Authors Note: Like before, I will post the next chapter immediately after this one. By the way, I can't help but gloat to every HP fan: I saw a special screening of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban last Monday (the 24) at Mann's 6 Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. It was most definitely the best movie in the series yet! I love Alfonso Cuaron! (I'm Mexican by the way, so yeah!) Since I can't help by blab about it, I'd be more than happy to answer anyone's questions about the movie. Just e-mail me at Crazimicki1@cs.com. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling created Harry Potter and Co.
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Get this party started on a Saturday night
Everybody's waitin' for me to arrive
Sendin' out the message to all of my friends
I can go for miles if you know what I mean
I'm comin' up so you better you better get this party started
I'm comin' up so you better you better get this party started
Pink, "Get The Party Started"
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"Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, knotgrass…" Augustus Rookwood murmured sliding his finger down a list of ingredients from Most Potent Potions.
"Do you have all the necessary components to complete the potion, Rookwood?" Bellatrix inquired as she entered the newly constructed basement of Ron's apartment. She was looking rather bored and impatient, for she was anxious to carry on her plan.
"Nearly" he drawled in a callous tone.
"Oh…very good" scoffed Bellatrix. "We cannot afford any failure, especially with something as simple as basic potion brewing"
"Actually, Bella" the pox-marked Rookwood retorted, "the Polyjuice Potion is quite complicated, and can prove fairly difficult for even the most capable wizards" he finished through clenched teeth.
"Do not try to patronize me" she said softly while crossing the dungeon-like room in long strides, finally stopping once she was standing directly behind where he stood tending to the potion. Nuzzling his ear for a moment, she whispered "My point, dear Augustus…is that…this potion…CAN-NOT-BE-BOTCHED!" Bellatrix shrieked with frustration. Rookwood gave an involuntary shutter at her outburst, apologized, and continued to stir the now simmering contents of the cauldron before him.
"Now," she continued sweetly, ignoring his apology, "by the time I get back down here, I want the potion completed, minus the last ingredient of course. Is that understood?"
Rookwood grunted.
"Do I need to send Dolohov down to assist you?" she asked with annoyance, her dark eyes flashing dangerously.
His response was a vigorous shake of his head.
As she vanished up the stairs, the gangly Rookwood flipped irritably through the pages of Most Potent Potions, muttering incoherently under his breath. A few minutes later, he summoned two empty vials from a steel cabinet across the room. The Polyjuice Potion was complete.
"Can't disappoint my fans, now can I" she eccentrically murmured to herself while applying tiers of color to the eyelids of her skeletal face.
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Harry and the Imperious-Cursed Ron arrived at The Burrow a quarter after six. Bellatrix had ordered Ron to 'act natural', and that's definitely what Zombie Ron was doing. He was acting so much like normal Ron in fact it, was scary. He was even late picking Harry up from 12 Grimmauld Place, a very Ron-like-thing to do. And so Harry hadn't noticed anything different about his best friend.
"We're HERE!" Ron called out jovially as he and Harry approached the front steps of the Weasley home. "Just me and Harry…yup…just me and Harry…"
"Ron, why are you yelling mate?" Harry said aloud playing along. No one, minus Hermione, knew he was aware of the surprise party.
There was not one candle lit inside The Burrow, but as Harry and Ron walked through the front door, hundreds of floating little colored lights rapidly sprang to life all over the room. Harry squinted, adjusting the sudden brightness. Yet minutes passed, and nothing happened.
"Oi?! Where is everyone?" Ron suddenly blurted while scratching his head.
Harry cringed while muttering "Nice one, mate" and slapped him hard on the back. As Ron opened his mouth to retaliate, the little colored lights began to move. They both stood quietly, gawking open mouthed as the little lights began to unite and form the phrase 'Happy Birthday Harry!' in large, intricate lettering.
"Surprise!!!" dozens of voices boomed enthusiastically as a crowd of Harry's closest friends suddenly appeared, dressed to the nines, below the floating marquee.
Ron jumped a bit and grabbed Harry's arm, but Harry continued to stare open-mouthed at the scene before him.
"Just breathe" a familiar voice whispered behind him, and he turned, unprepared for the sight that would greet him when he did.
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"Black always was my color" Bellatrix said dreamily as she gazed into her reflection in Ron's bathroom mirror. In her youth, she had been astoundingly attractive and beautiful, always gathering hordes of hopeful beaus wherever she went. But time became her enemy as she spent years withering away in prison, her mind being melded and tortured from the power hungry Dementors. Truth be told though, she wasn't exactly ugly now. On the contrary, she was still rather pretty. It was the blackness of her heart, the thirst for vengeance in her soul that made children cry, women shriek, and grown men tremble when she drew near.
She smiled eccentrically while running her palms over the silky material of the new black dress she wore. She had managed to steal it from a local muggle department store earlier in the day, and had to admit she looked rather good in it, even if grubby muggles had made it. It was a very stylish number, with a front neckline that fell treacherously low and revealed a fair amount of cleavage. The hem of the dress was a bit long for Bellatrix's liking, but quickly fixed that with a wave of her wand. It now had a lengthy slit that rose nearly all the way up her thigh.
"Muah!" she sounded as she kissed the mirror after applying some dark-red lipstick to her pale lips. "We are going to have so much fun tonight!" she eagerly screeched to her reflection while jumping up and down. "Sooo much fun!" she repeated.
"That little bitty baby Potter will finally get a hint of what real pain is like" she continued madly. "And that Mudblood bitch he loves as well. But tonight will be just a taste-"
A shrill knock at the door interrupted her conversation.
"What is it?" she growled, tearing her eyes away from the looking-glass to glance at the bathroom door.
"The potion is complete Bellatrix, and all preparations are ready" replied the hoarse voice of Antonin Dolohov.
"Very well. I will be down shortly!" she responded in a terrible sounding sing-song voice. Turing back to her likeness, she sighed contently. "Just a taste-a taste of what is to come."
A mad smile materialized on Bellatrix Lestrange's colorless face as the witch threw her head back in an ear-splitting cackle of glee.
A few feet below ground, Augustus Rookwood and Antonin Dolohov unwillingly shuddered at the woman's unnatural laughter.
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Harry blinked in astonishment. He couldn't think of words to say that would accurately describe the way Hermione looked tonight. She was so astoundingly beautiful that he just continued to stare at her, mouth still agape as it had been minutes before.
"Careful mate, I know someone who drowned that way!" Ron laughed as he pushed Harry's jaw up, forcing his mouth to finally close. Hermione simply beamed at him.
Harry was finally snapped back to reality as the entire room began to clamor toward him, the women excitedly (or in Molly's case tearfully) hugging him, while the guys mannishly shook hands with him and slapped him on the back. When he turned to Hermione again, she was gone.
'She always manages to disappear right in front of me' Harry remarked in his head.
Being the chivalrous Gryffindor that he was, Harry politely greeted all his guests, while all he really wanted to do was find Hermione and…well…he didn't know what he wanted to do with her just yet. He just knew he had to find her...to thank her for the party…to tell her how amazing she looked…to just be with her. He cranked his neck to search for her as he peered over the crowded room, which had finally began to dissipate as Arthur and Molly led everyone into the backyard, where the food would be served and dancing would commence.
"Happy Birthday" the familiar voice whispered softly in his ear again as its owner covered his eyes with their hands.
"Hey!" Harry said turning around to face her, his make-girls-weak-at-the-knees smile appearing on his handsome face as she uncovered his eyes.
"Surprised you, huh?" Hermione asked, her honey-colored eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Yeah" he replied sheepishly. "Those lights were brilliant. How did you guys do that?"
"How can someone with glasses so thick still be so blind?!" she questioned him incredulously, arms crossed in front of her.
"Hey-!"
"They were fairies, Harry! Honestly!"
"Fairies?" he repeated, a bit impressed. "Well, what about how everyone just appeared ou-?"
"Disillusionment Charm," Hermione replied with a grin "Compliments of yours truly."
He stared at her.
"What is it?" she asked in a stricken voice. "You don't like it?"
"You must be the thick one if you think I don't like all of this" he said cheekily. "I love it, Hermione." He added seriously. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome Harry. But the Weasleys did a lot more than-"
Hermione never got to finish as Harry, after being extremely patient for the past hour, finally lost it and drew her into his arms and into a deep kiss. The world around them disappeared as they kissed, slowly at first but growing more passionate as each moment passed. Harry wasn't even aware of being in The Burrow, let alone his own birthday party, until he heard a snigger from somewhere in the room and the distinct voice of either Fred or George Weasley.
"Oi! Harry?! Hermione?!" one twin asked.
"Don't worry" the other answered when the couple ignored them. "They'll fancy a bit of oxygen soon."
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