Chapter 12
Ambush in the Dark
The rush of color stopped as abruptly as it had started. Harry felt his legs sweep out from under him as though he had just jumped from a moving car and he crumpled to the ground in a dark room. A port-key? That was the last thing he had expected. What was going on? He cursed Ron as he searching the dark floor for his glasses.
“You prat! What’re you playing at?” Harry demanded as his right hand suddenly brushed against the smooth top of his glasses. “You could have at least told me it was a port-key!” Placing them back on his nose he stood up and found the room wasn’t any clearer with them than it had been without. “Where are we?”
No one answered.
Confused he called out softly.
“Ron…Hermione?”
Silence.
“Ron!” he said a little more urgently, starting to feel anxious. Again no answer. Though he couldn’t see anything, the sound of his voice bouncing off walls told him the room he was in wasn’t very big.
What was going on? Why would Ron suddenly throw a port-key at him, then leave him in a dark room all alone?
Immediately his anxiety turned to panic. What if Godric’s Hollow wasn’t as safe as Dumbledore had thought? What if Voldemort had found him and it hadn’t been Ron and Hermione at all, but Death-Eaters disguised as them? Polyjuice potion would do the trick pretty easily…
The sudden creaking of a door opening made Harry jump.
“This way, Harry…” he heard Ron’s voice say in a teasing, almost cruel voice. He heard a shuffling of feet and the door creaking even wider. It was off to his left…
Full fledged panic swept over him now. The voice reminded him of Bellatrix Lestrange taunting him at the Department of Mysteries just before summer. Heart thumping he reached for his wand and stepped closer, his left arm outstretched. The door was right in front of him now. He gently pushed it open. Another long creak filled the silent air.
Ccccrrrreeeeaaaaaaaakkkkkk.
Slowly, cautiously, he took a step through the doorway…
Then it happened. An earsplitting noise filled the air as a dozen voices called out in unison.
“SURPRISE!!!”
Instincts kicking in, Harry thrust his wand into the darkness and yelled the first thing that came to his mind.
“STUPEFY!”
Suddenly the lights turned on. Time seemed to stand still as Harry took in the scene before him: a crowd of people, half of whom had vibrant red hair, facing him and grinning; strange, colorful shapes floating around the ceiling of a basement kitchen with stone walls; a long, wooden table full of food and colorful boxes; and a long white banner that stretched the entire length of the back wall read “Happy Birthday Harry”.
For a split second Harry was utterly confused. He had expected a Death Eater attack, not a festive room full of people wearing party hats. He looked down his arm to the person his wand had been pointing at, and was surprised to see the startled face of Mad-Eye Moody staring blankly at him”a strange yellow party hat sitting crookedly on his head and a small noise maker hanging limply from his mouth. Every head in the room turned in slow-motion towards the old Auror who tipped forward precariously, hung for a moment, then crashed face first into the table in front of him and crumpled to the floor, a large birthday cake falling on top of him.
Realizing that he had just stunned one of the most famous Aurors of all time, Harry was about to apologize when the entire room burst out into uncontrollable laughter.
Fred and George Weasley were rolling on the ground on the left side of the room, faces bright purple and writhing in a way that made it look like they were being tortured rather than laughing. Ginny sat in a chair slouched over, her bright face lit up with pure, girlish laughter. To her left was Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror Harry had met the year before, who threw his head back and laughed a deep, booming laugh that seemed to make the floor vibrate. To his left were a couple more grown wizards Harry didn’t recognize (though it may have been because their faces were buried in their hands). At the middle of the table stood Professor Dumbledore who was arguably the most composed of the group”one hand over his face and trembling violently. To his left were Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley and Bill; Mr. Weasley and Bill laughing as hard as anyone else and Mrs. Weasley looking torn between concern for Moody and hilarity at what had just happened. Next to them was Remus Lupin, who positively shook in silent mirth, and Mundungus Fletcher who slapped his knee repeatedly and laughed in short, quick bursts that resembled a coughing fit more than anything else. At the right end of the table were Tonks, Ron and Hermione who had bent over Moody to make sure he was okay.
Harry smiled sheepishly as the adrenaline slowly left his body and he realized he wasn’t in danger of being attacked. The laughter in the room was infectious and he soon found himself chuckling despite himself.
“Come on, let’s get you a seat Harry,” said Mr. Weasley as he, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley strode to him.
“Er…Maybe we better take this away from him,” said Bill, grinning as he gently removed Harry’s wand from his hand.
“Come, Harry dear,” said Mrs. Weasley, placing her arm around his shoulders and leading him to a seat in the center of the table. Once he sat down she hurried away towards the fallen Mad-Eye-Moody, though he thought he could hear her giggling.
By this time most of the people in the room had recovered from the laughing fit and had gathered around to greet him.
“Happy Birthday Harry,” said Mr. Weasley, placing his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you again.” He was quickly replaced by Bill who shook his hand and laughed.
“That was brilliant! Bet old Mad-Eye didn’t see that one coming. Happy Birthday Harry!”
“Er…thanks,” replied Harry, not sure if he should be proud for what he had done. Bill and Mr. Weasley moved to the side as Kingsley Shacklebolt and the two wizards Harry had seen earlier approached.
“Happy Birthday Harry!” said Kingsley in his deep voice, white teeth shining as he shook Harry’s hand with a strong grip. “And congratulations. You’ve just accomplished what dozens of Dark wizards could never do: Get the jump on old Mad-Eye,” he said merrily as he gestured over his shoulder with his thumb towards Moody, who was slowly coming to with the help of Mrs. Weasley and Tonks. Motioning to the two wizards he continued. “Allow me to introduce Damien Abernathy and Querious Gimble, two of my colleagues.”
“Happy Birthday Harry.” “Honor to meet you Harry,” said the two wizards, each nodding and shaking hands in turn.
Next came Fred and George, who had apparently gotten a hold of themselves and shook Harry’s hand enthusiastically.
“Happy Birthday Harry.”
“Yeah, Happy Birthday. And thanks for providing what may possibly be the funniest thing we have ever seen,” said George grandly, “if I ever get a penseive that’s the first thing going in there.” Harry noticed that their faces were still quite red and they looked as if they had been crying.
“Er…I’m honored,” replied Harry. The twins hadn’t changed much, though they were a bit stockier than he remembered. They were wearing strange, expensive looking robes”George in electric green and Fred in a vibrant, obnoxious orange. “How’s business going for you then?” asked Harry.
“Couldn’t be better. And we owe it all to you, our benevolent financial backer,” quipped Fred.
“Here’s your birthday present, think of it as just a small token of our endless gratitude,” said George, producing a small neatly wrapped present from out of his robes and placing it before Harry.
“I’d wait until you’re alone to open it though,” whispered George as he leaned towards Harry, “as certain authority figures may not entirely approve of our giving it to you.” He looked shrewdly over his shoulder at Ron and Hermione, who were making their way towards him.
“What was that?” Hermione asked the twins suspiciously, having just overheard the last part.
“Oh nothing,” Fred replied sweetly as he and George found a couple of seats along the table.
Hermione shook her head then looked back at Harry. “Happy Birthday!” she said as she hugged him.
Ron laughed. “Gee Harry, remind me never to sneak up on you in the dark. We thought you’d be surprised, but I didn’t reckon you’d start jinxing people. ”
“Git,” Harry shot back, though he couldn’t help smiling.
“I don’t know, I think you did Mad-Eye a favor,” said Ginny, who had just joined them. “He’s really let himself go if he wasn’t expecting to be attacked at a birthday party. This should teach him not to let his guard down so much.” She shook her head and pursed her lips in mock seriousness, and Harry, Hermione and Ron laughed.
“Happy birthday Harry!” said Ginny and she broke into a warm smile. Her nose and upper cheeks were covered in freckles and two dimples appeared as she smiled brightly. She hugged him then held out a small box wrapped in yellow paper.
“I got you this thinking it would give you something to do when you’re stuck with those Muggles. By the time I found out you don’t have to go back it was too late; I don’t have enough money to buy another present so I guess you’re stuck with this one.
“Go ahead, open it,” she urged.
Harry unwrapped the yellow package to find a small, wooden box. Inside was a brand new golden snitch with the initials “H.P.” engraved into it.
“Thanks Ginny!” Harry said enthusiastically. The snitch began to beat its wings furiously and darted out of the box. Without thinking Harry shot out his hand and caught it before it could take off around the kitchen. “Wow,” said Ron, impressed with his reflexes. Harry suddenly looked up and met the eyes of Professor Lupin, who smiled sadly back at him. Apparently he was reminded of another teenage boy with black hair and spectacles playing with a snitch. Harry quickly put the snitch back in its case.
“I love it. Thank you Ginny.”
Ginny smiled back.
Lupin approached Harry next. He couldn’t help but notice that he looked more gaunt and tired than ever before, though at least he had on a new set of robes. “Good to see you Harry, happy birthday,” he said serenely. He put his hand on Harry’s shoulder and met his eyes. “I suppose you’re sick of being asked this Harry, but…how are you?”
Harry gave a slight smile back and nodded. “I’m good. Really,” he responded truthfully. Looking back into Lupin’s sad, haggard eyes, he realized the connection they shared: they had both lost someone very important to them in Sirius Black and James Potter.
“How are you?” Harry asked back sincerely.
Lupin’s eyes widened in surprise, then his smile broadened. “I’m good, Harry. Better now.”
Harry smiled back, realizing that no matter how discouraged he felt, Professor Lupin would be able to understand what he was going through. The thought that he wasn’t alone comforted him.
He had just taken his hand from Harry’s shoulder when a bubbly, blonde haired Tonks bounded up to them.
“Quit hogging him all to yourself, Remus,” she scolded as she winked at Harry and shook his hand. “Wotcher, Harry. Good to see you were finally able to get away from those Muggle prison-guards. Still can’t believe it took three of my best disguises and ‘Dung getting electrocuted to get past that hippo of an uncle of yours,” she said bitterly.
Ron and Hermione, having heard the story, laughed, whiled Ginny and Lupin looked intrigued.
“Mundungus got electrocuted?” Lupin asked incredulously. “I never heard that part. He told me Dursley was so scared of him he just gave Harry over. I’m going to go have a little chat with him…” he said with a sly look on his face. “I’ll talk with you more later, Harry. Tonks.” He nodded at the two as he walked back to the table. Tonks followed him with her eyes.
“Yes, talk to you later, you yummy, yummy man,” she said dreamily.
Harry snorted, completely surprised by what she had just said. Ron, Ginny and Hermione looked equally amused.
“Tonks, do you fancy Professor Lupin?” Ginny asked teasingly.
“Maybe I do,” she replied unabashed. Hermione and Ginny giggled. “You laugh, but from what I’ve seen, I’m not the only one here that fancies someone…” she finished, flashing a mischievous smile at all of them. “Happy Birthday, Harry,” she said with a final wink and returned to her place at the table.
Ron, Hermione, and Ginny blushed suddenly and looked at the floor while Harry watched her go. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just missed something…
Suddenly the voice of Mrs. Weasley rose above all the other noise in the room. “Let’s start eating the cake, everyone. I don’t want the kids up too late.”
“That sounds delightful, Molly, but I’m afraid Alastor has already claimed the cake for himself,” said Dumbledore to laughs from the crowd. Mr. Weasley and Bill were slowly helping Moody to his feet and out of the kitchen. He looked a bit ruffled and grouchy, though Harry thought he would too if he had waken up and found himself lying on the floor covered in pink frosting.
“One thing I learned long ago is that in this family,” here Mrs. Weasley gave Fred and George a withering look, “you always make two birthday cakes.”
“Wasn’t our fault it exploded,” George mumbled.
“She should’ve known better,” added Fred.
“Gits,” Harry heard Ginny mutter.
With a flick of her wand Mrs. Weasley floated another cake through the room, this one smaller but looking just as delicious as the one Moody had fallen into. After singing “Happy Birthday” to Harry (who felt awkward as he had never had anybody sing it to him before and he wasn’t quite sure what to do), Mrs. Weasley served up the cake and everyone settled into a festive, easygoing chatter. Harry’s piece was at least twice as big as anyone else’s and tasted delicious.
As he sat eating his cake it occurred to Harry that he had completely forgotten his own birthday. He had been so preoccupied with everything that had happened over the last two weeks that he hadn’t given it any thought. Just then Mad-Eye-Moody re-entered the room, pink smudges of frosting still on his cloak.
“How are you feeling Alastor?” asked Dumbledore. More than one snicker followed the question.
“All right,” he replied gruffly as he looked at Harry. The room went silent. Harry expected him to be upset, perhaps even angry at him, so he was surprised when the old Auror grinned at him and nodded.
“Good jinx there Potter. Constant vigilance, that’s the ticket.” With that he shook Harry’s hand, wished him a happy birthday, and took a seat towards the end of the table.
“Look at that, no hard feelings. You’re a true sportsman, Mad-Eye,” Tonks shouted.
“I don’t know though Harry, you’ve just used underage magic again. I expect you’ll be receiving an owl from the ministry any moment now,” chortled Mr. Weasley.
“Yeah, though I’d like to see Fudge try and expel you now. Must be hard to abuse your power while you’re being chased by a giant ape!” boomed Kingsley Shacklebolt to raucous laughter from everyone else.
“Let’s hear it for Fred and George Weasley!” chimed in Tonks.
Fred and George stood and started bowing while the group applauded and gave cat-calls.
“That was you guys? You did the giant gorilla?” Harry asked in disbelief, thinking back to the front page article in the Daily Prophet he had seen in Privet Drive.
“Sure did, birthday-boy,” replied George cheerfully.
“Our newest product: ‘Beacon Banshees’. You simply place the beacon on your unsuspecting victim and a screaming animal of your choice will chase them around until they find it.”
“Available in ‘Whooping Wombat’, ‘Flatulent Frog’, and our newest variety, ‘Gorilla a’la Fudge.”
More laughter.
As they socialized and ate cake Harry looked around the room and gave a small sigh of contentment: Here he was with his favorite people in the world, in what was his first birthday party ever. It was all a bit overwhelming”the Dursley’s had never even recognized his birthday, much less threw him a party. All too soon the night wore away and soon people started filing out the door, shaking his hand and wishing a final “Happy Birthday” before they left.
Harry gave one more tremendous yawn which was immediately followed by Ron when Mrs. Weasley chimed in.
“That’s it, time for bed everyone. Harry and Ron, you can have your usual room and Hermione you can stay with Ginny. Your parents are expecting you back tomorrow morning, so I’ll wake you up around 7:00. Good night!” With a final hug she scooted them out of the kitchen into a hallway that Harry thought looked strangely familiar.
“What did she mean, ‘usual room’?” he asked Ron as he looked around. In front of him was a familiar front door, and next to it a tall staircase that stretched up into darkness. He had been here before, though he couldn’t quite place it. It definitely wasn’t the Burrow…
“Wait, where are we…?” Harry said, stopping in his tracks. It was coming back to him: mounted House-Elf heads; black, dusty curtains; a screeching portrait. Of course!
“Is…is this Grimmuald Place?”
His friends stopped and looked at him confusedly. They exchanged glances.
“Er…yes Harry, this is..was Grimmauld Place,” Hermione said tentatively. “The Weasley’s moved in here at the beginning of summer because Dumbledore doesn’t think the Burrow is safe anymore, remember? I told you about it in one of my letters while you were at Privet Drive…”
“So did I Harry,” said Ginny, looking at him curiously.
“Er…me too,” added Ron.
Harry thought back guiltily to his first two weeks at Privet Drive and the dozens of letters he hadn’t read. Apparently he had missed the news entirely. He kicked himself mentally. The three were watching him curiously”he had no idea how he was going to get out of this one.
“Of…of course. I just mean, it’s changed so much I didn’t recognize it,” he said lamely. It was true though, the house looked so much brighter and cheery it was no wonder he didn’t recognize it.
They looked at him quizzically until Ginny broke the silence.
“All right, next year Harry only gets one piece of cake. I don’t think he can handle any more,” she said sleepily. “I’m going to bed.”
As he lay in bed that night Harry couldn’t help but smile. It had been a great day, and despite all that was happening around them with Voldemort and the war, it was comforting to see that there was still happiness to be found, and although it wasn’t saying much, it had been the best birthday he had ever had.