Harry Potter The Surprise

Hermione loved the irony of that, she just didn't relish being in the man's class again. There was no way Snape wouldn't seek retribution, he was simply too petty to let the matter go. Madam Pomfrey quickly solved their problem.

"There's only a week of term left. Any time you have potions I want you here instead - so I can check if there has been any lasting damage over tonight's events…"

A loud snore cut through what the healer was saying, and also chopped to little pieces the tension that had been building in the room. Harry actually laughed at Ron's ability to sleep through anything.

After healing the large bump on the back of Dumbledore's head, Poppy cast the oblivate charm on him while Harry called for Dobby to put the headmaster into his own bed. The little elf swore it would be easy to change the headmaster into his own nightclothes too. That should really have the old bugger wondering what had happened when he woke in the morning.

Harry and Hermione kissed goodnight, retreating to their own beds before Madam Pomfrey woke the Minister. She berated him, as only a healer can, about working too hard. Cornelius left Hogwarts, thinking he'd taken a 'funny turn' from overworking. He would really need to start delegating more.

.....

Harry thought he was having the most vivid dream ever, until he felt a familiar presence beside him. "Harry, what are you doing? Why are you watching this? I really don't want to be reminded of this day again."

The candles on the cake told Harry this was Hermione's sixth birthday and an excited little girl was almost bouncing off the walls at what would be her first ever party. That excitement slowly drained away, being replaced by despair, as the hands on the clock slowly travelled well past the appointed time - and still none of the children she'd invited had turned up.

Harry was enraged as her parents casually started packing all the food away, so it wouldn't waste, while Hermione was in floods of silent tears as she removed her party dress and curled up in her bed. Her mother at least checked on her later, though Hermione was pretending to be asleep.

Harry tried to comfort Hermione over the incident, which was extremely hard to do since neither of them were physically here - wherever here was. It was at least more than her parents had done at the time. Hermione though had other things on her mind.

"I know your mum was rushed tonight when trying to give us the information she thought we needed but this was a hell of a big thing to leave out. We're sharing thoughts and now memories, can cast with our rings - I suppose my main worry is what else didn't she have time to tell us."

"Whatever it is, we'll face it together. As strange as it might seem, this is still the best night of my life. Oh shit! Not this - please not this..."

The scene in front of them had now changed. It was still a sixth birthday party though this cake was at least twice the size of the one little Hermione had. She could feel the anxiety pouring off Harry's presence as he watched his younger self scurry about helping to make sure everything was perfect for the invited guests arriving.

"Mum, the freak will spoil everything…"

"What! Don't be silly Diddums - he won't be here when all your friends arrive. You hear that Freak? Get to your room, and don't make a sound. I'll let you out later and you can clean up the mess from the party."

Hermione only thought she was angry as the skinny little boy walked away without arguing. When he opened the cupboard door and climbed in, her confusion soon turned to utter rage as Harry spent the next few hours sitting in his 'room' - peeking out through the door vent at all the children their age enjoying themselves.

She had thought her birthday experience was bad but Harry's was much harder to take - and then it got even worse. She could actually feel the small boy's hunger as he silently sat there watching the other children stuff their faces. When the party was over and everyone had left, Harry was let out to clean up from the party he had so cruelly been excluded from.

When the starving child understandably snuck a few morsels of leftovers into his mouth, while he tidied up, the resulting slap from his Aunt was a total shock to the watching Hermione. The harridan then stood over Harry and ensured all the leftovers were scraped into the waste bin, smirking in satisfaction as she did so. After Harry had done all the washing up, he was sent back to his cupboard with something that Hermione supposed technicality qualified as a sandwich.

Two skinny pieces of bread and a little clump of wilted salad certainly wouldn't stave off the boy's hunger. After eating every crumb of this meagre meal, the younger Harry warily moved some of the contents of the cupboard to reveal a pitiful stash of food.