Red dragon

85

Every set of eyes in the room turned to lay on Harry. His head was covered in a large dented helmet. He was swamped in hundred-year-old chainmail armour. He was carrying as many weapons as he could hold. Sirius had dropped the pile he was holding.

Molly did look like she was about to faint when she saw both men covered in metal, however, the younger boy was grinning from ear to ear.

His friends had noticed he was getting more cheerful in his letters the past few weeks. They hadn't however seen Harry smile so widely. If they had to admit how strange it was; it was a little creepy.

"Harry, what the hell are those?" Remus asked, he wasn't looking at the boy though. His eyes were trained onto his lifelong friend.

"Weapons." Harry informed him enthusiastically. "They were like some great uncles or something. They were in my vaults. I mean look at how cool this is." He pulled a huge decorative helmet from his bag.

"You let him carry all- you let him touch all that? He's just a child!" Molly exclaimed. She looked very pale. "Sirius Black I cannot believe- No, I can believe you would be so reckless."

"Now Molly, he is an adult now; not a child. He would have taken them anyway. I can't stop him."

"Not through lack of trying." Mumbled Harry before perking up again. "Draco, look at this!"

Draco cautiously approached the long, thin, sword that Harry was holding out for him. It was nice, a well-crafted sword, and looked familiar to Draco.

"It's the same as on the cover of your book." Harry said before Draco could realise it for himself. Draco had given him many pureblood dulling books, and all of them had the same sword on the front. The two swords were nearly identical. "Oh, and look-" When Harry pulled up the huge axe a vain on Molly's head bulged ever so slightly.

"Come on, Harry." Sirius cut in. "Put them away. You can play later."

Harry continued ignoring Molly's gasp at the work 'Play' or maybe not even noticing in the first place. "But Sirius…" He whined.

"I know; I know, but you may just give Mrs Weasley a stroke." It seemed only then that Harry truly realized how many people were in the room.

"Oh right, fine." Harry went to pick up his brand new positions, but a house elf beat him to it. He arrived with a cat in his arms.

"Master Harry must take his cat." The house elf nearly threw Zana at Harry before he disappeared taking all the weapons and armour with him; including the ones Harry was wearing.

"What have you done princess?"

"Meow." The cat answered as Harry kissed her head and placed her on the floor. She tottered over to lie by the fire; watching Harry closely.

Sirius noticed that Harry seemed much calmer, as of late, and he was sleeping better, too. He had stored dozens of his memories with the pensive. They were just echoes in the back of his mind now, and didn't bother him so much. He was improving; acting more childlike, although Sirius knew he would never truly be a normal child. Not now, after all he had been through; either way it was an improvement Sirius was grateful for.

Harry was regaling his lordship test to everyone in the room when there was a knock on the door. Sirius stood from the circle. He found it rather sweet that Harry and his girlfriend were leaning on each other.

Sirius pulled himself away from the room and opened the door. Sirius never liked to be greeted by house elves upon entering a house, so never allowed his elves to open the door unless they were the only ones in the house.

"Snape." Sirius' body straightened, and his eyes bulged.

"Black." Severus nodded curtly to the Lord of the house. "Is your godson here?"

Sirius looked between the main room and the man at the door. "Harry, the door for you!" He called and soon he heard his godson's footsteps leading towards the door.

"Professor Snape!" Harry grinned at the man at the door.

"Greetings Harry, I apologies for my lateness….." He paused. "Honestly, I did not wish to be present. Please don't take it personally, as it has nothing to do with you. Some of the other company is not ideal." He said, with a glance at Sirius.

"So you've come to my party?" Harry smiled widely at the idea. He knew the man probably didn't want to be a teenager's birthday party. Harry actually wondered why he was here at all or how he knew about the party. Either way he wouldn't try to understand what was inside the mind of Severus Snape.

"It took some effort, but yes." The man nodded honestly. Sirius looked unhappy at the other man's admission, Harry on the other hand looked fairly happy. "I have a gift for you."

"Cool, we were just about start presents." Harry beckoned him into the living room.

Severus gave the lord of the house another nod and entered the main living space. Severus Snape was a master at hiding his emotions so it was not a challenge to hold back his smile when every child in the room looked upon him in horror.

Is there somewhere I should place this?" Severus lifted a bottle sized vile from his pocket. There was a neat green bow on the neck.

Harry took the vile, the liquid in it was a pale yellow. "What is it, Uncle Severus?" Most of the room looked shocked at the title he had given the man. It was the first time he had done so in a space people could hear.

Sirius looked like he was about to collapse. "Ahca."

"Harry, we can't open presents, Fred isn't back yet." George cut in.

"What about Fred?" The young man in question walked into the room from the direction of the bathroom. "Oh, Harry, you're back!"

"Fred, why is there a chicken on your head?"

"What Chicken?"*

"That's his new pet." Ginny answered. "Sir Cluckington. Apparently."

"Pet?" Harry tilted his head.

"Yeah I got it for him." Ron announced proudly. "It's a bit weird having food walk around the house, but eh." He shrugged.

"HE IS NOT FOOD! Don't you dare say that sort of thing in front of him!" The anger of Fred Weasley couldn't quite be taken seriously, as there was still a chicken on his head.

Ron put his hands up and took a step back. Professor Snape suddenly regretted attending this party all the more.

There was a long pause before Hermione spoke. "Umm, Fred, isn't that a girl Chicken?" The Weasleys all rolled their eyes at Hermione's Question.

"He is a boy Chicken and you will respect his life choices." Fred lifted the chicken from his head and held him in his arms.

"Since when do you speak chicken?" Oliver asked; he was strangely glad for no longer being part of the school quidditch team. They were all getting weird.

"Harry can speak to snakes; and maybe cats. Since when is this so strange."

"You can speak to snakes?"

"Don't I have presents to open?" Harry asked, in hopes of distracting the room.