DISCLAIMER: Ok so all the regular characters you have heard of before belong to JK Rowling so all I can do I hope she doesn't mind my borrowing them.
SUMMERY: Can justice be done when the truth is finally brought out into the light, or do secrets well buried do nothing but hurt when they are uncovered?
AUTHORS NOTES: This story is set when James Potter and co. were at Hogwarts. As for the age-old question of well – ages. I have MM as in her late-twenties when most of this tale takes place and Dumbledor at maybe fifty. It also relies on the fact that these two already had a strong friendship at this age.
Chapter one – The Letter.
Today was Harry's birthday. He was seventeen and about to enter his last year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He shuddered at this thought. The last six years had undoubtedly been the best in his life - despite everything. This summer had also more than lived up to expectations with both he and Ron had spending the summer with Hermione and her family. First they had spent a month in the french countryside in a cottage so remote that the nearest house had been a good half an hours walk away. Then they had returned to Dorset where the Granger's home was. Over the weeks they had done many things including play the odd game of three-person quiditch (made possible by a large garden surrounded be tall poplar trees). But today had been a lazy day – consisting mainly of lying on the grass reading and trying to teach Mr Granger the knack of wizarding chess – their endeavours had not been wholly successful. They had had dinner outside and as dusk fell a series of owls flew into the garden and waited patiently to have their packages and letters removed before perching along the low railing that surrounded the patio where they sat.
"I may never get used to that." Commented Mrs Granger with a smile pulling her gaze away from the birds in order to clear away the dishes. "I tell you youngsters what, we'll do the dishes tonight before we head out to the cinema – Birthday treat." This was greeted by a chorus of 'thank you's from all except Hermione's dad who just pulled a face.
"Well? What ya get?" Asked Ron as the two grown-ups disappeared inside. Harry began to unwrap his parcels carefully as they all tried to guess what each contained before it became obvious.
"Definitely from Hagrid." Said Hermione as he picked up a rather large, untidy package.
"Hmm I agree." He told her removing the inevitable 'rock' cakes and feeling around the paper for anything he had missed. He pulled out some sort of certificate and read it aloud. "This entitles the owner to one years free subscription to The Carrot – the wizarding worlds favourite satirical newspaper."
"Wow! You are sooo lucky – that can be so clever. They once…." Hermione was drowned out by Ron soon though.
"You had better sign it now in case you forget." He told him pointing to the dotted line at the bottom of the page. Harry took a proffered quill and signed the sheet, which immediately vanished with a small poof of smoke.
"Next!" Ron called handing him a small package. Harry pulled the note attached to it out and read that first.
"Harry Potter, Happy Birthday, yours sincerely A. Dumbledor." He mumbled quietly as he pulled the wrapping off the present subconsciously remembering the last present his Head teacher had given him.
"Professor Dumbledor sent you sherbet lemons!?" Hermione exclaimed a mixture of surprise and disbelief in her voice. 'Apparently so.' Harry thought and couldn't help but smile while remembering the older man's obsession with the muggle sweets. Reaching out he picked up the last parcel moving it to the side so he could leaf through the remaining letters no-doubt most of which came from his friends at school – after all he didn't have any others. He looked through them noting he had received a card from both Victor Krum and Fleur DeLacour but he could no longer put off opening the parcel from his Godfather than fly (without a broom). He quickly broke the seal on the letter attached to the rectangular package to find what he had to say. Unlike what he had come to expect Sirius's note seemed relatively short.
Dear Harry,
It seems just like yesterday when you were born and it is sometimes hard for me to comprehend just how much you have grown in even these last few years. You have faced many more trials in your 17 years than most wizards will in their entire lifetimes and this is why I know that I am doing the only thing I can by fulfilling your fathers wishes. I'm not sure if I ever told you this – but your father was an avid keeper of diaries. He must have worked his way through at least twenty volumes in the years I knew him alone. Unfortunately most were destroyed along with your parent's house. However almost a year before You-Know-Who attacked, James asked me to look after one volume in particular. I did as he asked and placed it safely in my own Gringgotts vault and it remained there until recently. I believe that handing it on to you would be what he would want and so that is what I have done. All I can tell you is that this volume covers the September to April of our final year at Hogwarts.
I know this isn't exactly a traditional birthday present (I assume that the new Firebolt-x series waiting for you at school will make up for that) but I hope that you gain something from it. As I have never opened the book much less read it – I can't tell you what to expect but only that any questions you have I (or Moony) will do our best to answer. In any case, all my love to all the three musketeers and remember to keep safe.
SB
Harry just sat and stared at the paper in one hand and then back at the diary in the other totally oblivious to what was going on around him.
"Harry? Harry? Are you in there? What did Sirius send you?" Ron asked waving a hand in front of his eyes.
"Oh…." He said seeming to snap back to reality all of a sudden. "He, he got me a knew broom." He told them absentmindedly. " I think I'm going to go upstairs a while." He said quietly leaving the table and all his assorted gifts and heading inside leaving his companions very confused.
A/N: yeah - this is the first chapter in I have no idea how many (as I haven't written them yet heehee) and how fast I write will of course be proportional to how many reviews I get so… thanks for reading
LinZE