Harry moved onto what his own owl, Hedwig, had brought him. The first was just a letter, a reply from Neville thanking him for his letter and wishing him a happy birthday in turn. Neville seemed really excited about getting back into the DA. Harry smiled as he thought of his friend; Neville had really come a long way the previous year. After Bellatrix Lestrange, the woman who had tortured Neville's parents into insanity, escaped from Azkaban, he had found a new determination that quickly made him one of the most formidable duelers in the whole club.
Hedwig had also brought him a package with a note attached. Harry tore open the letter to find Ginny's handwriting sprawled across the parchment. She wished him a happy birthday telling him to do something silly today just because. Laughing, he thought to himself 'Already did that, Gin. Just ask Tonks.' He resolved to write her back to tell her about his ambush on the auror. He thought she'd get a kick out of that.
He opened up the packaged she'd sent which was rectangular in shape. He found a drawing framed in an elegant dark wooden frame with symbols unknown to Harry etched along its sides. To be honest Harry barely noticed the frame at all. The drawing had caught his attention and held it. A big, shaggy black dog was grinning at him in a way that no normal dog would ever be able to. But this wasn't any normal dog that had been drawn.
Padfoot was captured in all his glory. Harry was struck dumb at the sight. The drawing was magnificent. His godfather's animagus form was captured perfectly. His personality bled from the canvas. He bounded about a small orchard painted behind him. Harry didn't recognize the landscape, but that didn't matter to him. Padfoot's eyes sparkled with mischief. He wagged his tail spiritedly and lolled his tongue out of his mouth. He gave a silent bark at Harry, and Harry could almost hear it in his mind. The top of the frame had 'Padfoot' engraved across it in large letters. The bottom of the frame read: 'In loving memory of a dear friend.'
Tears streamed down Harry's face as he once again mourned the loss of his godfather. He hadn't thought much about his godfather's passing in quite some time since he saw the man every night in his dreams, but this painting made it all real for him for a moment. It was a fitting memorial for his godfather and friend. He didn't think anything else could capture his godfather's spirit as Ginny had done. He hadn't even known she could draw. He reverentially placed it on the nightstand next to his bed and continued to gaze at it for another long minute before looking back to the rest of his gifts.
He picked up his new books and placed them with the rest of his library in his trunk. Harry kept his unread books in the regular storage compartments, but as he read through them he added the books to the bookshelves of the study in the trunk. So he slipped the books in with the rest of the unread ones, then gathered the dagger, food, and poster into the trunk. He put the food away and placed the dagger on a table in the living room. He wasn't sure what to do with it just yet. He stuffed the poster into a closet, not wanting to stare at the orange poster in the living room or bedroom.
Harry exited his trunk and returned to his bedroom. He decided that thank you's were in order, so he sat at his desk and began writing. Glancing at the drawing on the little table beside his bed, Harry began to write.
Dear Ginny,
Thank you. I can't tell you how much your gift means to me. I don't think anyone could have captured him better than you have. I could have sworn I was staring into his eyes. I can't thank you enough for the gift. I didn't even know you could draw, but you're very good. I'd like to see some of your other drawings some time, if you don't mind showing me.
Ron sent me the usual: candy and Canons merchandise. I don't have the heart to tell him that I could really care less about the Canons. I've never seen a single game of theirs. The only professional Quidditch I've ever seen was at the World Cup. I think he takes the fact that I don't badmouth the Canons like everyone else as a sign that I like them. I'm not really sure.
Hermione sent me books. Shocking, I know. Take a moment to calm down and get over your astonishment. One will be very useful. It's a book on magical contracts. I had asked for her help writing one up for the DA. I highly doubt the other book will be of much help to me, though. She sent me a booklet on the five stages of grief. How she could think a book was what I would need to help me with it is beyond me, but that's Hermione for you.
Hagrid sent me a dagger with a dragon motif on the hilt and sheath. It's kind of cool, but I don't know what use I'll find for a dagger. At least it wasn't any of his home cooking though. I rather like my teeth whole. Remus (Professor Lupin) sent me a book on defense and a picture of him, my dad, and Sirius. I was thinking about engraving 'The True Marauders' into the frame, but I think I'll wait and have someone else do it for me as my hand writing is hardly legible.
Do you know about the marauders and all that? Sometimes I forget that while you've been around all these years you haven't necessarily been privy to all of our little secrets and everything we've done. Sometime this term we'll have to sit down together and catch up. I'm sure you've got a few stories you could share with me as well.
Anyway, the twins sent me some samples of their merchandise which I have been too afraid to open. They told me they're opening up a shop in Diagon Alley in September. I hope we get a chance to see it sometime. I'm sure it'll be a great shop. Your mum sent me fudge and cake, exactly what a growing boy like me needs.
I'm meeting with Remus later today. He told me to meet him in the letter he sent, so at least I won't be completely alone on my birthday. Oh, and I took your advice before I even had a chance to read it and did something quite silly today. I've got people watching me all the time here, so I decided to surprise one of them, Tonks to be exact. I know the surprises are supposed to happen to the birthday boy rather then the birthday boy surprising other people, but my birthdays never were normal.
So I was on my morning jog, and after taking a turn I hid in some hedges and waited for Tonks to come around the corner. She always gets stuck following me when I jog. I snatched the invisibility cloak off of her as she came around the corner. I think I nearly gave her a heart attack, but the expression on her face was definitely worth it. She wasn't too pleased at first, but I told her that it was my birthday and that she should be wishing me a happy day rather than following in my shadows. So we chatted for a bit about things: Sirius, Remus, life. We were talking about how little we both really knew Sirius. She was related to him but never really saw him because he was in Azkaban half her life. I only knew him for two years, and we only spent a couple months together.
Remus is the one I'm really worried about. He, my dad, Sirius, and Peter Pettigrew were best friends. He lost all of them in basically a day 15 years ago. Then two years ago he gets one of his friends back, and now he's been taken away again, for good this time. That was half the reason I began meeting with him. I wanted to make sure he was ok.
I don't know how I got onto such a serious topic, no pun intended. You're quite easy to write to. I don't know why, but I never have to think about what to say in my letters to you. I wonder if you'll be that easy to talk to in person. We haven't really talked very much in person before. I guess we'll just have to find out. Thanks again for the drawing. It really is wonderful. You have a lot of talent. I best be off to write the rest of my thank you's. Write again soon.
Take care,
Harry
That was one down. Harry wrote letters to Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, Mrs.Weasley, and the twins. They all said similar things, thanking them for the gifts they sent and describing what else he had been given, with personal touches here and there. He told Ron all was forgiven. He told the twins that their offer of 10 of their shop was too generous and that he would accept no more than 5.
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