Ch177- Party

Ch177- Party

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With the comforting weight of his new watch on his wrist, Harry drifted back to sleep, a smile lingering at the thought of the day ahead. His rest was abruptly ended by Crookshanks, who decided to drop a dead mouse onto his chest as a "gift." Harry opened his eyes to the cat's expectant look. "Happy Birthday," Crookshanks meowed clearly.

"Thought that counts, huh?" Harry replied with a wry smile, carefully moving the dead mouse away with a flick of his wrist. The quilt, unfortunately stained by the deceased rodent, was quickly dealt with—incinerated with a simple spell. Getting out of bed, Harry scooped up Crookshanks. "Let's go down for breakfast, shall we?"

As they descended the stairs, the smells of a hearty breakfast filled the air, a comforting blend of familiarity and warmth that made the house truly feel like home. Petunia had gone all out, preparing all of Harry’s favorites—bacon, eggs, and even some fried tomatoes, a nod to the healthier options she tried to maintain.

Petunia stood at the stove, turning over the last of the bacon when Harry walked into the kitchen. "Morning," she said, looking over her shoulder with a smile. "Happy birthday again, Harry."

"Thanks, Aunty," Harry replied as he set Crookshanks down, who immediately scampered off, probably in pursuit of some imaginary creature.

Petunia plated the food and set it on the table. "Sit down, I’ll join you in a minute."

From out of nowhere, Misty appeared with a small, neatly wrapped package in her hands. "Happy Birthday, Master Potter," the house elf squeaked excitedly, her eyes sparkling with joy.

Harry smiled broadly and hugged Misty in thanks. "Thank you, Misty. What have you got here?" he asked as he began to unwrap the gift. Inside, he found a beautifully crafted leather-bound journal, the cover embossed with a detailed engraving of Hogwarts. "It's wonderful, Misty. Thank you so much," Harry said, genuinely touched by the thoughtful gift.

Misty beamed, pleased with his reaction. "Misty hopes Master Harry finds it useful for his adventures!"

"I'm sure I will," Harry assured her, flipping through the blank pages, already thinking of the many uses for his new journal.

Petunia then ushered everyone to the table where they all sat down to enjoy the hearty breakfast she had prepared. Crookshanks, having abandoned his hunt, joined them, settling near Harry's feet, clearly expecting some tidbits to fall his way.

As they ate, Petunia finally spoke up, "Don't go anywhere today, Harry." Harry nodded, having already picked up on the subtle clues around the house that hinted at further celebrations. Balloons subtly tucked away, a stack of extra plates in the cupboard, and the slight rearrangement in the living room for more space—it was clear something was planned, and a few of his friends were likely invited.

"Sounds like a plan, Aunty," Harry replied, his curiosity piqued but choosing to let the day unfold as Petunia intended.

Tracey, still chuckling, added, "Looks like Harry's the popular one today. How many hugs is that now, Harry?"

Harry grinned, "I've lost count, but keep them coming!"

As they settled into the living room, Petunia brought out a tray of homemade cupcakes, which immediately caught the group's attention. The simple yet thoughtful setup for the day highlighted the easygoing atmosphere of the birthday celebration.

Sadly, Petunia didn't invite Harry's other friends. As she only knew those she had met during the Christmas holiday at the Longbottom household and Harry's business partners, the guest list was limited to familiar faces. The Patils, Lavender, Pansy, and a few others had never met Petunia, thus were not invited. Harry didn't mind and thought about inviting them over at another time.

As everyone settled in, the adults chatted among themselves, while Neville and the other kids were eager to hear about Harry's trip to France. Although he had already met with Tracey and Daphne the day before, they listened quietly as others asked about his travels. Harry didn't mention his internship with Nicolas Flamel but shared general stories about his visit to France.

When Susan asked if Harry had brought anything back from France, he chuckled and began distributing gifts he had prepared earlier. Susan blushed shyly and stammered that she was just joking. Hannah laughed, "It's your birthday, Harry! Why are you giving us gifts?"

Harry smiled and responded, "Well, I already gave gifts to Tracey and Daphne yesterday. I thought it'd be nice to give you guys something too." He then handed out the gifts to Susan, Hannah, Neville, Astoria, and Hermione. Each of them was pleasantly surprised and thanked him for the thoughtful presents.

The day progressed with light-hearted games and discussions. They played a few rounds of wizarding chess and a magical trivia game that Petunia had learned about and prepared especially for the occasion. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and the joyful noise of friends enjoying each other's company.

Nigel, watching the festivities unfold, commented to Harry, "Seems like you're the life of the party, Master Harry. And here I thought we'd be wrestling with trolls by now!"

Harry grinned, replying silently, "Well, we can always arrange that for next year's party if you're feeling left out."

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