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Chapter 707: Birthday Gifts
Chapter 707: Birthday Gifts
Number 12, Grimmauld Place, the headquarters of the Phoenix Society, was rarely as lively as it was today.
Every corner of the house was spotlessly clean, and even the picture frames had been polished and adorned with colorful decorations.
Despite Mrs. Black's sharp scolding, Fred still managed to stick a red pointed hat on one of her frames, while Kreacher pretended not to notice, sweeping his own head with a broom and walking upstairs with his eyes closed.
The house was filled with colorful pointed hats everywhere, and the walls and windows were adorned with colorful ribbons. On the ceiling, flying unicorns and phoenixes, created from blown-up balloons, added to the festive atmosphere.
When Kyle opened the door, he saw Fred and George laughing as they threw out a few fireworks.
The fireworks exploded on the ceiling, and seventeen winged golden sprites flew joyfully, surrounding Kyle in the middle.
"Don't play with fireworks inside the house..." Mrs. Weasley walked over and gently scolded the two.
Then she hugged Kyle tightly, "I'm so glad you're here, today is a special day... Happy birthday, dear."
"Yeah, it's a big day," Fred said with a grin.
"After today, you'll be an adult wizard," George added.
Wizards come of age at seventeen, and today happened to be Kyle's seventeenth birthday.
Starting tomorrow, all restrictions on young wizards, especially the rule prohibiting underage wizards from using magic outside of school, would be completely lifted.
This meant that he could use magic freely without any constraints... even though he was already doing so, as evidenced by the Death Eater attack earlier that morning and his previous actions against Dementors, which no one mentioned, including the head of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour.
However, everyone knew that he was turning seventeen soon, so they chose to turn a blind eye.
If it were last year, Fudge wouldn't have allowed him to deal with the Dementors at all.
But from tomorrow, this problem would be completely solved.
"Don't just stand there, come in," Fred and George pulled him into the dining room.
Dinner was almost ready, and Mrs. Weasley was hanging two bright red banners above the lavishly set table.
【Happy Birthday, Kyle and Harry】
【Celebrating Kyle's Coming of Age】
Today was not only Kyle's birthday but also Harry's, who was turning sixteen.
Having the same birthday was a significant occasion, and almost everyone from the Phoenix Society who could attend was present.
The first to arrive were Remus, Mr. Weasley, Tonks, and Kingsley, who seemed to have planned it, as they all returned together after their shift at the Ministry.
Moody and Mundungus were also there, although Mrs. Weasley wasn't too fond of the latter, she didn't say anything as today was a special day.
The atmosphere was lively with everyone gathered together, and for once, they didn't discuss Voldemort and the Death Eaters, instead enjoying each other's company and laughter.
At around eight o'clock, the door opened again, and Diana and Chris entered from outside.
"Oh, Diana, I'm so glad to see you. I thought you'd be stuck at the Ministry," Mrs. Weasley said as she walked over, "Today is Kyle's coming of age, it would be a shame to miss it."
"You're right, Molly," Diana smiled, "So no matter what, I had to come back. It's a special day."
"But won't there be a problem there?" Mrs. Weasley asked, concerned.
Diana understood that she was referring to the Department of Mysteries.
"Don't worry, my colleagues are easy to talk to," Diana assured her.
...
At eight o'clock, everyone was seated at the dining table, and Mrs. Weasley was in high spirits, happier than she had been all holiday.
"Before we eat, I think we have something even more important to do," she said, taking out two beautifully wrapped boxes and handing one to Kyle and the other to Harry.
"These are gifts for your birthday."
"Thank you," Kyle said with a smile, taking the box. Inside was a watch with a golden planetary pattern on the dial, and when he put it on, the strap fit perfectly around his wrist.
Harry's gift was also a watch, but with a different design, resembling a golden snitch. Both were carefully chosen by Mrs. Weasley.
Then, the others also presented their gifts.
Fred and George's gift was a large bag of the hottest products from the Joke Shop.
Moody's gift was a pair of binoculars, as he believed both should be more vigilant and aware of the dark wizards or Death Eaters lurking around them.
Remus' gift was a tie, the latest design from Madam Malkin's Robes Shop, and he had to advance a month's salary to buy these two gifts.
Mundungus' gift to Kyle was two silver accessories, which were difficult to identify as stolen items.
Kyle still expressed his gratitude.
Tonks' gift was a hair dye that, when sprayed on the hair, allowed the user to change their hair color at will for a period of time... a simple version of Polyjuice Potion.
Harry immediately used it to turn his hair red and excitedly asked Ron if it looked good.
Kyle felt a bit embarrassed and discreetly slipped the hair dye into his pocket, leaving Diana looking a bit disappointed. She had been curious to see what he would look like with a different hair color.
When everyone had almost finished giving their gifts, she took out her own.
It was a photo album and several pieces of parchment.
"I've put all the photos of Lily that I could find in here," she said, handing the album to Harry. "There are seventeen in total, from her school days to her graduation and her marriage to James."
"Th-thank you," Harry said, taking the album with excitement.
It was clear that he wanted to open it, but he felt it was inappropriate, so he just held it tightly to his chest.
Diana then gave the parchments to Kyle.
"The content on these will disappear tomorrow, so make sure to read them quickly," she instructed. "Also, if a second person sees them, the content will instantly disappear as well."
Kyle was a bit puzzled. He felt the parchments in his hand, and they were just ordinary parchments, the most common type found in Diagon Alley.
But then he saw the first line on the parchment:
[Merlin's Notes]
Kyle's mouth twitched, and he quickly closed the parchment, remembering Diana's words. The others also tactfully turned their heads away.
Mundungus seemed hesitant, and Sirius, sitting next to him, put his arm around his neck.
Once Kyle had completely put away the parchments, they resumed their conversation as if nothing had happened.
"Haha, it's finally my turn," Sirius said, rubbing his hands together.
As a well-known spendthrift, Sirius' gift, as usual, lacked originality. He presented Kyle with a solid golden Snitch, a heavy golden lump.
When he took out the gift, the entire restaurant seemed to be bathed in gold.
"Sirius..." Remus couldn't help but rub his forehead. "You've been deliberating for three days, and this is the surprise you were talking about?"
"Isn't it good?" Sirius blinked and said earnestly, "Kyle is a Seeker, and I think this is a suitable gift... Oh, and it has other functions too."
Sirius smacked the golden Snitch, and a loud roar suddenly echoed through the restaurant.
"Kyle, you've scored!"
For a moment, the entire restaurant fell silent. Everyone looked at each other awkwardly, and the atmosphere became a bit tense.
Kyle looked at the golden lump in front of him, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, he didn't feel as enthusiastic about it anymore.
"It's gold... as long as I don't hit it..."
Kyle tried to convince himself, managing a difficult smile, "Thank you, Sirius."
"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."
"Hehe," Kyle gave a dry laugh.
"Oh, and Harry, I have a gift for you too," Sirius said, changing the subject. He took out a suitcase and said, "This suitcase has an Invisibility Expansion Charm, and it's about the size of a broom. It's not too big, but it can hold quite a few things. It will be very convenient for you when you go to school."
"Thanks," Harry said happily, taking it.
He had always envied Kyle for not having to carry luggage wherever he went, unlike himself, who had to pack a full cart of belongings every time he started or ended school. Now, with this suitcase, things would be much easier.
But it was awkward when he suddenly realized that compared to the suitcase with the Invisibility Expansion Charm, the Quidditch model he had prepared seemed a bit inferior.
Fortunately, Harry reacted quickly and took out another item from his pocket, then used a Transfiguration Charm to create an exquisite wrapping.
"This is the gift I prepared," Harry said.
Kyle took the box and opened it.
A golden light shone, and inside were a pile of Galleons, about a hundred of them, with a few Sickles mixed in.
Kyle raised his eyebrows. Sometimes he wondered if it was Sirius' influence on Harry or if Harry had done something to offend Lily.
In any case, in some ways, Harry was becoming more and more like his godfather.
"I really don't know what you like..." Harry's face grew warm, and he said shyly, "Please don't dislike it."
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"Of course not," Kyle said with a smile.
Although the gift lacked originality, he loved these mundane things.
As Kyle happily put away the Galleons, Harry finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He had just withdrawn these Galleons from Gringotts the day before, and they were gone before he could even warm them up. But it didn't matter; he could make another trip before school started.
After the gift-giving, the atmosphere became livelier, and everyone started enjoying the delicious food while chatting.
As they talked, the topic naturally turned to some recent major events.
"Sirius, I've noticed that many people are heading to the Ministry of Magic lately. How much of your donation is left?" Fred asked curiously.
Sirius, who was drinking white fresh fragrance, looked up and said, "You should ask Remus about that."
Fred turned to Remus.
"There should be more than three thousand Galleons left, I didn't check carefully," Remus said casually.
"How can there still be so much?" Sirius was taken aback.
He had donated a total of five thousand Galleons, and he had given one-fifth to the Auror Office and one-fifth to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. After so many days, the amount had increased instead.
"We have to thank the people of Knockturn Alley for that." Lupin couldn't help but chuckle as he explained, "Almost every day, someone from Knockturn Alley would come with a fake cloak to claim the reward, and we'd arrest them as per the rules."
"Unable to bear being locked up with Dementors, most of them chose to buy their way out with Galleons, which were then used for the bounty," Lupin explained.
"Every day?" Hermione asked curiously. "Don't the people of Knockturn Alley warn each other?"
"In fact, they don't," Lupin said. "Some even boast about getting Galleons after being released, luring more people to do the same."
"What?" Hermione stared, a bit perplexed.
"It's not hard to understand," Mr. Weasley said. "In a place like Knockturn Alley, there are no friends, only interests. After being cheated, they wouldn't want others to have it easy."
"Especially those who have been cheated before," Lupin added. "They'd be even more eager to trick others."
"Exactly," Lupin smiled. "The Galleons they've contributed these days are almost catching up to Sirius's."
Hermione didn't know what to say. She found it hard to comprehend such behavior, but the others seemed to take it in stride.
After all, it was Knockturn Alley.
...
Everyone at the dinner was in high spirits, with whiskey and brandy bottles being opened one after another. Even Kyle had his fair share, as he was now of age and could enjoy these spirits.
It was nearly ten o'clock when the adults finally put down their glasses, content and a bit tipsy.
With much to do the next day, most of them chose not to stay the night and began to leave.
Diana was returning to the Department of Mysteries.
Kyle had thought she would say something to him, at least ask about the attack, but Diana didn't.
She just smiled, hugged him, and whispered, "I know everything. You did well. Sometimes, magical creatures are more useful than wands."
"But next time, it's better not to rely solely on the Fire Dragon. The Basilisk is a safer choice. And remember to finish reading what I gave you soon."
"Okay," Kyle nodded.
By half past ten, most of the guests had left.
Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie were in the kitchen, clearing the table.
Lupin, Sirius, Kingsley, and Mr. Weasley gathered, opening a new bottle of brandy and chatting leisurely as they drank.
"Kyle, how's Cedric?" Fred approached, putting his arm around Kyle's shoulder and asking quietly.
"How did you know he was injured?" Kyle asked.
"We heard it from the Ministry," George said. "Don't forget, we're Ministry employees now, and we've gotten to know quite a few people."
"But Mum doesn't know yet," Fred said, glancing towards the kitchen. "It's your birthday today, and we thought it would be better not to tell her."
"That's right," Kyle smiled. "Cedric should be fine now. Didn't you visit him?"
"We did," George said, "but we went in vain. The Healers at St. Mungo's said he had already been discharged and was back home."
The three of them headed to the living room, intending to go upstairs. For some reason, perhaps wanting to chat with Mr. Weasley, Chris and Kyle decided to stay the night and return home the next day.
However, just as they reached the stairs, they noticed an unexpected presence in the living room.
Dumbledore stood there, beaming at them.
"Professor Dumbledore?"
"A wizard's coming of age is a significant occasion," Dumbledore said, producing a box. "I felt it necessary to pay a visit."
"Thank you, Professor."
"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "In fact, I forgot to prepare a gift for you. Old age brings forgetfulness, and I hope you don't mind. I'll make it up to you later."
"Then this..."
"Is Miss Patil's gift," Dumbledore smiled. "When I arrived, I saw a seagull hovering nearby, aimlessly circling. I guessed it was here to deliver your gift but couldn't find the location."
"A seagull?" Fred asked, puzzled. "Shouldn't it be an owl?"
"Messengers aren't limited to owls," Dumbledore explained. "In other countries, seagulls are also messengers, and they're better at crossing the open sea than owls."
"Oh, Professor!"
At that moment, Sirius and the others, having heard the commotion, joined them. They were equally delighted to see Dumbledore.
"So glad you're here, Professor Dumbledore," Mrs. Weasley said. "Have you eaten dinner? If not, please join us. I'll make you a pumpkin juice pasty."
"While I'd love to say it's unnecessary, I can hardly refuse a warm pasty."
Dumbledore followed Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen.
"Professor Dumbledore, would you like some brandy?" Sirius held up the bottle. "Authentic Fire Dragon brandy."
"Oh, then I'll have a glass."
...
(End of Chapter)
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