorating the entire house - bright reds, cool blues, sunny yellows, acid greens, royal purples, orangey oranges, shimmery silvers and golds, pinks, and many other colours.
A large birthday cake with seventeen layers sat waiting on the dining table. It was covered with white, chocolate, and pink icing. On the top was written, 'To Harry! Have a great coming-of-age!'
Surrounding the cake was a variety of delicious looking dishes, made by Mrs. Weasley.
Harry felt his mouth water as he looked at the food.
"Harry, get over here! First things first, open your presents!" urged the twins.
"Presents?" Harry repeated slowly.
"Yes, presents, you git! Now come over here and open them!" was the reply. Fred (or maybe it was George) dragged him along to the sitting room and told him to sit down.
"It's your birthday! Relax a bit!" Fred (or maybe George) told him. Ron, Hermione, the other twin, Bill, Charlie, and Ginny gathered around a stunned looking Harry.
"Open this one first! It's from Lupin," someone said, pushing a box into Harry's hands. It had a striped wrapping paper and was a bit bulky. He opened it, and out fell two books.
The first was titled, "Wandless Magic: How to control it". Harry looked at Remus, who grinned and said, "Thought it might interest you, what with blowing up your aunt and all."
Harry laughed, but was still curious. He had a sudden urge to start looking through it straight away, but then he caught a glimpse of the other book.
It was a picture album. He opened it and found it was filled with pictures of the Marauders in their younger days, when they were still at school.
He flipped through the pages. There was Remus, smiling and waving at the camera. He turned a page and saw, with a clenched stomach, Sirius, grinning, with his arm around James. As he managed to tear himself away from the picture and turned the page, he saw another picture.
James, in scarlet quidditch robes and holding a broom in one hand, held his other hand aloft, a snitch squirming in vain to get away from him. Surrounding him, all cheering and laughing, were six other people also in robes, the Gryffindor quidditch team. Also around him were Sirius, Remus, Pettigrew (his heart beat quickened with anger) and, standing proud, with shiny red hair and deep green eyes, the same eyes as him, Harry saw, with a leap of his heart, Lily Potter. Or Lily Evans, as she wasn't married at that time.
"Harry? You alright?" someone shook him.
"What? Oh, right. Yeah, I'm fine." He replied. He looked up at Remus's worried face, and grinned. Relief seemed to wash over Lupin, and he smiled in return.
Harry opened the rest of his presents, thanking everyone profusely as he received them.
From Ron, he got a small, miniature enchanted quidditch pitch, complete with hoops, stands and tiny players on brooms. He thanked Ron as he watched the enchanted seeker make its way around the pitch in search of the snitch.
From Hermione, he got, predictably, a book, entitled, 'Defence and Offence: The Do's and Don'ts when fighting a Dark Wizard.'
From the twins, numerous Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and plenty of Honeydukes Sweets.
From Ginny, Bill and Charlie, a new dress robe, black in colour with silver edges and a symbol on the back. It was a cross, with two wings, spread outwards at the top, a three pointed crown above them and a serpent winding up it (Think 'Fullmetal Alchemist').
From Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Harry got a watch; much similar to the one Ron had got on his seventeenth birthday.
Along with all of that, Harry also got a wand holster, a place to keep his wand in when he was not using it; a ring that was also a Portkey, and could be used in an emergency by activating it by using the word "order"; and his favourite – a plain chain with Merlin's symbol hanging from it, to be worn around his neck. 'Mad-Eye' Moody, who said that it was a very old artefact and a very useful one as well, gave it to him.
"Keep it safe, boy. Mark my words; this artefact will save your life, someday. It has been charmed to protect its wearer from small curses or spells. Nothing fancy, mind you, but protect you, it shall do." Moody explained
The rest of the day went by all too quickly. Lunch was an extremely enjoyable affair, with everyone sitting and laughing, enjoying themselves.
Harry sat at the head of the table. On either side of him sat Ron and Hermione. As he cut the cake, Fred and George set off small crackers, which, as they told him, were modified especially for his birthday.
They gave one to Harry to pull, and out of it came a cone-shaped hat, with a sparkly pom-pom at the top, the type muggle children wore on their birthdays. Harry had to sit through the rest of lunch wearing the hat, as the twins informed him it would not come off for two hours.
As he cut the cake Mrs. Weasley had made, everyone, much to his embarrassment, started to sing 'Happy birthday to you', as Harry blushed a bright, tomato red.
After lunch, everyone rested for a few hours while the twins and Ginny entertained them with some of their Weasley Wizard Wheezes.
At dinner, Mrs. Weasley had once again cooked up an extraordinary meal with four whole courses. By the end of the meal, Harry had to make his belt several notches looser.
Right after dinner, Fred and George disappeared for about half an hour. No one really noticed, until they were all shaken out of their lazy after-dinner chat as the house was rocked with a symphony of loud, ear-splitting claps, bangs and whistles.
Half the people in the room pulled out their wands, until Bill shouted, "Fireworks! Those two gits have gone and set off all their fireworks!" That explained why they had snuck off, and everyone piled out of the house into the backyard to witness the splendid Catherine wheels, rockets, and other fireworks.
The fireworks went on all night, and even as dawn approached, there were still a few sparklers and other fireworks going about, writing words like 'Congratulations,' and 'Have a nice day,' though with less grandeur as more time passed.
All in all, the day passed wonderfully, without them even noticing how fast the time went by. Harry just sighed, looking up at the sky, watching dawn approach. His two friends, Ron and Hermione were by his side, just as they always were. He closed his eyes and wished that everything worked out fine, and that everybody was happy once again.
Opening his eyes, he turned around and started to walk back into the house. His friends followed him, without needing to speak a single word; sometimes silence works just as well.
Since he didn't turn back, he missed the shooting star that shot through the sky, leaving a blaze behind.
Meanwhile, far away, yet another person had his eyes closed with a wish in his heart. However, when he opened his eyes, he found himself looking straight at the shooting star that had whizzed past the sky. He instantly knew that something good was going to happen.
With hope in his heart, and a new light in his eyes, he prepared himself for the next day, when he knew it was going to take all he could do to stay alive. But he was prepared to wait, just as he had been waiting for all these years. He only hoped that whatever good was supposed to happen, happened before his luck ran out.