chapter 1.2

Key helps Harry with all of his homework with no worry, but Harry started to get sleepy, so Key puts away Harry's stuff for him and puts his head on a pillow and says "Good night".

"But, what about your letter, I can still help you", said Harry.

"No, no, you and I are going to sleep, I have all summer to write that", Key reassures Harry in a whisper.

Key hugs Harry and says "Happy birthday".

"We're officially thirteen", Harry realized.

"Yup, teenagers, you better not go crazy, chasing witches, and acting like a ladies' man", Key joked in a whisper.

"Please", said Harry in a whisper. "What about you are probably going to chase a bunch of guys?"

"As if,", said Key in a whisper.

Key and Harry giggle at each other.

Harry looks at Hedwig's cage and looked worried.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Hedwig will be back", said Key in a whisper, with her arm around Harry's shoulder.

"I know, it's just hoped that he would be back around now", said Harry in a whisper.

"Well, let's look at the sky", said Key in a whisper.

Key and Harry search the skies and sees a silhouette against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in their direction. They stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower.

Through the window, four owls soared towards them, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and gray, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.

"See nothing to worry about", said Key in a whisper.

The owl that is unconscious is Errol, which is the Weasley's owl.

Olivia lands on Key's head.

"Hey, Olivia", said Key, smiles.

Key dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel gives it to Harry, and then carried Errol to Olivia's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water.

Harry goes to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was his own Hedwig. She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.

Harry didn't recognize the third owl, a handsome tawny one, but he knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the night.

"Interesting, looking owl, who's owl are you?" Key smiles, while Olivia that still on her head.

Olivia screeches.

"Right, your letter, sorry", said Key.

Key takes the letter from Olivia's leg and read: Dear Key, how are you doing, I hope that box isn't driving too crazy, I am staying at Keni's place, we are enjoying each other's company and trying to teach some of our new witch friend about the faes, since so excited to learn about more knowledge. So, If you want to visit, I brought a key card, just scratch it and you can teleport to where we are, Love Ally.

Key smiles as she reads the letter.

Meanwhile, Harry takes a package from Errol, then he ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold and his first ever birthday card. Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out -- a letter and a newspaper clipping.

The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:

MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.

A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank. "

The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid along with Makai. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tall, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny; Makai is standing by Ron.

"How interesting and cool, I hope they had a wonderful time", said Key, while writing a letter back.

"It would seem so ", said Harry, as he shows it to Key. "They really deserved it".

"I agree", said Key.

Harry picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.

Dear Harry,

Happy birthday!

Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted.

It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.

I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.

Harry remembered only too well the occasion when Ron's old wand had snapped. It had happened when the car the two of them had been flying to Hogwarts had crashed into a tree on the school grounds.

We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?

Don't let the Muggles get you down!

Try and come to London,

Ron

P. S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.

"Oh, Percy must be loving that", said Key, as she finished her letter.

Harry glanced back at the photograph with Key beside him. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug. He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun.

Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.

The note says: Harry -- this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.

Bye -- Ron

Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.

Key notices another letter from Olivia's leg.

Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.

Dear Harry,

Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.

I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you -- what if they'd opened it at customs? -- but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous -- the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.

There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long -- it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.

Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!

Love from

Hermione

P. S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased. Ron doesn't seem too happy about it.

Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells -- but it wasn't. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.

"Wow, Hermione!" Harry whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.

"Impressive", Key whispers with a smile.

There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.

Apart from his friends, the thing that Harry missed most about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world -- highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks.

"You miss Quidditch?" Key asks Harry in a whisper.

"Yes, you know once summer starts, I already miss that school and everything great about it, but I also know that you miss your wings and using your magic", said Harry in a whisper.

"You know me too well, but then again we are practically siblings", said Key in a whisper. "Oh and here's another present".

"Key, you already gave me a present", said Harry.

"No, not from me, surprisingly from my friends", said Key in a whisper, as she gives Harry a letter.

"Your friends? What could they send me?" Harry wanderers in a whisper.

Harry starts to read the letter: Dear Harry, I know you might have a lot of friends that sent you birthday and you see us as more of Key's friends, but we feel we are your friends too, so here.

After Harry reads the letter, the letter splits into pieces, the pieces turn into a sundae, two books, and a birthday card appears.

"What are these books?" Key asked in a whisper, then giggles.

"What?" Harry asks Key in a whisper, as he tastes the sundae.

Harry sees the two books that are history books for faes.

"They seem to have the same idea as me", said Harry in a whisper.

Harry opens a birthday card and confetti comes out, then a spirit forms a unicorn, the unicorn says with Betty's voice "Happy Birthday, Harry, you're thirteen. Well, I hope you read all those books, Key help him with the info, have fun".

The unicorn spirit disappears.

Harry finishes the sundae and says "I understand why you would be friends with them".

Harry put the leather case aside and picked up his last parcel. He recognized the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper. He tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly -- as though it had jaws.

Harry froze. He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous.

Harry poked the parcel nervously. It snapped loudly again.

Key grabbed the parcel, then pets it and says in a whisper "It's okay, calm down, calm down".

The parcel stops snapping and purrs.

"Key, how did you know how to stop that?" Harry asks Key, while looking nervous.

"I studied animals and this seemed like a wild animal, plus it was attacking you so my normal instincts kicked in", said Key in a whisper.

"You are too protective", said Harry in a whisper. "But thank you".

"Of course, we are family and I would do anything to protect you", said Key in a whisper.

Harry is touched by Key's thoughtful words.

Harry reaches for Hagrid's card which reads: Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday!

Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you.

Hope the Muggles are treating you right.

All the best,

Hagrid

Now there was only the letter from Hogwarts left.

Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:

Dear Mr. Potter,

Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.

Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.

A list of books for next year is enclosed.

Yours sincerely,

Professor M. McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Harry pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it, no longer grinning. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; he knew it was an entirely wizarding village, and he had never set foot there. But how on earth was he going to persuade Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign the form?

He looked over at the alarm clock. It was now two o'clock.

"How come I didn't get that letter?" Key asks Harry, feeling left out.

Olivia shows a paper that is the same paper as Harry's.

"Nevermind", said Key.

After all the excitement, Harry and Key finally lay down and goes to sleep, so they will worry about the permission slips in the morning or afternoon.