Harry's Birthday

A few nights at the Burrow turned into a few years for Sirius, Lily, and baby Harry. Molly and Arthur offered no word of complaint. Molly got a couple of extra hands with the kids and she had a suspicion Lily got as much out of being surrounded by family as the kids got from her. Arthur loved her and in no small part because she was muggleborn and could tell him all about muggles. Sirius was a bad influence on the kids, in particular Fred, George, and Ginny but Molly allowed it because it was obvious, he would do anything for the Weasley children. Most of all, Harry grew up a Weasley.

But the year Harry turned five, Sirius also became the sole owner of his family’s home; Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Sirius wanted nothing to do with it but Lily’s desire to get out of Molly Weasley’s hair and have her own space won him over. Formally, that is how Sirius, Lily, Harry, and eventually Remus Lupin, found themselves a new home. Harry still spent every available minute at the Burrow.

The eldest boys taught him Quidditch. Percy helped him learn how to read. Fred and George pranked him as often as they pranked everyone else. Ginny got another brother to torment and Harry and Ron were inseparable. Harry had a hand on Mrs. Weasley’s clock by the time he was old enough to insist on going into town with Bill and Charlie to hang out with muggles.

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Harry woke on the morning of his eleventh birthday to the smell of frying bacon and constant creaking of people moving in the precariously built and magically maintained Burrow. Harry reached blindly for his glasses on the nightstand. Once he was able to cram them onto his face, Harry saw that Ron was still prone and snoring next to him.

Harry climbed out of bed. It took a few minutes to piece together his wardrobe. The jeans were dirty from a game of Quidditch the day before, the green shirt was faded, and the trainers had holes in the bottom, but it would do. Before heading downstairs in hopes of a hearty birthday breakfast, Harry whipped a pillow at Ron’s sleeping form.

Harry heard him grunt in surprise and then a sudden thud. Assuming Ron hit the floor and would take a while, Harry just called over his shoulder while descending the stairs. “Breakfast.”

Harry had expected to see Mrs. Weasley busily preparing breakfast, he had not expected to see his godfather already halfway through a plate of bacon and eggs and Uncle Remus was doing the dishes for Molly while she cooked. Sirius noticed Harry just a moment after Harry noticed him. Hurriedly gulping down a bite of food to greet his godson. “Happy birthday, Harry! Ready for the day then?”

“Do we have something to do? I really thought I’d just play Quidditch with Fred, George, and Ron. Then you and mum would come here for dinner.”

“Come now Harry, dear. Not every day a young man turns eleven.” Mrs. Weasley said while loading up a plate for him.

“Thank you, Molly,” Sirius added. “She’s right, we have to go to Diagon Alley today. Do some shopping before you’re ready for school. So, eat fast, long day.”

“So, I get a wand today?” Harry practically dove towards his plate and started shoveling eggs into his mouth.

“I thought you might like the sound of that.” Sirius laughed.

Even while hurrying, Harry managed three plates of food. In that time the rest of the Weasleys had made their way downstairs. Sirius was content to make conversation with each of them while they ate. He soothed Ginny’s upset at still being one year away from her own Hogwarts days. Slipped Ron a chocolate frog when Molly wasn’t looking. Fred and George ran several prank ideas by him. Sirius congratulated Percy on being named a Prefect but it was Remus who offered him real advice on his Prefect duties.

About forty minutes went by before Sirius and Remus were asking Harry if he was ready to go. He nodded. After a round of goodbyes, the trio left the kitchen They paused long enough in the garden to Apparate.

With a loud pop, they appeared outside the Leaky Cauldron. A tavern only visible to witches and wizards like them, just inside muggle London. Harry kneeled over to hurl but all that he managed was a painful dry heave. “I don’t like Apparating.”

“I am sorry, Harry. I know it’s uncomfortable.” Lupin apologized

“It’s like being squeezed, really hard,” Harry grumbled.

Sirius gripped Harry’s shoulder. “When we’re done shopping some ice cream from Fortescue’s will make you feel better.”

They entered the Leaky Cauldron. Remus apologized to the barman Tom for just passing through. Explaining that Harry had some birthday errands to run. Tom wished them luck and went back to wiping glasses with his dusty rag. So they continued on to the alley. Remus pulled out his wand to tap the appropriate pattern of bricks on the wall. The bricks started to shift until they formed an archway just tall enough for Remus to walk under. The others followed him into Diagon Alley.