Harry Potter and the Secret Treasures - H.P.S.T Chapter 1574: Ginny's Present

A few minutes later, when the three of them arrived in the kitchen, they found a pile of presents waiting for Harry on the table.

Bill and Monsieur Delacour were finishing their breakfasts, while Mrs. Weasley stood chatting to them over the frying pan.

“Good morning, you three! Come sit down! Here’s your bacon and eggs. Oh, and Harry, Arthur told me to wish you a happy seventeenth,” said Mrs. Weasley, beaming at him. “He had to leave early for work, but he’ll be back for dinner. That’s our present on top.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Well, Sirius’s present hasn’t arrived yet. He said he wanted to give it to you in person. He’ll probably be here this afternoon.”

Undoubtedly, Sirius’s present to Harry would be the most valuable.

Evan sat down and watched Harry unwrap the square package Mrs. Weasley had pointed out.

Inside was a gold watch. The dial had no hands, just a few moving stars.

“It’s traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age,” said Mrs. Weasley, watching him anxiously from beside the cooker. “I’m afraid that one isn’t new like Ron’s, it was actually my brother Fabian’s and he wasn’t terribly careful with his possessions, it’s a bit dented on the back, but —”

The rest of her speech was lost; Harry had got up and hugged her. He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the hug and perhaps she understood them, because she patted his cheek clumsily when he released her, then waved her wand in a slightly random way, causing half a pack of bacon to flop out of the frying pan onto the floor.

“Well, when Evan comes of age next year, I can give him the other watch. It belonged to my other brother, Gideon.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley!” said Evan quickly.

Gideon and Fabian Prewett were both Mrs. Weasley’s brothers, early members of the original Order of the Phoenix, who were killed during the first war against Voldemort.

According to ancient tradition, male wizards received a watch upon coming of age.

Compared to a brand new watch, the two old watches Mrs. Weasley gave to Harry and intended for Evan held far greater significance.

She hadn’t left them for her own sons, but for Evan and Harry, demonstrating her love for them both.

“Happy birthday, Harry!” said Hermione, hurrying into the kitchen and adding her own present to the top of the pile. “It’s not much, but I hope you like it. Ginny, Elaine, and Gabrielle will be down shortly, and Ginny probably wants to give you a special present in person. By the way, what did Evan get you?”

“An amulet I made myself.”

“That’s great! I’ve wanted to make something myself, but I’ve never been able to, so I bought this. I hope you like it, Harry.”

Harry unwrapped the gift. Hermione had bought him a new Sneakoscope.

It was far more advanced than the one Ron had given him before, and much more accurate; if anyone with ill intent came near, it would not fail to sound the alarm.

Hermione thought it would help Harry distinguish between good and bad people.

But people’s hearts were the hardest thing to read, and relying on magic to judge them was a bit presumptuous.

The other packages contained an enchanted razor from Bill and Fleur (“Ah yes, zis will give you ze smoothest shave you will ever ’ave,” Monsieur Delacour assured him, “but you must tell it clearly what you want … ozzerwise you might find you ’ave a leetle less hair zan you would like. …”), chocolates from the Delacours, and an enormous box of the latest Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes merchandise from Fred and George, and lovely handmade birthday cards from Elaine and Gabrielle.

However, Ginny hadn’t come out yet, and it was unknown what special present she had prepared inside the house.

They did not linger at the table, as the arrival of Madame Delacour and Fleur made the kitchen uncomfortably crowded.   

Ron suggested going to his room, and Mrs. Weasley, unusually, didn’t object.

They all headed upstairs, carrying Harry’s presents. Just as they reached the first-floor landing, a door opened.

“Harry, will you come in here a moment?”

It was Ginny!

Ron came to an abrupt halt, but Hermione took him by the elbow and tugged him on up the stairs, while Evan dragged along the curious Elaine and Gabrielle.

“What’s she up to?” Ron muttered disapprovingly, reluctantly ascending.

“A present for Harry, of course,” said Hermione, the stairs creaking under their feet.

“Is it that thing we talked about last night?” Gabrielle asked, her face full of expectation. “How romantic!”

“What thing?” Ron asked sharply at once.

“Of course it’s a kiss. Ginny’s been planning it. She wants Harry to remember her, so she’s going to give him the most precious thing she can,” Elaine replied calmly, as if it weren’t a big deal. “Maybe she’ll even want to bite Harry. If it were me, I’d definitely do it. It’ll leave a mark, and he’ll never forget it.”

“What?” Ron’s voice suddenly rose.

“Oh, come on, Ron, give them a bit of privacy,” said Evan. “They’re in a relationship — you can’t keep watching Ginny all the time.”

“She’s my sister,” said Ron nervously. “No, I can’t let her do that. I need to go downstairs and check.”

“Stop!”

But Ron ignored them and rushed downstairs.

Harry followed Ginny into her room, feeling a little nervous.

He had never been inside it before. It was small, but bright. There was a large poster of the Wizarding band the Weird Sisters on one wall, and a picture of Gwenog Jones, Captain of the all-witch Quidditch team the Holyhead Harpies, on the other.

A desk stood facing the open window, which looked out over the orchard where he and Ginny had once played Quidditch and where they had once gone on a date.

Now, it housed a large, pearly white marquee. The golden flag on top was level with Ginny’s window.

Ginny looked up into Harry’s face, took a deep breath, and said, “Happy seventeenth.”

“Yeah … thanks.”

She was looking at him steadily; he, however, found it difficult to look back at her; it was like gazing into a brilliant light.

“Nice view,” he said feebly, pointing toward the window.

She ignored this. He could not blame her.

“I couldn’t think what to get you,” she said.

“You didn’t have to get me anything.”

She disregarded this too. Her face flushed red as she said, “I didn’t know what would be useful. Nothing too big, because you wouldn’t be able to take it with you.”

Harry chanced a glance at her. She was not tearful; that was one of the many wonderful things about Ginny, she was rarely weepy. This set her apart from other girls. He had sometimes thought that having six brothers must have toughened her up.

He looked at Ginny, and Hermione’s words rang in his ears. Ginny was going to give him a special present.

Translating_Wizard

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