𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 | 𝐡. 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝟏𝟏𝟔 - 𝐛𝐞𝐳𝐨𝐚𝐫

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 -- 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚜, 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖 𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗, 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍.

𝙁𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙩.

To general indignation, a sign went up on all common-room noticeboards that the next trip into Hogsmeade had been cancelled. Ron was furious.

"It was on my birthday!" he said, "I was looking forward to that!"

"Not a big surprise, though, is it?" said Harry. "Not after what happened to Katie. "

She had still not returned from St. Mungos. What was more, further disappearances had been reported in the Daily Prophet, including several relatives of students at Hogwarts leaving a rather morbid atmosphere within the school walls as everyone anticipated receiving a letter telling them of the news, like a rather terrible lottery.

"But now all I've got to look forward to is stupid Apparition!" said Ron grumpily. "Big birthday treat . . . "

Three lessons on, Apparition was proving as difficult as ever, though a few more people had managed to Splinch themselves. Frustration was running high and there was a certain amount of ill-feeling towards Wilkie Twycross and his three Ds, which had inspired a number of nicknames for him, the politest of which were Dog-breath and Dung-head.

"Happy birthday, Ron," said Harry, when they were woken on the first of March by Seamus and Dean leaving noisily for breakfast. "Have a present. "

He threw the package across on to Ron's bed, where it joined a small pile of them that must, Harry assumed, have been delivered by house elves in the night.

"Cheers," said Ron drowsily, and as he ripped off the paper Harry got out of bed, opened his own trunk and began rummaging in it for the Marauder's Map, which he hid after every use. He turfed out half the contents of his trunk before he found it hiding beneath the rolled-up socks in which he was still keeping his bottle of lucky potion, Felix Felicis.

"Right," he murmured, taking it back to bed with him, tapping it quietly and murmuring, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," so that Neville, who was passing the foot of his bed at the time, would not hear.

"Nice one, Harry!" said Ron enthusiastically, waving the new pair of Quidditch Keeper's gloves Harry had given him.

"No problem," said Harry absent-mindedly, as he searched the Slytherin dormitory closely for Malfoy. "Hey . . . I don't think he's in his bed . . . "

Ron did not answer; he was too busy unwrapping presents, every now and then letting out an exclamation of pleasure.

"Aww, Gwen went and baked me a whole cake -- look it even says my name and everything, god Lupin has it lucky... Oh and look what Phee got me, she got me one of those music maker things that muggles have... one like yours look, walkman... I'm not sure it'll work within Hogwarts though i suppose it's worth a shot. Seriously good haul this year!" he announced, holding up a heavy gold watch with odd symbols around the edge and tiny moving stars instead of hands. "See what Mum and Dad got me? Blimey, I think I'll come of age next year too . . . "