I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
A Taste of Magic
53rd Course – A Proper Birthday
A lot of work had been put into the rooftop garden of Number 12 Grimmauld place. With the townhome in the middle of London, space was at a premium and the Blacks wanted a small oasis in the urban desert that was London. The tiny courtyard behind the home was enough for apparition and a brief moment's respite, but it was very tiny.
One of the Blacks decided to convert the rooftop into a garden. Clad in the best charms against prying eyes, Muggle and Magical, it became a pleasant place for the Blacks to spend time in, either alone or for a party. It very subtly went beyond the boundaries of the building itself, and was surrounded by so many wards and protections. Chairs and benches and tables dotted the space with fire pits here and there and braziers along the boundaries. Flower beds and trees flourished, adding color and fragrance and atmosphere. The sounds of the city were muffled to near non-existent levels.
For Harry's birthday party, a very large grill and stove were set up at one end, with long tables set up to hold food and be used for preparing food. Lanterns floated above them all, giving off colored smoke during the day and as night came, transitioned into emitting colored light. The House Elves, the guest ones as well as the resident ones, could not completely resist their nature and helped serve food and cleaned as they went, but were also perfectly happy chatting amongst themselves and with the other guests.
More than a few of the guests were worried, at first, that Harry was cooking for long stretches of time, thinking he needed to enjoy himself. As time passed, however, it was clear that Harry was very happy. He always had people near to chat with and laugh with, some helping and some just being there. Food was constantly being made and finished and people came and went, helping themselves or served by a passing elf. His friends were truly astounded at how fast he was compared to the last time they ate with him before the end of the last school term.
He was in his element. He had friends and family members there that ate with him and celebrated with him. The parents, especially the ones who had not seen him cook before, asked questions and treated him like a culinary colleague of sorts, eager to learn and showing genuine surprise at bits of knowledge and happy to exchange with him.
Groups of people combined and broke off at intervals, forming new social gatherings as conversation ebbed and flowed. The animals, when not watching from a nearby space or sitting on Harry's shoulders, his head being Hedwig's sole property and Cokie sat beside him, unable to climb and was a bit too large and heavy to be a shoulder observer, moved about at will. They enjoyed soaking in the attention of the other partygoers while eating without stinting themselves.
"I told you he was weirdly good at it," Sue said as she and Harry and Lin made dumplings together.
"It took me ages to learn how to roll them out this well," Lin said, holding up one of Harry's wrappers. "Very well done."
"They were almost that good the first time I taught him," Sue sighed.
"I've practiced a lot since," Harry said. "I actually made them for family meal at Gringotts once. The crew really liked them. I made sure to credit your family recipe."
"What is it like working with the goblins?" Pansy asked. "Isn't it frightening?"
"It wasn't frightening at first, but really intimidating," Harry said. "The back of Gringotts isn't like the front at all, it's darker and more serious somehow. And the crew didn't think much of me in the beginning, but they're nice now. They couldn't come today but sent me well wishes and they made me a lot of goblin food yesterday."
"How's goblin food?" Millicent asked.
"It's really good! Lots of strong flavors and hardy vegetables and meat. And there's some different stuff too. Oh! Padma, guess what. They eat crakes."
"They do?" Padma asked eagerly while Ron shuddered.
"Yeah! They actually taste pretty good, like a dense crab."
"Wait, aren't crakes poisonous to humans?" Aditi asked, looking alarmed.
"Only some are really poisonous," Hagrid said. "The normal eatin' kinds aren't generally. A percentage of people have a poisonous reaction to them though."
"I'm not one of them," Harry said. "They also gave me teagale just in case though."
"Which don't some people have a severe allergic reaction to that too?" Aditi asked weakly.
"I'm going to get Diglin for that," Flitwick muttered.
"Oh I heard you went back to chastise them," Ariana said in Gobbledegook in her raspy voice. "Let me know when you go back, I want to have a word with them too."
"I remember the first time I had crake," Nicolas smiled. "I made a very large wager and won it. The clan said I could not eat three of them and I ate six."
"Luckily you were not one of the few that found it poisonous," Dumbledore remarked.
"Actually I am but funny thing, the Elixir is an antidote to the poison," Nicolas said brightly. "I then decided to make myself immune to crake toxin by eating enough of it and now I enjoy it without any side effects at all!"
"Which apparently turns your skin purple," Perenelle snorted. "He looked like a grape."
"Which suits me for my dear affection for wine," Nicolas said while others laughed.
"French tea you mean," Flitwick snorted.
"Is something the matter?" Andromeda asked.
Primrose had been watching Harry intently for some time. She had obviously noticed how at ease Pansy was around him, the kind of ease that she only ever had when around her family and the Bulstrodes before, or when she was much younger with the Malfoys. The Pansy she saw was unreservedly happy and while Primrose would never want to subdue that, it still astounded her. Then the more she saw of Harry's skills, the attention it drew from the other guests, was eye opening. Not only that, he was genuinely kind and open with everyone there, even the House Elves. Of course, he was more friendly or close to some more than others, but he treated everyone with a base equality that she was not used to seeing.
"No, nothing is the matter," she said slowly. "I am…impressed. He is young, obviously, and while I know next to nothing about cooking, I recognize skill. Not only that, he has what appears to be a cordial relationship with the goblins, that is no easy feat."
She looked around at the guests. "And to have the time of Purebloods, Muggleborns, and everything in between is also quite something." Her eyes flicked to the Flamels. "And to be under the eyes of the Flamels, many would give much for that sort of opportunity."
"And that is not even the last of his acquaintances," Dumbledore said with a small smile as he sipped from his cup.
"And what does that mean?" Andromeda asked with Sirius and Primrose looking at him too.
"Bad Master," Kreacher said, appearing at Sirius' elbow. "There is another requesting to come into Grimmauld. He has an invitation."
"Oh if he has one and it's his, let him in," Sirius said. "Why didn't he arrive on time though?"
"Ah he had let me know that he would be delayed and had hoped to arrive at all," Dumbledore said, his smile growing a little. "He was traveling from Asia and as we know, the Portkeys for that sort of trip are strenuous."
"Who does Harry know that lives in Asia?" Sirius asked, eyebrows raised.
"Not so much living there, but travels frequently," Dumbledore said. Before he could say more, the door opened and Drake came walking out onto the rooftop garden. He wore a T-shirt and shorts and a large wide brimmed straw hat and looked harried, but he smiled broadly when he saw Harry.
"Harry! My apologies for being late," he said, striding over without stopping for anyone else. "It turns out monsoons wreak havoc on international Portkeys and it was a bit of a mess to muddle through that and customs and I had a bit of a run-in with a couple of 'hunters' that took some time but I swore I would be here and I am! Hope you can forgive my tardiness."
"No problem Mr. Drake," Harry said with obvious delight. "Thank you for coming!"
"I would let neither the acts of Nature nor man prevent me from being here." Drake shook his hand warmly. "And hello my other young friends. How are you doing? So many familiar faces." He greeted the other members of the Household Charms club, smiling genially.
Primrose stiffened and her hand went to her wand. "That is a vampire," she hissed.
"Vampires are real?" Daniel gasped, looking alarmed.
"Oh that is just Drake," Nicolas said, waving a hand in a disarming way. "He is harmless to the ones he likes and he loves Harry so no need to be alarmed."
"Truly?" Andromeda asked, looking slightly worried.
"He is usually very courteous and has a very strong sense of propriety," Perenelle said. "Which is something I also frequently abandon first when wearied by travel. Ah here he comes."
Drake walked over and muttered something under his breath while touching a large amulet at his neck. His clothes changed in mid stride. The shirt became long sleeved and well-cut and fitted, his shorts elongating and turning dark. His sandals grew and became closed leather shoes that shined. A long cloak grew from his neck and swirled around him, billowing in the non-existent breeze. His hat shrank in his hand and he slipped it into a pocket and his skin went alabaster pale once more instead of the slight ruddy hue it had before.
He bowed at the waist in front of Sirius, who gawked at him like most of the other adults. Only Dumbledore, Aberforth, Ariana, Nicolas, and Perenelle seemed unaffected, snorting and rolling their eyes at him.
"Forgive my tardiness," Drake said, his voice cool and cultured. "Thank you for the invitation and I swear to be a model guest." He pulled out a long slim case from his pocket. "For the host, a gift."
"Thank you," Sirius said and accepted it. "You are welcome to my home and as such, a guest of the House of Black." He opened the case and goggled at the dagger that sat within. It was long and thin and he squinted at the crest that was emblazoned on the pommel. "Wait, that's the Black Crest!"
"Yes it is. When I learned of your lineage as Harry's new guardian, I remembered that I had this in my possession and thought it would be nice to return it. I had to look for it for a bit," Drake said with a warm smile.
"How did you have this?" Sirius asked.
"In my defense, it was given to me."
"Really? My family isn't well known for giving things like this away to people not a part of the family," Sirius said, narrowing his eyes a little.
Drake flushed from embarrassment. "Well, it was not exactly given to me in a normal fashion," he admitted. "It was left in my back. Literally. And violently."
"Who did that?!" Andromeda asked, her voice rising slightly.
"I believe his name was Vesuvius," Drake said thoughtfully.
"Vesuvius lived in the 1800s," Sirius said, voice shaking slightly. "He was the reason why male names were changed to mostly constellation ones because he went mad. Became afraid of the dark and of the earth and they wanted to change the names to inspire bravery as well as nobility among the stars."
"Partially my fault I am afraid," Drake said, blushing more. "You see, I was a bit peeved after getting stabbed in the back multiple times and spent years…frightening him using the dark. I was a little hot-headed in my earlier years."
He smiled brightly at their continued stares. "But I thought this would be a fine way to show that I bear no ill will towards you and yours and that there is no bad blood between us. Literally! I cleaned the blade meticulously and thoroughly."
His eyes became slightly red. "With that said-"
"I already gave him a similar speech," Nicolas said, cutting him off. "No need to pile it on."
"Ah very good," Drake nodded, his eyes becoming brown once more. "And as a blanket statement to the other fine guests, do not worry. I am well sated for my need for the other element and intend to fully indulge myself only on company and Harry's splendid cooking."
"I brought a bottle of Sanguinous just in case," Aberforth said.
"Ah thank you my good fellow," Drake beamed. "Oh I did find something you might enjoy Aberforth, remind me to bring it to you later. A very interesting alcohol made with snakes of all things. It is absolutely wild."
"How does it taste?" Aberforth asked with interest.
"Very odd and very wild," Drake said. "And very strong."
"Right." Sirius closed the case and handed it to Kreacher who took it away reverentially. "Well, uh, yeah, no bad blood. Thank you for coming and a friend of Harry's is a friend of mine." He shook Drake's hand firmly. "Sirius Black, by the way."
"Oh where are my manners. Vladius Draconis Tepes, at your service."
"Vlad Tepes?!" Jean repeated, her eyes as round as dinner plates. "The Vlad Tepes?!"
"Oh you must be Miss Granger's mother!" Drake bowed to her. "She had the same reaction. She is quite clever! Also no, that was my uncle. I was named similar to him in his honor and he was a good fellow with some rather terrible fits of temper. I usually go by Drake because I like the sound and to prevent unfortunate misunderstandings."
"That is why I go by the Alchemist," Nicolas said with puffed-up pride.
"Oh if only we all had egos as healthy as yours," Drake said dryly.
"The earth would not survive it, literally," McGonagall muttered. "The surface would cave under the immense pressure."
"Probably for the best," Nicolas said, nodding agreeably. "Oh looks like the latest thing Harry has made is done. I think he was waiting for you. Those are blood sausage rolls."
"He is simply the best," Drake smiled and he and Nicolas walked off to the cooking station, chatting amiably and Drake dragged Aberforth along.
"Baby, are you okay?" Leena asked.
Daniel blinked blankly. "Vampires are real?" He repeated slowly. "And that was…Count Dracula or someone related to Count Dracula? And they're nice?"
"Vampires are much like people," Remus said kindly. "There are nice ones and there are ones that are not so nice. They all have their own qualities and characteristics that depend slightly on their origins."
"Drake can go on and on about himself," Perenelle said warmly and exasperatedly. "Much like my husband. If you have any questions, simply ask him. You will learn all you wished to but be aware that he is prone to oversharing personal details of his life so you will learn some rather private things. The man has no shame." She sipped her drink. "Much like my husband. Probably why they get along so well."
Primrose breathed heavily. "I almost attacked one of the Elds," she said very weakly. "One of the Elds is here, the oldest of the vampire lines. He is a guest here and is a friend to Harry Potter and I almost attacked him."
Ariana refilled her cup and refilled it once more when Primrose drained it hastily. "Honestly, if you did, he probably wouldn't have done anything," she said in her kind, raspy tone. "You usually have to attack him a few times before he retaliates or if he really dislikes you for some reason. He really is quite nice and very funny if rather irreverent. Like Perenelle's husband," she added cheekily, echoing Perenelle's words and their laughter made the other laugh.
"I had some preconceived notions of magic and witches and wizards and things and I have to say, they've all been dashed," David said shyly.
"To be fair, this isn't a typical gathering," Sirius said. "You kind of have a mix of people that generally…wouldn't."
"Oh?" Daniel asked.
Ted nodded. "Yeah. Purebloods, as a whole and forgive any liberties I am taking," he smiled warmly as his wife and nodded politely at Primrose and some of the others, "don't spend a lot of social time with others. Some of the Purebloods don't really interact with other Purebloods because of ideology or politics-"
"-or we don't like them because they suck," Sirius interrupted.
"-or they don't interact because of mutual sucking," Ted continued, grinning at the snorts and smiles and Andromeda rolling her eyes at him but her smile was warm. "Muggleborns like me don't really attend parties of theirs for many reasons and some of the Halfbloods are the same."
"Some of us who are nominally part of Wizarding Britain are also on the outskirts," Aditi said softly.
"Some wizarding cultures are very xenophobic," Lin said. "And not just Britain's. But that does make interactions and mingling to be difficult."
"And there are more than a few that generally would not want to have their professors attend," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Perhaps some bad memories of detentions and the like." More chucking was heard at that.
"And I cannot think of a time where the Alchemist, his wife, or one of the Elds came to a Wizarding Britain party," Primrose said quietly. "One that was not a part of the ICW."
"What's that?" Jean asked.
"The International Confederation of Wizards," Dumbledore said. "Essentially the United Nations of the Magical world and the magical communities."
"Oh wow," Daniel said. "I never realized that."
"Indeed." Primrose snorted, a rich and unladylike sound that made Andromeda smile slightly and the others look at her. "There would be so many in Society that would sacrifice all to be here. The networking opportunities and the presence of sheer magical and political strength here is staggering."
"And it's all possible because of Harry?" Jean asked. "Wow, he really is special."
"In many ways," Sirius said soulfully.
"Even I was a bit unprepared for the scale of it," Dumbledore said, looking about. "Yet as you said so correctly earlier Sirius, this is for his benefit, his happiness and care. It is good that it has happened so."
"I'll drink to that," Sirius said and he clinked his glass against Dumbledore's in a toast.
"Lady Ari, Master Harry said he has made your favorite breakfast plate," Winky said as she walked past, carrying a tray with small rolls that smelled savory and spicy.
"I love that boy! Move your arse," she said to Dumbledore, pushing past him and walking over to the cooking area with a skip in her step.
The parents who were older siblings roared with laughter at the action and at the look of suffering that any older sibling would have when dealing with a younger one. "To little siblings," Dumbledore smiled wearily with a self-depreciating chuckle.
The others toasted and conversation began anew.
-0-
"Wow, Miss Ariana was right, you are a lot better and faster," Lavender said, her eyes wide with delight and admiration.
"He's been cooking in two kitchens, busy ones, it only makes sense," Susan said.
Harry grinned with pleasure. It was so nice to be cooking for his friends again. He too noticed that while he was going much slower now, he was still faster than he was before. The skills he had picked up from working at the Hog's Head and at Gringotts Main Kitchen had left their mark on him. He could chat and be more leisurely now but he was more deft at his knife work and could time things a lot better. "The Hog's Head was slower in the beginning but it's been steady for a while now. But man, the first day at Gringotts Main One, that was a real eye-opener."
"I still can't believe you're working with the goblins," Neville said. "They're scary."
"They're not too bad," Harry demurred. "Once they get used to you and you get used to them. They really recognize hard work. They've told me some cool stories about mining and stuff and all sorts of other things they do."
"Is it weird that I think it's more impressive that you're at the Hog's Head?" Ron asked. "The twins tried to go in once and they were chased out by the owner."
"Mr. Abe is great," Harry laughed. "But also someone you don't want to cross. I saw him pick up someone by their shirt and pants and toss them out the door without magic. It was really impressive."
"I'm still surprised that he's related to the Headmaster," Hermione said, sneaking a look over at Aberforth who was chatting and drinking with Nicolas, Drake, Hagrid, and Sirius. "And that they have a sister."
"Don't get on her bad side," Harry warned. "She's really good at messing with you. Imagine Professor McGonagall but without any reservations for propriety." He smiled at their collective shudders. "That's what she said too."
"Why does she sound like that?" Millicent asked very softly.
"She got injured in a bad fight when she was younger," Harry said in the same soft tone, "but I won't say more. She's super nice but she has a cheeky sense of humor."
"I love her scarf," Lavender said. "She's so pretty and her clothes are gorgeous." She giggled. "Is that why the Headmaster wears colorful robes too?"
"Oh yeah! So she told me that she used to change his clothes to amuse herself and he gave up on fighting it and started liking them too," Harry said and they all laughed.
"Is that why you wear bandannas when you cook now?" Padma asked.
"Sure is. I like it." Harry readjusted the one he wore. "This was the first one I got; she gave it to me to match her scarf."
Harry made a large array of food over the course of the day. Eager to show what he has learned, he made things he learned from Hog's Head and Gringotts: a selection of sandwiches, a chicken pie, chicken soup, full English breakfast things, mushroom fritters, chopped mushroom steak, and a crab chowder that was very similar to the crake one but without the titular and possibly problematic crake. He made dumplings in the three styles, learned how to make momos from Durga and Aditi, and a small selection of sausage rolls and canapes he learned from the cookbooks that the Flamels gave him over Christmas. Several Wellingtons were the end of it all as well as the sauces that accompanied them.
"Mmm, his cooking has improved," Nicolas said, chewing blissfully. "And I already thought highly of it before."
"Compliments to Aberforth and the cooks at Gringotts," Dumbledore smiled.
Aberforth shrugged. "He had a good foundation, but picked up some tricks and things. He's a good Kid, learns well."
"Diglin is impressed," Flitwick remarked. "And the crew has accepted him, which is far more than I could have hoped for."
"As if they had any choice," McGonagall snorted. "With your relationship with Harry being known."
"Why is that?" Aditi asked.
"Oh nothing terribly impressive," Flitwick said, waving a hand. "Just that before I became a magical duelist, I was a duelist at home as well."
"Magical?" Lin asked.
"Oh no, the goblin way," Flitwick said. "Hand to hand and some implements here and there."
"Oh like boxing?" David looked intrigued. "I boxed in university."
Aberforth laughed grimly. "Oh yeah, save without the formal rules and with lots of blood and all."
"There were rules," Flitwick sniffed. "Just different ones. I would love to chat with you more, Mr. Granger. I love to hear about martial traditions of all sorts."
"I still run into individuals on the international dueling circuit that speak of you in hushed tones," Drake said. "You were quite bloodthirsty and that is saying something coming from me." He sipped a glass of blood-red wine.
"Much like you, I had a bit of a temper when I was younger," Flitwick said lightly.
-0-
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Pansy asked.
Primrose smiled sincerely. "I am, thank you. I just need a break from the good food. I am quite full but I am still rather tempted to continue to eat."
Pansy smiled too. "It's always like that with Harry's cooking."
"I see what you mean now and it is no exaggeration. I could not resist two slices of Wellington."
"It's my favorite too." Pansy looked about for a moment and despite the two of them slightly away from others, spoke softly. "Thank you for letting me come and escorting me and Millie and Sunny."
"Of course my dear, did you think I do not take your happiness seriously?" Primrose asked.
"No, but I know you're careful about who we interact with," Pansy said quietly.
Primrose nodded. "You are not wrong." She hesitated. "I might need to amend my feelings on that. We would have lost considerably if we were not here. I still cannot believe Mister Potter is a friend and more to the Flamels and one of the Elds."
Pansy shrugged. "After what I've seen him do, I guess I'm used to it."
"Quite," Primrose said dryly. She brushed back an errant lock of Pansy's hair. "Are you happy?"
Pansy's smile was wide and bright. "I am! It's nice to see everyone and to spend time with them and Harry. And I like seeing Harry happy on his birthday."
"He treats you well," Primrose said. "It is good to see the friendship shared earnestly." She looked over to where Harry sat and ate with others. "Oh, it appears people are bringing him his gifts in turn. Makes sense with this many people. I am surprised he is not doing it with everyone in attendance."
"He's shy about public things like this sometimes," Pansy said. "From what I've learned, he hasn't gotten a lot of affection." Her expression fell and she scowled some.
Primrose hummed softly. "Well, he certainly will not lack for it today and we will take our turn to present him with your gift in time."
-0-
"Ha, first again," Parvati said with a smug smile. "Further proving we are the superior friends." She returned Lavender's rude hand gesture before wincing from Durga tapping her hard on the head.
"It's not a competition, is it?" Harry asked, laughing.
"Everything's a competition," the Patil twins said together, looking at each other and sighing.
Harry smiled and unwrapped the package, revealing a round silver tin. When he opened it, it showed a silver plate covering seven round containers nestled neatly within the tin. "Oh wow, what is this?" he asked, eyes shining.
"It is a masala dabba," Durga said, enjoying his delight. "A traditional spice tin. You put your most used spices in each and then you can add what you need as you need. It is magical of course. Things within will not spoil easily, will not mix among themselves, will withstand pressure and damage, easy to clean, and will only open for you if you desire it to do that."
"Also prevents others from removing things or trying to poke through it to learn things they should not," Aditi added.
"We take our spices seriously," Parvati said.
"Sounds like it. I love it so much. Thank you!" He hugged the sisters and Aditi and Durga were happy to embrace him as well.
He and Neville laughed over the small but nice self-stirring cauldron that Neville gave him, explaining the reasoning to an amused Augusta. They immediately put it to use in making milkshakes for everyone, much to everyone's delight. Luna's gift was a beautifully made and decorated frame that held a picture of the club during their last Christmas dinner. Flowers wove around the edge of the frame and it was painted colorfully, the petals moving as if blown by the breeze. It could be mounted anywhere with a charm moved only by him, and he adored it.
"Mine's a little selfish," Sue confessed. She grimaced when Lin gave her a look. "I'm just being honest and you agreed with me that it'd be good!"
"Show some manners," Lin sighed in Mandarin, making Sue flushed. "It is rather nice though I must say."
Harry unwrapped the wok carefully. It was wide bowled with a slightly flat bottom and two large wooden handles on either end. It looked deceptively light but felt heavy in his grip. "This is amazing," he said happily.
"You technically need to have a proper wok stove to use a wok normally," Lin explained. "It normally sits in a depression and the flames touch the pan directly from all sides. But this one can be used on a normal stove and hob and it is enchanted to spread the heat around the sides to mimic a regular wok. Not quite the same, but still good."
"And with this, we can do some really good stuff," Sue said eagerly. She and her mother hugged him, glad to see him so happy with the cooking tool.
"Hannah actually helped me with this," Susan grinned. "Sort of. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday that was baking related and she said scales so I got them for her and got you a set. They're like the ones we use for potions but you don't have to put any counter weights on! And you can change the weight measurements based on the recipe."
"I'll have to bake something with them and then give you some to share with her," Harry smiled happily, admiring the copper scale set. "Thank you so much!"
Ron and Ginny got him a book called "Charming Spells for Charming Households". It was well used by their mother who had suggested it and Harry really liked it, thinking it would be wonderful to learn from and to share with the club. Flitwick gave him a book on learning Gobbledegook, something Harry had asked for and the Professor had happily found and got for him. McGonagall gave him a timer, a small bell that would toll when the time it was charmed to count elapsed.
"Hagrid, really?" she sighed when it was his turn.
"What's wrong with me gift?" Hagrid asked, looking concerned.
"That's rather large for a kitchen knife," Flitwick smiled.
"That's 'cause it ain't for the kitchen," Hagrid chuckled. "Unless you use it for an outdoor kitchen. Well I suppose you could use it for indoor kitchens too." He beamed when Harry unsheathed the very large knife. "That's a quality Huntin' knife! Same like mine. Goblin steel, magically hardened, guaranteed for the vast majority of plants and wood and most common and uncommon beasties."
He winced when he realized just how large it was in Harry's hands. "Ahhh I forgot. I scaled it to me and not to you. Well, you'll grow into it, maybe."
"I love it," Harry smiled. "I think it's great and does this mean I can go into the Forest more with you?"
"Let's discuss that later," Hagrid said hurriedly, wilting a little from the looks from McGonagall, Flitwick, and Dumbledore.
"Do be careful with that at school, Harry," Dumbledore sighed.
Hermione gave him a set of books detailing food in history as well as one that talked about the chemistry of cooking. "I know we don't really deal with that but I found it fascinating," she said. "I thought you would like it too!"
"I do! Thank you," he smiled, hugging her back.
Millicent gave him a very nice leather belt with ways to hang different things off them. It had a silver buckle at the front and was made with soft pliable black leather that looked very nice and fit him perfectly. Different fixture points allowed him to hang things off of them. Remus gifted him a new leather wallet, charmed to be light no matter what it held within and unable to be opened by anyone but him. It also shocked anyone trying to remove it from his person, something he demonstrated when he asked an unaware Sirius to take the wallet from his own pocket, much to their collective amusement as Sirius shook his hand from the effects.
"I'm going to get you for that," Sirius said with a wry smile. "Here you go Harry," he smiled, handing Harry a wrapped object.
"You already threw me this amazing party," Harry protested.
"That's the least I can do." He tousled his hair, leaving no appreciable change in appearance. "Go on!"
"You did not get him a flask!" Andromeda said sharply and smacked him on the stomach when Harry unwrapped his gift.
"It's not a flask!" Sirius said, shying away and holding a hand over his belly. "I mean, it can be a flask if you want it to be but it holds cooking liquids in it and keeps them stable and temperature protected. Fits in any pocket and is suited for using anywhere, especially on the go."
"That's a flask. I've seen that exact flask before," Dora said, frowning at Sirius.
"Harry, don't use it as a flask," Sirius sighed.
"You got it," Harry grinned.
"See? There we go," Sirius said, dodging another irritable blow.
"Wow, what's this?!" Harry said, unwrapping his next gift. Ted had passed it to him while Andromeda and Dora hissed at an unrepentant Sirius.
"It's a mobile bookcase," Ted smiled. "Small enough to fit into a trunk but you can fit upwards of fifty books into it. The inside is much larger and when you touch the brass plate at the front and think about the book you want, it'll summon it for you. It also weighs like nothing so you can transport a ton of books like that."
"That's awesome, thank you," Harry said smiling. He privately knew what to get Hermione for her birthday with how she looked at it. He hugged Ted and then Andromeda and Dora, happy to have it.
"We saw that you had a few cookbooks and related books already and figured you would want it," Andromeda said warmly.
"I tried to put some other books in there but got caught, I'll give them to you later," Dora whispered into his ear when she hugged him.
Ariana gave him a beautiful new potions set with everything he could possibly need. "You have Snape as your professor," she said with a wink. "You need all the help you can get which naturally includes my help when you need it. I'll always be there to tutor you." She snickered at the look on Dumbledore's face when Harry hugged her.
Aberforth gifted a set of the towels he used at the Hog's Head. They were extra durable, perfect for grabbing hot things, cleaned and polished things well, and were perfect for snapping at people. He demonstrated on Ariana and smiled indulgently when she tried to do the same to him and not doing it as well as he could.
Rolling his eyes at his younger siblings, Dumbledore gave his gift to Harry. "I have noticed you use your wax tablet a lot during kitchen work so I made this for you. It is a notebook that you can replenish with parchment as needed and it can float and follow you and the quill tied to it will respond only to your voice. It can write as you dictate or as a normal quill. It is stain-proof as well as fire-proof and will not get wet."
"This will be so useful, thank you Sir," Harry said happily.
Pansy nervously handed him her gift. "It's a bit light," she said with a small frown. "But I was told it was better not to do what I intended." She watched him reveal a leather knife roll with a shoulder strap. "I was told that it would be better for you to fill it with tools that you want so I didn't get anything else for it but it's a very nice knife roll. It's very protective and durable, anything within will not come to harm, and is also enchanted to be lighter than what you put inside."
"It's perfect," Harry said as he unraveled it. The black leather was soft to the touch and the interior had all sorts of loops and straps to hold things secure as well as a line of small pockets with button clasps to keep things sealed. When rolled back up, it formed a neat and tight bundle that he could wear across his chest, his back, or looped around his waist. "I really like it," he said and hugged her. Her eyes shone as she hugged him back.
Lavender had beamed when it was her turn. "We all picked colors and patterns," she said when Harry revealed several different colored bandannas. "Everyone," she pointed at her family, "picked out combinations we liked and I sewed them for you! I couldn't resist making some different House color ones, hope no one else cares that you wear them, but there's a few extra Gryffindor ones and others we liked the look of. I put those extra durability charms on them with Mum double checking with me."
"They look and feel fantastic," Harry smiled. He tied a few different ones around his belt and knife roll and put on a new one. "Now I'll always have one when I need one, thanks Lavender!" He coughed at her enthusiastic hug but returned it readily.
"You have an eye for colors and patterns," Ariana admired as she looked at a few of the different ones. "Lovely stitching. I'm terrible at it, Abe was the sewer in our family. Do you do commission work?"
"I'd love to!" Lavender gasped happily.
"She made aprons for me," Harry said proudly.
Drake handed a slim case over with a flourish. "Now this little thing is deceptively useful," he said with an overloud whisper. "Now it looks like a spoon, because it is a spoon, but it is more than just a spoon."
"Is It also a fork?" Nicolas asked mildly.
"No but you can get forked," Drake said conversationally. He turned back to Harry, ignoring Nicolas' look of affront. "This is a Ligula Veritatis. Made from pure silver, magically treated of course, with a core of unicorn horn and other purifying things."
"Like a wand?" Harry asked, eyes round.
"Similar yes! This spoon can withstand temperatures up to certain types of dragon fire and still feel cool when you touch it. But the main point of this is that if you have reservations about the safety of a liquid, you stir it with the spoon and it will tell you if it is poisonous or not. It can purify and render safe almost every poison known but you still should not drink it just in case."
"That sounds like a divining spoon," Primrose said with Andromeda, Augusta, and Amelia nodding along in agreement. "A standard piece of useful artifice for most Pureblood families," she explained to some blank looks, "though that sounds like it is far more efficient."
"This is what divining spoons are based off of," Drake said proudly. "This was made by the original artificer who invented them. In the fourteenth century I believe."
"Where did you find that?" Perenelle asked with interest while the others stared at the object. "I thought most of those have been lost to time or are jealously hoarded by Heads of State."
"So funny story, I knew I had one in my holdings. Problem was, I forgot which. So I went all over and searched and searched and I found one in my place in Italy," Drake said. "But I decided to clean out my France holding since I was nearby and it turns out I had two! I then remembered that I always wanted two because I always lose one so it was good that I found them both."
"Shouldn't you keep it then?" Harry asked worriedly. "It sounds really valuable and I think you'd need it more than me."
"You are too kind," Drake smiled warmly. "No I am somewhat immune to most poisons actually, I just like them because they look very fancy when I stir a drink with them. Another funny story! How I acquired my second one is actually part of the warning I made about rendering safe almost ever known poison. You see, a rather disagreeable fellow was trying to kill me at one point a few hundred years ago and he did not know I was a vampire. He poisoned the wine and he stirred his cup with it and while I suffered no real ill effects save for a bit of an upset stomach, he died. So I took his spoon for the inconvenience. Not to mention he was not using it anymore."
"Oh calm down," he said when he noticed Perenelle looking at him flatly. "I am not giving that one to Harry. I earned that one as a trophy."
"May I?" Nicolas picked up Harry's spoon and inspected it closely, murmuring softly and twirling it in his fingers. "I can make this. Give me five months and I will make plenty. About…98.63 percent as effective as that. I can get it to 100 percent in seven months."
"Oh you can borrow my other one then," Drake said. "I want a cut of the profits when you sell them though."
"Done," Nicolas said and he and Drake shook hands.
"Thank you so much," Harry said, looking at the spoon with deep reverence.
"You are quite welcome. Promise me to stir all foreign drinks with it, especially if you have reservations about the giver's character. I like you un-poisoned," Drake smiled.
"Me too," Harry laughed and carefully placed it inside his new knife roll, making both Drake and Pansy smile.
"Our turn!" Nicolas said exuberantly. He handed Harry a small box. "Open it!" he said, clapping his hands with glee.
Harry did, his smile almost as wide as Nicolas'. "That is really nice looking," he said, admiring the bronze lighter that sat in the velvet interior of the box.
"Thank you! This is a lighter and it lights obviously. Go on, try it out." He smiled when Harry spun the flint wheel and a small but powerful flame appeared over the wheel. "Excellent! Now this one is fueled by your magic or ambient magic so no need to replace fluids. It also absorbs sunlight and lantern light or even electrical lights but it takes longer to charge with those so do not rely on them. Now the flame will burn whatever you want it to and it will even burn underwater or in the bitter cold."
"How does it burn underwater?" Dumbledore asked in a curious tone.
"It transforms the magic into a variant of Greek Fire," Nicolas said.
"What?" David said in a shocked voice. "Greek Fire, as in the stuff they used during the Byzantine era?"
"Oh yes, I found Kallinikos' notes poking around Alexandria many years ago and perfected it," Nicolas said airily. "Was not even that hard honestly. It took more time translating ancient Greek and his handwriting was atrocious. Anyways, you will not want for fire in any way, shape, or form Harry my boy." He grinned at Harry's hug, patting him on the back warmly.
"Mine is a little colder compared to Nicolas'," Perenelle said. She smiled when Harry took the wrapping off and held a small box that looked like a miniature chest made of stone. "It is a portable ice box," she explained. "Has three compartments, weighs the same no matter what you put in, will not leak, impact resistant, and will maintain the chilly temperature no matter what you put into it."
"Thanks Grandmother Penny," Harry said happily.
"Oh you are so very welcome my boy," she replied, just as happily, wrapping him in her arms.
-0-
"Another slice of cake?" Andromeda asked.
"I really shouldn't but I can't help it," Leena laughed as she accepted the slice of cake. "I can't remember the last time I ate this much."
"Nor can I truth be told," Andromeda smiled. "Harry's cooking is dangerous."
"It's funny how the cake is the only thing he didn't make," Leena smiled.
"The Elves would have rioted if they were not able to do that," Andromeda laughed. She sipped her cup of tea. "Your daughters are darling."
"Thank you," Leena said proudly. She watched with a fond smile as Dora changed her appearance for Marigold and Clover. "Your daughter is very good with them."
"She is rather happy despite the age difference," Andromeda said warmly. "She was rather lonely as an only child and our family was a bit isolated from others. It was difficult for her to make friends. She has gotten along famously with Harry and I am grateful for it." She sighed when she saw Dora whisper something to the girls that made them all laugh. "I apologize preemptively for any bad things she teaches them."
"It's okay," Leena laughed. "They already told me Dora is very cool so I don't think they will jeopardize any future opportunities to see her."
"That will inflate her ego to no end," Andromeda said wryly. She looked at Leena. "And how are you doing?"
Leena's smile turned sad for a moment. "Did Sirius tell you?"
"He mentioned it, yes," Andromeda said, her voice solemn. "I did not know your cousin, but I knew Sirius counted her as a friend."
"I miss her," Leena said softly. "I miss my whole family. I used to think I was cursed, to survive but with no one else." She shook her head. "That's why I left. I couldn't bear it anymore."
"I do not blame you," Andromeda said sincerely. "Were it not for Ted, when I was cast out, I might have not survived."
Leena sighed. "I never thought I'd ever come back. I tried so hard not to use magic at all, put my wand away and everything. Tried to live as a Muggle." She looked over at Daniel talking to Ted, David, and Jean. She looked over at Lavender chasing Parvati around. "Then I met Daniel. He was such a sweet guy trying to take care of his little girl. Then after some time, I saw Lavender do some accidental magic and Daniel was so heartbroken, thinking I would leave."
She took a bite of cake. "But I couldn't. Lavender needed a mother and a witch to teach her. Daniel needed a partner and someone to help." She looked at her hands. "And I needed to be needed. I was so alone for so long. I thought maybe helping Lavender would help and I never thought I'd ever want a family of my own. Losing them hurt so much."
Andromeda took her hand in hers. "Yes, it really does."
Leena smiled sadly and looked at the other woman. "You understand. So, despite my best efforts, I found a family again and well, married Daniel and became Lavender's mum, and when I had my girls who in turn are witches too, well, had to step up and face my past I suppose."
"You are not alone. Sirius and Remus pledge their assistance, and you have Ted and Dora and mine as well," Andromeda said. "In honor of Marlene and for what Lavender has done for Harry."
"He's done a lot for her," Leena said warmly. "He's stood up for her several times and fed her so much good food. He helped her come to terms with a painful period of her life too. Not to mention he allows Hedwig to be our post owl too."
"From what I gather, he does not 'allow' her anything," Andromeda chuckled. "She is frightfully intelligent and independent."
"That's for sure," Leena chuckled too. Their chuckles became more robust as Hedwig joined Lavender chasing Parvati around.
Leena released a deep breath, one that sounded like she had held it for a very long time. "I suppose the future isn't so scary."
Andromeda took two glasses of wine from a passing floating tray and offered one to Leena. "To a brighter tomorrow."
Leena accepted it. "And to a proper birthday."
Their glasses made a musical note that melded into the happy chatter on the rooftop, adding more music to the air.
-0-0-0-
AshokaTheGreat - Thank you. I felt a bit of pressure here with the sheer amount of characters and all that was going on and hoped that things didn't get muddled or certain people feel the same. Glad you are enjoying them.
Rhys898 - Unforunately, for Fanfic, you can only curate guest accounts. You can't do anything to regular accounts really save for reporting the comment and hoping for the best. Luckily, it was removed fairly swiftly, it was really disgusting. Glad you liked Sirius and Nicolas' interaction, I was sitting on that one for a while and wanted it to feel like a momentous and fun conversation.
DOOOOOOM Lord of Waffles - It was a long and difficult chapter to write but I felt the payoff was really nice, glad you enjoyed it.
Jaysto - I had the moment between Sirius and Nicolas for a while, as soon as I decided I wanted Nicolas and Perenelle to be bigger characters, and it was fun to write it out. It's funny, the Flamels had very little roles in my initial planning and I'm glad it turned out this way, they are fun to write for and include. Same with the all the pets. It's fun to include the very headstrong animals.
kiks493 - He honestly is the Ron Swanson of the Wizarding Worlds.
Lady In Colour - Less than he likes but more than what most think I would imagine. Thank you.
WriternotAuthor - I used to think I could write humor well at all, same with dialogue and I've been trying to improve it through all my writing. Glad you liked it.
odonnellzoo99 - You know I love callbacks and it felt right to show how things have developed and changed up to now. This always feels like a good midpoint to a long fic and I want to show some growth and change. And yes, eclectic group is very understated. Hope you like today's chapter.
bugzadc - That was one of my favorite lines too. I think it fits his attitude to a T.
Kaya - It was very wild and chaotic. I felt at some points I was losing the thread and had hoped it would feel cohesive and still make sense without muddling.
TimothyB - He is very happy and deservedly so. I'm glad it was good. It was a lot going on and I hoped it would still make sense.
Guest - Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoy it and that I can brighten your day. Seeing comments brighten mine so I'm glad to return the favor. Thank you for reading.
1529 - I'm glad I leaned into the animals and pets and familiars. They add some nice absurdity and comfort to a slice of life and everyone likes cute animals right? It just felt good to include them and add that little depth like you said. Thanks for reading, always happy to see you around.
l4w - Thank you. I'm trying to make them all feel distinct and not just the same character with little differences and reskins.
Isabelle6116 - I hope you really like today's chapter.
SixFtWookie - I think I grossly underestimated the guest list until I was writing and I had a moment of 'what have I done'. Glad you liked it and hope you like the continuation.
poka - Last chapter and this one felt huge in the writing and the planning. I was really proud of them however, and the interaction between Sirius and Nicolas. There's another one in today's chapter that really made me laugh while writing it so hopefully you like it too. I'm glad you're still excited. Thank you for all the kind words and support.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - I think today's chapter can stand up to the previous one, hopefully you'll agree. I mean, the pets and familiars are much cuter than most people, they got that going for them.
alix33 - I never been to a rugby game, not popular over here. But I've watched online and it looks brutal.
DarkRavie - Thank you.
Uberzilla - Hope you enjoy today's chapter then.
Mitkon2001 - Animals love Harry.