It was just past noon when Lavender got out of the black Austin cab at a little inn that read:
Dhomat e magjistare
δωμάτια της μάγισσας
Lavender knew how to read and speak a very extensive list of languages. She was fluent in twenty-two languages, having managed to pick up Hindustani while at Hogwarts from Parvati. She was also trying to learn Kannada from Parvati as well, but was hampered a bit by the fact that Parvati wasn't quite as fluent in that. The Albanian and Greek in that sign wasn't hard for her to translate into English. It was the Room of the Witch, a rather appropriate name for an inn run by a witch.
"Charlie Brown!" the proprietress said almost immediately upon Lavender's Uncle's entry. "I thought I'd never see you again after that April in Tbilisi."
"I'd been wondering when our paths would cross again, Dashurie," her Uncle Charlie said. "I think this is the longest time between meeting since that Gostilna in Log above Skofia Loka."
"Yes, and maybe this time you'll settle down with me," Dashurie said. "You know that Elira would love to see you more. If I'd known you were coming she wouldn't be in Vlorë visiting her Aunt Diellza for the week."
"Vajza ime may have a bit of a surprise this evening," her Uncle Charlie said. "This is my niece, Lavender. We're going to be spending some time in the Forrest."
"Be careful in the Forrest Charlie Brown," Dashurie said. "There are dark doings going on deep in the forest."
"That's why we're here, Dashurie," her Uncle Charlie said. "We need to make sure of a connection to events last year at my niece's school. We've heard that a wraith from Britain may be there."
"If you seek the wraith, you will find him in the Forest," Dashurie replied. "I have heard that he regularly returns to a hallow of trees just above the naval base. You will know when you find it by the feeling of evil, but be careful Charlie. It has driven many who have visited to bad ends, and Elira would miss you."
"And you?"
"But of course," Dashurie replied, before ducking back through a door.
It wasn't long before Charlie and Lavender were back on the road north, towards Vlorë, though not before Lavender witnessed Charlie kiss Dashurie behind a partially closed door.
Harry Potter surveyed the table in the Grangers' dining room. At the very end was all the presents he'd received. He sat at the head of the table, a seat that was normally the domain of Mister Granger. Hermione had what she called the seat of honor, to his right, with little Jimmy held in a sling as his little hand reaching upward while he nursed from her breasts. Hermione's parents were on the other side of the table, in the seats that were usually his and Hermione's.
There was a big cake in front of him, with twelve candles aflame. It was larger than any of the ones that Dudley had had over the years. It was covered with lemon icing with a "Happy Birthday Harry" plastic sign embedded in it. Unlike what Dudley had, Harry's was home made, and the sign was apparently custom ordered. He'd seen the ones for everyone else in the house. Hermione's had been right under his when he'd seen it in the drawer a couple days ago.
"Come on, Harry, make a wish and blow out the candles before they burn down to the cake," Hermione said. Since it was just family, and Jimmy had "demanded a drink," she'd discarded her t-shirt, one of the Vauxhall shirts that both she and her mother seemed to have an infinite supply of. Harry couldn't help but smile as his son put his hand against his mother's breast.
Harry still needed to make a wish. That was hard to do, as his life had improved so much since Hermione had come into his life. It was hard to believe that last year he'd thought that going to Hogwarts was a wish come true that he hadn't dared to think of. The year before that he'd just wished for something to eat on his birthday, having spent the whole day taking care of the lawn and then been locked in the cupboard under the stairs while the Dursleys had a steak dinner.
A wish. It was something he'd never dared to think would come true. Since he'd gone to Hogwarts, a wish was possible for once. Magic had turned his life around. No, Hermione had turned his life around. If it wasn't for her discovery of his scars, he was sure he'd still be at the Dursleys in Little Whinging. There was little if anything he wanted from the town he'd grown up in. His was life was so good now that he couldn't conceive of it becoming better.
He had a family now, with Jimmy and Hermione. Even Hermione's parents were sort of family now. With the kisses that he and Hermione had been sharing, he thought he might even have a girlfriend, if he could screw on his Gryffindor courage and ask her. He worried a bit that if he did, she'd say no, and he was a little young to have a girlfriend. Of course, according to Penny all of Gryffindor already thought they were a couple, and maybe they were. That was a strike against using his first ever birthday wish on Hermione, either for a recovery of his courage or for her to say yes.
He glanced over at Hermione's parents, and then back at the pile of opened presents sent from all his friends. It was nice to have friends, people that Dudley wouldn't chase away, people that liked and cared for him. He'd never had that before his first year of Hogwarts really. First it had been Ron, who had actually thought his scar was cool. Then Hermione had become his friend after the troll, and once she'd been discovered to be having his baby, it seemed like he got a lot closer to everyone in Gryffindor in his year, even the girls. He really couldn't see his life without his friends anymore.
No there was only one wish to make, one belief to encourage. With the thought that he wished that his life would continue to get better, he blew out all twelve candles.
"Well it looks like Harry's got a good chance to get his wish," Monty Granger said. "Not that he'll tell me."
"Not supposed to," Harry replied with a grin. He'd been briefed by Hermione about birthday wishes, and the ritual where her father tried to find out from the birthday girl what the wish was.
"Oh I will find out," Monty said. "I always find out." He paused briefly. "Harry are you ticklish?"
"Don't answer that, Harry," Hermione interrupted before Harry could respond. "You'll never get away."
"So you are, otherwise my little Mercury wouldn't have warned you," Monty replied.
"I'll just do what Hermione does, pick up Jimmy," Harry replied.
"You can't hold him all the time," Monty stated. "And Hermione's nursing right now." With that, Monty reached around the table, and tried to tickle Harry's ribs.
Hermione's father had beginner's luck as he tickled just the right place to cause Harry to break into laughter. Soon Harry was on the floor laughing, Monty ticking him to the point that he nearly had to go pee.
He didn't tell anyone what he'd wished, despite the tickle torture. Harry wanted his wish to come true and intended to do nothing to prevent it.