Red ink encircled the 30th of July in the calendar to indicate a special day. Harry stared at the clock in anticipation while he hugged Hedwig to his chest. It was currently 11:59 PM—a minute from now, it'll be his birthday. Harry had indulged himself this year and decided to buy a birthday cake, a small chocolate cake, earlier. He had never gotten the chance to properly celebrate it and thought, Why not make an imitation of a celebration now that he has the money and freedom to do so? Although he may have gone overboard and bought an entire wardrobe of the latest fashion that suited him—both muggle and wizarding attire—which should last him for three or four years unless he gets a sudden growth spurt. He, however, did not feel guilty about burning all of his ratty clothing from the past.
He stopped fiddling with his earrings and lit up the candles on his cake with the snap of his fingers. "5...4...3…2…1…Happy Birthday to me!" As if sensing his mood, Hedwig hooted along to Harry's singsong voice. He placed her on the bed and blew out the candles. He grabbed a fork and took a hesitant bite of the cake. The cake was moist and sweet, and Harry savored each slow bite he took. "Sorry, Hedwig, I'll give you treats later." He giggled when Hedwig nipped the tip of his fingers while he scratched the tip of her beak.
He wasn't able to finish the small cake, which he expected, and wrapped it back in the cake box. He hummed and swayed around the room while Hedwig stared at her stupid master. "Soon enough, I can eat cakes and pastries without caring about being sabotaged. Ah, what a great day to live~" She hooted in reply, not really understanding the implication of her master's words. "Screw you, Death! I will enjoy every second of my life!"
Harry's jolly mood lasted about an hour before he got tired of his reckless dancing and singing. Hedwig, though undisturbed by her master's antics, wanted her treats and nipped his ears until he gave them to her. "Alright, alright. Please spare me the scratches, girl."
Soon enough, Harry heard the car engine getting closer to the Surrey. There's nothing wrong with car engines per se, but no one drives at nearly 2 a.m. in the morning. He took a peek through his window and was surprised to see Ron and the twins waving back at him. "What are you guys doing here? And with a flying car, no less!" He exclaimed as soon as he opened the windows.
"Hello, Harry! Nice earrings by the way." That must be Fred.
"We wanted to pick you up!" Then this is George.
"Hurry up, mate! Mom doesn't know we're here." Ron beckoned him over, probably forgetting they were still in midair. "Uhmm... how about you guys park the car downstairs and I'll be there in a minute?"
The redheads nodded and landed the car in front of the Surrey. Harry threw all his stuff inside his trunk without care and instructed Hedwig to follow the car. With the room emptied out, Harry levitated the trunk to avoid making sounds and carefully went downstairs. He stopped the levitation charm once he reached the bottom, then opened the front door, where three enthusiastic redheads greeted him, 'Happy Birthday, Harry! '. George took the luggage and placed it in the car while Ron dragged Harry into a hug.
"How have you been, mate?" After the hug, Ron gave a friendly pat on the back. "Doing alright, if I say so myself. You know, the usual." Harry patted his back in exchange.
"Did you receive any of our letters? You were radio silent the whole summer—it was nuts! Hermione won't stop worrying about you. Also, I'd never guess you were one for accessories." Harry missed Ron's voice, ramblings, and comments, making sure to absorb every word spoken from his mouth. Ron had spread his arms and waved them around like a bird to exaggerate his point.
Harry refrained from crying, opting to rub the back of his neck. "I'll tell you about it in the car…there's a lot to unpack."
"What's up, Birthday Boy?"
"Ready for your first magical trip?"
George and Fred spoke the moment the two kids entered the car. Harry laughed at the twins and nodded along.
"Buckle up, boys.
"Next stop, the Burrow!" They both cheered in the end. The engine started, and the car flew away from Surrey until it was a tiny speck of dust in the distance.
It turns out that Harry wasn't able to share anything since he ended up sleeping the whole trip. He was woken up by Ron tapping on his shoulders and telling him they were at the Burrow. Harry rubbed his eyes and was amazed to see the tall building that seemed to have defied the laws of physics.
"Alright, Harry, no matter what you do, don't make a sound," Fred whispered while George made a slicing motion to his neck. Harry frowned and vigorously nodded, playing along with the twins' antics. They saluted him and then went to get baggage from the car.
"They're just messing with you, mate. Mum wouldn't kill you…I think." Rod stepped to his side—he must've been stretching after sitting down for so long. "That makes me feel very reassured," Harry said sarcastically, which Ron scoffed at.
The sun had already risen when they arrived, illuminating the whole area with its rays. Harry saw Hedwig already flying around in the distance, hunting for her breakfast. He rubbed his eyes again and readjusted his glasses before they mushed into his face. The four of them tiptoed inside the house, where a lot of unfamiliar artifacts and crafts greeted Harry. They passed by a grandfather clock that had the faces of the Weasley family and the places they might be.
'So much for stealth. I'm guessing Mrs. Wealsey already knew they were out.' Harry chuckled in his mind.
They entered the dining area, where freshly baked bread was served in a basket. The twins carelessly reached out for the bread and beckoned Harry to get some. Harry raised both his arms in surrender and shook his head.
"Oh, by the way," Ron patted his shoulder, "Happy Birthday Harry." Ron handed him a box of assorted chocolates. "Thanks, mate; you didn't have to, you know."
"Nah, you deserve it. Besides, you're my best mate! What kind of friend would I be if I didn't give you a gift on your birthday." Ron playfully bumped his shoulder and went to grab a piece of bread for himself.
"Boys! Where have you been?! I was worried sick thinking about you three!" Molly Weasley appeared at the entrance of the kitchen and accusingly pointed at her three mischievous troublemakers. Ron nearly choked on the bread he was chewing and violently patted his chest. Harry was quick to hand him a glass of water while stifling his laughter.
"Do you have any idea what trouble your father was in when we saw Ford Angela gone? Consider yourself grounded until the start of Hogwarts!" She finally noticed Harry's presence after her short lecture. She covered her mouth in embarrassment for a second, then sweetly smiled at Harry.
"Oh, hello, Harry, dear. I'm sorry you had to see me like this. Happy birthday, by the way!" She gave him a hug and gestured for him to sit down on the dining chair. She a warm and comfortable presence, she makes Harry feel fluffy, unlike the cold and harsh treatment he gets from Petunia. He shivered at the thought of even comparing the two.
The twins whispered something about favoritism and chuckled under their breath. Molly heard their comment and slapped their shoulders, which made them burst into laughter. "But Mom, you saw how his uncle acted in the train station. He couldn't even send us letters!" Ron tried to reason it out, but no one took him seriously while he was stuffing his mouth with bread.
"And you won't be sending letters anytime soon if you keep this behavior up, young man." she said sternly, which made Ron snap his mouth shut. "That's what I thought—go sit down while I prepare breakfast."
Harry offered to help, but the older Weasley asked him to stay put. Harry did not surrender and persisted in helping her cook, which she did after minutes of persuasion. One by one, the Weasley members gathered and were greeted with a feast for breakfast. Molly and Harry accidentally overdid themselves while cooking, but neither blamed the other since they had fun exchanging recipes.
After a while, Arthur Weasley entered the house and greeted the people at the table. "Oh, what's with the feast? Is there a special occasion today that I don't know about?" Arthur Weasley asked, surprised by the amount of food. He sat on the head chair while Molly served his portion. "It's Harry's birthday," Dad, Ron said in between his bites.
Arthur raised a brow and searched for Harry, who appeared from behind with a jug of water in hand. "Harry Potter! Nice to meet you kid, and happy birthday by the way. Hope you're liking your stay here." Harry wiped his hands on the spare apron Molly had given him and shook Mr. Weasley's hands. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley." They gave each other a polite nod.
"You know Harry?" Fred started out of nowhere. "You could pass as somebody's housewife with how good your cooking is," George teased with a laugh. Harry sighed and gave the two a slap at the back of their heads, which they just laughed at. They feigned hurt and called Harry heartless, who exaggeratedly rolled his eyes. Harry sat down on an empty chair and got a small portion of food for himself, confident that he could trust the food this time.
"I'll go get Ginny so we can all eat together." Molly stood up from her seat but paused when thudding noises were heard on the staircases. Harry asked Ron if Ginny was his sister, to which he nodded to and said she was his little sister. She seemed surprised when she saw Harry and was ready to run away, but Molly asked her to eat with them. She silently nodded and slowly sat down on her seat, trying to look at something other than Harry.
"Did I do something wrong?" Harry whispered to Ron.
"Nah, don't worry about it. She's just a fan of you, Ron whispered back. She must've caught what Ron was saying and openly glared at her brother.
They continued with their meal and joked around from time to time. However, it was mostly the twins trying to stir up commotion at the table while Percy scolded them. Harry also gave a summary of his encounter with Dobby and the reason why he didn't receive letters for the summer. He didn't mention anything about the Door of Trials, but he did mention a bit of his encounter with Antonio and Edith. He blamed them for the new interest in accessories— 'I'll apologize to them somewhere in the future…'
At the end of their meal, an owl crashed into the window, which surprised Harry, but by the looks of it, it was a normal thing for the Weasleys. The owl turned out to be fine and went through the open window this time.
"Does it have brain damage or something?" Harry questioned while he inspected the owl. "Nah, Pig is just like that. He's mental—don't mind him," Ron said, taking the letter off Pig's talons.
"Oh sweet, Hogwarts letters, and they included yours too, Harry." He handed one to Harry and the rest to the siblings. Harry thanked him and then opened his own letter. Inside the envelope was an invitation letter to Hogwarts and a list of things they were required to bring for the school year.
"Looks like it's that time of the year," Arthur commented while he peered at the contents of Percy's letter. The twins and Ron groaned in dismay, already imagining the disaster awaiting them in Diagon Alley. Percy rolled his eyes at his dramatic sibling and scolded them. Molly shoed them away and tasked them with getting ready for their trip. Ginny seemed delighted to scurry along and get away from him, which he noted in dismay. 'Seriously, what did I do?'
"Harry dear, do you have anything to wear besides those pajamas?" He tilted his head in confusion at Mrs. Weasley's question and took a look at what he was wearing. Harry suddenly felt his cheeks warm up when he remembered he had been wearing pajamas the whole time. He wanted to slap himself in the head or perhaps bury his head in the ground and forget everything.
"I-I brought my trunk…it should have my clothes. Thank you for the concern, Mrs. Weasley." He quickly ran upstairs and asked the twins where his luggage was. They said it was in Ronald's room, so he went to search for him.
"Mate, I nearly forgot I was wearing pajamas. I embarrassed myself in front of your family." Harry said randomly as he entered Ron's room. Ron looked at him with a raised brow, then laughed until he collapsed. "You just realized that now?" Harry slapped the back of Ron's head before changing into the wizarding cloak he just bought. Ron eyed the high-quality robe and boots, then looked at Harry questioningly. "What? I didn't own any, so the clerk recommended this."
"Really, mate? Green? It's the same color as those slimy gits," Ron said accusingly, but there was no bite behind his words. Harry just shrugged his shoulders and went down to where most of the family members were waiting. The twins first saw Harry and joked about him getting ready for a date with how fancy he looked. Ginny, who had been quiet all this time, stood up for Harry with a flushed face. The twins swooned and made kissing noises to annoy their sister further, which was super effective. Harry just laughed along and sat on the couch while they waited for Ron to come down.
Not long after, Ron came down, and Mrs. Weasley gathered them in front of the fireplace. "Harry, dear, do you know how the Floo Network works?" Harry shook his head at her question. "George, go demonstrate how the floo works." She pointed at one of the twins. "But I'm Fred," the twin she was pointing at said. "And I'm George," the twin beside him piped.
"Seriously, you can't even get our names right." they both said at the same time.
"Can't believe you can't remember the very children you named." Though everybody in the room knows that they were just teasing Mrs. Weasley,
She seemed tired of their pranks and just asked one of them to demonstrate. George took a pinch of the glittering powder from the pot and stepped inside the fireplace. He threw the powder into the fire, which turned the fire green and enveloped his body. George shouted 'Diagon Alley, and the green flames swallowed him whole. Seconds later, the flames died out, and George was nowhere to be seen.
"Do you know what to do now, dear?"
"Yeh, I think so." Repeating what George did, Harry took a pinch of glittery dust and threw it into the fire. It wasn't scorching hot like he was expecting it to be, but it was still warm. "Di-Diagon Alley!" He may have bitten his tongue in the process, but I hope he said that clearly.
"What did he just say?"
"I think he said Gorgon Alley?"
"No, it was Diagon."
"But it sounded like Knockturn..."
—
The Floo Network nearly spat him out—had it not been for his balance and grip on the fireplace bricks, Harry would be rolling in the dust by now. Harry dusted his robe and carefully stepped out of the fireplace. The store he was in didn't look like it belonged to Diagon Alley—it had too many dark and ominous artifacts to be allowed in Diagon to begin with. If he had to guess, he is most likely in Knockturn Alley based on the dreary atmosphere outside. There aren't any people around, and the store manager isn't present either—only Harry's footsteps could be heard in the dingy shop.
'Is that a severed hand? And skulls?' He saved the shock and curiosity for a later date. Harry's eye surveyed the building, and he hastily went on his way to the exit before the clerk saw him.
He pulled the hood of his robe up and covered his face to avoid getting unwanted attention before heading out. Just as he exited, a middle-aged man with long platinum hair and aristocratic features entered the store. The man didn't even spare him a glance as he passed by, only looking forward with his chin held high. He caught a glance at Draco's passing figure as well, and he made sure to tug on his hood further. As curious as he was to know what his school rival was doing around Knockturn Alley, he didn't want to risk detection.
'What's that idiot doing strutting around the place without a disguise?' Then again, it wasn't his business, so he couldn't care less what happened to Draco.
He didn't linger any further and went on his way to reunite with the Weasleys before they panic over his disappearance. Looking around to see where he was, Harry saw a familiar large figure in the street.
'Is that Hagrid? What is he doing here? ' Harry hesitated at the thought of chasing after Hagrid, especially after what happened in the last stage of his door, but he quickly shook off that thought. The last thing he wanted was to go down the memory lane. He clenched his teeth and reminded himself that this Hagrid was different—this was not the imposter that Harry killed.
Harry jogged to his side and called out his name in a hushed voice, "Hagrid!"
The half-giant seemed startled when Harry revealed himself. "Arry'! Whatcha doin' in a shady place like this? You ought to stay away from here."
Harry made a shushing motion since he didn't want his identity exposed. "Yeah, I know. I was supposed to come here with the Weasleys, but the Floo spat me here, which is very inconvenient if I say so myself." Harry's brows narrowed in annoyance, and he pouted at how the day started.
Hagrid seemed to have gotten the message and whispered. "Good thin' yer wearing a hood, dun want people to think yer up to no good."
Harry nodded, but then he remembered something, "What are you doing here, Hagrid?"
"Oh, I... uhm... was buying flesh-eating slug repellent. They keep ruining my well-grown cabbages." Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion but didn't push any further. He immediately schooled his expression and nodded at the answer. He hoped that he wasn't acting differently than usual.
"C'mon now, let's get ya back with the Weasleys, eh?"
The two of them started walking towards the Knockturn Alley exit. Once they were out, Harry pulled down his hood and fixed his hair. While strolling around the crowded Diagon Alley, Hagrid and Harry ran into Hermione, who was exiting a store.
"Harry! Hagrid!"
"Ello', Hermione!"
"Mione!" Harry may have shouted too enthusiastically, but he can't help it. Harry can already feel his jaws ache from smiling too widely.
The two kids ran toward each other and exchanged hugs. "You don't know how much I've missed you!" Harry exclaimed. Hermione smiled and said it was a mutual feeling. She took notice of the robe he was wearing and raised a brow.
"What?! First Ron, then the twins and Ginny, now you? I should've worn something else…" Harry said sulkily while tugging on his robe.
She waved her hand frantically to deny whatever he was thinking about. "No! I actually think it suits you a lot!"
"Oh! I thought you were going to comment on something else. Guess there's still hope for our friendship—I knew I could trust you." he said in a joking manner.
"Welp, fellas, think ya'll can handle yourselves now?" Hargid interjected, and Harry nearly forgot he was still there. The two kids nodded and bid their farewells to Hagrid.
"Let's go, Harry, everyone's been worried about you." She led them to Flourish and Blots, where a lot of witches and wizards were gathering. 'Is there an event? ' He thought questioningly while expertly dodging everyone in the way.
Flourish and Blots is a small store, so with the number of people it currently has, the store looked like packed sardines. There were a lot of people blocking the pathway, but luckily, Harry and Hermione got to catch up to where Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny were waiting. "Harry! Thank goodness you're alright. Here you go." Mrs. Weasley moved to give space for Harry and Hermione.
"There you are, mate! I was about to think you got abducted or something." Ron patted Harry's shoulder in greeting and smiled at Hermione. Suddenly, cheers and squeals erupted once a good-looking young man with a sparkling smile and wavy blonde hair appeared from the back door.
If Harry thought that Draco was prideful, this guy reeks of narcissism and arrogance. He didn't really get the appeal and turned to Ron with a questioning look.
"That's Gilderoy Lockhart, Mum fancies him a lot." Ron got playfully shoved by Mrs. Weasley, who was making googly eyes at Lockhart. "Oh, shush it, you!"
Harry just shrugged his shoulders and remained silent. In his honest opinion, Draco and the older man, who looked exactly like him, were much better looking than the man in front of him—that didn't excuse them for their peacock-like behavior. Of course, he will never let anyone know of this opinion.
Their friendly banter was put to a halt once photographers started coming in and shoving people away for photo shoots. Harry and the others moved out of the way to avoid getting pushed around, which was hard to do with the cramped space. During the movement, Harry's hair must've been tousled and revealed his iconic scar, which caused Lockhart to recognize him.
"Well, if it isn't the famous Harry Potter, come to visit my book signing event!" He exclaimed while spreading his arms out. The crowd cheered at the appearance of their hero and pushed each other to get a glimpse of him. Harry, who was caught off guard, was dragged to the front of the crowd and placed beside Gilderoy Lockhart for pictures.
Harry regained his bearings after getting flashed by the cameras. "Stop it." His voice was full and commanding. He pointedly looked at the photographer and journalists with furrowed brows. The crowd was silenced, and the people under Harry's gaze felt shivers run down their spines.
"Hm? What's wrong, Harry?" The foolish author asked, not noticing the drop in temperature in the room. "Mr. Lockhart, if you could please unhand me, I think it is rather rude to get handsy around someone you just met." Harry didn't bother looking at Lockhart and batted the hand that wrapped around his shoulder.
"Oh yes, of course, where are my manners? Lockhart awkwardly chuckled, trying not to lose face in public. Harry crossed his arms and huffed a sigh.
"And you," Harry pointed at the photographer that forced him into his current predicament, "what made you think that it was alright to violate my privacy? Did you even bother to ask my consent or opinion whether I wanted to be taken a picture of?" Harry may tolerate a lot of things, but he would not sit idly if he got crossed, not anymore.
The photographer looked down in shame, his cheeks burning red from embarrassment. "N-no," he uttered while looking at his shoes. The crowd erupted into hushed whispers and laughter. The other journalists and photographers smirked at the photographer's blunder, which irritated Harry further.
"Laughing now, are we? as if you guys weren't invading my privacy either." Harry said sternly. Now it was the smug journalists and photographers who had flushed faces.
"Uh-uhmm... Mr. Po-Potter, they didn't mean to do harm. I'm sure they learned from their mistakes already…y-you can spare them the lecture." Harry turned to Lockhart, who was sweating profusely from the cold Avada Kedavra eyes that stared into his eyes. Harry sighed and placed a hand on his hip.
"You're not off the hook either, Mr. Lockhart. Next time, please avoid calling me out, especially at events such as this. I value my personal time a lot."
Lockhart enthusiastically nodded, finding ways to appease Harry's temper. Harry gave a last stern look before heading out to where Mrs. Weasley and the others were.
"Now, if you'll excuse me."
Harry never felt this annoyed at anyone, with the exception of the things he had to deal with inside the door. His change of attitude surprised him—he would've never been this cold before, nor would he have cared either. If it were him from the past, he would've accepted what was thrown at him with an awkward smile. That, or doing something dumb that would land him in a bad situation. Then again, he should've noticed how he treated the Dursleys differently after his life-changing experience. The urge for survival and to stick up for himself became more apparent than before.
The crowd parted in his steps, giving him a mixture of admiration, fascination, and some disapproval. Harry paid them no mind in favor of returning to the others.