Harry Potter's Worries

                Chapter 2

His eyes landed warily on the colorful packages. The charm must be wearing off. He decided to open Ron's present first, which he guessed was the one with Chudley Cannons wrapping. The loud paper didin't seem to want to come off at the moment, Harry was struggling to tear it open.

"UGH! COME ON YOU STUPID----"

Poink!! The box hit his face.

Harry was infuriated, Ron must have put too many securing charms on his package. He struggled some more. And some more. A bit more, then...

"PLEASE, will you PLEASE just open up?!"

That probably did the trick, as the box jumped off his hand and promptly shredded the wrapping away on its own. Harry made a mental note to give Ron some good whacking if the present was not worth the struggle.

The box underneath the paper was colored blue with silver linings. On top, Harry could read the initials W.W.W.

Oookaaay, I'd better be careful with this one.

Now he was sure who charmed the gift wrapper, and it wasn't Ron.

Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, of course! Why didn't I think of THAT before?

He cautiously opened the lid of the box with one finger, his other arm was ready for any blast that might issue from the box. Any moment now. There was only darkness to be seen at the tiny opening. Easy, easy does it. The box was halfway open, still nothing. Harry let his finger flip the lid open and---

Poink!! Something hit his face again.

Harry quickly covered his face and squinted his eyes at the unseen enemy.

Poink! Poink! P-Poink! P-P-P-Poinkkkk....

Springs, fancy paper springs. TONS of fancy paper springs, which suddenly vanished with puffs of colorful smoke. The puffs of smoke formed letters.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!!!

Harry smiled as he lowered his arms. He went to the box and saw what was probably a whole year's supply of various sweets. Not just any kind of sweet of course. Fainting Fancies, Nosebleed Nougat, Fever Fabliaux, Canary Creams...But at the very bottom was the best. Basic Blaze Box Special. He took the small dangling tag

and flopped on his bed. The tag said:

Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes proudly presents

Basic Blaze Box ---Special---

Dear young soon-to-be-pyromaniac,

    This box contains an assortment of special

    no-heat, wet-start, magic effect inclined fireworks.

    Bring out the creative fire in you!!

    Please check if you have the following....

Harry lowered the tag, the Blaze Box was awfully small to contain 100 gram pouches of pyro-powder in technicolor. I guess I'll find out at Hogwarts. Or maybe Hermione could tell me...

Speaking of Hermione, Harry jumped from his bed and located a box wrapped in crimson and gold, the card had neat writing. He picked it up, it was very light, so it probably wasn't a book. The wrapper had no problem with being torn apart and soon Harry found himself holding a small bit of silvery parchment tied with a green ribbon. Harry frowned a bit. Hermione had a letter around here somewhere. He shuffled about his room looking for the letters. Why on earth would Hermione give me a letter for a present?

He found it, opened it and found his jaw dropping. The letter said:

Harry,

JUST OPEN THE PARCHMENT.

Love from Hermione.

It was the shortest bit of writing he's ever seen, and it was from Hermione!

Harry carefully pulled at the ribbon and opened the silvery parchment. He carried it to his desk and sat down.

This is a big joke. The parchment was blank, it kept twinkling merrily at him. Maybe I should tap it with my wand and---Harry stopped and stared at the paper. For the second time he found his jaw dropping.

Writing had suddenly appeared on it. Neat writing.

[ Finally!! Its about time you opened yours Harry!! Ron and I have been waiting all day.]

Okay, but what am I supposed to do?

Loopy scrawls appeared underneath Hermione's message.

[ Hey mate! This thing's pretty neat eh?]

Wait a minute, This is just like Tom Riddle's---

[ Come on Harry!! Grab a quill, don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet.]

I HAVE figured it out. Harry took his quill and a bottle of ink.

He dipped his quill in the ink and let a small bit of it drop onto the parchment. It vanished and was replaced by the words "sent."

[ Hey, maybe Hedwig opened the present, are you sure its Harry?]

[ Of course I'm sure. He's probably just testing it.]

Harry dipped his quill again and scribbled out a message.

{ I WAS testing it, how are you?}

A very big blot of ink appeared on the parchment.

[ Ron!! Did you knock your ink bottle again?]

[ Sorry, I was just shocked by Harry's reply...]

{ Hey guys, what's this thing called anyway?}

[ Weird as it may sound or look, House Messenger.]

{ House Messenger? What's that supposed to mean? And where did you get it?}

[ Well, I've got a pretty relevant explanation for that.]

[ C'mon Hermione, not your 'Hogwarts Houses' theory!]

[ Of course it is! Look Harry, Ron got the red and gold parchment.]

[ It's supposed to signify Gryffindor...]

[ And I've got Ravenclaw's colors!]

{ And I have Slytherin's.}

[ So what do you think Harry?]

{ I think Hermione's right, but where's the Hupplepuff parchment?}

[ Ha! There Hermione! Answer THAT!]

[ When I bought it, it was part of a set.]

{ And?}

[ The shop-keeper didn't really say much, except that it was one of a kind.]

[ Three of a kind you mean.]

{ Maybe even four of a kind.}

[ I really asked the shop-keeper if one of the parchments were missing, he said no. It was like that when it got there.]

[ Maybe the manufacturer didn't bother because you know, Hupplepuffs are just duffers.]

[ Ron!]

[ Sorry...]

{ Where did you buy it then?}

[ In Diagon Alley, at the paper supply.]

{ Kinda odd for them to sell something like this.}

[ Hermione, are you sure this thing's private?]

[ It is, there's no evidence on the existence of a Hupplepuff parchment. No one could monitor us.]

Harry wasn't so sure. He decided to change the topic.

{ Ron, thanks for the present.}

[ No prob, Fred and George actually made me an advertising agent for their shop.]

{ What's with the wrapper anyway?}

[ Oh, that. Geoge calls it the 'Manner Wrapper' ]

[ What? What's that?]

{ I get it.}

[ It's getting light here, let's just get back at this later.]

It was, his clock told him it was almost five, and the window was glowing a pinkish orange.

[ Ok, bye Harry.]

{ Bye guys.}

The parchment went blank, and resumed twinkling merrily at Harry.