Somewhere deep in the forest, a cloaked figure was standing alone. The cloaked figure was barely moving but stood still just staring at something intently. The figure stared at . . . someone hiding between the trees. The figure raised their hand very slowly towards the person hiding in the trees and then. . . let out a scream –
"Ah!"
Hazel Potter gasped, snapping her eyes open.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!" Three kids yelled in Hazel's face.
Hazel sat up and looked around her room wildly. Her hazel eyes scanned the room, her dark, wavy black hair messy from sleep. She sighed when she realised she was just in her room surrounded by her siblings.
"What are you scared of, Weirdo?" Caden Potter, Hazel's younger brother, looked at her, laughing. Caden's blue eyes crinkled in amusement.
"I was having a nightmare, Dork," Hazel snapped back.
"Oh no, was it scary?" Lyra Potter, the youngest of the siblings, asked, climbing into Hazel's bed.
"Not that scary, Lyra. Don't worry," Hazel grinned at her, ruffling her hair.
"Happy Birthday!" Lyra yelled, tackling Hazel in a bear hug.
Leo Potter, Lyra's twin, quickly joined the hug. Lyra had her mother's dark brown hair and her father's green eyes, while Leo had inherited their father's black, messy hair and their mother's blue eyes.
"Dorks," Caden rolled his eyes, but Hazel pulled him into the hug too.
"You are the biggest dork," Hazel said, squeezing her siblings happily.
"I'm not," Caden shrugged, but stayed in the hug for a moment before pulling back.
"We wanted to wish you at midnight, but Mom stopped us because you are leaving for school today," Leo said, pouting. "And you needed sleep."
"And also because you two couldn't wake up at midnight to wish her," Caden chuckled.
"As if you were up!" Lyra protested.
Hazel laughed, watching her siblings quarrel, and then it hit her.
She was leaving for school today. For Hogwarts.
"Omygod! I have to get ready! All of you - out." Hazel scrambled out of bed very quickly.
"But we wanted to –" Lyra began, but Hazel was already running to the bathroom.
"Kids, come here," A voice called from downstairs. "Let your sister get ready."
"Yes, Mom," The three kids said in unison before running out of the room.
Hazel watched the clock and got ready at super speed. Putting on the white shirt and black pants that went underneath the Hogwarts robes, she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Hogwarts, here I come," Hazel mumbled at the mirror, grinning widely before running down the stairs.
"Happy Birthday, Hazie," Harry and Chris said together as Hazel reached them.
"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad," Hazel hugged them tight.
"Happy Birthday, little parrot," Mr. Norton said, walking out of the kitchen with a cake. "Who wants their birthday cake?"
"Granpa!" Hazel squealed in delight before hugging Mr. Norton tight.
"Careful, the cake would drop," Mr. Norton said, returning the hug with one hand.
Harry quickly took the cake from Mr. Norton's hand and set it up on the table.
"It's red velvet," Hazel grinned. "You made my favourite, Granpa!"
"Sure did, my little one," Mr. Norton grinned. "Let's blow out the candles."
Hazel grinned, closing her eyes to make a wish before blowing out the candles.
Let me have a bunch of friends in Hogwarts. She wished in her mind.
Mr. Norton, Harry, Chris, Caden, Lyra, Leo and Dobby (the well-paid house-elf of the Potter family) sang Happy Birthday for Hazel as she cut the cake.
In the last eleven years, Mr. Norton had gotten old with white hair and wrinkles on his face, but he always made sure to pamper his grandchildren, spend time with them and spoil them rotten. Harry and Chris had changed, too. Having four kids made them look more physically and mentally mature. Harry now usually wore suits and long suit coats, and Chris's dressing style became more top, trousers and cardigans.
"Your gifts are packed in your trunk," Chris answered the question Hazel was trying to ask. "And no, you will not open them now or on the train. You would get bored and won't repack them properly back to the trunk."
Hazel pouted at her mother's firm instructions, and Harry chuckled as he served everyone breakfast.
"Don't be sad, Princess," Harry smiled at his daughter. "You know your mom is right. But . . . there is one gift that you could see right now."
Hazel perked up immediately.
"What is it?"
"Harry, at least let her have her breakfast," Chris sighed, knowing her words were useless as Hazel was already bouncing in her seat, and Harry ducked inside the living room to get his gift. Chris called out to Harry. "Stop spoiling her."
Harry just grinned, coming back with a furry creature in his arms. Hazel screamed, seeing the black furry bundle in Harry's arms.
"You got me the dog!" Hazel yelled, jumping down from her seat to take the furry little thing from Harry.
"Be gentle," Harry said softly as he put the little creature in Hazel's arms. "He is still very little."
Hazel's siblings instantly crowded around her to see the dog.
"I know," Hazel whispered, her eyes shining with joy and adoration as she watched the sleepy little baby creature covered in shiny black fur. It opened its eyes blearily and Hazel smiled, seeing its mismatched yellow and black eyes. It was the same creature she had fallen in love with when they went to Diagon Alley last week to buy her new school supplies. But Chris had refused to buy it because Hogwarts didn't allow dogs.
"Dad even got permission from Professor McGonagall so that you can bring him to Hogwarts with you," Chris said seriously. "So I hope you take good care of him and I don't want a single complaint from the school, alright, Hazel?"
Hazel looked up at her mom and nodded vigorously. The use of her name rather than her nickname meant her mom was really serious.
"I know it's not a toy, Mom," Hazel said, nuzzling the creature close. "It's a dog. A living thing. The cutest living thing."
"Is it a dog?" Mr. Norton said, looking at the furry creature, who somehow looked a bit different from the normal dogs Hazel had seen.
"It's a magical dog," Harry muttered and earned a glare from Chris.
"Magical dog? What do they do?" Leo asked curiously. "Can I get one too?"
"If Leo gets a magical dog, I want a magical snake!" Lyra perked up.
"And I want a Hawk!" Caden announced.
"No," Chris sighed. "No one is getting Hawk, Snake or another magical dog. Not until you go to Hogwarts and even then, your Dad can't keep asking for special treatment from Professor McGonagall."
"But I go to Hogwarts next year," Caden reminded.
"And we will see what you get next year," Chris said firmly before adding. "And this magical dog does nothing. It's just a normal dog with mismatched eyes."
Mr. Norton didn't look convinced and kept glancing at the furry creature, but didn't push the topic either.
"But –" Caden was about to argue when Harry quickly clapped his hands, pointing at the clock. "Look, it's almost time to go. We can't miss the train. Come on, kids, finish your breakfast and grab your stuff. Quick. Quick."
Hazel put the puppy on her lap and finished her breakfast with one hand. Caden, Lyra nad Leo quickly ate. Harry and Chris looked at each other and seemed to have a conversation without words. Hazel noticed Chris looking a bit mad as she glanced at the puppy and back at Harry, who looked a bit sheepish.
Hazel looked between them, feeling a bit worried, but when she looked back at the puppy, her worries vanished.
"I would name him Shadow," Hazel smiled happily. "He looks like a shadow, and he would be my shadow in Hogwarts. I would take him everywhere."
Harry and Chris looked at their daughter, startled.
"That's a pretty good name, sweetheart," Chris smiled. "But you can't take him to classes."
"Yeah, your mom is right, and it's a great name," Harry grinned proudly.
***
The Potter family arrived at King's Cross station and quickly crossed the barrier to Platform 9 and 3 quarters. Hazel's eyes immediately started to look for her friends, the ones who would be with her in the first year of school.
"Hazie!" A girl with curly, whitish blonde hair called, waving at her happily.
"Willow!" Hazel shouted before running to the girl and hugging him tight.
"Happy Birthday!" Willow Creevy wished, hugging her back.
"We are here too, you know," A red head boy dawled, grinning. "Happy Birthday, Hazie."
"Harvey!" Hazel gave Harvey Weasley a quick hug and turned to the boy beside him.
"Hey, Hazie, Happy Birthday," A boy with strawberry blonde hair and grey eyes smiled at her softly.
"Thanks, Cyrus," Hazel returned the smile, looking at him.
"And who might be this?" Colin said, coming up behind Willow and pointing at the puppy in Hazel's trolley, sleeping peacefully.
"This is Shadow," Hazel introduced her new puppy. "It's a special, magical dog."
"A special magical dog?" Colin looked at the puppy closely before looking at Harry and Chris, surprised.
"Don't ask," Chris warned, and Colin laughed quietly.
"What's so funny about Shadow being a special dog?" Hazel asked, surprised, looking from Colin to her parents.
"Nothing," Colin said quickly.
"But perhaps keep Shadow away from our Minister of Magic," Draco said, casually stepping beside his son, Cyrus. A soft smirk tugged on his face looking at the puppy.
"From Mom?" Harvey turned to Draco, looking confused and surprised. "Why? She doesn't hate dogs."
"Draco," Chris sighed, looking at Draco to Harry to Colin. "I can't with you boys. Now have fun explaining to them while I track down my other three energetic kids."
Chris rolled her eyes as she walked away from them.
[To be continued]