Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

28

MILLIES POV

"What's that, Harry?"

Around ten minutes later, Dean, Seamus and Neville announced that they were going off to breakfast, and Lavender and Parvati soon followed them. Mione had quickly gone upstairs to grab one of her new books to read at breakfast, while Harry, Ron and I waited for her. Ron had just pointed out a long, thin package lying underneath all the wrapping paper.

"Dunno..."

Harry ripped the parcel open and froze, staring at whatever it was. I gently pulled the rest of the packaging off so that Ron and I could see. I gasped.

A magnificent, gleaming broomstick rolled out onto the sofa. Ron pushed himself up to get a better look.

"I don't believe it," he said hoarsely.

It was a firebolt, identical to the dream broom Ron and I had been goggling at in Diagon Alley. Its handle glittered as Harry picked it up. It was slightly vibrating, and he let go; it hung in mid-air, unsupported, at exactly the height for someone to mount it. My eyes moved from the golden registration number at the top of the handle right down to the perfectly smooth, streamlined birch twigs that made up the tail.

"Who sent it to you," Ron breathed.

"Look and see if there's a card," said Harry, hesitantly reaching his hand up towards the broom.

Ron ripped apart the Firebolt's wrappings.

"Nothing! Blimey, who'd spend that much on you?"

"Well," said Harry, looking stunned, "I'm betting it wasn't the Dursleys."

"I bet it was Dumbledore," said Ron, now walking around and round the Firebolt, taking in every glorious inch. "He sent you the Invisibility Cloak anonymously-"

"That was his dad's though," I reminded him. "Dumbledore was just passing it on to Harry."

"Yeah, anyway, he wouldn't spent hundreds of Galleons on me," said Harry, shaking his head in disbelief. "He can't go giving students stuff like this-"

"That's why he wouldn't say it was from him!" said Ron. "In case some git like Malfoy said it was favouritism - I'm surprised you didn't get one, Millie. Hey -" Ron gave a great whoop of laughter, "Malfoy! Wait 'til he sees you on this! He'll be sick as a pig! This is an international-standard broom, this is!"

"I can't believe it," Harry muttered, running a hand along the Firebolt, while Ron and I laughed loudly at the thought of Malfoy. "Who-"

"I know," said Ron, controlling himself. "I know who it could've been - Lupin!"

"Lupin?" I said quickly, sitting up. "Why Lupin?"

"Nah, not him," Harry said, starting to laugh himself. "Listen, if he had this much gold, he'd be able to buy himself some new robes."

"Yeah, but he likes you," said Ron, sinking back into his armchair contently. "And he was away when your Nimbus got smashed, and he might've heard about it and decided to visit Diagon Alley and get this for you-"

"Away?" I repeated. "What do you mean, he was away? He was ill when we were playing in that match."

"Well, he wasn't in the hospital wing," said Ron, furrowing his eyebrows. "We were there, Harry and I, cleaning out the bedpans on that detention from Snape, remember?"

Harry frowned at Ron. "Yeah, but I can't see Lupin affording something like this."

"What're you three laughing about?"

Mione had returned, wearing her dressing-gown and carrying Crookshanks, who was looking very grumpy with a string of tinsel tied around his neck.

"Don't bring him in here!" Ron shouted, hurriedly snatching Scabbers from the depths of his armchair and stowing him in his pyjama pocket. But Mione wasn't listening. She dropped Crookshanks onto Seamus's empty armchair and stared, open-mouthed, at the Firebolt.