The Party
Harry
Master Harry is wanted downstairs, sir," Mipsy squeaked.
"Five minutes, Mipsy," the boy grunted, as he fixed his white bow-tie.
"I is informing Mistress Lyra," said the elf, disappearing with a pop. Harry adjusted the neckwear in question to a presentable form and looked himself over in the mirror one last time. His starched white shirt with silver and emerald cuff-links, green waistcoat, dark grey trousers, and black leather shoes were all spotless. He put on his dark green dress robe, which somewhat resembled a Muggle dinner jacket, except for the fact that it was nearly ankle-length and its sleeves were much looser. Finally, he took out his new wand and, with a whispered "Semper floreat," conjured a beautiful white rose onto his left lapel.
The lavish entry hall of the manor was decorated festively with numerous bright garlands and floating magic lights. A massive banner at the top of the grand staircase, which usually bore the Malfoy coat of arms, was today charged with the Potter crest: a green shield with two serpents coiled around a black wand in the middle and a white band above them charged with two crossed daggers and two blue fleurs-de-lis, and behind the shield, a lordly coronet and ermine mantle befitting a peer of a Noble and Most Ancient House.
Lyra was waiting for Harry at the bottom of the stairs, wearing a dress with a similar colour scheme. "They are almost here, Harry," she informed him.
At that instant, the large fireplace on the west wall of the entry hall filled with green flames, signifying the arrival of the first guests. It was Daphne and the twins, both dressed in floor-length formal dresses. Harry rushed to greet them.
"Happy birthday, Harry!" Daphne said ecstatically; the salutation was echoed by Astoria, who was hugged by Lyra. Harry gave Stephen a high-five.
"Girls and boys, you have my thanks," said he, receiving their gifts. He snapped his fingers and a house-elf immediately appeared, took them with him, and popped away again. "The salon's over there; help yourselves to refreshments while the rest arrive." He indicated the liveried elf standing on the other side of the atrium with a tray of lemonade glasses.
The same procedure repeated itself with the subsequent guests. After the Greengrasses came Theo, then Terry Boot. He was followed by Ernest Macmillan, a somewhat taller dark-haired boy, and Susan Bones, a red-haired witch of Harry's height, two of his future classmates at Hogwarts. Draco then came out of the salon and asked, "Are we expecting anyone else, Harry?"
"No, I don't think so."
The rest followed in with their formulaic introductions. Thankfully the whole business lasted no longer than a minute. No sooner was the little ceremony complete than a fanfare was heard from an elf blowing a comically small trumpet.
"This way, sirs and madams," the elf squeaked, leading the group into the lavishly decorated dining room, where they were at once seated at an impeccably set round table. Soon after, the elves began serving all manner of drinks and entrees. As usual, the little creatures went about their business with great finesse and economy of motion, taking great care never to draw attention to themselves. Somehow that race had managed to elevate even the serving of food into an art form.
"Oh man, look at us," Macmillan said, "We're going to be first years."
"Well, most of you," Stephen interjected.
"Yeah," Lyra and Astoria echoed.
"Which house do you think you'll be in?" asked Susan. "I'd like Ravenclaw, but my family have been 'Puffs for generations."
"Anything that's not Gryffindor," Ernie replied. He shuddered.
"What's so bad about them?" asked Stephen.
"Oh, nothing, if you're looking for a house built on senseless bravado, blinding idealism, and extreme mugglephilia," Harry explained, "I mean, it was Dumbledore's house!"
"And that alone should tell you everything," Lyra concluded with a note of disdain, "Anyhow, Theo's running a betting pool already."
"Oh, do tell!" said Daphne.
Theo took out a small notepad. "So far, the favourites are Hufflepuff for Susan, Ravenclaw for Terry and Ernie, and Slytherin for Daphne and myself."
"What about Harry?" asked Astoria.
"He's out. Frankly, I'd feel bad taking money from someone stupid enough to bet against him being in Slytherin."
"Just out of interest, what are the odds for that?" asked Daphne.
"I assure you, if that happened, I'm incinerating that hat then and there," said Harry.
"Er, let's say 1000 to one," said Theo, evidently doing a sum in his head, "double if he ends up in Gryffindor."
"Eh, I'll take it. Twenty sickles!" said Lyra.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, sis," was Harry's sardonic reply.
"Hey, I'm not complaining. She just bought me a round of butterbeers!" smirked Theo.
The conversation continued along similar topics, shifting to future classes, Quidditch, and summer stories as the meal went on and now was the time for cake cutting.
The dining room was filled with laughter and chatter as the guests enjoyed the sumptuous feast prepared by the house-elves. After the main course, a magnificent birthday cake appeared, floating gently to the center of the table. It was a multi-tiered creation, adorned with emerald and silver icing, topped with sparkling candles.
“Make a wish, Harry!” Lyra exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
Harry closed his eyes, thinking of his hopes for the future, and blew out the candles in one breath. Cheers erupted around the table, and the cake was quickly sliced and served.
Sirius
"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Cassie said as she took a sip from her drink.
"Yeah," Sirius replied.
Sirius had taken Cassie to a dinner date for them to relax. He had to do a lot of convincing (read begging) for her to agree, as they both wanted to unwind after an exhausting week of work. He wished he could appoint a proxy on his Wizengamot seat if Dumbledore wasn't such a nuisance. He had asked his wife for a dinner date after they had finished writing invitations to the heirs of the families of the Potter-Black alliance in the Wizengamot,but it worked out and now they were here.
As they perused the menu, their conversation flowed naturally, slipping into familiar territory. They ordered their meals and a bottle of wine, and as they waited, Sirius took Cassie’s hand in his.
“Do you remember when we first brought Harry and Lyra home?” Sirius asked, a nostalgic smile playing on his lips.
Cassie laughed softly. “How could I forget? Harry was so quiet at first, always looking around with those big green eyes. And Lyra, she was a bundle of energy right from the start.”
“I was so worried we wouldn’t be able to handle it,” Sirius admitted. “Two toddlers at once, and both so different.”
“But we managed,” Cassie said, squeezing his hand. “We learned as we went. And we had help from Kreacher and the other elves. They were wonderful.”
Sirius nodded. “I think one of my favorite memories is Harry’s first attempt at flying. He was so determined to get it right, even though he was barely five. And Lyra cheering him on from the ground, it was priceless.”
Cassie chuckled. “And then he crashed into the hedge. He wasn’t hurt, but he was so indignant. ‘The broom’s broken, Mum!’ he insisted. As if it couldn’t possibly be his fault,of course after that his accidental magic burned that hedge before I repaired it.”
Their appetizers arrived, and they took a moment to enjoy the food before continuing their conversation.
“Lyra’s first accidental magic was something too,” Sirius said after a while. “Do you remember? She turned her entire room pink because she wanted to match her new dress.”
Cassie smiled fondly. “Oh, yes. And it took us hours to reverse it. She was so proud of herself, though.”
The waiter refilled their wine glasses, and they toasted to their memories. As they sipped their wine, Cassie’s expression turned a bit more serious.
“I’m so proud of them, Sirius. They’re both so talented and brave. But sometimes, I worry about the pressure they’re under. Especially Harry, with everything that’s expected of him.”
Sirius agreed,and the fact that Dumbledore tried to get him arrested really did not raise his opinion of the man.
As they finished their dessert and prepared to leave, Sirius squeezed Cassie’s hand one last time. “Ready to head home?”
Cassie nodded. “Yes, let’s go home. We’ve got a big day tomorrow, and our children will be waiting for us,I hope they havent burned down Potter Manor yet.”
Sirius laughed,sure they may have a lot of obstacles in front of them,but they'll overcome it no one would get in their way be it be Dumbledore or Voldermort.