February 15, 1997

Harry walked towards the Great Hall with his nose in a book. He was preparing himself. With the concerns of the Chamber behind him, his mind was focused on a few things. First, getting caught up in his studies. The weeks stuck in the Hospital Wing allowed him to do his theory but none of the practical elements. He'd organised time with each of his Professors to go over any spells to make sure he hadn't missed anything important that would cost him on his final exams.

The second thing, was his apparition test. The classes that Hogwarts ran for sixth and seventh years had been delayed—because of the Chamber—and had been organised along with the return of classes. And now all Harry needed to do was past his apparition test at the Ministry and he would be allowed to apparate on his own, once he turned seventeen.

The last thing was Fleur. He'd only seen her once since he'd woken up in the Hospital Wing and they had plenty left to talk about. It was the first time he'd seen her since their fight, or should he say his moment of assholery. While her letter had stated she wasn't mad at him, Harry felt the need to make it up to her.

Harry reached the Great Hall and found it busy with students. It was a Saturday morning, so the number of students milling about was surprising large. There were no further restrictions on students so they could go about their normal plans; visiting Hogsmeade, hanging out with friends, causing trouble, sleeping in. But it seemed a rather large number of students were enjoying their breakfast together.

Harry found a spot on the Ravenclaw table. He didn't spot any of his friends, so chose to use the solitude to finish his reading and enjoy his breakfast. He filled his plate with eggs, bacon and beans, before filling his cup with orange juice. As he took a large sip, a hand smacked against his shoulder, making him choke. He coughed down his drink and turned to glare at the hand. Carlisle smiled widely at him.

Harry huffed, "Seriously?"

Carlisle grinned and then very loudly began to sing.

"For he's a jolly good wizard!

For he's a jolly good wizard!

For he's a jolly good wizzardd!

Which nobody can deny!

Which nobody can deny!

For he's a jolly good wizard!

For he's a jolly good wizard!

For he's a jolly good wizzardd!

Which nobody can deny!"

The students surrounding them began to clap, making Carlisle laugh as he sat beside Harry. He grasped Harry's shoulders and said, "Happy birthday, mate."

Harry frowned. Birthday? It took him a moment to realise he hadn't even remembered his own birthday.

"You forgot?" asked Carlisle, frowning slightly.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah."

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "Mate, you are probably the only person I know that could forget their birthday."

"A lot has been happening."

"Yeah, I guess."

Harry closed his book as Carlisle started filling the plate next to him. They turned the conversation to Quidditch, a few students stopping to wish Harry a 'Happy Birthday' before walking off. As Carlisle makes a comment about beating Ravenclaw for a change, the cry of an owl makes them stop. Hedwig came soaring down towards them. She landed gracefully on the table beside Harry, taking care not to knock anything over. Attacked to her claws was a small box. Harry removed the box from Hedwig before feeding her some of his bacon and stroking her feathers, making her let out a soft trill.

"Oooo," said Carlisle, "birthday gifts? Maybe from a special lady?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

Harry chuckled. "No idea."

He ripped off the paper and found a small note. Happy Birthday, my son. Harry smiled. "It's from my dad." The box itself was a ring box. Harry flipped it open to find a ring. The ring inside was ornate to say the least. The band was made of a dark metal and engraved into the surface was an intricate pattern that made the image of a raven. And then in the centre was a square purple stone, an amethyst.

"Wow," said Carlisle.

Pulling the ring from the box, Harry smiled as he looked inside the band to see his initials carved into the band as well.

"That's a bit fancy."

Harry looked up as Jenna sat down across from him.

"Special occasion?" she asked.

Carlisle said, "It's someones birthday."

Harry glared at Carlisle as he leaned his head on Harry's shoulder and grinned.

Jenna chuckled.

"It's from my dad," said Harry, slipping the ring on his right hand.

"Very nice. And happy birthday."

"Thanks."

"Birthday?" Dylan appeared behind Harry and took a seat on his free side. "How did I forget it was your birthday." Dylan smacked himself on the head.

"Don't worry," said Carlisle, "Harry forgot too."

Jenna laughed. "You forget your own birthday."

"I've had a lot going on."

"Yeah, but you're seventeen," declared Carlisle, "I can't wait to be able to do magic whenever the hell I want."

"You just want to be able to pop over to Amelia's house for a booty call whenever you want," snipped Harry.

Carlisle smirked. "You're not wrong."

"Have you got anything else for you birthday?" asked Jenna.

Harry shook his head. "No." And then quickly added, "and I don't want anything. No surprises." He glared at Jenna.

She just smiled at him.

Harry wondered what she could be thinking when a set of hands settled on his shoulders.

"So I shouldn't have surprised you then?"

Harry's whole body spun around to find Fleur. She laughed as his face lit up at the sight of her. "Your here!"

Fleur nodded and giggled.

Harry grinned and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and spinning her around. Fleur laughed loudly, her hands grasping the sides of his face.

"Happy birthday, Harry."

Harry rested her on his feet and kissed her. He placed his hand on the back of her neck, deepening the kiss, reminding himself of the taste of his beautiful girlfriend. As he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against Fleur's and cupped her face.

"Thank you, mon amour."

Fleur asked, "You like my surprise?"

"Very much."

"Would you like another surprise?"

Harry lifted his head. "Maybe."

"Hey, some of us don't speak French."

Harry and Fleur turned to his friends, Dylan looked at them confused.

"What are you saying?" he asked.

Carlisle smirked and said, "I'm not sure your innocent ears want to know."

Dylan frowned.

Fleur scoffed. "You have a dirty mind." She smacked Carlisle's head lightly.

"I don't think that was quiet hard enough." Amelia appeared beside them, her head connecting firmly with Carlisle's head.

"Ow!" said Carlisle. "It was a joke."

Amelia shrugged. "Happy birthday, Harry."

"Thank you, Amelia. Do you think you could slap him again?" Harry smirked.

Amelia chuckled.

"Hey, just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you can use my girlfriend against me," cried Carlisle.

The rest of breakfast is everyone sitting together at the Ravenclaw table. They are also joined by Will and Cedric, who showed up a little later. Harry also noticed Will and Dylan, who seemed to be sitting awfully close to one another and it made him wonder. The two had never been all that close in the past, out of their whole friend group, they two probably had the least in common. So seeing them so close together, so comfortable as they spoke to one another, made Harry asks himself if perhaps Will was Dylan mysterious boyfriend.

When breakfast was over, everyone went on their way, leaving Harry alone with Fleur who teased him about his next surprise. Harry didn't really mind, as he made silly attempts at guessing what she had planned. He allowed her to lead him out the castle and into the grounds.

They walked, hand in hand, down the hill towards the lake. The last snows of winter were finally fading, leaving behind green grass and fresh fields. Harry was looking forward to some warmer weather, and while the sun was shining brightly above them, the air still held a chill. Harry pulled Fleur under his arm as they walked, he pressed another kiss to her head and sighed with contentment. This is what he wanted for the rest of the year.

As they reached the lake's banks, Fleur pointed out a little picnic spot that she had set up. The blanket was spread out with pillows on a patch of green grass.

"This looks cozy," he said.

Fleur smiled. "I did intend to steal you away for breakfast, but with everyone there, I felt bad."

Harry smiled and squeezed her hand. "Can the food be saved for later?"

Fleur nodded.

"Perfect," he said, "maybe we can build up an appetite to it."

Fleur scoffed and smacked his shoulder. She shook her head and under her breath muttered in French about him having a dirty mind.

They sat down on the blanket, Harry moving Fleur to sit in between his legs as they looked out over the water.

"How are you feeling?" asked Fleur.

Harry sighed. "Truthfully I'm exhausted. But I'm good. Better than I was."

"Are you sure you are ready to get back to everything? Maybe you should take some more time to rest."

"No, I'm fine. Really. I think that a lot has happened recently and I just need to keep moving otherwise it will overwhelm me."

"As long as you're sure."

"I am. Besides, looking forward I have so many things that I would prefer to focus on."

"Such as?"

Harry tightened his arms around Fleur, moving his lips to her ear. "Such as spending as much alone time with you as possible."

Fleur smiled widely.

"Passing my apparition test. That will be handy when it comes to you."

"You aren't supposed to apparate that far," scolded Fleur.

"It's not like I haven't done it before."

"Shall we go over how you may have done it, but one, it was by accident, and two, you drained your magic core."

Harry held out his hands in surrender. "Yes, okay. No apparating internationally."

"Thank you."

"Your birthday is in a few months."

"Not until June."

"Yes, June 28 to be exact."

Fleur smiled widely. "Very good."

"I can't wait for summer. Some time away from Hogwarts I think will be good for everyone."

"You love school."

"I do. But I love being with you more. Not being confined to a common room. And not having to worry about impending doom that seems to follow Harvey around."

"I suppose almost dying two years in a row would make school less appealing."

"Especially when your professors turn out to be crazy. One possessed by the remaining soul of a dark wizard. Another consumed by greed."

"I think it was more the diary than Lockhart this year."

"That may be true, but he still forced Harvey and I down into the chamber for his own desire."

"Whoever they hire next year, I hope they put some serious consideration into it."

"With Dumbledore as headmaster, who knows who we'll end up with."

After his conversation with Dumbledore, Harry wasn't sure what to think about the headmaster. The man was difficult to understand, he made decisions that to Harry made no sense. He was certain that Dumbledore had his own plan and was making moves he believed to benefit his plan, but what that plan was Harry did not know.

He did believe that Dumbledore was right about the Horcruxes. Voldemort was smart enough to make sure he had a back up plan in place. The trick was knowing how many Horcruxes the mad man had made. The diary was one, but he could have three or four. And they could be any type of object. One thing Harry was confident in is that Voldemort wouldn't have used random objects, they would have had some type of meaning. He just needed to work that out.

But it wasn't time to focus on Voldemort. He could wait a day while he enjoyed his time with Fleur. Even though they had seen one another throughout the year, it wasn't enough in his books. Harry was keen for summer where they no doubt would be visiting one another often, spending as much time immersed in one another without having to worry about being separated for a another month or so.

Fleur shifted in her spot and lifted her head up to glance at him. Harry smiled warmly and lowered his mouth down to press a soft kiss to her lips. As their lips touched, Fleur lifted one hand to cup the side of Harry's chin as she lifted her head further for another kiss.

Small slow touches between them, deepened as Harry let his mind clear away everything but Fleur. He coaxed her into opening her mouth, allowing him to push his tongue in to find hers. The pleased moan from her mouth, encouraged Harry to go further, his hands tightening their grip.

Fleur broke the kiss and gasped for breath. Her cheeks were flushed as Harry moved his mouth to her cheek, then her neck. Pressing small kisses along her skin as well as nipping certain spots.

"Harry," she whimpered.

"Yes, my love?" His words were mumbled against her throat.

Harry moved one hand from her waist, sliding down the length of her dress he found the bottom and pushed the fabric up to find the bare skin of her legs. Fleur pressed her legs together, clamping his hand in place around her thigh.

"Not here," she said.

Harry pouted his lips. "There is no one around." He pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

Fleur grinned and shook her head. "Later."

Harry relented, sliding his hand off her leg and reaching to take her hand and lace their fingers together.

"Promise?" he whispered in her ear.

She nodded, making Harry grin.

Fleur twisted their joined hands and brought Harry's new ring up to her face. She ran her fingers over the stone.

"This is beautiful," she said.

Harry said, "It's my present from my dad."

"A family ring?" she asked.

Harry shook his head. "No. My dad wears the family ring. His father gave it to him when he took over as head of the family."

Fleur pulled the ring from his finger and twirled it around. "It looks brand new. He must have had it made for you." She ran her finger over the engraved initials on the band. "HRB."

"Harrison Regulus Black."

"Regulus? Like the star from the constellation of Leo?"

Harry nodded. "And after my uncle."

"I didn't know you had an uncle."

"I do. He isn't mentioned by my dad or my grandparents all that much."

"Are they estranged?"

"No. Regulus disappeared when he was eighteen. His body was never found."

"So you have no idea what happened to him?"

Harry shook his head. "He was a…death eater. According to what my dad has told me, Regulus admired Voldemort when he was young. My grandparents were very upfront with their beliefs when it came to blood purity, so it was no surprise that he was the same. He ended up joining Voldemort's ranks before he'd even graduated from Hogwarts. But not long before he disappeared, my dad told me that Regulus had sent him a letter. Apparently it was a bit of a mess, like Regulus had been in a rush, but the letter apparently contained doubts about what he had joined and what Voldemort would do."

"He no longer agreed with Voldemort, do you think?"

"No. I think he might have not agreed with Voldemort's way of doing things."

Fleur took the ring and slipped it back on his finger. She asked, "Did you father ever feel the same way? Have the same thoughts about blood purity?"

"In the beginning, maybe. But not once he started school." Harry smiled. "My dad was definitely the outcast of the family. To the point he was disowned when he was sixteen. He ran away from home and went and stayed with James."

"It seems to have worked out for your family. I mean, your father and his parents get along."

"After Regulus disappeared I think my grandparents because somewhat disillusioned by Voldemort. They reached out to my father to make amends and slowly they did. And when my grandfather reached a point where he believed my father was ready, made him head of the family."

"What do you think would have happened if Regulus would have never died?"

Harry shrugged. He knew that the relationship shared between his father and grandparents was still strained. They saw the world very differently. And while his grandfather was definitely easier to get along with than his grandmother, Harry knew the way they saw the world would never be the same. They chose to forget that Harry was only a half-blood, pretending he was a pureblood was easier for them. As for his mother's status as a muggleborn, that was never mentioned. Not when they were around anyway. Harry had no doubts that his grandmother would be very vocal about her distaste about both his and his mother's blood status.

Fleur moved their joined hands to rest on her stomach. She said, "I cannot imagine what it would be like not knowing what happened to your uncle."

"I think one of the reasons my father named me after him was because he regrets what happened between them. That their brotherly bond was second to the one he had with James."

"Speaking of names, how come your name doesn't follow the traditions of your house?"

Harry smirked, remembering the number of times Harry had heard his grandmother complain about his father breaking their tradition.

"Harrison was chosen by my mother. It was my grandfather's name. And at the time I was born, my father was still interested in making his parents as angry as possible."

Fleur chuckled. "So your name is out of love and out of spite."

Harry nodded. "Apparently."

They stayed at the lake for over a few hours; talking and kissing. Just allowing themselves to enjoy the day. And when it reached closer to midday, Fleur served the food. It was a mixture of small things, more snacks than a meal, but Harry indulged in the sweets and the savory. Laughing as he feed Fleur a piece of cake and making sure to smudge the icing on her nose. She had frowned at him and swatted his hand away before cleaning her face and then joining in with his laughter.

Fleur declared it was time to go not too long after they'd finished eating. With a wave of her wand, the picnic packed itself up into the basket. They walked back towards the castle, their hands waving back and forth between them.

As they entered the castle, Harry turned to her and asked, "How long until you have to go?"

Fleur smiled and stepped closer to him, pressing her body against his. "Not until later tonight."

"Is that so?"

She nodded. "You have me for the rest of the afternoon."

Harry grinned.

"But first,"

Harry's grin dropped.

Fleur giggled at his expression. "Jenna asked if I could help her with something."

"Jenna asked for help?"

Fleur nodded.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

"It was something about a boy." Fleur turned towards the stairs, heading up them.

Harry moved after her, intrigued. "A boy, you say?"

Fleur smiled and shook her head. "Don't you dare tease her."

He held up his hands. "I would never."

"Yes, you would. Now, be nice." Fleur poked his shoulder as the walked.

Harry just grinned and didn't argue. Jenna wasn't one to talk about a boy she had a crush on, especially with Harry. Their relationship had never been like that. It made him happy, though, that Jenna was comfortable enough to talk with Fleur. It would have sucked if his friends and girlfriend hadn't gotten along.

They walked through the halls, Harry grilling Fleur on who the boy that Jenna wanted to ask about was, but she gave nothing away. When they reached the transfiguration classroom, Harry frowned.

"She wanted to meet you here?" he asked.

Fleur nodded. "She was doing something with one of your professors."

Harry glanced at Fleur with uncertainty, but followed her as she pushed opened the door. As they walked through, Fleur grasped Harry's hand and tugged him inside quickly. As they stepped through, a loud cry surprised him.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Harry froze as he took in the crowded classroom. Everyone he could think of was standing around smiling widely. His family, his friends, Fleur's family, even a few of his teachers.

Fleur giggled from beside him, pulling him from his stupor. "Surprised, my love?"

Harry let out a half confused laugh and said, "Very."

He pulled her into his arms and asked, "Did you plan this?"

She nodded.

He kissed her firmly for a moment, then said, "Thank you."

"Don't just thank me."

Fleur nodded to his family; his mother, father, brother and James had moved closer to them.

Lily stepped forward, little Grace in her arms, and said, "I thought it was about time we did something to truly celebrate your birthday." She shifted her hold on Grace before pulling Harry into a hug.

Harry smiled and firmly hugged her. "Thanks mum."

Lily grinned and kissed his cheek. "You're welcome."

Harvey pushed in next, hugging Harry around the waist. James gave him a firm handshake before they moved aside to leave Harry with Sirius. Fleur even excused herself for a moment.

Harry smiled and gave his dad a firm hug.

Sirius said, "Happy birthday, son."

"Thanks, dad. And thank you, for my gift." Harry fiddled with the ring.

Sirius smiled. "It's one tradition I like about our family. The stone is your birth stone and is charmed."

Harry was surprised. "How?"

Sirius shrugged. "No idea. Your grandfather was the one who recommended the jeweler, told me each item was charmed uniquely. Apparently its something the wearer has to discover on their own."

Harry looked at the ring and considered all the possibilities.

"I'm just glad its not cursed," chuckled Sirius. "Sometimes your grandfather's friends are a little…odd."

Harry laughed with his father before they moved to join the party.

The transfiguration room had been transformed for the party. The normal desks were gone and replaced with a few round tables with chairs, but most of the room was clear for people to stand. On one side was a table with a spread of delicious looking—and smelling— food and in the corner a set of string instruments was playing. The room had been decorated with floating candles and some muggle decorations, that Harry had no doubt would have been his mother's idea. It was simple but great.

Harry spent the afternoon enjoying himself. He laughed and talked with his friends. Enjoyed watching the awkward conversation that happened between his father, James and Snape, when Snape arrived to wish him a happy birthday before leaving—quickly. And he danced, which wasn't something he did often, with Fleur. The space had enough room to make a impromptu dance floor, and with a flick of his wand the music kicked into something a little more lively and Harry was greeted with the joyous laughter from Fleur as he twirled her around. They were even joined by a few others.

The biggest surprise of all came from Dylan. Harry had taken a break from dancing while Fleur danced with his sister. He had taken a seat at a table with Carlisle who was enjoying a piece of cake when Dylan had joined them. Carlisle excused himself, surprising Harry, leaving the two friends alone.

"Having fun?" asked Dylan.

Harry nodded. "Surprisingly, yes."

"You are surprised you would enjoy a party?"

Harry sighed. "No. I'm just not one to celebrate my birthday."

"Yeah, when Jenna brought up Fleur's idea, I realised that we had never had a party for you, or done anything really. Even last year."

"Growing up my birthday became something I never really felt like it was worth celebrating. My parents always sent presents but that was kind of all it was, especially since I was always at Hogwarts."

"Well, it seems from now on Fleur isn't going to let that happen."

Harry looked to Fleur and smiled as he watched her twirl her sister around. She seemed to sense his gaze because she looked up at him. Her face was bright with happiness. She blew him a kiss before going back to her sister.

Harry knew he was a lucky man. Fleur had pulled him out of the dark when he felt like it was going to swallow him whole. He had no idea where he would be now if it wasn't for her.

Dylan let out a small sigh.

Harry glanced at his friend and wondered how he was. He said, "How is everything with you?"

Dylan shrugged. "It's been good."

It had only been last Christmas that Dylan's life had practically fallen to shit, just like Harry's only in a very different way. His parents had divorced due to unresolvable difference, meaning his father had been unable to accept his son's magic while his mother had tried too. There was also the relationship that Dylan hadn't really opened up about. Something had been happening with someone in their year and while it seemed to have started well, there seemed to be some difficulties they were dealing with.

"And your friend?" asked Harry.

A smile graced Dylan's face. He turned to look across the room. Harry followed his eye line and found Will. He was leaning against the wall talking with Jenna and Amelia.

"Will?" asked Harry.

Dylan nodded and laughed. "I was the last one to expect it."

Harry said, "Have you worked out your issues?"

Dylan scrunched up his nose. "Kind of. We talked and have decided to do it properly."

"Does this mean that your two are official?"

"Officially, among our friends we are."

"So you're not ready for the rest of the school to know?"

Shaking his head, Dylan said, "No. I don't know how I'm supposed to explain to my mum that I'm dating a guy. Not after everything else."

Harry said, "She's your mum and she loves you. Just be honest with her."

Dylan asked, "Seems to have worked well for you."

Harry nodded slowly and turned to his mum. She was dancing with James. A smile on her face as they swayed.

"Yeah, it's definitely helped."

The afternoon wound down and people started to leave. By the end, Harry said goodbye to his family and his friends, and left the transfiguration classroom with just Fleur. As they strolled past one of the courtyards, the sun was setting over the castle and Harry knew that Fleur would soon need to meet her parents at the front entrance for them to leave.

He had enjoyed his day with her, and had enjoyed the party more than he thought was possible. He only wished they'd had more time to themselves.

Harry paused by an arch and stopped them. Fleur looked at him curiously.

"So, it seems that later isn't going to happen," he teased.

Fleur smacked her lips together. "Boy, only ever thinking with the wrong head."

Harry sighed. "Girls, always making promises."

Fleur shrugged and leaned into him. "Did you not enjoy your surprise?"

Harry nodded. "No, I did. Best party ever as far as I'm concerned." He pressed a kiss to her nose. "Did I say thank you?"

Fleur shook her head.

He pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, my love."

Fleur grinned and lifted her head up to kiss him properly.

They enjoyed a few moments together, their kiss deep and slow, before they pulled apart and made their way towards the entrance hall where Fleur's family were waiting. Harry wished them all well and watched as they walked away, heading towards the main gate before they could head home. Only when they disappeared from sight did Harry turn and go back inside. He found himself happy as he wondered in the direction of his family, they agreed to have dinner in Hogsmeade that evening, so Harry would need to meet them back at the classroom before they headed down.

As he rounded the corner, he stopped when he saw Snape walking towards him.

"Black, I've been looking for you," said Snape.

Harry asked, "What can I do for you, Professor?"

"Professor Dumbledore has something that needs to be discussed with you and your parents. They have already headed to his office," explained Snape.

Harry frowned. He hadn't really discussed the Horcrux thing with his parents yet, he hadn't had a chance. If Dumbledore intended to explain it all, he was more impatient than Harry believed.

"Very well," he said.

Harry walked with Snape through the halls to Dumbledore's office. It was quiet for a Saturday evening, but he believed most students would have been in the great hall for dinner by then. When they reached the headmasters office, Harry found not only his parents, but Harvey and James as well.

"Thank you, Severus," said Dumbledore, as they entered.

"What is this about?" asked Harry.

Sirius turned back to Dumbledore and said, "The Headmaster was just about to explain."

Dumbledore nodded. "I had received a visit from the ministry today, it seems they are investigating the events that led to Gilderoy Lockhart's death."

Harry frowned.

James asked, "His death was the result of the diary, was it not?"

Dumbledore nodded. "That is what was explained to us by Harry and Harvey, yes."

"You believe they think we made up the story?" said Harry.

The adults all frowned as Dumbledore again nodded.

"Do they think that either Harvey or I killed him?" pushed Harry.

"No," said Lilly, "neither of you would do that. They can't think that."

Grace, who had been sleeping in Lilly's arms stirred and started to fuss. James moved towards her and took her into his arms, calming her.

"Did they provide a reason why they think the story was fabricated?" asked Sirius.

Dumbledore bowed his head. "It seems Gilderoy expressed concerns to the minister about Harrison's behaviour towards him."

Harry jaw clenched. "That bumbling buffoon complained about me to the minister?"

"It seems so. I haven't received any sort of official report about what was discussed, but I do know that the minister is sending an investigator to question everyone involved in the events that led to Gilderoy's death," explained Dumbledore.

Harry glanced at his father who looked at him with concern. It had only been that morning that Harry had been happy to get back to normal. It seems that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.