Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Number Twelve Grimmuald was alight with energy. The townhouse was currently celebrating a young boy’s birthday. One Harry Potter. Adults gossip with each other watching the children play games and entice a certain house elf to to plan pranks for the upcoming school year. The kitchen table had various foods stacked upon it, treacle tarts, sausage, various vegetables, fruit, beignets, miniature sandwiches, and in the center of it all a chocolate cake decorated to look like a garden.
“Why did you want a garden Harry? I mean it’s pretty, but you don’t have a garden here?” One Draco Malfoy questioned.
[It was something I liked back at my relatives. Aunt Minne said Professor Sprout is allowing me to have a small garden this year. I’m thinking of planting mostly flowers.]
“Ah, I remember you kept your lavender plant. Does the cake have any?”
[Not this time. Ask Kreacher for one, he wants one.]
“Kreacher makes what the family wants. Nothing more.”
[Bullshite, you literally made the beignets when no one even asked.]
“They are Master Regulus’ favorite.”
[No they’re not.]
Kreacher sighed, “Master, could you tell Lord Harry what your favorite dessert is?”
Regulus smiled at the group, “Sorry Harry, it is beignets.”
Harry pouted, but resigned, changing the topic once more. The adults could only chuckle at them. Amused of course. But one adult seemed nervous. Despite the festivities the blond man could only muster a mask of enjoyment. But it would drop occasionally when looking at Severus and Regulus. His wife took note, but made no move, if there was something wrong her husband would have to voice it. She couldn’t do anything till then. Sirius and Remus were in discussion with Minerva and Poppy, seeming to be making the two women aghast when retelling previous pranks that were their doing rather than Peeves or another student. Occasionally, Minerva would give the two a stern glare, or Poppy lightly slapping one of the men on the arm telling them off for their previous recklessness. The uncles could only grin in return dropping hints Harry was well on his way to starting the new wave of Marauders. Soon, Kreacher declared he had waited enough and the cake needed to be cut before he would start hexing guests. Sirius could only laugh at the old elf’s antics, but agreed, urging everyone to enter the kitchen to hold the cake ceremony. The cake was lit by hexed candles, courtesy of Sirius and would not go out no matter how many times they were blown out. Eventually Remus had enough and placed them in a bowl of water, successfully snuffing them out. Harry only laughed before a cake slice was placed in front of him, stealing all of his attention. Soon everyone had a slice of the cake, and the house had a rare moment of silence, besides the occasional sound of cutlery.
“Oh Harry, please can I go first? As your best friend, I have picked the best gift” Draco declared as the group had moved to the parlour where a pile of gifts lay.
[Yes, but because you will be mopey otherwise.]
“I will not be… what did you sign?”
“He said mopey,” replied Severus amused.
“Mopey.”
[Sure.]
Lunaris made her presence known then, removing herself from Harry’s shadow and laying behind him on the floor, curling around him. Her shaggy coat warmed his back. She only huffed at the conversation staring at Draco, adding in her own input.
“No Lunaris, I wouldn’t mope.”
“Called out by a dog, so sad cousin,” Sirius teased.
Harry began to open the gift labeled from Draco, the silver paper changed colours under his hands, like a kaleidoscope. The paper revealed a box, which inside contained an assortment of sweets both wizarding and muggle. But, these sweets were unknown to Harry, who had made it his mission over Summer to try as many sweets as possible. These sweets were Japanese. Various images were seen: gummies, pastry, pancake-likes, biscuits, and more. Some of the images moved, taking the snack apart to show the inside before putting itself back together. Harry could only stare in awe before grabbing a gummy bag and beginning to snack on it.
[Woah, that’s a cool flavour, what is it?]
He held the package, which was pink, showing some flowers.
“That would be sakura, it’s a flower that blooms there for a short period of time every year. Sweets, snacks, and food are made from the flowers to celebrate the beginning of spring there” Narcissa replied.
[That’s cool. Maybe we could get a tree then.]
Harry passed one to Kreacher, who took it immediately letting the flavour sit, before nodding.
“Kreacher agrees, it would be a challenge to produce similar results, but possible.”
Dumbledore went next, showing off his odd tastes, with a wrapping paper that changed constantly. Once unwrapped, multiple robes spilled out, each robe was different, but they were all very loud, bright reds, lilac, yellow, even a rainbow. Dumbledore looked rather proud of it.
“Though Severus and Regulus have their sets of moody robes, I thought a splash of colour would do well, but… turns out I couldn’t decide.”
Harry only laughed, showing off the robes one by one, occasionally pulling a groan from Severus, practically with the Gryffindor red robe, and a neon yellow robe.
The list went on, clothes, school supplies, books, sweets, quidditch supplies, and trinkets. Finally it was Severus’ turn, and the man looked nervous.
His gift wasn’t placed among the pile, but instead was a singular letter.
Harry smiled at him, opening the letter slowly, before reading it. His eyes widen, before looking back at him. He moved over the first paper to see a group of letters behind them.
[Really?]
“Yes.”
The group was confused, looking at the two.
[They’re letters from my parents, and a stack of photos.]
Recognition dawned on the group, and looked at Severus now.
“I spent some time at Gringotts, it appeared Lily and James wrote one for every birthday for twenty-one years. I also managed to find photos of them from their days at Hogwarts, but couldn’t find a suitable album for them.”
Harry stood up and hugged Severus tightly burying himself in the man’s robes.
The presents were cleaned up, and festivities continued into the night before the kids exhausted themselves and went to bed in Harry’s room.
The adults slowed down, cleaning things up and having late night tea, before the night turned on its head.
“I was going to wait, but… we are all here now. We’re tired, yes, but this is too important” Lucius spoke softly.
“I assume this is why you’ve been in a tizzy?” Questioned his wife.
“Yes. I… was placed under some sort of imperious earlier. Not by the kids… but, my memory is still foggy. Yesterday, during the children’s trip to Diagon for supplies, I felt something come over me. All I remember is that I had given someone a notebook, but the notebook is not normal, it was given to me by the Dark Lord, I had completely forgotten about it, and then…”
The room chilled, as the implication reached them.
“Do you believe this notebook is dangerous?” Asked Dumbledore.
“Very. I remember the man telling me to protect it with my life, mentioning it had a mind of its own. It’s possible it had manipulated me to give it to someone.”
“Any idea who has it?”
“A student, it was placed in a pewter cauldron, but…” he took a moment, “I think, they were around Harry’s height. It’s still very foggy, but if anything new appears I will let you know.”
Regulus looked practically pale, rushing to find Kreacher, before returning with him. Kreacher was in similar shape, holding out a locket that he then floated to the center of the room.
“This may be it. It’s Slytherin’s locket, and the reason why I had to go into hiding.”
“You never told me about this”, spoke Severus.
“I thought there was only one, but… now I’m not sure. This locket was a horcrux.”