The Worst Birthday
After having apologized to Molly for missing breakfast, Harry took his potions with a granola bar that he found in one of the cupboards. Now, everyone was gathered back into the main sitting room ready to begin the next book.
“Who would like to read first?” Dumbledore asked.
Before anyone could answer, a flash of light filled the room.
“Mom?” Draco gaped.
Narcissa Malfoy turned and smiled at her son before addressing her presence, “I received a letter saying that I was being brought somewhere to read books about the life of Harry Potter. I presume that you are all here for this as well?”
After a moment of silence, Snape answered.
“That is correct, Narcissa. We finished reading the events of Harry’s first year yesterday, and today we are starting his second.”
Narcissa nodded easily as if this was something that occurred normally. When her gaze landed on Regulus sitting near Severus, her eyes widened only a fraction in surprise. She turned to look at the other occupants of the room, stopping for a moment to stare at the Longbottoms, the Potters, and the two other Marauders. When her eyes locked with Sirius, he spoke up.
“What year are you from Cissy? You look old.”
Narcissa sent an impassive look at her cousin, not bothered by his rude remark, “1991.”
“Looks like most of the room is from the same time period,” Frank said thoughtfully.
Narcissa nodded and turned to walk gracefully to the chair that had appeared between Draco and Regulus.
“Shall we begin then?”
“I’ll read first if that’s alright, Albus.”
Dumbledore nodded and levitated the book to the open hands of Arthur Weasley.
“Chapter 1: The Worst Birthday”
Not for the… from his nephew Harry’s room.
“Why do we have to start off with the Muggles again?” Ron groaned in complaint.
Narcissa raised an eyebrow at the Weasley child; she would have thought that the son of Arthur Weasley would be thrilled to hear more about Muggles. She noticed the other aggravated looks in the room, and while she didn’t understand it, she made a mental note of it.
Third time this week!... just let her out at night-
“They won’t let Hedwig out to fly?” Luna asked, her voice hard.
“That’s animal cruelty,” Charlie growled.
“Should we really be surprised by any cruelty they show at this point?” Bill said with an eye roll.
Do I look stupid? Snarled Uncle Vernon
“Yes,” The twins and Marauders chorused.
A bit of fried egg… so large his bottom dropped over either side of the kitchen chair, grinned and turned to Harry.
Dudley blushed brightly, and mumbled, “I lost weight.”
Pass the frying… Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples.
“They’re so dramatic,” Sirius sneered.
“Wait, what’s wrong? What happened?” Neville asked, confused.
“I said ‘magic’,” Harry replied, looking only a little frightened at the thought of what Vernon was going to do to him for punishment.
James wrapped a comforting arm around Harry, trying to ease the anxiety he could see beginning to swell up inside of him.
“What’s wrong with the word magic?” Narcissa asked.
There was a bit of an awkward silence, no one knowing quite how to answer.
“Harry’s relatives aren’t the most… um… accepting people.”
Harry snorted at James’ explanation, that was putting it lightly.
Snape sent a harsh glare at James, “They’re abusive, Potter. Say it for what it is,” He snapped.
“You think I don’t know that, Snape?” James growled in return.
“Boys!” Lily interrupted angrily, “This argument is pointless, stop acting like children!”
“I’m just going to… keep reading now,” Arthur mumbled awkwardly.
I meant ‘please’!... SAYING THE ‘M’ WORD IN OUR HOUSE?
“The ‘M’ word? What are they, five?” Remus said, rolling his eyes.
But I… HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!
“He wasn’t threatening him! He was just trying to teach your useless son manners!” Molly objected.
Arthur nudged his wife, and gave her a pointed look in Dudley’s direction.
“Oh- sorry Dudley, dear.” Molly stuttered, looking embarrassed.
Dudley waved her apology off, he was a twat back then.
Roared Uncle Vernon… YOUR ABNORMALITY UNDER THIS ROOF!
“Abnormality?” Several people screeched.
Harry stared from… Harry Potter was a wizard
“Why are they repeating this? We already know,” George complained.
Percy answered, “I suppose it’s for people that didn’t read the first book, or in case they forgot.”
A wizard fresh from… back to being treated like a dog that had rolled in something smelly.
“Oi! I resent that!”
Sirius earned a lot of odd looks for his comment, making Remus smack him on the arm and inform him of his idiocy.
The Dursleys hadn’t even remembered that today happened to be Harry’s twelfth birthday.
“I’m sorry, Harry,” Lily said sadly, wrapping her son in a hug.
Of course, his hopes hadn’t been high; they’d never given him a real present
Dudley frowned, he hadn’t thought much of all the smaller negligent acts his parents had put Harry through, with him having been more focused on the obvious abuse. However, hearing about Harry’s upbringing from his point of view made him realize that his parents’ abuses stretched far wider than just physical. Harry was given the bare minimum to survive while he had always gotten whatever he wanted.
Let alone a cake… today is a very important day.
Harry’s head snapped up, a flutter of hope coursing through him. Did the Dursleys actually remember and care about his birthday?
Seeing his cousin's reaction, Dudley caught James’ eye and gave a small shake of his head. James gave a small nod in thanks back to Dudley and mentally prepared himself for whatever may come next.
Harry looked up… talking about the stupid dinner party.
Harry deflated in his seat, of course the Dursleys didn’t care about his birthday. He was stupid for even thinking they would. The arm that his father had wrapped around him helped him to feel a bit better, but he couldn’t deny the hope that had filled him at the thought of the Dursleys maybe caring about him.
He’d been talking… no noise and pretending that I’m not there, said Harry tonelessly.
“Don’t worry, Harry.” James comforted his son beside him, “You will never have a birthday like this in your future.”
Exactly, said Uncle Vernon… and you? Said Uncle Vernon viciously to Harry.
“They sure love to rub it in,” Remus growled.
I’ll be in my… and I wrote about you.
The twins burst out laughing, “That has to be the dumbest thing that I have ever heard.”
This was too… And you, boy?
Both Remus and Sirius growled, causing many in the room to look at the pair more than a little frightened.
Harry fought to keep… would like him any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive.
“As if they would take me with them,” Harry mumbled.
Right -- I’m off into… happy birthday to me
“Mate, that has to be one of the most depressing things I have ever heard.”
Privately, Narcissa agreed with the youngest Weasley boy.
No cards, no presents
“What?” Echoed throughout the room.
“But I- I’m sure that I..” Hermione stuttered.
And he would be… even though Ron said he was going to ask Harry to come and stay.
“That can’t be right!” Ron protested, “Of course I kept in contact with Harry!”
Harry shrugged in a non committed manner, not completely convinced that Ron and Hermione would care enough to write him during the summer.
“Maybe the Dursleys are hiding your mail again,” Charlie suggested.
Countless times… their terror that he might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking him under the stairs with his wands and broomstick.
“Why would they lock him under the stairs?”
Harry shifted in discomfort at Narcissa’s question, it was just his luck that he had to go over this a second time.
“Harry slept under the stairs until he received his Hogwarts letter,” James explained tonelessly, willing himself not to get worked up by it again.
For the first… archenemy, Draco Malfoy, just to be sure it hadn’t all been a dream.
“Archenemy?” Draco repeated, “A bit dramatic, don’t you think Potter?”
Not that his… Harry kept waking in the night, drenched in cold sweat. Wondering where Voldemort was now, remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes
“You didn’t find Harry a mind healer after his experience down the trapdoor?” Remus asked Dumbledore dumbfounded. Harry was clearly traumatized by his encounter with Voldemort. Understandably so, most eleven year olds aren’t faced with their parents murderers and then are attempted to be killed themselves.
Harry suddenly sat bolt… and the hedge was staring back.
“What? Hedges don’t have eyes.”
“No shit, Percy,” Fred sniped back, earning a glare from his mother for his language.
Two enormous green eyes… So you’ve finally learned the days of the week.
Sirius let out a barking laugh, “Good one, pup!”
Today’s your birthday… Haven’t you even got friends at that freak place?
“I’m sorry, Harry. I was a prat back then,” Dudley said, looking irritated at his past self.
Better not let… would be the best spell to set it on fire, said Harry.
Harry winced at his own words, while anger and loneliness may have been fueling his actions then, they weren’t now. He knew that this would probably not end well for him.
Dudley stumbled backward… Hocus pocus -- squiggly wiggly
The twins were losing it in their seats, clutching the stitches in their sides as they laughed.
Dudley blushed a little, he now knew that spells sounded nothing like that, but how would he have known back then? A small part of him begrudgingly admitted that Harry’s words were quite funny now, knowing what he knew. However, he chose to ignore that small part of him.
MUUUUUUM! Howled Dudley… she aimed a heavy blow at his head with a soapy frying pan.
“She what!” Lily shrieked. She couldn’t believe that her sister would harm her child. It was bad enough that she sat back and did nothing as her husband hurt Harry, but she didn’t think that Petunia would be so low as to do it herself.
All traces of laughter that previously filled the room were gone, everyone instead glaring at the book as if it were the one that had attempted to hit Harry on the head with a frying pan.
Then she gave him… wouldn’t eat again until he’d finished.
“No wonder he’s so thin,” Molly fretted.
“He malnourished,” Snape responded with a sneer, “Or are most malnourished people you know fed regularly?”
While Dudley lolled around… watered the roses, and repainted the garden bench.
“Those aren’t chores a child should be doing,” Frank objected.
The sun blazed… maybe he didn’t have any friends at Hogwarts…
“That’s not true Harry, how could I not be your friend after everything we went through together the year before?”
“Well then why haven’t you written to me? Or even acknowledged my birthday?” Harry snapped back at Ron.
James placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, “I know it’s upsetting Harry, but we don’t know the whole story yet. Don’t go attacking Ron for something that: a. Hasn’t happened yet, and b. We haven’t heard his side of the story of.”
Harry had the decency to look a bit ashamed, and he mumbled out a quiet apology to Ron.
“It’s okay Harry, I understand,” Ron said back. He didn’t understand, not really, but he could imagine how hurt he would be if no one seemed to care about his birthday.
Wish they could see… pointing to two slices of bread and a lump of cheese on the kitchen table.
“That is not enough food for a growing boy, especially not after all the work he just did,” Narcissa commented, a tinge of anger lacing her words.
“I’m surprised she gave me food at all.”
Lily’s heart broke at hearing her son’s matter-of-fact tone, no child should ever be used to not eating so much that they are surprised when they are given food.
She was already wearing… there was already someone sitting on it.
“What?” Chorused throughout the room.
“Who could possibly be sitting on your bed?” Alice asked.
“Well there’s only one way to find out-” Arthur said, holding up the book, “who’s reading next?”
Hermione’s hand instantly flew into the air.
“Perhaps someone that hasn’t read yet,” McGonagall interjected before Arthur could hand Hermione the book.
Hermione huffed and crossed her arms, “no one else is even volunteering.”
McGongall ignored Hermione’s complaint, “Mr. Malfoy, why don’t you read?”
Draco looked as if he was about to argue with his future professor, but one look from his mother had him begrudgingly grabbing the book from the elder Weasley.
He opened the book to the second chapter and froze, before he could say anything, a note appeared in the pages of the book where only he could see it.
Mr. Malfoy,
As I’m sure you noticed by the title, there is a character in this chapter in which you will find familiar. Do not let the other people in the room know that you know the character. Before you start the chapter, use your Slytherin cunning to pass the message along to both your mother and godfather without notice so that they don’t spoil anything for anyone else either.
Happy reading,
A Friend.
The wheels in Draco’s head turned, trying to find a way to subtly get the message to both his mother and Snape without anyone else noticing. “Before I start the chapter, I was wondering-” he started, “Dudley, why exactly are you here?”
Everyone in the room turned to look at the Dursley boy and Draco quickly slipped the note to his mother.
“I mean, you and Harry have never gotten along.” Draco continued, “It seems interesting that the people organizing this would send you here.”
“As I mentioned when I arrived, me and Harry have come to an agreement in my time.”
Draco felt the note get passed back to him from his mother, he only had to keep everyone distracted a little longer in order to get the note to Severus as well.
“I remember, however, why did they bring you in now? Couldn’t they have waited until you and Harry were on better terms?”
He slipped the note to Snape.
Dudley looked confused and a bit apprehensive of all the eyes on him. “How would I know why they sent me earlier?” He said back defensively.
“Maybe they wanted Dudley to have a better understanding of Harry’s life,” Remus added thoughtfully.
Draco nodded in acceptance of that answer, not actually caring about the reason for the Muggle’s presence. He cleared his throat,
“Chapter 2: Dobby’s Warning”