Harry Potter and The Fate We Make
Chapter 21: Pranks and Parties
A/N: Disclaimer's in the first chapter.
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July 31, 1995
All things considered, Harry could have been forgiven for forgetting that the day before had been Neville's birthday. That said, the day started out with quite the bang.
They got awakened at dawn by excited whooping ... in stereo ... from George and Ginny. Harry dragged himself out into the hallway to see what was going on, blinking blearily at them in confusion. They were both in the hall, doing triumphant dances. It took a few moments for the probable reason why to filter through Harry's sleepy head, but once it did, he grinned.
"So, what are you?" He asked. By then, all the other Marauders were out in the hallway too, curious looks on their faces.
George answered first. "I." He said. "Am a raccoon." This occasioned much laughter from everyone, as it was very, very fitting.
Ginny's face was nearly as red as her hair, even though she was grinning hugely. "I'm a tiger." She said.
"Wicked!" Ron breathed, then sighed. "I've still not had any luck." He admitted. "You, Hermione?" He asked. Hermione shook her head.
"Now we really need to think up names." Harry pointed out. "I still haven't got one for mine, and we need ones for you two."
"Well, if Fred is Rascal, what about Rogue for George?" Ginny asked.
The twins looked at each other for a moment, then grinned. "We like it!" They said in stereo.
"Right, that's settled. Now I'm for a bit more sleep. We can figure out Ginny's and mine later." Harry said, and retreated to his room for an hour or two's extra sleep. He was just grateful he'd not had a vision last night.
Once he'd slept a bit more, he cleaned up and headed downstairs for breakfast. Harry was surprised to find that Molly and Winky were working side-by-side for once, rather than competing for the kitchen. The New Marauders had all made it down for breakfast by the time Remus and Sirius arrived. Remus' hair was still its gray-tinged brown, so either he'd used a different bottle of shampoo, the potion wasn't working, or it wasn't working yet. Fred, after all, hadn't been able to tell Harry what exactly they'd done.
They found out a minute or two later. Tonks stumbled (literally) into the room, falling into Remus, who grabbed her to keep her from cracking her skull open on the table. Half a second later, his hair went a shade of red that not even a Weasley could manage. So did his hands, his forehead, and most of his neck. Snickering broke out around the table. Remus looked at his hands and then looked around the room before he locked eyes with a highly amused Sirius. He changed color again, this time to a brilliant yellow. He opened his mouth to say something, but Tonks beat him to it.
"Oh Remus, that's so sweet! You should have told me you liked me so much you wanted to be just like me!" She gave Remus a wicked, mischievous grin. Remus' hair flashed red again, and he looked completely flummoxed.
Not that Harry or much of anyone else actually saw it. They were all too busy laughing hysterically. One of the twins was quite literally rolling about on the floor, clutching at his stomach. Harry had tears in his eyes he was laughing so hard, and the others were no better. It took a couple of minutes for everyone to calm down, though there were lingering sniggers. Whichever twin had collapsed onto the floor was at least able to regain (and stay in) his seat.
"You do realize, Padfoot, that this means war." Remus pointed out. And then he eyed Tonks. "And that goes for you, too." He was trying for a bit of dignity and getting nowhere.
"I had no idea Tonks could be that wicked." Harry murmured to Ron.
Ron, still grinning widely, nodded. "I know mate, that was brilliant timing."
Neville arrived from his grandmother's just after breakfast. He regarded Remus, whose hair had shifted to a pea-green, with confusion. "Do I want to know what's going on?" He asked. Then he spotted Harry. "Hey Harry. Gran sent something along for you." He handed over a folded bit of parchment, then pulled a bown-paper-wrapped package from a pocket in his robes.
Harry took the note and opened it.
My Lord Potter
I hope your fifteenth birthday finds you well. I've sent along a small token with Neville, but my real present to you will not be ready until tomorrow. The Daily Prophet ought to be quite edifying. Also, you should know that Fudge has managed to push through that measure he proposed, to audit the goings-on at Hogwarts. He's sending someone who will both fill the vacant DADA position and look into matters. Her name is Dolores Umbridge. A more unfortunate person I've rarely met. You would do well to be cautious in her presence.
Augusta Longbottom
Harry blinked down at the note. Birthday? "Blimey, I forgot!" He almost smacked his forehead. "Yesterday was your birthday. Sorry mate!" He told Neville.
Neville waved away the apology. "It's all right, Harry. We've all been a bit scattered. You more than most."
"Still, Neville. I'm a fairly poor friend when I can't remember your birthday." Harry pointed out. "I'll have to double up come Christmas."
Molly eventually chased them out of the kitchen, and they spent an enjoyable hour just hanging out talking about not much of anything. That is, the New Marauders did. Sirius and Remus both had disappeared upstairs, which boded well for imminent pranking. Then they reappeared, and Molly joined them, carrying a picnic basket.
"Right, everyone. We're spending the day at Hogwarts, as it's easier to have everyone there."
So they all trooped to the floo. They were greeted by Dumbledore on the other side, and ushered into the Great Hall, where they were met by a jubilant Hagrid, who had finally got his wand. He hugged Harry hard enough to threaten Harry's ribs, and blubbered more than a bit.
"Yeh got me this, 'arry. I'll never ferget it!"
With Snape nowhere in evidence, the day progressed more than pleasantly. There was a lot of talk followed by an excellent lunch (cooked by Molly). Then Sirius and Remus revealed that they'd brought everyone's brooms, and there was a mass exodus to the Quidditch pitch.
four Weasleys, Harry, Remus, Sirius McG Flitwick Arthur
It took a good few minutes to figure out teams. Eventually, the twins teamed up with Harry against Ginny, Sirius and Remus in a three-on-three match, with the twins doing service as both Beaters and Chasers, and Harry playing Keeper while keeping an eye out for the snitch. Sirius and Remus were the Beater/Chasers for their side, with Ginny as Seeker/Keeper.
For not having played in who-knew-how-long, Sirius and Remus did well. They were behind, but managed to keep it within twenty or thirty points, so that it finally came down to who got the snitch ... and since both he and Ginny were mostly stuck by the hoops defending them, they had equal chances at the snitch unless it popped up right in their faces. Which it didn't. It appeared near mid-field, closer to Ginny than Harry ... and thus Ginny got to it first, despite the Firebolt's speed.
Sirius and Remus then started trying to get some of the other adults to play. Catching on to that, and quite willing for a kids vs. adults game, Harry and the others were only too willing to help wheedle. Still, Harry was surprised when they managed to convince McGonagall, Flitwick and Arthur to play.
With five to a side now, they had enough for a Keeper, a Seeker, a Beater and two Chasers. Harry stayed as Seeker, while Ginny and one of the twins acted as Chasers. Ron played Keeper while the other twin played Beater. For the adults, Flitwick was Seeker, Arthur played Keeper, McGonagall and Remus played Chaser while Sirius was Beater.
This was a far more hard-fought game. McGonagall was pretty good, and while Arthur wasn't particularly spectacular on a broom, you didn't really need to be as Keeper. Flitwick was downright scary as a Seeker. At half Harry's size and weight, he had the sort of advantage Harry usually had against the other House Seekers during the school year (except for Malfoy, who was close to his size), and was incredibly nimble on a broom. Worse, his eye was nearly as good as Harry's. Twice they both spotted the snitch at almost the same moment. And twice, the Beaters interrupted their attempts to get at it. The third time proved to be the charm. Harry spotted the snitch near the adults' hoops, and flattened himself against the Firebolt, urging every ounce of speed he could out of it. Flitwick, despite his older, slower broom, was but a heartbeat behind. Harry's hand closed over the snitch a half a heartbeat before Flitwick's hand crashed into his, missing grabbing the snitch by millimeters.
After that, they put the brooms away, and it was time for dinner, cake, and presents. Molly outdid herself with the dinner ... it was nearly the equal of Hogwarts feasts in quantity and though Harry would never say as much to the elves, outdid them in quality. Finally, it was time for him to open his presents, and he chose Augusta's first. It proved to be an elegant, silver cloak clasp fashioned into the Potter family crest.
Hagrid gave him some rock cakes and, to his surprise, a whole bunch of photographs to add to his album. These, though, had him, Ron, and Hermione in them. "Got 'em from tha' Creevey boy." Hagrid said . "Knew yeh had some of yer folks, but didn't know if yeh had any of the three of yeh."
"This is brilliant, Hagrid. Thanks!"
Ron gave him the usual assortment of sweets from Honeydukes, as did Ginny. Given he now knew what they'd been working on, he eyed the twins' gift with great misgiving for a minute, which caused a good bit of good-natured laughter, before risking opening it. Sure enough, it was an assortment of their creations, both the stuff they'd originally created for their future joke shop and the stuff they'd worked on with Sirius and Remus that was working as it should.
Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick had gone together to get Harry a wand holster that was charmed to be invisible when worn, to not be summonable itself, and to keep a wand that was put in it from being summoned away. They also got him a pair of self-adjusting dragonhide boots that would grow as his feet did.
Sirius and Remus' present, though, brought him to tears. It was a plain brown box, with a depression on one side. When he pushed it, he nearly dropped it, because a feminine voice he'd only ever heard when Dementors were close (and then only in tones of great distress) echoed around the room, filled with laughter and joy.
"Don't mind James. He's still trying to get his mind wrapped around the fact he's going to be a father."
And then, wonder of wonders, his father's voice, somewhere between pride and astonishment. "You make it sound like such a thing happens every day, Lily!"
Every adult in the room had tears in their eyes, or were outright crying. Hermione was suspiciously shiny-eyed, while the rest of them seemed to be settling for being utterly gobsmacked. Harry's hands were shaking as he held the priceless box.
"I started working on that your third year, after you told me you heard your mother when the Dementors were close." Remus said, his voice shaking. "I thought it was a crime you only had that memory of her, and none of your father, so I started trying to figure a way to give you something more."
"We worked on it together after my escape." Sirius said, his voice shaking as badly as Remus' had. "All last year, trying to get it to work right, and then putting in copies of conversations we'd had with them, but without our voices in the mix. We managed to get about a dozen phrases in there."
Harry very carefully set the box on the table, then went over and hugged both men half to death, completely speechless. It was a good bit before he managed to get himself under control. Fortunately, at that point, a nervous-but-excited Dobby popped in, distracting him and giving him something to focus on so he didn't go getting all weepy again. when he sat back down in his seat. Dobby had his head down, scuffing the floor with one foot, both hands behind his back.
"Hi Dobby." Harry said, then frowned slightly. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh no, Harry Potter sir. It is just that ... Dobby was hoping ... and then, moving quickly, he deposited a small, soft, lumpy present in plain brown paper into Harry's lap. "Happy Birthday, Harry Potter sir."
Harry blinked. "You got me a present Dobby?" He only barely stopped himself from saying 'you shouldn't have' in time. Dobby would have taken that entirely the wrong way. "Thank you!" He managed instead, and then tore off the paper. It was socks. What had to be the world's ugliest and most mismatched socks. Harry blinked at them in confusion for a minute before he managed to find his voice again. "Thank you, Dobby, they're brilliant." And then he reached down and gave the little elf a hug. Dobby squeaked happily and promptly fled.
Shortly thereafter, everyone headed back to the manor. Harry fell asleep that night listening to the sound of his mother's voice, for once not filled with fear and panic, and his father's ... and thinking that this had been the best birthday he'd ever had.