Silver Hourglass

Letters, Marge, and Gringotts (3rd year) Chapter 19

Harry Potter, soon to be age thirteen, was annoyed as he sat on his bed under the covers. He wanted to do his homework, but was forced to do it during the night. The Dursleys, in their ever growing fight against Harry's wizardry background had once again locked up all of his trunk with his robes, textbooks, wand and his broomstick, which was a gift from his boyfriend Draco. Draco... Harry missed his boyfriend more than anything. Even though Hedwig was able to leave and enter his room now, only during night of course so the neighbors don't see, the letters between him and Draco weren't enough. He needed to see his boyfriend, or else he'll go mad!

But that wasn't a priority now, or at least, not the first priority Harry had. No, he needed his school stuff to do the homework his professors had assigned. So, after a week of being locked in the cupboard, Harry was able to sneak them into his room. Now, at the dead of night, Harry was working on a History of Magic paper, the topic "Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless-discuss."

He had his textbook, A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, propped on his pillow as he carefully flipped through the pages, a flashlight his only source of light. He read carefully and bit the end of his quill as he thought about what to write. He reached under his bed and got out a bottle of ink and parchment. He carefully unscrew the top of the ink bottle and sat up a bit to dip the quill into the bottle and started to write, his handwriting sloppy. Harry didn't care for that at the moment, the important thing for the almost thirteen year old was that all of his homework was done. Especially Professor Snape's homework, an essay about shrinking potions. Not that Harry would ever need a shrinking potion. He was still small and scrawny for his age.

Harry spent an hour writing about a witch called Wendelin the Weird and got out of bed, and walked to his windowsill. He stretched and groaned softly as he looked outside, the breeze feeling refreshing on his sweat-covered face from being under the covers. He saw a few figures coming from the distance and recognized them as owls, one of them being Draco's Eagle Owl. Harry dived out of the way when a very clumsy owl, Harry recognized it as Errol the Weasleys' owl, flew in, almost hitting the wall as he dropped a few letters and a newspaper clipping. The other owls came in and delivered their letters, Draco's owl staying for a bit so Harry could give him a treat.

Harry looked at the pile of letters and decided to start with the Weasleys' as that was the closest. He picked up the news clipping and read it.

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 delightful 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, where five of the Weasley children currently attend.

Harry looked at the moving photograph that came with the letters and smiled when he saw all nine Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid. Good for them, Harry thought. He couldn't think of anyone else more deserving to win the large prize. He look at Ron's letter and read it.

Dear Harry,

Happy birthday!

It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptain 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 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. Oh, and Fred kept insisting that we take home some of the cursed stuff so he could show Cedric Diggory. You know him right? The tall Hufflepuff who's a year ahead of Fred and George. Apparently he and Fred and dating, though George is always with them too. Did you know that?