Tannim's blog: "Harry Potter and the Mental War"

Harry and Fawkes stepped out of the Floo into the Burrow kitchen to find it empty except for a familiar face hooting at him.  "Hedwig!" he called softly, going to her perch and stroking her feathers.  She nipped him affectionately.  "I've missed you girl, and I'm glad you're safe."

Hermione came into the kitchen in a rush, saw Harry, and stopped.  "Oh, good, you got my note. Remus was looking for you; he's in the living room."

Harry shrugged and stepped into the hall, and made his way to the living room.  The door was closed.  He turned the knob and opened the door to the darkened room.

A blinding flash hit him and several arms pulled him into the room.

"SURPRISE! HARPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!"

Harry grinned from ear to ear.  He sort of knew this was coming, but they had gone all out.  Sirius and Dumbledore's portraits beamed at him from the mantle, there was a mountain of gifts in one corner, a huge cake and a skirted table groaning under a matching mountain of food and drink next to it, and the rest of the room was filled with wall-to-wall people.  The applause was deafening and he looked around at the crowd.  He saw Weasleys everywhere, Moony and Tonks holding hands, Fleur doing the same with Bill, Dobby at one side, and Hermione came in behind him.

He raised a hand and the applause died down.

"I can only say three things right now:  One, WOW!  Two, you all are the best!  Three, let's eat, I'm starved!"  Laughter broke out and everyone dug in to the mountain of food.  Everyone came by at one point or another to offer their congratulations.  Harry thanked them each in turn, most of the time with his mouth full.  Tonks and Hermione both kissed him on the cheek, making him blush, as did Fleur.  Then he noticed something was missing.

Where's Ginny?

He asked Hermione that very question a moment later.  "She was in the bathroom, I think.  But I better go check." She left the room but only went out of sight.  There is no way in the world I'm going to miss this!

Molly, taking her cue, came over to Harry and gave him a rib-cracking hug.  Hermione slipped back in the room unnoticed.  "Time for the cake, Harry."

"What about Ginny?  She should be here, too."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be out here in a minute." Molly replied with a smile.

Harry looked at the cake, almost three feet tall, and just as wide, decorated in Snitches and Red and Gold.  He thought about it, and made his birthday wish, then blew out the seventeen candles.  The group applauded.

He turned to say something, but the top of the cake popped open, and a large red blur flew out of the cake and straight into Harry, knocking him over and onto the floor, flat on his back.  His glasses knocked askew, he saw a red blur on top of him and hot breath on his face, and he felt paws on his shoulders.  A face moved closer and he panicked when he saw a lioness looking at him with a look of pure hunger.  The next thing he knew the lioness was furiously basting his face with a wet tongue and he closed his eyes and tried to squirm away but couldn't move.  He vaguely heard laughter around him.  What in Merlin's beard?

Then the lioness was slowly changing shape, and he now saw a mass of red hair.  The licking turned into soft kisses, the paws into small hands, and the weight on him lessened.  He straightened his glasses and finally realized what was going on.  Ginny stopped her kissing and looked down at him, tenderness and passion in her eyes.

"Happy Birthday, Harry." was all she said.  She helped him up, but as she did, she drew close to his ear and whispered, "I hope you got the message."  She then pulled away with a mischievous grin.

You can say THAT again, Ginny.  I sure did!

He looked around the room and the laughing faces and starting laughing himself.  "You all got me good with that one.  I never expected Ginny to jump out of the cake!  And as an Animagus, too!  Moony, did you have something to do with this?"

"Who, me?" he asked innocently.  Then when everybody laughed again, he broke into a lopsided grin.  "I'll explain it all later, Harry.  Open your presents now!"

First, per tradition, was Mrs. Weasley's sweater, in deep green with red trim and a huge lightning bolt on the front.  Harry immediately put it on.

Then came the usual collection of sweets from Ron, an enchanted quill from Hermione whose ink would only be visible to whom you said it would, and so much other stuff he lost track.

Then at last Fred and George came up with their gift.  Harry looked at them nervously.  "It's not going to explode or anything?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?" asked George.

"This is a finished product for you," began Fred.

"You saw it in the shop," continued George.

Harry opened it up.  He saw a black body suit.

"We finished the Amoeba Suit.  We figure you ought to have the first one," they said together.  "Maybe it will save you later."

He looked at the twins.  "Yes, I think it just might.  Thanks, guys."

There were no more gifts left to open.  Ginny stood there in front of him.

"Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Harry, the party is one of my gifts to you.  I wanted you to come of age in style, even if I know you hate the attention," Ginny said, slightly nervous.

"Well, that one was fantastic, Ginny." Harry replied, blushing.

"But I want to give you my other gift now, Harry."  She moved closer to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

She threw her arms around him and looked into his deep green eyes.  "Me."  Then she kissed him deeply.  After what seemed like an eternity, she let up and looked at him, and saw shock and happiness in there.  "I love you, Harry Potter," she whispered.

Harry slowly disengaged from her.  "I know.  I read the letter last night.  Bear with me a minute," he whispered back.  She looked at him, puzzled, but not angry with him for not saying her loved her back.  She already knew that anyway, even if she wanted to hear it.

He turned to face everyone.

"I want to thank you all for this wonderful party, the great presents, the prank, all of it.  I think I should tell you all what happened today."  Harry paused, and then continued.  "As you know, today, I came of age, and that means I came into the Potter estate, and I found out exactly what that meant.  To be blunt, it means I'm loaded, with more money than I can ever need in ten lifetimes.  It's actually pretty embarrassing.  I don't know how to be rich.  So I decided to do something with it, something I want to do, for you all. You all are my family now.  I'll never get Mum and Dad back, and I wish Dumbledore and Sirius were here in person instead of in portraits, but I can't change that.  It's taken me some time to deal with that, and it will always hurt some, but I can't dwell on it."  He looked them all over.

"For every Weasley that marries and has children, each child will have a trust fund for them so they will never have to worry about anything.  Even for Percy."  There was a general murmur of shock.  He pressed on.  "Remus, I also gave you a substantial sum.  I know how hard it can be for a werewolf to get work.  I also know you fancy Tonks.  This will help make that dream come true, and make sure that you don't have to work unless you want to."  Remus was in tears at that.  Tonks hugged him close.  He turned next to Hermione.  "Hermione, you're the smartest witch of our time, but even you can't provide for your parents while they're in hiding.  They now will be comfortable as well as safe for the rest of their lives." Hermione burst into tears.  Harry next turned to Molly and Arthur.  "I have three things for you two.  I know you're not James and Lily Potter, but that doesn't matter.  You've shown me all the love a parent could ever give a child, and for that I am eternally grateful.  I love you both.  It broke my heart to see you scrape and save to provide for this family over the years.  You will never, ever have that burden again.  That's my first gift.  Here's my second gift."  He pulled out his wand and tapped his head.  His hair turned Weasley red.  Everybody burst out laughing.  Harry grinned.  "Since you're all like family to me, and since you've always treated me like one of your own sons, I figured I ought to look the part!"  Molly lost it and smothered him in a bear hug.  Arthur joined them, tears in his own eyes.

"Oh, Harry, you have always been a son to us, you know that!" she sobbed.

"Mum, let him breathe!" snickered Ron.

"I know that, but I'd like to make it official, which is the third thing."  Understanding dawned on Molly and Arthur's faces.  They both looked at him, and both nodded.  He turned to Ginny, and took her hands in his, looking directly into her eyes.

"Ginny Weasley, I love you more than life itself.  I know I've been a prat at times to you, and I'm sorry.  I know I can be a thick git, too, but I'm sure of one thing now more than ever."  He got down on one knee and held up the open box, revealing a platinum and full-carat diamond ring with emerald and ruby accents.

"Ginny Weasley, will you marry me?"

Time might as well have stopped at that moment.  Every eye in the room-human, elf, and portrait-was locked on the two of them, but Harry only had eyes for Ginny.

YES! YES! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! HE ASKED ME!

Tears formed in her eyes.  She had waited her whole life for this moment.

"Yes," she whispered. "YES!" she screamed.  "Yes, Harry Potter, I will marry you!"  He slid the ring on her finger and the room exploded in cheers and hoots and hollers.  She threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply.  But nobody was prepared for what happened next.

My birthday wish came true!

As they kissed, the white glow appeared.  It enveloped them both, and grew bigger and brighter.  It blinded everyone in the room.  Fawkes began to sing.  Dumbledore conjured a pair of sunglasses and put them on.  Sirius turned away and put his hand over his eyes.  Everyone else closed their eyes and turned away.  The light pulsed with Fawkes' song, and finally then faded into Harry and Ginny.  This time they noticed, and looked around in shock.

"What in Merlin's name was that?"  Molly cried.

"I believe I know, but it takes some explanation, Molly," replied Dumbledore as he banished the sunglasses.  "But first, I think we all could use a drink."