Secrets, Lies and the Daily Prophet (Alt. Fifth Year Fic)

Chapter Seventeen: Harry's Fifteenth Birthday

That night Harry stood in his bedroom gazing out the window at the night sky he saw two owls carrying parcels swooping down to meet him. Harry looked at the clock and saw that it was now officially his fifteenth birthday. Hedwig and Athena had returned.

"Hey, Hedwig," Harry said as he stroked her head. "Glad to see you again." He handed her an owl treat and she hooted appreciatively to him. He untied a letter and package from Ron.

Happy Birthday Harry,

Thanks for sending Hedwig to me and letting me know about your safety precautions. If Pig had brought back any of my letters, I would planned to break you out of the Dursley household again.

Things are strange here this summer. It's a daily row between my folks and Percy. The investigation at the Ministry cleared him of any wrongdoing. Fudge was so impressed that Percy was able to manage a department with little direction that he decided to make Percy his personal assistant. That's what's causing the problems at home. If you thought he went on a lot about Crouch last year - you should hear him prattle on and on about Fudge! I never saw Mum yell at him before this summer. I thought he could do no wrong in her eyes. Now I wish Percy would just find his own place to live so I wouldn't have to hear them fight all the time.

Remember Winky? Well, after the third task, she totally lost it and cried all the time. This bothered the other house-elves at Hogwarts. They started complaining to Dumbledore and said they couldn't work with her anymore. So he decided that she needed to look after a family again and asked my mum if she'd take Winky in. Percy objected about having the house-elf that his beloved Mr. Crouch sacked. He soon changed his tune after Winky went on and on about how Mr. Crouch spoke highly of him and had depended on him. I'll have to remember that Percy falls for flattery every time.

Winky loves doing Ginny's hair. She spends hours braiding and fussing with it. Mum couldn't be happier with the help and the companionship in the kitchen.

I haven't told Hermione about Winky yet, so please don't tell her I'm sure she'll be upset, especially after all that SPEW stuff last year, but we are treating Winky very well. She's still wearing clothes, but my mum makes sure they're washed and ironed along with ours. We're not paying her, but she refuses that anyway. So I don't know what else Hermione would expect, but I don't feel like getting any Howlers right now.

Fred and George are talking seriously about starting a joke shop after they finish school this year. For a change Mum isn't giving them grief about it. Maybe we needed Winky all along.

My folks won't tell me anything about what's going on. They say I should leave it to them and Dumbledore to worry about. And now Mum says that she doesn't think you can come and stay with us at all this summer. I'll keep working on this because I know how you hate it with your relatives. Especially that stupid git of a cousin.

Ron

Harry opened the package from Ron and it was a book about last summer's Quidditch World Cup with glorious moving pictures of all the players and the incredible moves. One page showed Viktor Krum's famous Wronski Feint and Lynch slamming into the ground. It was like watching a continuous loop of instant replay on the television. Harry smiled as he turned the pages and thought that maybe Ron had gotten over some of the hard feelings he seemed to have about Viktor Krum.

Then Harry remembered Athena was waiting patiently carrying a letter and package from Hermione.

Harry,

I wanted to let you know that I've been chosen to be a prefect as has Seamus Finnigan. I will still try to ride at least partway on the Hogwarts Express with you and Ron, except that we'll be having a prefects meeting in one of the front cars for a portion of the ride. I had hoped that either you or Ron would have been a prefect with me, but you don't get everything you wish for.