Harry Potter and The Silver Locket

Harry stared up at his ceiling.

"You do understand, don't you, Harry?" Professor McGonagall had asked anxiously.

Oh, Harry understood all right. Understood that he was being dumped here just to be kept out of the way.

Something zoomed in through his wide open window and he sat bolt upright. Ever since...it had happened, he'd been listening for strange sounds, watching for long greasy hair and a large hooked nose so that when he saw them he could kill the owner with the same spell that had been used to kill Dumbledore.

It was only Hedwig carrying a large basket full of packages with Pig, Ron's little, excitable owl and a handsome tawny owl, obviously straight from the Owlery at Hogwarts.

Harry glanced automatically at his calendar and smacked his forehead. Why was he so miserable? It was his birthday; he was seventeen; the Weasleys were coming to collect him today.

He tore open the first package, feeling a lot happier than he had done a few moments beforehand. A letter fell out and he stopped to read it.

Dear Harry

Happy birthday! I hope you like your present.

Phlegm is getting better by the second and Gabi is really sweet. They're both looking forward to seeing you and their mother is 'estateek to finally meet ze boy who saved my beautiful girls, oui, Gabrielle?'

Bill is much better, his scars are healing up and he looks a lot less like Mad-Eye now; it's all thanks to Hagrid and his dragon meat - you remember the time in your fifth year when Grawp smashed his face in?

I can't wait to see you, Harry. Ron hasn't been sleeping at night, he's been pacing up and down, worried that Dudley's going to break all your limbs before we can get to you. Hermione keeps saying that she's sure you won't do anything stupid like going looking for Snape or Malfoy or (Merlin forbid) Voldemort, but 'oh, what if I'm wrong?'. Never mind, Hermione will always be just that...Hermione.

Fred and George created a special 'Snape Range', with Snape pincushions and dartboards and stuff. You've no idea how many Hogwarts students flooded in when the word spread...Neville's grandmother bought loads and Griselda Marchbanks (you know her, she examined me in m DADA OWL) told Rufus Scrimgeour that he wasn't worthy to kiss their feet. We're rolling in it now, old Rufus was worried that they'd run for Minister of Magic and paid them more money than I've seen in Gringotts! Angelina and Fred finally announced that they were getting married and Mum cried, she was so happy; Katie and George announced their engagement just as soon as Katie got out of Hogwarts and even though they have to wait for a bit the house is overflowing with wedding plans!

Love always and forever,

Ginny xxx

Harry stared at the letter a long time before he looked amongst the wrapping paper for his present. He stopped and gazed again.

It was the most beautiful silver locket Harry had ever seen in his life; in the shape of a loveheart, with an H on the front and a G on the back, inside were two photographs.

One was of Ginny, the other of Harry; they were both smiling and laughing and waving up at the real Harry, who was gobsmacked.

He tried to forget about it and went on to his next present.

Dear Harry

Happy birthday, mate! Can't wait to see you tonight; Mum and Dad aren't using the Floo Network this time, the memory of Dudley's four-foot tongue is still too much for Mum, which is weird as she wasn't even there. You've got your licence, Apparate whenever you want.

This is dead secret, Harry, Hermione would kill me if she knew that I was telling you this in a letter, she's so worried about the interception...

We found out last week that Hermione was pregnant and if Mum knew she would go ballistic, you know what she's like. What with the war and everything...plus we're both still at school! How's the kid going to live on next to nought?

Gin doesn't know; Hermione wants you to tell her. Can't say much in a letter really, she's right to worry about being intercepted.

That brings me to another point. You are either going to get back together with Ginny or sit down and have a nice talk with me, the twins, Bill and Charlie. She has been a total wreck since you split up and I think that if she's willing to take the risk you should be too.

I've changed my mind; Apparate NOW or you'll have two nice talks to look forward to.

Your mate

RON

Harry sighed. Great, two more complications. A) Hermione was pregnant with Ron's baby. B) What Ron might call a nice talk was more likely to end up in a fistfight and as much as he wanted to avoid that, he did love Ginny and couldn't bear to put her into danger.

Ron's present was four thick leather bound books with INTERESTING DEFENCE SPELLS AND HOW TO USE THEM, VOLUME I, II, III or IV emblazoned across the cover in gold lettering.

Dear Harry,

Happy birthday! I expect Ron already told you our news, which I shouldn't have agreed to; you may know about the three-month secrecy period having grown up in the Muggle world. Can't say much in a letter, but can you please tell Ginny when you get here? I'm sorry that I don't have much time to write, Harry, we'll talk properly tonight. Molly's cooking just about every nice dish she knows for your birthday dinner.

Fleur and Gabrielle look exactly the same now Gabi is older and they are practically joined at the hip. They're literally inseparable. Percy's here trying to cause trouble with his new wife Penelope and their baby Susannah in tow. Penny Clearwater was never too bad at Hogwarts, but he must have rubbed off on her; they're the most stuck-up couple I've met in my life and I grew up on a street full of Percy's kin. So far, they've only ended up with potato instead of proper stuffing in their pillows, secret replicas of them under the kitchen table and voodoo dolls that Ginny made. However, Susie is the cutest baby ever; she has curly red hair, bright brown eyes and pale freckly skin. Molly loves her to bits and whenever Susie's there we ignore Penny altogether and stop Percy in the middle of one of his pompous speeches to coo. Percival and Penelope agree with Molly and Arthur on one account only; that their daughter looks more like Ginny every day and that she has the sweetest personality. They don't realize that whilst saying this Fred and George tricked them into basically admitting that they were the ugliest people on the planet and also the most pompous. Never mind; some people never change.

Love and birthday wishes,

Hermione xx x

P.S. My last comment refers to two sets of people; Penny and Percy and Fred and George!
H. G.

Harry tore open his sweets from Hermione; he was ravenous. The letters weren't exactly good or bad. The rest of the Weasley clan and the Delacours sent presents and little notes too, Monsieur and Madam Delacour sending a four-page epistle that Harry couldn't read, due to the fact it was written entirely in French. Gabrielle's paragraph was in terrible English, slipping into French occasionally and once commenting that Fred and George were most amusing but like dangerous 'animations'. Harry found it hysterical and made a mental note to bring it to show the Burrowers.

Finally, he felt as if he couldn't put it off any longer. He put the basket with unwrapped presents and notes in his trunk, forced Hedwig into her cage with Pig and sent the other owl on its way. Harry made sure that everything was packed. The room was tidier than it had been since it was just a spare room (not even mentioning Dudley's messy occupation of it shortly afterwards). Last, he wrote a note.

To Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley

I'm off. You probably won't see me again. Good luck, little Duddykins, with your studies at Smeltings and your gang and their activities. Be careful with Marianne [Dudley's girlfriend]; I hear she's very sensitive. When I get married in two years time, I'll send you an invitation, but don't bother coming. Ginny won't miss you.

Bye.

Harry James Potter, your foster son/nephew/cousin, the son of that 'freak' and her husband

He left Number 4 Privet Drive in a whirl. Hedwig hooted and he could just hear the faint yell of 'RUDDY OWLS!' as he left his uncle behind him.