Chapter 29: Birthday Surprises

When Harry woke up the morning of his nineteenth birthday, he felt oddly empty. He looked around the small room where he'd slept for the last year. He saw no owls with letters from Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid. He'd gotten something from the three of them nearly every year since he was twelve.

So, to suddenly not have anything from them was strange.

He got dressed, though, and walked downstairs.

Penelope Flamel was sitting at the table, reading The Daily Prophet. But, when Harry grabbed a piece of toast from a basket, she dropped the paper down.

"Oh, Harry," she said, picking up a package from the table. "Happy Birthday."

Surprised, Harry took the gift from her. "Thank you," he said.

"I know you can't take anything with you when you leave," she said. "I thought you could leave it here and we'll be sure to get it delivered to you in the future."

"Thank you," he said again, upwrapping the package.

To his surprise, it was an album. Blinking, he flipped through it, surprised to see that there were pictures of him with Atticus, Albus, the Flamels, and Merrythought.

"How…?" Harry asked. "I remember having these taken, but…"

"Galatea Merrythought gave those to me," she said, smiling kindly. "I thought you might appreciate having those, especially the ones with Albus. I know you're fond of him."

"Thank you," Harry said again. His face felt oddly hot and the corners of his eyes stung. He blinked and handed the album back to her. "Keep it safe for me, okay?"

"Of course," she said.

She stood up and disappeared into the sitting room.

Harry bit the toast and looked down at the paper. He flipped through it quickly, feeling appreciative that this paper had no mentions of him, Voldemort, or the Death Eaters.

This time, though, there were people he didn't know and situations that were foreign to him with no threats of Dark Wizards.

Harry thought it was a clear day like usual, but then he turned to the front page.

And right there on the front cover, he saw the name Potter in the top headline.

Harry felt his jaw drop at the sight of the Potter house in the moving picture. Cadmus Potter, his wife, and Atticus stood out in the front of it with words above it reading, "Ministry and Potter Home Broken Into: Files Stolen."

Shocked, Harry flattened out the paper and began reading:

"Two events last night shocked Aurors. None, however, were more shocked than Head of Magical Law Enforcement Cadmus Potter. While being called to the Ministry for a break in to the Magical Law Enforcement office where Aurors were investigating an alarm from the archives, Auror Potter rushed to his home around three in the morning after getting a fire call from his wife saying an intruder was in the house.

"The break ins are currently being said by the Aurors to be linked. In both cases, files on the Potter family were stolen. However, Auror Potter says, 'We have no leads.'

"Details are still pending. For now, wards are being tightened at the Ministry and the Aurors are on the case, searching for the stolen objects. No one was harmed."

Penelope came out from the sitting room and stopped at the door. "You saw?"

Harry nodded dumbly, dropping the paper down.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Penelope said. "There are always people trying to bring Cadmus down."

Harry nodded and without wasting a second, he said, "I have to see Albus."

Then, he apparated right into the kitchen of the Dumbledore house.

"Harry!" Albus said, looking up at him in shock.

"What happened?" he asked immediately, rushing to the front door to look out the window. He couldn't see anything, though.

"I'm not sure," Albus said sadly, stepping up next to him and looking out the window, as well. "I was just with Bathilda. I'm about to go back over there. Atticus is there."

"Where's Grindelwald?" Harry asked, feeling panic at the possibility that Atticus and Grindelwald were trapped in the same house together.

"He told me he was going to London," he said.

"What? Why!"

Albus just shrugged. "He wouldn't say."

Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him to the back door. Together, they made their way to Bathilda's house through the back, just in case there were Aurors out in the front.

Albus knocked the door and entered without waiting for a reply. At the kitchen table sat Atticus and Bathilda. They both looked up.

"Hello, boys," she said, pointing to the two empty seats. "I'm sure you heard, Harry?"

He nodded as he sat down next to Albus. "What exactly was stolen?"

Atticus shook his head. "I have no idea. I didn't even know we had files in the house. Whoever broke in knew where it was. I wouldn't have guessed to look where they were."

"It was Grindelwald," Harry said, crossing his arms.

"Harry!" Bathilda and Albus said at the same time.

Of course they wouldn't believe him. Albus never did, but he should have realized with Bathilda. She wouldn't want to believe her nephew did anything like that.

In the scheme of things, Harry wondered if the things he'd done in the past were worse than the break in Gellert had just done. After all, he had broken into the Ministry twice before and even broke into Gringotts. Those were for good reason, though, during a time of resistance.

Gellert didn't seem to have any reason for stealing the Potters' files. For all he knew, Grindelwald just wanted to see if he could do.

"Why else would he suddenly become interested in Atticus two days ago and then go to London the same night two break ins happen? And where is he, anyway?"

"He's with a friend of mine!" Bathilda said, shocked at the accusations.

"Have you checked on him?" Harry asked.

"No, but-"

A knock sounded. Everyone looked up. Bathilda was the first to rise and she went to the door. Albus glared at Harry, looking as if he wanted to say something to him about the accusations, but then the door opened and he heard a voice.

"I'm just checking on how Atticus is doing," said Cadmus.

Harry froze. He looked toward the back door, but he knew that door could be seen from the front.

"He's doing well," Bathilda said. "Is he allowed to come home now or would you like me to keep him a little longer? I've been enjoying his company."

"Well, if you don't mind," Cadmus said. "Actually, I was just 'round at the Dumbledore's. Albus's brother said he was here. I'd like to ask him a few things."

"He's in the kitchen. Come in."

Harry's eyes widened and he jumped up.

"Do you have your cloak?" Albus asked.

He shook his head frantically.

But just as Cadmus walked in, a sense of water falling over him engulfed him and he stood there stock still, looking down at his hands. They'd disappeared. Albus had apparently put a disillusionment charm over him, but this one was different than normal. He seemed completely invisible!

Harry stepped out of the way of Cadmus as he passed Atticus, ruffling his hair. "Hello, doing well?"

He nodded as Cadmus sat down next to Albus. "Hello, Dumbledore."

"Sir," Albus said kindly. His eyes had no twinkle in them at all.

"Dumbledore," he said, leaning forward. "I know you'd rather not talk about this, but I need you to tell me everything you know about Merrythought's assistant, the one that called himself Harry Potter."

Albus actually smiled rather than looking panicking. "What do you mean, sir?"

Cadmus sighed, looking as if he felt he had no time for that. "Please just tell me what you know. Don't try to sneak around it."

Albus only smiled wider. "Look, I've told you all I know of him."

"Which wasn't much," Cadmus said.

"Well," Albus said, shrugging. "There wasn't much to say. He was nice to the students. He knew Defense quite well. But I have no idea where he is right now."

"Have you talked to him since he left Hogwarts?" Cadmus asked.

"Have you had any leads on him since November?"

"Well, no-"

"Then I don't understand why you're suddenly asking about him. For all I know, he could be halfway across the world."

Cadmus seemed frustrated. He ran a hand through his untidy hair and said, "I'm only asking because I can't figure out who else would want to steal files on my family if it wasn't someone who's claimed to be a Potter."

Albus shook his head and his eyes twinkled. "Well, I haven't got any answers for you. Honestly, in my humble schoolboy opinion, if you have had zero leads for over half a year, there's nothing to go on. But of course, I'm only three days away from eighteen with no such position to speak of besides homemaker, certain awards, and some old Wizengamot posts I've since vacated. Why should anyone listen to me?"

Cadmus stared. He was beginning to look exasperated, which Harry thought wouldn't be a good thing. "So, do you think he did it or not?"

Albus smirked in a way too similar to Gellert's for comfort. "Like I said, why should anyone listen to me? I have no idea, sir."

Cadmus let out an angry breath and stood up. "Well, thank you, Dumbledore. Atticus, stay here. I'll come get you soon."

He disappeared out of the kitchen, and then once the front door slammed shut, the same feeling of water rushing came over Harry. He looked down at his hands and they were there again.

"Well, happy birthday, Harry," Albus said, his smiled dropping. "Thought I might as well take suspicion off of you for the day."

"Thanks," Harry said, taking the chair Cadmus just vacated.

"It's your birthday?" Bathilda asked. "I had no idea! Stay here, I'll make you breakfast."

"Thank you, but you don't have to," Harry said.

She shook her head. "Please. I'd love to."

There was a pause while Bathilda started cooking. Albus took his deluminator out of his pocket and began messing with it. Harry hadn't seen it for a while, even though Albus had told him Flamel had finally approved of it after a year of working on it.

"Gellert didn't do it," Albus said, his eyes narrowing as he clicked the device. A candle light sped into it. "It was just a coincidence."

"You don't know that," Harry said. "You always ignore everything he-"

"Harry," Albus said with a sigh. "I think I'd know my best friend."

Harry's eyes widened and he stared at Albus, shocked. "He's not your best friend! Elphias is!"

Albus's eyes flashed. "You don't know-" he yelled.

"Boys!" Bathilda screamed. "Stop it right now! There will be no yelling in my kitchen."

Albus glared at Harry and he turned away, crossing his arms. Harry caught Atticus's eyes. He was looking on, his eyes wide and looking as if he wished he'd just gone with his dad when he was there.

"Wait here," Albus said, standing up. He put the deluminator on the table and left through the back door.

Atticus caught Harry's eyes and stared blankly at him. "What's with him?"

Harry shrugged and picked up his deluminator. When he looked at it, it seemed less worn than it did when Ron had it. Harry couldn't wait to tell Ron about how Albus had been making it during his seventh year of Hogwarts.

"What is that?" Atticus asked.

"It just puts out lights," Harry said. "And something else, but I don't know if he's actually done that yet."

Atticus seemed confused, but he didn't pursue it. He set the deluminator back down on the table. He didn't want to look at it anymore.

Truthfully, he knew he was leaving in about three weeks. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to see his friends again and the sight of something that Ron owned later made him feel too homesick.

When Albus came back, he handed Harry a cloth bag. He took it, unsure of what it was.

"That's your birthday present," Albus said. "It's just candy, but you know, I have two siblings to take care of. I wish I could've given you more."

Harry opened up the bag. It just had Muggle candy in it, but Harry appreciated it all the same. "Thank you. You didn't poison this, did you? After I just made you angry?"

Albus shook his head. "Of course not. Although, now that you mention it…"

Harry laughed and pulled out a piece of candy. "Why did I think there wouldn't be sherbet lemons in here?"

His eyes twinkled again.

Time passed. Harry and Albus wandered back over to the Dumbledore house after Cadmus Potter came back by to get Atticus.

Grindelwald still hadn't shown up. Bathilda hadn't been able to get in touch with him, even though she firecalled the place where he was supposedly staying a few times.

"He can't have. He can't have," Albus kept repeatedly saying.

Harry wanted to say something, but he decided against it.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Albus muttered.

"Tell you what?" Aberforth asked from across the room. Harry didn't know where Ariana was, but she was apparently upstairs taking a nap. Albus told him about Ariana's nightmares and tantrums. Harry, who had had nightmares that repeated themselves in the past, understood.

"Nothing," Albus said.

Just then, an owl flew through the open window. Though Albus reached out for it, the owl didn't seem to want to do to go to him. It landed in front of Aberforth.

"Hello, Hopp," said Aberforth, untying the letter from the owl's leg. "Here, Albus."

He handed it to him and Albus read out the letter announcing that Aberforth had to be at King's Cross on September 1st.

Albus looked over the book list. "I have all these books, but I think we'll have to get you new robes."

Aberforth shook his head. "I'm not going."

"To Diagon Alley? Why not?"

"No, I mean Hogwarts," Aberforth said.

Albus stared at Aberforth. "We've been over this, Aberforth. You're going."

Harry looked up. He hadn't known Aberforth was thinking of not going back to school.

"You can't make me," Aberforth said. "I'm nearly sixteen and I have my O.W.L results. Anyway, your boyfriend or whoever left school after his fifth year. Why can't I?"

"He was expelled, Aberforth," Albus said. "That's completely different. You don't get to choose. You're not 17 and your legal guardian, which is me, says you have to go."

"It's not like I'm going to do anything important," Aberforth said, glaring at him. "Not like you are." He paused and looked at Harry. "What do I do? What's my profession?"

"Er," Harry said, unsure if he should say. He didn't want to get involved. He'd been in the cross fire of Albus already that day. He'd rather not make it worse.

"What is it, Potter?"

"A bartender," he said, looking away and wondering why he had to be in another yelling match.

"See! See!" Aberforth said, pointing at Harry. "What's the point of going to school if I'm a bartender of all things?"

"School is still important, Aberforth!" Albus said.

"Who's going to take care of Ariana?" he asked.

"I will. She'll be fine."

"I thought you were starting work in September," Aberforth said, standing up and coming over to Albus where he sat by the fireplace. He snatched his letter from Albus and sat down on the couch, grabbing his notebook.

"I'm not anymore," Albus said.

"What are you doing, then?"

"Er," Albus said, looking away. Harry watched him as he hesitated. Harry wasn't sure he ever saw Albus so unsure of saying something before and he thought it was the oddest thing he'd ever seen.

"Albus," Aberforth said. "Please tell me you're not going off with Grindelwald."

Harry couldn't believe it.

"What!" Harry said, jerking his head to look at Albus. He was already thinking of going off with him? He couldn't!

"You can't take Ariana with you!" Aberforth yelled.

"I haven't decided yet," Albus said. "We've only been talking about it for two days."

He stopped and stood up. "Let's stop talking about this. Aberforth, you're going back to Hogwarts. You only have two years left."

Aberforth fumed and stood up. He stomped up the stairs and Harry heard a muffled scream after a door slammed shut. Harry and Albus shared a look. But they looked away from each other not long after.

"What do you mean you want to go off with Grindelwald?" Harry asked. He wasn't happy at all.

But to Harry's dismay, Albus said nothing.

And Harry felt defeated.

Albus watched Harry stand after a few silent minutes.

"I'm going. I was supposed to organize potions this morning," Harry said.

Albus nodded, wishing that Harry wouldn't leave. Even though he had gotten on his nerves a few times that day, he still liked having the company. "Happy Birthday."

Harry's smile didn't reach his eyes. He said, "Thank you," and then disappeared from the room a second later.

Albus stood up, feeling weary.

Honestly, Albus hadn't really been serious when he'd suggested to Gellert that they go on a search for the Deathly Hallows.

"Wouldn't it be brilliant?" he said. He fantasized about it more than actually feeling like he wanted to do it. Being on the road with Gellert, visiting many different places and countries… it was what he'd wanted to do with Elphias, but the latter hadn't worked out, obviously, but maybe once Aberforth was out of the picture, Gellert and him could do that.

He thought Gellert would scoff that off, saying how stupid of an idea that was, but he surprised Albus by clapping his hands together. "That is the most fantastic idea I've ever heard," Gellert said, enthusiastically, without seeming to really even consider it. "Why didn't I think of that? Could you imagine?"

Gellert's smile was wide. "It'd be better than being around here. I feel so suffocated in this tiny town. I can't wait to get out."

Albus wanted to admit that he felt the same, but he didn't get a chance to because Gellert pulled a piece of parchment toward him and started writing down places that they'd researched for locations where the Deathly Hallows could be.

"I have one last place to check here," Gellert said, as he wrote Godric's Hollow down on the list.

"Where is that?"

Gellert didn't seem to hear him. "You say your brother needs to leave on September 1st? We'll leave around then. Oh, this will be brilliant. Dumbledore and Grindelwald traveling the world! We'll be world famous."

That afternoon, they planned out what Gellert called their Grand Adventure, which Albus quite liked.

Though, he did have one question. "My sister," he said, realizing what going on their Grand Adventure would mean. "What do I do with her?"

Gellert shrugged. "Bring her with us. I like her."

Although Albus felt weary on the idea, he convinced himself that bringing her would be the only way he'd be able to do this. She couldn't be that hard to take care of.

After that, Albus couldn't get the Grand Adventure out of his mind. The only time he didn't think of it was when Harry was around. He completely forgot about it, in fact, because Harry could be a good distraction.

Only a couple days later, Albus wondered what Gellert was doing. He didn't want to believe that Harry was right about Gellert. It had to be a coincidence.

He couldn't help but wonder if this was part of Gellert's plans. Even if the Potter files had nothing to do with it, why was he in London?

Albus went into a very restless sleep that night. He wasn't sure what he was dreaming about. He forgot it immediately after Aberforth woke him up twice, saying, "Albus, if you're going to keep thrashing about, go sleep somewhere else."

The second time he awoke, Aberforth pulled him up and chucked him out of the room.

Albus stared at the door, too tired to do anything else. He dragged himself over to Ariana's door to peek in. She was sleeping soundly, unlike most nights.

Sighing, he turned and looked at the other door in the hall. His mother's room had been closed off for the whole month. Neither Albus nor Aberforth had stepped into it.

Albus wasn't sure why, but whenever he passed it he felt as if there was some kind of darkness covering it. He could barely look at the door without feeling some kind of foreboding.

He touched the doorknob, but he couldn't bring himself to push the door open.

Instead, he turned around and went downstairs. He lit a fire in the grate and then sat cross-legged on the floor, staring into it for a very long time.

He had no idea what to do. He suddenly felt very lonely. He knew Harry was angry at him, Gellert had disappeared, and he hadn't had a letter from Elphias in a two weeks.

He had to fight back tears. Again, he felt stuck. Gellert had been a way out. Where was he? Albus wished he'd said something more about what he was doing London.

If there was one thing Albus couldn't stand, it was not knowing what was going on. He'd felt it when everything had happened with Ariana and again when his father died. Since then, he vowed to keep learning and understanding and knowing.

Albus curled up on the rug, closed his eyes, and out of anything, he wished the pain would just go away.

He didn't know it, but somewhere miles and miles away, Gellert Grindelwald was looking over the files Albus refused to believe he'd stolen.

A/N: I really feel like I need to apologize again for last year… I think I only wrote about 5ish chapters from May 2011-August 2012. I do have a reason for it… not a great one. I was just going through a ton of stuff last year... junior year of college, counselling for some issues I had with myself, my grandpa's death. I'm good and happy now, though, so yay. But, the point of all this is to tell you how thankful I am for everyone who's stuck with me. It means so much to me. Honestly, I'm just so surprised people actually enjoy this story and I think I'll be forever grateful for the support.

I just want everyone to know that I really do enjoy writing this story. I know it's not the best (especially because every single chapter I'm like "Ugh. Why didn't I add that before?!" I felt that way in this chapter and it made it really difficult to write), but I still have so much fun writing it. I think that's the most important thing, to like what you're doing no matter what.

The story's about to take a turn now. I'll be ending it very soon. Possibly within the next 10 chapters. So, yeah. I just wanted to say thank you again. Sorry for the super long A/N.