Harry Potter and the War of Souls

Chapter 3

The Birthday Party

As dinnertime approached that night, everyone had already arrived or was soon expected. That is, everyone but Percy who sent an owl explaining he would be there for the wedding, but he was far too busy at work to break away now.

Fred and George had arrived in the mid-afternoon. They had a gift wrapped for the wedding that seemed to be making its own noise. Harry considered asking them what was inside, then decided he probably didn't want to know.

"Did you get our thank you card?" they asked Harry in unison.

"It was brilliant," Harry said, smiling. "And the Dursleys couldn't say thank you enough for it either."

"We've got loads of new stuff," George said.

"Come by the shop as soon as you can," Fred put in.

"'Cause whatever you want is our gift to you," George finished.

"What?" Ron asked. "If I want something, you make me pay."

Fred and George answered him with a laugh and Harry quickly changed the subject to ask Ron when Hermione would be coming.

"The last time I asked Hermione what time she was going to meet me, I got a one hour lecture on how women will get there when they get there." Ron shrugged. "I don't ask anymore."

Charlie arrived about an hour later. He hadn't been home for five minutes before Mrs. Weasley began asking him when he was going to find a nice girl and settle down.

"You're the only girl in my life," Charlie told his mother. "Until I can find one who cooks as well as you, I'm staying single."

A few minutes later, Hermione arrived. It was none too soon for Ron who had seemed to be getting increasingly restless without her. He walked up to her and whispered something in her ear that obviously wasn't meant for anyone else to hear. Hermione smiled, took his hand, and gave it a firm squeeze.

She then ran over to Harry and gave him a warm hug. "I didn't know if you were going to make it! Are you - okay?"

Harry suddenly felt as if everyone was staring at him. Nobody had asked him that yet, and he hadn't wanted them to. People only ask if you're okay if they don't expect you to be.

"Of course," he said, then stepped back.

Hermione seemed to understand and looked away. Ginny stepped forward and grabbed one of the bags from Hermione's hands. "You're in my room. C'mon, I'll take you up."

They turned to leave and Ron grabbed Harry's sleeve, pulling him forward. "We'll carry those for you, right Harry?"

"Oh, yeah." Harry took the bag from Ginny's hand and Ron took Hermione's. They led the way, and Harry followed, walking up right behind Ginny. She smelled good, with that perfume she always wore that drove him crazy. They carried the bags into her room and Harry realized he'd never really been inside her room before.

The bedspread was a Gryffindor red, and there were Gryffindor posters set up around her room. But he quickly noticed a half folded letter on her dresser that was signed by someone named Michael. Was that Michael Corner, her old boyfriend?

"Just set the bags anywhere," Hermione said.

Ron dropped the bag he'd been carrying, and without the attention of the rest of his family, he walked up to Hermione and gathered her in a tight embrace, then kissed her. She folded her arms around him and giggled slightly as she began kissing him back.

Harry looked at the floor. He wondered if Ginny was uncomfortable as he was.

"Aguamenti," he heard her say, and a small stream of water erupted from her wand, spritzing Ron and Hermione, who both yelped and jumped away from each other. "Snog in private, you two."

Harry couldn't help but laugh as Hermione quickly conjured a drying spell. He looked up at Ginny and as she laughed, he realized everything was okay between them. They were going to get along just fine.

After another hour of catching up with each other, they heard Mrs. Weasley calling them downstairs. When they arrived, Harry heard a big "Surprise!" He looked around and saw not only the Weasleys and Fleur, but Neville was there, and Luna. In another corner Tonks was standing beside Lupin. Everyone had a glass raised to him, and as he walked into the room, they offered him warm wishes for a great year.

"I know it's not a surprise, but we had to say something," Molly said. "Now let's have supper. I made a special birthday dinner for you."

And it was a wonderful supper. She had a roast and potatoes, more rolls, and a salad with greens in it Harry had never seen before. There were fresh green beans and deviled eggs, and he was full before he'd finished even half of his plate.

He had managed to seat himself at the table next to Bill, and when attention momentarily diverted away from both of them, he leaned towards him and in a low voice said, "Is there a time I can talk to you alone?"

"Sure," Bill said casually. "What's up?"

"I know it's getting close to your wedding and all, but I just had some questions - about curse breaking."

"Curse breaking?" Bill seemed to want to ask more, but instead he nodded. "Sure, we can talk later tonight."

"Time for presents!" Fred and George announced. They grabbed Harry on either side and half-pulled, half-dragged him to a chair where a pile of presents was sitting on the floor.

There was a new sweater from Arthur and Molly. Harry good-naturedly put it on, even though it was still the middle of summer. Hermione - of course - had given him a book, Curses you Never Heard Of and How to Stop Them. Fred and George gave him a wand, which caused Harry to double take.

"It's a fake, right?"

"Of course, mate," George said. "But it's a new one. We got the idea from some of Ron's old stories. This wand will backfire any spell onto the person who cast it. We've had some right fun with that one."

Fred elbowed Ginny. "We considered replacing hers and prodding her into one of her bat-bogey hexes. Thought that would be right funny."

"See that you don't," Ginny retorted. "I can find you both and I have a long memory."

Harry smiled and picked up the package from Ginny. He opened it and pulled out what seemed to be a handle with nothing attached to it but a silver rod. He shrugged. "What is it?"

"A Friend Finder," Ginny answered. "I know you're going to be - gone, for some time over these next few months. But if you ever need to get to a friend, like any of us here, then you say their name and this will pull you to them."

Harry turned it over in his hands then smiled at her. "Thanks, Ginny. This is great."

The next package in the stack had no name on it, but was in brightly wrapped yellow paper. "It came by owl earlier today," Molly explained before he had asked. "We wondered if it might have been from a school friend."

"Could be Cho," George teased. "Maybe she wants to start things up again." He began to laugh but stopped when Hermione elbowed him in the side, and said, "Ouch, seriously that hurt!"

Harry smiled and picked up the package, then opened it.

"What is it?" Ron asked, leaning in closer.

"I dunno." Harry picked up what looked like a black box. As soon as he touched it, however, he felt himself being pulled inside it. At the same time, he grabbed for his forehead as his scar seared with pain.

He landed on the floor inside a small dark room. Sitting in a wide chair across from him was a face he recognized all too well. Snakelike and white, Lord Voldemort smiled over at him.

Harry jumped to his feet and reached for his wand, but Voldemort held out his hand. "Don't bother. I'm not really here and neither are you. We are just going to have a conversation."

Harry pulled out his wand and yelled, "Incarcerous!" but nothing happened. Voldemort merely laughed. "You ought to listen to your elders, Mr. Potter. Even if I was here, do you really think that would hurt me? Now stop your silly incantations and hear what I have to say."

Harry lowered his wand and tried not to think of the burning on his forehead. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say," he muttered.

"Yes you do. Because you're seventeen now, a man, and I expect you take this like a man. I'm coming for you. I'm going to kill you."

Harry tightened his jaw and said nothing.

"There is one way to save yourself - only one. I do not make this offer lightly so you will not hear it lightly. I want to apprentice you, Harry. Join me, stand beside me."

"Never," Harry breathed.

"You've felt those stirrings within you before, I know you have. Temptations of hatred, vengeance, even murder. Deep inside, you know who you're meant to be."

"You lie," Harry said. "Nobody stands beside you. You'd never put anyone second to yourself."

"I've never had anyone worthy of standing beside me, before now," Voldemort said. "And if you refuse my offer, there will be consequences. Defy me and know that I will

destroy everyone and everything around you. Your friends, their families. And her. Don't think I haven't heard about her. When I kill you, you'll want to die because everyone you love will already be dead."

"No!" Harry cried out. He lunged for Voldemort, but grasped only empty air. When he fell back, he saw that Voldemort had disappeared. With a yank that felt as if an invisible rope were pulling him backwards through the air, he left the room and found himself almost instantly back in the Weasley home.

He was laying on the floor, still clutching at his scar and screaming. As the pain began to subside, he grew quiet and realized everyone was gathered around him.

"What just happened, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I dunno. What'd you all see?" he asked.

Bill crouched down beside him. "As soon as you touched that box, you fell on the floor, screaming. Then you went unconscious. We couldn't wake you."

"Do you need a drink, Harry? Ginny, get Harry something to drink."

Harry sat up. The box had rolled away from him on the floor.

"Harry?" Ron touched his shoulder. "You okay?"

"I need some air." Harry stood and pushed through the others, even past Ginny who was holding a goblet of water out for him. He made his way for the door and unsteadily opened it.

The night air was crisp and cool and he sucked in deep breaths of it. He leaned heavily on a fence post and tried to straighten out his thoughts.

Voldemort's message had been clear. Join him as a dark wizard or watch those he loved die. It was an impossible choice. Either way, Harry was going to lose everything.