Disclaimer: I still do not own Harry Potter.

Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! For the reviewer who asked me whether Neville and Harry will become as close as Cedric and Harry were, the answer is that they will be close, but not the same kind of clos. Harry and Neville will forever be bonded by the prophecy. And as for Cedric, there will be no one that can replace him, and recreate the big-brotherly bond that he and Harry had.

To my other reviewer, that's okay for not reviewing chapter 44. Believe me, I know how frustrating term papers can be, I was there myself! As for your question about whether Harry and Neville would have been close if Harry was raised in the wizarding world since he was a baby, that's an interesting question! I always imagine they would be quite clos.

Okay, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 46: Birthday Disaster

Sirius and Remus were shocked at how far Harry had come in his trust of them. They had thought that after not telling him the prophecy, he would be angry with them for a long, long time. During the first weeks after Cedric's death, it was true that Harry had been rather short-tempered, and had not said much of anything. But now, it seemed as though Harry was extremely grateful that his guardians helped him get through the grief of losing one of his best friends. His tears for Cedric had still not abated, and his nightmares plagued him every night, and he'd see the green light engulfing his friend many, many times.

"We know it's been a really rough month for you, cub," said Remus gently. "And we know your birthday's coming up. Last year you had a little party. Do you want to have one again this year?"

"I really don't want a big fuss," Harry admitted.

"We won't make it big," Sirius promised. "Just a few people, that's all. Do you want anyone to come?"

"Okay," Harry sighed. "The Weasleys, Hermione, the Diggorys, Neville, and Cho." His heart filled with pain at the thought that Cedric had come last year, and the two of them had grown a lot closer. He decided to invite the Diggorys because he felt he still owed them, and they had been so good to him since Cedric had died.

"Okay, pup," said Sirius. "We'll send out invitations."

xxx

July 31 rolled around before anyone knew it. Unfortunately, the night before, Harry had had a really rough night. He'd once again seen Cedric's murder over and over again, and he'd also seen Jeff, Stanley, and Malcolm, the boys who had confronted him at Cedric's funeral. So therefore, when he woke up on his birthday morning, he was not a happy person.

Sirius and Remus did all they could to cheer him up, with Sirius becoming an Animagus and making soft woofing noises in the boy's ear. He told him afterwards that he'd always used to do that when Harry was a baby. Harry got a homemade chocolate cake and plenty of presents, which he was very thankful for, but he couldn't seem to get into the spirit today.

Later that afternoon, Hermione, the Weasleys, Neville, the Diggorys, and Cho showed up. Poor Cho still looked completely grief-stricken, and it seemed as though she was having a hard time sleeping. Harry couldn't blame her; seeing your boyfriend's lifeless body on the Quidditch pitch, eyes staring at the sky, would do that to a person.

The atmosphere of the party was subdued, because everyone noticed that Harry was not in the best of spirits. Ron tried to lighten things up by suggesting a game of Quidditch, which caused Cho to finally give a weak smile and Harry to relent. So teams were set up, and a little game was played outside. The sun was shining high in the sky, and everyone tried their best to be cheerful. But Cedric's absence showed more than ever, and the Diggorys were constant reminders of it. Mrs. Diggory looked like she'd been walking around in a haze, and Mr. Diggory was trying to keep a strong front.

After the Quidditch match was over, with Harry's team winning because Harry had caught the Snitch, everyone trooped back inside the house.

"God, I'm starved," said Ron loudly as everyone sat down at the table, ready for pizza and cake.

Sirius burst out laughing. "Aren't you always?" he chuckled.

"Aw, ickle Ronniekins, food is on its way," said Fred.

"Hey, you want a piece of candy?" said George.

"No, he doesn't," said Hermione sternly. "He's not falling for that again, are you, Ron?"

"Frederick and George Weasley," said their mother. "Put that candy away this instant. If it's another Ton-Tongue Toffee, I swear I'll ..."

"Molly, calm down," said Arthur, putting a hand on his wife's shoulder. "They're just having a bit of fun."

Neville sat down next to Harry, looking warily around the table. Of course, he had still not recovered from all the news Harry had told him recently. Everyone else at the party just assumed he was still having a hard time with the revelation that Barty Crouch, Jr. had taught them all year.

Sirius and Remus got the pizza ready, and before long, everyone was eating it. Ginny smiled at Harry from his other side, and he smiled gratefully back at her. Out of all his friends, Cho and Ginny seemed to know what he needed the most; Cho, because she was having a rough time herself, and Ginny, because she seemed to have a certain bond with him, a certain link that helped her understand his feelings. She didn't give him looks of pity or keep demanding whether he was all right; she was just a comforting presence, sitting next to him and squeezing his shoulder every once in a while.

After the pizza was over, Sirius and Remus brought out a cake which remus had cooked, which looked like a bludger. This got everyone to smile and laugh, and Harry blew the candles out.

"Make a wish, Harry," Ginny said softly.

I wish that no one else will have to suffer because of Voldemort, Harry hoped fervently. But he knew this wish was unlikely to come true, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking it anyway.

Once again, the two renditions of "Happy Birthday" were sung: the ugly rendition and the beautiful rendition. Ginny and Cho both had very pretty singing voices, and Fred and George were mucking about as usual. The Diggorys gave Harry loving looks while they were singing, and Harry once again wondered what he'd done to deserve them.

After cake was eaten, Harry was becoming rather overwhelmed with all the company. The house was becoming stifling, but he didn't know how to say to everyone that he wanted them all to go home. He'd opened all his presents from his friends, receiving wonderful surprises, but he was exhausted now. From beside him, Ginny squeezed Harry's shoulder and asked him a question.

"Want to go for a walk?"

Yes, that was exactly what Harry needed. A breath of fresh air. He nodded at Ginny, and then went over to Sirius and Remus, telling them what he needed. They reassured him that that was fine, and they said they'd tell the other guests that he needed a little space.

So Ginny and Harry walked outside into the fresh air. The sun was just beginning to set, and there were a few people out on the streets as they walked, but not many. Harry didn't want to be around lots of people, so they walked on the Hogsmeade streets which were not occupied by large amounts of citizens.

As they walked, Harry said, "Thanks, Gin."

"For what?" Ginny asked.

"For getting me out of there," Harry said quietly. "I mean, it's a great party and all, but ..."

"I know," said Ginny, giving Harry a soft look. "I know. You don't need to explain."

They walked in silence, hand in hand for a few more minutes. "Have you heard anything more about Percy?" Harry then wondered.

"No," said Ginny, her face becoming angry. "Dad can't seem to get through to him. He refuses to talk to any of us."

"That's awful," Harry said, feeling a knot of guilt tighten in his stomach. After all, Percy had left the family after what Harry and Dumbledore said about Voldemort being back.

"Harry James Potter," Ginny said at once. "don't you dare feel guilty. Percy's being a stubborn prat, and you have nothing to do with it."

"But ..." Harry tried.

"But nothing," Ginny argued. "Look, Harry, Percy's always been like that. He's been obsessed with the Ministry ever since I can remember. His dream's always been to work there."

"I'm just worried that there'll be an attack and nobody will be prepared," Harry said, biting his lip in concern.

"I know," Ginny sighed. "But I guess he'll have to learn the hard way. But he is my brother, and I hope he's all right in the end."

"Me, too."

"I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be this year," said Ginny thoughtfully. "Wouldn't it be cool if Remus came back?"

"It would, but he said the school governors won't allow it," Harry said unhappily. "He said that ..."

Harry and Ginny suddenly stopped in their tracks, for everything had gone dark. "What's going on?" Ginny asked as she stood closer to him.

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "Do you have your wand with you?"

"Yeah. Do you?"

"I do."

A horrible, foreboding sense of dread swept over the couple. Seconds later it was followed by a horrible, bitter sensation of cold. They hadn't felt this particular way for a while. Voices suddenly began to scream inside their heads.

"... Tom Riddle always gets what he wants! ... You are nothing but a silly little girl, Ginevra Weasley. You opened up the Chamber of Secrets. You set the basilisk on the school."

"... very well. Avada Kedavra! Awwww, are you cwying, Hawwy? Are you sad that your wittle fwiend is dead? Your pwotector is dead, Potter!"

Ginny and Harry both began to tremble, and Ginny almost collapsed. Two shapes made themselves clear out of the darkness; they had hoods over their faces, and their breath rattled and was rotten and putrid. Their icy, clammy hands reached for the two humans ... reached for them ...

"My God," Harry said in shock. "Dementors!"

"... Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off. ... Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, not Harry! Take me, kill me instead! ..."

"... You are just a waste of time, Ginevra. But oh, I must thank you, for you have made me powerful once again. ... But you're nothing but a stupid little bitch for falling for me. How naive can you possibly be?"

Harry raised his wand in his trembling hand. He tried his best to think of a happy memory, one that did not involve his parents and Cedric's deaths nor Uncle Vernon nor Barty Crouch, Jr. He thought of the day when he'd learned his godfather was innocent. "Expecto patronum!" he cried.

Silver mist came out of his wand, but it did not hold the dementors at bay for long. Harry managed to get one away before it bent over Ginny and sucked out her soul. But it came swooping back, adamant to finish its job.

By this time, tears were pouring down Ginny's face as the memory of Tom's assault overpowered her. The cruel words he'd used, the harsh way in which he'd treated her, all came back in terrible, vivid detail. Harry heard the voice of his Uncle Vernon telling him the abuse was exactly what he deserved. Trying to focus on the happy memory again, Harry shouted, "Expecto patronum!"

Another blob of silver mist shot out of his wand, but once again it didn't stay long.

Harry was getting desperate. He dredged up every happy memory he could ever find. Ginny had now collapsed to the floor and was lying there, shaking from head to foot. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry roared.

This time, a huge, silver stag shot out of his wand, which finally drove the two foul beasts away. Harry was so relieved. He couldn't let Ginny get hurt because of him as well, because obviously the dementors were here for him. Voldemort must have sent them, he thought as the street grew light again. Oh God, what've I done to Gin?

She was still lying on the floor, tears streaming down her face. Harry called her name, hoping beyond hope that she was able to respond to him. He crouched by her, squeezing her hand gently. "They're gone now, Gin," he said softly. "The dementors are gone."

Ginny slowly got herself into a sitting position. "Are you o-okay?" she gasped out, still shivering violently.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?"

"That was h-horrible," Ginny stuttered. "What were d-dementors doing in Hogsmeade?"

"Voldemort must have-I'm sorry, You-Know-Who must have sent them," Harry said defeatedly. "I'm so sorry, Gin, we never should have done this. It's my fault again. First Cedric and now you!"

"Harry, it wasn't your fault You-Know-Who's dementors got here," Ginny said bravely, struggling to her feet. "But I w-wonder how he got them away from the M-Ministry's control."

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Harry said, wondering how many more things were going to go wrong in his life. The couple supported each other's weight on the way home, both shaken and looking awfully pale.

As they got to the front door, Ginny's stomach roiled within her and she threw up all over the ground. Once she was finished her hands were clammy and sweaty. Harry knocked wildly on the door, hoping that Sirius or Remus would sense that something had gone wrong.

Sure enough, he heard running footsteps, and Sirius and Mrs. Weasley rushed outside. When they saw the mess on the ground and the couple's pallor, they were immediately shocked and concerned.

"Ginny, sweetheart, what happened?" asked Mrs. Weasley, waving her wand and making the sick vanish. "What on Earth is the matter?"

"Harry, are you okay, kiddo?" Sirius asked. "You look like hell."

"D-Dementors," Ginny gasped as she was helped up to her feet.

"WHAT?" cried Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "What are you talking about? Dementors in Hogsmeade? Where?"

"T-Two of them," Harry said. "We were walking and then two dementors showed up. I-I used the Patronus charm."

"You've got to be joking," Sirius said fiercely, cradling Harry close to him. Remus then arrived, hearing the tail end of the story. "Remus, we have to contact Albus. I want to know what the bloody hell dementors were doing in the middle of Hogsmeade!"

Through the haze in his mind, Harry suddenly remembered something that made his face grow paler. "They'll expel me from Hogwarts!" he cried weakly. "I'm not allowed to do magic outside of school!"

"But this was a life-or-death situation," Remus protested. "The Ministry would be mad to expel you. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will sort it all out."

"He'd better," muttered Sirius. "We'd better go inside."

"It's time we went home," said Mrs. Weasley. "Ginny darling, you need to get into bed. I can't believe this happened! Arthur! Arthur, come here!"

While Mr. Weasley heard the story, Harry was helped inside by his two guardians, who cast him extremely worried looks. "We think we should send everyone else home, too," Remus said. "You look terrible, Harry. I think some rest will do you good."

Harry was too exhausted and drained to disagree. As the news of what had happened spread throughout the house, the atmosphere grew very quiet and tense. Everyone started leaving, and saying soft goodbyes to Harry.

Once all the guests had gone, Harry was given some chocolate by Remus, and this helped the warmth fill his body once more. He looked at his guardian gratefully.

Suddenly, an owl hooted and swooped in the window. It was carrying a letter on its leg, and it flew over to Harry. With dread mounting, Harry untied the letter from its leg and opened it. "I knew it," he muttered as he began to read.

Dear Mr. Potter,

We have just received word that at 7:49 PM, you performed the Patronus charm on a street in Hogsmeade. Underage wizards are banned from using magic outside of school. Therefore, you have been expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry officials will be by shortly to collect your wand.

We hope you have a pleasant day.

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk, Improper Use of Magic Office

Everything seemed to be happening at once. As the owl flew away, a booming voice said, "Sirius! Remus!" from the fireplace. The voice belonged to Albus Dumbledore.

So as his two guardians rushed into the living room to talk to him, Harry put his head in his hands, wondering what in the world was going to happen to him now. Was he going to be expelled, or was he safe? Well, safe shouldn't be a word he could use at all. Two dementors had almost sucked out his and Ginny's souls.

What on Earth was going to become of him now?