Harry's Birthday Surprise

All was quiet and still on Privet Drive. It was the kind of street where every lawn was perfectly manicured and looked as though no one had ever tumbled in the grass or shrieked or played made-up games. All was still and all was perfect.

As dark gray storm clouds rolled overhead and distant thunder rumbled, one boy pressed his face to the windowpane on the second story window of Number Four. He was a most unusual boy to live on such a usual street. For one thing, he had a lightening bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, wore glasses and had untidy, black hair. For another, he also happened to be a wizard.

Harry Potter sighed as another burst of thunder ripped through the silence. The coppery smell of rain lay heavy in the air. An oppressive, thick humidity reached at him through the cracks in the window. "Great," he muttered. "Rain."

The weather seemed to match Harry's mood lately: dark, gloomy, unbearable. It had been one month since his godfather, Sirius Black, had died. But the pain had not lessened any with the time. A fiery burning hole had come and gone in his chest, leaving nothing where his heart once was. Empty, drained of all emotion, he sat in Number Four day after day, immune to his cousin's taunting, his aunt and uncle's sneers. What once mattered now did not. His true family was now gone forever.

Unless... Unless Harry could figure out the mystery of what was behind the veil. "What could be in there?" he wondered aloud. He stepped back from the window and began to pace around the narrow bedroom.

"Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you?" Luna Lovegood's words came back to him now. But what were we hearing Luna? If only I knew. Another crack of thunder broke through his ruminations. The sky was holding on tightly to the rain still bunched in its clouds, making the atmosphere stifling.

Harry continued to pace, more angrily this time as his thoughts traveled round and round but arrived at nothing. Muttering enough swear words to make Mad Eye Moody blush, Harry punched his pillow, and was about to collapse on the bed when he heard a tap tapping on the window.

"Hedwig!"

Harry's beautiful, snowy owl climbed inside and nipped at Harry with her beak as he untied the leather sack on her spindly leg. He absent-mindedly fed her a treat with one hand while unrolling the parchment with his other hand. The familiar handwriting made his heart beat faster.

Harry,

I'm so glad the Dursley's are letting you use Hedwig again. It makes communicating so much easier. Everyone here misses you. (Ron and I especially.) We have a surprise for you when we see you again. It should not be long now.

Love from Hermione

Harry held the letter to his chest as if trying to warm the space there. His friends. The thought of them seemed to lift his spirits. It shouldn't be long now...

Harry closed his eyes, something almost like a smile twitched at his lips. Ron. Hermione. Harry drifted off to sleep.

Outside, the sky released the pressure and raindrops began to patter softly on Privet Drive.