So, on February 23rd 2023 at 2:52 A.M. time, in just under three hours, I turn 42. Interestingly, I'm ten days younger than Luna Lovegood, whose birthday is February 13th, 1981. Here is the promised birthday themed chapter. This piece centers around the founders of Hogwarts.

It was Godric Gryffindor's birthday, and he was feeling downcast.

He had founded Hogwarts with his three BFFs, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin.

But a few months and a few nanoseconds ago, Salazar Slytherin had left the school.

Unable to convince Godric, Helga, and Rowena to limit access to Hogwarts to all magical pure blood families, Salazar had departed from Hogwarts to seek his fortune elsewhere after he'd had a blazing row with Godric on the issue.

The split of Salazar from the others had been inevitable, but no less painful for Godric as Salazar had been the friend he'd known the longest.

The adult Godric had never made a big deal out of his birthdays, but Helga and Rowena knew Godric needed cheering up.

So, when Godric went down to breakfast that morning, Helga, and Rowena burst into song.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Godric. Happy birthday to you."

Godric felt his insides warm as he listened to Helga and Rowena sing to him.

"Thanks," smiled Godric weakly.

"You could do with some cheering up," said Helga kindly, "You've been down since Salazar left us."

"Along those lines," said Rowena warmly, "Please follow Helga and me down to the Sloping Lawns."

Godric felt a rush of excitement as he followed Helga and Rowena to the Sloping Lawns where he found a birthday cake in his preferred colors of scarlet and gold sitting on a table with three white lawn chairs around it. Part scarlet. Then part gold. Then more scarlet. Then more gold. The whole cake was like this. On the top there was a layer of chocolate frosting and the words Happy Birthday Godric written in scarlet and gold rainbow sprinkles on the left hand side of the chocolate frosting and an enormous gold lion and red sword and shield also in rainbow sprinkles on the right hand side of the chocolate frosting.

"Dig in, Godric, " said Helga cheerfully, pointing at a scarlet fork and knife and gold plate by the cake.

"Do you and Rowena make this yourselves?" asked Godric curiously.

"We did, "said Rowena proudly, "Helga made most of the cake and I made the top."

"Oh, thank you," said Godric, feeling goosebumps as he took a seat in a lawn chair, "What flavors did I get here?"

"Cherry, lemon, and a touch of chocolate, " replied Helga happily.

"My three favorite flavors!" smiled Godric.

Godric just looked Helga and Rowena in the eyes and felt his own eyes water and his insides warm.

He could not find the words to express exactly what this meant to him.

He didn't even know that Helga and Rowena had known how down he had been feeling, especially as he'd tried to hide it while in front of them.

But they both knew the truth. Godric, Helga, Rowena, and Salazar were all besties by the time they'd opened Hogwarts, but Helga and Rowena had become besties as babies, just as Godric and Salazar had been besties as babies, so, they understood the concept of an oldest friend and the feelings that would come with that.

"Thanks," said Godric to Helga and Rowena.

"We wanted to do something for you to lift your spirts, " explained Rowena, "But we couldn't think of anything too great."

"Singing Happy Birthday to you and making you this cake was where our brains landed, " added Helga.

"Thank you very much, I really appreciate it, " said Godric sincerely.

As he prepared to get started on his cake, Godric looked up at Helga and Rowena and said, "Sometimes the simplest things are the most meaningful."

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Ballon babe

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